Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev

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Volume XIV - Issue 10

The DRS Weekly Torah Publication
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Lessons from Batya
By Rabbi Natan Farber, Director of Student Life
DR3\ D3"
This weeks issue and every issue of
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And... because I drew you from the water, you shall be called Moses
-Bathia, The Ten Commandments
T
he quote above comes from Cecille B. Demille's epic movie, the Ten
Commandments. The scene depicts the daughter of Pharoah naming the
infant she saved from the river. The script above is rather humorous, as it
doesn't translate too well into English, yet we have to ask ourselves: Why do we
refer to our greatest leader by his Egyptian name? After all, the Medrash tells us
that Moshe Rabeinu had several other beautiful "yiddishe" names. Is Moshe's
name simply a nod to the woman who fished him from the Nile and raised him in
the palace?
Before answering this question, let us first answer another one: Why did
Batya choose to name Moshe after this event? What was significant about draw-
ing Moshe out of the water?
The name Moshe flows directly from the special chessed which Batya
performed for him, by saving his life. When Batya picked up Moshe out of the
river, she ignored and opposed the decree of her father, and she displayed a tre-
mendous sense of "Mesirat Nefesh" for Moshe's safety. She acted completely
selflessly, and it was this sense of chessed which she wished to impart onto
Moshe. Moshe forever retained the name born of the chessed which saved his life.
(Continued on page 4)
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By Moishy Rothman, 11th Grade
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JANUARY 5, 2013

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W
hen confronting Ha-Shem, Moshe is asked to lead the Jews out of Egypt. Before accepting this awesome
role, Moshe first presents several reasons why he shouldnt be the leader. One of his admonishments is that
he does not have proper speech, or a heavy mouth. The Medrash famously discusses how Moshes voice
got damaged. Pharaoh, fearing his adopted child would usurp the throne, tested young Moshe. He put out coals and gold,
and if he touched the coals hed be considered to be innocent. Moshe was about to touch the gold, and an angel moved
his hands to the coals, and Moshes first reaction was to put the burning hand in his mouth to cool it. Consequently, the
coals burned Moshes mouth. Two questions arise. Firstly, why would Ha-Shem appoint a semi-mute person to lead a
nation, since usually a leader has great charisma and rhetoric? Secondly, why didnt Ha-Shem just simply heal Moshe?
The Tzadeh Litzion presents several ways to answer our questions. Quoting the Ramban, he says that since
Moshe was affected by a miracle (the angel), Ha-Shem didnt want to heal him then. Also since Moshe didnt daven to
get his malady healed, Ha-Shem didnt heal him. The Ran gives a third reason. He says that Ha-Shem wanted the Jewish
savior to be unlike other leaders. Unlike other leaders who use their charisma to manipulate the masses and sometimes
(Continued on page 5)
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From the staff of Dvarim
Hayotzim
2

Torah Teasers
By Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum, 9th Grade Rebbe

Parshas Shemos
Questions

1. In Egypt the Jews are forced to produce bricks (Exodus
1:14). In what context are bricks first mentioned in the
Torah?
Aside from this parsha, where do midwives assist in a
birth? (2 answers)
3. In what context does the number three appear in this
parsha? (2 answers)
4. In this parsha, who runs away? What two other places in
the Torah does it explicitly state that somebody runs
away?
5. In this parsha, who does Hashem call by repeating his
name? Who else in the Torah has his name repeated
when called? (2 answers) Who is the only person in the
Prophets whom Hashem calls with the repetition of his
name?
Answers

1. Bricks are first mentioned in parshas Noah where the
people produced bricks to build the Tower of Bavel
(Genesis 11:3).
2. In parshas Vayishlach a midwife is involved in the birth
of Binyamin to Rachel (Genesis 35:17). In parshas Vaye-
shev, a midwife assists in the birth of Peretz and Zerach
to Tamar, the wife of Yehuda (Genesis (28:38).
3. Moshe's mother hid him for three months before placing
him in the Nile (Exodus 2:2). At the end of the parsha,
Moshe requests from Pharaoh to allow the nation to trav-
el on a three-day journey to serve Hashem (Exodus 5:3).
4. In this parsha, Moshe runs away after killing the Egyp-
tian (Exodus 2:15). In parshas Vayetzei, Yaakov runs
away from Lavan (Genesis 31:21). In parshas Lech
Lecha, Hagar runs away from Sarah (Genesis 16:6).
[Although Yaakov also runs away from Esav, the Torah
does not explicitly state so.]
5. In this parsha, Moshe's name is repeated when Hashem
calls him by the burning bush (Exodus 3:4). Elsewhere in
the Torah: In parshas Vayigash, Hashem calls "Yaakov
Yaakov" on the way down to Egypt (Genesis 46:2), and
in parshas Vayera, Avraham's name is repeated (by an
angel, not by Hashem Himself) when he is told to stop
the binding of Yitzhak (Genesis 22:11). In the Prophets,
Shmuel's name is repeated when Hashem speaks to him
the first time (1-Samuel 3:10).

