Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev

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Volume XIII - Issue 6

The DRS Weekly Torah Publication
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DR3\ D3"
In this weeks parsha, the says: said to ,Arent your brothers grazing [the sheep] in Shechem? Go, I
will send you to them, ( , ).
When sends his son to , the Pasuk refers to him as . This seems strange, being that
throughout the Parsha, we continuously refer to him as . Why do we suddenly switch from calling him to
calling him ?
Rav Avraham Ben Harambam ztl gives a beautiful and inspiring answer. He says that the is teaching us
an amazing lesson of - which means that we should always judge every person in a positive
light. One might think to himself, The entire only occurred because of the mass emigration of Bnei Yisrael
to Egypt; Yaakov and his family only moved there because Yosef was the Viceroy of Egypt; Yosef was only able to
rise up to that high and honorable position after being freed from slavery; The brothers of Yosef only sold him into
slavery because of their hatred for him and the opportunity they got when they met him in the fields; and finally, Yosef
only went to check on his brothers in the fields, because his father, Yaakov, asked him to!! Based on this, it would
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And they hated him even more because of his dream.
Having experienced two vivid dreams in which it appeared that he was
destined to rule over his family, Yosef decided to relay his dreams to his family.
If Yosef was fully aware that his relationship with his brothers was already
fraught with difficulties, why then would he have wanted to exacerbate the situa-
tion by telling them something that would only get them only angrier?
Rav Yisrael Belsky gives a very powerful answer: he says that there are
many times when halachos relating to a particle passage in the Torah shed light
on a deeper understanding of issues that are at first glance not so clear. The last
Perek of Massechet Brachot discusses dreams in great depth. It forms the basis
of understanding dreams, the role they play in our lives, how to approach
dreams, and much more. Two specific halachos can clarify why Yosef did in
fact tell his dreams to his brothers.
If a person has a dream, , and he is distressed by it, the
(Continued on page 2)
Hatred Alters the Accuracy of Ones Judgment
By Donny Steinberg, 11th Grade
Only Through the Will of Hashem
By Shmulie Reichman, 11th Grade
PARSHAS VAYESHEV
KISLEV 21, 5772
DECEMBER 17, 2011

All Zmanim are calculated by myzmanim.com for
Woodmere, NY (11598)
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2

Gemarah (Brachos 55b) tells us - he
should sweeten it in the presence of three people. The
Shulchan Aruch further stipulates that it should be in
the presence of 3 people who love him. Therefore, even
before analyzing the content of the dreams, the mere
fact that Yosef approached his brothers was to reveal 2
things.
Firstly, Yosef didnt share his dreams to tease
them, there is no or reason or halachic precedent for a
person to share his good dreams with others, especially
if this would only lead to hatred and jealousy. Rather,
Yosef considered his dreams to be bad omens. Yosef
was deeply disturbed by his dreams (which suggested
that he would rule over his brothers). Thus, he felt the
need to sweeten the dreams by telling them to his
brothers.
Secondly, we see that Yosef considered his
brothers to be close friends. Though there was some
obvious tension between Yosef and his brothers, Yosef
presumed that the differences dividing them were su-
perficial. Just as a persons daily acquaintances may be
cordial enough on a day to day basis, when trouble aris-
es, they will often be reluctant to help and may not even
be concerned. True friends on the other hand, may not
play a role in a persons day to day life, but when trou-
ble occurs, they are the ones who rush to lend a hand.
The relationship between Lot and Avraham Avienu is a
clear demonstration of this. A schism developed be-
tween them to the point that they had to split up, yet
several years later Avraham Avienu was willing to risk
his life to save Lot when he was taken captive.
Yosef felt the same was true of his brothers; he
had no doubt in his mind that his brothers would be
there for him in a time of need. He said Shimu Na,
Asher Chalamti Hachalom Hazeh, - listen, please, to
this dream I have dreamt. Asking his brothers to listen
to his dreams was a subtle message of reconciliation; it
should have lessened the hatred that his brothers had,
even though the contrary took place.
Rashi in Bamidbar says
- hatred distorts the ruling. Rather than recognizing that
Yosef was extending a hand of peace, the hatred of his
brothers caused them to misinterpret Yosefs message,
and this consequently led to more hatred towards
Yosef.
A similar misunderstanding transpired when
Yosef related his second dream, in which the sun,
moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. At first
glance, it seems that it was an act of arrogance on
Yosefs part that his family was compared to celestial
objects. With closer inspection, we see that the absence
of any symbol representing Yosef suggests that he per-
ceived himself as a just an imperfect human. Therefore,
the dream shows that Yosef was in awe of greatness of
the shevatim; to him they were like stars.
Rav Belsky continues to say that hatred is such
a powerful form of evil that it caused the great tzadikim
to make two grave mistakes in judgment: they did not
realize that Yosef was distraught, nor did they recog-
nize that Yosef considered them to be his closest and
most beloved confidants.
One who is filled with hatred focuses his entire
mind on harming or destroying the object of his hate.
This affects a person in several ways. It prevents a per-
son from understanding what the message the person is
trying to convey. This is what happened when Yosef
relayed his dreams to his brothers. Even though Yosef
was trying to say he that he loved them, his brothers
hatred caused them to completely block off the real
message that Yosef was trying to get across.
Furthermore, a person consumed with hate will
not consider the consequences of these feelings on oth-
er areas in his life, or on other individuals. This ex-
plains the irrational and self destructive behaviors of
people who are embroiled in a feud.
Finally, hatred and anger can lead to a general
state of irrationality. Once a person begins to boil with
anger and resentment against another person, something
that can happen to anyone, all his fine thoughts and
good intentions disappear in an instant, and are replaced
by a raging torrent of emotions. At this point he closed
of the rational part of his mind, and his actions are de-
termined solely by burning hatred, this is what is meant
when we say sinah mekalkelles hatred distorts the ac-
curacy of ones judgment. A person must consider these
lessons in advance, if he applies these lessons only at
the time when his anger and hatred begin to grow with-
in him, the chance of remaining calm and rational are
very slim.
Shabbat Shalom!
(Donny SteinbergContinued from page 1)
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 3

