R’ Yitzchok Frankel with R’ Dovid Orlofsky Live in Flatbush #3 (Ep. 195)

Good evening and welcome to the Rabbi Olawskey live show. When you we have the live show in America, you know it's always exciting because it gives me an opportunity to pull in people from my life who you otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity to see or to hear from. Now, that doesn't mean that they aren't very famous in their own right. Rabbi Yirmiyahu Rubenstein who was at our last live show, you know, used to actually appear on the BBC. Uh so if you're English, then you know about him. Otherwise, you know, you probably don't. He is Scottish and he does speak with a very thick accent and I have translated it. In fact, when we put it up, we put subtitles. But baruch Hashem, that's not a problem this week because I have uh a dear friend who we first began working together in 1979, which was, according to my new biography, 20 years before I was born. So, since Superman keeps having reboot reboots, I figure I can also. But at the time I became Long Island director of NCSY. And uh just to put that into perspective, I had a chapter in Los Angeles and by I I started uh in July and by December they were offering me every region in the country. And uh they offered me to take over West Coast which had seven states and two provinces and a big offices on Wilshire Boulevard. They offered me every region and I took Long Island. They told me later, cuz I came from Long Island, they had to cover up the phone so I wouldn't hear everybody laughing. Uh Long Island had gone through five directors in two years. It was worse than nothing. So when I came there, there was only one kid in the region because she was on national board, she had to belong. There was no office, there were no chapters, there was no anything. I moved into my old bedroom in my parents' house, put in my own phone line with the $225 a month that they gave me to pay for expenses and I said, "How am I supposed to run an entire region with $225 a month?" And they said, "It's only one kid, it's a lot of money." So, um I get they weren't really counting on me lasting that long. So uh so it was very exciting. So one of the places I came to was Long Beach and a very unusual shul there called Bachurei Chemed and there was a rov there I can't speak for everybody, but I could not figure out what he was doing there. A tremendous talmid chacham, a uh a person who was obviously going to be one of the future leaders of Klal Yisrael and he was in Bachurei Chemed which was a shul that was run by the kids. And so the kids basically told the rabbi what what was going to be. I I davened there just cuz it was so absolutely fascinating, you know. And uh You don't remember, it doesn't make a difference. But you said this over in the name of Rav Moshe, you said you said, "Because uh by a chosson, if he doesn't know anything, okay, you know. By a bar mitzvah boy, he doesn't know anything." He says, "But by a bris, Rav Moshe says, 'If you if you don't know how to say divrei Torah, if you don't know how to say a p'shat or then we have to take upon ourselves to educate that kid.'" So we have a we have a direct and I I say this over all the time. And uh I was once by uh a bris by Rav Gusman, uh a fellow I knew making a bris and he looked so nervous, it was his first kid. So I said, "Don't worry, I know the mohel, he's a professional." He goes, "What do you mean?" He goes, "I don't care what they do to the baby, I have to say over the divrei Torah in front of Rav Gusman." You know, one time someone said a whole complicated divrei Torah and Rav Gusman at the end says, "I'm surprised, you're a ben Torah, you could do better than that." You know, I just thought of those words that Rabbi Frankel used to say from Rav Moshe in those kind of instances. So that's the story and so it is a privilege for me to welcome uh one of the people that I can consider a rebbe yeah, um over the years who has always been there to uh instruct and to lead me. In fact, I'll tell you one more Rabbi Frankel story beforehand and that is um he came to the he would come to the regional convention. The first one was in Long Beach, so obviously he he was a rov there. And we had a banquet. If you've never been to an NCSY banquet, basically we inspire people to become religious by giving them awards and playing Mordor music and making a speech about them and then dancing. And this goes on till about 3:00, 4:00 in the morning, you know. And at some point when this whole thing finished, so Rabbi Frankel says to me, "What about my rov?" I was like, "Oh yeah." He says, "You should put it in the program." I was like, "Oh yeah." So after that, Rabbi Frankel would come to every convention just to check up on me. He was our rabbinic uh uh leadership in in Long Island NCSY. Anyway, he comes to the second convention, he goes, "What's this?" I had printed up a program. I said, "What do you mean?" He says, "It says over here between the most special forever award and the even more special forever award, it's it says my rov." I said, "Well, you told me last time that I should put my rov in the program." He goes, "You listened to me?" I said, "Yeah." He goes, "Wow, I didn't think anybody would listen to me when I gave them a suggestion like this, you know." So uh so that was the start. So uh ladies and gentlemen, a privilege to welcome to the Rabbi Olawskey I'm Not Dead Yet Show, RABBI YITZCHAK FRANKEL. NOW, I I HAVE TO TELL YOU that among the many things that Rabbi Frankel did is he would go to Rav Dovid, you know, Rav Moshe Rav Dovid, and he would ask him questions. And he would collect them all and one time he gave me what I would call a choveres, um a uh a booklet, which is all of the psakim that Rav Dovid had given him and now, here it is, actually hard covered, uh shailos u'teshuvos Yad Dodi. And uh Rabbi Frankel has put this together and uh he was just telling me as he came into the shul where we're doing this. He said um he said they saw the sefer, he goes, "We just bought this for the shul." You know, and uh this is a must. A must, you know, to be able to have these psakim because Rabbi Frankel, who is so down to earth and so practical, um uh put uh put this together for people and uh this is something that everyone should take advantage of that exists. We'll start with the sponsorship. It is a refuah shleimah for Tinok ben Shaindel and they should have a refuah shleimah, they just had open heart surgery yesterday. So uh your tefillos are are needed and welcomed and may Hashem in the zechus of the Torah of the that we're going to do today and the people who are here, uh everyone please will say a tefillah, everyone and turn any time who sees this, anybody who watches it when it goes up in all the other platforms that the Rabbi Olawskey Show hopefully will go up. Hopefully we'll see a tefillah from Rabbi Frankel, welcome to the show. Am I supposed to talk? No. You know, it reminds me of a story. Rabbi, I I have another RABBI FRANKEL STORY. I HAVE SO MANY RABBI FRANKEL stories that I can tell. cutout right now. I'm just You just put me here and I'm just stuck here. I can't talk. So so let's get a little background. Now, you grew up in Brooklyn. No. The Lower East Side. No. Um Cleveland. Um Close. Where? Pine Brook, New Jersey. There's no such a place. You just made that up. Yes, there is. Pine Brook, New Jersey is a very big very big town in northern New Jersey. You can find it when you drive down. It's was There was no Route 80 at the time. It was only Route 46. There's a sign as you come into Pine Brook that says, "Welcome to Pine Brook." On the other side of the sign, it says, "Welcome to Pine Brook." What were you doing in Pine Brook, New Jersey? My father was the rabbi of Pine Brook, New Jersey. Really? So, from the age of 6 until 18, my father was was there for 12 years. Shalom al Yisrael, my father was the rav of Pine Brook, New Jersey. That I couldn't tell you. Not a lot. shul Even you know, it was uh it was a shul that uh really did not have um very many from people. So, you didn't even You saw them really on Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur was that one of times Shabbos there