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Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev
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Volume XV - Issue 4
The DRS Weekly Torah Publication
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Jewish Suffering By Benjamin Ramras, 12th Grade
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I t says in this week’s parsha: “And it was the life of Sarah” (23:1). The pasuk in Koheles (1:5) states, “And
the sun rises and the sun sets.” The simple meaning of this phrase emphasizes that it is the monotonous, rou-
tine course followed by the sun that ensures the orderly continuity of life on the earth. The Midrash, however,
perceives a deeper meaning in this phrase. It states that this verse uses the rising and setting of the sun to symboli-
cally teach us that before the “sun” of one righteous individual is permitted to set, the “sun” of another righteous
individual rises. For example, before Sarah passed on, Rivka was born. This Midrashic statement is puzzling. It
seems that in previous generations there were more and greater tzaddikim. Can we not expect as large a number of
tzaddikim today who are on a comparable level with those of past generations? We may suggest that in every gen-
eration Hashem places pure souls on earth who have the potential to reach spiritual heights equivalent to those
reached by our Patriarchs.
Due to the negative influences of our society, however, we lack the perception of the value of the proper
Torah education. This prevents these souls from achieving their potential. Where are the mothers such as Chana,
(Continued on page 2)
R ashi Says: “Why does the Torah juxtapose the death of Sarah to Akeidas
Yitzchak? Because when Sarah heard that Yitzchak was almost sacri-
ficed during the Akeida, her soul left her and she died” (Rashi, Bereishis
23:3).
Although Avraham accepted the test of the Akeida with full faith, Rashi
implies that Sarah died from the shock of hearing about her son’s near death ex-
perience. We know that Sarah was a great tzadekes; in some ways she was
greater than Avraham. If this is true, then why didn’t she know that this was just
a test and Yitzchak wasn’t actually going to be sacrificed?
Sarah was a supporter of emunah. She didn’t have the slightest feeling of
regret when she heard that Avraham was going to sacrifice Yitzchak at
Hashem’s command. The pain was much deeper in the essence of her personali-
(Continued on page 2)
Where Have All the Tzaddikim Gone? By Eli Stahler, 12th Grade
PARSHAS
CHAYEI SARAH
21 CHESHVAN, 5774
OCTOBER 25, 2013
All Zmanim are calculated by myzmanim.com for
Woodmere, NY (11598)
Candle Lighting: 5:41 pm
Latest 9:17 :קריאת שמע am
Ends: 6:41 pm שבת
A point of clarification on last week's article titled
“The Three Guests” by Benjamin Watman It is critical to note and understand that G-d cannot take the form of man. Rather, the article’s the-
sis should have stated: Based on the multiple hints form the pesukim, one of the three angels was
.so to speak” – representing G-d“ – כביכול
ב “דברים היוצאים מן הל 2
who brought her son, Shmuel Hanavi, at a young, tender age to
the Sanctuary so that he might devote his life to Hashem’s ser-
vice? In previous generations, these pure souls reached their
potential because of the mesiras nefesh and the devotion of
righteous mothers and fathers who viewed Torah as the only
value system. The greatest source of joy in the lives of these
people was to see their son develop into a great Torah scholar.
If we lack tzaddikim in our generation, it may be due to an ina-
bility on the part of society to cultivate those young, perfect
souls.
Hopefully we can take this message to heart and put To-
rah and avodas Hashem as the driving force and main priority
of our daily lives. If we do this, then every person on their own
level will be able to achieve a level of tzidkus that will benefit
their lives exponentially. Torah, Hashem, and Judaism need to
be approached with zeal and excitement as opposed to being
viewed as a monotonous burden. This can only be accomplished
with a proper mindset and value system that is essential for dai-
ly life. May it be the will of Hashem that all of Klal Yisroel can
love and serve Him to achieve the binyan beis hamikash bim-
hayra biyamaynu.
Taken from Peninim on the Torah
(Eli Stahler — Continued from page 1)
ty.
Chazal tell us, “Ma’aseh Avos siman l’banim” – the ac-
tions of the forefathers are a sign of what is going to happen to
their descendants. Sarah understood that since her son,
Yitzchak, had experienced such a difficult test, his descendants
would also experience this. Really, she died because of the pain
that her descendants would have to face in the future.
In every generation, Hashem sends us difficult tests to
bring out the greatness of his chosen people, klal yisroel. We
inherited our amazing strength from the strength of Avraham
and Yitzchak displayed during the Akeidah.
