Stories Of Greatness

The Mishnah states that the mother of the Kohen Gadol would bring gifts of food and clothing to the accidental killers who were forced to run to the Cities of Refuge. She did so in order to dissuade them from praying that her son should die (since the accidental killers are released from the city upon the death of her son). The Gemara infers that if the killers would pray that the Kohen Gadol die, then the Kohen Gadol indeed would be in danger of dying because such a prayer is not considered a kil’las chinam – a curse uttered in vain, which cannot take effect, as the Kohen Gadol does carry some responsibility for the accidental killing, since he should have prayed for the well-being of the people of his generation.

A short time ago, a well-respected individual from London flew to Eretz Yisrael and called Rav Eliyahu Mann shlita, one of the prime disciples and attendants of Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l. He had a very important sh’eilah to ask – actually, it was a request from his mother back in England – and he did not feel up to the task of personally approaching the tzadik.

The Aruch HaShulchan writes that when one recites Birkas HaMazon after a meal, he should wear a head covering that covers most of his head (Magen Avraham) like a hat. He quotes from other sources that one should wear a “beged elyon” (outer garment) although he says that he is unsure of the source of this minhag.

The history of the “Jewish Guard” began almost immediately with the arrival of the disciples of the Vilna Gaon zt”l and the Baal Shem Tov zt”l to Eretz Yisrael, more than 200 years ago. When it became apparent that the Turkish authorities were either unable or unwilling to deal with Arab marauders, these early settlers realized that an armed Jewish defense force was needed to prevent the fledgling Jewish settlement from becoming fair game to the roving bands of Arab Bedouins who plagued the region.

Wednesday, 28 Iyar – June 8, 1967 – was the third day of the Six-Day War, and it was the first time that residents of Jerusalem felt that the Yad Hashem was guiding the Jewish Nation to victory. Many people ventured outside and saw jeeps filled with smiling soldiers traveling toward Har HaTzofim (Mt. Scopus). The peak of joy came at dusk, when the news came that the Kosel HaMaaravi, the Western Wall, had been liberated. People poured out of their shelters. The streets teemed with celebrating and emotion-laden people. The first ones to merit reaching the Kosel brought back small stones, which were passed from hand to hand. Their joy was indescribable: What a miracle Hashem had wrought for His beloved people.

The episode of the five daughters of Tz’lafchad is mentioned two times in the Torah: in Parshas Pinchas and in Parshas Mas’ei. (Tz’lafchad himself is also referenced in Parshas Sh’lach as the m’kosheish eitzim.) A basic principle in the Torah is: “Biglal nashim tzidkaniyos nig’alu avoseinu miMitzrayim – Because of righteous women were our forefathers redeemed from Egypt.”