was a minyan? Shabbos was a minyan, but I will tell you that my father tell you the story about Pine Brook, New Jersey. I grew up without ever going to shul Friday night and without ever going to shul Shabbos Mincha. I do that now. Anyway. And that's because uh my father Shalom al Yisrael also learned Tiferes Shmuel. My family goes back to Tiferes Shmuel before the Yeshiva Tiferes Shmuel. My father started Tiferes Shmuel before. Before what? Before what? Before. Meant long long before. My father was there from from the third grade. There was a Rav Adler who was there actually before the Yeshiva Tiferes Shmuel. There was a Rav Shmuel Greiniman happened to have been there. Matter of fact, I have a picture of my father My My Yeshiva was my father. He was my That was the Kesubah for my parents. And uh walking down at by the Chuppah was I have a picture of Rav Shmuel Greiniman in the Yeshiva talking to each other come walking down. Um He came to America in the 1930s, no? Yes, so he was there probably in the 30s, right? But the Yeshiva was didn't come until like 38, 39. And um my father started in the third grade. It's a story about that. Also, my uncle Shalom al Yisrael, my father had an older brother who was um little over a year older than he and uh when my uncle was going into the fifth grade, they were in a different Yeshiva. My father was going into the third grade. My uncle was going into fifth grade. And um my uncle uh said in the Yeshiva that they were in, they didn't start Gemara until the sixth grade. So, my uncle said came home one day and he told his mother that uh he wants to he wants to start learning Gemara and they they don't teach Gemara in the sixth in the fifth grade. And he needs a Yeshiva to learn Gemara. And the rest is then my family became part of Tiferes Shmuel, the woodwork actually. All those years, my father was uh my uh first grade rebbe. My father was the rebbe in Tiferes Shmuel. As a first grade rebbe, he taught me Aleph Beis and then he got promoted. And I had him again in the fifth grade. He taught me how small is Gemara. My father was my rebbe. from this little town in New Jersey, you would go to MTA Every day. My father was the rebbe. We drove in every day. Yeah. How long a drive is that? In the beginning, it was about an hour. By the time the 12 years at the end of the 12 years, the development of You've heard of Parsippany-Troy Hills. It's in that area. By that time assumption that I've heard before. of Parsippany-Troy Hills? But uh there's a Hilton out there in Parsippany-Troy Hills that people go to. So, that's why people have heard of it. And um the uh the trip in was more like an hour and a half, an hour and 45 minutes. On Sunday, we drove in on Sunday, 45 minutes. So, uh But uh there and back And then he drove you and drove home and then came back. Okay, so twice a week, I actually took a bus home. I took a train. I took the uh train from Tiferes Shmuel. I took the train. Yeah, my my parents my tell my parent my parents say all the time My my mother uh live and be well. Um Today, they would be they would be arrested. Because here I was in the uh in the fifth grade. Uh 10 years old. I took the train from the Lower East Side from East Broadway to West 4th Street, switched to upstairs to the E train, took the E train to 42nd Street, went to the walked to the uh Port Authority and took a bus home. So So, back then it wasn't a given you would die if you did that. It was not a given. That's correct. Matter of fact, it would have been pretty strange if anybody did. on the subway and it's uh hard to believe. Hard to believe that subways weren't safe. Wow. So, but this is a big schlepp back and forth. Yeah, so every every day came and uh my twice a week I took the train so So, you had to catch it with Rav Moshe then? So, uh the answer is yes. My family well My uncle Shalom al Yisrael was in the first Smicha class the Yeshiva had. My father was soon after him. Uh the Yeshiva was my My father Smicha from the Yeshiva Tiferes Shmuel. And he was there Mesader Kiddushin. And my Bar Mitzvah which was in Pine Brook, New Jersey not so close to New York. Rav Feinstein Yeshiva Tiferes Shmuel came to my Bar Mitzvah. Okay, I have I have a picture not for Shabbos. It was a Sunday. The Sunday. He came Sunday. And uh he he drove out to Pine Brook. And my family did have a very close connection with the Yeshiva. Yes. And were Rav Dovid and Rav Reuven were in the Yeshiva at the time? Yes. Yes. Yes. They were giving Shiur? Rav Dovid Rav Reuven not. Rav Dovid Rav Reuven came later. Rav Reuven gave Shiur uh came really when I was Well, later on he became He was the eighth grade rebbe, Rav Reuven. But um Rav Dovid was always the first year Beis Medrash. And um And I was in Rav Rav Dovid's Shiur. I was 16 years old. I was in Rav Dovid's Shiur. I was a senior in high school. Wow. I'll tell you a story that you'll appreciate. You had in Long Beach a fellow Eli who opened up a deli on the Lower East Side. Give regards from him. I just was in touch with him today. Called Some Place Special or something. Yeah. I don't know what it was. I haven't been in the Lower East Side. Eli Goldberg. Right. And I go I go into this deli. And this frum guy walks in. You know. I don't know. It was a deli. It wasn't a pizza shop. deli, yeah. So He's sitting there schmoozing with somebody and he says, "Ah, come over come over." And he says, "Do you know who this is? This is Dovid Olswang. He runs NCSY Long Island. He's a" And I go, "Oh, yeah." He says, "A really kosher guy, you know." I said, "Oh, yeah. Thank you so much." I said, "And who are you?" He goes, "Reuven Feinstein." I said, "Oh, I heard of you, too." That's the best part of the story. Best part of the story, this is in the 80s when the whole people finally found out about bugs. Cuz no one knew about bugs before then. And the reason no one knew about bugs is because they used DDT. Correct. Which killed all the bugs and also the people eating the vegetables. So, they got rid of DDT and then there were bugs. So, anyway, so Eli brings him a sandwich and he says to him, "Do you want the coleslaw?" So, Rav Reuven says, "Why what's what's wrong with the coleslaw?" He goes, "Your your talmidim don't eat my coleslaw cuz they're worried about the bugs." He says, "Give me their portion." So, uh it was different. It was different back then. Sure was. You know. Sure was. So, uh so So, you go through and then you're in Beis Medrash. I was in the Beis Medrash by Rav Dovid and then I was um I left Well, I left for 1 year. I was uh after high school I learned for 1 year in the Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn and I came back. And uh I learned for Rav Schischa Tiferes Shmuel. Um And uh and was by the Yeshiva in the Yeshiva Shiur for quite a number of years. Yeah. So Yeah. How how did Rav Moshe give Shiur? Well, there were two different Shiurim. He gave three really three different Shiurim. Um One Shiur he gave was the Daf Shiur which he gave in the morning once a week. Um Sometimes twice a week. And then there was the Pilpul Shiur which he gave on Friday. That was the main That was That's a different Moshe that you would be seeing would be the the uh uh the Pilpul Shiur on Friday. And that was for uh an hour and a half. But there weren't a lot of people there. Uh you're right. And I remember sitting there looking around and saying, "One day the people are really going to be sorry they're not here." Yeah, well what what what Because they're really on Because you're living you're on the Lower East Side. Uh three quarters of the world, maybe more of that is in Brooklyn and they don't want to get on a train and come to Lower East Side. So, today people get on a plane and fly to Eretz Yisrael every other week to see one of the Gedolei Yisrael. Here they could have come down any day. The Yeshiva was sitting in the Beis Medrash at a table. You can still see that If you go down to the East Side today, the table's still there. At his desk. And he came in the morning, davened. They brought him breakfast. He ate it at his the desk. And then he sat down and he was there all morning unless he had a meeting here or there and the other thing. And he