The complete edition of
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is now available on AMAZON
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velope makes his grandson happy. He takes it home to his mother.
"Look, look what grandfather has given me!"
The mother and her husband, Herr Wienberg eye the enve-
lope with curiosity. The letter is still inside. They remove the letter
and read it. It is the thank you letter from the American service
man, from twenty-one years ago.
The mother remembers the young man. "Let's write to
him! Maybe he will remember us and sponsor us, enabling us to
immigrate to America" (It must be remembered that the U.S.A. did
not let refugees come to it's shores freely. However if some one
would sponsor you, then there was a chance.)
Looking on the envelope, they saw that there was no return
address only the name, Alex Lurye, and the city and state, Duluth,
Minnesota. "We have no future in Germany, we must get out be-
fore this mad man, Hitler, begins to do worse things to the Jews".
So they wrote a letter addressed only as follows:
Alex Lurye
Duluth, Minnesota
What can you do? Can you send a letter to a person in a
large city with out a street address and expect it to be delivered? Of
course not. You would have to be foolish to think that it would get
to it's destination. But some times it works out. In this case, Alex
Luyre had become a wealthy businessman who was well known in
Duluth, a town of over a hundred thousand people. The postmaster
delivered the letter.
When Alex received it, after a lapse of twenty one years,
he quickly sent a return letter acknowledging his receipt of their
letter and pledging to help bring the Wienberg family to Duluth.
Alex kept his promise. The entire Wienberg family was brought
over in that year and arrived in May of 1938. Shortly there after,
the Rosenau family came over to America.
In Duluth, the Wienberg family began working hard to
make life bearable through the depression era. Sometimes two jobs
were necessary for both the father and mother in order to make it
through the week. Yet in Duluth as in Seldes, Germany, the family
made sure that the Shabbat would be joyously honored.
The rest of the family was quickly brought over to the
states. Unfortunately, the horrible World War II swiftly came. The
rest of German Jewry was destroyed.
Yet the kindness that Herr Rosenau had given to a stranger
twenty one years earlier had come full circle. Because of their
kindness, with out any thought of personal gain, Herr Rosenau and
his family were spared from the horrible fate of their fellow Ger-
man Jews. The chessed that they had so warmly given to others
with out desiring a payment in return had come back to them with
dividends. The entire family was saved.
Today that family has sprouted and grown. A family
blessed with many children and grandchildren and great-grand-
children (Bli Iyin Hara). All have taken upon themselves always to
honor the Shabbat.
Doing chessed is the Jewish way. Helping another Jew,
with out trying to receive a thing in return. Pure and unadulterated
kindness. It's for you and for me.
(Stories of Greatness Continued from page 8)
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 3

Tevet 21
In 1485, the first printed edition of Rabbi Yosef Albo's
Ikkarim was published -- an exposition on the Jewish
fundamentals of faith. Israel Nathan Soncino had found-
ed the first Hebrew printing house in Soncino, Italy 24
years after Gutenberg brought movable type to the
world's attention. Soncino's first publication was a vol-
ume of the Talmud, and over the next 70 years more
than 130 Hebrew books were printed by the Soncino
family. In 1988, an Italian postage stamp was issued to
commemorate the 500th anniversary of the printing of
the Soncino Bible.

