Living With Depth

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

We live in troubled times, which is nothing new, as this has been the case for a while. What is different now is that it is often confounding to know which way to go. We see obvious truths mocked and disrespected. Superficially, everything looks fine, but scratch the surface and there is much angst.

We see the Jewish nation portrayed as genocidal murderers, while Western countries play along with the blood libel. A year after the October 7^th tragedy, terror groups continue shooting rockets into Israel at the rate of hundreds a day, while the United States places a hold on weapons for Israel, turning a blind eye to Iran’s web of terror. Nineteen U.S. Senators voted to place a blockade on the shipment of any weapons to Israel, which it needs to defend itself.

Leftists in the Jewish state, in a bid to topple the sitting prime minister, have targeted talmidei yeshivos and kollelim. A Lubavitcher shliach, who was bothering no one, was attacked and killed in the United Arab Emirates by Iranian agents. Thousands of terror sympathizers march in Montreal, Paris, and New York, and anti-Jewish expression spreads.

It’s really nothing new and can be traced back to the parshiyos we study these weeks. The hatred is inbred and began with Yishmoel and Eisov, heirs to greatness who fell sway to superficiality and became overwhelmed with hatred for the goodness and holiness they broke away from.

After years of anticipation and tefillah, Rivkah was worried about what type of child she would give birth to. When she passed a place of holiness, the baby got excited, as if to express a desire to be associated with that place, much as it did when she passed a house of tumah. She was perturbed, as the posuk (Bereishis 25:22) records that she said, “Im kein, lamah zeh anochi,” and went to Sheim for an explanation of the phenomenon.

The words “Lamah zeh anochi” are commonly translated as, “If this is the way it is, then what am I doing this for?”

Perhaps we can understand it on a deeper level. Rivkah, as the wife of Yitzchok, knew that Hashem had foretold to Avrohom, “Ki b’Yitzchok yikorei lecha zora,” that his line would continue through Yitzchok. She knew that the child she was carrying would carry forward Avrohom and Yitzchok’s mesorah. So when she said, “Lamah zeh anochi,” perhaps she was referring to the Aseres Hadibros that her offspring were to receive which begin with “Anochi Hashem Elokecha.”

She was concerned, for she knew that someone who is drawn to tumah – even if he is also drawn to kedusha – could not carry forth the mesorah of the avos and could not be the one to give birth to the shevotim, whose grandchildren would receive the Torah at Sinai.

Someone who presents himself as being holy when that stance is advantageous to him and poses as something very different when he thinks that will help him get what he wants cannot be a link in the transmission of Torah.

Torah is not the domain of those who are all things to all people.

Rivkah knew that as the child of Yitzchok and grandson of Avrohom, her son would be a leader, carrying the torch of kedusha, taharah, and dveikus. She was worried that the child she was carrying was demonstrating symptoms of being unprincipled and thought that she would have been better off without children.

Sheim relieved her when he told her that she would give birth to twins, one righteous and the other not. Although she would have been happier with two righteous children, she was comforted with the knowledge that she would be giving birth to a worthy mamshich of Avrohom and Yitzchok.

Not only in her day, but in ours as well, there is a dearth of proper leaders. In every society, in every country, and in every industry, people are disconcerted as they seek leadership in a drifting world. People look for someone to rally around, a capable person who can put their feelings into words, give voice to their concerns, and provide leadership. People seek a leader who is not only smart, but also principled and incorruptible.

The Torah is not some esoteric book available only to the smart and learned. The Torah is for everyone, at every time, and in every period. It is neither in the heavens nor available only in some remote region. It is for anyone who dedicates himself to its study and acquisition.

As we sit by the feet of good teachers and imbibe the lessons that were inculcated in them by their rabbeim, our minds are opened, our souls are purified, and our sensitivities are awakened to the needs and aspirations of our people.

When we seek answers to our questions, we should do as the Bubbeh Rivkah did and seek the word of Hashem in the bais medrash. Those who study the word of Hashem are equipped to guide us in times of disappointment and confusion. It is only with the Torah’s perspective that we can appreciate what is happening and find direction and purpose in our world.

Talmidei chachomim, tzaddikim, and anoshim gedolim are people of depth, grounded in the truth of Torah and solid foundations of Torah.

Eisov doesn’t see past the surface. The Kelmer baalei mussar point out that when he saw a pot of red soup, he was drawn to it strictly by its color. He said to Yaakov, “Haliteini na min ha’adom ha’adom hazeh - Give me some of this red soup.” “Al kein kara shemo Edom – Therefore, he and his offspring are referred to as Edom” (Bereishis 25:30), because he referred to the soup as “edom,” which means red.

By referring to the soup by its color, he exposed his own superficiality. He didn’t know anything about the soup other than that it had an appealing color. That was enough for him. It could have been a pot of red paint, for all he knew, yet he traded away his future for the momentary pleasure of something superficially appealing.

We can suggest that this concept is reinforced later in the parsha (27:23), when Yaakov approached his father for the brachos. Yitzchok was confounded and wondered whether the son before him was Yaakov or Eisov. He said, “Hakol kol Yaakov, the voice is that of Yaakov,” but “hayodayim yedei Eisov, the hands feel like those of Eisov.”