would sit and be writing. And anybody could come. We even had a telephone. They used to have telephones connected through walls. When you were there, they were still He was still using the quill? He never did anything else but the quill. Even afterwards? No. Never. Always. With an inkwell? The Yeshiva He always had an inkwell. Never used a ballpoint pen. He found them uncomfortable. He In Europe, he only had ink and a fountain pen. Did you ever use a quill? Or a fountain pen? When we were in high school, we used to have these fountain pens where you had you bought little Right. uh you know, cartridges you stuck in the stuck them in and he used to use that. But the Yeshiva said that he used to use inkwell. He always had an inkwell on his desk. There's the famous story of Nissan Albert. Once went over, he had just gotten in Yeshiva gotten a new shots and he actually knocked the inkwell over and got blue ink all over the Gamara. And Yeshiva looked at it and said, "Oh, that's a nice color." So but that's but they were always using an inkwell. Always using a fountain pen. So you could just go over and ask him a shaila whenever you wanted. You could go over, people called like asked and you could questions you could call and there was in the in the office we had there was a secretary had Well, well, it's hard to describe. If you just have to see pictures of the old time secretaries with with something on their head and they were sticking wires the switchboard. It's called a switchboard and they used to switch when the switchboard used to that's make use of all the phone calls he used to put the call to Yeshiva and she always put the calls through to the to the base medrish. It in the middle of sheer the phones would the phone would ring and he would pick it up. No no, we would no that he didn't do. But the phone would ring and disturb it and I would go into the office later and say, "What are you doing, you know, this is the time where the sheer is. Why are you calling putting it through?" So we started taking the phone off the hook when we started sheer. But there you could call Yeshiva sitting at the desk. You call him anytime asking questions. And when he wasn't there, the phone would ring so we would pick it up and if there was someone around who could answer the question they would answer the question. And if they weren't they would ask any type of question. Any type of question. I once picked up the phone and was a woman on the other end he said it was Rosh Chodesh and she wanted to know if she's allowed to wash her floor. That was the you know, the shaila that she would call Rabbi Moshe Feinstein to find out if you're allowed to wash your floor a woman's allowed to wash floor on Rosh Chodesh. No, this that's questions that you might want to call and ask the Godol HaDor. Reb Moshe would not shy away from anything. Nothing. I'll tell you a story that it was known that he would he would on occasion be a reform kiddushin. It was a reform kiddushin and he would say, you know, the shaila was mamzerus and this and that and he would just say, you know, it was never never right. He didn't do with conservative. He did. Well, now here's the story. In the 1980s there was this baal teshuvah he married a grusha and he was a kohen and then they became frum. What do you do? Correct. So they somebody got me involved and I asked, you know, certain people who were close to Reb Moshe and they said, "Don't get involved. Reb Moshe has never undid a conservative you know, marriage." So the person who called me I said, "They tell me not to get involved." So he says, "I'll call this lady." So she calls up and Reb Dovid answers the phone. And Reb Dovid says, "Don't get involved." He says, "I appreciate that but I didn't call to talk to you. I called to talk to your father. Please put him on the phone." So Reb Moshe gets on the phone and he was oiker the kiddushin at a conservative kiddushin. Never happened before until this time. This was the first case, you know. And uh and he would he would just go into these things. And today who who can So they say, "Well, Reb Dovid was alive, Reb Dovid would also handle shailas like Reb Moshe." Correct. That's what this book is. Yes. Correct. Correct. But you have to understand something that um you can't get the the wrong idea because there's the flip side of that. This was talking about a situation where there was a person who was already married and was becoming becoming frum and they had been married before and there was a shaila and they were married with a reform rabbi or conservative rabbi and now they had married again there was no get in between. That's all after the fact. Before the fact Yeshiva and Reb Dovid were very makpid that to yes get a get and the following story I had us a couple comes to me they want to get married. Somebody in my shul in Long Beach had a cousin who was had been married and now wanted to remarry but she didn't have a get and they wanted me to be the mesader kiddushin. She didn't have actually came they spoke to me and I said she she was married and but it was by a reform she says to me it was a reform rabbi and we got married on Tisha B'Av. So I I'm sure that's not you know, that's nothing, you know, so I said, "No, you have to get you have to get a get." I spoke to Reb Dovid at that time Reb Zaidle Brocha. Reb Dovid I spoke to Reb Dovid beforehand just to just to give it guarantee and verify that even though they were had been living in New Milford Connecticut which just to put things in perspective. Reb Henkin Zaidle Brocha held that marriage of that form where people were living together as husband and wife would have the status of a marriage but that would only be if they were religious people around. It was had to be living amongst religious people who knew that they were living as husband and wife. Reb Yeshiva didn't hold that way. But nevertheless in this case New Milford Connecticut at that time there wasn't any religious there were there were no Jews let alone religious Jews. So you're a town in New Jersey where you came from. Oh, that's we had more where I was I was closer. So I we arranged a besdin with a sofer to go up to New Milford Connecticut. Now we couldn't write a get in New Milford Connecticut. Where can get this man who was now divorced from his previous wife who was she was suing him for knows how much money and so he was he actually had a law degree and but that's not what how he earned his living. He earned his living because he had a two pet food stores in New Milford one in New Milford and we went up to his office to to meet him there. Went up with a whole slew of of of rabbonim. Went up with a besdin with a sofer went up with a din. Went up to meet him up in New Milford Connecticut. To make a long story short he made he made a had to make a shliach and with daf yomi he's learning get now. Well, you get it was a lot of a lot of lot of the halachos that you would normally be learning were all done in that one situation and we had to come back to New York and write the get in New York in Manhattan because you couldn't write a get in New Milford Connecticut. He had to make a shliach. He came back and she didn't want to see him and he didn't want to see her anyway and so therefore she gave her the get in New York. Okay, over, right? So I meet with them again and now now she now she's ready to get married. I got her a get, right? Get the matter and I say I say meet with them. Now I have to ask them the normal questions. What's your Hebrew name? What's your Hebrew name? Your parents I just want I need to make sure that they're really Jewish, right? And he says to me I say to him your your your mother I want to know who his mother is. He said and your father? He says, "I'm a kohen." You're a kohen? Yeah. So was my dad. That's what a coincidence. You know the significance of what I just said but maybe your friends don't know. A kohen can't marry a divorced woman. So I tried to say to him, "Well, maybe you're not a kohen." He says he's a kohen. Maybe he's not a kohen. Why would I even think he's not a kohen? I'll tell you I have another story so you're not the only one. In New in Pine Brook, New Jersey just to tell you