Tevet 22
In 1798, mobs attempted to torch the Jewish ghetto of
Rome, but rains put out the fire. The day was then des-
ignated as a holiday by Roman Jews. The Roman Ghet-
to had been in existence since 1555, when the Pope seg-
regated the Jews in a walled quarter with three gates
that were locked at night. The Jews were also subjected
to various restrictions and degradations, including hav-
ing to attend compulsory Catholic sermons on Shabbat.
During Rome's annual carnival, scantily-clad Jews were
forced to race along the main street, while the crowd
mocked them, threw trash, and rained heavy blows.
(The event often proved fatal.) Hygienic conditions in-
side the ghetto were terrible, and there was constant
flooding from the nearby Tiber River. Outside the ghet-
to, Jews were required to wear identifying yellow cloth-
ing. When Napoleonic forces occupied Rome, the ghet-
to was legally abolished in 1808, and the city of Rome
tore down the ghetto walls in 1888.

Tevet 23
Yahrtzeit of Nathan Straus (1848-1931), an American
merchant and philanthropist. Straus was a co-owner of
R.H. Macy & Co., yet he never amassed personal
wealth because he was always using his money to help
people. For example, in New York's winter of 1893, he

gave away more than two million five-cent tickets good
for coal, food and lodging. His greatest devotion, how-
ever, was to Israel. He gave more than two-thirds of his
fortune and devoted the last 15 years of his life to this
cause. The Israeli city of Netanya is named for
"Nathan" Straus.

Tevet 24
Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler (1892-
1953), an influential philosopher and dean of students at
the Ponovezh Yeshiva in Israel. Rabbi Dessler was born
in Lithuania and later moved to England, before finally
settling in Israel. He was a student of the Mussar
(ethics) movement, while also drawing from mystical
teachings of the Maharal of Prague. Rabbi Dessler's leg-
acy is recorded in the six-volume Michtav M'Eliyahu
(translated in English as Strive for Truth), which illumi-
nate ideas such as the Jewish philosophy of love: "The
more you give to another, the more you will love that
person." Tevet 24 also marks the yahrtzeit of Rabbi
Shneur Zalman of Liady (1745-1813), author of the
chassidic work, Tanya, and founder of the Lubavitch
movement.

Tevet 26
In 1826, Maryland adopted a law which allowed Jews to
hold public office, on condition that they accept the
concept of reward and punishment in the afterlife. Mar-
yland was founded as an asylum for Catholics in 1634,
and in the early days the denial of Christianity was a
capital crime in Maryland. Anyone speaking negatively
about Mary or the Apostles was subject to a fine or pub-
lic whipping. The practice of Judaism was finally legal-
ized in Maryland in 1776, but other restrictions re-
mained in place. It was not until 50 years later that Jews
became qualified for public office.
0 2013