Yakov Avinu sent his son, Yosef, to inquire
after the welfare of his brothers, who were supposedly
tending to their sheep near Shechem. When Yosef ar-
rived in Shechem, the brothers were no longer there.
While Yosef roamed the fields, a stranger approached
Yosef and asks, Ma Tivakesh? - what are you seek-
ing? To this, Yosef answered, Es Achi Anochi
Mivakesh, I seek my brothers (Bereishis 37: 15-16)
According to the Medrash Rabah (Bereishis
84:13), Yosef was aware that his brothers despised
him and he even knew that they intended to harm him.
Nevertheless, Yosef did not hesitate in obeying his
fathers wishes and he travelled to Shechem. When
Yosef did not find his brothers in Shechem, it was clear
that he had already fulfilled his fathers mission and, in
good faith, could have returned immediately to Yakov.
Yet, we see that Yosef continued to seek out the broth-
ers, knowing full well that they would not be happy to
see him. Why?
We can find an answer to this question in
Yosefs response to the stranger who he meets in She-
chem. Yosef responds, Es Achi Anochi Mivakesh.
Although he was aware of their feeling of ill will to-
wards him, he wanted to reach out to his brothers and
make peace with them. According to the Medrash Ra-
bah, Yosef was taking the initiative; he was making the
first move towards reconciliation. Knowing full well
what his brothers were capable of, Yosef was willing to
risk personal injury for the sake of Shalom Bayis and
for the greater good of the family.
Es Achi Anochi Mivakesh, Let us take
Yosefs lesson to heart and take the initiative in mend-
ing our relationships and the divisions within the Jew-
ish community. After all, we are all one family.
Have a great Shabbos!
Torah Teasers
By Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum

Questions

1) Where are the words - please recognize
this," said? (2 times)
2) Aside from when the brothers took out of a
- pit, when else is taken out of a ?
3) Where do people handle a goat? (2 times)
4) Where is bread mentioned? (2 times)
5) Which two different times is clothing removed
from the same person?
6) a) In what context did someone tear his clothing?
(2 times) b) Where else in the Torah do people tear
their clothing?
Answers

1) The brothers said - please recognize this
to their father to recognize the tunic of Yosef
(:). also said to to recognize
the items that he gave her as collateral (:).
2) In , when was needed to interpret the
dreams of , the states that was taken out
of a (:) (In that context, means
dungeon).
3) The brothers slaughtered a goat into which they
dipped the tunic of (:). sent a goat to
give to as payment (:), (A minor difference is
that the brothers slaughtered a , goatling.
sent a , a kid of the goats to .
4) After the brothers threw into the pit, they sat
down to eat bread (:). The Torah states that
entrusted with all that was in his household
- except for the bread
which he eats (:). " explains that the word
bread refer to the wife of ( " ).
5) The brothers removed the tunic of (:) and
the wife of pulled off the garment of when
she wished to lie with him (:).
6) a) tore his clothing when he discovered that
was no longer in the pit (:). tore his
clothing when he thought that was killed (:).
b) All the brothers tore their clothing when the goblet
of was found in the sack of (:).
By Ariel Sacknovitz,
10th Grade
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4