what happened. There was a bar mitzvah in Pine Brook, New Jersey I remember very clearly. Because I used to stand next to my father alav hashalom my father was the baal koreh. Not only the rabbi he's also the baal koreh. The chazzan the shul was the only one there. Basically. He only one who knew how to read Hebrew actually. So but my father was the baal koreh and he would also call people up. So he says amongst the bar mitzvah of guests said, "Anybody here a kohen?" A young fellow raises his hand. He's a kohen. My father calls him. "I'm calling to anybody a levi?" And another man a man an elderly an older man raises his hand and my father looks at him and says, "I'm standing right there." I'm watching this. He says, "Aren't you his father?" The levi was the kohen's father, you know. So So he so you know not always people who are not observant really know what they're talking about. So I that's a lesson that's a lesson I learned as a kid. So I said, "Maybe you're not How do I know you're a kohen?" He says to me, "No." He says, "Rabbi, I was out by in in Willwood by my grandfather's grave and on the monument there there were hands." I then had to explain to them that um I could not be performing this wedding. After I went through this whole thing but at least I got her a get. Um so they were fine with that. They knew they could go to a conservative rabbi and take care of it for them which is what they did. And that was that so the point of the story is that even though after the fact Yeshiva would definitely be be matir certain situations because the reform rabbi is posel edus and there was no kosher with no no kosher witnesses there. Or even a conservative situation there were no kosher witnesses. But nevertheless at the end of the day in advance of anything like that it was always very makpid to make sure that the get was gotten received that there was a get given. So if you had a Reb Moshe shaila today, who would you go to? Reb Reuvain. He's the only one I could talk to. Wow. Yeah. He's not so easy reach either. All right. So, I I I want to talk about some of the other interesting things you've had, but there's a burning issue in Clal Yisrael that must be addressed. Now, you are now a rav of Agudah. Scooters are not muttar on Shabbos. No, that's not it. Oh, I thought it was cuz somebody be an That would be an easier one. No, this is a worse one I'm going to ask you. The The other The other day I saw a man in a nice gray suit, a tie, scooting down the street going to shul on Shabbos. Right. I thought I was ready to call out Shabbos, Shabbos, Shabbos. Wait. I wasn't in Yerushalayim so No, that would be an easier one. No, I'm going to ask you a much harder one. Take into account the fact that you are now a rav of Agudah. Yeah. Okay? So, you go to the Agudah convention and you get in with like the Agudah pass. You know what I mean? Like, you know, you get you get I'm official card-carrying member. All right? And and I and I know this question is going to possibly destroy your entire reputation. And I know already the answer because I had the kol korei before the sefer came out and I I assume it made it into the sefer. And that's the following. I have heard from a dozen people that that Moshe never really allowed goyishe milk. He only said if you're living in Kansas and there's no milk there and there's someone who's sick and there's a baby, then you could rely on the fact that the USDA gives it. But otherwise, of course, you have to use Chalav Yisrael. So, my question is when Reb Moshe gave this teshuvah, which he refers to as Chalav HaCompanies, he didn't call it stam Chalav, he didn't call it Chalav Akum, he called it Chalav HaCompanies, was that for extreme situations where someone is going to die unless he has this this over here, unless he absolutely has to have milk or a Kit Kat or or did he allow it on more broad circumstances? And then we'll discuss what your next job is going to be. But anyway, cuz I know you're an honest man you'll answer this question honestly. Well, the tell me the Rosh Yeshiva knew very clearly without any question that the Rosh Yeshiva held that the Chalav HaCompanies was 100% muttar l'chatchila. And you you do not have to HAVE CHALAV YISRAEL. LET ME LET ME OKAY, let me put it to you this way, okay? If you have a choice between the two, uh I'll give you another example. So, a de rasha digga question, all right? Because I read in the kol korei and I'm going to tell you what you wrote. On I don't know if it if the if the publishers took it out of the book, but on a de rasha level, on a de rasha level chodesh, for example, everybody a lot of people are makpid on chodesh once upon a time. Once upon a time nobody didn't even know what chodesh was. But chodesh is chodesh comes first. the just like I explained about the bugs, no one knew about bugs. The reason no one knew about yashan is because we had a wheat surplus for exist. 7 years. So, no one ever had chodesh. And then Nixon sold the wheat surplus to Russia and suddenly new grain came on the market. There was never a question before. So, Yeah, so So, like we're talking about chodesh, so I was present when someone actually asked Reb Dovid directly if he was makpid on yashan and he said no. So, that's a de rasha, right? Right. But, if you have a choice between eating yashan and chodesh, then of course you eat yashan. And the same thing would apply and that's what I put in and it's the same status same same idea that uh and it was once I was once involved in a in a school that not a not a day school, it was a it was a yeshivish school also on the island, but at yeshivish school where those days they had two lines for lunch. The Chalav Yisrael? The Chalav Yisrael line and the non-Chalav Yisrael line. Right. And people who are smiling were on the non-Chalav Yisrael line. So, I have I WAS ACTUALLY TEACHING I taught in that school and I asked Reb Dovid then if there's a choice, if they if they're you know, it doesn't make a difference on what line I'm on if they're give serving both. He said, "If they're serving both, you you take the Chalav Yisrael." So, if you have equally accessible Chalav Yisrael and non-Chalav Yisrael, there's no question that you uh that you Reb Dovid told me clearly that you you take the Chalav Yisrael. No, what you had written in that kol korei that I have at home still with your name on it. And I use it as a I said compare it to chodesh, right? The is that you said you asked Reb Dovid, is there an inyan to be machmir to have Chalav Yisrael during the aseres yemei teshuvah? That's for sure. He said no. And he said no. Correct. He said cuz it's not it's not a kula, it's meikar hadin. Correct. Right. That is 100% true. Uh So, then if a guy comes to the issue of of the issue and says, "Can I eat OUD um or not? Can I have Kit Kats? Can I have Twinkies?" You know, I don't know why we're still on this subject, but uh Cuz I I need to get cuz everybody says to me get home today. Everybody says to me, "Reb Moshe never really meant that." Okay, again, Reb Moshe And if you read the teshuvahs, he Somebody writes him back and says, "No, because because" and he comes back and he says And when that teshuvah came out, when that sefer came out, I spoke to Reb Dovid about it. And I spoke to Reb Dovid about that exactly when that first teshuvah came out. I spoke to Reb Dovid about it. Uh it was did not change his mind, didn't change the teshuvah, did not. Because the what he wrote as a teshuvah for a certain organ certain place, let me I'll tell you another story and you maybe you'll get a better idea. And it's something that I just heard recently. It has an issue to the same to the similar thing. Depending on two people who asked the same question, I got totally different answers. Because for him it was one thing, for him it was another. Uh it had to do with uh with one person was something was muttar because he looked Kasanetz looked at him and said to him said, "You know, this was uh he looked like a weak fellow who if he couldn't eat whatever it is he's asking him about, uh it wouldn't it wasn't healthy." And the other fellow was a strong guy. So, he said, "No, no, for you it's it's a assur." A fellow