Yaakov was defined by his internal feature, for he was a person of depth. Speech comes from inside the body and is a gift given to man, separating him from animals. When the Torah says in Bereishis, “Vayipach b’apov ruach chaim,” that Hashem blew ruach chaim into Adam, the Targum explains that it was “ruach memallila,” meaning speech.

Yaakov was defined by how he used that special gift of Hashem. Eisov was defined by his hands, external limbs of the body, which he used to murder, pillage and sin.

And as Eisov was, so are his children. The nation of Edom to this day fails to perceive beyond what it can touch and feel. Hence, the fascination in our world with looks, color, and presentation. There is no depth that’s meaningful to them beyond the surface image. Marketing is all about attracting people superficially and emotionally to a product and cause. Rarely, if ever, is there anything more to the promotion.

Though we live in Golus Edom, we must ensure that we do not become enamored with – and influenced by – the external and the superficial. We must remain purposeful and discerning people with content and depth. We must not permit ourselves to be misled by glib, empty rhetoric, half-truths, and distortions. We need to be thoughtful and intelligent about what we do, discuss, and care about.

People these days are low information. They don’t care to read or be educated about topics they discuss or that matter to them. They hate Jews and they hate Israel just because, not as an outgrowth of objective examination, consideration, study, and thought. There is no debating them, because you cannot undo a feeling that was arrived at with no interest in history, law, or the facts.

Let us not be swayed by the prevailing trends of the moment or transient currents of popular opinion. Let us do our best to be people of depth and understanding.

We need to act as our avos and imahos did. When we study the parshiyos of Bereishis, we should not be content with just a superficial reading. The takanah of shnayim mikra v’echod targum includes the study of Targum or Rashi, or both, for that reason. Torah study is not a superficial activity. It requires work, concentration, and much thought.

In an age when instant gratification and fleeting trends dominate people’s attention, the importance of living a life of depth is ever more crucial. It’s all too easy to slip into a pattern of superficiality, seeking the approval of others, accumulating material possessions, or chasing after short-lived pleasures.

A life rooted in depth offers a sense of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment that superficiality can never provide. To live deeply is to engage with intentionality, to seek understanding, and to align our actions with Torah values and principles taught to us by our rabbeim, moros, and gedolim.

The superficiality of Golus Edom focuses on creating impressions and appearances in order to bring on external validation. People caught in superficiality are always searching for the next trend or the next success to validate their self-worth. This inevitably leads to a sense of emptiness and a lack of fulfillment or accomplishment.

As Bnei Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, we are meant to emulate them and live with depth. This means not only going beyond surface-level appearances, but also pursuing wisdom, understanding Torah by learning with deep concentration, and seeking out seforim and shiurim that go beyond the surface and explore the depth of chochmas haTorah. It means seeing in everything lessons for personal improvement and growth. This comes from how we learn Chumash and its meforshim, and also from engaging in the study of sifrei mussar and machshovah that elevate us and instill in us why we were created and what our purpose in this world is.

Arriving at the tachlis of our being requires much learning, effort, and introspection. This leads to lasting satisfaction because it grounds us in eternal Torah values that transcend the moment.

In times of confusion and want, the bais medrash and its leaders offer time-proven guidance on how to overcome dissolution and achieve success.

We all have our missions in life. We all seek to be worthy links in the chain going back to Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov. We face many financial pressures just to be able to maintain a stable family life. We feel pulled from all sides.

We have to be honest not only with others, but also with ourselves. We have to understand what we are doing and what our motivations are. If the cause is not as holy as we think, or if we are doing something that we can’t really afford, we should not let ourselves be fooled into something improper or unrealistic.

Flee from an overtaxed life and carve out moments of silence to hear your heart and soul, ensuring that they are focused on proper goals. Escape the noise of the world and find a tent, as our grandfather Yaakov did.

Eisav sought to succeed at all costs. Unprincipled and deceiving, he has been remembered throughout history as the epitome of fallaciousness. Yaakov, the ish tam yosheiv ohalim, was not a participant in the rat race and did not spend his life trying to impress people.

Those who seek to get away from the noise, frustration, and pressure need to find themselves getting more seriously involved with Torah. In the ohel of Yaakov is found inner peace, brought on by real accomplishment and growth. Check into a bais medrash near you and get lost among those who seek no attention or fame. Watch them as they work to understand the timeless words and wisdom of the Torah, oblivious to all else. Taste the sweetness of life as you appreciate the satisfaction of really understanding a Rashi, a Tosafos, a Rashba, a Maharsha, and the words of Rav Akiva Eiger. Appreciate the blissful joy of bringing it all together and understanding a sugya. It’s not easy, but it brings you the best life that man can desire.

It makes all the sacrifices that were undertaken to enable you to reach that moment worthwhile. It makes you and your wife worthy links in the chain stretching back to Avrohom and Sarah, Yitzchok and Rivka, Yaakov and Leah, and Rochel, and reaching forward until the arrival of Moshiach, whom we all long for.