Taken from Aish.com
4

In this week's Parsha, there's a discussion regarding
whether or not Bnei Yisroel were mekayem the mitzvah of
bris milah in Mitzrayim. Its brought down that Bnei Yisroel
did in fact have bris milahs in Mitzrayim, but they would hide
it. The question we can ask is as follows: The mitzvah of bris
milah isdone on a very private area of the body, so its no sur-
prise that they hid it? The following answer is brought down
by the Beis HaLevi: The Mitzvahof bris milah represents a
special Kesher (connection) that we (BneiYisroel) have with
Hashem; it's a Mitzvah uniquely for us, that expresses a spe-
cial bond we have with Hashem.
Therefore, when Bnei Yisrael hid their bris milahs in
Mitzrayim, they were trying to hide the unique bond that they
had with Hashem. They were trying to show that they were no
different than the Egyptians. This contradicts the entire pur-
pose of having a bris milah, which is to show that we as Jews
are different.
Today, when we are constantly involved with the out-
side world, we need to make sure to guard our bris -
relationship with Hashem, but at the same time, we shouldn't
feel the need to hide the fact that we different. Although all of
creation was made b'zelem Elokim (in Hashem's image), Bnei
Yisrael have 613 mitzvos, and goyim have only 7. We are dif-
ferent, and we shouldn't feel ashamed that we are Hashem's
chosen nation.
In Mitzrayim, it started off well: we were being paid
as workers, and everything seemed to be going right. Yet,
We find that throughout Moshe's life, he
lives true to what his name represented - always
risking his own life to save others. We find that
Moshe saved a Jew who was being beaten; he
chased away shepherds who were harrassing the
daughters of Yitro. Thus we see that Moshe's
name is a symbol of chessed, selflessness, and
Mesirat Nefesh.
Instead of remaining an Egyptian name,
the name "Moshe" has become transformed into
a beautiful Jewish name which parents have
given to their children for generations. The
name echoes the effects of Batya's sacrifice and
good deed.
Oftentimes we find that when we act
towards a person with a certain sense of kind-
ness, those actions can have a strong impression
upon the beneficiary of the chessed. The benefi-
ciary has a chance to imitate the actions that
were done for him. When Batya saved Moshe,
her actions were imparted into him, turning him
into the leader he turned out to be.
We must always remember the power of
our actions. We can never know the full
strength and impact of our deeds. We have to
always remember to act kindly towards others,
sacrificing ourselves for our friends, families,
and sometimes even strangers. It is only through
constant illustrations "Ahavas Chinam," that the
eveil forces of "Sinat Chinam" can be counter-
acted.
(Rabbi Farber Continued from page 1)
The Right Chevra
By Yaakov Bluestein, DRS Alumnus
slowly over time, the Mitzrim stopped paying us, and we became their slaves. Throughout history, when we have
gotten comfortable with the goyim, it first appears to be working out great, but as time goes on, everything sudden-
ly changes drastically for the worse. (There are many examples of this, including the Holocaust.) When it comes to
bonding with other nations, we can do business with them if need-be, but we must make sure not to cross the line.
The Beis HaLevi writes that the reason the other nations have continued to hate us throughout history is
because we become too comfortable with the bad influences around us. Hashem had the Egyptians hate us, because
we would've been assimilated completely. Its only when we forget this separation, that Hashem causes them to
hate us. Hashem causes them to hate us for our own good. I heard a mashal (parable) from Rav Hutt (a Rebbe in
Shaalvim), that helps illustrate this point. In school and throughout life, there's a good Chevra and a bad Chevra. If
a father would see his son beginning to get involved with the bad Chevra, the 'cool Chevra' that will bully him, the
father will do anything in his power to get his son away from them. The father will even pay the bully to make fun
of his son so that the son will make sure to switch to the good Chevra. Yet, sometimes the son is too closed-minded
to realize this, and continues to hang out with the bad Chevra.
Now, when applying this Mashal to us: Hashem is the father and we are his son. More often than not, the
goyim are the bad chevra. Hashem causes them to hate us because its not the proper Chevra for us. He has them
(Continued on page 5)
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 5

mislead them, the Jewish leader was to be honest,
straightforward, and strong hearted. He should be
modest and follow Ha-Shem when he leads.
Moshe met all of these qualities. Ironically, this
impairment was actually Moshes greatest asset.
People wouldnt follow Moshe due to his power
of persuasion, but because he preached and fol-
lowed the truth, the word of Ha-Shem.
We see from this episode several im-
portant ideas. Firstly, we see the power of teffilah.
If Moshe wanted to daven to heal his voice, Ha-
Shem wouldve accepted his prayers and heal
him. Also, more importantly, we see the important
role and responsibility of leadership. A Jewish
leader/role model is not just someone who uses
charisma and stylish speaking to influence the
masses. These people might influence their sup-
porters to act badly or to mislead them. The Jew-
ish leader is someone who constantly emulates his
beliefs, or does what he preaches. When people
see these leaders, they see their true tenets in all
aspects of life: how to act, speak, eat, sleep, etc.
Moshe was the paradigm of Jewish role models.
He didnt persuade or coax people into listening to
him; rather, he presented the truth, the words of
Ha-Shem, to bring the Jews closer to Him.
(Moishy Rothman Continued from page 1)
A new king arose in the land of Egypt ( - ,)
who had different feelings towards the Jewish people than
during the time of Yosef. Rashi quotes the famous machlokes
between Rav and Shmuel from maseches Sotah (11a) whether
this pasuk should be taken literally, that it was a new king or
should be taken figuratively, that this was the same Pharaoh
who was ruler during the time of Yosef who forgot Yosef.
The question is aksed if it was the same king, why do
we refer to him a new king in the pasuk? The Shemos Rabbah
recounts the situation when the Egyptian people came to Phar-
aoh to ask him to solve the Jewish Problem. Pharaoh re-
sponds that this is an absurd idea, since the only reason that
they [the Egyptians] are alive today, is because of Yosef and
his benevolent idea of conserving the Egyptian food reserves
for the famine. After this response, the Egyptians dethrone
Pharaoh for three months, until he capitulates and decides to
do what the people want, which results in the slavery of the
Jewish people. Rabbi Leib Chasman, the renowned mashgiach
of Yeshivas Chevron, explains that Pharaohs dilemma eluci-
dates on the inner workings of the human spirit. At first Phar-
aoh was ready to defend the Jewish people based on Yosefs
righteous acts. Then after three months in exile from the
Egyptian throne, he adopts the same malevolent theories of his
people.
This answers the question asked above. In the pasuk,
we refer to Pharaoh as the new king because even though it
was the same king as during the time of Yosef, he adopted a
new personality. A person must learn from Pharaohs trans-
formation to realize the inner power of changing ones nature.
Using this ability, one should strive to improve ones self on a
daily basis.

