Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Toldos

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand started the vort by quoting the Gemara in Makkos which interprets a pasuk in Tehillim as discussing Ya'akov who said in Bereishis 27:12 "אוּלַ֤י יְמֻשֵּׁ֨נִי֙ אָבִ֔י וְהָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כִּמְתַעְתֵּ֑עַ". As explained by Rashi, Ya'akov did not want to participate in the act, but was convinced by his mother to do so.

The Maharitz Chayos explains that we can see Ya'akov's unwillingness from the choice of the word Ulai instead of Pen. Although both words mean the same thing, the word Ulai implies that the person wants the event to take place, such as when Eliezer says that Ulai the girl (Rivka) will not want to return with him to Avraham. This is because Eliezer wanted her to to say no, so that he could have his own daughter marry Yitzchak. On the other hand, Pen is a word where the person indicates  that he does not want the event to occur. Here where Ya'akov says Ulai, he is showing that he hopes that his father will identify him because he does not want to participate in this.

R' Frand then quoted Emes L'Ya'akov wherein R' Kaminetsky asked - why did the berachos have to come through this scenario? He explained that each of the Avos had to endure a test by which they went against their nature. For Avraham whose middah was chessed, it involved leaving his father behind, send away Hagar and sacrifice Yitzchak. For Ya'akov who was emes, it involved participating in tricking his father. He passed this test in following what he was commanded to, but without it impacting him as he was honest when he worked for Lavan.

R' Frand then quoted the Gra who said that most people are gilgulim who are sent back to earth to repeat their lives in order to fix something which tripped them up in a prior existence. He further explains that the issue which is a major stumbling block for someone is probably what they needed to fix because they were nichshol it in their prior life.

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the sefer Chikrei Lev who recited the Medrash which - notes that Rivka's father was a thief, her brother was a thief and she came from a city of thieves, yet she was a Tzadekes - like a rose among the thorns. So why should Yitzchak marry someone who came from this source? He answered that Hashem wanted the berachos to come to Ya'akov through this means, with Yitzchak believing that Esav was a Tzaddik and deserving of the berachos and Rivka seeing through the facade. Because Rivka grew up among thieves she was able to see through Esav, she was able to create the mechanism to bring the berachos to Ya'akov.

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Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Hopskeller

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Hopskeller.

The Saranac Hopskeller is one of two new beers in the Saranac German Roots mix box  for 2019. The box also includes Hop Harvest Haze IPA (reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2019/10/sunday-night-suds-saranac-hop-harvest.html) as well as old friends Black Forest (reviewed here https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2010/01/sunday-night-suds-saranac-black-forest.html) and Octoberfest (reviewed here
https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunday-night-suds-saranac-octoberfest.html).

I had never heard of Hopskeller, so I checked out the style on BA which listed the beer as a  German Kellerbier / Zwickelbier. BA explained that this is:

A rather old, rare, and unique German beer style, Kellerbiers are unfiltered and unpasteurized lagers that date back to at least the Middle Ages. The beer is matured, unbunged (beer is exposed), in deep vaults. The final product is a smooth, naturally cloudy beer that's rich in vitamins from the yeast. Hop bitterness can be high and alcohol will vary. Zwickelbier is similar to a Keller, but not as pronounced.

The Hopskeller poured a dark orange with some carbonation, but not the trademark level of a typical Saranac brew. The beer is a bit bready and not very hoppy, notwithstanding the name. Although the beer is 5.5% abv, it does not have alcohol flavor. This is not to say that the beer is bland as there was some spice and floral notes, but this is not a sharp, bitter brew.

The Hopskeller is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit as is every other beer produced at the Matt Brewery plant in Utica, NY. Keep in mind, Saranac brews some varieties off site, so check the cans/bottles for kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the brew, please follow this link https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/435305.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

Lastly, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Chaye Sarah

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand made reference to the first pasuk of the parsha in that the last words of the pasuk appear to be redundant as the Torah uses the words חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה in both the beginning and the end of the pasuk.

R' Frand addressed by quoting R' Mordechai Freindlich in the Sefer V'Lamedcha which tells a story of the Kotsker Rebbi who visited Minsk. There was a wealthy Jew who made a large fancy meal for the Rebbi. In the middle of the meal, a person brought the host a telegram which informed him that his warehouse which held all of his possessions had burned to the ground. The man fainted on the spot. They revived him and he looked at the telegram again and then fainted again. This happened 2-3x and when we was revived again, the Kotsker Rebbi whispered in his ear - "you are fine, its not your warehouse, this is a mistake." The Rebbi told him to send a telegram back to his workers in the warehouse to check on it. He followed through and sent the telegram and received a telegram in response which said there was a fire in the area, but not in your warehouse.

