Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vaera

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.

In Shemos 6:6 the Torah gives the first three of the Leshonos Shel Geulah stating - לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֘ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָה֒ וְהֽוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֨חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵֽעֲבֹֽדָתָ֑ם וְגָֽאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים  . R' Frand observed that the first two Leshonos - "וְהֽוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֨חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם" and "וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵֽעֲבֹֽדָתָ֑ם" seem to be very similar.

To explain the difference in the Leshonos, R' Frand quoted the Sfas Emes who writes that the word Sivlos should be construed like the word Savlanus - they tolerated the slavery that they were in. The first step to break out of slavery is to say - "I don't want to take this anymore."

R' Frand quoted R' Gedalya Shore who quoted Chazal which state that not a single slave ever escaped from Egypt. But how is this possible? People break out of prison and the slaves in this country utilized the "Underground Railroad." So why were there no slaves who ran away from Egypt? Because the slaves had a psychological mindset that they were in a good position and did not need to leave. 

This is the difference between the first two Leshonos - the first was to break out of the mentality of accepting being a slave. The second was that Hashem saved us from the physical slavery itself.

R' Frand then said a second vort related to Moshe showing HaKaras HaTov for the water as he did not strike the water for the plagues of Blood and Frogs. Similarly, Moshe was not sent to strike the sand because it had covered the Mitzri after Moshe killed him.

R' Frand noted that the water and the sand as inanimate objects cannot feel they are appreciated, so why is it that Moshe did show his HaKaras HaTov for them? He answered that HaKaras HaTov is meant to have an impact on the person showing gratitude so that he will be more aware and appreciative of what others do for him.

R' Frand quoted the Sefer Yechi Reuven in which the author discussed the famous picture of R' Elya Lopian ZTL giving milk to a cat [the picture was taken by my FiL!]. The author came to Kfar Chassidim years later and asked whether R' Elya was a cat lover. He was then told the back story. 

The boys in the yeshiva used to take their meals in a hut and there was a terrible mouse problem. So they got a cat to kill the mice. But once all the mice were gone, the boys wanted to get rid of the cat. R' Elya refused, telling them that since the cat got rid of the mice they need to show their appreciation for the cat. And in order to do so, he gave the cat its meal.

The cat of course did not know that it was being fed by a Gadol, but it was important for him to show his appreciation for the cat.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shemos

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 parsha portion of tonight's shiur by quoting the Alter M'Kelem who observed that we have very little knowledge of Moshe before he became the leader of Klal Yisrael. He cited to four instances where the Torah gives into Moshe. The first two are in Shemos 2:11 where the Torah states וַיְהִ֣י | בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל משֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם - that Moshe saw the Jews' burdens. Later in the same pasuk the Torah states וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִֽישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵֽאֶחָֽיו - Moshe saw the Egyptian striking a Jew from his brethren. 

A few pesukim later Moshe is again seen where he intervenes when Dasan and Aviram are fighting and he says in 2:13 - וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ לָֽרָשָׁ֔ע לָ֥מָּה תַכֶּ֖ה רֵעֶֽךָ. Finally, the fourth reference is in 2:17 where Moshe comes to the well and saves the daughters of Yisro.

All four instances have one thing in common - Moshe saw that people were suffering and intervened on their behalf.

R' Frand then quoted the Ramban who noted that we see Moshe leaving Egypt at 12 and the next we see of him is when he shows up in Midyan 40 years later. The Medrash tells a great story about how Moshe became the king of Cush [I often read that from the Me'am Loez on Shabbos Shemos] - but that story does not make it into the Torah. Why? The Alter explains that the Torah is not a history book and the reason that these facts are known about Moshe is to show his empathy for others.

R' Frand then told a story about R' Wolbe who had gone with a group of talmidei chachamim to visit the grave of R' Yisrael Salanter. While he was there, R' Wolbe had an imaginary conversation with R' Yisrael who asked him - why are you here? R' Yisrael explained that he was content in the kever, but R' Wolbe should be looking out for the Jews who lived nearby and who had abandoned their Jewish identities due in part to the horrors of the war - help them! R' Yisrael further "said" to him - do you know why I am buried here and not in Lithuania? Because I travelled here due to the needs of the Jews of Germany.

R' Frand observed that although Dasan and Aviram were Moshe's nemesis, they also had the quality of looking out for their fellow Jews. R' Frand quoted the vort from the Maharal Diskin in connection with the exodus from Egypt in Parshas Beshalach. In Shemos 14:3, the Torah states that Pharaoh told the Jews that they are confused and the desert has locked them in. The obvious question is - who did Pharaoh tell this to? The Jews had already left Egypt with Moshe! 

The pashut pshat as said by many meforshim (including Rashi) is that Pharaoh said this about the Jews and not to them. But the Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel explains that Pharaoh said this to Dasan and Aviram, who had not left yet.

R' Frand asked - if Dasan and Aviram were such evil people that they did not leave with Moshe, how were they still around? These were Moshe's historical antagonists, yet we read about them later in the Torah so they obviously got out. Why did they merit to get out of Egypt, when 80% of the Jews did not make it out of Egypt (and died in Choshech) because of their evil nature?