HALACHA
Corner
The Unique Nature of as it Relates to
By Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz
I. Introduction. In this weeks column we will veer from our
usual format. Instead of focusing on a purely halachic
issue with some attention paid to the lomdut behind
the , we will focus on the lomdut of an issue and
while paying some attention to how it affects the
. This essay, unlike our other essays, is not
meant as a guide to a particular area of . Rather,
it is intended to enhance our appreciation of some of
the underlying themes and ideas behind the .
II. was posed with a question of a person
who had already lit his first candle on the eighth night
of Chanukah, and prior to lighting the remaining sev-
en candles, realized that he had not yet made a .
The question was whether or not the person can still
recite a at this point. Perhaps one can argue that
the has already been completed and the chance
for a has been lost. On the other hand, it may be
argued that so long as all of the candles have not been
kindled, there is still time to recite a . The
primary has been fulfilled, but maybe one can
also recite a on a .
A. At first glance, points out, it seems
that one should certainly still be permitted to re-
cite a , after all, the custom in most homes is
to have each person light their own and
recite their own on the kindling of the .
This is the accepted practice even though the ac-
tual only requires a single candle
per household. Perhaps one can deduce from our
practice that may be recited even on a
alone. however, rejects this proof
on the grounds that one may only recite his own
when lighting his own after somebody
else has already lit, because he has in mind that
he is not interested in fulfilling the mitzvah with
the first person to light. If that is the case, his
lighting of the is not merely a but part
of the itself. Indeed, we find precedent
for the idea of having specific intention not to
fulfill the obligation of with the first
person to light in the ' " .
In addressing the case of one who is traveling and
is unable to light at home, suggests that
the person light while on the road, and recite the
on this lighting. The recitation of is
permitted even though his wife has most likely lit
for him already, because he has specific intention
not to fulfill the with the lighting of his wife.
Thus we see that it is entirely possible that one is
not permitted to make a on a , and
may only do so when he has not yet fulfilled the
itself.
B. A second possible source that may shed light on this
question is the comment of ( ).
discusses a case where one has become
confused as to which night of it was. As a
result he has lit six candles on the seventh night of
Chanukah. When the person realizes his mistake
and lights an extra candle the questions
whether or not the person should make a new
when lighting the seventh candle. The
concludes that one would certainly not recite a new
because it is obvious that we do not recite
on what amounts to only a . To
support this contention cites a comment of
the ( ") who states
that if one lit one too few candles and subsequently
lights the last candle, he need not make a new
because when he made the initial he probably
intended to include all candles that he would light
that evening in the . The (
), however, arrives at the exact opposite
conclusion from the statement of the .
While it is true that the rules not to make
a new when lighting the last candle, he
explains by stating
(the he had initially recited was
meant to include all candles that he would light).
The implication of the is that if one did
not have in mind that his should include more
candles than were in front of him at the time of his
initial lighting, he would certainly recite a new
even on the kindling of candles that are done purely
for the purpose of .
1. Can one recite a on a ? What
emerges from this discussion is that there is a
dispute between the and
whether or not one may recite a on a
. maintains that a is never
recited on a , while rules that a
may be recited on a . Perhaps we
may adduce support for the ruling of the
from a comment of the in
(Continued on page 5)
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 5