once asked the Rosh Yeshiva You have to understand one more thing. In Tiferes Yerushalayim, there was a candy machine all the years that I was growing up and even beyond that. There was a candy machine and stam Chalav chocolate was the only thing being served. They didn't even have Chalav Yisrael. Yisrael chocolate. None whatsoever. Hershey bars were sold. Hershey bars, Nestle bars, whatever it was whatever In MTJ. In MTJ was sold in the candy machine and nobody nobody thought anything about it because we all knew that that's what the Rosh Yeshiva really held. Did Reb Dovid eat it? So, now, I'll tell you what they asked Reb I'm sure Reb Dovid ate it because he ate the kosher with the bugs. Reb Nissan Alpert was once asked about it and he said he for he's he's makpid he only eats Chalav Yisrael, but in his family he has stam Chalav in the house. Um but he himself was was makpid. If Reb Dovid himself what he did, I couldn't tell you. I didn't watch. I didn't watch I didn't But he gave it in the candy machine in MTJ. In MTJ. In MTJ. The candy machine. Okay. Ice cream. Okay. Ice cream. Okay. He ate Carvel. Carvel? No. Baskin-Robbins? Okay. I I No, I I'm not prepared to say about anything of that sort and I know when someone made a made a claim like that, Reb Dovid would deny it. That's all. He would deny those things. But so I can't can't say what he did or didn't do and his private life. I'm not ready to say. Two two more controversial stories that we're going to It can't be more controversial than this. Wait, you'll see. First of all, the Reb Moshe held there's no shechitah by paper. Correct. Which means that you could take a napkin and wipe up on Shabbos. Correct. Right? He never changed that. Never. Okay, cuz people say afterwards he changed it. Is that People say a lot of things afterwards they did. They they say it l'kula, too. All right? There was a whole there was a there was a rabbi here in Brooklyn who wrote a whole thing that the Rosh Yeshiva was moti of the would be Reb Dovid had to write a teshuvah to against it. They wrote a whole kol korei that that Rabbi Feinstein held that the eiruv in Brooklyn was okay. Which of course he didn't. He was very strongly opposed to it. Very strongly opposed to it and Reb Dovid had to write a whole letter saying that that's just totally untrue. It's uh fake news. But so So, taking napkins and wiping up a spill on Shabbos Reb Moshe held was Yeah. Right. He wouldn't let you use liquid soap. Correct. Right. Or Shabbos cloths. Correct. Right. But you could use a napkin to wipe up. Okay. Sounds I don't know what the connection is, but you'll all figure it out. What about baby wipes? Okay, so baby wipes is if depends on the baby wipes. Is it depend on the baby or just the baby wipes? on the baby wipes. Because today baby wipes are sometimes have natural fibers. If you take a look at them, they would made with cotton and natural fibers. That already Reb Dovid told me was assur. Uh it's only because it's only paper. Only paper is something that was not considered something that had a din shechitah, but anything else that was cotton or any other natural fibers were not were not permitted. And so some of the baby wipes really are very thick and come and not and not totally synthetic. Okay, the famous story of the lady who came over and kissed him on the cheek and and Reb Moshe said don't say anything she's a Holocaust survivor. Yeah, that was uh It was written up? It was written up. And then supposedly Reb Dovid said it wasn't true. I I know the fellow who wrote it and and what he said. And I have no way of knowing what he wrote or what what he said is true or not. I cannot could not begin to tell you one way or the other. Does it sound like something that might have For those of you who don't know the story I I'll tell the story. Okay. He wrote it up. Yes, he did. He wrote it up. He wrote it up Yes. that Reb Moshe was up in the mountains. He had to go to a doctor in Ellenville. in Ellenville and the wife of the doctor who was the nurse when he comes in he says oh Reb Moshe and and gives him a kiss on the cheek. And there was a Yeshiva bochur who was there and he his mouth dropped open and he was just beyond and supposedly Reb Moshe said she's a Holocaust survivor you don't say anything. That's the story that he wrote up. Yes, that's good that's the story he wrote up. I never spoke to anybody about the story. I never assumed one way or the other about the story. Then I saw I heard answers that Reb Dovid said it wasn't doesn't it could be it wasn't true Reb Dovid wasn't And if it was true what difference does it make? Because uh What difference does it make if it's true? That won't make it into the archives of history. If someone comes over it's okay. But if someone comes over to someone and grabs them and gives them a kiss what do you what are you supposed to do about it? Tell me what's what what what are you supposed to do? You're supposed to slap them? You're supposed to take out your gun and shoot them? What are you supposed to do? That he would have said. What is it something that he might have said? You say Reb Dovid said it never happened so is it something that he could say? I don't know why why wouldn't he be able to say that? Why she's in a zone you don't she's a Holocaust survivor she has no better she's whatever I didn't find the story shocking. No, I found I don't find anything about that story to be in any way the fellow who said the story is an individual who is from a more modern background. So to him it was a big deal. To me it's not a big deal. It's not a big deal. Because it could be true and could be not true and either or doesn't make a difference. It doesn't doesn't make doesn't teach us anything more than what we already know. The Holocaust survivors we have a gift cover tell our survivors there's no question about it. That the story could have happened it could have happened. Did it happen? I don't know. And then did Reb Moshe say brain death is okay? I commented from the other side now. I'm sorry I'm not I have problem hearing this here. This is this is I have to tell you because there are very few people who have had the access to Reb Moshe and Reb Dovid that you have and which really puts you in a unique position today. I had heard a story I don't know if it's true or not. I had heard a story I'm not a base of crona I don't check these things out I always that's my my standard my standard that somebody told the story to Reb Moshe and he says it never happened. So he says but it's written up. He says I'm alive and they're making up stories about me. What happens when I'm dead? I was I was there in the basement Reb when this all happened. I know what I know the story. The story was that someone came in and was talking to Reb about the Chasam Sofer. And they said over and then they would say over and they would Chasam Sofer he didn't want to enjoy his tea so he waited until it was waiting to drink really hot and he would drink it real hot so he wouldn't have any hana'ah from his tea. And Reb said the story is sheker. The Chasam Sofer is given a normal mensch. Yeah. And so the story is not true. He says but everybody says it. So Reb said to him that time he says he says I'm myself me and me and me and them all. So uh so they talk tell stories about me and I'm and I'm alive. So what's no no no no secret you know that these stories came around about and they they make the make the make the circuit. And you can hear stories about the truth is if you live long enough you hear the same story about five different gedolim the same story you know and this person's name never is it The story maybe the story is true with somebody but and maybe the whole thing is not true but Yeah, that's that's that's correct. Even when she was alive people said stories about him that were not true. Well, I heard a story I don't know if it's true that when Reb Zalman when Reb Shach was starting the go Reb Zalman didn't join in and so when the Yated would mention Reb Zalman they wouldn't say maran. They would just say you know Reb Zalman Auerbach you know. And the talmidim said we should make him a because he's not covered in Torah. This is the story I