Rabbi's Blog

Rabbi's Resources    |    Yitro 5783    |    Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky 

Dear Shaare Family,

We are deeply saddened by the earthquake  in Turkey and Syria, and the astronomic numbers of casualties- over 15,000 as of this writing, and many hundreds of thousands of lives forever changed. When there is suffering in the world, our mandate is to set an example with our caring, compassion and kindness. A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of hosting Eli Beer of United Hatzalah of Israel, whose representatives are always first on the ground when there is a catastrophe like this, and this earthquake is no exception.  Please have the people of Turkey and Syria in your prayers.

In other news…

Our sages tell us that Yitro’s unique merit was that he caused an entire section to be added to the Torah (and is one of the few people with a Parsha named after them) because he counseled Moshe to create a tiered legal system in which he was not doing all the work himself. Failing to do so would lead, Yitro said, to burnout and ultimately to the perversion of justice. Indeed, organizing a legal system is one of the seven Noahide laws binding on all humanity. In this spirit, many of you (especially the women of Shaare) doubtless recall the appearance, at Shaare Tefilla, of Judge Ruchie Freier in November of 2019 (aka “The Before Times). She held us spellbound with stories of her path to the bench from the Chassidish community after starting college at age 30, law school at age 40, founding Ezras Nashim, a female volunteer EMT service,  and then being elected as a Civil Court Judge. This week, it was announced that Judge Freier has been named Acting Supreme Court Judge, the first Chassidic woman ever to fill the post. As she was appointed to fill a vacancy, she will have to run this summer for the position she currently occupies.

Hakarat HaTov Corner

Once again, I am grateful to the leadership of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal for the opportunity for us to partner with them on a lecture series, in the context of their Shaar Learning Center. The title of the series is Bold, Brilliant and Banned, a discussion of controversial and groundbreaking books that were banned in their day. The classes will take place virtually for the next two week on Wednesday nights at 7 PM - I hope you can join us (the registration link is in the original email). 

Rabbi’s Recommendation

The Ten Commandments contain the prohibition against coveting - Lo Tachmod- rendered by our sages as the prohibition against coercing others to part with items they own and cherish because you want them. In some communities, there is a piyyut recited on Shavuot that describes the prohibitions surrounding each of the ten commandments. The legendary Chazzan Yossele Rosenblatt set the text to words with a choral accompaniment, performed here by the Lemmer brothers- Cantors Yanky and Shaare Tefilla favorite Shulem. 

Last Week’s Mystery Shul Of The Week

Congratulations to Perrin White for correctly identifying this as the Aron Kodesh of Congregation Zichron Eliezer of Cincinnati, a shul named after the legendary Rav Eliezer Silver zt”l, a talmudic genius from Lithuania who served as the city’s Chief Rabbi from 1931 until his death in 1968.

​​​​​​​Many of the city’s institutions, like the Cincinnati Hebrew Day School and Vaad Ho’Ir, were founded by him. Rav Silver was the President of the Agudath HaRabbonim and the Vaad Hatzalah, through which he saved the lives of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Chief Rabbi  whose Yahrtzeit was observed this past week and who was heavily involved in rescue efforts during WWII. 

Rav Silver was the grandfather of my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Silver of Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh (whose son is named Eliezer after him), and was the great-great grandfather of Donny Morris zt”l, who was killed in the Meron tragedy. 

Shabbat Shirah Shalom,

Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky