September 2007 • Tishrei 5768 Volume 42 • Number 1

Shana Tova
U’Metukah

In This Issue
Divrei Torah from
Rabbi Meir Goldwicht,
Rabbi Menachem Genack &
Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter

Interview with Rabbi “Anointed for War” Inside the

Charlop: The Belkin Years Military Chaplaincy
Page 7 Page 10
 Divrei Chizuk from our Leaders
C hazal teach us: “HaKadosh Baruch Hu
said to the Jewish people: Open for
Me a ‫ פתח‬the size of the point of a needle,
and I will open for you an entrance like the
entrance of the ‫אולם‬.” Shortly after the Cre-
ation of Man, ‫ הקב"ה‬says: “If you do well, will
it not be lifted up? And if you do not do well,
sin crouches at the door.” Later, one of the
arguments Korach makes to Moshe is that
it is absurd that a house full of sifrei Torah
should require a mezuzah on the ‫פתח‬. The
gemara in Berachos 3a, the first aggadeta in
Shas, marks the first time Chazal discuss
the ‫פתח‬: R’ Yossei tells us that he once went
into one of the ‫ חורבות ירושלים‬to daven and
Eliyahu HaNavi waited for him at the ‫פתח‬
of the ‫ חורבה‬until R’ Yossei concluded his
prayers. The ‫ פתח‬makes an appearance in
Shabbos 33b as well, where the gemara re-
lates that Eliyahu HaNavi waited at the ‫פתח‬
of the cave in which R’ Shimon bar Yochai
and his son, R’ Elazar, had been hiding for
twelve years from the Caesar, who sought to
kill them, in order to inform them that the
Caesar had died and his edict was therefore
nullified. Through the many instances of the
‫ פתח‬in Chazal and in the Torah we see its
significance.
In the course of things, I will try to explain
the concept of the ‫פתח‬, from one perspec-
tive, in particular as it relates to the concept
of teshuva.
The ‫ מדרש רבה‬on ‫ פרשת בראשית‬says that when
‫ הקב"ה‬decided to create Man, ‫ חסד‬and ‫צדקה‬
supported the idea because Man would be a
creature of ‫ חסד‬and ‫צדקה‬. At the same time,
‫ שלום‬objected because Man is full of ‫מחלוקת‬,
and ‫ אמת‬objected because Man is full of ‫שקר‬.
2 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
When we understand the secret of the ‫פתח‬,
the world has a reason to exist.
The ‫ סוד הפתח‬is found once again in Tehillim
From the ‫ פתח‬of Teshuva 122, where David HaMelech says, “I rejoice
in those who tell me we will go to the house
to the ‫ פתח‬of a Year of Hashem.” Why? Because “We stood in
your gates, Yerushalayim.” Only through the
power of the ‫פתח‬, by standing in the gate, will
Rabbi Meir Goldwicht Yerushalayim become “‫כעיר שחוברה לה יחדיו‬,
As a city connected together.”
This is what ‫ הקב"ה‬teaches Kayin: If you un-
derstand the secret of the ‫פתח‬, good, but if
not, sin crouches at the door. And by stand-
ing at the ‫ פתח‬of the ‫חורבה‬, Eliyahu wanted to
To ‫אמת‬, Hashem responded, “‫”אמת מארץ תצמח‬
Truth will sprout forth from the ground” (Te- teach R’ Yossei that although he was daven-
hillim 85:12). In other words, even though ing in the ‫ חורבה‬for the sake of ‫כלל ישראל‬, and
Man is full of ‫שקר‬, there will come a time despite the amazing tefillah that resulted
when ‫ אמת‬will shine forth from the ‫שקר‬. This from his tremendous ‫ כוונה‬while davening
‫ אמת‬that comes from within ‫ שקר‬has special alone, in order to transform the ‫ חורבה‬into a
strength and unique brightness. Hearing ‫בית‬, it is more important to daven together
this, ‫ אמת‬agreed to Man’s creation. However, with everyone else. This secret of the ‫פתח‬,
‫ הקב"ה‬did not respond to ‫’שלום‬s objection, be- standing at the entrance and bringing those
cause ‫ שלום‬is found only in the Heavens, as outside to the inside, is Eliyahu’s lesson.
it says, “‫”עושה שלום במרומיו‬, He makes peace This lesson he also taught R’ Shimon bar Yo-
in His Heavens” (Iyov 25:2). To put it simply, chai and R’ Elazar when they left the cave.
our world is full of ‫מחלוקת‬. How can we, in Despite the tremendous levels of ‫ קדושה‬they
our world of ‫מחלוקת‬, live in ‫שלום‬, if ‫ שלום‬is Continued on Page 5
only found in the Heavens? The only way is
to understand the essence of the ‫פתח‬, and to
stand in the ‫פתח‬, aware of what goes on in-
side and what goes on outside, and bringing
the inside and the outside together.
In This Issue
Divrei Chizuk 2
The first person to teach us this secret was
Avraham Avinu, about whom the Torah In the News 3
says, “V’hu Yosheiv Mipetach Ha’ohel K’chom Chomer l’Drush 4
Hayom. Vayisah Einav Vayar V’hinei Shlosha
Back to the Beit 6
Anashim Nitzavim Alav Vayar Varatz Likra- Midrash
tam” (Bereishit 18:1-2). Why does the Torah
The Menahel’s 7
have to tell us that Avraham ran from the ‫פתח‬
Memories
when it already told us in the previous pas-
Musmakhim in the 10
suk that Avraham was sitting in the ‫ פתח‬of
his tent? The Torah is emphasizing that what Limelight
enabled Avraham to continue running, even LHREI Year 1 12
at his old age and even after his brit milah, Teach NYS 16
was the ‫ כח‬of the ‫פתח‬. Avraham’s essence is
Plain Talk from 17
the connection between what happens out- Plainview
side and what happens inside, which gave
RIETS Dinner 18
him the motivation and the energy to run
even in his old age. He opened a ‫ פתח‬to way- Lifecycles 22
farers, and if not for him, HaKadosh Baruch Growth Opportunities 23
Hu says, I would not have created the Heav- for RIETS Alumni
ens and the earth (Bereishit Rabbah 48).
In the News
President Richard Joel, Ann & Rabbi
Hyman Arbesfeld
Yeshiva Supporters Disseminate Torah in
New York, Houston & Jerusalem.
I n the course of a few weeks in the
spring, a popular Sunday morning
learning program was named, and a RI-
ETS Rosh Yeshiva was invested as the
occupant of a new Chair. On March 18,
2007 Ann and Rabbi Hyman Arbesfeld
‘56R dedicated the Kollel Yom Rishon and
Midreshet Yom Rishon Sunday morning
learning programs in memory of Rabbi
Arbesfeld’s parents. In April, Rabbi Assaf
Bednarsh ‘97R was invested as the first
Ruth Buchbinder Mitzner Professor of
Talmud and Jewish Law.
Kollel Yom Rishon and Midreshet
Yom Rishon Dedicated
Ann and Rabbi Hyman Arbesfeld of Kew
Gardens, NY, dedicated the popular Sun-
day learning programs at Yeshiva Univer-
sity, in memory of Rabbi Arbesfeld’s par-
ents. The Kollel Yom Rishon, a program
for men, was named the Abraham Arbes-
feld Kollel Yom Rishon program and the
study group for women was named the
Millie Arbesfeld Midreshet Yom Rishon
program.
According to Philip Moskowitz, program
coordinator for the Center for the Jewish
Future’s Department of Community Ini-
tiatives, the unique series had its begin-
ning when Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, Joel
and Maria Finkle Visiting Israeli Rosh Ye-
shiva, suggested in passing to colleagues
at RIETS that they should create special
learning programs to re-engage former
Rabbi and Mrs. Bednarsh share a mo-
ment with David Mitzner
students. Today, those programs - a proj-
ect of the CJF and RIETS - serve hun-
dreds of men and women every Sunday
morning, drawing not only alumni but
interested students and visitors from all
over the metropolitan area. “Word spread
quickly and we started to attract all those
thirsty for YU’s brand of Torah,” notes Mr.
Moskowitz. The program now has an e-
mail base of 4,000 names and features
weekly presentations by RIETS Roshei
HaYeshiva, members of YU’s faculty, and
other Torah luminaries, both men and
women.
Rabbi and Mrs. Arbesfeld were so im-
pressed by the program, which they began
attending, that Rabbi Arbesfeld offered
to endow the programs in memory of his
parents. “It’s a perfect fit,” he says. “My
father always had a sefer in his hand, and
he always spoke about the importance of
learning.” Rabbi Arbesfeld is hopeful that
his gift will allow the two programs to ex-
pand, since, he notes, “calls are coming in
from all around the country” for this type
of venture.
The couple has a long relationship with
YU. Rabbi Arbesfeld, a longtime member
of the RIETS board, says he is “indebted
to YU” for 11 years of education, includ-
ing high school, college, and three years
in the semikhah program. Mrs. Arbesfeld
Continued on Page 9
Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
Rabbi Charlop to
Retire and Assume
New Post
On May 2, 2007, Rabbi Zevulun Charlop
‘54R, Max and Marion Grill Dean of RI-
ETS, announced his retirement from the
position of Dean of RIETS-MYP, a posi-
tion he has held with distinction for 37
years. Upon his retirement in June, 2008,
President Richard Joel will name him
Dean Emeritus of RIETS and Special
Advisor to the President on Yeshiva Af-
fairs, with Cabinet rank. In a statement
acknowledging Rabbi Charlop’s retire-
ment, President Joel stated: “More than
guided, it (RIETS) has been embraced,
informed, protected and nurtured by his
loving hand and Torah vision. Under his
leadership, the Yeshiva has experienced
enormous growth, the Beit Midrash filled
with the spirit of learning. Thousands of
young men have grown in Torah and val-
ues to become rabbis, teachers, scholars
and communal leaders. On his watch and
with his guidance and vision, we have
been blessed with a cadre of Roshei Yeshi-
va of impeccable quality and dedication.
Innovations in learning and guidance, de-
velopment of kollelim and reinvention of
professional rabbinics curricula continue
to this day. He has been a defining force
in Yeshivat Rabeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,
in partnership with our Rosh HaYeshiva,
Rabbi Lamm.”
President Joel announced that Rabbi
Charlop will work closely with him in the
selection of a successor. He will begin to
create forums and venues for teaching
and mentoring rabbinical students and
others, individually and/or in groups; will
work on special, timely projects which
we may jointly design to be implemented
here and/or in Israel, within Yeshiva or
without; he will continue to be involved
in the semikhah process, serving as one
of the Masmikhim, giving tests for ordina-
tion and signing the diplomas; he will also
continue his special relationship with the
Kollel Elyon as part of the selection pro-
cess, as a member of the Wexner Advisory
Continued on Page 20
3
 Chomer L’Drush
A son of a wise man is like half a wise
man. Yishmael understood, and sent
her away. His mother [then] took for
him a wife from her father’s household
The Power of and her name was Fatima.

Connections: Thoughts Again after three years Avraham went

on Rosh Hashanah to see Yishmael and swore to Sarah that
he would not descend from the camel
in the place where Yishmael dwelt. He
Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter arrived there at mid-day and found the
wife of Yishmael. [The story continues
as above, but this time] she took them
out and gave them to him. Avraham
arose and prayed before the Holy One,
Blessed be He, for his son, and the

I magine the scene at the funeral of
Avraham. Everyone is there. The room
is full. There is an overflow crowd stretch-
ing out the door as thousands of people
have come to pay their last respects to
the individual whose new way of thinking
about God had revolutionized the world.
Avraham’s son Yitzhak gets up to speak.
He looks out over the huge crowd and
there, standing in the back, he sees his
long lost half-brother Yishmael, probably
wearing sunglasses, maybe even an ear-
ring, probably sporting a few tattoos, with
an idling motorcycle parked out front. Yit-
zhak calls Yishmael forward and together
they engage in the burial of their father,
as the Torah relates, “Yitzhak and Yishma-
el his sons buried him” (Bereshit 25:9).
At the beginning of Chapter 25 in
Bereshit, Yishmael shows up at Avraham’s
funeral; in the keriyat ha-Torah for the first
day of Rosh Hashanah (Chapter 21) Yish-
mael is expelled from his father’s house in
response to a request by Sarah prompted
by her concern that his presence there
would be threatening to her son Yitzhak.
In spite of his deep discomfort, Avraham
responds to God’s command that he sub-
mit to the demand of his wife. At this
point, Yishmael disappears, only to reap-
pear in the biblical text four chapters later
at the funeral of his father.
What happened to him in between?
Where had he been all those years? Re-
member that when God had told Avraham
to sacrifice his son on the altar, the Torah
uses the words, “Take your son, your only
son, the one you love” (Bereshit 22:2) and
Avraham still did not know which son
of his God had in mind. (Rashi- “Whom
you love,” said Avraham, “I love both of
them.”) He loved both of his sons equally!
Had there ever been any contact between
the pained father and his beloved son all
those years? Did Avraham die without
ever seeing his son again?
The Torah is silent but the Midrash fills
in the gaps. The Midrash (Yalkut Shim‘oni
#95; Pirkei de-Rabi Eliezer, Chap. 30)
states that Avraham never stopped think-
ing about his first born son, the one whom
he loved so dearly, the one whom he ban-
ished from his house against his will.
“Ratzah lir’ot et Yishmael beno ve-leyda
et ha-derekh asher halchu bah, Avraham
wanted to see his son Yishmael and know
the path which he had followed.”
After three years Avraham went to see
Yishmael and swore to Sarah that he
would not descend from the camel in
the place where Yishmael dwelt. He
arrived there at mid-day and found
there the wife of Yishmael. He said to
her, “Where is Yishmael?” She said to
him, “He has gone with his mother to
fetch fruits and dates from the wilder-
ness.” He said to her, “Give me a little
bread and a little water, for my soul is
weary from the journey in the desert.”
She said to him, “I have neither bread
nor water.” Said he to her, “When Yish-
mael comes, tell him this story and say
to him, ‘Change the threshold of your
house for it is not good for you.’” When
Yishmael came, she told him the story.
house of Yishmael was filled with all
good things, with money and blessings.
When Yishmael returned, she told him
the story and Yishmael understood that
until that moment his [i.e., Avraham’s]
mercy extended to him, “as a father has
mercy upon his children” (Tehillim
103:13).
This striking Midrash has implications for
our lives on three levels: our relationships
with the members of our family, our rela-
tionship with other Jews and our relation-
ship with God.
A child may grow up and leave home, but
parents never stop thinking about their
child. We wonder, “What will be with
him? What will happen to her? What will
be et ha-derekh asher halchu bah?” A child
is constantly on his parents’ minds even
when the family dynamics are complicat-
ed, as they were in the case of Avraham.
There was a rift in the family, a split, a
breakup. But Avraham did not stand on
ceremony. He did not say, “Where is Yish-
mael? Why is he not in touch? Why is he
not calling me?” Rather, he is the one who
initiated the contact; he went to seek out
his son, as difficult and as complicated as
that was. Remember, Sarah was obviously
very unhappy with this trip and they were
both forced to compromise. Her compro-
mise was that she allowed Avraham to go;
his compromise was that he would not get
off the camel. Understand well that not
getting off the camel means not only that
Avraham could stay for only a short period
of time; even more significant, it meant
that he could not hug his son!