heard. You know the story? So Reb Zalman said covered in Torah. He says about what they write about me in the newspaper. He said let me tell you a story. He says I get a call in the middle of the night from Reb Moshe Feinstein. And he says listen I have a shaila here it's mamesh pikuach nefesh I need to talk it through with somebody. He says can do you have a few minutes? So Reb Moshe talks it through and Reb Zalman says I think like this. So Reb Moshe says ah that's what I thought also. He says so that Reb Moshe would call me up to talk it through and that I was mechaven to Reb Moshe would say and you think I care about what they write about me in the newspaper? Did you ever hear the story? No. Does it MAKE SENSE? NO. WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE the story and I don't believe Reb ever called Reb Zalman for anything that's honestly. You have to understand uh Two bits of prince of the tzukufis. The tzukufis were I There is a there is a Reb Zalman story that was told over that is uh that is a true story when Reb was already very sick and it was uh right before his petirah. And she was very sick at the time. And a fellow came to Reb Zalman with a shaila. And uh it was a very difficult shaila and Reb Zalman said we have to call uh we have this is not I can't answer this question. We have to call the we have to call the gedola door. He says the gedola you can't weren't able to reach Reb at the time. He was not he's not reachable there was no phone call he was very was not well. So they called Reb Nissan Albert lived across the street. And uh Reb Nissan said I don't know if I can get to Reb you heard the story so Reb Zalman told him over the the shaila. And uh and uh so uh he went across the street and he had he was able to get in and saw Reb Reb was really not it was what it wasn't a period of time you could it would even fair to ask him a shavur shaila but he was told by Reb Zalman to ask it so he asked it. And Reb sat there and looked at him and says this is nish nogea. So he said the story over again so he told over the maiseh over again. Reb said to him this is nish nogea. He said it wasn't getting through to Reb he felt it wasn't getting through so he kept went back. Called Reb Zalman back. Um they were waiting for him in the phone on the on the other side. And he said to him Reb was not well. I told him over the maiseh. I said to him twice both times he said to me it's nish nogea. I can't tell you any more than that. On the other side the rov who had come to ask Reb Zalman the question so Reb Zalman put on his hat and said we I suppose it was time to go Reb Dovid Mincha he was ready to leave. He says but the rov said but what's going on here? What's going on? And Reb Zalman said what do you mean what's going on here? This is nish nogea. The gedola door says nish nogea it's nish nogea. He says maybe nish nogea in New York is not nogea here but I it's nogea. I mean I have a ball of wax who has the shaila. I mean what so it's very nice everybody tell me it's nish nogea. A day or two go by and the rov doesn't hear back from the person who had originally presented him with this difficult shaila Reb Zalman couldn't answer. He sees him once in the street and he said two days later he says to him you never called me back. He says was not nogea. Wow. You knew the Rebbetzin? Sure. I heard a story from Moro. Yeah, Moro I know well everybody well. Well, he says there was a story that when he was when Reb Moshe was a raven in Russia that they You know this story? I don't know. You know tell me the story there are a lot of stories Reb told. up all the rabbonim to go dig ditches the communists to be mashpul them. I don't know when they come to Reb Moshe the Rebbetzin gets her coat. He says what are you doing? He says we arranged when we got married that you handle the ruchnius and I handle the gashmius. This is gashmius. And she went out with the rabbonim to go and and she wouldn't let Reb Moshe go and she went out with the rabbonim to go and dig. That story I believe. They dig a ditch. I believe the Rebbetzin Rebbetzin there. Absolutely. That's what she I believe he had to run black for him. What? That's a hard job to have. To be the uh To to Reb was uh Yeah, she was very look I I had I came out to Lower East Side mention a bris I had two I made two of my sons had their bris in this shiva. How was it both of them? And uh I had to find parking. You're still looking for it. I was on the other side of the Williamsburg Bridge when I finally got So um but uh for my for for my son Shimon Mayer it was in January and it was Shimon was just getting over a cold and he put on his coat and the rebbetzin said, "Where you going?" Shimon said, "I have a this frankel as a bris in the throws his line yeshiva." He says, "You're not going." He didn't go. He didn't come. I come to the yeshiva. I had called the night before. I was told everything was set up. The yeshiva was supposed to be this was supposed to be the son. And um I came to the yeshiva and we had the whole bris set up and the yeshiva wasn't there. And they told me so but they said the rebbetzin said we can come over afterwards which is what we did. I actually have a what they used to call uh um now they call it a video but then it was super eight and uh actually I had sound on this super eight and I had the yeshiva holding my son Shimon Mayer and my son Avi was there at the time also. I gave him brochos. The rebbetzin was there. We said came went to the house. But um yeah when the rebbetzin said don't go he didn't go. And he said uh but the rebbetzin was very very careful where he watched the yeshiva very much. Now the Rabbi Alansky show we usually take questions from the audience but I have to ask you one more question. I have I have several more but they're flashing at me to take the question and answer but one more question. What does it mean in 2023 to be the rav of an Agudah? Cuz you Told them day schools you were the rabbi of Bais Chaim Mordechai. I mean it's a whole different world. Now you're the rav of an Agudah. What what does that mean today to be a rav of an Agudah? So first of all you have to understand no Agudah no two Agudahs are the same. There is no such thing. Uh even in Brooklyn Agudah of the one neighborhood is not the same Agudah of another neighborhood both in size both in the people. People are different wherever you are. There's no uh there's no singular individual you're going to have and you're going to have people where there's a there are a number of Agudahs in my in the area. There's uh Agudah of there's a Agudah of Bayswater and there's a Agudah of Far Rockaway and Agudah of West Lawrence and there is a Agudah of your Five Towns. And each one of them has its own very unique people and the idea is that the key that ties all of us together is one singular idea and that is the kavod and to gedolei Yisrael. That's something that was a very important aspect of them that I felt was really uh one of the things that makes uh what I'm doing now very different cuz anyone who walks into the shul has to understand the shul is going to run and have have idea that there are there are minhagim. The even the rabbi is not the last say but the gedolei gedolei Yisrael is going to be the last say whoever that gedol happens to be at that specific time. I remember when you were at the rav of Bais Chaim Mordechai and you gave a whole drasha how people are talking about that the black hatters are taking over. And then you took the black hat and you put it on. There was a story that came before that about another neighborhood on the island that um a ish someone who who was a ben yeshiva who became a rabbi in a neighboring shul on the island where they had previously only been a more modern rabbi and the rabbi got up and put on a black hat and made disparaging remarks about it. And I just felt needed a response. And so therefore that was actually I did that on Rosh Hashanah. I spoke about the significance and importance and the pride that one has to have to be uh part of what we call the yeshiva movement if you want to call it the ben yeshiva to be uh gedolei Yisrael and uh the Moetzes Gedolei Yisrael to know that we we we