dvcvt ubhhvs 'ckca vsucgv tuv utruck ostv ka vsucgv rehg vb,t dhavk ohhgmnt ot hf obht ,uhagnv ,uumnvu ',"havc ,uecsu vtrhuohkukf ,uumn dwwhr,v kfa 'curk ohausev ohrpxc tcun vz ihbgu ',usnv i,utthva uz vumn kt tuck lht ,umg dwwhr, ova ubhhvu wlhekt wv hfbtw ,umncthmun vzcu 'uh,uumn ,hhagc vcvtv ,t rrugk ostv kg hf 'w,h uc ,uecsvsug vumnv ,hhagc ah 'kgpv kt vcvtv ,thmh sckn obnt /kgpv kt v,utovh,uct ohtura 'tcv rusvk od vsucgv rfhb ,uhagn ,ukugp h"g hf ',kgu, /otruc hpkf ovhkg kyunv ocuj ,t ovk od vkd,n vzcu 'otruc ,t ohscug

wubhekt wvk ,ur,xbvw 'uarpk ah lfu 'rfzbv cu,fv rntnc znrb vz ihbg thv ',hbumhj vkugp hkcn ckca ,r,xbv vtrhu vcvtv thva vsucgv ubhhvvzc ihtu 'sckc ,wwhavk tkt vz iht kct 'vsucgv rehg obnt thv wubhekt wvkwkct ',wwhav ,sucgk vsh kg ohfbj,n ov iht hf 'ubhrjt ubhbck od ,kgu,wubkw ka sm ah ovc 'vkdbc ohaug ubta ohcuy ohagnvu ,uumnv ubhhv w,ukdbvw,urusk ubhhv wubhbckw od ,kgu, vc ah vzk ;xubcu 'ckca vcuyv vbuufv thvu

/ovhkg ,kyunv vcujv ,t ov od ohgsuhu ohtur osh kg hf 'ohtcv e"vpxc ohrntb ohrcsv i,ut ihgf wwwwaaaannnnaaaauuuu rrrruuuuttttnnnnwwww,ur,xbvw :k"zu 'i,arpc

,uhagn ,uumn kfcu vkp,c vsucg rehg hf 'wubhbcku ubk ,ukdbvu ubhekt wvkusujhhc ihntvk 'ckca vsucgvu vbuufv tuv 'vnusfu ,hmhmu ihkhp, :unfsnkk ignk tuv vagnv obnt /wuf vkannvu jfv lrc,h uk ratu u,usjtusunkk u,kuzk rfhb vhv tk sck ckc vsucgv v,hv ot hf 'wv ,t sucgk uhrjtubhbcku ubk [vagnc] ,ukdbvuw 'wubhekt wvk [ckca] ,ur,xbvw rnta uvzu /ubnn

/k"fg ',uagk ubhbc usnkha hsf 'wwudu ,uagk hrcsn tmuh ifu wwwwiiiihhhhgggg ,,,,ccccwwww eeee""""vvvvppppxxxxcccc gggg""""hhhhzzzz aaaayyyyhhhhrrrruuuuuuuuttttnnnn eeee""""vvvvrrrrvvvv:k"zu (ur,h ,arp)

vbhjca ubhhv 'wubhbcku ubk ,ukdbvu ubhvkt wvk ,ur,xbvw ohtreb ukt ,ubhjcvbhjcu /vkdbc ann kgupc sckc vagnk gduba vn ubhhv 'wubhbcku ubkw tuv wtkg iuhkg tuva ubhvkt wvk ucku u,cajnc eucs tuva 'r,xb ,bhjc tuv wcv

/k"fg 'kfv kg tjhep tbhgc jhdanu kfvlcck kt ,ucavu (c t 'k) cu,fv rntnc i,arp lanvc od znrb vz ihbg lhbcu v,t ouhv lumn hfbt rat kff ukuec ,gnau lhekt wv sg ,cau wudukg kcehu 'vcua,c cuah ota ostk uk vkdn cu,fv 'lapb kfcu lcck kfcjfubk rcsn cu,fv hf 'uhtmtm kg od ohrcsv ughpah ',wwhav ,t sucgk unmgzt 'wukuec gunakw vfz,u wlhekt wv sg ,cauw hshk tuch ota uk rnutu 'ostv

zcearl mc`d z` xxerl miyexite zepirx odkd l`ilnb iax v"dbduiaepiax`"hily

z`n oeghae dpen`a zewfgzde z"iyd w"dir milyexia minyd xry zaiyi y`x

,tzv vru,v hrcs kf ,t ,uagk okug sg ubhbcku ubk ,kdbvu ubhekt wvk ,r,xbv(jf-yf)ohbck inhx ,uct vagn - ov oda 'lhrjt lhgrzc od rcsv lan,h rnukf wlhbcu v,tw hshk rcsv tuch,t lheukt wv knu 'rntb (u 'oa) lanvc ifu 'ovhfrs chyvk lhrjt ufan,hhrv 'ckv ,khn hshk lgrzu v,t tuc, l,cua, hsh kg hf 'lgrz cck ,tu lcck

/ovhrjt ovhbc kg ohghpan ,uct vagna dvb ifu kkkkwwwwwwwwmmmmzzzz hhhhrrrruuuunnnn hhhhcccctttto,bbauw (z 'u ohrcs) cu,fv rntn kg rnuk nwwfv

'wlhbck o,bbauw ohheku vru, uhbc ,t snkk .pjv osta 'woc ,rcsu lhbckubht ctv ot ifa 'vru,c euxgh unmg tuva ubhhvs 'woc ,rcsuw - thv vmgvicv ratf 'okutu /uhbck rntha vn khguh tk 'ujuf hpk hutrf vru,c exug

f vturhrv 'wlrsc l,fkcu l,hcc l,cacw uhnh kf vru,c gdhh,nu exug uhct smh /ohruchsc ,ucrvk ctv lrymha tkc 'uhct hagnf ,uagk uhktn lanb tuv

adb 'wvru, sunk,wc snkn u,uhvca 'ubk rpxk khdr kwwmz r"un hct vhv sug khdk cure rcfa 'u,,hfca uhshnk,n sjt kg uk rphxu ohsnknv sjt uhktvn ,sf vmg aecn ifku 'ohna ,trhu vru, ,cvtc tuv rxj ihhsgu 'vumn rcaehc ohrcsv lu,cu 'vnhgbu vfurt vjhak rgbv ,t hct ihnzv /ung ,uagkhct ift :rgbv chav /uhruv ,phtaf hutrf snuku kkp,n ubht gusn ,gskexgn crg kf rzuj tuvafa 'vtur hbt hbhgc kct 'vcrv sunkk shn, hk rnuttuv hk eru ',uasj hbu,hg ,threk vbup tkt 'vru, sunkk .r ubht 'u,xbrp