Taken from Rav Moshe Sternbuch
(Benjamin Ramras — Continued from page 1) Torah Teasers
By Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum, 9th Grade Rebbe
Parshas Chayei Sarah
Questions
1. The Torah records that the lifespan of Sarah was
127 years. Where else in Tanach does the number
127 appear?
2. Which two ancient cities in Israel have numbers as
part of their name?
3. Avraham purchases the cave in Hebron from
Efron. Where else in Tanach is land purchased by
Jews from non-Jews?
4. Aside from the 400 silver coins used to purchase
the cave in Hebron, where else is in the book of
Genesis is the number 400 mentioned? (2 an-
swers)
5. Where in this parsha is the number ten mentioned?
(3 answers)
6. The Torah records that Eliezer finds a wife for
Yitzhak by a well. Who in the Torah meets his
own future wife at a well? (2 answers)
Answers
1. Esther 1:1 states that Achashverosh ruled over 127
countries.
2. Kiryat Arba (Genesis 23:2) and Be'er Sheva
(Genesis 22:19) both include a number in their
names.
3. In Genesis 33:19, Yaakov purchased a field near
Shchem. In 2-Shmuel 24:24, King David pur-
chased a threshing floor, which became the site of
the Holy Temple. In 1-Kings 16:24, the Jewish
king Amri purchased Har Shomron in central Isra-
el.
4. In Genesis 15:13, God tells Avraham that his chil-
dren will be slaves for 400 years. In Genesis 32:7,
Esav comes to attack Yaakov with 400 men.
5. Eliezer takes 10 camels on his journey (Genesis
24:1). Eliezer gives Rivka two bracelets, each
weighing 10 shekels of gold (Genesis 24:10). Riv-
ka's family wants her to stay in their home for at
least 10 months before marrying Yitzhak (Genesis
24:45).
6. Yaakov meets Rachel at a well (Genesis 29:9-10).
Moshe meets the daughters of Yisro at a well and
later marries one of the daughters, Tzipporah
(Exodus 2:15-17).
The complete edition of
Rabbi Moshe Atik's Torah Teasers
is now available on AMAZON
(keyword Torah Teasers)
there. Avraham had many visitors because everyone knew that
he was kind and liked to be helpful.
One day Avraham was standing in the doorway of his
little store waiting for customers. Suddenly, he noticed a
stranger walking toward his store. Avraham lived in a small
town, so he knew all the people there. When the stranger was
near the store, Avraham asked him how he could help. “Maybe
you would like to come to my home and rest awhile,” he said.
(Stories Of Greatness — Continued from page 10)
(Continued on page 4)
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 3
This upcoming week will mark the first anniver-
sary of Superstorm Sandy. This storm ravaged through
all of our communities and hit the Five Towns and DRS
especially hard. As we look back on that unpleasant
time, let’s try to focus on how, Baruch Hashem, all of
our communities were able to band together. We will
explore an uncomfortable shailah that will hopefully
never come up again, but from which we can learn
yesodos that may apply to other areas of halacha.
-Uri
I. Introduction
a. Due to the blackout, many people asked
if they could use flashlights around their
homes on Friday night. To address this
question, one must look at all the poten-
tial halachic problems involved. One is-
sue would be the concept of “shalheves,”
which is that a flame is muktzah and may
not even be moved Letzorach Mekomo.
It might also be considered a Kli Sheme-
lachto Le’issur. However, it might be
mutar to carry Letzorach Gufo or Me-
komo. One might also worry about a ge-
zairah Shema Yechabeh; a decree that
since one is so used to shutting it off af-
ter use, and one might shut it off on
Shabbos out of habit, we might be strict.
It is noteworthy to point out that alt-
hough no such gezairah exists from
chazal (their gezairah is in the context of
an actual flame being accidently blown
out), it might be appropriate to make one.
II. Different types of flashlights
a. One might have to differentiate between
different types of lightbulbs in flash-
lights. Rav Schachter (according to his
son-in-law Rabbi Tanchum Cohen) holds
that an incandescent bulb doesn’t have a
din of shalheves for muktzah even
though according to most poskim it has a
din of aish (for example by havdalah).