4 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007

There are tensions, sometimes, within
families, between children and parents
and between parents and children; be-
tween husbands and wives and between
wives and husbands; between brothers
and sisters and between sisters and broth-
ers. The relationship may not be now what
it once may have been. But the Midrash
teaches: Don’t stand on ceremony, get on
your donkey and ride out into the desert to
re-establish contact. Do not wait until the
funeral because we know very well that by
then it will be too late.
But this Midrash is not only about the
nuclear family; it is about the family of
the Jewish people. The Midrash teaches
us never to give up on another Jew; never,
under any circumstances, to abandon an-
other Jew.
Why was Yishmael banished from the
household of Avraham? The Rabbis teach
us (Rashi, Bereshit 21:9, s.v. metzachek)
that he was guilty of each one of the most
heinous of sins, adultery, idolatry and
From the Petach of Teshuva to the Petach of a Year
had attained, it would now be necessary for
them to connect everything they had learned
inside to the ‫ ציבור‬outside.
Shlomo HaMelech teaches us this secret as
well in Mishlei, “Fortunate is the man who
listens to Me to watch daily at My gates, to
guard the posts of My doors” (8:34). To listen
to ‫ הקב"ה‬is to understand the secret of the
‫פתח‬. This is the key to all blessings.
As a nation, we learned the secret of the
‫ פתח‬for the first time on the night we left
Mitzrayim. ‫ הקב"ה‬asked us to put sheep’s
blood—the blood of a god of Mitzrayim—
on the ‫ מזוזות‬and on the ‫משקוף‬. The idea
was to absorb the lesson of the ‫ פתח‬with
‫מסירות נפש‬. If we showed ‫ מסירות נפש‬for the
‫פתח‬, no more blood would be spilled. The
more we understand the importance of liv-
ing with ‫ אחדות‬and refraining from involve-
ment in ‫מחלוקת‬, the stronger we show we
are. As it says in Chazal regarding the pas-
suk, “Ki Yifaleh Mimecha Davar Mishpat
Bein Dam L’Dam, Bein Din L’Din, Bein
murder! What could be worse! But yet,
Avraham was concerned, “ratzah lir’ot et
Yishmael ve-leyda et ha-derekh asher halchu
“A child may grow
up and leave
home, but par-
ents never stop
thinking about
their child.”
bah.” We too need to be concerned, we too
need to be involved, we too need to care.
We are, all of us, members of one people,
of one family.
Finally, this Midrash is not only about fam-
ily, it is not only about the Jewish people;
the Midrash is about our relationship with
Negah L’Negah”. The ‫ מלאכי השרת‬challenged
HaKadosh Baruch Hu, accusing Him of
having double standards. You ask the Jews
that if they slaughter a bird, they cover its
blood, but You allow the spilt blood of Jews
to go uncovered. You ask the Jews not to
slaughter an animal and its young on the
same day, yet You allow Jewish parents and
children to be murdered on the same day.
You ask the Jews not to destroy a home af-
flicted with ‫ צרעת‬until the Kohen diagno-
ses it as a ‫בית מנוגע‬, yet You destroyed Your
house without asking anyone. Why do You
expect more of Your nation than You do of
Yourself? ‫ הקב"ה‬responded, “‫ריבות בשעריך‬
‫דברי‬.” Because the Jews fight constantly.
What is the solution? The city of Yerusha-
layim, the city that is ‫חוברה לה יחדיו‬, where
we learn the lesson of ‫אחדות‬, the lesson of
‫ביחד‬, the lesson of the ‫פתח‬.
We are approaching the ‫ימים נוראים‬. ‫ הקב"ה‬re-
quests of us one thing: open for Me a ‫פתח‬,
understand the importance of the ‫פתח‬, even
just a little. Don’t enter ‫מחלוקת‬, make an at-
Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
God. With all Yishmael may have been,
“Yishmael understood that until that mo-
ment his mercy extended to him ‘as a fa-
ther has mercy upon his children.’” Rabbi
David Luria, the author of an important
nineteenth commentary on the Pirkei de-
Rabi Eliezer, sees this as a metaphor for
the nature of the relationship between
God (the “father”) and the Jewish people
(“his children”). Even though Yishmael did
not behave the way he should have (to say
the least), even though Yishmael did not
act appropriately, nevertheless he knew
that his father did not abandon him, that
his father had rahmanut for him.
So too is the nature of our relationship
with God. We turn to Him and say, “God,
You know us well; You know us better than
anyone else does; You know our failings,
shortcomings and limitations. Neverthe-
less we ask You, our Father in Heaven, pay
us a visit, leave us a blessing, bring good
health and above all else in these very trou-
bling times, peace and security for Klal Yis-
rael and the world at large.” n
continued from page 2
tempt to see the positive in others, and I will
open for you a ‫ פתח‬the size of the ‫אולם‬.
In an earthquake, the safest place in one’s
home is in the doorway. Spiritually, as well,
the ‫ פתח‬is the safest place in the home, pro-
tecting the Jewish home by maintaining the
proper balance between inside and outside.
We are currently in a time when everything
around us is shaking. Nothing in our day and
age is stable. The way to live successfully in
such a world is to stay in the ‫פתח‬.
As we approach the new year, which is itself
a ‫ פתח‬of sorts, we must accept upon ourselves
to refrain from ‫מחלוקת‬, to connect that which
is without with that which is within, and to
appreciate the Torah, mitzvos, and Klal Yisra-
el. May we merit as a result to stand not just
in the ‫ פתח‬of the ‫סוכה‬, but in the ‫ פתח‬of the
‫היכל‬, and to loudly proclaim, “Se’u She’arim
Rosheichem V’Hinaschu Pitchei Olam Vayavo
Melech Hakavod.” n
5
 Back to the Beit Midrash
The Order of the Verses
in Malchuyos
Rabbi Menachem Genack
T he Mishnah in Rosh HaShanah 32a
states, “[In Malchuyos, Zichronos,
and Shofaros], we start with verses from
the Torah and finish with verses from
Navi.” Indeed, as any cursory examination
of the Mach’zor will reveal, we do indeed
start with verses from the Torah, then re-
cite verses from Kesuvim, and conclude
with verses from Navi. The Ba’alei HaTo-
safos [loc cit, d.h. mas’chil b’Torah] are
perplexed by the placement of verses from
Kesuvim before verses from Navi, as Navi
typically takes precedence over Kesuvim.
They answer that this anomalous order is
due to the fact that the verses found in
Tehilim, Mishlei and Iyov were written
chronologically before the verses in Navi.
The Rav, Zt”l, offered a different resolu-
tion to the problem raised by the Ba’alei
HaTosafos. The Rav explained that fun-
damentals of our faith are elucidated in
Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros. We
deliberately cite verses in this context so
as to firmly buttress these fundamentals.
The verses of Malchuyos, Zichronos, and
Shofaros convey (respectively) the time-
lessness and eternality of Hashem’s sover-
eignty, Hashem’s memory, and Hashem’s
self-revelation (Gilui Shechina). The
verses from the Torah deal with the past;
those from Navi, with the future. Those
from Kesuvim deal with the present, and
that, said the Rav, is why they are sand-
wiched in-between the other verses.
Based on something else the Rav said, I
thought perhaps that there was another
way to address the problem raised by the
Ba’alei HaTosafos. When the Rambam
[Hilchos Shofar 3:8] describes the order of
6 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
the verses for Malchuyos, Zichronos, and
Shofaros, he does not adopt the phrase-
ology of the Gemara; he instead refers to
the verses from Kesuvim as verses from
Tehilim. The Rav explained that, from
the Rambam’s perspective, we specifically
need verses from Tehilim because Mal-
chuyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros are said
qua Shira--and for Shira, one must employ
the zemiros (songs of praise) composed by
David HaMelech, our nation’s “pleasant
singer of zemiros” (vide II Shmuel 23:1).
The Rav’s approach to the Rambam is
buttressed by the Rambam’s own words in
Hilchos Tefila 7:12, where the Rambam
emphasizes that zemiros must come from
Tehilim. It is worth noting that we em-
phasize this in the introductory brachah,
Baruch SheAmar, wherein we declare that
we will praise Hashem “through the songs
of [His] servant, David.” [Indeed, the non-
Davidic origin of Shiras HaYam leads the
Rambam to place it after Yishtabach, the
concluding brachah of Pesukei D’Zimra.]
The Rav took note of the fact that we do
not limit ourselves to merely three verses
of Kesuvim in Shofaros; rather, we com-
plete all of Tehilim 150. The Rav explained
that by the time we reach Shofaros, we
are so overwhelmingly inspired that Shira
bursts forth spontaneously and without
bounds. Furthermore, Shofaros declares
Gilui Shechina, and that generates an ob-
ligation to say Shira.
The classification of the recitation of Mal-
chuyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros as Shira
is strongly indicated by the Gemara in
Rosh HaShanah [loc cit]. The Gemara
asks, “To what do these ten verses in Mal-
chuyos correspond?,” and Rabbi Levi an-
swers, “They correspond to the ten praises
said by David in Tehilim [150].” This is
also indicated in the piyyut recited by
the Shaliach Tzibbur before Malchuyos,
“Ochila LaKeil,” in which he says, “Ashi-
ra…Abiah Ranenos.”
Given the Gemara’s discussion about the
relative primacy of “Shira B’Peh” and “Shi-
ra B’Keili” [Sukkah 50/b ff.], we can now
better understand the impact of Tekios Al
Seder HaBrachos. There are Midrashic/li-
turgical indications that Tekias Shofar can
itself be a type of Shira. Tekios Al Seder
HaBrachos is now revealed as the merg-
er of the two forms of Shira; indeed, the
Rambam places the Seder HaBrachos in
Hilchos Shofar and not in Hilchos Tefila!
[With this premise, the Rav defended
Rashi from the Ramban’s criticism of his
(Rashi’s) opinion that the Seder HaBra-
chos is MiD’Oraysa: it is MiD’Oraysa only
when there are Tekios Al Seder HaBra-
chos, generating Shira.]
Based on the Rav’s teaching that Mal-
chuyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros are said
as Shira, and are not said due merely to
their thematic pertinence, I think we can
say that the verses from Tehilim take pre-
cedence over verses from Navi because
verses from Tehilim are the prototypical
praises; Tehilim is the most appropriate
instrument of song. [The reason that they
do not take precedence over the verses
from the Torah is that nothing takes pre-
cedence over verses from Toras Moshe.]
According to this, we can offer a new
answer to a question posed to the Noda
B’Yehuda [Mahadura Tinyana, Orach
Chaim #20]. The Noda B’Yehuda was
asked why the verses of Navi come before
the verses from Kesuvim in the prayer,
“Av HaRachamim,” when Tosafos [loc cit]
had explained why they should come after
those verses. If we assume that the prece-
dence of Kesuvim is limited to expressions
of Shira, the ordering of verses in the text
of Av HaRachamim—a litany of petitions,
not praises—is more easily understood. n
We are grateful to Rabbi Eliyahu Ferrel for
translating this article.
The Menahel’s
Memories An Interview with Rabbi Zevulun Charlop
F or those who were not born yet or who
were very young during the time Dr.
Belkin z’tl served as President of Yeshiva,
it would have been impossible to believe
or even imagine who he was, what he
achieved, and no less significantly, his re-
lationship to the Rav z’tl. Even as the Rav
was altogether singular - indeed sui generis
– Dr. Belkin was, in his way, also one-of-a-
kind. Hardly ever does the likes of a Rabbi
Dr. Samuel Belkin come down the pike.
Before I enlarge upon the special-ness and
genius of Dr. Belkin, a comment about the
relationship between Dr. Belkin and the
Rav is in order. In my dealings with both of
them, and often times in specific circum-
stances you had to relate to them apart and
together as one, it seemed absolutely clear
to me that even as Dr. Belkin sought and
coveted the approbation of the Rav above
all other people for what he was and for
what he achieved, I gained the distinct
feeling that the Rav no less sought the ap-
proval and appreciation of Dr. Belkin. They
both sensed –with a genuine humility that
can only be felt by those who worked in
As RIETS’ long-serving close quarters and on a continual basis with
Menahel transitions to a them – that they both were giants; and the
new position at Yeshiva, only approval or appreciation that really
mattered much to them would be the one
CHAVRUSA has asked him that genuinely came from the other.
for some recollections and
Dr. Belkin, in his time, was the single un-
perspectives on the three contested voice – save on the rarest occa-
presidents with whom Rabbi sions - who made policy for and governance
Charlop has had the privi- of the Yeshiva body politic. The first crack in
this monolithic control and guidance came
lege to serve. near the end of the 60s, when Dr. Belkin
was persuaded, because of the increasingly
desperate financial plight of Yeshiva, that
In this edition: there must be a separation for church-state
reasons, between RIETS and the university
The Belkin Era. in order to continue to receive government
funding. It was then that the Rav made his
famous “I See Ghosts” speech, which he
delivered at a special luncheon appended
to that year’s Chag Hasemikhah celebra-
Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
tion. It caused an almost unbridgeable
divide between them. Dr. Belkin was con-
vinced that he could maintain the integrity
of RIETS onto itself and yet have it remain
the foundation-stone and moral compass
of the entire university. Even while legally
RIETS and the university would be sepa-
rate entities, in the most critical ways they
would nonetheless remain together as in-
separable parts of the whole. By and large
I believe this was the case, and in some
very definable ways, more so than before.
The advanced kollelim, the packed batei
midrash at night, the deepening and un-
yielding yiras shamayim of our bnei Torah
all happened after the separation. Since
1971, there has not been one student, as
far as I know, upon graduation from col-
lege who defected to a non-Orthodox rab-
binic seminary, where years before, such
lamentable departures were not altogether
uncommon. One can also attribute these
advances to other reasons, most notably
the almost universal acceptance of a year
or two of intense Torah study in Israel af-
ter completing high school. I also believe
firmly, that these advances would not have
been realized if it were not for the original
unabashed and uncropped protests of the
Rav. Remember, that the Rav continued to
give shiurim for more than 15 years after
the separation, and became the Rebbe of
the Yeshiva, no less than before, and pos-
sibly even more so.
I felt that this introduction was necessary
Cha
before I could speak about Dr. Belkin and
the kind of charisma and hold he had upon 200
the Yeshiva and upon large segments of the
Orthodox community and beyond. It is
important to understand the state of mind
that prevailed when I came to Yeshiva, to
serve in the role that I have served for more
than three-and-a-half decades.
Dr. Belkin asked me to come to Yeshiva
without any notice and only three days be-
fore the new year began, nearly 37 years
7
 ago. Dr. Israel Miller ‘41R z’tl, certainly one
of the towering figures in the annals of Yeshi-
va history, called me at the bungalow colony
where I was spending part of the summer
with my family. He called me from Shelter
Island, where he was visiting Dr. Belkin at
his summer home, to tell me that Dr. Belkin
would like me to take over the Yeshiva. This
came to me as a thunderbolt, as I had never
spoken to Dr. Belkin about this matter be-
fore. Indeed, I had only a few conversations
with him in my entire life. I never considered
myself especially close to him; my admiration
of him was from a distance, which I believe
must have been shared by most of my class-
mates and others who studied at the Yeshiva.
Before I accepted the position, I wanted to
know how the Rav felt about this potential
out-of-the-blue appointment. Dr. Belkin and
the Rav were altogether alone in the rever-
ence that students had for them. No one to-
day could doubt this of the Rav; but I have
the sense that hardly anybody born in the
last 45 years could imagine Dr. Belkin in that
same brilliant light as well. That of course is
a tragedy and great shame.
When I came back to Yeshiva as a member
of several faculties, we recognized Dr. Bel-
kin’s greatness. He was known as an iluy, a
prodigy of the famed Raduner Yeshiva in Po-
land where he attended, when he was hardly
bar mitzvah. Reportedly, Dr. Belkin received
semikhah at the tender age of 17 from the
sainted Chofetz Chayim zt’l himself, pur-
ported to be the youngest boy or man to
receive semikhah from that venerable sage
of the 19th and early 20th century. He then
came to America, passing through the Mirrer
Yeshiva. Dr. Belkin himself told me, on those
very rare occasions when he spoke about his
own history, that the famed Rav Lazer Yudel
Finkel - the Rosh Yeshiva in Mir and the son
of the fabled Alter of Slabodka – made spe-
cial efforts to persuade him to remain at Mir,
and not to move on to America, as was his in-
tention. Rav Lazer Yudel promised this then
18 year old musmakh the largest student
stipend that was ever offered at Mir, home
to many of the greatest iluyim who became
geonei HaDor.
He came to our Yeshiva when Reb Shimon
Shkop z’tl was still giving shiurim. He found
it so difficult to acclimate himself to the new
8 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
(l-r) Rabbi Zevulun Charlop: the Rav; Rabbi Shlomo Goren; Rabbi Dr. Belkin; Rabbi Dr. Israel Miller
world, that he determined to return to Europe
with Rav Shimon. It was the great sage of
Grodno who dissuaded him from returning.
He presciently told him, well before World
War II and Hitler MHBR, that the future of
Yahadus lies in America and that Yiddishkeit-
wise, Europe is lost. In an incredible series
of events, he was accepted into a doctoral
program at Brown, an Ivy League institution,
without even a general elementary and high
school education. That alone speaks volumes
about the man! It was about the same time –
at most a year or two apart – that the Rav and
Rebbitzen Tonya Soloveitchik zt’l came to
Boston. They sought out the European iluy,
and he became a frequent Shabbos guest at
their home, 50 miles away. It may be apoc-
ryphal, but the story that made the rounds
was that the Rebbitzen managed to get his
clothes laundered, when she realized that he
did not tend to these matters himself. It was
during this period that the Chiddushei Rab-
beinu Chayim Halevi was published by the
Rav’s father Reb Moshe z’tl, and his brother
Reb Velvel z’tl, who succeeded Reb Chaim
zt’l as rav of Brisk. One of the first copies to
reach America was sent to the Rav.
Dr. Belkin became a RIETS Rosh Yeshiva in
his late twenties, after having been appoint-
ed by Dr. Revel zt’l as an instructor and then
professor of Greek at Yeshiva College and
gave the shiur considered directly below Reb
Moshe Soloveitchik’s. In 1940, Dr. Revel
suddenly passed away at the age of 55, at the
height of his power. Incredibly, Reb Moshe
Soloveitchik, who became Rosh Hayeshiva
upon Dr. Revel’s death, was also snatched
from our midst, and only 62. It was then that
Dr. Belkin was selected as Dean of RIETS
and provided some stability to the yeshiva at
perhaps one of its most tumultuous and try-
ing periods. Eventually, Dr. Belkin became
Yeshiva’s second president.
This European orphan, who saw his father
murdered before his eyes in a pogrom, who
learned in Radun and who received a PhD
at Brown in Greek, built the Albert Einstein
College of Medicine, the Ferkauf School of
Psychology, Stern College for Women, the
Belfer School of Science, the Wurzweiler
School of Social Work and Cardozo Law
School almost literally with his own hands.
He was also responsible for bringing some
of the most prominent European Roshei Ye-
shiva to RIETS, such as the Lomza Rav, Rav
Moshe Shatzkes z’tl; the Suwalker Rav, Rav
Dovid Lifschitz z’tl; Rav Mendel Zaks z’tl,
son-in-law of the Chofetz Chaim and the
last Rosh Yeshiva of Radun; Rav Yerucham
Gorelick z’tl, Rav Noach Borenstein z’tl and
Rav Yaakov Lessen z’tl.
It was with a sense of awe that I accepted the
position. That feeling became more acute
when only four days after appointing me Dr.
Belkin told me that “I have placed the des-
tiny of Yeshiva in your hands.”
Dr. Belkin used to call me up every morning
around 10 or 15 after 9 am, and asked me
in Yiddish “Vie geit de Yeshiva - how is the
Yeshiva?” I assumed my position in 1971, in
the midst of the Vietnam Conflict. Yeshiva
was packed. Ho Chi Minh, the Communist
leader of the Vietnamese uprising, was the
greatest marbitz Torah of that time. As the
 war began to wind down, people started
leaving the yeshiva. Dr. Belkin told me that
we needed to do something to increase
enrollment. I felt that if we wanted to do
something with Yeshiva we had to be a bit
adventurous and dramatic. I offered what
must have been considered in the econom-
ic throes in which yeshiva found itself then,
the bold suggestion to appoint 3 new roshei
yeshiva in one fell swoop: Rabbi Hershel
Reichman, Rabbi Abba Bronspiegel, and
Rabbi Mordechai Willig. Rabbi Reichman
gave the chazara shiur for the Rav, and Rab-
bi Bronspiegel taught in the high school. In
this way it would give nod to the then preva-
lent tradition of promoting a high school
rebbe into Yeshiva. Rabbi Willig taught Tal-
mud at the James Striar School, assuming
my former position. They were all celebrat-
ed for their learning and also embodied in
their personalities and affiliations a whole
gamut of the Torah community which we
hoped to attract. Dr. Belkin thought that
my recommendation was crazy, as finances
Yeshiva Supporters Disseminate Torah from page 3
served for a decade as president of the Ye-
shiva University Women’s Organization, and
the couple’s four children are all graduates of
YU’s undergraduate and graduate schools.
Rabbi Assaf Bednarsh Invested as the
First Ruth Buchbinder Mitzner Professor
of Talmud and Jewish Law
In a moving ceremony at Houston’s Unit-
ed Orthodox Synagogue, the investiture of
Rabbi Assaf Bednarsh as the first occupant
of the Ruth Buchbinder Mitzner Chair in
Talmud and Jewish Law at the Yeshiva Uni-
versity in Israel campus took place on April
14. The chair was established through a
$1-million gift from David Mitzner and his
son and daughter-in-law, Ira and Mindy, in
honor of their late wife and mother, Ruth
Buchbinder Mitzner.
The ceremony, attended by the extended
Mitzner family and more than 400 members
of the Houston community, was part of a
weekend of activities in Houston sponsored
by the Mitzner family. YU President Rich-
ard M. Joel presided over the investiture
and later addressed the community; Rabbi
Bednarsh, rosh yeshiva at YU’s RIETS Is-
Each one only wanted the approval and appreciation of the other.
were extremely tight at that time. I didn‘t
think he would do it, but he did it. During
Dr. Belkin’s administration, we eventually
brought Rabbi Aharon Kahn as a Rosh Ye-
shiva, who succeeded Rabbi Reichman as
the assistant to the Rav.
rael Kollel, delivered the Shabbat morning
sermon and led a Torah study session.
“We could not have been more satisfied with
how my mother’s memory was honored by
the investiture and all of Yeshiva Universi-
ty’s presence during the weekend,” said Ira
Mitzner, a 1981 alumnus of Yeshiva College
and a lay leader in the Houston community.
In the early years of World War II, David
Mitzner was a courier between the Russian
and German zones, helping compatriots es-
cape persecution from the Nazis. He was
sent to a Siberian gulag after being caught
and served eight years of hard labor before
coming to America and establishing a suc-
cessful real estate development business.
“David is the quintessential success story,
both in his career and in terms of trans-
mitting his heritage to the next generation,
making sure that Judaism flourished both in
his family and in the broader Jewish com-
munity,” said Rabbi Bednarsh, a former
Beren Kollel and Wexner Graduate fellow
at YU.
Ruth Buchbinder Mitzner, whose father was
Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
In mid 1975, Dr. Belkin took seriously ill,
and relinquished his post as president, as-
suming the title as Yeshiva’s first Chancellor.
He passed away a few weeks before Rabbi
Dr. Norman Lamm was chosen as his suc-
cessor. n
a renowned Torah scholar and the rabbi of
the largest Orthodox synagogue in Harlem,
grew up during the 1920s. She and her fam-
ily later moved to Jerusalem, where her fa-
ther assisted Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook,
the first chief rabbi of Palestine. During her
life, Ruth dedicated herself to helping Jew-
ish people throughout the world.
“I feel honored to continue the legacy of
Ruth Mitzner by teaching Torah in Israel
and preparing the next generation of rab-
bis to lead the Jewish people,” said Rabbi
Bednarsh.
The weekend concluded with a YU com-
munity council meeting hosted by Shira
Yoshor, vice chairman of the Stern College
Board, discussing future YU involvement in
Houston.
“The weekend was a fitting tribute to a fam-
ily who represents communal leadership
and philanthropy,” said Rabbi Richard C.
Bieler ’77R, YU Senior Executive Director
for Community Affairs. “Our time in Hous-
ton gave us a real sense of the Mitzners’
legacy and our responsibility to perpetuate
that legacy.” n
9
 Musmakhim in the Limelight

