Words of

Comfort, Calm and Courage

Corona Chizuk Companion Part I

Compiled by Elan Perchik

 Corona Chizuk
A Special Message For You

Dear Reader,
During these trying times, individuals, families and communities throughout Klal Yisrael could all use a gentle dose of chizuk to
comfort the heart and soothe the soul. The current circumstances have offset many who otherwise would be spending the upcoming
Yom Tov of Pesach together with their beloved families and communities. But although we may be apart and alone, it doesn’t mean
that we must feel apart or alone.
This TorahAnytime Corona Chizuk Companion is here to accompany you. It is here to whisper you words of comfort when most
needed, provide you with reassuring calmness when chaos seems to roam the streets, and remind you of your courage within to
continue forward with reservoirs of strength and trust in our Father in Heaven.
Joining you at your Pesach Seder this year are the many special guest speakers included herein. May it be that their words of Torah
and encouragement fortify your spirit, enrich and develop your faith and trust in Hashem and bring you closer to your family, your
community, your Jewish brothers and sisters, and to our Father Whose love and compassion for us all knows no bounds.
May these days bring us to the long-anticipated arrival of Moshiach, speedily in our times.

Chag Kasher V’Sameach,

Shimon Kolyakov
Rubin Kolyakov
Yosef Davis

Place your own dedication for a yahrzeit, simcha, refuah or any other reason in our upcoming Corona Chizuk Companion: Part II.
Email info@torahanytime.com to secure your spot today!
Table of Contents
Rabbi David Aaron Rabbi Elya Brudny Rabbi Yitzchak Fanger
From Sickness to Health Your Greatest Mitzvah Compassion on Creatures

Rabbi Yoir Adler Rabbi Mordechai Burg Rabbi Shlomo Farhi

It’s All You Individuals as a Community So Little, So Large

Rabbi Yonatan Admoni Rabbi Leiby Burnham Rabbi Eytan Feiner

The Pipeline of Blessing The Secret Cure Salt and Suffering

Rabbi Yehonasan Alpren Rabbi Nachum Chaimowitz Rabbi Hillel Feldman

Knowing Where to Look From Speech to Action Free of Worry

Rabbi David Ashear Rabbi Igal Cohen Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer

In Control Humility in the World G-d is Within

Rabbi Boaz Bardea Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen Rebbetzin Dinah Fink
Retroactive Thank You Using a Siddur Genuine Greatness

Rabbi Simcha Barnett Rabbanit Kineret Sarah Cohen Rabbi Mordechai Finkelman
Choose Life Of Sounds and Spices Undeserved Kindness

Rabbi Mordechai Becher Rabbi Zev Cohen Mrs. Esther Wein

Saved By Humor Making Our Home Our Shul Redeemed with Faith

Rabbi Yaakov Bender Rabbi Zamir Cohen Rabbi Gavriel Friedman

Gathering Together Any Job Openings? Hashem is Here

Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan Rabbi Shaya Cohen Ms. Chevi Garfinkel

What Will They Say? What Changes the Equation All for Growth

Rabbi Ari Bensoussan Rabbi Daniel Coren Rabbi David Genish

Our Response Healthy from Humility Stay Inside

Rabbi Eliyahu Bergstein Mrs. Nili Couzens Rabbi Yosef Ginsberg

Only Trust Faith in Action Another Segulah?

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz Mrs. Ilana Cowland Rabbi Eliezer Ginsburg

Other’s Needs Interconnecting in Isolation Conversing with the Satan

Rabbi Meyer Bodner Rabbi Binyonim Eisenberger Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser
Faith in Our Sages Not My Home G-d’s Crown

Rabbi Elimelech Biderman Rabbi Chaim Eisenstein Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

Small Wedding Now, Sweet Life Ahead A Heartful Message Focus on Asher Yatzar

Rabbi Yitzchak Botton Rabbi Maimon Elbaz Rabbi Shmuel Gluck

Change of Routine The Book of Remedies Making Use of Humility

Rav Yitzchak Breitowitz Rabbi Meir Eliyahu Rabbi Yoel Gold

In Hashem’s Hands Our Sages’ Words We Have No King

Rabbi Dov Brezak Rabbi Reuven Epstein Mr. Charlie Harary

Kindness and More Kindness An Ideal Life Reset and Restart

Rabbi Yisroel Brog Rabbi Ephraim Epstein Rabbi Chaim Dahan Zt”l
The Pinpoint Presence Our Life at Home Life is Hidden
 Rabbi David Aaron
From Sickness to Health
While generally we do not view sickness as a means of making us healthier, in truth, it can produce such effects. When my wife and
I made the decision to start eating healthier, we kept it going for a month, throughout which we were feeling much better. After the
month, wishing to celebrate our new health diets, we went out to an Italian restaurant, where we ate pasta, pizza and cheese. As we
figured, it was just a matter of celebrating our accomplishment, something which we didn’t feel would feel the same were we to eat
whole-grain crackers.
We both became so sick that night. The following day, I called our dietician and complained that his planned diet for us was making
us sick. We used to be able to eat this food and feel fine, and now after one month of a healthy diet, we became sick over one meal at
a restaurant. “You don’t understand,” replied the dietician, “you are healthy. When you are well, then your body reacts to unhealthy
foods. If you consume unhealthy food and your body does not respond, then you are really not well. However, if your body does
respond and does become sick from junk food, then that in fact is a sign that you are healthy.”
At a time when lashon hara could cause tza’raas, a physical reaction occurred in response to the negative speech which was articu-
lated. We were so sensitive, whole and healthy, that speaking lashon hara brought about a physical effect, and enabled us to improve
ourselves.
In our times as well, with all the unfortunate sickness and illness which has been spreading, we are summoned to remember that deep-
down we all have a pristine neshama that is so-ever healthy and holy.

Rabbi Yoir Adler

It’s All You
R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev coined a song which (translated from its original Yiddish) goes as follows:
Master of the Universe! Master of the Universe! Master of the Universe! I’ll sing a song for You. You, You, You, You. Where will I
find You? Where will I not find You? Where can I find You? Where can I not find You? You, You, You, You…
Wherever I go: You! And wherever I stay: You! Just You, only You. Again You, but You! You, You, You, You…
When something’s good: You. When, G-d forbid, it’s bad: ay, You. Oy, You, You, You, You, You, You, You…
East — You; West — You; South — You; North — You; You, You, You, You…
In heaven: You. On earth: You. Above: You. Below: You. You, You, You, You…
Wherever I turn, Wherever I go: You, You…
In its original Yiddish, it goes as follows:
Riboyno shel oylom (repeated 3 times), Ich vil dir a dudele zingen: Ayeh emtzoekho? V’ayeh lo emtzoekho?
Vu kon ich dir ya gefinen? Un vu kan ich dir nisht gefinen? Du, du, du, du… Az vu ich gei – du! Un vu ich shtei – du! Rak du, nor du,
vider du, aber du! Du, du, du, du… Az mailoh du, matoh du; mizroch du, mayrov du; dorem du, tzofen du. Du du, du du, du, du…
Iz emitzen gut — du; choliloh shlecht — oy, du; Oy, du du, du du Mizroch du, mayrov du; dorem du, tzofen du. Du, du, du, du Sha-
mayim, du, eretz, du; mailoh du, matoh du. Du du, du du…
Vu ich kehr mich, vu ich vend mich; Du du, du, du…

Rabbi Yonatan Admoni

The Pipeline of Blessing
While the power of reciting one hundred blessings a day is known to be a source to stave off a plague, as seen from the days of Dovid
Hamelech (Menachos 43b), the power of reciting Amen to a blessing as well is extremely potent. Therefore, when reciting blessings, it
is most recommended to say them aloud, to afford other people the opportunity to recite Amen.
When a Jew recites a blessing, a pipeline from Heaven to earth is created, from which an overflow and outpouring of blessing can

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 descend to the world. The word Baruch (blessing) in fact relates to the word Bereicha, pool or spring. However, what actually opens
the pipeline to allow the blessing to enter the world is the response of Amen to the blessing.
During this time spent at home with our families, taking the opportunity to recite berachot specifically aloud and enabling others to
recite Amen is a sure way to rain down much blessing to our world.

Rabbi Yehonasan Alpren

Knowing Where to Look
There is an expression, “Finger on the Pulse.” But what does it mean?
We all can appreciate the expertise of a professional in his or her field of practice. An amateur views matters more superficially, where-
as a professional sees matters with greater depth. Perhaps, in this sense, we can apply ourselves directly to the analogy of “Finger on
the Pulse.”
As a doctor walks around the ward with his students aside him, he enters into a hospital room and attends to Mr. Cohen who is resting
in bed. “Mr. Cohen,” asks the doctor, “how are you feeling?” “Well, my leg hurts me, I don’t have much of an appetite and I haven’t
been sleeping well.” What is the first thing the professional doctor does? He feels the pulse of Mr. Cohen.
But think about it. Mr. Cohen never said his pulse is hurting; why would the doctor check it? The answer is that the doctor is not dis-
tracted by extraneous matters. He heads straight to the source. He looks to the core and life-giving essence of Mr. Cohen. It is true that
Mr. Cohen may not have an appetite or sleep at night; yet his pulse will clue the professional into knowing that the patient’s heart is
still beating and that he is dealing with a patient who does not have a more urgent problem which is immediately life-threatening. He
knows what to focus on.
In the times we find ourselves, there are many extraneous reasons that may be given for the onset and maintenance of this pandemic.
Yet we must place our fingers on the pulse and focus on what truly matters and what will give us life.

Rabbi David Ashear

In Control
The Pasuk (Tehillim 147:17), which is recited each day during our morning prayers, states, “Hashem hurls His ice like crumbs; before
His cold – who can stand?” Rashi (ibid.) explains that Hashem sends the ice and cold in accordance to the amount of covering and
blankets a person has to protect him or herself.
With this verse, Dovid Hamelech teaches us that although there is a general cold which exists in the atmosphere, every single individ-
ual experiences the cold differently. Hashem controls the temperature of the cold in accordance with the particular circumstances of
each individual. This virus is no different. Hashem is in control of every aspect.
There are those who are completely unaware that they have it, and there are those who do have it, yet exhibit only minimal symptoms.
And yet, unfortunately, there are those who are in critical condition. We must realize that every individual’s experience of the virus as
it is today is from Hashem, and in accordance with what and how He wishes for them to experience it.
May Hashem grant us all a complete recovery, and bring healing to those in need.