!vru, sunkk t,hhruts vag ,umn ah hsuvh kfka ;t 'sunkk ,fkk rnutohkhj,na inzc 'b"fvhck oseun tucta hkg snug od :rgbv sug ;hxuvu ,gc jjuak rxut tuv hk 'ahsec ifu /rujhtc shn, tc unmgc tuvu 'vkhp,vubht tuv gusn 'uhbhgc f"f ohcuaj ukt ohrcs ot /rcsn unmg tuvu 'ahse ,rhnthrun hct ///,n,uhn vr,ubu 'kkjc vrxhb u,ktau 'skhv rhypv lf !?o,ut vaug

/rcsv ,t ieh, ift vkvu 'u,ugy kg ushngvu 'shnk,v ka ctv ,t tre kwwmzsjt ,j,u 'vruxnv lrsn srh hck iuctska sjt rujc ogp h,crhe ' hbt od hf gmc vnu 'ubnn ohmur vn gsuh ubhta vauc tkc vsuv 'ung h,rchsa ,ujhaver uh,uct ,ruxn ,t rnua hct 'hct unf euhsc hbt dvb,n hrv /uhkg ubhk,,t scuga kkf uhkg vtrb tk uck ,uhnhbpc kct 'tnkgc ohagnc ',uhbumhjc',uhjcu vjnac trucv ,t scug ubht tuv 'u,uvn ,t ,xpu, wv ,sucgau 'trucvkct 'ukmt vcuaj wv ,sucga ukhtf ,uhbumhj ,ugub, vaugu unmg vtrn er tkt'unmg ,t vnrn hcta er 'u,unf euhsc ckv ,uhnhbpc hfbt odu /ung kc uckhbht 'h,hnt ost hbt ukhtu 'uck ,uhnhbpn utucha hkcn ohhbumhj ohagn vaugu

///.uj hpkf od hbt dvub lf ckc hkmt aha vnu 'vpubju ,uhnuneg kcux

hj aht ic (2) ch whx n"uj vcua,k ,urrug,v (1)tuc, hf ,arp

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Rabbeinu Azarya Figo ZT”L (Binah L’itim) would say:

“We are commanded to blow the shofar to bring to mind Akeidas Yitzchok and be remembered favorably on the Day of

Judgment. Why? Because by doing so, we reach the conclusion that it is worth sacrificing all pleasures of life, including life

itself, in order to perform Hashem’s will and obey His commands. By entrenching within ourselves this understanding, we

realize how precious those hours we devote to avodas Hashem really are, and we then feel deep remorse for the many hours

that we wasted. With this in mind we take it upon ourselves to intensify our devotion to Hashem rather than emphasizing

vain pursuits. This recognition of the importance of mitzvos and remorse for the wasted time will itself arouse divine love

and compassion, that He may inscribe us for a good year of extra performance of mitzvos and proper use of our time.”

5:54 - w"yr dgpnd blt * 6:55 - zayl zexp zwlcd

9:07 - ̀ "nd/rny z`ixw onf 9:43 - ̀ "xbd/rny z`ixw onf

`"xbdl/dlitz onf seq - 10:46ycew zay dngd zriwy - 7:11

8:01 - miakekd z`v w"yven 8:23 - mz epiaxl / k"d`v

(Monsey, NY)

oooommmmgggg iiiinnnnzzzznnnn rrrrjjjjttttkkkk iiiihhhhtttt oooosssseeeeuuuunnnn eeeehhhhkkkkssssnnnnaaaa hhhhnnnn****((((""""vvvvkkkkffff hhhhttttuuuucccc"""" rrrrnnnntttthhhhaaaannnn)))) ,,,,ccccaaaavvvv ,,,,kkkkcccceeee

wxt 'e 'd

zea`c

d"r dnly mdxa` 'x za lgx `yix ezirxe l"f 'iaeh 'x oa xhl` l`eny sqei mdxa` 'x znyp ielirl

A SERIES IN HALACHALIVING A "TORAH" DAY

"vyhnav rcs vzu" - Selected Halachos of Shmittah (13)Making a Pruzbul (cont.): A Nagging Question. We have

finally reached the end of the year and the time to make aPruzbul has arrived. There is a nagging question that should beaddressed. As we mentioned previously, Hillel Hazaken

established the concept of Pruzbul because there were manypeople who didn’t want to lend money in the seventh year(Shmittah) because they were afraid that Shmittah would canceltheir debt. In effect, they were transgressing two issurim

(prohibitions) in the Torah. In order to help them avoid theseissurim and enable the poor to receive loans, Hillel set upPruzbul. It would seem that a "apb kgc" (one who is concernedfor his soul) who is delighted to give out money for othermitzvos, like Lulav, Esrog, Matza, etc., and would not transgressthe issurim that Hillel was worried about, should refrain fromusing the Pruzbul “crutch.” However, we do not find anyrecord of Gedolim who did not write a Pruzbul; on the contrary,we have a lot of recorded information about how the Rabbanim

and Sages did indeed make a Pruzbul. So the question begs tobe asked: Were these people the sort whom Hillel was worriedabout that would transgress two issurim? Wouldn’t they wantto fulfill a mitzvah at all costs, at least when affordable?The Answer. The sefer Hisorerus L’Teshuva (1) answers thatnowadays, the cancellation of debts is only Rabbinic since theTorah compares it to Yovel which only happens when most ofthe Yidden are living in Eretz Yisroel. The reason why the Sagesdecreed the cancellation of debts is: "vyhna ,ru, jf,a, tka" -

`"hily cltyxid jexa d"en z`n qhiid cplailw jexa miig zxhr llek y`x

the concept of Shmittah should not become forgotten. When onemakes a Pruzbul he has made sure that Shmittah is not forgottenand therefore there is no reason for a "apb kgc" to be stringent.Fulfilling a Rare Mitzvah. Notwithstanding the above, theBen Ish Chai (2) records that there was a custom in Baghdad,

Iraq, (where he lived) to actually fulfill the mitzvah of letting adebt go. After writing a Pruzbul, a person would go to his friendand each one would lend the other a small coin or a loaf ofbread. They would make up between each other that the time ofpayment is an hour before Yom Tov so that it is clearly the typeof debt that will be cancelled by Shmittah. Then, immediatelyafter Rosh Hashana, each one would come to the other andoffer to pay back the loan, whereby the other person would say"hbt ynan" - I am cancelling this debt. In this way, they were ableto fulfill a mitzvah in the Torah, without any sort of “crutch.”Questionable Custom. One might ask on the above custommentioned by the Ben Ish Chai; How is the receiver of the loan

permitted to hold onto it and not pay it back until after Yom Tov

if they indeed made up to pay it back before Yom Tov? Theyshould not be allowed to intentionally keep an item that was nottheirs. Well, we have to say that they held that even though theyspoke out that payment is due before Yom Tov, and that made itpossible to be cancelled by Shmittah, they are still not makpid orparticular that it definitely must be this way. Thus, they areallowed to delay payment, and yet, it is still called “payment duebefore Yom Tov.” Perhaps this delicate logic is debatable andthat is why this custom was not prevalent in other places.