):(who cites that s ruling that
when one places his on the right side of
the doorpost, the candle furthest to the right
should be kindled first. The "explains that
since only the candle that is closest to the door
serves as a fulfillment of the ( while the
others only serve as a ) one should be
careful to recite his on the candle that will
be used for the primary . Apparently there
is great hesitation to allow one to recite a
on a candle that only functions as a .
C. s conclusion. Relating to his original
question of the permissibility of reciting a on
the remaining candles after the initial candles had
been lit, concludes that a may be
recited for a combination of three reasons:
1. As we have noted the and
debate whether or not a may be recited on
a . It is possible that the is
correct that a may be recited.
2. Generally speaking, one may recite a on
that last a long period of time well after
the begins, so long as the is still in
action. For instance the " (' " )
rules that if one has not yet recited a on his
or he may still recite the so
long as he is still wearing them. Indeed, the very
formulation of a with the letter (i.e.
, , )suggests
that the in question extends for a period of
time. Since should remain lit until
people are no longer walking from the mar-
kets, it too is a that extends for a period of
time, and its may be recited so long as the
candles remain lit. In reality,
points out, one may question the inclusion of
in this category on the basis of the
that a that became extinguished even a
moment after it was lit does not have to be re-
kindled, strongly indicating that the is
complete upon the initial kindling. Yet, consid-
ering that the "included in this
category, we may rely on this factor to permit
the delayed .
3. The " (' " " ") cites a
relating to one who has already performed a
and completed it, but has not yet recited a
. In the view of the ", once the is
complete it is too late to recite a .
However, in the view of the " one
who neglected to recite a prior to
performing a may do so after completing
the . While the "ultimately sides with
the ", one can rely on the opinion of the
" in conjunction with the two factors
previously cited to allow a person to recite a
on the remaining candles in his after
he has lit the first few candles.
III. Understanding the dispute between and
. Perhaps the very dispute relating to reciting
on the additional candles (lit for the purpose of
) is contingent on how we understand the
concept of . On one hand one may view the
additional candles as an addition to the original ,
with the first candle maintaining its identity as the
candle of the actual , distinct from the other
candles. This may be the view of the who
maintains that one may not recite a on the
additional candles, as they are clearly only serving the
function of but do not relate at all to the
actual fulfillment of the , (This is clearly the view
of : ). On the other hand, one may
view the concept of relating to as an
additional and enhanced method of fulfilling the
of . If this is the case, there is no room to
distinguish between the first and subsequent candles,
as all are now part of the enhanced .
This may be the view of the who permits a
to be recited on the additional candles, as each of
the candles is part of the . If this
understanding is correct we can more readily under-
stand why the of is so vastly
different from by other . For instance,
generally we assume (one need
only spend a third more than the actual cost of the
to facilitate the beautification of that ). Yet by
we spend many times the cost of the original
to facilitate the . This may be so because the
is an entirely different method of fulfilling the
actual . Furthermore, this may explain why
is the only that we receive specific
instructions on how to fulfill the . By most ,
we beautify the to the best of our understanding
of what is most beautiful. This too, makes sense if we
understand the of as an entirely
different method of performing the .
A. Based on the idea that of
differs fundamentally from by all
(Continued from page 4)
(Continued on page 6)
HALACHA
Corner
Contnued
6

other , Rav Shach ", in his
" explains that any parallels drawn
between of and of
are faulty. The Brisker Rav ", in a
well known comment attempted to link the two.
The Brisker Rav had suggested that the Ram-
bams ruling that one not go back to cut away
pieces that beautify a once the
was completed indicates that the "
understands to apply only while one is
still involved in the itself. Once the
involvement has stopped, there is no fulfillment
of on its own. This is why the
Rambam maintains that even as we light many
candles for on Chanukah, the
must light all of the candles. If he were to stop
and allow others to light, the opportunity for
would have passed. The ", on the
other hand, rules that may be fulfilled
even after the has been completed. That is
why the "recommends cutting away extra
pieces to beautify a even after the
has been completed. This is also why the "
writes that when fulfilling the of
, each member of the household should
light their own . However, in light of the
uniqueness of as it relates to ,
Rav Shach suggests that any comparison with
of is completely off base.
B. The ( ) rules that if one
initially only lit one candle because he did not
have enough oil for more, but he subsequently
obtained more oil, he may not recite a new
when lighting the additional candles. This is in
apparent agreement with the . The
(:) disagrees and rules that even in
this case one may recite a new on the
additional candles, in apparent agreement with
the .
C. The ( " ") was asked
whether the prohibition to benefit from the
applies only to the first candle that is lit for
the basic requirement or even for the additional
candles that are lit for the purpose of .
It seems that this question too hinges on the
. If one were to view
the additional candles as purely a one may
assume that it is permissible to benefit from
them. If, however, the idea of lighting many
candles as an enhanced method of fulfilling the
, all of the candles would be equally
forbidden to benefit from. Practically speaking,
the (:) rules that one may not
use the light of even the remaining candles, in-
dicating that they are separate from the original
candle.
D. The " (:) rules that one should not
light the from the first candle because
it is inappropriate to light the extra candles
from the candle that is being used for the .
The strong implication of this "is that there
is a distinction to be made between the first can-
dle and the remaining candles, similar to the
assertion of the that the is merely
an addition to the original .
IV. Conclusion. We have presented a simple
relating to the recitation of a on a , and
have demonstrated how the underlying theme of that
may reflect a fundamental dispute relating to
our understanding of the entire idea of as it
relates to the of . It should be evident to
us that analysis of the words of our often reveals
a depth to their words that may have gone unnoticed
with a cursory reading.
(Continued from page 5)
HALACHA
Corner
Contnued
seem as if Yaakov was the source of ?!
Therefore, at this point in the storyline, we refer to Yaakov as , which implies a lofty stature, and a
sanctified sense of purpose. For it was not Yaakov who created this series of events leading up to the , but rather it
was the express will of Hashem.
This should serve as a lesson to every one of us, that although there are times when terrible things happen, and
we want to put the blame on someone, we must remember this idea, and realize that everything that happens in this
world is only through the will of Hashem. Have a wonderful Shabbos!
(Shmulie ReichmanContinued from page 1)
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 7