This is because shalheves is only when
the flame is separate from the kli that
holds it. Most poskim would assume that
it is shalheves, and Rav Moshe is indeed
machmir to say that it is. However, LED
lights, which are definitely not flames,
are more common. The question merely
becomes: is this considered a Kli Sheme-
lachto Le’issur? It may not be one, be-
cause even though in order to use it one
must perform a melacha, its purpose isn’t
for an issur; people just use it to see.
However, even if it is a Kli Shemelachto
Le’issur, one may carry it for its own use
(like cracking a nut with a hammer). It
follows that it is mutar to use an LED
flashlight as long as it was turned on be-
fore Shabbos. This is the majority view.
However, Rav Zvi Sobolofsky holds that
it would be assur. Rabbi Kelemer of the
YIWH held that one must be concerned
that one might turn it off. He therefore
paskened that one should cover the
switch with tape.
III. Carrying a flashlight outside
a. All of the above was dealing with using a
flashlight within one’s home. However,
there is a different concern when it
comes to using one outside in the streets
(where most of the eruvim are down).
Obviously, if there is no eruv, one may
not carry a flashlight. However, there is a
question regarding using a miner’s flash-
light: would it be considered a beged and
therefore mutar to use and wear without
an eruv? Rabbi Avi Lebowitz noted that
to answer this question, one might look
(Continued on page 7)
Given by Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz on yutorah.org
Flashlights On Shabbos
0-Minute Halacha Shiur 1 Written up by
Uri Himelstein
ב “דברים היוצאים מן הל 4
At the beginning of this week’s parsha, our holy mother Sarah passes. The Rabbis learn that the Akeidah caused
Sarah’s death from the story’s juxtaposition to the akeidah at the end of Parshas Vayera. The Midrash teaches how this
happened. After failing to convince Avraham not to sacrifice Yitzchak, the Satan went to Sarah. He told her that Avraham
had brought up Yitzchak as a sacrifice to Hashem. She of course did not believe what the Satan said, but she was surely
perplexed by the idea that Avraham may have sacrificed Yitzchak. She then went to the giants Ahiman, Shaishi, Talmai
and their father, at that time residents of Chevron, and asked them to look into the distance. They told her that they saw
Yitzchak tied to an altar and Avraham holding a knife. When she heard this, Sarah passed away. In Pirkei Avot Chapter 5
Mishna 4, we learn that Avraham was tested ten times and succeeded in passing all of his tests. However, the mishna does
not specify what his ten tests were. This led to a major controversy between many of the later commentators on the Torah
as to what his tests were. Most of the commentators do agree that Avraham’s last test was Akeidat Yitzchak. However,
Rabbeinu Yonah taught that Akeidat Yitzchak was Avraham’s ninth test and that Avraham’s tenth test was his bargaining
with Ephron the Hittite to buy Ma’arat Hamachpelah (the Cave of Machpelah) as a burial site for Sarah. How could
Rabbeinu Yonah say that buying Ma’arat Hamachpeilah from Ephron was a test for Avraham? What made it so hard for
him to do that; haven’t we all had to bargain with someone to buy something from him or her for a decent price?
Rabbeinu Yonah explains that buying the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron was such a difficult test for Avraham
because Hashem had earlier promised him that he would inherit the entire land, and now he had to bargain for one small
patch of land. But Avraham in his greatness did not voice one complaint and successfully passed his test.
Rabbeinu Yonah’s explanation has more significance than realized at first glance. At the beginning of the chapter
describing Akeidat Yitzhak, the Torah uses the words “and it was after these things that G-d tested Avraham” (Bereishis
22:1). The Rabbis teach that whenever the Torah uses the words “and it was after these things,” it is to connect the previous
topic to the current one. Right before the Torah passage describing the Akeidah, Avraham makes a peace treaty with
Avimelech, king of the Philistines. The treaty stated two main things. One, that Avraham and his descendants would re-
spect Avimelech’s and his descendants’ territorial claims in Eretz Yisrael, and two, that Avimelech would be at peace with
Avraham and his descendants. In making a treaty with Avimelech, Avraham committed a slight error which would need
atoning. He placed some trust in man and took an unnecessary step to ensure his son a safe future, when he should’ve trust-
ed in Hashem. He would need to be tested by Hashem to show that he had done teshuva for this sin. Hashem then tested
him with Akeidat Yitzchak. By making a treaty with Avimelech, Avraham wanted to secure a peaceful future for his son
Yitzchak, when he should have trusted in Hashem, and after that, he was commanded to sacrifice Yitzhak to Hashem,
thereby placing the safety and future of his son in Hashem’s hands. This showed that he had done true repentance for his
sin of trusting in another human being to provide peace for his son more than Hashem. But Avraham still had one more sin
he needed atonement for, and that was allowing the Philistines to keep their territories in Israel when Hashem had promised
(Continued on page 7)
“If you are hungry, please be my guest. If you are thirsty, please come with me for something to drink. Perhaps
you need money? We will help you.”