R’ Chaim Dov Keller Shlit’a (R”Y of Telshe Chicago) would say:

“wohnkug hrumh kf ypanc shngh ouhv okug ,rv ouhvw - On the day of Rosh Hashana, the world attained fulfillment with

the creation of Man. Therefore, on this same day each year, Man must stand before the Divine bar of judgment to

give an accounting of himself. It must be determined if he is that Man for whom all of Creation was designed and

who was its ultimate goal; or if he has fallen short of Divine expectations. And this judgment before which Man must

stand is two-fold. He stands judged as a son of the Almighty and as His subject - wohscgf ot ohbcf otw.”

R’ Meir Horowitz of Dzikov ZT”L (Imrei Noam) would say:

“Dipping the apple in honey is a segula for children since wjup,w (apple) and wucr urpw have the same gematria (494).”

7

`"hily lxrt mely axd z`n zexxerzd ixace miig igwlreayd zeiyxt i"tr excqp yny zia w"wa mixyin cibn

vcua,u vgbfv jufn ihsc vhhfz - oukaku ohcuy ohhjk ktrah ,hc lng kfu ubjbt lhbpk c,fbu rfzb

lyn: At the tender young age of 16, R’ MordechaiGifter ZT”L sailed from Portsmouth, Virginia to EasternEurope to learn in the Telz Yeshivah. As he recalled, hewas the only Jew on the ship, which spent two weeks onthe Baltic Sea. The night before the boat arrived in port,there was music and enthusiastic dancing on the deck. Allthe young people got involved in the carefree festivities.Suddenly, in the middle of the party, a flash storm brokeout at sea and the boat began to lurch back and forth. The passengers were terrified. A minute before, theywere carefree and partying and now, everyone ran to holdon to the railings with all their might until the stormsubsided. The moment it did, the cavorting resumed as ifnothing had happened. This sequence of events repeateditself several times, and young Mordechai Gifter could notunderstand how people were capable of shifting from oneemotional extreme to another in a fraction of a second.

lyn: There was once a Jewish tavern owner with manyGentile customers. The local priest was not happy with thisand threatened his congregation that anyone frequenting thetavern would not receive confession. The Jew was not fazedand went out and bought a priest’s uniform. He then offeredto give confession to any of his customers who wanted. Once a fellow came and confessed, “I stole a rope.”Whereupon the Jew prescribed that he give a ruble to thechurch. “But Father, the rope was attached to an ox,” he said. “And what did you do with the ox?” asked the Jew. “I killed it and sold the meat.” The Jew said, “Well, thatwill cost you another ruble to the ministry.” “But the ox was attached to a wagon,” said the gentile.“And what did you do with the wagon?” asked the Jew.

Their behavior was incomprehensible to him. When he arrived in Telz, he met R’ Avraham YitzchokBloch ZT”L, the Rav and Rosh Yeshivah of Telz, and toldhim what he had experienced on the ship. With youthfulinnocence, he wondered how it was possible for people tobehave in such a way. The Telzer Rav replied, “What about us? Are we notthe same way? We get inspired for a moment and then it’sgone! How long does hisorerus last for us?” lynp: R’ Chaim Walkin Shlit’a told over this story andconcluded, “The ultimate purpose of a Jew’s avodasHashem, is to achieve lasting accomplishments. We mustwork to retain the hisorerus, the inspiration we receivedupon hearing the shofar. Not only must it wake us up, butwe must also not go back to sleep. The awakening must bemaintained. We must preserve the exalted hours of RoshHashana - it must stay with us throughout the entire year!”

“I chopped it up and sold the wood.” “Well, that will cost you another ruble.” “But Father, there was a child on the wagon.” “And what did you do with the child?” “I murdered him!” The Jew was exasperated and furious. “You killed achild but you come to confess to me about a rope?”lynp: The Apter Rov, R’ Avraham Yehoshua HeschelZT”L told his chassidim, “We do the same thing. On RoshHashana we come before Hashem and plead for mercy.We do Teshuvah and confess to “stealing a rope” when inreality we’ve killed a child. Which child? The nextgeneration - the world that we are supposed to build! Whathappened to our children? Are they doing what they must?That question cannot be bought for a few rubles.”

/// sug ubrfzt rufz uc hrcs hsn hf ohguaga skh ot ohrpt hk rheh icv(;xun ,khp,k ,uburfz rsx)

Judgment. R’ Avraham Dov asked him, “R’ Sholom! I’d like to learn the truth about what is in the hearts of baalei tefillah,

and specifically in your own heart, when you cry out emotionally: wsjpbu agrb agnn hbgv hbbvw - ‘Here I am, impoverished of

deeds, shaken and fearful.’ Are you trembling only before Hashem, or is there some other fear mixed in - the apprehension

of beginning Musaf and knowing that the congregation is hanging on every word that comes out of your mouth?” The question was spoken in innocence but R’ Sholom seemed troubled by it. The Maggid regarded him for a longmoment, and then, in sudden excitement, he seized his pen (this was the time of year when he traditionally kept a “TaanisDibbur” refraining from speech) and wrote, “You speak the truth! You are asking a penetrating question. Moreinu toucheson this problem.” (In the introduction to Lev Eliyahu, R’ Eliyahu Lopian ZT”L indicated that he omitted this linecompletely and R’ Eliyahu Dessler ZT”L refused to lead the Musaf service out of fear of this very line.) Two days later, as R’ Sholom began the Musaf tefillah with this unique supplication, there was something different.In a voice filled with heartbreak, R’ Sholom began, “Here I stand, impoverished of deeds ...” and then there was anoticeable pause that lasted a few seconds, before he continued out loud saying, “... shaken and fearful.” Nobody knewwhy he had paused and for what purpose, until it was discovered that R’ Sholom would concentrate hard and whisper thewords, ",uhvk lhrm" (“I should be”) in that pause. From that Rosh Hashana and for several years afterward, R’ Sholommaintained this practice until people found out and questioned him about it. Later, he changed his custom and wouldread these words quietly to himself, only beginning the portion out loud from the words, "//// ovrct hekt lnn aect ifk" -“Therefore, I beseech of You, G-d of Avraham ...” (“Voice of Truth” adapted from Kol Chotzeiv)

/ohruchsn r,uh,wwavk ohrah ,urus ksdk vfzba ubhrzgc vhvh tuv lurc ausev

/vauses ,jb ohhbpj tuknk vfzbau 'u,ru,ku

/wu,rmn cegh ,t ghauva unf 'of,rmn of,t ghauh ushc arhp ifu kkkk""""eeeeuuuummmmzzzz kkkkttttyyyyhhhhuuuu oooohhhhhhhhjjjj ccccrrrrvvvv uuuubbbbhhhhrrrruuuunnnnkkkk)))) wwwwccccuuuuyyyy ,,,,ggggssssvvvv ....ggggwwwwubhbrv" '(

,uhvk snugaf osu rac lrs hf 'k"zj urnta vn gush rcf - ubhzug oheuktk'wufu ohruja acuku 'uhbruphm ksdnu 'rgmc snug 'lkn uzht hbpk ihsk inuznouhv kg sxhh,b runznv vz rat 'vbav atr ouhc ihsk otucc ktrah hbc kctuge,w - wcegh heuktk ypan 'tuv ktrahk ej hfw uc rntba unf 'tuvvohbck ohpyg,nu ohbck ohacuk 'vcrst vbv 'wubhdj ouhk txfc rpua asujc'vrutk obhs ,t thmuha lrc,h uc ohjyuca hpk 'ohjnau oh,uau ohkfutuihsv ,shn hbpwkw ujna,u wubhbrvw 'runznc rntba vn ,buuf vzu 'oghauhurutk thmuhu wubhzugw vhvh tuv vbv hf 'vbav atr ouhc 'woheuktw ,trebvrntba unfu 'vkhp, iuakn tuv wubhbrvwa 'arpk rapt ut 'ubghauhu 'ubhypanwubhbrvw - ukkp,v 'thv runznv ,buuf f"tu 'wvkhp,v ktu vbhrv kt gunakwugbfhh ratf '"ubghauhu 'vrutk ubhypan thmuhu wubhzugw vhvha 'woheuktkw

/rpua ,ghe, h"g 'wv kt cuak urrug,hu ubhcck'v,khj,c vara vba kf 'ejmh hcr rnt" '(:z"y v"r) trndc t,ht ifu - w,hrjt sguw 'wch,f ,harn - vbav ,hatrnw rntba 'vpuxc ,rag,n

c rthcu '"w,hrjt vk aha vpuxwxxxx"""",,,,jjjjvvvvkkkk wwwwvvvvaaaannnn ,,,,rrrruuuu,,,,wwwwz"f ouhk aurs ahr) vbav ,khj,c urrug,h ot"a '(wufu esesk ah vbv v"s 'z"me, ,ba kukt,khj,c oharu ohhbgf uhvhu 'krgv occk urcahu 'wv kt cuak occk ughbfhu,ghe, ,buuf thv ifu 'vcuy vba gpa ovhkg ghpahu 'wv ovhkg xujh zt 'vbavurugw urnta unf 'cuak ,uapbv ,t rrugku ,ucckv ,t ghbfvk 'rpuav

wg) wof,ban ohbahjjjj""""cccc rpxc c,fw-wufu rpxc c,f v"s z"me, whx j"ut iiiiccccttttwwwwwwwwcccchhhhgggguuuuaaaaznr ah rpua ,ghe,c hf '[s"v vcua, wkvn d"p] k"z o"cnrv oac

unf 'vrgv vfhrm vgav hf 'rnuk ubumr 'wof,nsr,n ohbah urugw unf 'ihskge,h otw cu,fv rntu '(wufu wusrjh tk ogvu rhgc rpua ge,h otw rntbaohghrn ot 'f"tu 'lrutc o"cnrv vz rthc rcfu 'wusrjh tk ogvu rhgc rpua,hrjt ovk vhvh zt 'ohksu ohhbgf ohgbfb ,uhvk ,ucckv urrug,hu 'vkhj,cesesk aha vn cahhn tuv vz hpku /"vbuhkgv gpak ohfuzu 'vcuy vuue,u,hatrnw cu,fc esesk ah vbv" 'wvba ,hrjt sgu vbav ,hatrnw cu,fcwv og wvbavw ,khn ubhhbg ,khj,c yhebs 'iuak hubha wvba ,hrjt sgu vbavuarsa vn hp kg chyhv rtuchu 'vghshv wv tkc wvba ,hrjt sgw ohhxu 'vghshvvk ah v,khj,c vara vba kfwa snkk hsf 'wt rxj wvbav ,harnwa 'k"zj;uxk vhv, vcuy ,hrjtwa 'thv cu,fv ,buuf f"tu 'wvpuxc vcuy ,hrjt

/"woharf onmg uag ktrah hbc v,hatrca vbav rtcn vz hpku jjjj""""kkkkmmmmvvvvcu,fv ,t (wufu ohcu,fv aurhp vzu v"s /s"h vdhdj)

ouec /vyeau vtrh .rt 'ihs ,gnav ohnanw '(whu wy oheuxp 'u"g ohkhv,)ka) ihs (v ouh) ,gnav ohnan" 'wudu .rt huubg kf ghauvk 'oheukt ypank'jbd hjubd 'vbav atrc vcua,c ohrzuju ohtrhh,n ubjbt ztu '(vbav atr'wvtrh .rtw uvzu 'uhkg rat ohgapv tan ,sucg hpf aht aht 'khkh hkukh'ohnjr txhf kg v"cev cah hf ';uxck wvyeaw 'vcua,c vrzju vtrha vz h"guvk ah v,khj,c vara vba kfwa '(:z"y) vbav atr ,fxnc k"z urnta unfuu,chahc vkhj,na -wypank ouecw 'cu,fv lhanna vn vzu 'wvcuy ,hrjt

kf ghauvkw tuv vz kf obntu 'ihsv ,shnc - woheuktw tuv 'ypankhhhhuuuuuuuubbbbgggg.rt ktrah hbc ,ucck ihsv h"g hf 'wuduoooohhhhggggbbbbffffbbbb'vcua,c ruzjk ohrrug,nu

ovk vaugwu 'ohnjr txhf kg cauhu ihs txhfn snug v"cevu rpuac ohgeu,u/"oghaunu 'wobhs rzd ,t grueu ',ufz ;fk obhs thmunu 'ohxhb

ohrcsvu 'ghnak vhtr vnus ubht lubhjv ihbgca 'rurhcc vtrh ibuc,nv kf /vpc ubk urnta vn ratn r,uh vcrv ubhkg ughpav ubhruv ,udvb,vc ubhtravcrv uhbhgc vtura ,ukugpn gpaun tuva skh ka ufrs lfa ouan

tubhbrvw 'rnut uvn (vbav atr ka) ;xunc" '(:k v"r) trndc t,hkfu - cegh heuktk ughrv" 'h"ar c,fu '"wcegh heuktk ughrv 'ubzug oheuktkhpxun kg u,ut ihrnutu 'kujc ,hrjac ,cac hahnj ka rha tuvu 'runznv'ubhhvu '(wudu rpua asujc uge,w rntb ucu) '"vgur, ouh tuva hpk 'vbav atrtuv vbav atr ka ;xunv icre kg asenv ,hcc ihrnut uhv ohhukva rhava

c c,f ifku '(t"p ohkhv,) wudu ubhzug oheuktk ubhbrvwwwwwccccrrrr vvvvaaaaggggnnnnwwwwuc umceba) hdvbnkkkk""""eeeeuuuummmmzzzz ttttbbbbkkkkhhhhuuuunnnn tttt""""rrrrddddvvvvhbak ouh ka rha" '(j"r ,ut 'ohtrub ohnh ,ufkv '