Yosefs second dream describes a scene in
which the sun, moon, and stars are bowing down to
him. The simple interpretation of this dream is a met-
aphor for Yosefs family who will eventually bow
down to him. It is easy to explain that the sun is Yaa-
kov and the eleven stars are the other She-
vatim. However, it is difficult to explain that the
moon symbolizes Rachel because she had died before
Yosefs dream and therefore, could not be bowing
down to him many years later.
Rashi gives two explanations for the apparent
inaccuracy in Yosefs dream. One is that the moon
signifies Bilhah, Rachels maidservant. Because Ra-
chel had died early in Yosefs life, Bilhah had raised
him and acted as a mother towards Yosef. Rashis
second explanation is that the moon does stand for
Rachel. The fact that Rachel had already died proves
that all dreams contain at least some element of fool-
ishness. By indicating this inconsistency, Yaakov
hoped to appease Yosefs jealous brothers.
Rabbi Moshe M. Eisemann gives his own
explanation, in The Riddle of the Bowing
Moon. Yosefs second dream is a prophecy about
what will happen, not in Egypt, but when Moshiach
comes. Yosef was put through many tests, which
tempted him to sin and to assimilate into Egyptian so-
ciety. However, he did not succumb to these tempta-
tions. He refused to give in to the lure of sinning with
the wife of Potifar. He was always steadfast in his
belief in Hashem. Even as viceroy of Egypt, Yosef
still served Hashem and was not influenced by his
negative surroundings.
Moshiach will come when the Jewish people
stop assimilating and giving in to negative tempta-
tions. When that time comes, all of the Jews (the
eleven Shevatim), Yaakov, and Rachel, who cries for
us throughout the exile ( )will bow
down to Yosef in appreciation. He is the paradigm of
the Jew who triumphs over the challenges of living in
exile. May we learn from Yosefs example and there-
by merit the final redemption. Good Shabbos.
Yosefs
Prophetic Dream
By: Yehuda Inslicht,
9th Grade
"After hours of this torture, they bound me and threw me, injured
and exhausted, into a dark cellar. I was bleeding from the
wounds they had inflicted, and my whole body ached in pain. I
lay there until the evening, when the gang leader came to speak
with me. "I tried to the best of my ability to describe to him the
great joy of being in the Rebbe's presence, and how it was so
important to me to get to the Rebbe by the start of the holiday
that it was worth it to endanger myself by traveling at night.
"It seems that my words made an impression on him, or else he
was persuaded by my adamancy even under torture. But which-
ever it was, thank G-d he released me from the handcuffs, say-
ing:
"I sense that your faith in G-d is strong and your longing to be
with your Rebbe is genuine and intense. Now we shall see if this
is the truth. I am going to let you go, but you should know that
the way is extremely dangerous. Even the most rugged people
never venture into the heart of the forest alone, only in groups,
and especially not in a storm and at night. You can leave and try
your luck. And I am telling you, if you get through the forest and
the other terrible conditions safely, unharmed by the ferocious
wild beasts or anything else, then I will break up my gang and
reform my ways.
"If you actually reach the outskirts of the city, then throw your
handkerchief into the ditch next to the road, behind the signpost
there. One of my men will be waiting, and that is how I will
know that you made it.
"I then became terrified all over again. The hardships I had al-
ready endured were seared into my soul, and now even more
frightening nightmares awaited me. But when I thought about
how wonderful it is to be with the Rebbe at the menorah lighting,
I shook off all my apprehensions and resolved not to delay anoth-
er moment. My horse and carriage were returned to me and I set
off on my way.
"There was total darkness all around. I could hear the cries of the
forest animals, and they sounded close. I feared that I was sur-
rounded by a pack of vicious wolves. "I crouched down over my
horse's neck and spurred him on. He refused to move in the pitch
blackness. I lashed him. He didn't budge.
"I had no idea what to do. At that moment, a small light flickered
in front of the carriage. The horse stepped eagerly towards it. The
light advanced. The horse followed. All along the way, the wild
animals fled from us, as if the tiny dancing flame was driving
them away.
"We followed that flame all the way here. I kept my end of the
bargain and threw my handkerchief at the designated place. Who
knows? Perhaps those cruel bandits will change their ways, all in
the merit of that little light."
It was only then that the Chassidim noticed that the Rebbe's
Chanukah light had returned. There it was, burning in the elabo-
rate menorah, its flame strong and pure as if it had just been lit.
(Stories of GreatnessContinued from page 8)
8