Avraham's invitation was so warm and friendly that the stranger decided to stop in his house for a rest.
What Avraham did not know was that this was no ordinary stranger. This was a very holy, wise and famous Rebbe
from a town far way. He was on his way to a wedding and happened to pass through Avraham’s town. The Rebbe
was an important man, and many people in Poland traveled long distances to listen to his words of wisdom or to
ask for a blessing or prayer in time of need. It would have been a great honor for any home to have this Rebbe as
a guest.
(Stories of Greatness — Continued from page 2)
(Continued on page 5)
By Brian Chernigoff, 10th Grade
Atoning One’s Sins
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 5
The Rebbe soon noticed Avraham's kindness and
generosity. He knew many rich people who could have
helped the poor much more easily than Avraham, but
who did much less than he. The Rebbe enjoyed his short
stay. Before he left he blessed Avraham with riches, so
that he should be able to continue helping the poor and
needy more easily.
After the Rebbe left, Avraham’s store suddenly
became a very busy place. All day long, customers were
coming in. Everyone found what they wanted, and no
longer did people leave his store to shop somewhere
else. With each day that passed, Avraham had more new
customers and more money to bring home. Soon he had
to make his store larger to fit all his new customers. Af-
ter awhile, Avraham became a very big, important and
rich storekeeper. He became one of the richest men in
the town. The Rebbe’s blessing that Avraham should
become wealthy had been fulfilled.
To be rich seems mighty good when one is poor.
People sometimes think that if they were rich, life
would be beautiful. But being rich can be a problem
too. Now that Avraham had a big store, he had a lot
more work to do. He worried about robbers breaking
into his store or home. He worried about his business.
He wanted his store to keep on growing. He wanted a
very beautiful home. He wanted new, fancy clothes. Be-
cause Avraham was busy with his store, he found less
and less time for studying Torah and going to shul to
pray. He did not even have time to bother with poor
people. Avraham could only be seen by special appoint-
ment. His secretaries were told to give money to needy
people who came for his help, but Avraham had no time
to listen to their stories or problems. Avraham and his
(Stories Of Greatness — Continued from page 4)
(Continued on page 6)
The juxtaposition between the story of akeidas
Yitzchak in last week’s parsha and the death of Sara
Immenu, recounted in this week’s parsha, explains to
us, says Rashi, that Sarah died after hearing the shock-
ing news of the akedia. Rashi’s statement is perplexing
in that Sara’s reaction to the akeida, dying of shock at
the news that her beloved son was to be slaughtered to
fulfill Hashem’s commandment to Avraham, seems to
have a negative impact on her. Contrasted with Av-
raham’s willingness and eagerness to fulfill Hashem’s
commandment, Sara’s death appears to indicate either
a lack of bitachon on her part, or at least a hesitation of
some sort regarding Avraham’s fulfillment of
Hashem’s commandment. Furthermore, Sara’s reaction
is even more difficult based on Rashi’s earlier com-
ments (Bereishit 21:12) saying that Sara’s greatness in
prophecy exceeded that of Avraham. Sara’s reaction
should have been equal to or even greater than Av-
raham’s in her approval, excitement, and enthusiasm
for Hashem’s commandment to be fulfilled.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that the dif-
ference between Avraham and Sara’s reaction to
the akeida was in the manner in which Hashem’s com-
mandment was presented to them, and it reflects the
difficulty to adapt to drastic change. Avraham was
gradually told that he was to bring Yitzchak as a sacri-
fice, as reflected in the words, “please take your son”,
“your only son”, “your beloved son” (Bereishis 22:2). Rashi says that the reason Hashem did not reveal Yitzchak by name to Avraham immediately was in order to not
scare or confuse Avraham with the enormous challenge. Thus, Rav Shmuelevitz suggests, had Avraham not re-
ceived a gradual warning, he too may have died from shock like Sara, who was suddenly overwhelmed by the
news that her son was to serve as a korban for Hashem.