/"wudu ubhzug oheuktk ubhbrvw vbav atr hnhuge,w uc rntbfu 'vbav atrc rpua ,ghe, ,usut uc rtucna vnn vbvu

c,fa unfu 'vbav atr ,usut rcsn ukufa jfun 'wudu rpua asujc;;;;xxxxuuuuhhhh ccccrrrrvvvvkkkk""""eeeeuuuummmmzzzz iiiiuuuuhhhhjjjjvbav atr kg rcuj vzv runznv" 'oa ohkhv, rpx kg uaurhpc

ubhbrvw u,khj,c rntba vn rtcn tuv z"hpku /"wufu uca rpua ,ghe, ,umnuundr, ifu 'wujcaw ubhhv 'wubhbrvw rntu" 'wcegh heuktk ughrv 'ubhzug oheuktkrntu 'ubh,rucdc tku 'ohjyuc ubjbt uc hf 'wubhzugw tuva woheuktkw 'odr,nvrntu 'w,urpua-,uburfz - ,uhfknw-vbav atr ,khp, ,ufrc kg wubhbrvwwofk vhvh vgur, ouhw rntbfu 'vbav atr ka rpua ,ghe, kg wughrvwurnutf 'u,rm ouhc uvbg lrc,h tuv hf 'wcegh heuktkw rntu '(wt y"f rcsnc)ratf ub,ut vbgh od vffu '(wd v"k ,hatrc) wh,rm ouhc h,ut vbugv kekwkg vzu 'rpua ,ghe, h"g 'vbav atr ka ihsv ouhc vrm ka cmnc ohtmnb

/(wc wf ohkhv,) wcegh heukt oa lcdah 'vrm ouhc wv lbghw rntba vn lrsrubhf ;u, ub,u vrnz utaw rhav lanv ,t rtck lhann tuv vz hp kgu 'uc ;pu,k hsf ofshc w;u, ub,uw 'wvrnzw tuvv ouhc wutaw ifku" 'wkcb og ohgbcmnc uc ohtmnb o,tu ihsv ouh tuva ;tu 'ovc idbk hsf wkcb og ohgb rubhfwu

a iuhf 'vrm karrrrppppuuuuaaaa ,,,,gggghhhheeee,,,, hhhh""""gggg ''''uuuu,,,,gggguuuuaaaahhhhcccc oooohhhhjjjjuuuuyyyycccc oooo,,,,tttt c t,htsfu 'yyyyuuuueeeekkkkhhhhwwwwwwwwhhhhbbbbuuuuggggnnnnaaaaohcure ohvukt uk rat kusd hud hnu" '(v"f,, znr ibj,tu ,arp)

dvubc 'v-ukt ka (udvbn-) vhput ,gsuha uz vnutf thv vnut uzht - wudu uhkturga ksdnu ohruja ;yg,nu ohruja acuk 'ihs uk aha gsuha ost 'okugca'if obht ktrah hbc kct 'tmuh ubhs lhtv gsuh ubhta hpk 'uhbruphm l,uj ubhtu'ovhbruphm ohf,jnu orga ohjkdnu ohbck ohpyg,nu ohbck ohacuk tkt'ohxhb ovk vaug v"ceva ohgsuha hpk 'vbav atrc ihjnau oh,uau ohkfutu

] oka ckc uhkt ucuahaf) "obhs rzd ,t ovk grueu ',ufz ;fk obhs thmunu,,,,hhhhzzzziiiibbbbggggrrrr'vcua,c cuak orrugnu ,ucckv ,t ghbfnv rpua ,ghe, h"g '[oa

urrug,hu ugbfhhu wusrjh tk ogvu rhgc rpua ge,h otw [wu wd xung] rntbfu f"fu 'vcua,c ruzjkoooo""""ccccnnnnrrrrvvvvrpua ,ghe,a p"gt" '[s"v vcua, wkvn d"p]

ohnsrbu of,ban ohbah urug 'rnukf 'uc ah znr 'cu,fv ,rhzd vbav atrcukt 'oftruc urfzu 'vcua,c urzju 'ofhagnc uapju 'of,nsr,n umhevkhguh tk rat ehru kcvc o,ba kf ohduau 'inzv hkcvc ,ntv ,t ohjfuavofn sjt kf cuzghu 'ofhkkgnu ofhfrs uchyvu 'ofh,uapbk uyhcv 'khmh tku

/("vcuy tk rat u,cajnu vgrv ufrsasujc uge,"a vn smn thv uz vjna ,chxa 'rhav lanvc rtucna vn vzu - k"bv o"cnrv c,fa unfu 'rpuac gue,k) tuv ktrahk euj hf 'wudu rpua

(ostv kfa hp kg ubhcvk i,hba) ypan (f"d tuv n"ncccceeeegggghhhh hhhheeeeuuuukkkkttttkkkkhsf) " 'o,rmn oghauhu h"bc ,ucck ghbfvkuuuu,,,,rrrrmmmmnnnn cccceeeegggghhhh ,,,,tttt gggghhhhaaaauuuuvvvvaaaa uuuunnnnffff/(

oheuktk ubhbrvw ohkhnv ,buuf ,t ,pxub lrsc rtcnu ;hxun tuv vz hpku - ub,ut ghaunv wvk jcaku rhak ubhkga 'ubhhvu 'rhav ,khj,ca wubhzugkgaw - wcegh heuktk (rpuac) ughrvwa h"g thv uz vguahu 'ihsv ouhc wubhzugw

6

OO OOnn nnbb bbee ee hh hhaa aa ll llff ff oo ooff fftt tt hh hhoo oo uu uuss ss aa aann nn dd ddss ssoo ooff ff SS SShh hh oo oomm mmee ee rr rr

SS SShh hh aa aabb bbbb bboo oo ss ss

JJ JJ ee eeww ww ss ss

-- -- ww wwww ww ww ww.. .. cc cchh hh ii iicc cc kk kkee ee nn nnss ss ff ffoo oo rr rrss ss hh hhaa aa bb bbbb bboo oo ss ss.. .. cc ccoo oo mm mm

-- -- TT TThh hh ee ee

cc cc hh hhaa aa rr rrii ii tt tt yy yy

tt tt hh hhaa aa tt ttss ss ii iimm mmpp ppll ll yy yyff ff ee eeee ee dd ddss ss&& &&cc cc ll lloo oo tt tthh hh ee eess ssSS SShh hh oo oomm mmee ee rr rr

SS SShh hh aa aabb bbbb bboo oo ss ss

JJ JJ ee eeww wwss ssii ii nn nnEE EE rr rree ee tt ttzz zzYY YY ii iiss ss rr rroo oo ee eell ll ww wwii ii tt tt hh hh

zz zz ee eerr rr oo oo

oo oo vv vvee ee rr rrhh hh ee eeaa aa dd dd3 EDITORIAL AND INSIGHTS FROM THE WELLSPRINGS OF