Rabbi Boaz Bardea

Retroactive Thank You
The Gemara (Berachos 54b) states that there are four instances in which an individual needs to express special thanks to Hashem upon
being spared from a dangerous situation and emerging safely (i.e. those who traverse the sea, desert, were confined in prison or were
sick and healed) At the same time, the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 27:12) discloses that in the times of Moshiach, all sacrificial offerings
will be annulled with the exception of the Korban Todah (Thanksgiving Offering).
Yet it is strange, asks Rav Chaim Zaichik zt”l, that the Korban Todah will be offered in the future. Why will we need to bring a
Korban Todah if the dangers which are present in our world now will not exist in the times of Moshiach? On what account will an

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 individual need to bring a Korban Todah?
Rav Zaichik explains that the Korban Todah which is offered in the times of Moshiach will not be offered because of what will happen
then, but rather because of what happens now, in our days of exile, when Moshiach is not here. In the times of Moshiach, we will
realize that everything which occurred was for our good and emanated from Hashem. In our times, we cannot understand why things
happen as they do, but in the days of Moshiach, we will have full comprehension of the Divine plan which was in place, and we will
bring Thanksgiving Offerings to express our gratitude.

Rabbi Simcha Barnett

Choose Life
The Torah (Devarim 3:19) states, “I have placed before you life and death, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life so that you
will live.” With this verse, the Torah frames our choice of free will as a choice between life and death. Now, at first glance, we would
not have said that the struggle of free will is a struggle between life and death. Who is faced with the decision to choose between life
and death on a constant basis?
Secondly, we would have assumed that the only way to die is to choose death. However, here in the verse, the Torah seems to em-
phasize that we must choose life in order to live, implying that if we do not actively choose life, we will automatically be in a state of
death. But why would that be so? It should be that unless we choose death, of course we are going to live. That is the state we were in
before and the state we should be in after.
Rav Noach Weinberg zt”l use to remark that people who wish to escape life tend to do so when they are overwhelmed with pain. He or
she looses a sense of perspective, and the pain becomes unbearable, making it seem that the only way out is to escape it.
When viewed in this manner, we can better understand the intention of the above verse. While we may not go as far as to actually take
our lives, many people “kill” themselves in installments. We have all heard the expression, “Killing time.” Yet, as we know, time is
life. Killing time is essentially killing life. These expressions of disengagement bring us further away from life. In this sense then, we
choose death so long as we do not deliberately and actively choose life. Just “living” without purpose is the road to living as a “dead
person.”
What the Torah is so powerfully teaching us is that we have the opportunity on a moment-to-moment basis to either engage or disen-
gage in life. The decision is ours.

Rabbi Mordechai Becher

Saved By Humor
Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshischa was once walking with some of his students, when suddenly, one student slipped in the mud and slid
into the river. Amidst the raging torrent, the student desperately struggled to swim. As the tide continued pushing him down the river,
Rav Simcha Bunim yelled out in Yiddish, “Send my regards to the Leviathan (the mystical sea creature)!”
Seconds later, the student, instead of being carried along by the current, thrashed around more and inched closed enough to the banks
of the river, from where the students were able to pull him out to safety.
Later on, the students asked Rav Simcha Bunim why in fact he had made such a seemingly out-of-place remark. “The Pasuk in Ye-
shaya (55:12) says,” explained Rav Simcha Bunim, “’Ki b’simcha tei’tzei’un – With joy you shall go forth.’ I understood this literally.
With simcha, joy, you can get out of anything. I had seen that the boy was on the verge of giving up hope of surviving, I knew that if
I could inject some slight humor and happiness into his mind, his attitude would change from pessimism to optimism, from despair to
hope, and he would save himself. And that is exactly what happened.”
When facing an apparent hopeless situation, we can lend ourselves a lifeboat when we infuse our lives with joy.

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 Rabbi Yaakov Bender
Gathering Together
Rashi, at the very beginning of Parshas Vayakhel (35:1), tells us that the day in which Moshe Rabbeinu gathered together the Jewish
people was the day following Yom Kippur. Of what relevance is it that the Jews came together the day after Yom Kippur?
The Kli Yakar explains that aside from the time in which the Jewish people surrounded Har Sinai to receive the Torah, of which they
are described as unifying together “like one man, with one heart” (Shemos 19:2), the only other time in which the Jewish people bond-
ed together with such closeness and unity was the day after Yom Kippur, the day after every Jew forgave one another, and Hashem in
turn forgave the nation.
All other times, there was always some sort of dispute or quarrel, however big or small. There was never absolute, complete unity.
With the coming and going of Yom Kippur, however, which had engendered peace and friendship between all of the nation, the Jews
truly “gathered together.” It was upon the heels of such shalom (peace) which spread through Klal Yisroel that Hashem proceeded to
dwell within the camps of the Jewish people, within the Mishkan.
We all know what it is like right before Yom Kippur. Lines form around blocks with people asking forgiveness from one another. As
we are currently experiencing, Jews around communities and around the world are binding together, irrespective of where they would
daven were shuls to be open. We can now realize that it makes no difference if you daven there and I daven here. We all come from
the same roots.
Hashem will be able to rest his Presence in the Third Beis Hamikdash when we are all on the same page.

Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan

What Will They Say?
In twenty years from now, you and your children will be talking about what is was like to be quarantined. You will be sitting at your
Pesach seder as a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, and your children and grandchildren will be around you. And what
will your children say, “Remember that Pesach of the quarantine…” That will be a neutral statement. But their next words will all
depend…
They can either be, “Mommy was crying, and Abba was upset!” or they can be, “It was an incredible experience for us as a family…
Daddy was on the floor with us for hours playing games and sitting with us at the table singing and learning!”
The Coronavirus will end. What would you like your children to remember?

Rabbi Ari Bensoussan

Our Response
At this juncture, many of us are awakening to the reality that we can live with much less than we actually thought we need. The big
house, fancy car, expensive clothing and exquisite restaurant food. We are now afforded the real opportunity to experience and realize
that there is more to life than the above when living as a Jew.
The Mishnah (Avos 6:4) tells us, “Bread with salt you shall eat, on the floor you shall sleep; this is the way of Torah…” Our Sages
were not exaggerating. The way of a Torah life as a Jew is simplicity.
As for our kids, they can be happy with much less. They can be happy when they come up with the right answer on their Parsha sheet,
and they receive two or three little chocolate chips.
What is our response? It is to decide that the money Hashem has given us does not need to be spent on overly extravagant amenities
that are unnecessary. There are widows and widowers around Jewish communities today who are in need of funds. What if, instead of
purchasing that extra dish we were planning on, we would take that money and give it to a family who is now bereft of their father or

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 mother? What if we would save some of that money and indulge less, and instead decide that we want to lead more spiritual lives?
Let us be the Jews we all are truly capable of being deep down. That is what Hashem is asking from us now.

Rabbi Eliyahu Bergstein

Only Trust
The Talmud Yerushalmi (Taanis 5:5) relates that as the Jewish people stood across the Red Sea with the Egyptians in pursuit behind
them, they broke up into four groups with four different options as how to proceed.
One group said, “Let us fall into the sea and die.” The second group said, “Let us return to Egypt.” The third remarked, “Let us wage
war with the Egyptians,” and the fourth group said, “Let us cry out to Hashem.”
To the first group, Moshe Rabbeinu remarked, “Stand and you will see the salvation of Hashem,” as if to say that they should not give
their lives up. To the second group, Moshe said, “As you have seen Egypt in the past, you will not see it in the future,” insinuating that
they should not return to their previous Egyptians masters. To the third group, Moshe said, “Hashem will wage your war,” implying
that they should not do so themselves. And to the last group, Moshe replied, “You shall remain silent.”
Essentially, to each group, Moshe rejected their proposition as what to do. Yet why was this so? There appears to be valid rationale
to each of them. Moreover, there were times when Moshe Rabbeinu himself instructed Yehoshua to gather together an army and fight
Amalek, and other times when Moshe davened. The above strategies are not out-of-line. Why then were they rebuffed?
In truth, however, Moshe was introducing an entirely new idea. And that is: bitachon. The definition of the word “bitachon” can be un-
derstood from the word in the Torah (Bamidbar 11:5), “Avatichim,” melons. The melon is found inside, with the rind around it. What
is the fruit inside meant to do? Nothing. It is meant to remain in its place. It does not need to break away, fight back or even daven. It
must simply realize that it is a trusting entity in the rind which surrounds and protects it.
This is what Moshe meant to communicate to the Jews. At this point as they stood by the Sea, it was all about bitachon, which meant
to integrate and internalize the realization that Hashem was doing everything. Many other times, action was called for. Yet now, at this
point, the directive was to remain still and have bitachon. The Jewish people were to learn the lesson of complete trust and reliance in
Hashem, and for that to occur, nothing else could be done.
When we place our trust in Hashem, it means trust with its full meaning. Our action is to remain in place and trust him. And that unto
itself is a great action.

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz

Other’s Needs
It is noteworthy that many of the precautions which we are undertaking during this time are not because of ourselves, but rather
because of others. We are, in this regard, being afforded the chance to become more conscientious of other people and become more
sensitive and responsible for other people’s well-being. We are being put in position to be aware of other’s needs, and that is a great
opportunity and lesson.

Rabbi Meyer Bodner

Faith in Our Sages
For one sick individual who was in dire need of recovery, R’ Akiva Eiger consistently reminded him of the Gemara (Shabbos 119b;
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 Rashi) which mentions that one should drink a hot beverage after Shabbos as well as wash oneself with hot water. When R’ Akiva
Eiger’s students asked why he was so passionate about relaying this Gemara to this sick man, he remarked, “Let me tell you. It is not
the hot water which brings a person their refuah (healing). It is rather the emunas chachamin (faith in the words of our Sages who
mention such a practice) which brings the refuah. If our Sages say to do something, then while someone may flippantly wonder how
such a thing will ever help, that is precisely why it does help. That is why I am so adamant about retelling this Gemara to this man. I
want to bring him to a point that he will follow through with the practice, even though he doesn’t understand why he should do it. At
that point, in the merit of his emunas chachamim, he will merit a full recovery.”
Currently, although we are bereft of prophecy, following the guidance of our present-day Gedolim in matters relating to ruchniyus
(spirituality) is unto itself no small matter.

Rabbi Elimelech Biderman

Small Wedding Now, Sweet Life Ahead
For the many weddings that are taking place these days under different circumstances, allow me to share one thought.
We cannot image the elevated level of a chassan (groom) and kallah (bride). The Chasam Sofer writes that a chassan on the day of his
wedding is like the tzaddik of his generation. To this effect, consider the following story.
There was once a wealthy philanthropist, by the name of Yechiel Meir Pick, who was originally from Poland and had moved to Israel.
Yechiel Meir Pick was known to have donated buildings in the cities of Ponevezh and Jerusalem and beyond. Yet what did he do to
merit such great wealth?
The story went as follows.
On the day of his wedding, he was supposed to take the train to arrive at the location of his wedding. However, by mistake, he took
the train which headed in the opposite direction. The biggest problem was that once he arrived at the wrong destination, he didn’t have
any money for the train ride back. He would be stuck, but he needed to get back in time for his wedding.
As he stood in the train station crying, the Sifsei Tzaddik met him, and asked Yechiel Meir what had happened. As he relayed the sto-
ry, the Sifsei Tzaddik gave him money for the trip, and told him, “You will never again lack money, because you cried for this on the
day of your chuppah.”
If I would have one message for chassanim and kallos:
What is going on may seem odd, but on such a tremendous day as your wedding, if you are crying, know that there must be great and
wonderful things awaiting for you as a husband and wife and family in your future. As you see, the tears of Yechiel Meir Pick paid off.
In fact, R’ Shlomke Zvhiller once remarked, “If a businessman asks a beggar for fifty dollars, the beggar understands that he is about
to receive a hundred-dollar bill.” How much more so does this apply to you. If you’ve been asked to undergo this amount of change,
to experience this amount of disappointment and discomfort on the incredible and tremendous day as your wedding, then know that a
sweet life is waiting for you.