Lessons Big & Small

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

This week we study Parshas Chayei Sarah, as we continue our trek through Sefer Bereishis, learning about our forefathers and mothers so that we can follow in their ways.

While the Torah reports on the passing of Sarah Imeinu, the Medrash provides additional context about what brought about her death. It explains that the Soton told her about the akeidah, and she was so overwhelmed by the pain of the thought that she died.

At first glance, it seems obvious that if Avrohom had gone through with the initial plan and Yitzchok had died, Sarah Imeinu would certainly have passed away upon hearing such news.

However, Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, in his recently published sefer on chumash, Even Me’irah, says otherwise.

He recounts an incident that occurred in Yerushalayim, when people were gathering to daven in the minyan of Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin. Someone entered the room and reported that a fire had destroyed the shop of one of the people present. Upon hearing that his source of livelihood had been destroyed, the shop owner, overcome by pain and anguish, fainted.

Immediately, Rav Yehoshua Leib declared with certainty that the report was incorrect and that the store had not burned down.

After they finished davening, some people went to investigate and found that the rov was indeed correct. The fire had not affected the man’s store. It was another shop that had been destroyed.

When they returned to Rav Yehoshua Leib, they asked him how he had known that the man’s store was still standing.

Rav Yehoshua Leib explained that when Hashem gives a person yissurim, He also grants him the strength to deal with the challenge. “When I saw the man faint upon hearing the news,” said the great gaon, “I knew that his store had not been consumed by the fire. If it had been his store, Hashem would have given him the strength to cope with the loss.”

Rav Elya Ber applies this principle to Sarah Imeinu. He explains that if Yitzchok had indeed died at the Akeidah, Hashem would have given Sarah the strength to deal with her loss. However, because there was no gezeirah to pain Sarah with the death of Yitzchok, she lacked the strength to process the false report from the Soton that Yitzchok had passed away.

We study the parshiyos and uncover profound lessons in the stories they tell of our avos and imahos, lessons that we can apply to our daily lives.

If, chas v’shalom, unfortunate things happen in our lives and we are beset by pain and loss, we must remember that we are provided with G-d-given strength to face and overcome those challenges. Nothing ever happens to us that we cannot endure.

As the parsha continues, we learn how Avrohom Avinu sent his trusted aide, Eliezer, to his homeland to find a wife for Yitzchok.

When Eliezer arrived in the city of Nachor in Aram Naharayim, he davened for Hashem to send him the girl destined for Yitzchok. He also devised a test to confirm that he had found the right girl: If the girl he met would not only offer him water to drink but would also offer to give water to his camels, Eliezer would know that she was Yitzchok’s intended.

The posuk (24:17) tells us that Eliezer saw Rivkah approaching, and he ran toward her to perform his test. Rashi cites the Medrash that states that Eliezer ran because he saw that, as she approached the watering well, the water rose toward her. The Sifsei Chachomim explains that Eliezer had seen this miraculous phenomenon happen to his master, Avrohom, so when he saw it occurring to the girl, he understood that she was worthy of marrying into the house of Avrohom.

Rav Elozor Menachem Man Shach, whose yahrtzeit was this week, would ask why Eliezer proceeded with his test after witnessing the water rise toward Rivkah. Why wasn’t he satisfied with the miracles performed for her? Rav Shach explained that the ultimate qualification for a suitable match in marriage is not whether miracles are performed for someone, but whether they possess proper middos.

When young men and women would ask Rav Shach what to look for in selecting a mate, he would always emphasize that the most important quality is good middos. Everything else is secondary.

Another valuable lesson can be derived from the stories in the parsha.

When Eliezer completed his mission and returned to Avrohom with Rivkah, Yitzchok brought her to Sarah Imeinu’s tent and married her. At that point, the posuk tells us, Yitzchok was finally consoled over the loss of his mother.

Rashi explains that when Yitzchok brought Rivkah into his mother’s tent, he saw that she was a worthy replacement for Sarah. As long as Sarah lived, three miracles occurred in her tent: a candle remained lit from Erev Shabbos to Erev Shabbos, the dough in her tent was blessed, and the spirit of Hashem hovered over the tent. When Sarah passed away, these three miracles ceased, but when Rivkah came to live there, they returned. Thus, Yitzchok found his nechomah.

Once again, we find a lesson hidden here for us. The lights we kindle before Shabbos are meant to foster shalom bayis, peace in the home. In a dark home, peace cannot flourish. For this reason, the Shulchan Aruch (263:3) rules that if a person can afford either wine for Kiddush or candles for neiros Shabbos, they should purchase candles, as peace in a Jewish home is a supreme need, and there can be no peace without light.

Rashi’s reference to the ner, the light, which remained doluk (lit) from Erev Shabbos to Erev Shabbos, signifies that a Shabbos-like peace reigned in the home of Avrohom and Sarah throughout the week. In tribute to this rarefied atmosphere, the onon, a Divine cloud, hovered over their tent. As Hakadosh Boruch Hu states (Medrash, Parshas Pinchos), “Lo motzosi kli machzik brocha ela hashalom”—the vessel for blessing is peace. Where there is peace, there is brocha.