ON THE WEEKLY MIDDAH   R' GUTTMAN - RAMAT SHLOMO

//// ouhv ohcmb o,t (y-yf) //// iuatr ouhk iurfz lhagn ,khj, ouhv vz -(;xun ,khp,k ,uburfz rsx)

As the holy Day of Judgment approaches, we are allbusy making our final preparations for this great event.Not just the physical preparations - new clothing, haircuts,cooking, cleaning - but the MAJOR preparation for RoshHashana which must take place in our MINDS! That issomething we can do anywhere, assuming that we are inour right minds! Hmmm .... this is certainly an interestingexpression. Did you ever wonder what it means to be “inyour right mind”? What is considered being in your“wrong mind?” It may sound shallow and frivolous, but intruth, the answer to this question is the answer to life.Why? Because life is about thinking the “right” thoughtsand making the “right” choices - IN YOUR MIND! R’ Simcha Bunim of P’shischa ZT”L discusses howa person can be successful on Rosh Hashana. He says thatin the Yom Tov liturgy we say, "lhagn ,khj, ouhv vz" - Thisis THE DAY, the beginning of Your handiwork. The wayto do Teshuva and truly be able to grow is to see each dayas THE DAY - the beginning of something new. Writesthe Rebbe, R’ Bunim, the reason a shofar must be onetefach (handsbreadth) long or at the very least, a tefachsticks out when the Baal Tokea blows it, is symbolic of thewords of Dovid HaMelech in Tehillim, v,,b ,ujpy vbv"(u-yk) "hnh - “You have made my days as tefachos.” Whenone is measuring something that is very long, he holds ameasuring tape in his hand. He measures one meter andthen another meter and then another meter - one increment

/// lh,ks ubeps oharfu ohksf(,ujhkx rsx) How should a person serve Hashem on Rosh Hashana?The Dubno Magid, R’ Yaakov Krantz ZT”L gives us aparable to answer this question. Our situation is comparableto that of a poor man with a son who was endowed with allkinds of abilities. He wanted to find a wife for his son andsee him happy. However, he needed money for that tohappen, and the poor fellow had very little of it! One day, a wealthy man came to him and said, “I’vespoken with your son, and I like him very much. I have adaughter who has many fine character traits, and I’m readyto take your son as my son-in-law. I’m also willing to takecare of all expenses for the wedding ... almost everything.All you have to do is make your son a proper suit. That’sit!” The poor man exclaimed, “Excellent! However I don’teven have a penny, not even for a suit.” “I’m not offering more,” said the wealthy man. “Youhave to do something for your part.” “Give me ten days to see what I can do,” said the poorman. The wealthy man agreed. The poor man beganknocking on doors asking for money but nobody gave him a

at a time. All he has in his hand, at any given time, is JUSTONE METER, even if what he is measuring is 100 meterslong! And so it is with our lives. Man lives 70, 80, up to120 years - but when Hashem “measures” him, He does itin tefachos, small minute handsbreaths. He looks at eachindividual person and judges him or her by THE DAY. Onthe one hand, we are judged on Rosh Hashana and on theother we are "ouh kfc iushb" - “judged every day.” How is thispossible? Because on Rosh Hashana, our circumstancesare decided - but each and every day we decide how wewill handle the circumstances! If we will choose the “right”frame of mind and make a choice to have a positiveattitude to our situation, then we have chosen LIFE andmeasured up in the eyes of Hashem. If we do not make the“right” choice ..... let’s not even think about it! It is important that we view each day as an individualunit - "ouhv vz". Forget about what happened yesterday anddon’t focus on tomorrow. Try to live TODAY to the fullestbecause that is the way Hashem judges us .... tefach bytefach ... measure by measure .... day by day. The tefach ofthe shofar should remind us that the way to fulfill, urpa""ofhagn - “Beautify your deeds” is by living each dayindividually and to the fullest. hagn ,khj, ouhv vz""l - Rosh Hashana is THE DAY, thebeginning of Hashem’s handiwork, but every single DAY isthe beginning of ours! Let us make the most of it! A gutgebensht yur to everyone .... may you be blessed day by day.

thing. Filled with bitterness, he returned home a beaten man. Later that day, the wealthy man received a knock on hisdoor. His servant answered and who should walk throughthe door but the poor father of the groom-to-be! “Already?” the wealthy man asked. “You’ve alreadyfound enough money?” “No, not really,” was the reply. “Then why are you here?’ he shot back. “You still haveten more days!” “True,” the poor man said. “I really wanted to return inten days with money for my son’s suit. However, because Iknow that it will be impossible for me to find it, I’ve cometo you now - not as a future in-law, but as a poor man whohas come to a wealthy man with a generous heart. I begyou, please open your hand and give me a donation!” The message of this parable is that we are like this poorman. We are the ones who have a large amount to collect,in other words, we ask Hashem to forgive all the sins thatwe have committed, we ask for a good and joyous year.But we cannot pay in mitzvos and good deeds, not even forone single day of joy! However, there exists a wonderful solution to our problem.

something for his fellow Jewish brethren. In 1497, he made a public announcement: on Sunday, the 5th of September, hewould personally lead the Royal Orchestra of Barcelona in a brand-new concert of his own composition. The pieces he’dwritten were unlike anything ever heard in Spain before. It was, he declared, to be a celebration of native peoples andtheir cultures. Every instrument ever invented around the world, no matter how far away, would be represented. Excitement filled the air and anticipation for this great event was at an all-time high. On concert day, the orchestrahall was filled. The “who’s who” of Barcelona was in attendance. Many of those were Marranos, like Don Aguilar, butthe fact that so many of these people came to the concert apparently didn’t arouse anyone’s suspicions. Don Aguilar’s music was inspiring. True to his word, the audience heard from a wide range of instruments. Therewere bells and horns, stringed instruments and an array of different drums. Then, in the middle of the concert, a musicianwith the orchestra stepped forward and took the stage. He was holding an unusual instrument: a ram’s horn. The musician, a secret Jew handpicked for this task by none other than Don Aguilar himself, put the ram’s horn to hislips, and began to blow. He blew long blasts, followed by intermediate notes and then short staccato bursts. In fact, theywere Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah. Each note of the shofar service rang out throughout the hall, one hundred notes in all.Most of the audience applauded it as a virtuoso performance of an unfamiliar instrument. But to the secret Jews in theaudience, Don Aguilar’s “music” gave them their first chance in years to fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the shofar. Because September 5, 1497, was the first of Tishrei, 5258 - the first day of Rosh Hashana. Little is known of Don Aguilar. Some say he was arrested soon after the concert and executed in secret, so that newsof his exploits would not become public. Others maintain he lived to an old age, continuing to live a Jewish life. All that is known is his amazing actions on Rosh Hashana, over 500 years ago, when for one evening he allowed an entiresecret Jewish community fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the shofar. (R’ Eliyahu Ki-Tov, Book of our Heritage)