ANOINTED
FOR WAR
“It shall be that when you draw near to the war, the kohen shall
approach and speak to the people” (D’varim 20:2) “The Mashuah Milhama aids the soldiers in three areas: preparations for war,
preparations for appeasement and preparations for prayer, a formula familiar to us from Yaakov Avinu. The Mashuah Milhamah, who
inspires the nation to approach war with bravery, remains at their side in the theater of battle. He does not return to a more peaceful set-
ting. He appeases the soldiers by telling them that HASHEM will fight for them, and allows those who are afraid to honorably remove
themselves from battle. He prays with the soldiers as well, as his stirring speech is truly a prayer.” [Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin, “Oznayim
la-Torah,” D’varim 20:2.]

Although the Lutzker Rav described that
special kohen mashuah milhamah, in the
above commentary, he could also have
been describing the dangerous, difficult
and lonely task of a military chaplain.
Only a few short months ago, US Army
Specialist Daniel Agami, 25, known by
those in his unit as “GI Jew” was laid to
rest with full military honors in North Lau-
derdale, Florida. He was posthumously
awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star
and the Army Commendation Medal. An
improvised explosive device (IED) took his
life in Iraq. Rabbi Yossi Denburg, Dean of
the Hebrew Academy Community School
in Margate, FL, where Daniel was gradu-
ated, recalled in his eulogy that while in
the army, Specialist Agami kept kosher,
slept with both American and Israeli flags
over his bunk, and on his rifle was engraved
“The Hebrew Hammer.”
The devoted chaplains, the cadre of m-
shuhei milhama, enabled Daniel Agami z’l to
live as a Jew. The chaplains are the spiritual
caregivers of military personnel. Consider
this excerpt from Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau’s
autobiography, “Do Not Harm the Child”
(as excerpted in the Orthodox Union’s Jew-
ish Action, Summer 2007, pp. 20-28.)
When Buchenwald (where Rabbi Lau
was a prisoner) was liberated by American
army forces, Lulek (Rabbi Lau’s childhood
nickname) is discovered by Army Chaplain
Rabbi Hershel Schacter ‘41R. In full army
uniform, Rabbi Schacter got down from
his jeep and stood before the pile of bodies.
Many of them were still bleeding. Suddenly
he thought he saw a pair of eyes, wide open
and alive. He panicked, and with a soldier’s
instinct, he drew his pistol. Slowly, carefully,
he began to circle the pile of bodies. Then
– and this I recall clearly- he bumped into
me, a little boy, staring at him from behind
the mound of corpses, wide-eyed. His face re-
vealed his astonishment: in the midst of the
killing fields, from within that sea of blood-
suddenly, a child appears! I did not move.
But he knew that no child in this place
could be anything but Jewish. He holstered
his pistol, then grabbed me with both hands
and caught me in a fatherly embrace, lift-
ing me in his arms. In Yiddish, with a heavy
American accent, he asked me: ‘Wie alt bist
du, mein kindt? How old are you, my boy?” I
saw tears dripping from his eyes…
CHAVRUSA interviewed Rabbi Nisson
Shulman (RNS) ‘55R CAPT, CHC, USN-
R, a retired Navy Chaplain and former
Director of Placement; and Second Lieu-
tenant Mitchell Rocklin (RMR), US Army
Reserve, and Second Lieutenant Moshe
Grussgott (RMG), US Army Reserve, two
senior semikhah students training in the
US Army Chaplain Candidate Program.
CHAVRUSA: Tell us about the decision
and subsequent process for deciding to
train as a chaplain?
RMG: A few years ago, during my first
year of semikhah, a Jewish chaplain named
Rabbi Zalis came with a Christian chaplain
to our SR/RTP class. Rabbi Zalis achieved
the rank of General and eventually retired
to Israel. I didn’t decide then to join the
chaplaincy, but his talk planted a seed
and that seed lingered and was always in
the back of my mind. When Mitch joined
semikhah a few years later, he pushed me
along since I would only consider joining
with a chaver.
When Mitch showed me the recruitment

Moshe Grussgott is completing his studies at RIETS. He currently serves as Assistant Rabbi at Ramath Ora in Manhattan.
Mitchell Rocklin is completing his studies at RIETS. He will serve next year as Rabbinic Intern at Beth Sholom in Lawrence, NY.
Rabbi Nisson Shulman served for two years at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Subsequently, he served in the Ready Reserve for a
total of 30 years, with special duty at Parris Island, Camp Pendleton, San Diego Naval Training Center and in Norfolk, VA, where he com-
piled resources for non Jewish-chaplains how to minister to Jewish servicemen, in the absence of Jewish chaplains. He teaches at the Isaac
Breuer College at Yeshiva University and has worked for the university in many capacities. He also has had an illustrious career in the pulpit
all over the world. Currently he serves as chaplain at the United States Veterans Hospital in Manhattan.

10 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007


Moshe Grussgott
pamphlet, I first observed that it had the
psukim about the Mashuah Milhama on
the front of the packet (in English). That
really inspired me; I felt that joining the
military in this capacity was a holy endeav-
or. I have always been a patriotic Ameri-
can. I have always sat around the Shabbos
table supporting America’s current stance
in terms of global terror, but it was always
an abstract discussion. I felt that it would
be great to put my money where my mouth
is.
RMR: The program that we are in is called
the Chaplain Candidate Program. It offers
a wonderfully unique opportunity for a
rabbinical student to consider the military
chaplaincy, either full-time or part-time,
without committing to join the Army as
a regular chaplain does. It allows a pro-
spective chaplain to train during school.
A chaplain candidate can experience the
Army and the chaplaincy firsthand, so that
he can decide whether or not he will join.
The Navy and the Air Force have candi-
date programs as well.
The application process for the Army is
complicated, and you have to be on top
of things. The recruiters help you through
it though. It involves meeting a list of
academic and physical requirements that
most RIETS students should not have a
problem with. A recruiter and his assistant
lead you through a long process of paper-
work, you get a physical exam at a local
A Few Good Men
Mitchell Rocklin
Army base, and then you wait to be ac-
cepted. Chaplain Candidates can choose
when to train and which training modules
they would like to attend, in order to give
them a better idea of whether or not the
chaplaincy is for them. If they are certain
that it is, the training gives them a head
start before joining the military on a more
permanent basis.
Candidates can take the basic course
for chaplains, which lasts about thirteen
weeks. Usually, they do six weeks of it the
first summer after they join. This is usually
followed by a “practicum,” which is essen-
tially a chaplaincy internship at an Army
post. The practicum allows a candidate to
experience the Army chaplaincy firsthand.
If the candidate is happy (in my experi-
ence virtually all of them are), he can do
other practicums and can finish the chap-
lain basic course at a later time. When a
candidate finishes RIETS, he then has a
decision to make. He can join the military,
he can elect to stay out of such a commit-
ment, or he can wait some time before
making a final decision. If he chooses to
delay, he can continue to train in practi-
cums in order to determine whether or not
the military chaplaincy is for him.
Candidates are commissioned officers in
the military. They receive pay and ben-
efits for their training in exchange for the
responsibilities that they assume as they
train. I have no doubt that anyone con-
Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
Rabbi Nisson Shulman
sidering the military chaplaincy should
give the candidate program a try. There
are plenty of upsides, and practically no
downsides.
RNS: For me, the decision was simple. At
that time we had a lottery or a goral system
- a voluntary draft. My number was fairly
low, so I had a moral obligation to go to the
military. My father and mother felt that we
owe so much to America that we have to
pay the country back in any way that we
can.
CHAVRUSA: How did your RIETS train-
ing help you as a chaplain?
RNS: Several ways. My close relationship
with the Rav enabled me to call him at any
time with shaylas whenever they came up.
My secular and Torah training enabled
me to fit in to the large group of chap-
lains who were there. They regarded me
as someone of intellectual equality or even
superiority – because of Yeshiva. There
were 27 chaplains with me on that base
and I was the only Jewish chaplain. One
of these chaplains later became the US
Navy Chief of Chaplains. He had never
seen or met a Jew before he met me, even
though he grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Years later, he would call me when I was in
the pulpit to obtain Hebrew quotes when-
ever he addressed a Jewish group, which
was often. Finally, the experience of the
continued on page 14
11
 Year 1
Legacy Heritage Rabbinic Enrichment Initiative Programs

Communal Days of Learning: Coordinated with local rabbis, programs in Denver, CO, Fair Lawn, NJ, Houston, TX, Miami
Beach, FL, Phoenix, AZ, Rochester, NY, Skokie, IL, and West Hempstead, NY; brought Talmidei Chachamim and scholars
out to the communities to speak to nearly 900 people on a variety of contemporary issues.
Regional Rabbinic Seminars: Rabbinic Seminars in Detroit, MI, Los Regional Rabbinic Seminar, West Hempstead, NY
Angeles, CA, Montreal and West Hempstead, NY hosted dozens of
Rabbinic Alumni for shiurim and sessions to support the work of
area rabbis.
Mentorship Program: 8 senior rabbis mentoring a total of 16 younger
rabbis, working with them on developing and supporting the per-
sonal and professional quality of their rabbinate.
Yarchei Kallah: Providing Chomer LeDrush and seminars on effec-
tive teaching to 3 cohorts of nearly 40 rabbis each, led by Rabbi Dr.
Jacob J. Schacter.
The Rabbinic Research and Resource Center: Answering hundreds of Clockwise – Rabbis Brian Thau; Dovid Kupchik;
Micah Gimpel; Eli Schick; Akiva Sacknovitz;
requests from rabbis for assistance in researching a host of topics,
and providing materials and resources from our beis medrash and
library with rabbis in every corner of the world.
National Conference: Engaging rabbinic, educational and lay leaders in issues confronting our communities, and working
collectively to focus joint efforts on issues of common concern.