Rabbi Yitzchak Botton

Change of Routine
For many of us, during these past weeks, our normal routine has been shattered. Now, although this can be offsetting, the beautiful
thing about shattering our normal routine is that we have a chance to re-design our new routine. Moreover, when this occurs, we are
more open to change and renewal, which is certainly a most apropos and pertinent notion during this month of Nissan, the time of
rebirth and renewal.

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 Rav Yitzchak Breitowitz
In Hashem’s Hands
When the Brisker Rav was in the Warsaw Ghetto, of which he eventually escaped, he appeared to anyone and everyone very calm and
collected. While he was known for his scrupulous and almost nervous conduct when it came to mitzvah observance, which stemmed
from his deep Fear of Heaven and exactitude to Torah adherence, he did not seem to give an equal amount of attention to the great fear
which loomed and lurked everywhere.
When approached and asked why he did not display any such nervous emotion, although he generally showed such nervous sensitivity
to mitzvos, the Brisker Rav replied, “When it comes to mitzvos, that is my job and responsibly, and as such, I am very careful about my
behavior. However, when it comes to something dependent on Hashem and there is nothing I can do about it, I am not nervous at all.
When I know something is not in my control, I am relaxed, because then I know it is in Hashem’s hands and is His job.”
The Brisker Rav was not being naïve, nor nonchalantly believing that everything would have a happy ending. That is an unlettered and
dangerous view of emunah, which the Chazon Ish (Sefer Emunah U’Bitachon) writes is a mistaken notion. Emunah does not mean
that the sick will always get better, for if that were the case, it would lead people to disbelief when matters do not turn out as such.
Emunah rather means that things may happen which are difficult, but I know it comes from Hashem, and there is a reason and pur-
pose, and therefore I know that I am not being abandoned and forgotten.
It is therefore precisely, expressed the Brisker Rav, that when we realize our helplessness, we are most open to the salvation from
Hashem.

Rabbi Dov Brezak

Kindness and More Kindness
We would all likely agree that kindness begins at home, and that kindness begins with our family and children. At such a time as now,
it may seem to be the biggest nuisance that we are home with our kids and siblings all day for hours on end. In truth, however, precise-
ly because our children and entire family is home with us so much that are able to pore ourselves into acting with abundant kindness
and thereby have the midas hadin (strict judgment) pass over our family.

Rabbi Yisroel Brog

The Pinpoint Presence
When Rabbi Mordechai Pogromaksy, who was fondly called ‘Rav Mottel’, was in the Kovno Ghetto, he came across a group of yeshi-
va students who were huddled around and involved in discussion. Inquiring as to what the conversation was about, they relayed that
they had been debating as to what news from the Germans which had been circulating was accurate.
But Rav Mottel had a different perspective about all that was going on. “You know what I see here?” said Rav Mottel. “I see the
presence of Hashem in all of its glory.” Looking at Rav Mottel bewildered, the students asked for an explanation. “Do you see that
German soldier over there?” pointed Rav Mottel. “Do you see him holding a rifle?” “Yes,” replied the boys in unison. “Could he
murder Jews?” “Yes,” they all replied once again. “If one Jew would walk past him, and try to escape this ghetto, would he have any
qualms taking out his rifle and sending that Jew to the Next World?” “No,” they replied. “So why doesn’t he shoot us all now?” asked
Rav Mottel.
“You know why,” said Rav Mottel, “because the only One and the only power that exists is Hashem. And Hashem wants to show that
the reason that German guard is not taking lives right now is because He is not allowing it. And if you would walk past the guard, and
he would then take your life, it would also be because Hashem is allowing it to happen. The difference therefore between the German

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 not killing any Jew now and him killing a Jew were he to walk past him is nothing but Hashem. I see the pinpoint presence of Hash-
em.
“It looks like it is the middle of the night,” concluded Rav Mottel, “but to me, I see daylight.”

Rabbi Elya Brudny

Your Greatest Mitzvah
The commandment of Shemiras HaNefesh, guarding and being watchful of our health and well-being, is one which stands at the
forefront of importance in Torah observance. The Rambam writes that one who does not cautiously watch his health, whether through
injuring himself or other means, is in violation of a Torah prohibition (see Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 27:1).
The Be’er HaGolah (end of Choshen Mishpat, 427) writes that one who is lax in taking care of his health fails to appreciate the
unbelievable value of his life that it is. If one does not take the welfare of his health seriously, the Be’er HaGolah makes clear, “there
is no greater shirking and belittling of life bigger than that.” Such an individual shows that his mission in life, to be healthy to serve
Hashem, is not significant to him.
Taking care of our health is a tremendous act of avodas Hashem. At this point in time when we are diligent in watching our health, we
are performing an unbelievable mitzvah. It is not merely an effort which relates to our gashmiyus, our physical bodies and lives. For us
Jews, such a matter is pure ruchniyus (spirituality). It is the recognition and manifestation of who we are, why we are here, and what
we hope to accomplish for many more years, collectively and individually.

Rabbi Mordechai Burg

Individuals as a Community
The nature of the Korban Pesach (Paschal Offering) is one which is of utmost intrigue. Weaved throughout the words of our Sages and
the Rishonim (early commentaries) are implications that it falls into categories of a Korban Tzibbur, communal sacrifice, and Korban
Yachid, personal sacrifice (see Yoma 50a; Rashi, Pesachim 66b, Zevachim 117a; Tosafos Yoma 6b, Rambam, intro. to Seder Kodshim).
In line with this, the Korban Pesach which represents the birth of the Jewish people, as it was on the heels of our exodus from Egypt
that it was originally offered and at which point we became a nation, possesses a dialectical nature to it. On the one hand, the animal
brought for the Paschal Offering came from personal funds and was eaten by the individuals who had contributed to its purchase and
sacrifice. Yet, on the other hand, all of the Jewish nation at large participated in bringing such a sacrifice.
In this sense, the Korban Pesach redefines for us what it means to be individual Jews who are at the same time part of a larger Jewish
community. It is true that each and every Jew carries their own individual uniqueness, yet as a Jew, it is never the goal just to remain
alone. It is rather to become part of the larger Jewish family. We are distinct individuals who come together as a close-knit worldwide
community, and thereby become part of something larger than ourselves.
Perhaps, this is represented in the dialectical tension expressed by Hillel, who remarked, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me;
but when I am for myself, what am I?” (Avos 1:14). On the one hand, we are individuals (“If I am not for myself, who will be for
me?”), but on the other hand, we are part of a community (“When I am for myself, what am I?”). It is, moreover, not of coincidence
that it was none other than Hillel who recalled and evinced proof that it was permitted to slaughter the Korban Pesach on Shabbos
(Pesachim 66a). Hillel’s statement in Pirkei Avos, which brings to bear the natures of the individual and community and redefines
the individual as part of the larger community, mirrors his statement that the Paschal Offering may be offered on Shabbos, a halachic
reality which is generally related to communal offerings.
Right now, our community does not feel the same. We cannot sit next to one another in our shuls, schools or yeshivos, nor can we
gather together. But all the while, we must remember that we are never alone, even as we sit as individuals. We are forever and will be
forever part of a global, familial community.

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 Rabbi Leiby Burnham
The Secret Cure
The Gemara (Kerisos 6b) relates that one of the eleven spices which was part of the Ketores (Incense) was Chelbanah, Galbanum.
Notably, Chelbanah possesses a putrid odor. Its mixing into the other spices teaches us, note our Sages, that the Jewish community is
never complete unless everyone is a part of it, including those who do not adhere to a Torah way of life, figuratively represented by
the Chelbanah. In addition, our Sages underscore how the Ketores possesses the power of mitigating the harmful effects of a plague
(Zohar 2:218).
Perhaps, the Chelbanah is the secret as to why the Ketores can end a plague, and can serve also as guidance as to what message we
can extract for our times. The greatness of the Ketores is the ability to absorb even that which possess a foul smell. We live in a gener-
ation which has extraordinarily low tolerance for anybody who smells a little bit off. For anyone who smells different than ourselves
– i.e. they don’t look like us, dress like us, keep our same religious values – we often have little tolerance. We live at a time of extreme
divisiveness.
During this time of quarantine, we feel the full effects of what it means to be alone and isolated from others. And it doesn’t feel
pleasant. When we act in ways that exclude others and make them feel different and unequal to us, we are essentially doing the same –
quarantining them.
It is for this reason that in the event of a plague, our Sages express that the cure is the Ketores. The Ketores welcomes and includes
the Chelbanah, which is noticeably different from the other ten spices. Even those who are different than us need to be embraced
and brought into our fold with love and care. Instead of excluding people from our schools, communities and friendships, we need to
include them, which will bring all of us together to a greater end, and leave us smelling all that much better.

Rabbi Nachum Chaimowitz

From Speech to Action
In the beginning of Parshas Bo, Hashem tells Moshe that the many plagues are occurring in Egypt, “So that you may relate in the ears
of your son and your son’s son that I have made a mockery of Egypt and My signs that I placed among them – that you may know that
I am Hashem” (Shemos 10:2).
In relating this Pasuk to the night of the Seder, we typically understand that our experiential retelling and reliving of our slavery and
exodus from Egypt will lead us to gaining greater knowledge of Hashem’s creation and dominion over mankind and the world.
Yet, when thinking carefully about the timing and context of this Pasuk in the Torah, it is difficult to understand. Moshe was originally
told the above by Hashem while still in Egypt, making it incumbent upon the Jewish people to tell their children about the plagues
and miracles while still in Egypt, and continually throughout their years in the desert and into their entry in the Land of Israel. Yet
why would it be necessary for the Jewish people to relay to their children the miracles which occurred in Egypt when the parents
themselves had lived and experienced everything, and were a living and walking testimony. It cannot be that telling over the story and
recreating the experience would be greater than the experience itself?
The answer is that, even for the first generation in Egypt, it was necessary for them to actively speak about the miracles of Egypt, for
by means of doing so, the parents would concretize their experience and bring it from thought to speech, which is a step away from
action. Thought leads to speech which leads to action. The process of telling over their experience in Egypt and all that they witnessed
would lead them to more profoundly living their internalized realities. And for their children, they too would receive a deeper under-
standing of G-d, as they would hear what their parents were sincerely and genuinely sharing with them.

