meraglim, we already have ample proof that Hashem

Abomination Brings Annihilation takes care of us when we find favor in His eyes. Divine
wrath can bring harsh treatment, but Hashem’s favor can
bring us miracles greater than we have ever experienced.
Standing up to the Challenges of Our Times Our real fear must be the atrocity that is scheduled to
take place. Gimmel Tammuz, in only a week’s time, a
ing his strengths to serve Hashem is succeeding. To think detestable parade is planned on the streets of the Holy
By Rav Moshe Shternbuch City of Yerushalayim. Right here, in the palace of the
otherwise is to distort the worthy trait of humility.
The following was written by Rabbi While the meraglim were in Eretz Yisroel, they heard the King, they plan to flaunt the greatest abominations known
Daniel Yaakov Travis based on a shiur inhabitants saying that they saw ants that looked like people. to mankind.
given by Rav Moshe Shternbuch, Rosh To this description, the meraglim commented, “…and so This parade is our greatest danger. Seeing Klal Yisroel
Av Beis Din of the Eidah Hachareidis we were in our eyes.” This warped humility led them to bring quiet while such an abomination is taking place may well
of Yerushalayim, leil Parshas Shelach, about a catastrophe whose after-effects have plagued the Jew- inflame Divine anger and could have terrible ramifica-
in Beis Knesses HaGra in Har Nof. ish People ever since. tions. Then we will truly have something to fear.
A RECIPE FOR DESTRUCTION A note of caution: Burning garbage bins, smashing traf-
NATURAL MEANS We can never fully fathom why millions of Jews were fic lights and other destruction of city property does not aid
Klal Yisroel lived with constant miracles in the murdered, tortured, gassed and burnt alive at the hands the cause and is a desecration of Hashem’s name. This seem-
midbar. Every morning they woke up to find that enough of a brutal enemy during World War II. But one terrifying ing religious zeal is childish behavior from individuals look-
food for the entire day descended from the Heavens. At point is clear: The Holocaust teaches us that when ing for an excuse to have what they consider a good time.
night, the amud ha’eish lit up their way, and during the Hashem’s wrath is aroused, there is no limit to the devas- Jews living outside of Eretz Yisroel should not think that
day they were guided by the amud ha’anan. tation that can result. this event will not have a direct impact on their lives. Chazal
With all of these miracles, Hashem sufficiently We are seemingly facing a similar threat today. Iran is work- tell us, “When the mistress is afflicted, the maidservant will
proved to the Jewish people that He was more than quali- ing at a fast pace to achieve the technology needed to produce surely suffer.” All bracha flows down into the world via Eretz
fied to take care of all of their needs. Under such condi- nuclear weapons. Whoever the leader of the country may be, Yisroel, and if an abomination takes place in the Holy Land,
tions, it is hard to comprehend how Klal Yisroel could the fact remains clear that they desire our destruction. it will surely make itself felt across the globe.
have any doubts about whether Hashem could bring Yet, we have nothing to fear from Iran or any other Anyone who can do anything that could really assist to
them into Eretz Yisroel. Why, then, were the meraglim threats that are hurled at us. As in the times of the (Continued on page 52)
sent and what were they looking for?
After forty days in Eretz Yisroel, the meraglim came
back and reported that they would not be able to cap-
ture the land. While this is difficult to comprehend, even
more shocking is that the Sanhedrin voted on this mat-
ter and sided with the meraglim. After all of the miracles
that they experienced, how could they have even had
the slightest doubt?
After experiencing miracles, we cannot continue to
go about our lives as if nothing has changed. When we
witness Hashem changing the order of nature with our
own eyes, we are obligated to respond and raise our
level of awareness of His Prescience. For this reason,
living with miracles daily was an extremely difficult
challenge for the generation of the midbar.
Although the meraglim and the Sanhedrin realized
that Hashem was capable of miraculously conquering
Eretz Yisroel, they wanted to take the land via natural
means, making use of tevah. This would relieve them
of their obligation of maintaining the lofty level needed
to be worthy of constant miracles. Considering the cir-
cumstances, the meraglim felt that conquest campaign
orchestrated by human beings was doomed to failure,
and the Sanhedrin confirmed this.
If Hashem shows Klal Yisroel miracles, it means that He
knows that we are capable of living with a constant aware-
ness of His Presence. Choosing to live by natural means is
an outright rejection of His will and can arouse Divine wrath.