The Maharal Diskin explains that Dasan and Aviram's merit was that they were among the nogsim - the taskmaster/enforcers who were in charge of the Jews in Egypt. But these were not like the Kapos in the concentration camps. In Egypt, these people were beaten by the Egyptians when the Jews did not meet their quotas. In that zechus and because of their empathy for their fellow Jews because they got hit to prevent people from being beaten, they merited getting out of Egypt.

R' Frand closed the vort with a story about R' Huttner who flew to Los Angeles in the 1950s for the vort of one his prized talmidim. At the vort he approached the father of the girl and told him - you will need to support this special boy in his learning. The father said - of course! R' Huttner then said - you will need to provide $350,000. The father said - I can't come up with that much money and shortly therafter the engagement was broken.

R' Frand said that he is sure that people had questions about why R' Huttner said this, but the whole story came out after R' Huttner passed away. What people were unaware of was that the parents of both sides had not met prior to the vort, the chassan being from NY and the kallah from LA. When the mother of the chosson saw the mother of the kallah, she realized that the woman had been her kapo in the camps. She would not be able to live with seeing her son marry the daughter of the woman who used to beat her, so she cried to R' Huttner to intervene. And because he was nosei b'ol chavero, he did.

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Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Future Hop IPA

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Future Hop IPA.

Devotees of the fine craft brews originating from New Belgium are aware that they keep pumping out new varieties in the Voodoo Ranger series. This brew was included in a six pack can box which $11.99 in the better priced stores, but I was able to purchase a single. By my count, this is the fourteenth Voodoo Ranger that New Belgium has released. Previously reviewed Voodoo Ranger brews include:

V2K IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2021/10/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-v2k-ipa.html);

Captain Dynamite IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2021/04/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html);

Higher Plane IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/12/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html);

1985 IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/11/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html);

Xperimental IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/08/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Starship IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/05/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

American Haze IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2020/03/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Hop Avenger IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2019/12/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Juicifer IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2019/11/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-juicifer.html); 

Juicy Haze IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2018/02/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Imperial IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2017/10/sunday-nigh-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); 

Atomic Pumpkin IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2017/10/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html); and 

the first - the Voodoo Ranger IPA (reviewed at https://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2017/02/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-voodoo.html).

The newest addition to the Voodoo Ranger series has an interesting set of hops (Lotus, Strata, and Nelson Sauvin). Like all the other Voodoo Ranger IPAs there is some fruitiness, but this seemed more subdued than what I have come to expect from a Voodoo Ranger.

Similarly, although the alcohol content is 8% abv (which is high on the Voodoo Ranger scale) there is no significant alcohol flavor.

This beer was a passable accompaniment with leftover night, but it does not have the hop bite of many of the better beers in the Voodoo Ranger series.

The New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Future Hop 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. Many of the "sours" such as the Peach Kick which was released over the summer cannot be certified kosher.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Future Hop IPA, click here https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/566568.

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).

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayechi

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 noted that when Ya'akov instructs that he be buried in Maaras HaMachpela he seems to give far too much repetitive detail. In Bereishis 49:29 he asks to be buried in the cave which is in the field of Ephron. In the next pasuk he repeats that he wants to be buried in the cave in the field of Machpela which Avraham bought from Ephron. 

But even after identifying the field twice, he again gives information about the cave (as if his sons would not know which cave he was speaking of) as the Torah states in Bereishis 49:31 that Ya'akov told his sons שָׁ֣מָּה קָֽבְר֞וּ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֗ם וְאֵת֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ שָׁ֚מָּה קָֽבְר֣וּ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְאֵ֖ת רִבְקָ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וְשָׁ֥מָּה קָבַ֖רְתִּי אֶת־לֵאָֽה.

Why does Ya'akov need to identify the field twice and then enumerate who was buried there?

As an introduction to the answer, R' Frand quoted the gemara in Kiddushin which teaches the concept that a wife can be nikneh with money which is learned from the story of buying Maaras HaMachpela in which the gemara uses the language Kicha Kicha M'Sdeh Ephron.

R' Frand asked - why do we need to learn the laws of Kiddushin from the purchase of Maaras HaMachpela? He gave two answers - the first of which was lighter than the second.

The first answer R' Frand gave was that the purchase of Maaras HaMachpela is much like a marriage - each one thinks they are getting the better deal. When Ephron sold the cave, he said to himself - I got 400 shekel for a field which cannot even be planted, its got a cave in the middle of it!

Meanwhile, Avraham said to himself - I got the cave where Adam & Chava were buried and I and my progeny will use it for many important burials, and I only paid 400 shekel! I got the better end of the deal.

But then R' Frand said a second answer which was much deeper. He quoted the sheva brochos in which we say Sameach Tisamach Reim HaAhuvim. He noted that the word Reim comes from Teruah which is the broken sound of the shofar. He cited the ma'amar chazal that 40 days before an embryo is formed a bas kol announces who will marry whom. At that point, the two neshamos are together in Gan Eden and then they become separated. It is for this reason that the gemara says that it is the way of a man to return for his wife - because he is looking for what was lost from his soul at the time he was born. This is Reim HaAhuvim - what was once together had been broken and was now reunited.