The people were amazed and asked the Rebbi if he had Ruach HaKodesh. The Rebbi denied that he had Ruach HaKodesh (although R' Frand opined that he probably did have it). The Rebbi explained that we have a principle that Hashem does not give a person a test that he cannot pass. The Rebbi said that this man could not handle the thought that he had lost everything that he owned, so I concluded that this could not be his warehouse.

So what does this have to do with Chaye Sarah? Rashi explains that Avraham was given a test of Akeidas Yitzchak and he passed it. People are of the belief that Sarah was tested too in that she heard about the Akeidah and that she must have failed it since she died, but R' Frand said that can't be true. If Sarah was given this test she would have been capable of handling it. So why did she die? Because she was supposed to die. And this is why the pasuk uses Chaye Sarah on the front and back end of the pasuk. Hashem had decided that this would be the time that she would die.

R' Frand also quoted a Rashi on the first pasuk which states that at 20 she was as beautiful as 7 and at 127 she was as pure as 20 and all her years were good. But this is hard to understand - Sarah seemingly had a tough life - she was captured over and over and mocked by Hagar. How was this a good life?

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Weinberger in Shemen HaTov. He said that there is a positive to being young because they have enthusiasm and feel that they can conquer the world. When a person gets older they lose ambition and are jaded. But the wisdom of the older person and the patience not to jump the gun is also positive. What Chazal is telling us about all for the good is that even at 127, she had the youthful enthusiasm, But at the same time she was old and thus had the best of both worlds. He said that we see this with gedolim where they have youthful enthusiasm but with great wisdom.

R' Frand quoted R' Wolbe on the pasuk in Tehilim - Od Yenuvun b'Sevah - one can be fruitful in old age and they will be fresh and excited. R' Frand said that he once went to hear R Elyashiv give a shiur that was a daf shiur. Not an intense Shiur Kllali, but a good daf shiur. R' Frand read a story about an American Psychologist who had visited the shiur and said that some people get crotchety when they get older and dont want to deal with questions, because they lose their patience. But R' Elyashiv sat there patiently and did not get flustered, even though he was well into his 90s. This is the meaning of the pasuk in Tehillim and this is what they pasuk means that Sarah had the youthful exuberance of a young person and the wisdom of an older person.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Juicifer IPA

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium Juicifer IPA.

This "beer" was released during the summer as part of the Voodoo Ranger series. As is typical for the Voodoo Ranger series, the beer is brimming with hops and packs a significant alcohol punch.

The Juicifer IPA is made with Citra and Galaxy hops, and while it tasty incredibly citrusy, there actually is no added fruit juice. The beer pours a cloudy rich orange and has a flavor which crosses tangerine and grapefruit. It has a high abv for a standard IPA (7.7% abv), but there is no appreciable alcohol flavor.

I would have to say without exaggeration, this is one of the finest beers I have tried in years. This beer goes well with most spicy fare and would also pair equally well with mixed meat salads.

I have only seen this beer in six packs of cans and they are usually sold at a premium price. Still, if you can find this beer you should grab it as this is truly an exceptional brew.

The New Belgium Juicifer IPA is under kosher supervision by the Scroll-K/Va'ad of Denver, and their symbol is on the bottom of the six pack can box. However, not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision, so look for the Scroll K on the six pack holder or box when considering purchasing any NBB product.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Juicifer IPA, click here https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/380214/.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayera

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began the vort by quoting R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in the halacha sefer Halichos Shlomo. He prefaced the vort by restating the known story of Avraham giving the angels food, including the delicacy of tongue and mustard. But he also noted that the Torah writes later in Bereishis 21:33, וַיִּטַּ֥ע אֵ֖שֶׁל בִּבְאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע - Avraham planted an Eishel in Be'er Sheva. The mefarshim write that Eshel stands for Achilah, Shetiya and Levaya - food drink and accompanied his guests who stayed in his hotel.

R' Shlomo Zalman asked - which act had a greater impact on the world? It must be the Eshel, since it continued for tens of years. Additionally, the gemara teaches that Avraham used the hotel as a way to spread monotheism. People would want to bless Avraham after they ate. He would respond to them - you want to bless me? Bless Hashem who is the creator of the world and provided the food. The tent was his vehicle to put Hashem's name in their mouth. Yet even though this was a long standing practice and the  angels did not even eat, has a greater impact!