Community Day of Learning, Miami, FL Rebbetzins’ Yarchei Kallah

Rabbinic Mentor Seminar

Rebbitzen Rachel Wilinsky and Reb-

Rabbi Hershel Schachter Rabbi Edward Davis and Rabbi Dale Polakoff
bitzen Karen Hochberg

Community Day of Learning, Houston, TX Yarchei Kallah Yarchei Kallah

Participants at a recent Yarchei Kallah Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm and

Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger
Rabbi Naphtali Weisz

12 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007

Regional Rabbinic Seminar, Los Angeles, CA Community Day of Learning, Skokie, IL

(From left to right) Rabbi Shannan Gelman, Rabbi Dr. John

Rabbi Yonasan Sacks and Rabbi Elazar Muskin
Krug, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dr. Norman Blumenthal

Rabbinic Mentor Seminar Yarchei Kallah

Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, Rabbi David

Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt and Rabbi Howard Zack
Wilensky, Rabbi Shalom Morris

Community Day of Learning, Phoenix, AZ Community Day of Learning, Rochester, NY

Rabbi Shaya Kilimnick, Rabbi Dr. Edward

Rabbi Ezra Schwartz
Reichman, Rabbi Mordechai Hochheimer

Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007 13

 Annointed for War
continued from page 13
military helped me understand America
much better than otherwise I might have.
It works both ways. As the first Orthodox
chaplain in the navy, often what I had to do
was groundbreaking. Rav Soloveitchik was
a great help to me.
RMG: The rigor of the yeshiva day pre-
pared me for the length of the day in train-
ing. The only thing I have ever found as
strenuous as a good day of learning was
this army training. The experience of RI-
ETS, which I believe is the only place that
offers this, grounds oneself in Torah while
remaining open to the world. That is exact-
ly what you need for a military chaplaincy.
Since it’s a non-Jewish environment, you
have to be strong in your own frumkeit so
it doesn’t lapse or compromise. You have
to be sure when to draw the line, but must
also be flexible in other areas.
Our training was at Fort Jackson, SC.
Mitch and me were the only two Jews
there in the chaplain training among 137
other students, including Protestants, a
few Catholic priests and one Budhist (he
may be the first ever Budhist chaplain).
To my surprise, I became close with a few
of the Catholics. We have some things in
common such as a liturgical tradition and
an Oral tradition. The chaplaincy is a Ju-
deo-Christian environment. They really
love Jews there. They all acknowledge the
Jews as the people of the Bible and were
always curious asking Mitch and I ques-
tions about Tanach. Many were learning
Hebrew and tried to engage us in conver-
sation. The first chaplain recruiter I met
told me how meaningful it was when he
walked through the Iraqi city of Ur Kas-
dim, in the footsteps of Abraham. Little
things like that show their great respect
for Jews. There are many other examples
I can offer.
RNS: Once the Head of Chaplains called
me complaining that in his opinion, it was
objectionable that the Tablet of the Law
pin worn by Jewish chaplains had Roman
numerals in them. He felt that the num-
bers one through ten should be in the
aleph bet. He solicited my opinion on the
matter, which of course was supportive of
his sentiment. He organized a blue-ribbon
panel to meet in Washington to discuss
this potential change in the military uni-
14 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
US Navy Jewish Chaplain Shoulder Boards .
form, to which he invited me. Ultimately
he succeeded in changing the regulation
and Jewish chaplains now wear the aseret
hadibrot with letters aleph through yud
adorning them.
RMR: I think a better question would be
how military chaplaincy training would
help someone as a RIETS student and
rabbi. The training that the military of-
fers cannot be found anywhere else. This
is true both for general skills and religious
skills. The military does not teach religion,
but it does teach you how to apply your re-
ligious beliefs in difficult practical settings.
This training is difficult if not impossible
to obtain in civilian schools. The environ-
ment is simply not there. Civilian school-
ing serves the purpose of providing an edu-
cation and practical training for a civilian
environment. Military training does two
things – it provides training for a military
environment, and gives soldiers unique
skills that they can use for their rabbinical
practices in the civilian world as well.
CHAVRUSA: How does the avodah as a
chaplain differ from all other forms of rab-
banus you have encountered?
RNS: One major difference is the age of
those to whom you minister. Today the all
volunteer army is largely made up of mobi-
lized reserve units. The soldiers are there-
fore older, often family men, and the prob-
lems of family separation are a large part
of their burden. In addition, the trauma
of battle can change personalities so that
many psychological problems could en-
sue. When I served, from 1956-1958, the
challenges were mild by comparison. The
soldiers I used to encounter were mostly
between the ages of 17-25. Most of these
young men had very little Jewish education
and minimal affiliations. I felt that my pri-
mary job was to attempt to halt intermar-
riages on the base. During my two years on
post, at any given time, there were more
than 100 Jewish boys on base. (One half
of one percent of the 27,000 men on base
were Jewish.) There was only one inter-
marriage during my tenure. What did I do
to try to prevent intermarriage? I mobilized
girls groups (ages 16-20) from Milwaukee
to Chicago. (The base in Waukegan was
between these two cities). I made a party
for these boys once a month, which was
the only time off that they had. When I
took them to these parties, they made so-
cial contacts with these girls. Practically,
these were the only girls they could date.
It solved the problem without my needing
to do anything. I had to find a different
reason each month for the Command to
permit me to take the boys off base. It had
to be a holiday celebration.
In the military, I had to present Judaism to
the world. Non-Jews of high rank would
come to special services such as kol nidrei
or the Pesach seder. You had to invite them
out of courtesy. I was amazed at how little
many intelligent and educated non-Jews
knew about Judaism. Today, chaplains who
area mobilized to active duty go from base
to base in places like Iraq and Afghanistan,
to counsel and teach Judaism in an out-
reach way. In those days we also counseled
the soldiers but today’s task of counseling
soldiers feeling the stress of family separa-
tion, of being split by distance and want-
ing to remain close – is much harder than
counseling a young lonely recruit.
But visiting the hospitals and helping in the
life-cycle is the same challenge that you
 find in the rabbinate. But we had to head
off the day-3 circumcisions that the mili-
tary offered. I had to convince the young
couple to wait until day 8 and then it was
my responsibility to find a mohel. Civilians
helped pay for transporting and paying the
mohel. Over time, with Rav Soloveitchik’s
guidance, I found an observant Navy doc-
tor to whom I taught hilchos milah, and he
served as our mohel.
RMG: They want us to be able to physi-
cally keep up and identify with the soldiers
to whom we minister. For that reason we
undergo basic training akin to any other
soldier. We learned basic army skills like
land navigation and cartography. They put
us in the woods at night and told us to get
to the next point with only a compass and
a map. We had to learn how to use a gas
mask and even had to expose ourselves to
tear gas for a few seconds. We crawled on
the dirt while live rounds were fired above
us. We learned how to march in formation
and spent a lot of time on physical condi-
tioning. After sitting in the Bais Midrash
for the past few years, the physical aspects
were hard for me at first. But the rigor of
the day (typical day from 5 am to 5 pm)
was easier for Mitch and me. For most oth-
er chaplains the responses were reversed.
We worked out at 5:30; each soldier was
permitted to pray from 8 to 8:30, followed
by more physical training until noon. On
most days, the second half of the day fea-
tured classes on the structure of the army.
Chaplains, however, do not bear arms at all
and as such, had no weapons training. As
men of God, chaplains are non-combatants.
But today on the battlefront, each chaplain
receives an armed chaplain’s assistant.
CHAVRUSA: What life lessons have you
learned from the military?
er
RMR: If anyone wants to see examples of
the highest character traits, the de’ot of
Rambam, followed by his peers in an ev-
eryday environment, I would recommend
trying out the Army chaplaincy in a heart-
beat. The dedication, loyalty, honor, humil-
ity, respect, and energy that soldiers exude
are simply overwhelming. This is life lived
to the fullest. Military life requires sacrifice
Rabbi Hershel Schacter leads Shavuot Services in Buchenwald on May 18, 1945
and selflessness. It has been a humbling
experience for me, and I have learned a
great deal from my peers here, particularly
from those with prior service.
RNS: Awareness of different kinds of
people; being able to deal with civilians
and servicemen on their own level; under-
standing other faiths, denominations and
religions; being able to defend Torah Juda-
ism if and when necessary; a certain tol-
erance. There is a lot of loneliness among
the chaplains. When I was on base near
Chicago, I was able to make friends in the
Jewish community. I befriended a Rabbi
Shapiro, who taught at the Chicago Yeshi-
va - a great talmid chacham. We learned
together twice a week. For, in the spirit of
aseh lecha rav, it was necessary since in ad-
dition to personal loneliness, one can also
experience intellectual loneliness.
RMG: The importance of discipline. I re-
alized how spoiled I was. Sometimes it’s a
little good to be yelled at by a sergeant. It
deflates your ego. We could all use some
of that. I also learned the importance of
teamwork; having to adapt to stressful and
new situations. Most importantly, you learn
how to stay yourself and committed to To-
rah while in a non-Jewish environment.
CHAVRUSA: What would you tell mus-
makhim contemplating joining the military
chaplaincy?
RMR: If you think you can do it, and you
Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
think you might want to, you might as well
try it. There is much to gain and practi-
cally nothing to lose. The gains include an
opportunity to explore a possible career or
part-time job, excellent and useful train-
ing, character development, and great pay
and benefits to help out with school. More
importantly, the military provides an ex-
cellent opportunity for Kiddush HaShem,
sanctification of God’s name, and of course
to serve soldiers and fellow Jews in a chal-
lenging and rewarding setting. If anyone
would like to speak to me about the mili-
tary chaplaincy further, please feel free to
email me at mitchell.rocklin@us.army.mil.
RMG: Ultimately, what really drew me in
was the aphorism b’makom she’in anashim
hishtadel l’hiyot ish. There are Jews in the
military and they really need Orthodox
rabbis to help them through. There are not
enough rabbis in the Army today. The Jews
there really need an advocate in terms of
helping them stay observant. This is ex-
tremely difficult in the US Army, during a
very emotional and stressful time in their
life. If you are looking for adventure as well
as a challenge, this is the way to go. Just
like with any kiruv situation, it’s not for ev-
eryone. Let’s just say that you won’t be able
to learn 3 s’darim a day while serving as a
chaplain! Mitch and I tried to learn every
day during basic training.
RNS: It’s a tremendous mitzvah and there
is great satisfaction. It has many benefits
for later on – practical ones. n
15