mistreat us for our own good, so that we will run to the oppo-
site direction. But sometimes we don't realize this and we con-
tinue to lower ourselves, by not making the proper gedarim
(boundaries).
By living with this message, just as Bnei Yisroel in
Mitzrayim were released from their galus, hopefully we too
can be Zocheh to leave our current galus, Binhaira
V'Yamaynu!

Told over by Rav Cohen, Yeshivat Shaalvim
(Yaakov Bluestein Continued from page 4)
The Power of
Change from Within
By Ariel Axelrod, 11th Grade
will cause a chilul Hashem or bother people and
you may have to stop in the middle shemoneh
esrei then you should sit down. Rav Moshe Fein-
stein (Igros Moshe OC 4:20) held that if one
will daven sitting down and he will not be re-
quired to daven again later and for the krios one
should bow in his seat. Rav Wosner is quoted to
have outlawed making minyanim on airplanes
and people should daven in their seats. Rav
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (halichos shlomo 8:4)
says that one should daven shemoneh esrei sit-
ting in his seat and not in the aisles because you
will be a pain for others and you will be unable
to daven with kavana. Rav Ovadia Yosef is very
against forming minyanim and standing up be-
cause of gezel sheina for other passengers on the
plane.
Conclusion: It is clear according to all
the poskim that a person should daven in his seat
and be considerate to others when davening.
(10-Minute Halacha Continued from page 7)
6

In the beginning of parshat Shmot, the passuk says A new king rose over Egypt who did not know of Jo-
seph (Exodus: 1:8). Many commentators ask why the Torah found it necessary to include this passuk in the Torah. Why
couldnt the Torah just have simply stated The Egyptians oppressed the Jews and made them into slaves, without having
to mention the fact that a new ruler took over Egypt? What is the deeper significance of the passuk A new king rose over
Egypt who did not know of Joseph?
There is another major question on this weeks parsha. Why does Hashem choose Moshe to be the leader of Bnai
Yisrael? Moshe does not seem to show qualities of leadership. He shows that the attribute of anger is filled inside of him as
he kills an Egyptian soldier when he sees him beating a Jew. How could Hashem have chosen Moshe, who gets angry easi-
ly, to be the leader of the Jewish people?
The answer to these two questions is the same idea. By putting the passuk of A new king rose over Egypt who did
not know of Joseph (Genesis: 1:8), and choosing Moshe as the leader of the Jewish people, Hashem wanted to show the
distinction between the leaders of the gentile nations and the leaders of the Jewish people. The new pharaoh that the Torah
tells us about did not gain power because he was next in line in the dynasty, nor because he was a great military leader. In-
stead, he gained power because he used a lot of propaganda. He used propaganda against Bnei Yisrael. He saw that the Jews
were multiplying very quickly and the Egyptians were beginning to become afraid of their superior numbers. The Egyptians
were convinced that the Jews would soon multiply so greatly that they would over power their military and take over Egypt.
However, the new pharaoh got up and said he has a plan to solve the Jewish problem. He suggested that the Jews should
be enslaved and thereby demoralized, which would prevent them from taking over. He used huge lies and propaganda to
convince the Egyptians to allow him to be their new pharaoh.
Throughout history, many gentile leaders have used propaganda and outright lies to gain power, like Hitler and Sta-
lin. They used propaganda to gain power in their countries like pharaoh. However, Jewish leaders are very different than
gentile leaders. Hashem chose Moshe to be the leader of the Jewish people because he demonstrated great concern and care
for other people in multiple situations. For instance, as we said above regarding Moshes noble act of defending his beaten
Jew from the abusive Egyptian. Moshe was willing to sacrifice himself for that Jew, and that demonstrates true leadership
qualities in Moshe since a leader must be willing to sacrifice himself for the people he is leading. Another example after he
runs away from Egypt he arrives in Midyan and sees that the shepherds of the town are refusing to remove a gigantic rock
off the well and give water to Yitros daughters to water their sheep. With all his might, Moshe removes the rock from on
top of the well and waters all of their sheep. This shows Moshes great leadership skills because he was willing to do a huge
favor for complete strangers. If Moshe was willing to do a huge favor for complete strangers, then he would be willing to do
such bigger favors for his own Jewish brethren. The third example is when Moshe was watching Yitros sheep, and one of
the sheep ran away. Moshe chased it for many miles until he finally caught it. Hashem then said to Himself If Moshe is
willing to put in so much effort to watch his father-in laws sheep, then how much more effort will he put in to watch My
sheep(the Jewish people)? Hashem then decided that Moshe should be the leader of the Jews.
The reason the Torah says, A new king rose over Egypt that did not know of Joseph (Exodus: 1:8), and the reason
why Moshe was chosen as the leader of the Jewish people was to emphasize the difference between a truly good leader and
a bad leader. A good leader, like Moshe, cares about those he leads and is willing to sacrifice himself for them. A bad lead-
er, like the new pharaoh, only cares about the title of king. He doesnt care about the welfare his subjects and is willing to
lie to them to retain his position of royalty. May we all be worthy to only have good leaders and ones that will lead us on
the correct path to serve Hashem.