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 Rabbi Igal Cohen
Humility in the World
One of the great lessons we are learning now during this period is the trait of humility. Under the current circumstances, we are vividly
seeing how all the immense power, glory and glamor one can attain in life can all come toppling down almost instantly. Personally, we
are meant to internalize this humbling experience and look to lead our lives with great humility of character.

Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen

Using a Siddur
While the Gemara (Menachos 43b) emphasizes the profound effects of reciting 100 blessings a day, especially at a time of a pandemic,
one good kabbalah (matter to accept upon oneself) these days is to stand or sit in one place when saying a blessing. In addition, one
should say it from a siddur from time to time. When taking the time to recite a beracha over a fruit or cracker from a siddur, which is
something which generally and otherwise may be relegated to times when bentching over bread, it makes a big impact upon oneself.

Rabbanit Kineret Sarah Cohen

Of Sounds and Spices
The Gemara (Kerisos 6b) states that as the spices of the Ketoret were being thoroughly ground and mixed together, the following
words were said, “Hadeik hei’tev, hei’tev, hadeik – grind finely, finely grind.” These words were recited, expounds the Gemara, be-
cause sounds bring out the wonderful aroma of spices. The Abarbanel explains that the process of reciting these words was beneficial
for the spices as saying these words would allow for the one grinding to do so in a rhythm, which would produce more finely ground
spices. By reciting these words and keeping in sync with a rhythm and pattern, the spices would be more evenly mixed together.
It is not coincidental the Ketoret, which possesses potent healing effects, relates to the voice of a person enhancing it ingredient spices.
It is the voice of a person, which produces kind and compassionate words, that contains the power to uplift people and heal their hearts
and cure their souls. Speech, which served as the encompassing and integrating ingredient in the making of the Ketoret, holds the key
to warding off a plague. When speech is misused, it can hurt; when used well, it can heal.

Rabbi Zev Cohen

Making Our Home Our Shul
During these unfortunate weeks when we are without a minyan to attend, there are nonetheless a number of steps we can take to en-
hance our tefillos at home.
Firstly, we can daven at Netz Ha’Chama (sunrise). The reason to do so is that davening at sunrise is in some way comparable to dav-
ening together with a minyan. The Gemara refers to those who daven at sunrise as those who daven K’Vasikin, which Rashi (Berachos
9b) defines as those “people who are humble and endear a mitzvah.” We can show our love for mitzvos by davening at the earliest
possible time, which entails beginning Shemonah Esrei at precisely sunrise.

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 Moreover, while we may not be davening at shul, we should still get dressed as if we were. We should wear clothing that is in respect
and accord with how we would go outside to shul.
Additionally, for as many tefillos as we can, we should daven together with our children. In this sense, we should make our home into
a shul and do whatever possible to make our homes feel as such. Suggestively, we should designate a certain room or part of the house
as the “shul” and put up a mechitzah, put out a tzedakah box, put up a sign which designates that wall and direction as Mizrach, East,
put up a picture of an Aron Kodesh (Ark which houses the Torah) on the wall and let it feel as if it occupies that area. We can have our
children make a big picture, which can be put up.
While we cannot daven together as community in a minyan, shuls can still hold conference calls during the times of davening, at
which time Tehillim, Pitum HaKetores and other relates tefillos can be recited together.
During the week, Maariv is oftentimes recited prior to nightfall for those minyanim which hold Maariv shortly following Mincha.
During these days, we should make the concerted effort to daven Maariv at its proper time, after nightfall. We should as well designate
a specific place in which we will consistently daven (a makom kavua).
May these steps in which we take to infuse our homes with the sanctified resemblance of a shul last beyond these difficult days, and
serve as a source of merit for us re-entering our own shuls in the near future.

Rabbi Zamir Cohen

Any Job Openings?
Currently, there are many individuals who are capable of working from home and whose job expertise involves careers which can
be done remotely from home, yet they are without a job and do not know whom to turn to. To this end, if someone knows that one
individual is looking for an employee, and someone else needs a job, he should attempt to connect them and see if an agreement
for employment can be made. Such an act of helping a person find a job is greater than giving tzedakah. The Rambam (Hil. Matnos
Aniyim 10:7-14) writes that assisting an individual earn money so that he does not need to ask for charity from others is the highest
form of tzedakah.
In fact, the word for kindness – Chessed (‫ – )דסח‬is a contraction of the words Chas Dal, meaning “Have compassion on the poor.”
Similarly, the words Gemillut Chesed, acts of kindness, underline what true kindness entails. Gemillut stems from the word Gamal,
which has two meanings. For one, Gamal means to give; while it also means to wean. In this sense, true kindness both gives and
weans, for one is meant to give to another until they have weaned them off from the necessity of needing others for financial support.
At that point in which he no longer needs others for charity, the other person has done true chessed.
Given this to be so, during these days, it is a tremendous mitzvah if an individual can help promote jobs which are available and make
the necessary contact information accessible to those who are seeking employment.
The Gemara (Berachos 3b) recounts Dovid Hamelech’s remark when approached by the Jewish leaders of the time as, “Go out and
support one another.” Jews were meant to create a network with Jews employing and being employed by other Jews. It is a wonderful
thing when Jews can support other Jews in their line of business. It serves as a true source of real chessed, especially in our times,
when many individuals are bound to stay at home and are in search of a job.

Rabbi Shaya Cohen

What Changes the Equation
The Gemara (Taanis 25b) relays how amidst dire times of there being no rainfall, R’ Eliezer stood up in front of the Ark and recited
twenty-four blessings in the hope of eliciting Hashem’s compassion and bringing an end to the drought. Yet it was to no avail. Follow-
ing this, R’ Akiva ascended before the Ark and recited two verses from Avinu Malkeinu, whereupon rain immediately began to fall.
Upon witnessing such a scene, the surrounding rabbis were perplexed as to why R’ Eliezer’s prayers did not bring the rain, whereas
R’ Akiva’s did. A Bas Kol (Heavenly Voice) emanated and remarked, “It is not because R’ Akiva is greater than R’ Eliezer; rather R’

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 Akiva is maa’vir al midosav, overlooks the wrong done to him, whereas R’ Eliezer does not.”
Rav Yisroel Salanter asks the obvious question. If R’ Akiva overlooked the wrong done to him, while R’ Eliezer did not, then by virtue
of that, R’ Akiva should have been considered the greater of the two. Why did the Bas Kol say otherwise?
Rav Yisroel Salanter explains that in truth R’ Eliezer was a student of Bais Shammai, whose approach to life was to strictly and princi-
pally stand up for the wrongs which compromised or bended the respect due to the Torah. There was little room for easygoingness or
loose parameters as it pertained to Torah-related issues. On the other hand, R’ Akiva was a student of Bais Hillel, whose approach was
one which articulated a less rigid approach to matters, although always in line with Torah law.
Yet the difference between these approaches, and therefore between R’ Eliezer and R’ Akiva was that R’ Akiva, given his attitude, was
more inclined to forego the wrong done to him. Therefore, although R’ Akiva’s approach and method did not make him greater than R’
Eliezer, or more of an accepted halachic opinion, this attribute of R’ Akiva did mean that he had the unique ability to change the equa-
tion and engender Hashem’s compassion. In reciprocal measure to R’ Akiva being maa’vir al midosav, Hashem would do the same
and move from meting out strict justice of no rainfall to exhibiting compassion. It was therefore specifically R’ Akiva who was able to
bring about such a change in Heaven.
The effects we create when we overlook and forego the ill-treatment we may have received from others, whether justified or not, is
nothing to be made small of. Such an attribute of being maa’vir al midosav is a true reflection of greatness.

Rabbi Daniel Coren

Healthy from Humility
In one of HaGaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita’s recent letters, he writes:
“In relation to the concern over the infectious pandemic, Corona… It is incumbent upon each and every one to strengthen themselves
and be careful as it relates to speaking Lashon Hara and Rechilus (forms of negative, slanderous speech), as is states in Erchin (16b),
‘He (the slanderer) separated a man from his wife (by means of his negative speech), therefore the Torah says he shall dwell separat-
ed.’ One should as well strengthen himself in the trait of humility and foregoing the wrong which was done to him (maa’vir as mi-
dosav), as the Rosh writes at the end of Horayos (14a).
Anyone who strengthens himself, his merit should protect him and his family that not one of them should become sick.”
The Gemara (Horayos 14a) discusses the question which arose as to whether Rabbah or Rav Yosef was to assume the position of Rosh
Yeshiva (head of the academy) at the time. While Rav Yosef was chosen, given his broadened and expansive knowledge, he declined
the offer for twenty-two years. The Gemara relates the throughout these twenty-two years, even a bloodletter was not summoned to the
house of Rav Yosef for the sake of him or his family.
In explanation of the correlation between Rav Yosef being selected as the Rosh Yeshiva, yet turning down the offer, and a bloodletter
not entering his home, the Tosafos HaRosh writes, “Since Rav Yosef humbled himself and did not want to assume a position of leader-
ship before Rabbah, the merit of such humility served as a source of merit for him and his family that not even one person became ill
all those twenty-two years in which Rabbah was the Rosh Yeshiva. Even a bloodletter was not summoned to their home.”
Now looking back at the letter from Rav Chaim Kanievsky, we can appreciate that his concluding words, “Anyone who strengthens
himself, his merit should protect him and his family that not one of them should become sick” is not merely a nice blessing, but is
rather sourced in the Gemara above with Rav Yosef. Humility goes well beyond being an important attribute; it provides protection
and merit to oneself and one’s family.

Mrs. Nili Couzens

Faith in Action
As the Jewish women prepared themselves to leave Egypt, they carried with themselves tambourines with which they anticipated play-
ing with upon their imminent salvation. The commentaries (e.g. Rashi, Shemos 15:20) explain that this was done because they were

15
 certain that Hashem would perform miracles for them, and they would have reason to celebrate.
The Jewish women did not merely express faith; they expressed faith in action. Packing a tambourine to leave Egypt was akin to
bringing an umbrella to the Kotel to pray for rain. The Jewish women did not simply believe in Hashem’s miraculous salvation; they
knew it to be true through and through and took preparatory action accordingly.

