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In Memory of Mr.

Max Glass

In Memory of Mr. Jack Gindi

Likutei Ohr
Editor-in-Chief: Elon Swartz Senior Editor: Asher Naghi Layout Editor: Yair Fax Managing Editors: Micah Hyman Jordan Lustman Distribution Managers: Mitchell Silberberg Avi Rosenberg Sta Advisor: Rabbi Arye Sufrin

Parshat Nitzavim

A publication of YULA Boys High School


by Rabbi Pini Dunner

The Meaning of Life

Candle Lighting Times


Candles:

6:42 pm
Shabbat Ends:

7:37 pm Telah Gems


by Yonah Hiller

In a few days it will be Rosh Hashana and soon afterwards it will be Yom Kippur. On these awesome days, as well as during the intermediate days that follow, we pray to be inscribed in the Book of Life. What do we mean by life? Just what kind of life are we praying for? What is our ideal of life as Jews that we so fervently pray for on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur? Is it a life of limitless material pleasure, with no downside or repercussions? Do we pine for an unlimited supply of money to fulll all of our hearts desires? For very often, that seems to be the only kind of life that we are interested in. Human nature is incredibly bizarre. We always desire so much, and no matter how much we obtain, we are never satised. For when one desire is fullled, it just becomes a new baseline, a new minimum, for a whole new list of items that we desire. Furthermore, if anything interferes with the life to which we are accustomed, we immediately see the interference as a problem, an anxiety, and an annoyance. Things that / would never have bothered previous generations have, for us, become major issues. It was the prevailing view in former times that wealth and capitalism would resolve the worlds general problems. In particular, it was believed that in the face of prosperity, all the problems of the individual would fade as well. But the world today with all the wealth and materialism that we hold at our ngertips - is more uncertain than ever. Despite the increase in wealth and prosperity, people have never been unhappier. Depression has increased. Relationships are unstable. Life is fragile. People are not content. And so, it cannot be that this is the kind of life that we pray for during the Days of Awe. We now return to our original question - what does life mean? In order to answer this question, let me recount a beautiful story about Rabbi Meir of Premishlan, a famous Hasid during the nineteenth century. A storeowner came to Rabbi Meir one day complaining that another man had opened a store just across the street from his marketplace; he explained his fear that he would lose his livelihood due to the crippling competition from the new store. After hearing the complaint, Rabbi Meir looked at the storeowner quietly and then asked him: Do you ever take your horse to drink at the local river? Yes, replied the storekeeper. Have you noticed that the horse stamps his hoof in the water before he drinks? asked Reb Meir. Do you know why he does that? It is because the horse sees his reection in the water and doesnt know he is seeing himself; rather, he thinks there is another horse at the pond, and he worries there will not be enough water for the both of them. So he tries to chase away the other horse by stamping his hooves. Is it not true that there is plenty of water for many horses? God has created enough for all! When we pray for life on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we dont say Zochreinee Lechayim remember me for life, but rather Zochreinu Lechayim - remember us for life. There is plenty of life for all of us, but only if we understand that it is for all of us! Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are not about me - they are about us. In fact, life has no meaning if it is all about me. Even if we have everything there is to have, we will never be satised if it is only for me. There is nothing wrong with acquiring wealth, but there is something wrong if everything we acquire is only for me. Because if we only care for ourselves, then even when the slightest of things goes wrong, we will be devastated. But if we care for others, if we live for others, then even when things go wrong, everything will remain in perspective, and we will stay positive. When we ask for life on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we ask for the ability to be givers, to use our lives for the benet of others. That is a life worth asking for. Because when we live for us, then every day, every hour, and every minute is precious. To paraphrase J.F.K. - ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country! That is the real meaning of life to give back to others, and to transform from selsh to seless. Let us hope and pray that the year ahead is a year of life a year of giving to others. Ketivah vachatima tovah!

When an older gentleman in the community described his selichos experience back in Europe, he vividly recalled the trepidation and fear that was in the air when Rosh Chodesh Ellul began. He also remembered that a couple of weeks later, when it was time to start selichos, everyone got together on Motzei Shabbos during the very late hours of the night, in order to congregate at the local Beis Keneses and say selichos. Furthermore, the older man recalled that both his Rabbi and fellow congregants would cry, as seriousness and intensity permeated the environment. In recollecting his experiences, he described people as davening with much kavanah; he explained the way in which his congregants poured their hearts out to Hashem. Why is it that we are more removed from our selichos experience and our davening as a whole during the twenty-rst century? Why do we neither cry nor feel the same level of intensity that our grandparents felt just sixty years ago? Theres a beautiful pasuk in that reects upon this idea: If a lion roars, is not everyone afraid If a lion were to be running through the streets of our neighborhoods, each individual would be frightened for his or her own life; its only when a lion is in its cage that nobody is scared. The lack of intensity or fear one might feel during this time of year reects the barrier, the cage, currently between Hashem and his chosen people, Bnei Yisrael. It is important for us to strive to experience the real intensity of Ellul once again, and to break down any barrier that might exist.