we all answer to a higher source ultimately but uh in between we don't know everything and we need to be able to feel that every individual needs a rebbe who's above them and uh sometimes uh the rebbe needs a rebbe and uh there's a whole hierarchy that we have to go through. We realize we want to do what is ratzon Haborei. And to be so arrogant as to think that I can wake up in the morning and say I know what ratzon Haborei is it's not a Jewish concept. You know by non-Jews they just sit there and meditate and they believe that God talks through them. Um I've met non-Jews who've told me that. I actually had a giores who told me that her father gave her a very difficult time when she wouldn't attend her mother's funeral in the church. How God came to him and spoke to him and told him how horrible that was. And uh and of course in the world at large today in the secular world at large today they also they they know what Judaism is about. You can see read it anytime you want. You can read it in the New York Times. You can read it in Haaretz. You can read it in all of the all of the knowledgeable Jewish newspapers exactly what God wants from Judaism and what Judaism is supposed to be and what it's all about. We baruch Hashem have gedolei Yisrael who are we able to talk to and we're able to contact and we're able to find out and we're able to learn from and uh we don't have that type of arrogant nature and believe that we are the prophets that can uh know what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants from us. People ask me all the time. They say to me "Rabbi does God speak to you?" And he doesn't speak to me directly but uh speaks Does he speak to you? How do you know what God wants? He speaks to me He speaks to you? I'm glad to directly. I remember uh you know sometimes we know what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants we just don't want to listen. Um you know I was once teaching in a class a classroom and a young man was telling me what his plans were after high school. And I said to him like I have only one question to ask you. Do you believe in God? He says to me, "Yes." I said, "Do you think that's what God wants?" He's stunned. He didn't even think about it. Didn't even dawn on him. What does the God have God but that's how what God wants? Why would I even think about that? We have to understand that we're think shvisa shimana d'samit and we have to we have to know what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants so we either know because we learn it's in the we learn it learn it from our rebbeim. We've gone through schools. We've actually been taught or if there's things that we don't really know we haven't been taught we can still find out. There's still someone who can learn from. Do the rabbonim of all the Agudahs get together? Yeah. Is there like a meeting? Occasionally at the at the conventions we have a meeting. Uh there've been some meetings on uh recently on different issues having to deal with the world at large and for example technology. When I talk about technology I mean refrigerators and ovens. That's the technology I'm talking about. Uh where rabbonim have to get together and uh we have uh their meetings about that and uh we have to deal with those type of issues. I was only one time at an Agudah convention. They called me invited me. Yes you were. And I said, "Aren't you worried that I'm going to say something controversial?" And they said, "We discussed this. So we're going to give you the women's shul shuddis and then we'll give you Sunday morning cuz all the gedolim leave Motzei Shabbos." I said, "I was kidding. I didn't I didn't realize there was an actual meeting of how can we invite R' Alansky and minimize the damage?" So uh you know so I thought I didn't know what it was going to be at the convention. I thought I was going to be up on the big dayis you know and between like two rebbe's you know. And I'll be like, "Are you finishing the roast beef cuz uh and I I appreciate you being a porush and everything and don't want it to go to waste you know." But they didn't. They stuck me at a small table off to the side you know. All right. So um Ari our American producer has been flashing me that there's question and answers. Did we hand out papers or are we just Since this is parshas Korach we're just throwing open the floor. Okay. So the question was asked how does one have a productive summer? I see my my therapist or How do I get tips on a productive I see my I'm I'm too old to ask the question. I'll tell you why. Because it's not fair because I I don't I can't identify with any of the things that are going on these days. I really can't. Uh I hear things that go on. I hear hiking accidents uh swimming I mean there were always swimming accidents. People went to camp and there rachmana litzlan there were also many times issues of you know that uh they were not careful. What goes on today bulky boating uh you know uh bungee jumping uh skydiving these are crazy things. I have R' Pam once said someone there's someone they once asked R' Pam you know they they were talking about kids going to camp. They wanted to know what to do take the kids have a good time. He says, "Take the kids somewhere to have a good time. Camp is a good time." Where where you What do you need to go anywhere else? I'm I'm old school as far as that's concerned. I find all of these crazy things even in terms of a lot of touring that goes on, the great I mean, you want to take a submarine down to see the Titanic? I mean, I can arrange it for you, but I don't think that anybody wants to do that, right? Right? Think about it. This is what we see and this is what we hear. And this is what goes on and this is what we aspire to. So, I can't go see the Titanic, but maybe I can take a I can go somewhere else which is I can afford to go. Which is equally as dangerous and and just not normal. I'll tell you what I think the greatest challenge I can't identify. So, I I'm not it's not fair. I can tell you what I think is the greatest challenge uh of summer now that I'm here in America. I've been here for a week and a half. My brother had a barbecue. And there is no way to manage to get through a barbecue without being sick for the next 3 days. There is no USDA-recommended amount of frankfurters and hamburgers and steak that a person should eat, you know? You go out and you order a frankfurter or a hamburger, that's that's called a meal, you know? But it just keeps coming off the grill. And then by the end of the day you're sweating fat. And it's just you're sick for days and I don't know how anybody could possibly survive a summer of barbecues. Okay. By the way, corn, your body does not have the ability to digest corn. I'm just going to throw it out there. If nobody else will say it, I'll say it. Okay. You can send it to me. When I was younger, I could at least go to a barbecue. I'd only be sick for a day, but now But what you what what Rabbi Loevinger is speaking about speaks to a lot of what's going on today, which is really the consumerism, the consumption, the expectations of them, you know, once upon a time was ostentatious is now poor the poor guys' summer. Um it's something that is beyond uh my comprehension. I I don't know where I don't know where to start. I I don't have the power to make a start to do anything. If I did if I, you know, if I had my my dis was up to me, I have certain ideas of type I have a lot of ideas that nobody wants to hear. Um I really do and I think uh would be a we'd be living in a different place if I had something some some ability to deal with that. But because I was in for uh for 40 years and uh so, I mean, it's not like I don't have an idea what what kids are about and what the the world's about. But something's this there's a there's something wrong here because the the the the the emphasis is on the wrong syllable. Really. Uh we're not getting put we're not we're not reaching the right we're not reaching the right spot in when we teach kids because they grow up expecting to have uh you know, uh the the best scotch. Uh it's it's it's the best scotch, the fanciest meats, all kosher, of course. All kosher. And so, you're