Death from instantaneous shock is a real psychological and medical reaction that occurs to people and is
even documented and quoted in the Talmud. For example, in Kesubos 62b, the wife of Rav Chananyah ben
Chachinai died from “feeling his presence” and not having adequate time to gradually understand that he had re-
(Continued on page 7)
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Reacting The Right Way
By Akiva Ackerman, 10th Grade
ב “דברים היוצאים מן הל 6
wife built a brand new house that almost looked like a palace. It had many rooms, and all the rooms were large
and beautiful. On the windows hung soft velvet drapes. The floors were covered with thick rugs. There was wall-
paper on the walls. The kitchen was filled with new pots and pans. There were lots of fine dishes in the cabinets.
All the furniture was new and expensive. The dining room table was made of shiny wood. The chairs in the living
room were soft and plump. On the walls hung paintings by real artists. And on one wall in the living room there
hung a huge mirror. It was so big it almost covered the whole wall. All around this mirror there was a wide, thick
frame of gold. No one else in town had such a fine mirror. Everyone who saw it spoke of its beauty. It was truly a
masterpiece.
There were many servants in this new house. But this house was so fancy that Avraham did not want to let
beggars or poor people come in. Strangers were no longer invited for meals. Servants would open the door and
give some money to the needy, but that was all.
“Avraham is different,” people said. “He has changed since he became rich. What a pity! He was always
so kind and good, and now look at him. He has no time for any of us any more.” And they would shake their
heads sadly and remember the good old times when Avraham had never been too busy to help others.
Time passed. One day a messenger came to visit Avraham. He had been sent a long distance from the fa-
mous Rebbe who had given Avraham the blessing of riches. The news of Avraham’s good fortune had reached the
ears of the Rebbe, and now he needed his help. An innocent Jewish man had been put in prison on false charges,
and a great deal of money was needed for his ransom. Of course Avraham was happy to help. He gave the mes-
senger the money and sent him off with good wishes for a safe trip home. He also sent regards to the Rebbe.
(Stories Of Greatness — Continued from page 5)
(Continued on page 8)
True chesed
By Moishy Rothman, Editor of Student Articles, 12th Grade
The episode of Rivka and Eliezer offers much insight on how true Chesed is performed. Running to
quench the thirsty Eliezer and his camels, Rivka experienced a miracle. The Passuk says that “Eliezer ran towards
Rivka.” Rashi explains that after seeing the water rise towards Rivka, only then did Eliezer run to see if she was
the match for Yitzchak. The Ramban adds on, saying that Rashi’s explanation came about since word “ותשאב,”
“drew,” was only mentioned by the first drawing, and not later on when Rivka drew the water again.
The Kidushas Levi asks, what is the difference between the first and second drawings? He answers that
there are two ways people do Chesed: with some personal motive or purely for the mitzvah. The latter is the most
dear to Hashem. When Rivka first drew water, she did it with some personal motive. Drawing such large quanti-
ties of water is tiresome. Therefore, to help aid in the act of kindness, the water rose for her to lighten the load
needed to perform this mitzvah and thus increase the amount of Chesed performed by Rivka. However, by the
second drawing, Rivka was doing the act for the sake of the mitzvah without any personal motive. Therefore,
even if cumbersome, the act of the kindness would have been performed. The same miracle wasn’t necessary
since Rivka was going to perform the Chesed anyway. In fact, by not performing the miracle, the act of kindness
is more beloved by Hashem, showing that even if uncomfortable, the same kindness with the same fervor is going
to be performed.
Kindness has both aspects, personal and selfless. The lesson of Rivka and her ultimate triumph through
the performance of Chesed is to appreciate the selfless feature of an altruistic deed. Not only does selflessness
show a sense of love and respect towards the recipient, but it also expresses the inner nature of the performer him-
self. It shows that the act of kindness is being executed to get closer to Hashem, and even the struggle to do the
act is beloved and accounted for as well.