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Avi Porter
Shmulie Reichman
Moishy Rothman
Aaron Rubel
Ariel Sacknovitz
Yigal Saperstien
Avrumi Schonbrun
Yoel Schreier
Alex Selesny
Donny Steinberg
Jesse Steinmetz
Chili Szlafrok
Jeremy Teichman
David Weitzman
Matanya Yehonatan

Maggid of DRS
Marc Eichenbaum

Menahel
Rabbi Y. Kaminetzky

Faculty Advisors
Rabbi E. Brazil
Rabbi M. Erlbaum
Rabbi A. Lebowitz
This week's story, The Vanishing Flame by Yerachmiel
Tilles, is a classical Chasidic story that will surely get
us excited for the upcoming holy holiday of Chanukah.
Taken from Chabad.org.
It was the first night of Chanukah. Outside a
snowstorm raged, but inside it was tranquil and warm.
The Rebbe, Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuz, grandson of
the Baal Shem Tov, stood in front of the menorah, sur-
rounded by a crowd of his Chassidim. He recited the
blessings with great devotion, lit the single candle,
placed the shammash ("servant candle") in its designat-
ed place, and began to sing HaNairot Halalu. His face
radiated holiness and joy; the awed Chassidim stared
intently at him.
The flame of the candle was burning strongly. Rebbe
and Chassidim sat nearby and sang Maoz Tsur and oth-
er Chanukah songs. All of a sudden, the candle began
to flicker and leap wildly, even though there wasn't the
slightest breeze in the house. It was as if it were danc-
ing. Or struggling. And then, it disappeared!
It didn't blow out, there was no smoke, it just was not
there anymore. It was as if it flew off somewhere else.
The Rebbe himself seemed lost in thought. His at-
tendant went over to re-light the wick, but the Rebbe
waved him off.
He motioned to the Chassidim to continue singing.
Several times, between tunes, the Rebbe spoke words
of Torah. The evening passed delightfully, and the
Chassidim present had all but forgotten about the dis-
appearing Chanukah candle.
It was nearly midnight when the harsh sound of car-
riage wheels grating on the snow and ice exploded the
tranquility. The door burst open and in came a Chassid
who hailed from a distant village. His appearance was
shocking. His clothes were ripped and filthy, and his
face was puffy and bleeding. And yet, in stark contrast
to his physical state, his eyes were sparkling and his
features shone with joy.
He sat down at the table, and with all eyes upon him,
began to speak excitedly. "This isn't the first time I
came to Mezhibuz by the forest route, and I know the
way very well. But there was a terrible snow storm this
week, which greatly slowed my advance. I began to
worry that I wouldn't get here in time to be with the
Rebbe for the first night of Chanukah. The thought
disturbed me so much, I decided not to wait out the
storm, but to plod ahead and travel day and night, in
the hope that I could reach my destination on time.
"That was a foolish idea, I must admit, but I didn't real-
ize that until too late. Last night, I ran into a gang of
bandits, who were quite pleased to encounter me. They
figured if I was out in this weather, at night, alone, I
must be a wealthy merchant whose business could not
brook delay. They demanded that I surrender to them
all of my money.
"I tried to explain, I pleaded with them, but they abso-
lutely refused to believe I had no money. They seized
the reins of my horses and leapt on my wagon. They sat
themselves on either side of me to keep me under close
surveillance, and then drove me and my wagon off to
meet their chief to decide my fate.
"While they waited for their chief to arrive, they ques-
tioned and cross-examined me in great detail, searched
me and the wagon, and beat me, trying to elicit the se-
cret of where I had hidden my money. I had nothing to
tell them except the truth, and that they weren't pre-
pared to accept.
(Continued on page 7)