Instead of being the beginning of their conquest of Eretz
Yisroel, the return of the meraglim on Tisha B’Av turned
into a day of great tragedy for the Jewish people.

IMPROPER HUMILITY
Before sending Hoshea ben Nun to spy Eretz Yisroel,
Moshe Rabbeinu changed his name to Yehoshua.
Yonasen ben Uziel reveals that Hoshea had an improper
trait of humility, an attribute that could lead him to ac-
cept the advice of the other meraglim. Changing his
name affected his personality and allowed him to over-
come this flaw.
While humility is a praiseworthy characteristic, this
attribute can be dangerous when it develops unchecked.
A Jew has to elevate himself to reach the highest level
he can, and to disregard feelings of inadequacy which
might inhibit him from achieving this. In this way, he
will have true hatzlacha.
For this reason, mashagichim in yeshivos should try
and identify each bochur’s strengths and encourage him
to use them to reach greatness. Memory, drive and dili-
gence are all traits which, when channeled correctly, can
take a person very far. But if a person is weak in one or
more of these areas, he should not feel down on him-
self.
Some bochurim and avreichim don’t feel that they
are achieving their definition of “success” and, as a re-
sult, sink into despair. But, in truth, anyone who is us-

27 Sivan 5769 • June 19 2009 YATED NE’EMAN Page 45

Makeup Page PARSHA 6/16/ 2009 3 2/26/32, 7:21 AM

 OLAM HAMIDDOS
Veshinantom Levanecha
By Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum
Waterbury, Connecticut
I would venture to say that the two most
vital ingredients in any relationship are
kavod and ahava. Last week, we focused
on the obligation and power of treating
talmidim with kavod. This week let us dis-
cuss the significance of ahava.
The Rambam writes (Hilchos Talmud To-
rah 5:12) that one must love his talmidim,
for they are the children who benefit him in
this world and in the next world. We see from
the Rambam that a rebbi who truly cares
about his talmidim should not be a phenom-
enon; it should be standard procedure.
“Veshinantom levanecha - You shall
teach them to your children” (Devarim
6:7). The Torah is conveying to us that
the role of a rebbi is not just to be a teacher,
but to be a parent. A rebbi must assume
responsibility for the talmid’s overall well-
being, far beyond academic achievement.
I know of one bochur from a broken
home who bemoaned the fact that not one
of his rabbeim (who were aware of his
situation) ever approached him as to how
he was managing. How much chizuk he
would have derived from just one gentle
inquiry, let alone a Shabbos invitation!
I know of a tremendous talmid
chochom, a bais medrash rebbi, who had
a talmid who was unusually shy. The rebbi
would take the talmid shopping with him
and force him to talk to the workers in
order to help him overcome his shyness.
I know of another situation in which a
talmid had an anxiety disorder, which was not
being addressed. His rebbi, after realizing that
it was beyond his ability to help him alone,
sent him to a social worker and arranged his
Everybody Needs A Rebbi
(Continued from page 46)
These are some of the lessons I learned
from my rebbi, and that is my advice to
you. Seek out a rebbi for yourself, because
everybody needs a rebbi.
As I left Rav Kviat’s hospital room, he
motioned that I should come closer to him.
As I came close, he whispered to me
something that I will never forget. He said,
“Binyomin, you have good ideas. You
have to do them”
I left the room in awe. Here he was,
giving me chizuk from his hospital bed. I
realized that Rav Kviat was teaching me
another lesson: Once a rebbi, always a
rebbi. A rebbi never stops helping his
talmid, no matter what, no matter how.
•••••
Rabbi Pruzansky is the author of the newly
released “Stories That Tug At The Heart”
published by ArtScroll/Mesorah. He can be
reached via email at Bpruz@yeshivanet.com.
Staying Strong
(Continued from page 51)
affect Yaakov’s honesty. Yaakov retained his
integrity even under such dire conditions.
Kalev visited the kivrei avos to ascer-
tain how to overcome external pressures.
The avos had mastered this art, and his
visit to them would arm him with the abil-
ity to avoid falling into the trap to which
the rest of the meraglim succumbed. If
we attach ourselves to the behavior of the
avos and follow their advice, we, too, will
survive life’s trials and tribulations.
Page 52
Makeup Page PARSHA 6/16/ 2009 10
payments. Now, boruch Hashem, the bochur
is emotionally healthy and happily married.