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 7
at Rav Moshe’s famous teshuvah regarding the wearing of wristwatches without an eruv. There, he
paskens that if one would wear the wristwatch “as a fashion statement,” even if it were broken,
then it would be regarded as a beged and could subsequently be worn without an eruv. However, if
one would take it off, then it would be assur to wear without an eruv. Based on this, it is fairly ob-
vious that since nobody would wear a headlight if it didn’t work, it is assur. [However, perhaps one
could say that this would be more similar to glasses because it helps you see.] Rav Moshe con-
cludes that the heter for wearing the watch is because it is worn. He brings two proofs for this: The
Gemara in Shabbos which permits the wearing of a signet ring (even though it may not be used on
Shabbos and it isn’t a fashion statement) and the Gemara in Eruvin which permits the wearing of a
handkerchief around one’s neck (which according to Rashi isn’t a clothing item to warm oneself,
but is rather an item to wipe one’s eyes and mouth). These are all permitted because of the fact that
they are worn. It would therefore seem that anything that is worn would not be a problem of carry-
ing, and that a miner’s light would be mutar for use in the streets, provided that it is an LED light
and was turned on before Shabbos.
(10-Minute Halacha — Continued from page 3)
and search DRS Visit YUTorah.org
DH is on
turned after his 13 year absence. Rav Shmuelevitz explains that processing information is important in one’s ability
to properly adjust to life’s challenges, an opportunity that was given to Avraham and not to Sara, which ultimately
caused her death.
Rav Matityhau Blum, in his sefer Tora Ladaas, quotes the Kehillas Yitzchak who explains that Sara’s death
was not a reflection of her righteousness (or lack thereof, chas v’shalom), but rather a part and parcel of Avraham’s
test. He describes the Satan’s attempt to foil Avraham’s fulfillment of the akedia, and when the Satan was not suc-
cessful, he abruptly informs Sara of Yitzchak’s predicament, which causes her sudden death. While the Satan
thought that Avraham would regret his willingness to fulfill Hashem’s commandment since it caused Sara’s death,
the Kehillat Yitzchak explains that the smaller “כ” in the word “v’livkotah” indicates Avraham’s minimal crying
and continued zeal to fulfill Hashem’s commandment. Thus, Avraham’s ability to cope with Sara’s death was his
knowledge that she was part of the nisayon, which ultimately made him appreciate Sara’s righteousness and
view her death as an integral part of his mitzvah.
May we learn from the lessons of Avraham and Sara and merit the ability to gradually process all of life’s
encounters, as well as be comforted by the knowledge that all of life’s experiences, both the good and the seeming-
ly bad, are part of our individual “nisayon”, as well as Hashem’s ultimate plan.
(Akiva Ackerman — Continued from page 5)
him that he would inherit the entire land. This is why Hashem then gave him the test of bargaining with Ephron. He had to
fight for a small piece of land that was promised to him without voicing any complaints to Hashem. This showed that he
had repented for the sin of not cherishing the holy land enough by allowing the Philistines to remain, and that he really
appreciated each acre of land in Israel.
Avraham’s tests show us that now, in the months following the High Holidays, when we did repentance for all of
our sins, Hashem will again place us in the same situation to see if we did sincere teshuva. When we are again tested in the
same manner, we will need to take the lesson from the previous test and learn not to repeat the mistake. May Hashem help
us continue to strive to fix our ways and may He help us achieve true and sincere teshuva.
(Brian Chernigoff — Continued from page 4)
ב “דברים היוצאים מן הל 8
In Parshas Chayei Sarah, Avraham wanted his servant, Eliezer, to go find a wife for his son, Yitzchak. He explained to
Eliezer the criteria of the perfect wife for Yitzchak . In Charan, Eliezer created a test that would help him find this woman. Near a
well, Eliezer would find a woman who would not only give water to him to drink, but would also automatically give water to hi s
camels without ever being asked to do so. And this is what happened when Eliezer found Rivka. Eliezer ran towards her and asked
her for a drink. She quickly listened and the pasuk says, (24:19) “Va’tuchal Lihashkos Vatomar Gam Ligmalaich Eshav ad im kulo
lishtos,” “And when she had done giving him drink, she said: ‘I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.’”
There is a barely noticeable but very significant difference in the way Rivka gave water to Eliezer and the way she gave wa-
ter to his camels. This difference teaches a powerful concept regarding doing acts of kindness. When Rivka gave water to Eliezer, it
was she who decided when to stop giving him water. When she felt that he had enough water, she then “finished giving him drink.”
However, when Rivka gave water to his camels, she only stopped giving them water “when the camels had finished drinking.”
When we are dedicated to do an act of kindness for someone, we're usually the ones who choose just how much time to
spend doing this good deed. This is because if someone initiates a kind gesture, he or she usually controls how much time to devote to
it. However, if he allows the recipient of the act of kindness to tell the giver when he’s done enough, the act becomes selfless and
even more meaningful.