Indeed, the gemara in Bava Metzia teaches that all the gifts that the Jews had in the desert came as a reward for Avraham providing the angels with the food and drink (which they did not even consume).

Why is this first short interaction with the angels rewarded so richly?

R' Frand said that R; Shlomo uses this to teach that the harder something is, the greater the reward and the greater the recognition from Hashem. This is the 3rd day after millah, without anesthesia, on a 99 year old man. And yet he went out of his way on a hot day to find the guests. Hashem rewarded him for his tzaar and his mesiras nefesh.

R' Frand said a second vort along the same lines in the name of R' Horvitz from Romeima. We see that Avraham had mesiras nefesh in the beginning and the end of the parsha. The angels did not eat the food, even though he knocked himself out to provide for them. Similarly, at the end of the parsha, Avraham was willing to sacrifice his son at the Akeidah, but was unsuccessful. And yet we pray to Hashem on Rosh Hashana to remember Avraham's unsuccessful yet selfless act.

Why are these stressed and rewarded by Hashem? Because Hashem just wants a person to try. Judaism does not value results, it values efforts and Hashem wants to see that we have attempted to do what he asks us to do. This is the vort often said at a siyum. During the siyum we say that we work and get a reward and they work and don't get a reward. What does that mean? Of course there is a reward - but their reward is only if they accomplish. If the tailor does not sew the suit or the shoemaker does not fix the shoe, he gets no reward. But Hashem rewards us for trying, even if we don't accomplish.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Lech Lecha

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand said two vorts on the parsha tonight, both in the name of R' Moshe Freundlich. Both also tied into interesting stories and would be perfect for the Shabbos table.

The first vort was in relation to the first pasuk in the parsha, wherein Hashem said to Avram, לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ. The meforshim take issue with the order of departure, in that Avram is told to leave his land, where he was born and the house of his father, when usually a person would first leave his father's house and as he continued to travel would eventually leave the country.

R' Frand offered a novel approach based on a story of R' Moshe Turkichinsky who was born in Israel and traveled to learn in Slobodka for the summer z'man. Before Shavuous, the Rosh Yeshiva, R Isaac Sherer asked him whether he would be keeping two days of Yom Tov as he was now in galus. R' Moshe did not answer and this was more of a statement than a question, but still he was confused. The halacha is that someone who intends to return to Israel does not do work on day 2, but also davens as if it is Chol. 

R' Moshe went and asked the Rav of the city what he should do and was told that he should be davening the Chol davening. When asked again by the Rosh Yeshiva about keeping two days he decided that he would daven in his dorm with tefillin first and then go to the Yeshiva when they davened and no one one would know that he had previously prayed. But then as the Yeshiva was going to daven Maariv to begin the second day, the Rosh Yeshiva approached him and asked him to be the Shaliach Tzibbur. Now he was stuck, how could he lead the Yom Tov prayers?

R' Moshe decided that the only solution was to take upon himself not to return to Israel and become a ben Chutz L'Aretz. He then went up and led davening and recited all of the Yom Tov prayers. When he was done, R' Sherer said to him - I know the halacha that you should only keep one day, but I also saw that your head and heart were not in the yeshiva. You may have been physically in Slobodka, but you were thinking about your birthplace and I needed you to commit to being a bochur here.

R' Frand closed the vort by saying that this was the meaning of the order, based on the Malbim - a person may physically leave his home first when he travels, but it is much easier to depart from one's country than to emotionally depart from the customs of one's home.

The second vort was based on the pasuk in Bereishis 12:3 where Hashem says to Avram "וַֽאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ מְבָ֣רֲכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר" - I will bless those who bless you and those who curse you, I will curse. The statements are not parallel as the blessing by Hashem comes before the blessing of Avram and the cursing by others precedes the cursing by Hashem.

R' Frand again linked this to the story of the son of Chafetz Chaim who went with his mother to get a suit for his wedding. The tailor measured the boy and said to come back in a few weeks. When they returned the boy tried on the suit and the mother put the money down to pay for it and then the tailor gave the boy a bracha that he should have a life of wealth and honor. The mother was taken aback - this is the blessing you gave my son? My husband shuns wealth and honor and this is what you give as a bracha? You should be blessing him to be a Yarei Shamayim or Ben Torah!

This is the meaning of Hashem's words to Avram - I will bless those who bless you in order to elevate them and bring their blessings to a higher spiritual level, thus their blessing to you will be from a higher spiritual plain and not just wishes for wealth and honor. In contrast, those who curse you, will be cursed and they will continue to sink as a result of their bad wishes.

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