Mrs. Ilana Cowland

Interconnecting in Isolation
During this most difficult time, many situations which would have otherwise enabled us to perform mitzvos to their optimum level are
unavailable to us. At the same time, something else extraordinary has taken its place given the circumstances. We have all become in-
terconnected in ways like never before, precisely because of our isolation, and our minds are consumed with thoughtfulness for others.
We are no longer asking ourselves, “Have I performed such-and-such a mitzvah?” but rather, “Did I do what was right when it came to
such-and-such a mitzvah?” It is not a question as to whether we have davened with a minyan, but rather if we have acted correctly and
not placed other people in compromised and unsafe predicaments because of our davening. The same is true of many other ongoing
mitzvos. Did we do what was kind and considerate and serve Hashem in the best way possible by being like Hashem? That is the
question.

Rabbi Binyonim Eisenberger

Not My Home
The Gemara (Berachos 60a) relates that Hillel was once journeying when he heard an outcry emanating from the nearby city. Taking
in the panicking and hysterical sounds, Hillel remarked, “I am sure that such noise is not coming from my home.” It is in relation to
Hillel, continues the Gemara, that the verse applies, “From a bad rumor do not fear; his heart is settled, trusting in Hashem” (Tehillim
112:7).
How could it be that Hillel was so certain that such panic-stricken noise was not coming from his home? What made him be so sure?
R’ Yonasan Eibeshitz explains that Hillel had taught and ingrained within his wife and children the importance of never falling into
debilitating panic and fear. He had imbued this value within his family that when difficult times arise, one’s heart should remain calm
and trusting in Hashem.
It is true that taking care of one’s health and well-being was on Hillel’s mind and something his family adhered to. But hysteria, pan-
demonium and chaos? That Hillel guided his family away from. Take care of yourself, but don’t panic; trust in Hashem.

Rabbi Chaim Eisenstein

A Heartful Message
Allow me to share with you a machlokes l’shem shamyim (an argument for the Sake of Heaven) which transpired between two teach-
ers. A powerful message was sent around, which went as follows:
Middah k’negged Middah (measure for measure)
We didn’t take seriously enough the respect our shuls deserve, and now we cannot enter inside them.

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 We took for granted the beauty of nature, and now we are not allowed to travel and go out of our houses.
We haven’t accorded our parents and the elderly the respect and honor due to them, and now we are unable to spend time with them.
We spoke disparagingly about the schools we send our children to, and now our educational institutions have been closed.
We became accustomed to spending our money on unnecessary matters, and now malls and shopping centers have been closed.
We purchased expensive cars, and now there is nowhere to drive them.
We didn’t take to heart the depth of relationship we can have with others, and now we are separated.
We paid too much attention to physical beauty, and now we must wear masks and cover our faces.
Upon this message being sent around by one teacher, another teacher replied, “That’s pretty harsh,” to which the first teacher com-
mented… “The truth hurts.”
It is all of our fervent hope that we can take the lessons we need to heart, and pave the way towards a future which is filled with the
beauty and blessing that life can offer.

Rabbi Maimon Elbaz

The Book of Remedies
The Gemara (Berachos 10b) states that King Chizkiyahu hid a Book of Remedies, which outlined the cures and treatments which
could be used to heal any illness. Yet why did Chizkiyahu do so? It could have saved so many future lives.
The reason, explains Rashi (ibid.), is that Chizkiyahu wished for people to beseech Hashem for mercy. Although Chizkiyahu was
aware of the potential life-saving effects such a book could bring, he wished for people to believe that their cure and recovery came
from Hashem and Hashem alone, and was not the result of them going through the motions of applying the medical treatment. He
understood that people would now be put in position to do teshuva and turn to Hashem, which ultimately would bring their recovery.
Chizkiyahu was brave enough to take these measures, and the Sages agreed to his decision.

Rabbi Meir Eliyahu

Our Sages’ Words
The Midrash (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 2:29) states that prior to the days of Moshiach, a big plague will come to the world.
We can never know the exact nature and parameters of what occurs and why ,although we can trust in the words of our Sages .All we
can do now is daven that Hashem keep the pandemic away from us ,as alluded to in the Pasuk – ‫ש ָמי ִם‬
ּׁ ָ ‫ “לְעֹולָם ד' דְ ּב ְָרָך נִ ָצּב ַ ּב‬,Forever,
Hashem ,Your word stands firm in Heaven( ”Tehillim .)119:89 When altering the vowelization of - ‫ דְ ּב ְָרָך‬Your word ,it can also be
understood to relate to similarly pronounced word dever ,plague .We ask that Hashem keep the plague in the Heavens and not allow it
to find its way down to earth.
At the same time, we must take careful precautions, as the Gemara (Bava Kama 60b) states, “When there is a plague in the city, a per-
son should not walk in the middle of the street, because the Angel of Death traverses in the middle of the roads.” It is not coincidental
that we are meant to stay enclosed at home during this time. Especially at a time when danger is prevalent, we must take extra safety
measures (Pesachim 8b).
The most important steps we can take during these days is working on ourselves, including our learning of Torah, our tefillot, our Fear
of Heaven and our love for others. In that merit, we will protect ourselves and our families.

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 Rabbi Reuven Epstein
An Ideal Life
I personally had the Coronavirus. At that time, when I felt extremely weak and stayed in bed for hours, an idea struck me.
There are two levels when it comes to Torah observance and halacha adherence during our everyday lives. There is lechatchila, the
ideal way to perform a mitzvah, and bedieved, a less-ideal way, although post-facto still upheld as a qualified way of fulfilling a mitz-
vah.
Lechatchila, we daven with a minyan, and concentrate on our prayers from a siddur while carefully enunciating all the words, while
bedieved, we come late and are in a rush, so we skip certain parts and grab the tail-end of davening Shemonah Esrei with the minyan.
Lechatchila, we bring Shabbos in on time and perhaps even early, while bedieved, we use the eighteen minutes after candle lighting
until sunset.
Lechatchila, we attend a shiur every night, whereas bedieved, we call into the class and catch the last few minutes.
To a very large degree, while we may strive to live our everyday lives in a lechatchila way, we often find ourselves resorting to doing
things bedieved. Yet now, Hashem is showing us what truly constitutes a bedieved situation. Now, when many mitzvos we would oth-
erwise be able to perform more easily and together with others are taken away from us, we are in a compromised, bedieved circum-
stance. But otherwise, when life is so-called “normal,” we must recognize the difference between how we can optimally live our lives
and should live our lives and what we tend to fall into the rut of doing. When life is normal, the circumstances are not bedieved, and
we should not be doing things bedieved.
Particularly now, with our regular routines shifted, we have the opportunity to reorient ourselves and reprioritize our schedules in the
most lechatchila way. How many of us were inspired at the most recent Siyum HaShas and have not begun learning Daf Yomi? We
may have wished we could have, but we didn’t have the time. Now, just a couple months later, Hashem is, to a large degree, freeing
up our entire calendar. With more time spent at home, we can start Daf Yomi right now, and learn a page in the morning and a page at
night, and within a few months be caught up.
We now can feel how unpleasant it is to live in a real bedieved situation. Hashem is giving us the chance to start something now anew
that will make our lives all the more lechatchila when this all passes. Let us no longer let our days come and go. Now we have the
opportunity to spend time pondering what we are truly living for, and set ourselves up to live the lechatchila life we all can.

Rabbi Ephraim Epstein

Our Life at Home
I remember a great Jew, Rav Yitzchok Kerzner z”l, who used to say that people got it wrong. People tend to think that the purpose of
their home is to return after a day’s work and have a warm meal, a good night’s sleep and rejuvenate themselves for the next day or
upcoming week. The place to accomplish, on the other hand, is outside in the industry, in our workplaces and in the world at large. We
are meant to make our mark in society and on the streets of our cities.
Yet, the truth is that that reason anyone ever goes out to earn a living is to come home and share it with their home and family. Our
home is our sanctuary and primary place; not outside of it.
One of the differences between Jewish life and other religions is that the latter focus their rituals and responsibilities outside in their
places of worship. In contrast, for a Jew, his main service of Hashem is in his home. That is where the mitzvos begin early in the morn-
ing and where they continue and end late at night. Our homes are the places wherein we must dedicate ourselves, thereby ensuring that
Hashem’s presence is found within.

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 Rabbi Yitzchak Fanger
Compassion on Creatures
At a time when we are beseeching Hashem to have mercy on us and the world, and turn away from meting out judgment and justice to
the world, there is something we can do to elicit such compassion through our own actions. And that is to have mercy and pity on all
living creatures. To this end, the Zohar (2:68) states, “During the time of a pandemic, even a snake (which is not actively attempting to
harm anyone) should not be killed, but rather allowed to live and removed from the area. Even gnats and flies should not be killed, but
you should rather have compassion on all living creatures.”
In acting with greater compassion to the flies, ants and small little creatures that we otherwise would have killed in our homes, we are
endowing Heavenly compassion upon ourselves. Now is a time when we can gently and compassionately pick up such little insects
and bring them outside our homes, allowing them to live. If we are looking for Hashem to have compassion on us, we can do the same
to everything else that is alive.

Rabbi Shlomo Farhi

So Little, So Large
The Shelah Hakadosh was once asked that if the previous generations did not bring Moshiach, what hope is there for us to do so? Are
we greater than the giants of yesteryear?
The Shelah relayed the parable of a queen who was estranged from her husband, the king. Placed in prison, she had no one but a few
loyal members of the court who would come from time to time to visit her. On one occasion, one servant surreptitiously entered the
prison chamber and whispered to the queen, “Your Majesty, I have something here for you… I snuck in a mattress for you to place
on the hard ground while you sleep.” While it was nothing near the comfort she had previously experienced, she so-ever graciously
accepted the servant’s largesse.
The following day, the same servant entered the prison and summoned the queen once again. Opening his jacket pocket, he said, “Your
Majesty, I snuck in a small slice of bread for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you more, but I hope this helps you…” The queen could
not stop thanking the loyal minister. “G-d bless you… Thank you so very much.”
Days went by until, after matters were aired out, the king issued a proclamation to free the queen and reinstate her to her royal
position. Upon noticing the queen’s return, the many royal ministers and officials rushed forward and gifted to the queen exquisite
diamonds and heaps of gold and silver.
But the queen was not taken by the many gifts she received after reassuming the throne. “Bring to me that one lowly servant who
cared for me while I was imprisoned… You who brought me a mattress and a measly slice of bread when I was languishing in prison
will be handsomely rewarded. Those gifts were so valuable. Now that I am back as queen, all this gold and silver mean very little to
me. It is you that I wish to install as head of my royal court…”
In our times, when the Divine Presence is in exile and we are especially distanced from our own shuls and yeshivos, any small mitzvah
which we perform carries with it incredible value. A smile to a neighbor, a phone call to a friend and one chapter of Tehillim go far. It
is the equivalent of a lottery ticket, purchased for just a few dollars, yet earning us millions of dollars. Our actions right here and right
now possess unbelievable power, and it is during this “limited-time offer” that we can cash in on something so great from something
so small which we do. Let us use our time wisely and to the fullest.