Last year, around this time, Hurricane Sandy brought two different aspects to the tristate area. One aspect was showing the
power of Hashem, and another aspect was the amount of chesed performed and the community’s benevolence towards fellow Jews.
People helped clean houses even though it was not in there “comfort zone.” Going beyond the selfish kindness and turning it into a
completely selfless act is transforming for both the recipient and the contributor. This is how Rivka acted towards Eliezer, and it's
definitely a beautiful act of kindness.
When doing an act of kindness we often feel a subconscious sense of entitlement that tells us that we can end our flow of
chesed when we decide to do so. It goes against our nature to give until the recipient says to stop. But sometimes this is exactly what
Hashem wants us to shoot for.
We can learn from this important and critical lesson how chesed can reflect people’s attributes and how it can be a kiddush
Hashem throughout the world. May everyone be zoche to build on their chesed, and with the help of Hashem, we will B’ezrat Ha-
shem have משיח and be in ירושלים with the Beit Hamikdash, במהרה בימינו אמן.
Taken from aish.com
The Power of Kindness By Simon Afriat, 11th Grade
The messenger had completed his job, but he did not feel happy. It had been difficult for him to speak to
Avraham in person. His secretaries had not wanted to let a stranger into Avraham’s private office. Avraham had
given him the money, but he had not invited him to his home for some food and rest. The messenger was sur-
prised. The Rebbe had praised Avraham and often spoken of his hospitality and charitable ways. The messenger
could not understand what had happened.
When he came back to the Rebbe, he gave him the money and told him everything about his trip. The
Rebbe shook his head sadly. He understood that Avraham, the poor man, had a heart of gold, but Avraham, the
rich man, with all his gold, seemed to have a heart more like stone. The Rebbe decided to visit Avraham to see
what could be done.
When the Rebbe arrived at Avraham’s house, Avraham welcomed him warmly and invited him into his
home. This house looked very different from the home that Avraham had lived in when the Rebbe first visited
him. It was big and beautiful, but gone was the friendliness and warmth one had felt in the simple, old home. The
(Stories Of Greatness — Continued from page 6)
(Continued on page 9)
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 9
Rebbe walked on the heavy rug. He saw the costly paintings. He looked at the expensive, new furniture, and at the
drapes made from the finest, softest velvet. And then he noticed the mirror. He looked at its shiny gold frame. It
was the biggest mirror he had ever seen.
“Quite a change, is it not?” said Avraham with a pleased smile on his face. “And that mirror,” he contin-
ued, “is my favorite treasure. Of all the lovely things I own, I like that mirror the best. It cost a great deal of mon-
ey, but it was worth it. It is truly a masterpiece, a work of art, is it not?” he said and turned to the Rebbe.
“Yes,” the Rebbe answered. “Quite a change. Quite a change.” He said this softly, in a low, serious voice,
and his face looked sad.
Suddenly, the Rebbe called to Avraham. “Come here,” he said, and asked him to walk over to the mirror
and stand in front of it. The Rebbe then walked away a bit and asked Avraham to tell him what he saw.
Avraham was puzzled at this, but answered, “Myself. That is what I see in this mirror. My own reflection -
that is all I can see.”
“Look closely,” the Rebbe said. “What else do you see?”
“I see my lovely furniture reflected in the mirror. I see my paintings, I see my rugs and drapes. I can see
many things in my beautiful home,” answered Avraham.
The Rebbe then walked over to the window with Avraham. He pushed aside the drapes and told Avraham
to look out into the street. Avraham’s home was on a big street and people were always passing by. Since it was a
small town, Avraham knew almost all the people walking past his house. The Rebbe asked him many questions
about all the people they saw. And Avraham told him that the woman with the basket was a poor widow with
many small children. She was hoping that kind people would put food in the basket for her family. He told the
Rebbe about Bentze, the water-carrier, who was getting old and found it hard to carry the water. He pointed out
Yankel the tailor, a fine Jew who went to shul every day, but was very poor and never had enough money for his
family.
Avraham was wondering why the Rebbe was asking him all these questions. The Rebbe was a serious man
who never had time to waste. Why should he be so curious about all these people?
Then the Rebbe said to Avraham, “It is strange, is it not? A mirror and a window are both made of glass
and yet they are very different.”
“What do you mean?” asked Avraham.
“Well,” said the Rebbe, “when you looked in the mirror, you could only see yourself and the things that
belong to you. You could see much more when you looked out the window. Then you could see all your neighbors
and friends from the whole town.”