It could have been the opening line of a
joke: “two rabbis and a cardinal are walk-
ing outside the State Senate chamber in
Albany, NY when they stop to talk to a
reporter” But this was no joke. It was a
true partnership to press elected officials
to help poor and middle class parents
crushed by a tuition burden. Heads turned
as bearded rabbis walked through the Cap-
itol with New York’s Catholic Archbishop,
Edward Cardinal Egan and the Bishop of
Brooklyn.
As pulpit rabbis are acutely aware – more
than anyone perhaps, there is no greater
topic of discussion and lament among Or-
thodox families – at the shul Kiddush or
the Shabbos table – than the high (and
ever rising) costs of yeshiva tuition. Po-
tential parts of a solution include creating
endowments for day schools, community
scholarships, and a greater focus on tze-
daka targeted to day schools, as well as ef-
forts to see every will includes a bequest to
local schools.
The other major area everyone looks to is
government. This has been, until recent-
ly, an arena that Orthodox Jews ignored,
whether out of a misunderstanding of
Church-State separation, bad advice on
that same topic, or perhaps out of a lack of
understanding as to how to approach gov-
ernment. But recently, efforts to lobby our
elected officials have yielded real results.
In New York, a statewide coalition called
TEACH NYS brings together Orthodox
Jews (including Yeshiva’s Center for the
Jewish Future, the Orthodox Union and
the National Council of Young Israel), the
Elliot Gibber, YU and RIETS trustee is also Senior Vice President of the Orthodox Union, chair of the OU Tuition Initiative, and President of TEACH
NYS. Sam Sutton, a Yeshiva College alum, is President of the Sephardic Community Federation is Vice President of TEACH NYS and a trustee of the
City University of New York. Messrs. Gibber & Sutton are parents of either recent graduates or current students at Yeshiva.
16 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
No Joke
TEACH NYS is a partnership
model that works
By Elliot Gibber & Sam Sutton
Sephardic Community Federation, New
York’s Catholic Conference and New York’s
Association of Independent Schools to ad-
vocate for tax credits, deductions and other
tangible ways to help parents who struggle
to pay tuition bills.
Our coalition work produced a rally sup-
porting education tax credits that drew
over 5,000 people to the Capitol on a crisp
winter day, and secured $600 million in
annual tax credits for families with school
aged children - a hard won compromise
with key legislators unwilling to provide a
tax credit for education per se. This year,
with support from Governor Spitzer, a
push was made for deduction of private
school tuition. An open letter to the gover-
nor signed by leaders of faith from across
New York was published during the tail
end of budget negotiations.
Pushback from the teachers unions was
intense, especially after the compromise
last year on the child tax credit. So you win
some, and you lose some – and some loss!
To compensate for thwarting this year’s
“help for families” campaign we were given
millions in new monies for computer hard-
ware for our schools and millions more in
direct reimbursements to our schools! And
the foundation is laid for a future of more
wins.
In America today, success in the legisla-
tures is dependent on broad coalitions.
Moneyed, special interests like the teach-
ers’ unions can fight to preserve a status
quo for only so long when elected officials
see their religious leaders, neighbors, and
constituents shoulder to shoulder fighting
for the same project.
TEACH NYS has been a success because
it has:
• Focused on achievable but meaningful
goals;
• Acted in a bi-partisan fashion;
• Aggressively supported supportive legis-
lators; and,
• Engaged in partnerships with otherwise
diverse groups.
This is a model that can be replicated any-
where. School choice is among the hottest
domestic policy issues across the country,
in states as diverse as Iowa, Maryland,
Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and more.
TEACH NYS needs grass roots rabbinic
and lay leadership support to help advance
its cause in New York – and TEACH NYS
looks forward to serving as a resource and
partner to askanim and rabbonim in other
states looking to press this issue.
Most people agree that there is not one
solution, but everyone agrees that a con-
certed and sustained long term effort is
needed. Today is the day.
To get involved in TEACH NYS or for in-
formation of starting a similar coalition in
your area, please contact: Howie Beigelman
at the OU via howieb@ou.org, Michael
Tobman at TEACH NYS via Michael@
teachnys.org; David Greenfield at the Sep-
hardic Community Federation via david@
sephardicfederation.org or reach out to the
CJF office directly.
Plain Talk from Plainview
I
m ani kan ha-kol kan. If I am here then
everyone is here. The original context of
this quotation is a gemara in Sukkah (Suk-
kah 53a): b’simchat beit hashoevah amar
kein, im ani kan – hakol kan; v’im eini kan,
mi kan. According to Rashi, Hillel here
speaks in the name of God. God declares
at the midst of this moment of unbridled
joy and ecstasy “If I am here then all are
here”. Yet, interestingly enough, Tosafot
points out that according to the Yerushal-
mi, Hillel refers not to God, but to himself.
If the Yerushalmi is correct, Hillel is mak-
ing a bold statement. If I, Hillel, am here
than so is everyone.
In my mind, Hillel’s bold statement is ac-
tually a revolutionary moment of clarity. A
declaration: since I know that I am here to
celebrate, my relationship with God is so
powerful, my feeling of oneness with am
yisrael is so keen – everyone that I need is
here. What impresses me about this gemara
is that at moments of happiness, of bril-
liance, of closeness… Instead of becoming
lost in frivolity, we ask a difficult and loaded
existential question – Why am I here?
So today I ask… why am I here? There are
of course a number of levels to this ques-
tion. Ranging from why am I here in Crest
Hollow Country Club being installed to
why am I here in this universe. I will deal
with one at a time.
Why am I here at Crest Hollow Coun-
try Club being “installed”?
This questioned is answered partially by
This article is a written transcript of Rabbi Elie Weissman’s speech at his instalation ceremony as the Rabbi of the Young Israel of Plainview..
Questions for a New
Rabbi
Rabbi Elie Weissman
referring you to one of my particularly
stubborn if not obstinate relatives, who I
promised would remain nameless (he ac-
tually couldn’t make it because tonight is
tennis night. But we’ll return to him later).
But I am here in Crest Hollow also due
to the hard work and effort of the dinner
committee, led by Sandy Karoll and Larry
Pollack. They put up with a lot of grief and
long hours, and a cantankerous honoree.
And overall they did an amazing, and bang
up job. So to answer the first question, why
am I here in Crest Hollow? I am here, WE
are here, because of their immense work
and dedication. So on behalf of the Young
Israel of Plainview (and being the Rabbi I
can speak on their behalf) I thank you.
Why am here in Plainview?
This too is somehow related to a stubborn
and often unreasonable relative, who I
hardly knew until I moved here to Plain-
view. And, depending on how the next few
years go, I want to thank him. Also more
particularly because Lou, Marty, and Ger-
ry had the forethought to take me out to
Dougie’s in order to convince me to take
the job. I am here because of the giants
who came before me, Rabbi Aaron Shapiro,
Rabbi Leon Salonge, and of course Rabbi
Moshe Portnoy (whose second yahrtzeit
we now approach) all zichronam livracha . I
hope to live up to their examples. But I am
also here in Plainview because of all of you
sitting here and those who were unable to
make it as well. You have been welcoming,
and warm. You have opened your homes
and your hearts to me and my family, and
Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
for that I am particularly thankful.
I am a young rabbi, and I have made mis-
takes. While I have no intention of making
any more in the future, I have a hunch that
I will. To a certain extent teaching, for me,
has come quite naturally. It is the cloak
of leader and pastor that I still wear un-
comfortably. I thank you for your support
and understanding as I grow into it. I am
thankful to the two wonderful presidents I
have been privileged to work with. Lou and
Ken, your guidance and perspectives have
been to me essential. I am appreciative to
those who have given me advice, and so
too just as much to those who have not.
There is a great amount of Kavod that goes
along with being elected Rabbi of a shul.
Yet most of all I am thankful to those who
have had the courage and understanding
to be my friend, for that in my mind is the
greatest kavod of all. The kavod of a Rav is
hard to earn, the kavod of earning people’s
respect as a friend is invaluable. So to an-
swer the second question, why am I here
in Plainview? I am in Plainview because of
all of you.
Why am I here in the world of avodat
ha-kodesh, chinuch, Jewish education
and communal leadership?
I am here because I was inspired. Inspired
first by professional, caring, and sensi-
tive educators. Starting specifically at the
Jewish Foundation School and then the
Yeshiva of Flatbush, where I was exposed
to teachers from across a wide ideological
spectrum all of whom shared the same
goal of inspiring Jewish youth to greater
commitment.
I again found inspiration at Yeshivat Har
Etzion, Gush, from my Roshei Yeshiva Rav
Yehuda Amital and Rav Aharon Lichtenstien
powerfully committed, powerfully creative,
passionate about the future of am Yisrael
and the religious Zionist Ideal. It is their vi-
sion that continues to inspire me. And more-
over, it is the friendships that I formed there
that continue to serve as my inspiration and
support. In Yeshiva University it’s easy to get
caught up in the atmosphere. Every one has
their own local issues, complaints. But now
17
 as I get farther away from the time I spent
there as a student, I see more clearly all that
I had gained from my time bein kotlei beit
Hamidrash. Rav Rosensweig offered me a
perspective on Lomdus, an understanding
that I had never before experienced. Ask-
ing nuanced often even philosophical ques-
tions, when exploring the underpinnings
and complexity of the Halachik argument
leading to a broad conceptual understand-
ing of HKBH’s Torah. From Rabbi Carmy,
my mind was opened for real to the Phi-
losophy of the Rav and to the rich intel-
lectual history of the Jewish people. From
Rav Glickman, the critical eye necessary to
explore Halacha and that what I had been
doing when learning a gemara in Bava Met-
zia was necessary for explore psak halacha
and even life.
I am also here because the Yeshiva of
Flatbush decided to take a chance on an
alumnus with no experience, and took the
time to guide me, offering me mentors of
unbelievable quality- among them Rabbi
Dr. David Eliach who we were privileged
to host here in Plainview. And now at Cen-
tral (YU’s precious secret), I am privileged
to continue my first love education in the
classroom with incomparable students.
Why am I here in the rabbinate?
For this I thank Rabbi Yaakov Lerner who
RIETS Tribute Dinner Honors Three Leaders
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Semi-
nary (RIETS), an affiliate of Yeshiva Uni-
versity, honored distinguished RIETS
roshei yeshiva (professor of Talmud) Rabbi
Meir Goldwicht, and Rabbi Shlomo Ho-
chberg and Rabbi Mordechai Besser, at
a tribute dinner celebrating Torah excel-
lence on Sunday, June 10, 2007, in New
York City.
Rabbi Goldwicht, who is the Joel and Ma-
ria Finkle Visiting Israeli Rosh Yeshiva and
a rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University’s un-
dergraduate Yeshiva Program/Mazer School
of Talmudic Studies, is a prominent Israeli
scholar and educator. He is head rosh ye-
shiva at Yeshiva University’s Irving I. Stone
Continued on Page 20
18 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
has been a role model and mentor to me.
He was a friend of Rabbi Portnoy and I am
glad that the lines of communication be-
tween the Young Israels of Plainview and
Great Neck continue. I am here also be-
cause of the gentle nudging of Rabbi Barry
Kornblau of the Young Israel of Windsor
Park, who put me in front of his congrega-
tion. I feel very privileged that Rabbi Ron-
ald Schwarzberg and Rabbi Kenny Brander
were able to be here today. The Center for
Jewish Future has offered me such valu-
able guidance and assistance, whether on
a professional or spiritual level. They have
truly gathered the best of YU into one
place and models like Rabbi Brander and
Rabbi Schwarzberg are an inspiration to
young rabbis. The Center for Jewish Fu-
ture merges the best of Yeshiva University
and I feel privileged to be a part of it.
Finally, Avital and I are here in this field
because of the support of our parents (who
have schlepped all the way in from Florida
and Binghamton respectively). The path
that we have chosen is complex, but we
were given great confidence by supportive
parents. They did not merely accept our
choice, but actively assisted, advised and
guided. For this they should truly be lauded.
And Avital and I love them dearly for it.
Why am I here on earth?
Top row, L-R: Honorees Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg, and Rabbi Mor-
dechai Besser. Bottom row, L-R: Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, the Max and Marion Grill Dean
of RIETS; YU President Richard M. Joel; Rabbi Norman Lamm, YU Chancellor and Rosh
HaYeshiva of RIETS; and Julius Berman, chairman of the RIETS Board of Trustees.
I don’t know. Yet what I do know is that
once I am here, I have been given a beauti-
ful family to share it with. Bill Cosby once
said “I am not the boss in my house. I am
not sure when I lost the job, but I know
this. I’ve seen the work. I don’t want it!” I
am privileged to be married to a wonderful
educator. A woman who cares deeply for
the Jewish people, for Eretz Yisrael, and
who keeps our house a bright and deeply
spiritual place. Who puts up with so much
and inspires me every day. I do not know
what I would do without you. I feel privi-
leged to have a share in your home. What
you do for our family, for Tiferet and Leba,
is immeasurable. They are unique and
growing because of you. No one stands
when she walks into a room, she doesn’t
get installed, she doesn’t get the aliyah for
chazak, yet all the kavod in the world is
owed to her. Sheli v’shelachem shelah hu,
all that I have gained is due to you. Avital.
I thank you all again for this honor. Thank
you all those who came from Staten Island,
from Florida, New Jersey and all over. And
thank you all those from Plainview. May
Hashem bless us all, may He grant refuah
sheleima to all those who are in need, and
may our community continue to grow and
prosper ultimately in Eretz Yisrael. n
 ...‫דרשו ד׳ בהמצאו‬
TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL
RABBI ISAAC ELCHANAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
HAUSMAN/STERN KINUS TESHUVA LECTURES