A rebbi or morah should make it their
business to know their talmidim - their fam-
ily situation, their struggles, their strengths
and their weaknesses. They must be con-
cerned not only with the ruchniyus of their
talmidim, but with their gashmiyus as well.
In reality, the two are interconnected.
Imagine a person encouraging his friend
to run without noticing that his feet are
bound together by a rope. How can a rebbi
demand growth from a talmid without both-
ering to understand his impediments? The
talmid may have this problem on his mind
and that problem on his mind. If only the
rebbi would help him untie the rope, rather
than continue to scream at him to run.
This is the achrayus of a rebbi: to adopt
his talmidim and take care of them. A rebbi
who does this will love all his talmidim, just
as a parent loves all his children. If only all
yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs, when hiring a
rebbi/morah, would be looking not just for
teaching skills, but for parenting skills as well.
Our best talmidim would be even better, our
good would be great, and our ‘bad’ ones, well,
perhaps we wouldn’t have any.
“Oheiv es habriyos umekarven laTorah -
Love people and bring them closer to Torah”
(Avos 1:12). What talmid won’t love a rebbi
who loves him? People can sense what some-
one else feels about them and they will most
likely reciprocate, as the beautiful posuk in
Mishlei (27:19) says, “Kamayim haponim
laponim kein lev ha’adam la’adam - As wa-
ter reflects a face back to a face, so the heart
of man is reflected back to him by another.”
If I may go out on a limb, the precept of
Veshinantom levanecha would seem to dis-
courage the departmentalization of limudei
kodesh, which is quite common in Bais Yaakov
upper elementary and high schools. (Yes, I
know that it is “levanecha, velo livnosecha,”
but once we are doing it, let’s do it right.) True,
perhaps there might be advantages academi-
cally, but more important is the relationship
between morah and talmidah. A morah should
be more than just a morah of information, but
a morah derech and role model of how to act
and live one’s life. Such a relationship is un-
likely to develop in a departmental system.
What a chaval that these girls during these for-
mative years don’t have this opportunity which
is afforded to boys.
In general, it seems to me that although
many bochurim have a kesher with their
rebbi (though this too needs improvement),
by the girls it is more of a rarity. And yes,
while perhaps boys may need it more, it is
certainly vitally beneficial to girls as well.
How many young women in shidduchim
and marriage have a morah they can natu-
rally turn to for crucial guidance and chizuk?
As with all my articles, I am not writing
about what I am, but rather what I believe is
right and hope to become. So I admonish
myself along with all mechanchim and
mechanchos: Open your heart to your
talmidim. Make time for them. Adopt them
as your children. Klal Yisroel needs you!
•••••
This column is based on the Hebrew
sefer, “Olam Hamiddos,” written by this
author, who can be reached via email at
kestenbaum4@yeshivanet.com.
YATED NE’EMAN
Split the Pot
(Continued from page 49)
and his two sons split the inheritance.
Later, another brother showed up from
overseas and demanded a third of the in-
heritance. Is the original division of the
estate nullified? Rav argues that it is and
the estate should be re-divided into three
portions. Shmuel argues, however, that the
original division need not be nullified; a
third portion can be created by taking a
part from the other brothers.
Tosafos, in the name of the Ri, de-
scribes the situation. The estate was
made up of three fields. Through a lot-
tery, Reuven was awarded one-and-a-
half fields and Shimon was awarded the
other one-and-a-half. After Levi’s ar-
rival, Shmuel would argue that he can
be awarded the field that had been di-
vided between the other brothers. In this
way, the original division is not nulli-
fied completely and we can resolve the
problem without convening another lot-
tery. But perhaps Shimon would argue
that the field that he had been awarded
in the lottery had not been his prefer-
ence; he would like the lottery to be re-
peated. Rav argues that, indeed, the ini-
tial division is invalid and the process
must be done again to divide the inher-
itance into three.
The Shulchan Aruch (siman 175) rules in
accordance with Rav; even if we can satisfy
Levi, the lottery must be performed again.
The Chavos Yair points out that there
are many lotteries in Tanach. For ex-
ample, a lottery system is used to appor-
tion Eretz Yisroel in Sefer Bamidbar. If
a lottery is performed properly, it is
guided by Divine Providence; the person
who was intended to win will win.