What You Do That Denes You


Yair Fax, Junior

Halachic Illuminations
special yamim noraim edition: halachot pertaining to Rosh hashanah and shofar
Many laws apply to the blowing of the Shofar. One pertinent Halachaic discussion is on the subject of pauses between the sounds of the Shofar. While all opinions agree that you cannot breath during the Shevarim or Teruah blasts, Rabeinu Tam holds that you can pause to breath in between the two; this opinion is know as Shtei Neshimot two breaths. Rashi disagrees with Rabeinu Tam. He holds that there can be no breath in between the blasts. We call this opinion Neshima Achat. Rashis rationale is based on the fact that the Shevarim-Teruah is considered one single Kol, Therefore, there cannot be an interruption in the midst of this single sound. Rabeinu Tams rationale, on the other hand, is that the Shofar models crying, and since people heavily breath while they cry, we are allowed to breath in between the Shevarim and Teruah. So what is the Halacha? For the Tekiot Demeyushav, Shofar blasts before the Mussaf prayer, we follow Rashis concept of Neshima Achat. However, for the sounding of the Shofar during Mussaf itself, the Tekiot Demeyumad, we follow Rabeinu Tam and his opinion of Shtei Neshimot.

This weeks Parsha, , nears the conclusion of the Torah. Moshes death looms and the entire is dedicated to his final words to . The theme of fulfilling all the naturally recurs many times throughout . ( ) : The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah. (Devarim 29:28) As we all know, keeping the can be very challenging, because usually, we dont understand what we are doing. Some are easy to understand - the prohibitions against stealing and murdering are two examples of Mitzvot that seem to make logical sense. But some Mitzvot, like Kashrut, are completely incomprehensible to us common folk. And how can we keep the if we dont even know why we do some of them? The has an answer to this question that he often cites when trying to explain bizarre .The brings the answer that Adam Nafal Kiphi Peulato, which means that a person is defined by his actions. In other words, if someone forms a habit, the habit will ultimately come to define him as a person. This sentiment, if taken to heart, can truly help us with our performance of .Even if we dont know the reason for a specific ,we can keep in mind that the performance of that - as well as the observance of all in general molds us into better human beings and better Jews. For example, if you arent someone who gives charity, but you start giving charity every once in while, then even though you dont consider yourself a giving person, you will eventually become a natural giver. Whether you feel it or not, each and every Miztvah perfects your Midot. In the movie Batman Begins, Rachel Dawes tells Bruce Wayne, Bruce, underneath you may still be that same great kid you used to be, but its not who you are underneath, its what you do that defines you. No matter how little sense a Mitzvah may make, it is not about our understanding of the Mitzvah - it is about our performance of the Mitzvah. Because as Rachel Dawes explained, its what we do that ultimately defines us.

Passing the Torch


Zev Hirt, Sophomore

Parshat Netzavim begins with the scene of Moshe passing leadership over to Yehoshua, his faithful student. Moshe opens with the words, Atem Netzavim Hayom, which translates into, You are standing here today. Thus, when Moshe passes on the torch of leadership, he does so during a standing ceremony. A question immediately arises: Why couldnt Bnei Yisrael sit through this long ceremony in the scorching hot desert? Would Moshe have been unable to communicate with the nation if they were sitting? Rabbi Bloch answers that perhaps the word standing actually means staying in ones place figuratively, rather than literally standing on ones feet. Further, Rabbi Bloch argues that this weeks Parsha can be seen as a sad occasion. Our beloved Moshe Rabeinu, a man the Talmud compares to a shining sun, readies himself for death and passes to Yehoshua, a man compared to the moon, the leadership of Klal Yisroel. And without the sun, how can the moon, a celestial body that reflects the light of the sun, lead adequately? Rabbi Bloch answers that this event was actually an opportunity for Klal Yisroel. Although the new leader was perhaps less Kadosh than Moshe, this was not a reason for Bnei Yisroel to decline spiritually. Instead, this was an opportunity for Bnei Yisroel to take advantage of having a new leader, and to end their erroneous habits under their old leader; this was a chance for Bnei Yisroel to start a new. Hashem always allows us to start anew - to repent and return to him. However, the only way we can achieve true repentance is by pausing and thinking - we must stand still in introspection. As Rosh Hashana draws close, it is an opportune time to look into the past, in order to celebrate accomplishments and regret iniquities; it is the perfect time to stand, as a nation, in reflection.

YULA Boys High School Nagel Family Campus 9760 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 Tel: 310.203.3180

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