RENUNCIATION, DIVORCE,
AND REHABILITATION:
REFLECTIONS ON FACETS OF TESHUVA
RABBI AHARON LICHTENSTEIN
Rabbi Henoch and Sarah D. Berman Professor of Talmud, Rosh Kollel and Director, Gruss Institute
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 • j’’xa, hra, ’jk rut
7:30 PM
40 DUVDEVANI STREET, BAYIT VEGAN, JERUSALEM

TESHUVA AND ITS CONTEMPORARY

RESONANCE IN THE RAMBAM’S YAD HACHAZAKA
RABBI ZEVULUN CHARLOP
Max and Marion Grill Dean, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 • j’’xa, hra, ’jk rut
Live Webcast
LIVEat The Marcos
WEBCAST & Adina Katz YUTorah.org
AT WWW.YU.EDU/TORAH
8:00 PM

WEISSBERG COMMONS-BELFER HALL

WILF CAMPUS OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
2495 AMSTERDAM AVENUE AT 184TH STREET

Lectures will be in English.

For more information, directions, and parking, please contact:
The Max Stern Division of Communal Services / CJF • 212-960-5263 or by email at lectures@yu.edu

‫בברכת שנה טובה‬

Richard M. Joel Rabbi Norman Lamm Rabbi Zevulun Charlop Rabbi Kenneth Brander Julius Berman
President Rosh HaYeshiva Max and Marion Grill Dean Dean Chairman
RIETS RIETS RIETS Max Stern Division of Board of Trustees
Communal Services / CJF RIETS
RIETS

B R I N G W I S D O M T O L I F E

Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007 19

 Rabbi Charlop to Retire and
Assume New Post
continued from page 3

Board and in his participation in seminars

and other such opportunities.

Rabbi Charlop appointed most of the cur-
rent Roshei Yeshiva and initiated the Kollel
Elyon. In an interview with the YU Com-
mentator (Volume LXXI Issue 10 Final),
Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, RIETS Rosh Rabbi Charlop at a RIETS Yom Iyun with Rabbi Kenneth Brander (l), President Richard Joel (r)
HaYeshiva, commented: “Rabbi Charlop’s
the fact that Rabbi Charlop will continue as president of the American Committee
years of service were distinguished by
to be a force within Yeshiva for many years. for the United Charities in Israel, General
ideological consistency, firm leadership,
He has contributed so much in his capac- Israel Orphans Home for Girls in Jerusa-
and an uncanny ability to reconcile op-
ity as dean and will continue to do so in his lem, and the National Council of Young
posing views in his learned and eminent
new role in the university.” Israel Rabbis. He is the editor of three
faculty. He had to deal with an often im-
novellae on Torah and Talmud by his late
patient president who had his own ideas
Rabbi Charlop graduated from Yeshiva father, the noted Rabbi Yechiel Michel
- and yet we remained not only respectful
College in 1951 and received his semi- Charlop. Rabbi Charlop was honored at
colleagues but also good and dear friends.”
khah three years later. He taught American the 2006 Chag Hasemikhah Convocation
Rabbi Lamm noted that Rabbi Charlop oc-
history at Yeshiva College and has been with the esteemed Harav Yosef Dov Hal-
cupied his position both before and after
the Spiritual Leader of the Young Israel of evi Soloveitchik zt”l Aluf Torah Award. He
he served as President of the University.
Mosholu Parkway in the Bronx since his joins Rosh Hayeshiva Rabbi Dr. Norman

ordination. Rabbi Charlop was tapped as Lamm, and Rabbi Dr. Aaron Lichtenstein
That same article in the Commentator
the Director of the Mazer Yeshiva Program, ‘59R, the occupant of the Rabbi Henoch
quoted Rabbi Michael Rosensweig ‘80R,
the largest undergraduate Jewish studies and Sarah D. Berman Chair in Talmud, as
the Nathan and Perel Schupf Professor of
program, and RIETS in 1971. In 1987 he the only three individuals upon whom this
Talmud, who also had high praise for the
was named Dean. Rabbi Charlop is the honor has been bestowed. n
RIETS menahel. “I think that Rabbi Char-
scion of a family with a tradition of rab-
lop has magnificently protected the pri-
binic leadership and Jewish scholarship. At the time of printing CHAVRUSA, no
orities of the values of the yeshiva and the
announcement has been made regard-
university. He has been an advocate of the
He has authored numerous scholarly es- ing the new RIETS Dean.
yeshiva to the university for a long time.”
says, including “The Making of Orthodox
He continued: “I think I speak for all of
Rabbis” in Encyclopedia Judaica, and “G-d
the Roshei Yeshiva in saying that we are
in History and Halakha from the Perspec-
all very comforted during this transition by
tive of American History.” He has served

RIETS Tribute Dinner Honors Three Leaders continued from page 18

Beit Midrash Program.
Rabbi Hochberg, who leads the Young Is-
rael of Jamaica Estates and is mashgiach
ruchani (spiritual advisor) of Stern College
for Women, received the RIETS Distin-
guished Rabbinic Leadership award. He
was recently elected President of the Rab-
binical Council of America. Rabbi Besser,
principal of Manhattan Day School, re-
ceived the RIETS Educator of the Year
award. He resides in Kew Gardens Hills,
New York. Rabbi Hochberg and Rabbi
Besser are musmakhim (graduates) of RI- ish Education and Administration. Maria
ETS. The tribute dinner also recognized Finkle, who established with her late hus-
the 25th and 50th anniversary classes of band, Joel, the RIETS Joel and Maria Fin-
RIETS. kle Visiting Israeli Rosh Yeshiva Program,
served as honorary chair. n
The event, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, be-
gan at 4 pm with Torah presentations fol-
lowed by a reception at 5 pm and dinner
at 6 pm.
General chairman of the dinner was Steven
Adelsberg, secretary of the Board of Direc-
tors of YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jew-