“That is true,” said Avraham. “A mirror and a window are both made from glass. The window is transpar-
ent. Light can pass right through it. It is clear and you can see everything through it. The mirror, on the other hand,
is covered with silver on one side. The rays of light cannot pass through, and therefore a mirror can only reflect
what is in front of it.”
“I see,” said the Rebbe and nodded his head. “I see. The piece of glass that is plain is clear through and
through, allowing you to see others and their lives. But when it is covered with silver, then you can see only your-
self. Hmm, very interesting. It is really quite fantastic, isn't it? Now do you think it will work the other way too?
Could you take a mirror and scrape off the silver so that you would be able to see everyone else instead of your-
self?”
Avraham’s eyes filled with tears. He felt so ashamed. Finally, he was beginning to understand everything
that had happened to him since he became rich.
That evening, Avraham made a big party in his home. The whole town was invited, especially all the poor
people. Everyone had a fine time. Then Avraham asked for silence. He made a short speech and asked for every-
one’s forgiveness. He told his guests that he was sorry for the way he had acted after he became rich. His life
would now be different. He promised them that his doors would always be open for everyone, and that he would
never be too busy to help those who needed him.
After all the guests had left, Avraham walked over to his beautiful mirror. With a sharp knife he scraped off
the silver covering in one corner. He did not stop until that part was as clear as glass. Only then was he satisfied.
(Stories Of Greatness — Continued from page 8)
ב “דברים היוצאים מן הל 10
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STORIES OF GREATNESS TOLD OVER BY: NOAM LEVY
This week’s tale shows us all what is
truly important in our lives and how our main
priority should be helping others. Although
there are many things to distract us, our main
pursuit should be to get closer to Hashem
through all of the mitzvos, but especially
through chesed, and hopefully the things that
we own in life won’t skew our vision of what
is true. Adapted from chabad.org. Have a
Great Shabbos!!
-Noam
In the house of a very rich man, there
was a mirror that was very visible to every-
one who walked in. The mirror was large and
square, with a wide, thick gold frame carved
with beautiful designs of leaves and flowers.
Everyone who saw the mirror admired it, but
everyone also noticed that it was imperfect.
On one of the corners, you see, the silver
backing had been scraped off so that this part
of the mirror was plain glass. People would
remark upon its beauty and then say, “Oh,
what a pity! Too bad the mirror is damaged.”
To everyone’s surprise, the mirror’s owner
would tell his visitors that it was he himself
who had deliberately scraped the silver back-
ing off! Can you imagine owning such a cost-
ly mirror, a work of art, and then ruining it?
But there was a story to that mirror. Many
year ago, in a small town in Poland, there
lived a man called Avraham. He owned a
small store and he earned just enough money
to take care of his family. He was not a rich
man, but he was also not a very, very poor
man. He had only a few customers. Some-
times, people left without buying anything
because Avraham did not have many things to
choose from. They went to the big stores in-
stead where they could find what they want-
ed.
Avraham was happy with his life.
Though he was not rich, he always had
enough to share with others. No visitor that
came to his home ever left hungry. Every
time a poor person needed help, Avraham al-
ways found money to give him. Avraham and
his wife lived a very simple life. Their home
was small. The house really needed a paint
job, but there was never enough money for
that. It seemed to them that it was more im-
portant to help someone in real trouble than
to paint a house. Their furniture was old for
the same reason. The curtains on the window
had probably been washed a hundred times.
Avraham and his wife had no carpets on their
floor. Their clothes were plain, and they did
not often buy new things. Many of their cups
and plates had chips and cracks. The food
they ate was simple.
No, it was not a very fancy home. But
it was a real home. It was a warm and happy
place. Everyone felt comfortable and relaxed
(Continued on page 2)
PUBLICATION
STAFF
Editors in Chief
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Authors/ סופרים
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Zachary Blisko Ari Brandspiegel
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Brian Chernigoff Binyamin Davidson
Yoni Fenster
Shalom Gelbtuch Zachary Goldberg
Yoni Gutenmacher
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Yaakov Kaminetsky
Yosef Naiman Benjamin Ramras
Yakov Schwalb
Jacob Skolnick Eli Stahler
Jeremy Weiss
10-Minute Halacha
Rabbi A. Lebowitz Orator
Uri Himelstein Transcriber
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Noam Levy
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