When Yitzchok brought Rivkah to his mother’s home and saw that the ner of peace was rekindled—and that it, in turn, generated the return of the onon—he was reassured that life in his home would reflect the shalom, brocha, and spiritual elevation of his parents’ home. Thus, he was consoled.

We learn from this that we must always strive to ensure that peace reigns in our homes.

Perhaps we can understand Yitzchok’s nechomah on a different level.

The Tur (263) states that there is a dispute among Rishonim regarding when kedushas Shabbos begins. The Behag is of the opinion that Shabbos begins when a person lights candles for Shabbos any time after the zeman tefillas Mincha.

The Gemara in Brachos states, “Tefillos avos tiknum,” meaning that the avos were the originators of the three tefillos we daven each day. Avrohom established Shacharis, Yitzchok introduced the concept of Mincha, and Yaakov was the originator of Maariv.

Avrohom was the first to call out in Hashem’s name, introducing the idea of beginning the day with tefillah.

Yaakov, as the first av to descend into extended golus, instituted Maariv, a tefillah recited in the dark. It signifies that even in times of darkness, we maintain our faith and can embody holiness. It also represents our ability to bring holiness into the darkness of exile.

Yitzchok originated the tefillah of Mincha. By interrupting our daily activities to daven Mincha, we demonstrate that it is possible to sanctify the ordinary. This tefillah teaches us to elevate our level of kedusha even while engaged in regular, everyday tasks.

With this in mind, we can better appreciate Yitzchok’s consolation when he brought Rivkah to the home where Sarah had lived.

When Sarah Imeinu lit the Shabbos lights in her home on Erev Shabbos, she sanctified the ordinary day. She brought the holiness of Shabbos into her home, where it remained until the following Friday, when she once again lit the neiros Shabbos.

The kedushas Shabbos in her home began at Mincha time, when she kindled the lights. Yitzchok learned this avodah from her. He observed her example of bringing kedusha into a weekday. He saw how Friday afternoon was transformed into Shabbos, and how holiness could be added to the day and the home.

When Yitzchok brought Rivkah into the tent, he saw how she lit the candles on Erev Shabbos, just as his mother had, and he perceived how her act of kindling the lights brought kedusha into the home. Just as it had been with his mother Sarah, the holiness and light lasted the entire week. Yitzchok was reassured that with Rivkah, he could build his home, for she understood the avodah of Mincha—how to bring holiness to the mundane.

Perhaps this explains the Chazal that all of Sarah’s days were “equally good.” Since she harnessed the power of making the profane holy, all her days were imbued with holiness, as symbolized by the ner of Erev Shabbos remaining lit from Erev Shabbos to Erev Shabbos.

Sarah experienced days when good things occurred and days when less favorable events transpired, but no matter the circumstances, she worked to maintain her kedusha and belief in Hashem’s goodness.

This may also explain why Eliezer conducted his test to see if Rivkah would not only bring him a drink, but would also water his animals. Eliezer sought someone who understood that spiritual elevation can be achieved even through menial tasks, such as providing water for camels and cattle.

A girl who is so pure in her middos that she understands this concept—caring for the animals as she cared for Eliezer—is a suitable life partner for Yitzchok, the originator of tefillas Mincha.

As we seek to find mates, to bring happiness into our homes, and to bring meaning to the daily grind we endure, we should keep in mind the lesson that Yitzchok Avinu taught when he instituted the tefillah of Mincha.

We should remember our mothers, Sarah and Rivkah, and the kedusha they brought into their homes every Friday, which lasted the entire week. We should remember that light—both physical and spiritual—brings peace, and without peace, there is no blessing.

Studying this parsha should encourage us not to look down on ourselves as we perform the seemingly mundane tasks that life demands. Cleaning, peeling potatoes, cooking, serving, carpooling, shopping, and the many other menial tasks we perform for ourselves and our families are also holy.

We mustn’t focus only on the big, noticeable actions. Anyone can bring a drink to an important person, but the test of a baal middos is whether we are also kind to the “little people” who often go unnoticed.

Rivkah was tested with menial tasks. Would she appreciate that these small tasks shape who we are? The laundry, the dishwashing, the sweeping, and the serving are vital in creating a peaceful, functional, and nurturing environment for the entire family. Nothing we do is truly menial or inconsequential. Washing dishes, folding towels, taking out the trash, and wiping down the counters are acts of care that bring stability to the home.

It is the small, seemingly mundane tasks that form the backbone of our lives and homes. Keeping the lights on and doing whatever is necessary to maintain peace are holy tasks that infuse our lives with kedusha and bring us abundant blessings.

The parshiyos are full of these life lessons. We just have to want to find them.

May we all merit to follow in the ways of our forefathers and mothers and be zoche to the coming of Moshiach speedily in our day.

From Fake News to True Values

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

Last week, two events transpired that proved that much of what we have been fed by the media is not only wrong, but a lie.