When one of the spouses predeceases the other, there is a separation again and only in death are they reunited. This was Ya'akov's message in Bereishis 49:31 by spelling out each husband and wife who were buried in Maaras HaMachpela - being buried together is the reunification after having been separated by death.

This is why we learn the concept of the kinyan kesef of marriage from Ephron - just like the marriage is a reunification of what had been separated souls, so too when they are buried together, the souls are reunited.

As a post script to the vort, R' Frand mentioned that the Lithuanian Government is planning a sports complex to be constructed on an old and famous Jewish cemetery and he encouraged his viewers to write to the Lithuanian Government and ask them not to desecrate the cemetery. He mentioned a website which is campaigning against this planned sports project where people can learn more about the cemetery and how they can pressure the Lithuanian not to destroy it - www.savevilna.org.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayigash

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 the Sfas Emes who writes that Parshas Vayigash is a lesson in not giving up hope. It would have been very easy for him to give up, but he tried again, even though he had no new information to try to convince Yosef. 

The Sfas Emes quoted the Gemara in Berachos 10a which discussed the conversation between Yishayah and Chizkiyahu when Chizkiyahu was very sick. The navi told Chizkiyahu that he was going to die in this world and have no life in the world to come, because he did not have children. The gemara then recites the dialogue between the two on this issue, culminating with Yishayahu telling Chizkiyahu - there is nothing that can be done. Chizkiyahu responds - stop your prophesying, I have a kaballah from my grandfather that even if there is a sharp sword on the neck, don't give up that Hashem can help.

The Sfas Emes says - who is the grandfather? It was Yehuda who did not give up and still attempted to convince Yosef to spare Binyamin and that they were not spies.

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the Ishbitzur Rebbi who discussed the concept of Yiush. A person who loses an object and is Miyaish - anyone else can claim and keep the object. How does this work? If a person does not lose hope he still has a connection to the object, even if it is not with him. As a result, no one else can claim the object. 

So too if a person is ill. If that person still has hope, he has a connection to the refuah, even if the medicine is not yet there or not yet available. But if the person gives up hope, he loses the connection to the cure.

R' Frand said a second vort based on Yosef's revelation to his brothers and his sending ten donkeys loaded with provisions to his father. 

He quoted the Orach Chaim who explains that he told the brothers when he exposed his identity that I am Yosef and I will not take retribution against you, he was saying to them - don't worry about all that happened, I am Ok with it. But with all that Yosef suffered, how could he have had this mindset?

He answered by quoting the Maharal on the pasuk in Bereishis 45:23 וּלְאָבִ֞יו שָׁלַ֤ח כְּזֹאת֙ עֲשָׂרָ֣ה חֲמֹרִ֔ים נֹֽשְׂאִ֖ים מִטּ֣וּב מִצְרָ֑יִם. The Maharal explains that the ten donkeys were a message from Yosef to his father to not be upset at his brothers because they were acting just like donkeys. When you put something on a donkey, he does not know what he is carrying or why it is carrying it. The donkey just carries what was put on its back until it gets to the destination and is unloaded.

In so doing, Yosef was saying to his father - the brothers were just like the donkeys. They were following a script which set forth how you and your sons were supposed to come down to Egypt.

This is how Yosef could say that he had no qualms with his brothers - he recognized that it was all from Hashem.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mikeitz

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.

In Bereishis 42:18, Yosef tells his brothers וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֤ם יוֹסֵף֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י זֹ֥את עֲשׂ֖וּ וִֽחְי֑וּ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יָרֵֽא.

Rabbi Frand quoted a Medrash Rabbah which states that everyone should try be a Yirei Hashem. The Medrash identifies certain people who were G-d fearing and in so doing mentions Yosef. 

Rabbi Frand then asked, but where do we see that Yosef was actually G-d fearing?

In answering the question, Rabbi Frand introduced the Yalkut Shemoni on Yechezkel which tells of how when Chananyah, Mishael & Azarya left the fiery furnace unscathed, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to say praises to Hashem and would have written his own, but an angel came and smacked him on the mouth and in so doing stopped him from praising Hashem. The Yalkut further writes that had Nebuchadnezzar written his praises of Hashem, they would have dwarfed Dovid's.

R' Frand next quoted R' Shabsai Yudelvitz who asked - why did the angel need to stop Nebuchadnezzar? He answered that it is easy to praise Hashem when things are good. It is much harder to do so when life is difficult. Nebuchadnezzar lived in the lap of luxury, so he was tested to see if he would still be willing to praise Hashem if his plans went awry.

Dovid HaMelech on the other hand had a much more difficult life. He was detested by his brothers and King Saul sought to kill him many times. And then after becoming king, his own son Abshalom rebelled against him and drove him out of Jerusalem.

And nonetheless, Dovid praised Hashem, even from the depths.

R' Frand tied the vort together by quoting the Ksav Sofer who writes that this was the reason why Yosef was able to say that he was a Yirei Hashem. Even when life was hard, he was able to recognize and praise Hashem.

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