Virtuous Leadership
By Brian Chernigoff, 9th Grade

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Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 7

A major question that needs to be addressed re-
garding davening on an airplane is whether one should
daven sitting down or standing up. But, before we could
discuss the specifics regarding air travel, we must learn
about the basic background of why we are required to
stand during davening in general.
There are many reasons given in the Rishonim
and the Achronim explaining why we stand when
davening Shemoneh Esrei. The Talmidei Rabbeinu Yo-
nah write in Meseches Berachos that we stand to en-
hance kavana when davening. Rashi may hold this way
also, but it isnt clear (see Rashi on Berachos 30a dh
tefillah meumad adif). The Pnei Yehoshua suggests
that we stand during davening to appear like a slave
coming before his Master. Seemingly according the
Pnei Yehoshua, leaning would not be good enough
then. The Shulchan Aruch (98:4) says that everything
we do in tefillah is comparable to the way a Kohein
would bring the Korbonos (See Gemara Berachos 26b),
and since the Kohein stands when sacrificing Kor-
bonos, we consequently stand during davening as well.
The Bach (OC siman 98) explains that we learn that
Avraham davened from the passuk bmakom amad
sham and Chazal explain that any connotation of the
word amidah refers to prayer. Therefore, we learn that
davening should be recited while standing from Av-
raham. The Bach goes on to say that we keep our legs
together because of the reason cited by the Shulchan
Aruch in respects to the Kohein.
We see that there is significance behind why we
stand during davening but are there instances when it is
okay to daven when sitting down? The Gemara in
Berachos (30a) discusses a case where a person is rid-
ing on a donkey and it came time for prayer. The Ge-
mara there quote the opinion of Rebbi, who we hold
like, who says even if you could appoint another person
to watch your donkey while you daven standing on the
ground, you are allowed to daven while sitting on the
donkey since his concentration will be unsettled. Clear-
ly, we see that one could be sitting while davening if
otherwise would be a little problematic. Tosfos (dh
Hilchesa kRebbi) even says that we hold like Rebbi
when theres no danger in standing. Rashi there ex-
plains that Rebbis logic is that since getting off the
donkey will make the trip longer causing him to fall
behind the rest of the caravan of travelers, one may re-
main seated on the donkey. This reasoning would not
apply to a person on an airplane, but its not necessarily
problematic since one does not need to understand this
Rashi to be precisely exact and limiting. The Gemara
there even quotes a machlokes if its better to daven
standing without being someich geulah ltefillah as op-
posed to davening sitting while being someich geulah
ltefillah. Additionally, there is another Gemara in
Berachos (30a) that permits a person traveling by boat
to sit while davening its scary because you might be
afraid that you will fall. The Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah
explain that standing in a crowded place will hurt a per-
sons kavana when davening. This makes sense accord-
ing to the way they explained the reason for standing
during Shemoneh Esrei as way to increase kavanah.
According to the other opinions, this would be difficult.
The Shulchan Aruch (94:4,5) writes that if one
riding on a donkey and there is another person who
could watch the donkey you are not required to get off
the donkey to daven standing up, as we saw above. Al-
so, if one was on a wagon or ship, then he should stand
if possible, but if not, then he could daven sitting down.
However, if one could stand at least during the krios
(bowings) and also for the 3 steps back then one should
do so. The Rema even quotes that if you are on an ani-
mal then you should try to get it to move back three
steps as well. There is a very difficult Shulchan Aruch
(94:9) that says that one who must sit while davening
then he should daven again later when he is able to
stand. However, the Mishna Berura (27) there says that
we dont pasken this way.
The Poskim lean towards comparing davening
on an airplane to the cases of riding a donkey. If you
(Continued on page 5)
Given by Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz
on yutorah.org
Written up by
Jeremy Teichman
Davening on an Airplane
0-Minute
Halacha Shiur
1
8