Donald Trump coined the term “fake news” during his first presidential campaign in 2016. Most people laughed when they initially heard him refer to the media in this way, while others considered him arrogant and insolent for doing so. But if you followed the most recent election campaign, you know how accurate he was back then—and how, if anything, the situation has worsened.

When the Covid pandemic ended, it became clear that they had lied about almost everything related to the disease, from its origin to how to control and treat it. The government and Democrat politicians imposed fictitious measures on the public, claiming that they were dictated by science as prescribed by their expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. These measures were fabricated by the conceited doctor and forced upon the people. The media was right there, riding shotgun, selling the lies, and castigating and canceling anyone who refused to comply.

Stories alleging that President Trump was “in cahoots with the Russians” began during his first presidential campaign and persist even today. This was a charge that Democrats and the media drove home incessantly along with similar charges that he solicited foreign interference in the presidential election. A much-hyped investigation found no proof that he involved Russia. In fact, the story was a fictitious tale concocted by his campaign opponent Hillary Clinton and her team. Following one-sided congressional investigations, he was impeached twice—both times based on lies propagated by Democrats and the fake news media.

Joe Biden claimed that he was compelled to come out of retirement and run for president after hearing then-President Trump praise Nazis and white supremacists who were marching in Charlottesville, Virginia. This claim, still repeated by him, other Democrats, and the media, has been proven false. Trump never said anything like that.

And so it has been for Trump ever since he announced his presidential run eight years ago.

He is not the first person to seek the presidency, nor is he the first Republican to seek and hold that office. So why the hatred? Why the venom? Why do the left and the media despise him so much? Why do mainstream Republicans dislike him? And how did he manage to reshape the Republican Party and score a sweeping victory last week?

It’s all intertwined.

Donald Trump was the first outsider to enter a presidential primary contest and go head-to-head with party luminaries, scions of party leaders, men of pedigree and political accomplishment. He didn’t just present his ideas in contrast to theirs. He also mocked them and revealed them to be arrogant, empty suits—unintelligent, lacking common sense, and disconnected from the people.

Until he came along, the Bushes were treated as royalty, as were the Cheneys. Figures like Mitt Romney were treated with reverence, even though he had lost his presidential race and had been exposed as a weak candidate who caved, folded, and failed to connect with the American people. In the past, people such as he and Jeb Bush were viewed as part of the Republican dynasty, but Trump changed all that. People who did not have strong Ameri-First views, who were not especially intelligent or quick-witted, and who were hypocrites, were mercilessly exposed.

It was no longer enough to be a pompous, long-serving politician who had achieved high positions due to family name, financial means, or backroom deals. The elite leadership class was under scrutiny and would have to prove its worth to survive. Trump represented the biggest threat that they had ever encountered, and they were ill-equipped to handle—or defeat—him.

Avatars of elitism felt secure in their carefully constructed cocoons of political correctness and doublespeak. Trump was the first capable candidate to puncture that cocoon, letting the people know that it was acceptable to vote against politicians who were condescending to them and viewed them as garbage. He related to everyday people, and they related to him. He presented himself as a leader who understood their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

He showed them that they did not have to feel trapped by the same stale, ineffective leadership every election season and during the years in between. He voiced their thoughts, articulated their fears and frustrations better than they could, and promised to bring common-sense solutions and enact them into law.

Throughout the campaign, his political enemies—Democrats, Republicans, and the media—portrayed him as an unbalanced maniac who couldn’t be trusted to accomplish anything positive. The Democrats labeled him a wannabe dictator, a fascist, Mussolini, and then Hitler. They called his supporters racists and Nazis. The media repeated these allegations so frequently that low-information people began believing them.

You would discuss Trump with people, and they would say he was crazy. “How can you vote for a meshugeneh?” they would ask. Then they would add that he was an anti-Semite, even though he was the best friend Israel ever had. His daughter had converted to Judaism and married a Jew, with his blessings. You knew that these people were influenced by the media, by fake news. You knew that they were misled by quotes that were either fabricated or taken out of context. You knew that such a person had never actually heard Trump speak on the issues.

Other candidates draw crowds to their events by highlighting the planned attendance and performances of celebrities. At Trump rallies, Trump was the star. People came to see and hear him. He attracted legions of people to his rallies because he was a man of the people—charming, entertaining, and able to pull the thoughts straight from their hearts and the words from their mouths.

He understood their problems and offered common-sense solutions. He didn’t talk down to them and showed his respect by picking regular, nondescript people out of the crowd and bringing them onto the stage. He put on a McDonald’s apron and handed out fries, wore a reflective vest, and rode in a garbage truck. Nobody else would have thought of such stunts, and nobody but Trump could have pulled them off without looking foolish.