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 Rabbi Eytan Feiner
Salt and Suffering
The Gemara (Berachos 5a) notes that there are two unique instances in the Torah where the term “Bris – covenant” is used. One is in
relation to the salt which was offered on the Mizbeach and accompanied sacrificial offerings, while the second appears relative to the
mention of suffering. Just as the mention of bris next to salt and sacrificial meat suggests that salt improves and flavors the taste of
meat, similarly the mention of bris in relation to suffering goes to show that suffering cleanses and purges an individual of the sins he
has committed.
The Ma’or Va’Shemesh (beg. Parshas Va’eira) cites Reb Menachem Mendel of Riminov who wonders about the comparison between
salt and suffering. What relationship exists between the two?
Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov explains that when a masterful culinary chef who is busy preparing a fancy piece of meat wishes
to bring out its incredible flavor, he must add precisely the right amount of salt. If too little is added, he won’t fully bring out its full
flavor; and conversely, if too much is added, the piece of meat will be ruined.
Similarly, Hashem, Who is figuratively the grand master chef, puts in just the amount of “salt” – or suffering – which is necessary.
Whatever Hashem decides is done with exacting measure and calculation. Moreover, the challenges we face are aimed at raising us
up high, as the etymology of Nisayon, a test in life, relates to the word Neis, banner, which hangs up high. As the Ramban (Bereishis
22:1) explains, tests and difficulties in life extract the unbelievable latent potential which lays dormant within each of us.
We must carry within ourselves the bitachon that if Hashem brought us to a challenging and difficult time, we are capable of getting
through it and growing through it. And above all else, throughout the many ups and down, Hashem will help carry us through it.

Rabbi Hillel Feldman

Free of Worry
When the Brisker Rav got married, his father-in-law provided him with a large dowry, which included a substantial piece of real estate
which spanned an entire block in the city of Warsaw. Soon after the wedding, the Brisker Rav felt that looking after the real estate was
distracting him from his Torah learning, and so, in the interest of turning his full focus towards learning, he headed towards a broker.
Providing the broker with the listing, he entrusted him with the job of finding a suitable buyer for the real estate.
Meanwhile, World War I broke out, and the Brisker Rav fled the city. Years later, after the war ended, the Brisker Rav returned to War-
saw and began looking for the broker. But the broker had passed away. Making his way to look up the city records, the Brisker Rav
learned that that broker in fact had been a crook, and had transferred the entire title of the property to his own name.
The Brisker Rav was broken, unsure how he would support himself and his family. He returned home, and began learning the Cho-
vos HaLevavos, Shaar HaBitachon (Gate of Trust in Hashem). After learning through it several times, he stood up and said, “Today I
learned something new. This morning I thought that someone who is wealthy is one who owns real estate, the size of an entire block
of the city of Warsaw. But now I’ve learned that one who is wealthy is someone who places his full trust and reliance in Hashem.”
It is that individual who will be free of burdensome worries for he realizes that no matter what economic cycle the world may be in,
Hashem is not going anywhere.

Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer

G-d is Within
When Rav Nachum of Chernobel had fallen ill and taken a turn for the worse, he entered the shul of the Baal Shem Tov one Shabbos,
the week of Parshas Ki Tavo. It was the Shabbos in which the calamitous tochacha, the admonitions and curses, are read from the
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 Torah, which are said to befall the Jewish people when they go astray from G-d. That very week, the Baal Shem Tov summoned Rav
Nachum to receive the aliyah from which the curses would be read. It was not long thereafter that Rav Nachum recovered from his
illness and regained his strength.
In reviewing these events, the Baal Shem Tov commented, “Don’t you see, the rebuke and admonitions contain within them the word
of G-d. Everything which emanates from G-d is ultimately good, even if from a distance it appears to be a terrible tragedy. Encrypted
and encoded within the curses is tremendous blessing. Even the foreboding and dark times we experience carry with them the presence
of G-d. He is there within it all.”

Rebbetzin Dinah Fink

Genuine Greatness
The Gemara (Megillah 22b) states that Rosh Chodesh, the day which celebrate the beginning of a new Jewish month, is a day when
there is some form of work abstinence. Rashi and Tosafos (ibid.) explain that this refers to women, who refrain from work and cel-
ebrate Rosh Chodesh which was granted to them by Hashem as an exclusive holiday, in reward of them refusing to relinquish their
jewelry to be used to fashion the Golden Calf.
In line with this, the Maharal explains that the women specifically received the extra holiday of Rosh Chodesh each month. When the
women declined to donate anything for the purpose of the Golden Calf, they did not demonstrate any righteousness with that act, for
it may have been that they refused to donate their jewelry because they did want to part from their expensive jewels. Perhaps they had
no qualms about participating in the service of idolatry, and the whole reason they did not donate anything was because they wanted to
keep their jewelry for themselves.
Yet, at the later point when it came to the building of the Mishkan, the Jewish women showed their true colors and character. There,
when it came to the Mishkan, the women were the first ones to donate their belongings, thereby proving that their earlier denial to
donate for the Golden Calf was not because they did not wish to part from their belongings, but rather because they did not want to
become part of the idolatrous worship. They therefore retroactively demonstrated their righteousness at the time when they donated
their items to the Mishkan.
And when was the Mishkan inaugurated? On the first of Nissan, on Rosh Chodesh. It was therefore Rosh Chodesh, which was given
to them as their exclusive, special holiday.
A profound lesson is learned from this. True righteousness and greatness can be seen from the contexts of two opposite situations
which call for diverse courses of action. Exclusively examining the incident of the women not donating to the Golden Calf or the event
of them donating to the Mishkan would not have proved their true character. Each incident unto itself could have been explained as
being merely the natural way a woman is. Perhaps the nature of a woman is to love her jewelry, or her nature is to be very generous.
It is only when looking at both scenarios together that true light is cast upon the real character of the Jewish women, which was true
devotion to Hashem.
Generally, the time of Pesach puts us to the challenge to rid our homes of chametz and prepare ourselves for the Seder night. For many
families, Pesach is known to be a hectic time when we are all running around from store to store and tirelessly readying our homes.
When Hashem sees our time and efforts towards planning for Yom Tov, He sees our dedication.
But now, this year, we are given a different challenge and opportunity. This year, when we are home and we are not running around
as much, Hashem can see if our devotion is true devotion. Can we usher in the Yom Tov even when there is not as much frenzy and
so-called excitement around us? Can we walk into the Yom Tov with as much enthusiasm and excitement even when we may not feel
“Pesach in the air”?
At this time, we can show that all of our efforts in preparing for Yom Tov all these past years was done with pure and pristine inten-
tion. And that is because we can act with the same enthusiasm now, this year, as we would if no such pandemic were occurring. By
doing so, we are showing Hashem that whatever way we are meant to prepare for Pesach, we are overjoyed. And that is a sign of
genuine greatness.

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 Rabbi Mordechai Finkelman
Undeserved Kindness
Dovid Hamelech writes, “… One who trusts in Hashem, kindness surrounds him” (Tehillim 32:10). The Chofetz Chaim comments on
these words that if one places his trust in Hashem, then even if he is undeserving of Hashem’s compassion, he will be surrounded by
Hashem’s kindness. This can be deduced from the verse’s use of the word chesed, which is defined as lovingkindness that is granted to
one even if it is unmerited and unwarranted. That is real kindness. For the individual who trusts in Hashem, even if he is undeserving
of compassion, Hashem will nonetheless show him or her kindness. Bitachon is an incredible channel through which we are open to
receiving the beneficence of Hashem. Especially during these times, our efforts in entrusting our lives to Hashem can do wonders.

Mrs. Esther Wein

Redeemed with Faith
The entire Pesach Seder is predicated on the Pasuk – ‫שׂה ד' לִי ְ ּבצֵאתִ י ִמ ִ ּמצ ְָרי ִם‬
ָ ‫ “ ְו ִהגַּדְ תָ ּ ְל ִבנְָך ַבּּיֹום הַהּוא לֵאמ ֹר ַ ּבעֲבּור זֶה ָע‬,You shall tell your son
on that day ,saying‘ ,It is on account of this that Hashem did for me when I left Egypt( ”Shemos .)13:8 In interpreting this verse ,we
are led to understand that fulfillment of the mitzvah of recounting the miracles of Egypt to our children can only occur when Pesach,
matzah and maror are placed before us – which is referred to as“ Zeh – this ”in the above verse .These items are consumed in memory
of the great miracles which Hashem performed for us.
However, there is a problem. If the above interpretation were true, the Pasuk should have simply stated, “This (Pesach, matzah, mar-
ror) is consumed on account of that which Hashem did for me when I left Egypt.” Structuring the verse this way would have led us
to understand that we eat these items simply as a memory of the miracles of Egypt. Yet the syntax of the Pasuk as it is – i.e. “It is on
account of this that Hashem did for me…” – seems to make all the miracles of Egypt and our Exodus be entirely dependent and based
upon the items of Pesach, matzah and marror. But how does that make sense? Why would consuming the Korban Pesach, matzah and
marror be the reason Hashem performed miracles for us as we left Egypt?
My grandfather, Rav Shimon Schwab zt”l, explained that in order to make sense of that which the Torah is conveying to us, we must
take ourselves back to the moment when the Jews were in Egypt. It was Wednesday afternoon, the 14th of Nissan, and the Jews had
slaughtered the Korban Pesach and placed its blood on their doorposts. Then, as the night of the 15th arrived, the Jews ate Pesach,
matzah and marror and finished before midnight, at which point Hashem passed over their homes. It was the next morning in which
the Jewish people exited Egypt in haste.
What we are then essentially stating is that the Jewish people ate these foods of the Korban Pesach, matzah and marror which sym-
bolized the miracles before the miracles ever happened. The word Zeh therefore does not refer to these three foods, but rather refers
to emunah, faith. It was on account of this – the Jewish people’s faith that they would be redeemed and leave Egypt the following
morning – that Hashem performed miracles for them. The slaughtering of the Korban Pesach, which demonstrated the Jewish nation’s
disconnection and extrication from the conventional Egyptian mentality which assigned security, stature and importance to all sorts of
false ideologies, was part of their total recognition and faith that they were totally in Hashem’s hands. The Jews firmly believed that
they were going to be miraculously redeemed by Hashem, and that faith itself was the merit-worthy catalyst for their redemption on
the morrow.
As we sit in our homes this year, we attempt to re-create that experience of total emunah in Hashem that miracles will happen for Am
Yisrael at the Divinely designated time, even though it cannot be calculated. On account of this emunah which we ingrain within our-
selves today, Hashem will perform wondrous miracles.
Along the above lines, my grandfather commented that the generation which will merit the coming of Moshiach will possess the merit
of having complete emunah in Hashem, mirroring the Jews in Egypt who, although had very few merits, were nonetheless redeemed
because of their total emunah. It was this which served as the Jewish people’s merit to leave Egypt years ago, and what will serve as
our merit to be redeemed in today’s times as well.

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 Rabbi Gavriel Friedman
Hashem is Here
The Gemara (Shabbos 12b) states that when an individual is sick, the Shechina (Divine Presence) is found above the head of the sick
person. It is for this reason that we are meant to act with extra care and respect when standing near someone who is sick.
Unfortunately, we all at least know someone or know someone who knows someone that is sick. We are surrounded by this virus, yet
by that very virtue, we are surrounded by Hashem Himself, as per the words of the above Gemara. He is even closer to us now.
During these days, it is not time to slack off because we are home-bound. We have even greater opportunity and ease of access to con-
nect to Hashem. Especially during Shabbos, we can gather our children and family together and bask in the beauty of Shabbos, with
zemiros (songs) and words of Torah.

Ms. Chevi Garfinkel

All for Growth
I find it fascinating that as we are all going through the same motions of the Coronavirus, many of us are having intense polar-oppo-
site experiences. Some of us find ourselves in complete isolation, while others find themselves surrounded by a house full of family
members, with little personal space.
It is not coincidental that Hashem has arranged for us exactly what we individually need. Hashem has placed us where we need to be
to engage in a process of growth which will be of great value to us.
One friend of mine, who fills much of her time with chessed, acts as a surrogate parent for some of her nieces and nephews. As matters
turned out, she found herself quarantined with one of her nieces. In a sense, it was a way of Hashem setting her up in place for her
biggest growth and greatest merit. Another friend of mine, who recently turned her life upside to allow her father to be able to move in
with her, now has her elderly father to take care of, which demands that she exercise extra caution around him. Although it is stressful
and daunting to bear the responsibility of caring for her elderly father in her own living space, this is providing her and her family with
the incredible opportunity to perform the mitzvah of Kibbud Av (honoring her father), and thereby accrue merit for them all.
Each of us ought to look at the unique circumstances we find ourselves in and ask what it could be that Hashem is asking from us and
where we can find the space to grow. If we do so, these most difficult times can turn into extreme opportune times for development
and growth.

Rabbi David Genish

Stay Inside
Only in two places in Tanach do we find the concept of people needing to remain secluded inside and not being able to exit. One is
that which we read about in Parshas Bo, relating to the tenth Plague of the Firstborn, wherein the Torah states, “You shall not leave the
entrance of the house until morning” (Shemos 12:22). Throughout the first nine plagues, everyone was permitted to wander wherever
they wished. It is only about the tenth plague that the Torah restricts such movement outside of the house.
It is interesting to note that each one of the Ten Plagues relates to one of the Ten Sefirot (Ten Emanations of G-d, based on Kabbalistic
thought). The tenth plague correlates to the tenth Sefirah, that of Keter, meaning Crown. It is not coincidental that Corona in Latin
means “Crown.” It was this tenth Plague of the Firstborn where everyone was asked to remain indoors, as the plague spread through
the streets of Egypt.
The Baal HaTurim (ibid. 12:8) cites one other place where people were meant to stay indoors, and that was during the Inauguration

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 of the Mishkan. During those inaugural days, Aharon and his children were meant to remain inside the Tent of Meeting and were not
permitted to leave.
It is not coincidental that the Inauguration of the Mishkan lasted for a duration of seven days from the twenty-third of Adar until Rosh
Chodesh Nissan. The days as well in which we began experiencing the heavy waves of the Coronavirus were during those final days
of the month of Adar. Finally, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, which concluded the inaugural period of the Mishkan and initiated the Mishkan
into use, was the day in which “Ten Crowns” were conferred to it (see Shabbos 87b; Rashi, Vayikra 9:1). Once again “Ten Crowns” not
coincidentally bears resemblance to the times we find ourselves in.
The Baal HaTurim writes that there is only one other time when this will occur, i.e. that we are required to stay indoors and cannot
leave. And that is the final redemption when Moshiach will come, whose redemption is compared to the earlier redemption of the Jews
from Egypt, at which time they were barred from leaving their homes.
Moreover, the halacha is that a metzora (one who contracted leprosy as a result of his negative, slanderous speech) must remain at
least four amos away from other people. Four amos is approximately two meters or six feet, the distance we are now being asked to
keep away from other people. Moreover, the metzora can end up remaining secluded and isolated for a total of fourteen days, or two
weeks, similar to our times. While all of the above may seem as if they are coincidences, as we know, nothing is without reason. There
is rhyme and reason to everything.

Rabbi Yosef Ginsberg

Another Segulah?
A Jew once came to R’ Pinchas Koritzer and began crying about his financial plight. “Rebbe,” he said, “I am giving maaser (a tenth of
my earnings) because I know that giving maaser is a segulah (auspicious act) for accruing a comfortable source of income. Yet I was
recently informed that there are some other segulos which are also propitious, and I was wondering if I should try some of them. What
do you think I should do?”
R’ Pinchas Koritzer replied, “Let me answer you with a story. There was once a man who was setting out for a long journey. He set out
with five strong horses tied to the wagon, though as he sat down alongside the wagon driver, the horses refused to budge. After some
time, the wagon driver thought of attaching some more horses to the wagon, as perhaps he would find better luck with them and they
would help move it along.
“As the wagon drive walked away to gather more horses, a wise man passed by, and stopped the wagon driver. ‘You’re foolish,’ said
the wise man. ‘Take a look; your wheels are chained. Of course you can’t move. You can add as many horses as you want, but it will
all be to no avail. If you don’t release those chains, you won’t budge.’”
The Rebbe turned back to the fellow and said, “All of these segulos are akin to powerful horses. Yet without releasing the chains,
which are comprised of tefillah and bitachon, your wheels are chained and nothing will budge.”
Emunah is a resource which is available to us at our core as Jews. Yet bitachon goes a step further. Bitachon is the verb; it is the mech-
anism which activates emunah. It is very difficult to generate bitachon in our day and age when we feel in full control of our lives. But
when we don’t have a control over a situation, as is the current situation, bitachon becomes much easier to access.
The outside world feels that when a person is in control of something, things are under control. But we, as Jews, believe just the oppo-
site. When we see that things are not under our control, that is when we understand that things are in fact under control – the control of
Hashem – and we can take comfort in that.

Rabbi Eliezer Ginsburg

Conversing with the Satan
One of the great tzaddikim who lived during the years of Tach-V’Tat (1648) was Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli. Reportedly, he was of
such righteous stature that he was even capable of speaking to the Satan. One such documented conversation occurred as he walked

24
 down the street during the month of Elul and noticed the Satan making his way as well down the street, yet he looked very broken.
“What’s the matter?” asked Rav Shimshon to the Satan. “What do you mean?” retorted the Satan. “Throughout the whole year, I entice
people to sin and I gather together bundles of sins. Yet when Elul arrives, everyone is repenting and wiping their sins away and turning
them into merits.”
After Yom Kippur, Rav Shimshon met the Satan and this time he was smiling and looked in a good mood. “Why are you in a good
mood?” asked Rav Shimshon. “We just went through Yom Kippur, we all repented, and all of our sins turned into merits! You should
be broken.” “I made a deal with Hashem,” replied the Satan. “A ship will be docking at the port, and it is filled with Lulavim and Esro-
gim for Sukkos. I received permission to poke a hole in the ship, and water will fill it entirely and ruin everything!”
During the middle of Sukkos, Rav Shimshon met the Satan again, and now the Satan looked depressed. “What now?” asked Rav
Shimshon. “I thought you received permission to make a hole in the ship!” “I’ll tell you,” replied the Satan. “The top layer of the Lula-
vim and Esrogim did not get ruined, because the water rose throughout the ship, but didn’t reach the top deck. Those few Lulavim and
Esrogim which remained on the top were valid, and a number of Jews gave away their wealth just to purchase their Lulav and Esrog.
And not only that, but when they came to shul with their one Lulav and Esrog, everyone lined up and waited for the chance to shake it.
They delayed their Yom Tov meal just to shake the Lulav and Esrog! These Jews beat me; they defeated me.”
What we are experiencing right now is a decree from Heaven. The Satan has received permission to take a small virus, something
which we cannot even see, and spread it throughout the world. It has caused havoc and turmoil. But we, as the children of Avraham,
Yitzchak and Yaakov, what do we do? We gather together on a worldwide Yom Tefillah (Day of Prayer), we make efforts to learn Torah
in every which way we can, and we increase in our chessed.
We can be sure that as we continue strengthening ourselves with teshuva, Torah study, tefilla and chessed, the Satan is saying, “These
Jews beat me; they defeated me…”

Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser

G-d’s Crown
One message and reminder we can extract from this virus being called “Corona” is that as Jews we are asked to have our higher voice
of self-consciousness intact. We are meant to have G-d’s crown above our heads and proceed to proclaim Him as King. We crown G-d
over our eyes and what we are willing to look at, our mouths and what we are willing to eat and speak, and over everything else in our
physical and spiritual lives. Crowning G-d is not some philosophical concept where we say, “You’re the King!” It is all-encompassing
which dictates and directs every movement of our lives. One of the ultimate purposes of creation is this very point – crowning G-d –
and that is what we are experiencing during these days.

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

Focus on Asher Yatzar
An oft-cited Segulah is that which comes from the Sefer Seder HaYom (pg. 5-6), written by Rav Moshe ben-Machir, a student of the
Arizal and author of the famed Modeh Ani. He is quoted as saying that anyone who recites Asher Yatzar with concentration after using
the restroom will never become ill. Truth be told, a careful reading of the Seder HaYom does not clearly indicate such an idea. What he
does appear to say is that if a person lives with a proper mindset and perspective, weighing his thoughts and actions, he will not be be-
come ill, and as such, it is certainly befitting that he should pray with full concentration that Hashem allow him to live in this manner.
However, notwithstanding, it is generally accepted to mean that one who recites Asher Yatzar with concentration will never get sick. In
fact, the Sefer Asher Yatzar B’Kavana (p.108) cites the Sefer Tefillah Ke’hilchasa (p. 525) wherein R’ Chaim Naeh is quoted as saying
that he has a tradition from R’ Shimon Menashe Chaiken zt”l that Asher Yatzar contains the ability to heal someone who is seriously
sick and is in need of a miraculous cure. Therefore, someone who is searching for a refuah, should be careful to recite Asher Yatzar
with careful concentration.
As such, if Asher Yatzar possess the ability to heal someone who is sick, it certainly has the capability to prevent sickness. For this
reason, the Steipler (Rav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky zt”l) advises that for this refuah to be most effective, one should make the effort

25
 to recite Asher Yatzar from a written text, and even better, to point to the words as they are recited.
Rav Shimon Schwab writes in his memoirs (cited in Sefer Asher Yatzar B’Kavanah, pg. 105) that he personally witnessed how Rav
Elchonon Wasserman hy”d would recite Asher Yatzar, and attests that it was done with such focus, as we would daven Neilah on Yom
Kippur.
Given all of the above, reciting Asher Yatzar with careful focus and intent is a matter of incredible weight and importance, and serves
as a source of blessing which elicits immense spiritual goodness and physical healing. It is something which we are privileged and
fortunate enough to say many times a day, and as such, we should treat each and every opportunity as something special.