20 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007

Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007 25
 Lifecycles
Books
Rabbi Michael Broyde ‘93R has pub-
lished a new edition of his book, The
Pursuit of Justice and Jewish Law:
Halakhic Perspectives on the Legal
Profession. The book examines the
ethical and halachic issues raised by
the many facets of law practice and
provides guidance on a number of is-
sues that are of relevance to anyone
dealing with the secular justice sys-
tem (particularly regarding mesirah).
The book can be purchased at local
bookstores or online at www.Yashar-
Books.com.
Rabbi Daniel Mann ‘89R has edited
the new book, Living the Halachic
Process: Questions and Answers
for the Modern Jew. Rabbi Mann is
a faculty member at both Yeshiva
University’s RIETS Israel Kollel and
at Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah. For more
information about the book, please
go to http://www.eretzhemdah.org/ or
email info@eretzhemdah.org
Dr. David Zomick has published Re-
joice In Your Festivals (Penetrating
Insights Into Pesach, Shavuot and
Sukkot), Urim Press. The volume is
based on the meticulous notes of the
late RIETS Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zvi
Dov kanotopsky ‘44R.
Mazal Tov
Rabbi Kenneth ‘78R and Joanne Au-
man on the birth of a grandson, born
to their children Penina and Avraham
Yitzchak Braunstein.
Rabbi Shalom ‘95R and Rachel Axel-
rod on the birth of a daughter, Nomi
Tifara.
Rabbi Moshe ‘75R and Rachel Bomz-
er, on the marriage of their daughter
Leebie to Shragie Teller. Mazal tov
also to grandparents, Rabbi Herbert
‘51R and Leona Bomzer.
Rabbi Ari ‘95R and Anita Berman on
the bar-mitzvah of their son, Shlomo.
RIETS Student Etan and Yonina Ber-
man on the birth of a son, Neche-
miah.
RIETS Student David Berger on his
marriage to Talya Ladell.
Rabbi Mordechai Besser ‘70R, Rosh
Yeshiva Rav Meir Goldwicht, and
Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg ‘73R on
being honored at the RIETS annual
dinner. Mazal tov also to Rabbi Ho-
chberg on his appointment as the
incoming President of the Rabbinical
Council of America.
Rabbi Steven ‘05R and Rachel Burg
on the birth of a son, Natan Yoel Roi.
22 Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007
RIETS Student Yoni and Shani Cham-
bre on the birth of a son, Aryeh Moshe.
Mazel tov also to grandparents Rabbi
Allen ’86R and Alisa Schwartz.
Rabbi Judah ‘01R and Naomi Dardik
on the birth of a daughter, Hodayah
Cheyn.
RIETS Student Erez and Debra David
on the birth of a daughter, Rena.
Rabbi Zvi ‘02R and Laurie Engel on
the birth of a son, Yaakov Noam.
Rabbi Joshua ‘01R and Aviva Fried-
man on the birth of a son, Yehuda.
Rabbi Eliot ‘75R and Ann Feldman on
the birth of a grandson, Ilan Yehuda,
to Ari and Leah Feldman.
Beren Kollel Elyon member Rabbi
Dani and Zipora Gelernter on the
birth of a daughter, Zahava.
Rabbi Mark ‘94R and Chumi Gottlieb
on the birth of a daughter, Rina Eli-
ana.
Rabbi Maury ‘04R and Malka Gre-
benau on the birth of a daughter,
Bayla Aliza.
RIETS Student Gary and Leba Gutten-
berg on the birth of a son, Menashe.
Rabbi Kenneth ‘78R and Nancy Hain
on the marriage of their son, RIETS
Student Yonah Hain to Ilana Stein.
Rabbi Isaiah ‘55R and Sara Hertz-
berg on the birth of their great-grand-
daughter, Tehilla Zaslow, daughter of
their grandchildren Shoshana and
Levi Zaslow.
Rabbi Gili and Chaya Houpt on the
birth of twin daughters, Yemima Bra-
cha and Bara Avigayil Ness.
RIETS Student Raphy Hulkower on
his marriage to Miriam Ausubel.
Rabbi Yonatan and Miriam Kaganoff
on the birth of a son, Menachem Na-
chum.
RIETS Student Michael and Mira Ka-
plan on the birth of a son, Yoel.
Rabbi Martin ‘75R and Yaffa Katz and
Rabbi Dr. E. Yechiel ‘55R and Nata-
lie Simon on the birth of a son, Dovid
Katz, to their children/grandchildren,
Esti & Avi Katz.
RIETS Student Eli and Naomi Kohl on
the birth of a son, Yisroel Akiva.
Rabbi Moshe ‘87R and Chashie
Krupka on the birth of a daughter,
Tehila Tova.
Rabbi Sholom ‘82R and Shifra Kurz
on the birth of a granddaughter.
RIETS Student Naphtali and Elana
Lavenda on the birth of a daugh-
ter, Ahuva Rachel. Mazal tov also to
grandparents, Rabbi Stuart ‘80R and
Karen Lavena.
RIETS Student David and Adina Les-
sin on the birth of a daughter, Ayelet
Maytal.
Rabbi Yosie ‘06R and Rachel Levine
on the birth of a son, Akiva.
Rabbi Aaron ‘05R and Elisheva Lev-
itt on the birth of twins, Simcha and
Rina Yocheved.
Rabbi Asher ‘96R and Rachel Lopa-
tin on the birth of a son, Gideon Bert
Shalom.
RIETS Student Zvi and Miriam Lowy
on the birth of a daughter, Sara Te-
hila.
Rabbi Uriel ‘00R and Shani Lubetski
on the birth of a son, Yehuda.
Rabbi Dovid ‘02R and Meira Mintz on
the birth of a son, Moshe.
Rabbi Etan Mintz ‘05R on his mar-
riage to Tammy Haendel.
Rabbi Yitzchak Motzen ‘05R on his
marriage to Susan Rudolph.
Wexner Kollel Elyon member Rabbi
David ‘05R and and Jenny Nach-
bar on the birth of a daughter, Liba
Yiska.
RIETS Student Asher and Rivka
Nemes on the birth of a son, Tova
Menucha.
RIETS Student Jeff and Aviva Ney on
the birth of a son, Menachem Ben
Tzion.
Rabbi Joseph ‘99R and Ashira
Ozarowski on the marriage of their
son Rabbi Shalom Ozarowski to Bry-
na Billauer and the marriage of their
daughter Chani to Yosef Newman.
Rabbi Chaim and Shoshana Poupko
on the birth of a daughter, Ayelet
Malka.
Rabbi Tzvi ‘97R and Shifra Pittin-
sky on the birth of daughter, Tzofiya
Tikva
Rabbi Dale Polakoff ‘82R on being
honored at the Orthodox Union an-
nual dinner.
Rabbi Jonathan ‘06R and Nechama
Price on the birth of a daughter, Na-
vah Tovah.
Rabbi Bennett ‘66R and Ruth Rack-
man and Rabbi Emanuel ‘34R Rack-
man on the birth of a granddaughter
and great grand-daughter respective-
ly, Devorah Bayla.
Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Hershel and
Chasida Reichman, on the birth of a
grandchild to Yehoshua and Tzippy
Klaver.
Rabbi Yona ‘91R and Mindy Reiss on
the birth of a son, Yishai Refael.
Rabbi Zvi ‘99R and Shira Romm on
the birth of a son, Moshe Simcha.
RIETS Student Michael and Esther
Rootman on the birth of a daughter,
Devora.
Rabbi Moshe ‘02R and Yonit
Rothchild, on the birth of a daughter,
Shira Gabriella.
Rabbi Jason and Bruriah Rozen on
the birth of a son.
Rabbi Benjamin Samson ‘60R on be-
ing honored with the 207 Zagelbaum
“Chaplain of the Year” Award by The
New York Board of Rabbis.
Rabbi Benjamin ‘96R and Stephanie
Samuels on the bar mitzvah of their
eldest son, Amitai.
RIETS Student Eitan and Rebecca
Schnall on the birth of a daughter,
Chana Esther. Mazal tov also to the
grandparents, Azrieli Dean Rabbi Dr.
David ‘72R and Toby Schnall and
Rabbi Solomon ‘49R and Bertha
Shoulson.
Rabbi Eliezer Schnall ‘03R on his
marriage to Shira Hirsch. Mazal tov
also to his parents, Azrieli Dean Rabbi
Dr. David ‘72R and Toby Schnall.
Rabbi Marc Schneier ‘83R on being
elected Chairman of the World Jewish
Congress, American Section.
RIETS Student Ari Schwarzberg on
his marriage to Naomi Weiss. Mazal
tov also to his parents, Yeshiva Uni-
versity Center for the Jewish Future
Jewish Career Development and
Placement Director, Rabbi Ronald
‘83R and Judy Schwarzberg.
RIETS Student David and Monica
Shabtai on the birth of a son, Eliyahu
Mordechai.
Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliahu Baruch
and Esti Shulman on the marriage
of their daughter, Chava Shulman, to
Moshe Avigdor Konigsberg. Mazal tov
also to Chava’s grandparents, Rabbi
Nisson ‘55R and Rywka Shulman.
Rabbi Solomon ‘49R and Bertha
Shoulson as well as Rabbi Jay ‘79R
and Jody Shoulson on the graduation
of their granddaughter/daughter as a
Doctor of Veterinary Science.
Rabbi Moshe ‘R07 and Mirel Stavsky
on the birth of a daughter, Ora Temi-
ma.
RIETS Student Rafi and Malka Stohl
on the birth of a son, Eliyahu.
Rabbi Aaron ‘94R and Marci
Tirschwell on the birth of their third
son (and first sabra), Yehuda Yaakov.
RIETS Student Phillip and Sharona
Vedol on the birth of a son, Shlomo
Binyamin.
Rabbi Dr. Ronald ‘72R and Resa
Warburg on the birth of two grand-
Lifecycles
daughters, Atara to Rafi and Miriam of his mother, Chaya Carmy Rabbi David Israel ‘96R on the loss of Aryeh (Maurice) Schwartz ‘54R,
Warburg, and Adina to Shalom and his mother, Bella Israel. on the loss of Rebbitzen Rachel
Rabbi Aaron Feder ‘55R and his
Becky Warburg.
sister-in-law, Mrs. Cecile Feder, on Rabbi Barry Konovitch ‘67R on the Schwartz, sister-in-law of Rabbi
Rabbi Nathan & Leah Weiss on the the loss of his brother, Rabbi Walter loss of his father, Rabbi Simon Kono- Gedalia Schwartz ‘49R.
birth of a great granddaughter. Feder, MD. vitch ‘46R.
Rabbi Elie ‘05R and Avital Weissman Rabbi Philip ‘59R and Lilly Schwebel
The Goldberg and Mondrow families Rabbi Yona Reiss ‘91R, Menhahel of
on the birth of a son, Noam David. on the loss of their daughter, Dr. Lana
on the loss of Rabbi Jacob Goldberg the Beth Din of America, on the loss
Rabbi Akiva ‘06R and Yael Willig on ‘46R. of his father, Harry Reiss. Schwebel, Assistant Professor of Eng-
the birth of a son, Betzalel. Mazal tov lish at Stern College.
Rabbi Sheldon ‘71R Goldsmith on Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt ‘82R on
also to Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Morde-
the passing of his mother, Rose Gold- the loss of his father, Dr. David Rosen- Rabbi Joseph Siev ‘70R on the loss
chai ‘71R and Fagie Willig.
smith. blatt.
of his mother, Pesel, wife of the late
Rabbi Michoel ‘03R and Rachel Zyl-
Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider ‘94R on Joyce Saltman on the loss of her hus- Rabbi Asher Siev ‘38R.
berman on the birth of a son, David
Netanel. the loss of his father, Rabbi Harvey band, Rabbi Kopi Saltman ‘68R.
Rabbi Kalman Topp ‘97R on the loss
Goldscheider. Rabbi Moshe Schapiro ‘98R on the
of his father Dr. Leonard Topp.
Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot ‘89R on the loss of his mother, Lucille Schapiro.
Condolences loss of his sister, Dalia Naomi Hay. Rabbi Max ‘52R and Toby Schreier on Rabbi Jeremiah Wohlberg ‘61R, Rab-
The Bonchek family on the loss of Jacob W. Heller, Honorary Trustee of the loss of Toby’s mother, Mrs. Faye bi Mitchell Wohlberg ‘68R and Rabbi
Rabbi Daniel Bonchek ‘57R RIETS Board of Trustees, on the loss Raitzik. Saul Wohlberg ‘67R, on the loss of
Rabbi Shalom Carmy ‘84R on the loss of his brother, Miles Heller. The family of the late Rabbi Moshe their mother, Mrs. Jessie Wohlberg.

Growth Opportunities for RIETS Alumni

The Global Jewish Database (The Responsa Project) at Bar-Ilan University is now available to our alumni. The largest
database of its kind, this database includes the full text of Tanach and its principal commentaries, the Talmud Bavli with
services that we now offer to Rabbinic Alumni.

Rashi and Tosafot, the Talmud Yerushalmi, the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, Shulchan Aruch with commentaries, Mi-
drashim, hundreds of Shailot U’Teshuvot, and the Talmudic Encyclopedia, representing a period of over three thousand
There are several new & personalized free

years of Jewish literary creativity. To access the Responsa Project you will need a personal logon, which you receive by
emailing alumni@yu.edu with your full name, e-mail address and graduation date. Then logon to http://www.yu.edu/li-
braryalumniportal to logon and access the Bar Ilan Responsa project, and a host of other resources including Otzar
HaHochma, which features the full text of almost 20,000 Sefarim.

The Resource and Research Center provides individual assistance in researching issues of Jewish law and thought.
Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman, Director of Rabbinic Research, will respond to inquiries concerning the above fields to as-
sist you in preparing shiurim or researching halachic issues of interest and importance to you. This service is part of
our Legacy Heritage Fund Rabbinic Enrichment Initiative, generously sponsored by the Legacy Heritage Fund Limited.
Rabbi Feldman can be reached at: RabbinicResource@yu.edu.

Do you have a shayla you would like addressed to one of the RIETS Roshei Yeshiva? If you e-mail RabbinicConsult@
yu.edu, your shayla will be delivered in a timely fashion to be answered by one of our Roshei Yeshiva. A response will
be provided within one week. A Shayla can be kept anonymous and will never be discussed with anyone but the Roshei
Yeshiva to whom the question is posed.

More and more people are raving about www.YUTORAH.org, the Marcos and Adina Katz YU Torah Online. Search
through thousands of written, audio, and video shiurim from the RIETS Roshei Yeshiva and faculty of the past 100
years.

The following RIETS classes are open to Rabbinic Alumni

• Pastoral Psychology – Drs. David Pelcovitz/Norman Blumenthal – Friday mornings, 9:00 am
• Rabbinic Practicum – Taught by Roshei Yeshiva & Shul Rabbanim – Thursday Afternoons 12:05 pm
• Contemporary Halacha – Rabbi Ezra Schwartz – Thursday afternoons, 1:00 pm
•Fourth Year Halacha L’maaseh – Rabbi Daniel Stein – Thursday afternoons, 2:00 pm
• Advanced Counseling – Dr. Pelcovitz – Wednesday afternoons at noon.
• Speech Seminar – one of the biggest and most welcome additions to the RIETS curriculum is a strong stress on speech
classes, taught by experts in the field. Based upon sufficient interest, RIETS could organize such a speech classes for
Rabbinic Alumni for a nominal fee. Size would be limited to ten students per class. Please contact Rabbi Marc Penner
at penner@yu.edu if you would be interested in attending.

Chavrusa • Elul 5767 • September 2007 23

 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
an affiliate of Yeshiva University

Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future

Max Stern Division of Communal Service
500 West 185th Street
New York, NY 10033

Richard M. Joel
President

Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm

Chancellor, Yeshiva University
Rosh HaYeshiva, RIETS

Rabbi Kenneth Brander

Dean, Center for the
Jewish Future

Rabbi Dr. Solomon Rybak

President, Rabbinic Alumni

Rabbi Ronald L. Schwarzberg

Director, Jewish Career Development
and Placement

Rabbi Elly Krimsky

Assistant Director, Jewish Career
Development and Placement
Editor, Chavrusa

Rabbi Levi Mostofsky

Director of Rabbinic Programming
Associate Editor, Chavrusa

Rabbi Robert Shur

Coordinator, Community Programs
Graphics and Layout, Chavrusa

Rabbi Naphtali Lavenda

Program Manager, Jewish Career Development
and Placement

Keren Simon
Administrator, Jewish Career
Development and Placement

RIETS
Rabbi Zevulun Charlop
Max and Marion Grill Dean, RIETS

Rabbi Chaim Bronstein

Administrator, RIETS

Rabbi Julius Berman

Chairman of the Board of Trustees, RIETS