They lied about President Biden. Though it was plainly evident that Biden was not fit, the media praised him and dealt with him as he was fully functioning and in charge of the country. Then the elites, including the party bosses, Hollywood stars and billionaire donors decided Biden had to go. After they succeeded in pushing him out, they praised him for his selfless sacrifice on behalf of the American people and sold the lie that he left on his own volition. Biden’s unpopular, incompetent Vice President was selected to run in his place and was sold to the American people as a thoughtful and accomplished leader. More lies.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris epitomize the ineptitude of politicians who are inauthentic, programmed, out of touch with the citizenry, and purveyors of lies and bad policy. They ran stealth campaigns, repeating canned lines and delivering stilted speeches. While the media and other politicians played along with them, fearing to expose them for what they are, Trump had no problem saying out loud what any thinking person thought but was afraid to express.

An objective observer of the campaign could see that Trump was connecting, that people were flocking to him, and that his positions enjoyed widespread support. But the media continued to disparage him, insisting that he couldn’t win. They claimed that he was too crazy, too racist and too misogynistic. There was no way a majority of the country would vote for him. And the polls supported this narrative. Every day, a new poll was cited by media outlets and people who should have known better, all “proving” that Trump was losing ground and couldn’t win.

As Election Day approached, the polls showed the candidates narrowing, and every day the fake news spun the lie that the election was going to be extremely close. They said that it was neck-and-neck and used every cliché they could think of to convince unsuspecting voters that Trump’s message was not resonating, that people weren’t buying it, and that Kamala Harris would ultimately win.

It was all a lie.

You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to see that the polls were manipulated to suppress the Trump vote and enable the Harris campaign to continue raising record amounts of money. The spin doctors, consultants, and fundraisers needed to maintain that it was a margin-of-error race. Otherwise, donations would have dried up, and it would have been a washout for Harris. It was anyway.

While a few honest pollsters reported the truth and Trump campaign insiders claimed their internal polls showed continued gains, Harris’s team and their allies dismissed these claims, saying that they would make up the difference with their ground game and door-knocking efforts.

The fake news is truly fake. The facts they sell are fake and the numbers they present are fake. It’s all fake.

Intelligent people like us must stop falling for these lies and shaping our communal lives based on them. We must recognize our strength and acknowledge that the majority in this country voted for the side of morality, for the side that fights for decency and justice. It’s time we stopped bowing down to hypocritical liberal politicians, stopped expecting them to help us, and stopped making a big deal about the media. Few people still pay attention to the mainstream and corporate media. Trump proved that, and we should proceed accordingly.

The other lie exposed last week is one we are familiar with and must remain aware of. History is repeating itself.

Jews are being chased in the streets of New York and across Europe, including Antwerp, Berlin, France and London, to name a few, just as they were in the Europe of the 1930s, and there is barely a whimper of protest. There are now millions of jihadists spread across Europe. They hate Jews, but they also hate Christians and others. The countries of Europe are led by weak leaders and struggling governments, grappling with internal and financial challenges.

We were told that the world had changed, that with the founding of Israel, anti-Semitism would dissipate.

We were told and regularly reminded by Zionist leaders and adherents that the Holocaust occurred because Jews lacked a state to defend them, but now that we have a state and an army what happened then can never happen again.

But it did.

Just now, Jews in Amsterdam were chased, run over, stabbed, and beaten, and no one came to their aid, not the Amsterdam police nor the Jewish state, which could do little more than issue protest statements and send rescue planes. A premeditated, organized group comprised primarily of people who were born to Moroccans who were welcomed into the country but never successfully assimilated carried out an act that harkened back to the old days of Europe.

A few obligatory statements were issued, but there was no loud condemnation from governmental leaders or prominent figures in Europe, the United States, or elsewhere.

Eighty-six years after Kristallnacht and one year after Jewish people were hunted and slaughtered in Israel, Jews are once again being chased through the streets, in Amsterdam, in Sweden, and who knows where else. A Jew was shot while walking in a frum neighborhood in Chicago, two Jews were beaten at DePaul University in Chicago, and a Jewish child was nearly kidnapped in Crown Heights. Hamas supporters continue to march in this country, protesting against Jews and Israel. Dozens of rockets continue to fly into Israel daily, despite the existence of a proud state and a vaunted army.

The axis of evil—Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—is growing stronger as the bulwark of freedom is led by appeasers.

We are reminded daily that after all these years, we have not yet merited to be delivered from the exile of golus to freedom in Eretz Yisroel.

We do not despair, though. Instead, we proclaim each morning during Shacharis, “Eileh vorechev v’eileh basusim va’anachnu besheim Hashem Elokeinu nazkir.” We place our faith in Hashem, not in military might. Those who depend on armies and political leaders to defend them will crumble and fall. “Heimah koru venofolu va’anachnu kamnu vanisodad.” We will rise and ultimately prevail.

In this week’s parsha of Vayeira, we read of the chesed and kindness of our forefather Avrohom. We learn how he interrupted his conversation with Hashem to tend to three dirty, dusty travelers, and how he begged Hashem not to destroy the people of Sedom. We also encounter the parsha of the Akeidah.

Hashem foretold to Avrohom that his children would be exiled but promised that He would redeem them. The zechus of Avrohom’s chesed and the Akeidah still sustain us all these years later. What keeps us going is our zechus avos, combined with the zechuyos of our Torah and mitzvos, along with our emunah and bitachon.