/// ause ghrvk hgsuhc ase,u ghrn kf ,hrfvk ghr,u rhg,(,hrjak ohyuhp rsx) On the first day of Rosh Hashana, the Baal Tokea in one of the smaller shtieblach in the city of Tolna, Poland, washaving an excruciatingly difficult time blowing the shofar. He blew and blew, trying shofars of numerous sizes and shapes,but as much as he tried, he was barely able to elicit an audible sound. Many were disappointed and wished to replace himfor the next day’s shofar blowing and a battle brewed. It was decided to bring the question before the Rav himself. R’ Duvid’l Twersky of Tolna ZT”L listened quietly and asked a few questions about the kehilla and the Baal Tokeahimself. Then he rendered his ruling: “It is not necessary to remove the Baal Tokea from his post. Just tell him to take hisTalis off his head when he blows.” The Baal Tokea did as he was told and the next day his tekios were much better. Inevitably, R’ Duvid’l explained. “The Satan was blocking him from blowing properly the first day because hethought the man was a big Tzaddik. When he took the Talis off his head and the Satan saw who it was, he let him be!”

/// ktrah ,ukhv, cauh sjpn sjpbu agrb agnn hbgv hbbv(;xun osue ."ak vkhp,) The Yamim Noraim tefillos in the Chevron Yeshivah in Jerusalem was always a rousing experience. Opening the BeisMedrash door on Rosh Hashana felt as though he were standing on the brink of a fiery furnace. The Shemona Esreisounded just the way it is described in the Shulchan Aruch: not spoken aloud, but rather in a hum, trembling and prolonged.Krias HaTorah was unhurried and articulate and the shmuess before shofar blowing, given by the Rosh Yeshivah, R’Yechezkel Sarna ZT”L, was awe-inspiring, leaving the tzibbur with an almost palpable wave of fear and trembling. And then came the highlight of the davening. The famed Maggid of Jerusalem, R’ Sholom Schwadron ZT”L wouldbegin the Musaf prayer. His fervent prayer drew every heart after it, so that by the time it was over, each individual feltsatisfied to the depths of his being. R’ Sholom was all melody. When he merged with the prayer, and the two mergedwith the Day of Judgment, and the three merged with a melody that derived directly from the heart, an incomparablesymphony formed. He cried easily, with the simple longing of a baby parted from its mother. In his rendition of thevarious tefillos, R’ Sholom’s davening captured the essence of supplication. He achieved a unique and unforgettablemixture of tranquility and trembling awe. It was a Musaf that thousands of students carried with them into the comingyear, and still carry - up to this very day! While davening, R’ Sholom was no different than he was in his renownedsermons. His innate sweetness was present throughout, punctuated by bouts of stormy tears. He radiated a spiritual joy inthe tefillah that naturally transmitted itself to the other worshipers. The melodies he employed were not his own; he drewtunes from famous baalei tefillah, among them R’ Eliyahu Porush, R’ Chaim Menachem Mendelson, R’ Shlomo Zimbalist,and R’ Hirsch Kupshitz. He would begin without much in the way of melody, gradually introducing the music at differentpoints in the service. But the tears, and the special stamp that said “R’ Sholom,” were present from the very start. One evening, a few days before Rosh Hashana, R’ Sholom’s brother-in-law, R’ Avraham Dov Auerbach ZT”L,entered the Schwadron home. He saw at once that R’ Sholom was absorbed in introspection, preparation for the Day of

/// ktrah aht kf ofhryau ofhbez ofhyca ofhatr ofhekt wv hbpk ofkf ouhv ohcmb o,t(y-yf) The first posuk in Parshas Nitzavim seems superfluous. The Torah tells us: "ofkuf ouhv ohcmb o,t" - “You are standinghere today ALL OF YOU.” If it says "ofkuf" - “All of you,” doesn’t that include aht kf ofhryau ofhbez ofhyca ofhatr""ktrah - “Your tribe leaders, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel.”? Why does the Torah need to singleout these individual categories of Jews - and then conclude with "ktrah aht kf" - every man in Israel? We say every morning: "yrpv ihgf tkt is v,t ht kkfu yrpu kkf /// rnut ktgnah hcr" - One of the 13 principles ofinterpreting the Torah is that when there is a general rule (kkf), followed by an example (yrp), followed by a general rule(kkf), the halacha is that we follow the general rule, but only on condition it is similar to the example. We can apply thisprinciple to our posuk as well. The meforshim tell us that the word "ouhv" here refers to Rosh Hashana, as we famouslysay, "ouhv"okug ,rv - Today the world was created. Additionally, Chazal teach us that on this Day of Judgment,Tzaddikim are automatically written down for a good life - ohhjk r,ktk. Wicked people are instantly inscribed for death -v,hnk r,ktk, while “Beinonim” - those in between, the vast majority - are left hanging (ohsnugu ohhuk,) and undecided. This is the remez in the posuk. “You are standing here - ofkuf - all of you.” This is the "kkf" - the general rule. Then,"ofhryau ofhbez ofhyca ofhatr" - refers to the Tzaddikim, who are the examples (yrp), and then "ktrah aht kf" - which isagain a "kkf". The lesson here is really a request of Hashem. Just as the "yrp" - the righteous people, will be immediatelyinscribed for a year of life and sweetness, with all their tefillos and bakashos answered, so too, may all of Klal Yisroel -the "kkf" of "ofkuf" and "ktrah aht kf" - follow the "yrp" and be granted a sweet new year and a ksiva v’chasima tova!

The Minhag Yisroel is that starting on Rosh Chodesh Elul we blow the shofar daily after Shacharis, to awaken theJewish people to do Teshuvah. On Erev Rosh Hashana, however, we noticeably do not blow the shofar. The question iswhy? Why do we stop blowing 29 days into the month of Elul, pause for one day, and then blow again on Rosh Hashana? Chazal tell us (/ub ihyhd) that after the Churban Habayis, Titus, the victorious Roman General, challenged the RibonoShel Olam. “It seems that the G-d of these people only has power over water,” he claimed arrogantly. “When Pharaohcame, He drowned him in water. When Sisera came, He drowned him in water. If He wants to show His strength, let