Hashem arranges that the lottery indicate
the truth. If there is something intrinsi-
cally wrong with the lottery, however, we
cannot be sure that the lottery reflects the
truth, and it is thus invalid.
Division of an inheritance when one
brother is excluded is not a valid lot-
tery. Similarly, a lottery that did not pro-
vide equal chances to all participants is
faulty. Although the person who was left
out of the lottery may be satisfied with
a cash gift, this arrangement is not fair
to the other participants. Since the lot-
tery was inherently faulty, we must start
from the beginning.
PROPER DISCLAIMER
In our case, then, the lottery must be
repeated. This example demonstrates that
it is worthwhile for an organization that
is arranging a lottery to clearly stipulate
that the organization maintains the right
to make the final decision regarding the
winner in a manner that it deems fair. If
such a disclaimer is read and accepted by
participants, the organization will not run
into trouble if a mistake is made.
•••••
The Archives of Ethics Choshen Mishpat
Shiur series is produced by the Bais
HaVaad L’Inyonei Mishpat and features a
15-20 minute shiur on each daf of the Daf
Yomi learning schedule. The shiurim are
given by world renowned dayanim, poskim,
and maggidei shiur, and highlight the prac-
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cussed in the daf to the modern world. For
more information about Archives of Eth-
ics, the Bais HaVaad, or to order the se-
ries, call 888.485.VAAD or email
info@BaisHavaad.com.
2/26/32, 7:22 AM
At the Shabbos Table With Rabbi Juravel
(Continued from page 51)
Yisroel could have constructed the shiur in
a few seconds, but he needed ten minutes to
decide whether he was saying the shiur to
protect his positive influence (yeitzer tov)
or out of arrogance (yeitzer hara).
•••••
A bochur in yeshiva spent all his time
learning, subsisting on little food and
sleep…but a lot of ga’avah. Rav Elazar
Shach told the bochur that this was the
yeitzer hara urging him to build a reputa-
tion as a tzaddik. Moreover, soon he would
have no strength to learn at all.
•••••
A yungerman left a paying kollel and
joined a larger one with no pay where he
felt he would learn better. His former rosh
yeshiva suggested to him, “Perhaps you
really want to learn less, so you went to a
larger yeshiva where you would not be
noticed.” The yungerman added sarcasti-
cally, “Perhaps I wanted to run out of
money so I would have an excuse to stop
learning and go to work. But perhaps my
yeitzer hara was telling me to remain in
the first kollel where I wasn’t learning so
well. How can I know?” The young man
proceeded to explain that he had done his
best to remove all negios and act objec-
tively. The rosh yeshiva was satisfied.
•••••
One must think to himself, “Did I rep-
rimand the man who was talking during
Krias HaTorah to defend kevod Shomayim
or to show my tzidkus? Or was it to get
back at him because we had a run-in?”
We must ask Hashem for guidance, as
Kalev ben Yefuneh did. May Hashem give
us guidance as he did to Kalev.
•••••
To have Rabbi Juravel speak at your
function, call 646.320.3125.
Abomination Brings Annihilation
(Continued from page 45)
prevent this abomination from taking place
is obligated to stand up for the honor of our
Father in Heaven and stop the desecration of
His Holy City. Whoever has any political, fi-
nancial or any other type of influence to help
remove this filth from the holy streets of
Yerushalayim should do so. This is the great-
est danger that exists for the Jewish people
today, and we must do what is in our power
to stop it from happening.
Thinking that there is nothing we can
do to stop this parade is a grave error. We
need only make an effort and Hashem will
finish the job. Standing idly by is tanta-
mount to seeing our Father being dis-
graced without defending his honor.
When the Jewish people learn from
Hashem’s miracles, we are repaid with su-
pernatural assistance. Hesitation in this mat-
ter is a case of misplaced humility. Regard-
ing this parade, a meek, head-in-the-sand ap-
proach will place us in real danger from the
enemies who are threatening us. If we de-
fend the honor of our Father in Heaven, we
will surely find favor in His eyes and merit
to see the redemption speedily.
•••••
Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kollel Toras
Chaim in Yerushalayim, and is the author of
Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras Chaim and “Pray-
ing With Joy - A Daily Tefilla Companion,”
a practical daily guide to improving one’s
prayers, available from Feldheim Publish-
ers. For more information about his work,
contact dytravis@actcom.com.
27 Sivan 5769 • June 19 2009