STORIES OF GREATNESS
TOLD OVER BY: DAVID LAUER
As Jews, one thing we can always count on is the
hospitality of Jewish strangers. The following sto-
ry teaches us that no Chessed goes unnoticed.
Don't think that the really great stories are the
one's that are written by the world's greatest writ-
ers. The really great stories are the stories that
really happened to real people and they are really
and absolutely true. The following story The
Kindness that Came Back by Yisrael Nathan is
one of the many really great stories. Great be-
cause it's really true! Taken from Jewishmag.com.
Have an amazing Shabbos!
America had finally entered World War I.
Troops poured into Europe to put an end to the
war. The war was in it's final stages. American
troops were dispatched through out Germany. The
year was 1917. A lone Jewish soldier from Du-
luth, Minnesota, Alex Lurye, found himself in a
small German town called Seldes. It was Friday
night. Being far away from home was lonely. The
young Jewish soldier had some time on his hands.
Feeling out of place, he decided to see what the
local Jewish population was like. Entering the lo-
cal village synagogue must have created a stir. An
American soldier in uniform!. The Americans
fought the Germans in bitter combat. The lone sol-
dier felt out of place. He was greeted by a kind
German Jew by the name of Herr Rosenau who
made him feel at home in the synagogue. After the
services, Herr Rosenau invited the serviceman to
his house for kiddush and the traditional Friday
night meal.
Seeing the beauty of a traditional Shabbat together
with the warmth and kindness of this German-
Jewish family made a deep impression on this
young soldier. He was a stranger, a foreigner, even
an enemy Yet because he was Jewish he was invit-
ed to another Jew's home, given a delicious warm
kosher home cooked meal, complete with wine
and the traditional Shabbat songs. Herr Rosenau's
family, together with his teenage daughter, gave
the soldier the feeling that he was not alone, cer-
tainly not an enemy, even in such a far and distant
land.
The soldier was never able to come back
again to see this kind family again. However, the
warm impression that he had received, the experi-
ence of the Shabbat in a warm and caring Jewish
home did not leave him. It meant so much to this
young soldier that when he finally returned to Du-
luth, Minnesota, his home town, he took time out
to sit down and write a letter to the German Jew
who had touched his life with such kindness. This
was is 1917. For some unknown reason, although
Herr Rosenau received the letter it was never an-
swered. It was placed in a desk drawer and there it
rested for twenty one years.
Time moves on. Ruth, the teenage daugh-
ter of the German Jew, has grown up and married
a German Jew by the name of Eugen Wienberg.
She now has three small children. The oldest is a
boy of eleven. The time is a bad time for the Ger-
man Jews. The year is 1938. The dreaded Adolf
Hitler has taken hold upon Germany and anti Jew-
ish proclamations are being contrived and enforced
on a continually regular basis. Herr Rosenau is
now a grandfather. He is bothered about the dark
and dismal future for himself and his fellow Jews
in Germany. He doesn't pay attention to his eleven
year old grandson, Sigbert, as he is rummaging
through his desk looking for something of interest.
Suddenly a foreign postage stamp catches his eye.
He pulls out the envelope with the postage stamp
from America. "Grandfather, can I have this?"
Twenty one years have past since he re-
ceived the letter. "Yes, take it," the grandfather
replies. After years of giving, an old forgotten en-
(Continued on page 2)


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