This week, we commemorate the yahrtzeit of Rochel Imeinu, who famously rose from her kever to intercede on behalf of her defeated grandchildren as they descended into golus. She still cries for us and begs Hashem to let us go free. Let us dedicate ourselves to be worthy of her tefillos and the tefillos of Jews throughout the ages, so that we may be freed from the alma d’shikra - the world of lies - and soon merit the alma d’keshot - the world of ultimate truth, which will be revealed with the coming of Moshiach and the geulah sheleimah when Rochel’s children will all return home l’gevulom.

Twists, Turns, and Trust

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

Life is full of twists and turns. We think everything is set and that our lives will proceed according to one plan, and then things switch. We lose our job, the kollel is no longer satisfying, we receive an offer from an out-of-town community, someone gets sick r”l, and so on.

There are so many variables in life for which we cannot plan. How we deal with them determines whether we will succeed. We can either throw up our hands in desperation, filled with misery and gloom, or we can accept that everything that happens to us is from Hashem and realize that it is up to us to accept the change and make the best of it.

Those who have emunah and bitachon are able to remain optimistic in times of challenge and change, for they know that Hashem is looking out for them and that nothing happens by chance.

This week’s parsha, Lech Lecha, provides chizuk and direction for everyone. The posuk states that Hashem spoke to Avrohom Avinu and told him to leave his ancestral home and head to the land He would show him. The Sefas Emes (632) cites the Zohar that Hashem’s directive of Lech Lecha is directed toward everyone, but Avrohom was the only one who heard the call and followed it.

There is a bas kol that says to go out and proclaims to every Yid not to limit themselves to the familiar and comfortable. Hashem placed every person in this world for a purpose. Everyone has a task that they can perform and a mission that they can complete. Often, that requires for a person to leave their comfort zone and the place where they were born, grew up, and set up house.

We are all here to accomplish things with our lives. Sometimes, doing that requires stepping into the strange and foreboding. The urge to stay home and enjoy a simple, comfortable life is always there, not far from the surface, but our charge as children of Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov is to brave the challenges and effect change as we work to make the world a better place. Often, doing so involves grief, aggravation, rough days, lonely nights, and lots of hard work. Those who hear the bas kol are able to persevere and go on to accomplish, while those who don’t proceed with emunah and bitachon get deterred and dejected.

Avrohom Avinu hewed the path for us. When he heard the bas kol that nobody else heard or paid attention to, he made it easier for us to hear and follow it. Ever since his time, throughout our history, those who made a mark and difference followed Avrohom’s example, often leaving behind creature comforts, friends, and family to venture forth, knowing that if they worked lesheim Shomayim, Hashem would be there with them.

Avrohom left his home behind and followed Hashem’s voice to the Promised Land. His son, Yitzchok, also left his home and followed the voice into a strange land where the locals were not friendly to him. His son, Yaakov, left his parents’ home and went to live with his uncle Lovon, suffering much degradation and privation, but emerging married with children and many possessions. His son, Yosef, was sent by Hashgocha to a foreign land, followed there by Yaakov, the shevotim, and their families.

Moshe Rabbeinu grew up in royal splendor and left it all behind, only to be forced to flee to a foreign land. He returned to his people and became their savior. And so it has been throughout the ages up until our day.

World War I was a turning point for our people. Many were driven from their homes into exile, where they had little food and no heat. They suffered from disease, pestilence, starvation, and worse. They had no money and no income. When the war ended, those who didn’t hear the bas kol did not return to their shtetlach. They went to the big cities and severed their connections to Yiddishkeit. They no longer had any frum social ties. They sent their children to secular tarbut schools and became lost to our people. Others fled to America, where they were promptly swallowed up by waves of assimilation. Millions were lost forever.

They had left their homes, but they weren’t following Hashem and the direction to which He had directed them. They became overwhelmed by the situation they found themselves in and lacked the spiritual strength necessary to persevere.

The people who remained loyal to the bas kol followed it back to where they belonged, to places where there were shuls and botei medroshim for them and schools for their children. They struggled but survived as faithful Yidden.

Following the Holocaust, survivors faced awful choices. They had lost everything and were barely alive. Which way should they go? Should they give up on life? On humanity? On hope for a future? Should they wallow in self-pity and lose themselves to depression and despair?

Or should they follow the bas kol, which called on them not to lose faith in Hashem, but to follow Him to fresh terrain and rebuild their lives and communities?

Those who followed the bas kol went on to get married, have families, establish shuls, yeshivos, and communities, and help recreate that which was lost. It is thanks to those courageous souls that most of us are here today and that Torah communities and mosdos are flourishing here and around the world.

People in our day are faced with the dilemma of whether to stay where they are and lead nice, comfortable lives or to move to a place where people like them are needed to provide leadership. Some remain where they are and are productive in their comfort zones, but others break out of their boxes and spread their wings to bring and support Yiddishkeit in places as far from their homes as Choron was from Be’er Sheva.

