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Dear Shaare Family,

This Tuesday, we observe the fast of Asara BeTevet. In two plac   es in Tanach, (Melachim II 25:1, Yirmiyahu 52:4), the 10th of Tevet was the day on which Jerusalem was laid siege by the Babylonians, leading to the breach that happened months later on the 17th of Tammuz, and the destruction on the ninth of Av. In the book of Zechariah (8:19), it is identified as a fast day. For an excellent presentation of what Asara BeTevet is about,  see this short talk from Rivky Stern of Aleph Beta.

It is easy to overlook Asara BeTevet in the northern hemisphere; it is a short fast day (in the Southern hemisphere, it is the longest one), ending in Dallas at 6:11 PM. But to ignore Asara BeTevet would be a mistake; it is one of the most stringent of fast days, in some ways even more than Tisha B’Av. For example, normally, one is not permitted to enter Shabbos while starving or afflicted (Eruvin 41a), so one is not usually permitted to fast on Friday. Under our calendar system, Tisha B’av cannot fall on a Friday, yet if it did, it would be rescheduled to another day for this very reason. However, Asara BeTevet can and does fall on Friday, and it is observed on that day. As an aside, an interesting calendrical anomaly is that in certain secular years, Asara BeTevet does not occur at all, like in 2022. It will occur twice in 2023- on January 3, and December 22.  Even if you are not usually careful about the observance of fast days, if you are well enough to skip two meals, Asara BeTevet is a good day to start (obviously, if you are not, please speak to me and your physician). 

Hakarat HaTov Corner

A special thank you to Rabbi Howard Wolk for organizing last week’s kiddush luncheon and for sharing meaningful words of Torah on Shabbat morning, all in honor of our 36th anniversary. Thanks as well to Lowell Michaelson and Simcha Kosher Catering for a delicious spread, and to all those who sponsored and attended! 

Last Week’s MSOTW

Congratulations to Jeremy Hollander and Perrin White who correctly identified this shul as the The Lederman Shul in Bnei Brak. This is the shul where the Steipler Gaon, Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (1899-1985) davened, as did his son, Rav Chaim Kanievsky (1928-2022). Perhaps more famously, it was the shul where his daughter in law, Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky (1932-2011) davened every single morning, often surrounded by women who came to receive blessings from her. The Steipler’s brother in law, Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (also known as the Chazon Ish) (1878-1953) was opposed to the use of the Israeli power grid on Shabbat, because of the difficulty of running a power plant under Shabbat-compliant guidelines. Furthermore, he asserted that even if a power plant could run permissibly, using its electricity would be forbidden, as the secular workers there do not respect Shabbat and using their electricity would show public approval of their actions. In Bnei Brak, many people still follow this ruling, and the Lederman Shul adheres to it strictly, following the directives of the Steipler and Rav Chaim Kanievsky. Indeed, Rav Chaim only permitted air conditioners run on generator power when it was brought to his attention that, in summer months, the lack of air conditioning was causing people to faint and presented a pikuach nefesh situation. Another interesting fact about the shul is that the windows have diagonal cross bars, and not perpendicular ones, because the Steipler was exceptionally careful to avoid forming a shape that resembles a cross. 

MSOTW

This prestigious shul used to be located in a different part of the city in which it is found, under a slightly different name, and was a center of Jewish life in that city. A changing neighborhood and the move of the city’s Jewish population to the suburbs led to its near closing. A rousing Rosh Hashanah speech by its senior Rabbi led to its relocation, and resuscitation. Name the shul, the city in which it is located, and, for extra points, the original name of the shul.