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CONCEPTS IN AVODAS HALEV FROM R’ CHAIM YOSEF KOFMAN

Him come onto dry land and fight with me there!” A Divine voice came forth and said to him: “Wicked one, the son of awicked one, I have an insignificant creature in My world called a gnat. Come ashore and do battle with it!” Titus wentashore and a gnat came and entered his nostril, and pecked at his brain for seven years. One day, Titus was walking pasta blacksmith’s shop. The gnat heard the noise of the sledgehammer and became silent. Titus said: “There is a remedy!”For thirty days they brought a blacksmith to hammer in Titus’ presence. Then the gnat adjusted to the noise of thehammer, and continued pecking at the wicked man’s brain until he practically went mad and finally died. The Vilna Gaon ZT”L learns a lesson from here that after thirty days, a person gets used to something and it loses itseffect on him. My machshava is that we can compare the Satan/Yetzer Hara to that gnat that afflicted Titus. All year, hedoesn’t leave us alone and tries to keep us from doing mitzvos, maasim tovim and Teshuvah. When we start blowing theshofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the Satan suddenly gets confused. He pauses for a bit and sort of leaves us alone. We arenow free to perfect ourselves and repent before Hashem. But after thirty days, even the Satan gets used to the sound ofthe shofar and he prepares to return to his evil work. We, therefore, stop after 29 days, taking a break so that the yetzerhara won’t become totally accustomed to the kol shofar. Once again, this confuses him, and then we blow again on RoshHashana to arouse ourselves to a level that we can be zoche b’din - receiving a positive judgment for the coming year! Inthis way, we truly confound the Satan and he cannot stop us from being successful in our quest to merit a sweet new year. Let us daven and hope that the Ribono Shel Olam will accept our tefillos and our teshuva vcvtc - with love, grantingus a year of cuy kfu ,jb 'vjkmvu vfrc and bring the geula shelaima int ubhnhc vrvnc!

/// cegh hektk ypan tuv ktrahk ej hf ubhdj ouhk vxfc rpua asujc uge,(v-s tp ohkv,) Over centuries, the Jewish community in Spain had flourished and grown in numbers and influence, though anti-Semitism had surfaced from time to time. During the reign of Henry III (1390–1406), Jews faced increased persecution andwere pressured to convert to Christianity. Many Jews were killed, and those who adopted Christian beliefs - the conversos(Spanish: “converted”) - faced continued suspicion and prejudice. In addition, there remained a significant population ofJews who had professed conversion but continued to practice their faith in secret. Known as Marranos, those nominalconverts from Judaism were perceived to be an even greater threat to the social order than those who had rejected forcedconversion. After Aragon and Castile were united by the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella (1469), the Marranos weredenounced as a danger to the existence of Christian Spain and a formal Inquisition was established to deal with them. A grand inquisitor was appointed by the name of Tomás de Torquemada, a name synonymous with brutality andfanaticism associated with the Inquisition. Torquemada used torture and confiscation to terrorize his victims, and hismethods were cruel by design. The sentencing of the accused took place at the auto-da-fé (“act of faith”), an elaborate publicexpression of the Inquisition’s power. The condemned were presented before a large crowd that often included royalty, andburned at the stake. The number of burnings during Torquemada’s tenure was said to have been about 2,000. At Torquemada’surging, Ferdinand and Isabella issued an edict on March 31, 1492, giving Spanish Jews the choice of exile or baptism; asa result, according to Rabbeinu Don Yitzchok Abarbanel ZT”L, more than 300,000 Jews were expelled from Spain.The deadline to leave was on August 2, 1492, which was also Tisha B’av, the saddest day of the Jewish calendar year. Not all of Spain’s Jews had fled when the fateful edict was pronounced. It was possible to remain in Spain but theconditions for doing so were dire: any Jew who hoped to remain in his home had to publicly embrace Christianity andrenounce all Jewish observance. Many did so. But even those who had ostensibly embraced Christianity, the secret Jewsof Spain, were never trusted; neighbors and priests realized they continued to practice Judaism, and many “real”Christians eagerly looked for any sign of Jewish practice so they could turn them over to the Inquisition. Don Fernando Aguilar was a prominent Barcelona Jew. Conductor of the prestigious Royal Orchestra in that city, hewas a man of distinction and enjoyed great wealth and prestige. When the edict banishing him and his coreligionists fromSpain came, Don Aguilar decided to remain. He publicly embraced Christianity, but at the same time made a daringdecision: in private, Don Aguilar, like so many Spanish Jews, would never give up his faith. Even though it meant hecould be arrested at any moment, Don Aguilar continued to live as a Jew. He kissed a mezuzah that he kept hidden in hisfloorboards and was careful to eat only kosher food and observe the Jewish holidays. There was no synagogue in his cityany more, but groups of Jews would meet in private, under pain of death, to whisper prayers. There were no Jewishschools in Spain any longer, but families did their best to give their children a Jewish education. Year after grinding year,the secret Jewish community continued, holding on to as many of the mitzvos as possible. Some rituals, however, were nearly impossible to observe. It took five long years after the expulsion of SpanishJewry, five years of practicing Judaism in secret, of living a double life, before Don Aguilar saw an opportunity to do

Hashem is ready to offer us forgiveness, atonement forsins, and a good year filled with light and joy - on onecondition. We must open our hearts and return to Him incomplete repentance. When we do, there will beatonement and an opportunity to finally cleanse ourselvesof all our transgressions. We must work to purifyourselves before Hashem! The gates of light remain openbefore us, but our hearts are numb and dark. What should we do? Let us do as this poor man in theparable did. Let us present ourselves to the Holy One,blessed be He, and ask Him for help. Let us start on thefirst of the Ten Days of Repentance and ask Hashem toopen our hearts in order to love and revere Him! This isthe reason why Rosh Hashana comes ten days before YomKippur, and it is why the sound of the shofar makes ourhearts tremble. It is to help us do our part, it is to prepareus for the holiest day of the year.

/// wvc hck .kg rnt,u vbj kkp,,u(t-c wt ktuna) The Haftorah of the first day of Rosh Hashana speaks ofChana, who was barren, and to whom Hashem blessed witha special son, Shmuel HaNavi. The story of Chana is a storyof devotion and of sacrifice, of a woman who taught theworld what it means to pray - that one can pray not onlywith one’s lips, but also from the depths of one’s heart. The Gemara (/sx ,unch) cites Rav Yitzchok: “Why wereour Patriarchs barren? Because the Holy One, blessed be

4He, longs to hear the prayers of Tzaddikim.” We may raisethe question of the need for prayer, since Hakadosh BoruchHu gives a righteous person all that he or she needs evenwithout the need to ask, as it says (sf-vx whgah): “Before theycall, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”Additionally, He knows what every person requires and cangrant it even without prayer, especially if it involves healingor rescuing from a difficult situation. Since Hashem isfilled with compassion and can show mercy even withoutprayer, what need is there for a person to pray? Chacham Rabbi Dovid Chanania Pinto Shlit’aexplains: The Holy One, blessed be He, indeed knows theneeds of the Tzaddikim, and He grants the basis of theirrequest even before they ask. However, Hashem wantseach person to realize that they need something before Hewill actually grant the request. If a person does not evenknow he needs something, then he is lacking. This is whatoccurred with Adam Harishon and the first rainfall, forHashem did not create the laws regulating rain only afterAdam prayed for it. Such laws are part of nature, and theywere established at the creation of the world. Thus, rain didnot actually fall until Adam prayed for it. When a persondoes something that leads to the fulfillment of his desires,he is much more cognizant of it and grateful to the Creatorfor having giving it to him. As for things that a personreceives without having to ask, he becomes accustomed tothem and does not think about them.