Sometimes the challenge is whether to secure a good job or to go into chinuch, where the pay is not as good, but where the opportunity to make an impact on future generations makes up in spiritual reward and satisfaction for what may be lacking in financial compensation. Sometimes the challenge is whether to get involved in communal needs and assist organizations that work for the public benefit, such as bikur cholim and the like. It is never easy, and it takes commitment and dedication.

Others leave major kehillos and follow the bas kol to kollelim across the country that provide oxygen and life to communities of fine people committed to Torah lives. Others seek out rabbinic positions in shuls struggling to hold out against the Open Orthodox onslaught. By doing so, they keep good people good and rooted in the wellspring of Torah. They keep the community alive and provide guidance and direction for young and old.

They follow the bas kol that Avrohom followed, choosing the more difficult path, following Hashem’s direction to seize a mission and then looking forward to a sense of accomplishment, armed with the promise of earning blessings and greatness.

Nobody said it would be easy, but blessed are those who hear the bas kol in every generation, dedicating their lives to following it and where it leads them.

Rav Yeshayah Cheshin descended from talmidim of the Vilna Gaon who followed his directive almost 300 years ago to leave Lita and move to Eretz Yisroel. The journey from Vilna to Yerushalayim was arduous, and when they arrived in the barren, forsaken land, deprivation of all types greeted them. Life was very tough.

Rav Yeshayah lived during the time when Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin was rov in Yerushalayim and Rav Yeshayah served as a rebbi in the famed Yeshiva Eitz Chaim. In his sefer Divrei Yeshayah, he wrote of the difficult trip and transition his ancestors endured as they left Lita and went to Eretz Yisroel.

“In order to know and understand the enthusiasm and mesirus nefesh of the Talmidei HaGra and how they placed themselves in danger for a year to travel in small boats on treacherous waters, and what they endured in their initial settlement at a time of plagues and diseases, as well as pogroms, it is first necessary to study their spiritual foundation.

“It was a product of the storm that their rebbi, the Gra, created to gather in the exiles and to settle Eretz Yisroel, to which they were moser nefesh. They went through fire and water to hasten the redemption in this way, as our rebbi, the Gra, discusses in his seforim.

“Who is there who can tell the sad tales of what the early settlers endured? Plagues and pogroms, lack of water, poverty, and myriad diseases. Who is there who can tell of their bravery and obstinacy to maintain the settlement that teetered daily and threatened to fall apart due to the many tragedies and hardships? It is only because of the strength of their emunah to follow their rebbi, the Gra, and his blessings to them that they were able to remain there with an unshakable tenacity that no person can describe.”

And then he writes something quite fascinating, which I had never heard of, and I wonder if you did. Listen to this: “In the earlier period following the initial settlement, when there was a time of communal need, the residents of Yerushalayim would daven and say, ‘Help us in the merit of the Talmidei HaGra who came to settle in the Holy Land.’

“On Mondays and Thursdays, they would add to Tachanun the following phrase: ‘With Your goodness, please remove Your anger from Your people, from Your city, and from Your land, in the merit of the Torah, in the merit of acts of chesed, and in the merit of the students of the Gra who initiated the first [Jewish] settlement in the Holy Land.’

“They would then go to the kevorim of the leading students of the Gra, Rav Hillel and Rav Mendel of Shklov, as well as Rav Saadia of Mohilov, and daven for salvation.”

The Vilna Gaon heard the bas kol of Lech Lecha and taught his students to hear it and follow it. Thanks to them, Eretz Yisroel is now settled from north to south and east to west with Jews, and although there are still many problems and difficulties, we can hear the footsteps of Moshiach approaching.

The greatness and zechus of people who follow the bas kol is so significant that in times of greater difficulty, people would daven to be saved in the merit of those intrepid baalei emunah and bitachon who gave up all to follow the call.

In our day and in our lives, when we face ups and downs, when things are tough and not going the way we want, we should think of those heroes who went before us, who gave up everything to answer Hashem’s steady call, which promises blessings to those who maintain their faith in Him and dedicate their lives to improving and bettering the world.

Whatever befalls us, whatever betrayals we face, and when we are forced to change our course of action and look at the world and our existence differently, we should never despair. We should know that what happens is from Hashem, Who is guiding us to a better situation, a place from where we can experience brocha and hatzlocha and help prepare the world for Moshiach, just like those courageous souls throughout the ages, from Avrohom Avinu until today.

“Lech lecha el ha’aretz asher areka. Follow Me to where I will send you,” says Hashem, “and there you will find blessing.”

We don’t merit for Hashem to speak to us verbally, but He does so through various occurrences that happen to us in life, which we must view through the lens of Torah. If we know that we are here for a purpose and that everything that happens to us is from Hashem, and if we dedicate our lives to Torah, avodah, mitzvos, and maasim tovim, then we will be able to pick up the signals and follow them to where they are leading us.

Our zaides and bubbes always had Hashem in their lives and never lost sight of their obligations in this world. There is no reason we should not be the same. Let us follow their example, handed down to them and us from Avrohom Avinu, and earn for ourselves a world of opportunity and brocha, which will lead us all to the geulah sheleimah bekarov.