Rabbi Shmuel Gluck

Making Use of Humility
We have heard of the importance of inculcating the trait of humility during these days. Where does this come into play?
For one, it means that we refrain from getting upset at people. Generally, we start with assumptions. We are good people who do what
we are supposed to, Hashem likes us and the things which we have in life will, for the most part, remain with us. Once this is our
attitude, it becomes easier to get upset with people, because when we are slighted, we think to ourselves, “Why don’t they respect us?
Why don’t they appreciate us?”
In truth, however, as we are seeing clearly today, nothing can be taken for granted, and we do not in any which way have privileges or
are as deserving of that which we have. We therefore should think twice before we consider getting upset at somebody.
This as well translates into being more patient with other people, just as we wish for Hashem to be patient with us, and likewise de-
mands that we place greater emphasis on how we interact with other people with sensitivity and gentleness or the lack thereof.

Rabbi Yoel Gold

We Have No King
There are certain well-known Jewish songs in which the tune and song seemingly do not match. One such example, as I heard from
Eitan Katz, is that of Avinu Malkeinu, whose traditional Chabad tune which many of us are familiar with contains the refrain as such:
…‫ָאבִינּו ַמ ְל ֵכּנּו אֵין לָנּו ֶמלְֶך‬
…‫אֵין לָנּו ֶמלְֶך ֶא ָלּא ָאתָ ּה‬
Our Father, Our King, We have no King…
…We have no King, Except You
If you view these two stanzas and think about it, the tune and the words do not seem to be fitting one another, for the words which we
repeat are, “We have no King, we have no King.” Why are those the words which we repeat in the tune? If we are trying to coronate
Hashem as our King, why would we repeat the words “We have no King”? It ostensibly sounds like we are saying:
We have no King…
…We have no King
When those words stand alone, it seems to be implying, as they literally suggest, that we have no king at all! It would seem to make
more sense if the words we repeat would be, “Except You,” wherein we emphasis that Hashem is our King, and there is no one else:
We have no King…
…Except You…Except You
Eitan Katz suggested that in fact there is a deep meaning and message behind the tune and words as we say them. We sing the words
“We have no King” over and over because we are asking Hashem, “We know that you are our Father and our King… but we don’t

26
 want our relationship with You to be like that of a king and his servants. We don’t want to relate to you as if we are distant courtiers.
We want nothing except You.”
We therefore keep emphasizing the words “We have no King” because we are stressing and highlighting that this is what we don’t
want. We don’t want to experience with You the distance of a King to his subjects. That is what we don’t want, what we don’t want…
We want nothing except You, Hashem; a deeply intimate, close and personal relationship.
During these days of beseeching Hashem that we gain a close connection to Him, let us focus on the resonating words of Avinu Mal-
keinu and daven for the time when we can experience nothing but… You, Hashem.

Mr. Charlie Harary

Reset and Restart
In life sometimes, we all wish we could have the opportunity to press reset. Do you know that feeling you have when the computer
has too many tabs open and there is too much going on, and everything freezes? What do you do when this happens? You restart the
computer.
At times we would like life to work that way. We could restart and reset our fractured relationship with someone or with G-d. That
reset button is a gift.
What we are experiencing right now is a restart. Hashem is pressing the restart button for the world, and we are being enabled to reset
our lives, realign our priorities and set our sights on our potential opportunities for a more meaningful life. And the changes we are
endeavoring to make all begin right now, during this time. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month. But right now.
I will never forget the time I was in law school and it was time for finals. As crowds of students gathered together in the library,
forging forward to make it through the tough material we all needed to know, the lights went out. There was a total blackout. While it
was still daytime, so we could more or less see, it certainly threw everyone off balance and caused a tumult.
As dozens of students, including myself, picked themselves up and starting walking outside for a quick conversation and breath of
fresh air, I noticed a classmate of mine sitting in a nearby room undisturbed and typing away, preparing for the test. He looked up,
scanned the room and noticed the disarray... and went back to studying.
I still remember that image in my mind. I could just about read the students face and see what he was thinking. It dawned on him, “I
have a final, and I can’t afford to lose precious time now… I need to stay focused and locked in.”
During these times, with all the unfortunate tumultuous disarray surrounding us, we must remain focused and locked in on what really
counts. Now is the time to reset our lives, and we do so by placing our laser-focus attention on that which we know is most important
in our lives. At a time when there is a so-called blackout, it is our opportunity to make incredible strides in life. And we all can do it.

United For Protection

The world is in crisis and desperately seeks a solution. But if the pen is mightier than the sword, can a quill subdue a pandemic?
There is one quill that seems that can.
In 1752, a fatal epidemic had engulfed the Eastern European town of Medzhybizh. Not a house was spared; not a cure was found. And
the tally of critically ill mushroomed uncontrollably.
In desperation, the townspeople called on the Baal Shem Tov to use his sacred powers, but he told them that he could see it decreed in
Heaven that only they could help themselves.
He then shared a secret that has since then been carefully transmitted by the Rebbes of Chabad. G-d’s will can change as a result of
the Jewish people’s determined effort in producing words of Torah. Normally, this is understood as the verbalized words of Torah,
produced by the subjects studied aloud, the Psalms recited, and fervent prayers for healing and protection.
But there is another form of words that are non-verbalized. They are more inclusively available to all Jews, and are at least as potent.
These are none other than the black words meticulously inked onto the parchment of a Torah scroll, that by Divine decree serve to
crystallize pure Divinity into highly tangible form.

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 The Baal Shem Tov’s message was clear. If all the townspeople participated in an effort to produce a new Torah scroll, they would find
favor in G-d’s eyes.
The people of Medzhybizh sprang into action, and so did their Torah scroll. As soon as the first columns were prepared, the disease
halted and even the severely ill began to heal.
We are currently in the midst of a global epidemic, and the Jewish community is paying a heavy price. Let us turn together to the Baal
Shem Tov’s remedy.
Join our campaign to produce a maximum participant Sefer Torah. Help us elicit the miracle of protection and healing in the merit of
the unity underlying this sacred endeavor.
Join today. UNITEDFORPROTECTION.COM. Obtain a letter for every member of your family.
At that time, your people will be rescued, all who are found inscribed in the book (Daniel 12:1).

Rabbi Chaim Dahan Zt”l

Life is Hidden
When looking into a Torah scroll, one will notice that between the end of one Parsha and start of a new Parsha there are empty
spaces. The purpose of this open space (Parsha Petucha), explain our Sages (see Rashi, Vayikra 1:1), was to allow Moshe Rabbeinu,
who was dictated and taught the Torah by G-d, to take pause between one Parsha and another and enable him to ponder and
internalize the laws and lessons he had just learned. Practically speaking, these breaks in the Torah allow the Torah reader to more
easily and readily locate the particular spot of the new Parsha, from which he will begin to read.
Yet there is one exception, that of Parshat Vayechi, the last Torah Portion in the Book of Bereishit. The beginning of Parashat Vayechi
is Stumah, closed off, wherein no space is left empty between the end of the previous Parsha and it. While our Sages (Bereishis
Rabbah 96:1) explain this anomaly to be related to G-d “closing off” the revealed date of Moshiach’s arrival, which Yaakov Avinu
wished to reveal to his children, it furthermore creates the logistical challenge for the Torah reader to locate the beginning of the
Parsha, from which he will begin to read.
There is a great message to be gleaned from this configuration. Many times in life, we are not privy to seeing the final end or
understanding the full meaning of a particular matter, and we are therefore left with a mind full of questions and a heart obscured with
doubt. Yet one of the greatest lessons we can ever carry with ourselves is that life, in its truest and ultimate sense, is hidden from our
comprehension as human beings.
As an illustration, we would likely assume that the very last Pasuk in Sefer Bereishit would end with a reverberating and powerful
climax, given the ever-important events and experiences which were detailed throughout the Book, inclusive of the Creation of the
World and the lives of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs. We would have presumed that it would be a moving and resonating Pasuk.
Yet what does the Torah state?
“Yosef died at the age of one hundred and ten years; they embalmed him and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Bereishit 50:26).
It is unusually strange. How can this be the end to such a beautiful Book of Bereishit, filled with the majestic and extraordinary
description of the Creation of the world and mankind and the exalted lives of our ancestors? ‘Yosef died, he was mummified and
placed in a coffin...’ That is how the Torah chooses to conclude Sefer Bereishit?
Truth be told, this verse is by no means a sad one. Quite to the contrary, it is a verse laden with special Divine promise and providence.
The Pasuk is foreboding an exceptionally important future occurrence, which would prove to serve the Jewish people well. At first
glance, we would look at this verse and make the foregone conclusion that it is conveying nothing but the sad event of Yosef passing
away. But, in truth, life is Stumah, hidden, and at the times when events transpire, we do not always understand their true rhyme and
rhythm.
Only with patience do we learn that many years later as the Jewish nation was readying to leave Egypt, Moshe Rabbeinu made his
way to the Nile River, where Yosef’s metal casket had been lowered and laid to rest (in order to provide blessing to the Nile which
would overflow and fertilize the land of Egypt), and prompted it to rise, from where it was taken out with the Jews from Egypt (Sotah
13a). And what then happened?
As the Jewish people found themselves standing before the Red Sea with the Egyptians behind them in fierce pursuit, they had
nowhere to turn. Yet as we know, Hashem miraculously had it that the Sea parted. But on what account did it split? In Yosef’s merit.
As the Midrash (Shochar Tov 114:3; Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 9) explains, the Pasuk in Tehillim (114:3) states, “The Sea saw

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 and fled.” What did it see that it fled? It saw the coffin of Yosef, of whom the Torah attests that he fled and ran outside to resist the
temptations of the wife of Potiphar. In recognition and remembrance of that meritorious act, measure for measure, the Sea so-called
fled by splitting itself.
And now we can understand and appreciate how and why the concluding verse of Parshat Bereishit is in fact one with immense
positive implication. Yosef’s passing, embalming and laying to rest in Egypt was all the antecedent to the event many years later when
his merit would be called upon to split the Sea for the entire Jewish nation.
We may not understand many things in life. Events may occur which appear to be nothing but sadness and tragedy. Yet the ever-lasting
Stumah of Parshat Vayechi and its concluding Pasuk to the Book of Bereishit remind us that such matters only appear dreary and
dismal because life is hidden and we cannot see the big picture. If only we can wait and have patience, one day, G-d will reveal to us
why everything occurred as it did, and we will truly see that it was all with a particular Divine plan and providence in mind and meant
to yield wondrous results.

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