talking about you're talking about hot dogs? Hot dogs. I I talk about uh the fancy butchers that are or the or the steak houses where people, you know, people are people are starving in Biafra. $500 And you're sitting down to a meal and just throwing away money like crazy and for what? For where? For when? For I mean, the expectations and we're raising kids to really strive to be to get there. I'm very much so, you can't ask me about the summer. Yeah. And so, the question is how do you raise your kids today to get them out of the consumption, you know, the consumerism? That that's something that you should know to a certain extent I think they already know that you have to give a little bit. And you can't live on Look, we don't live on the standards of our parents. Our parents didn't live on the standards of their parents. And we would never dream of living in a in a in a three-bedroom walk-up without a without an elevator and no air conditioning in the summertime. We'd never do that, right? But our grandparents live like that. So, there is a change and uh it doesn't mean it has to change you. Move to Milwaukee. And okay. There's nothing there. Okay. Where where did you grow up in New Jersey? Pine Brook. Pine Brook. Yeah. Move to Pine Brook, New Jersey. nothing there. And there's nothing there. Yeah. And uh the little forest behind my house is not even there anymore. But uh but we have to it's hard for me from my perspective as a grandparent now as great-grandparent to be able to give that direction. But you have to you have to set the standard though. You really have to set it's based on what is what is around. You know where you sent your kids Do you know where you kids sent you kids to Yeshiva and where you sent you kids to Yeshiva? You know what school they're in. You know what's going on. You know, you you know, and you you make choices and based on those choices uh yes, it's true. They do see things. And the standards are very different than uh than you had when you were growing up. And their kids will have when they're growing up. But just I don't know where it ends. But there there has to be has to be a a a g'vul. It has to be not everything. Not everything. Not every toy, not every gadget, not every need. There has to be There's a word that doesn't seem to exist in any in the educational system. Parents seem to not know how to say no. Because if they say no, their kids going to go off the derech. That's the that's that's always I'm like, go off the derech. You don't say no, go off the derech. I used to have kids in my class who weren't from from from Rabbi, because of you I'm not going to be religious. Oh, so and now you are religious? Well, so I will change course if you're religious now. The idea is that there has to be a certain amount You need to have you know, this this has to be a g'vul. Some people have they have to know that there's a certain amount of authority where no to something and that can't be yes to everything. That's what I've made that's my, you know, and I think that there are plenty of educators out there who disagree with me on that, but it's got to stop somewhere. Who does the good to consider the Modiga Dorothy? See, that that was that's a different Today we're in a period of time where where after uh um you know, after Gershon's Petira and in America we have the Matzah Skedaddle Torah still have a Matzah Skedaddle Torah. Uh and there are other very big Russia Shivahs that are that You have to know You have to set You know, if you're a Yeshiva you have your Rebba. You have to know. That's the That's where it That's where it goes. So, who does the good today say this is the But they have it the the the the I don't you know, again, who eventually is fills the slot of where Reb Gershon was, where Reb Chaim was, I don't know. That's still in happening. In the process of happening. But we still have a It's not like every shaila I had I called Reb Gershon, right? I didn't go go into Reb Chaim for every question. Even though there were there plenty of people went to Reb Chaim for everything. But uh they traveled they they had they had shuttles going to Reb Chaim for everything. But uh now it's got to be it's a little bit different than but there's still people, you know. think how many Israel is There's still Gedolei Israel in Bnei Brak and Gedolei Israel and you know, and uh So, uh again, like I was asked before, if I had a difficult shaila, I would I would speak to Reb Bruin. But other people speak to someone else. There are other there are other Gedolei Israel. Unfortunately, until recently, if I had big My kids were very close to Reb Shmuel. And uh but it's uh It's a terrible terrible the loss for Klal Yisrael not to have access to him is unbelievable cuz he always answered the phone himself. You could just call and he picked up the phone. And so, uh he was one of those one of those uh easy contacts that uh today we're unfortunately we don't have. So, it's just a matter of finding your slot again, you know. You have to have your Rebba. Everybody has to have someone they speak to. Everyone. There's no such thing. Okay. So, this is the question. What do you do if you have a conflict between your family and God? I go with God. Cuz he he he's he can help me a lot more than my family can. Family comes and goes, but at the end of the day I got to I got to look God in the face, you know? And I got to I got to be honest. And sometimes, you know, listen, you're going to have choices. It's always going to come down to choices. And there's no way to make everybody happy. I saw this sign in uh school office and I've seen it in a bunch of them. I don't know if it's official or not, but it says, "I can only make one person happy a day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either." And I've seen that sign up in a whole bunch of school uh you know, offices, you know, by the secretary. So, you know, you know, for me, I didn't grow up in a shomer shabbos home. And, uh, when I started to become frum, um, I was in conflict a lot. And, uh, at some point I realized that even though my parents kept a kosher home, there were problems that were very serious, and I did not know how to get my parents to solve the problems. And the Kodesh Baruch Hu came to my aid, so I was not home the day my brother burnt down the kitchen. Cuz my parents were sure I was behind it. But a girl in my class, her father had passed away, and I went on bicycle from North Merrick to Levittown, which was miles, to go and pay a shiva call. When I came home, so I wasn't there when my brother wanted blintzes. And he didn't know how to cook. I know how to cook because there were six boys in my family, and most people don't know this, but when, you know, there's certain, you know, reptiles, frogs and others, that when they're all males, some of them turn into females. And that's what happened in my house, I became the token girl. So, my brother didn't know how to cook. So, he filled up a frying pan with oil and went to watch the game. And at some point he realized the house was filled with smoke, and he comes in and sees the uh, so he throws water on it. Yeah. And anyway, uh, the halachic term for that is called libun gamur, and the hot oil spread all over the kitchen and burnt everything down. And, my mother was like, "Why weren't you here?" I said, "Girl in my class, I went on my bicycle to Levittown to pay shiva call, you know." I was like, "But now, if we're going to make some changes, I do have some suggestions." And that solved a lot of the problems, you know. So, given a choice, and my parents knew this, that given a choice, and my my parents didn't really understand halacha, but they were sure, like for example, they'd say, "Could you get something from the refrigerator?" And I said, "No, Mom, cuz the light goes on, and you won't let me unscrew the light bulb, you know." So, my mother was very frustrated, she said, "What if we put one of those strings around the house?" Then should you do it? I said, "No, Mom, I can't, you know, it's you know." But, well, at lot we solved all the problems, and then after my father's heart attack, uh, he moved to West Hempstead, and where my brothers were, and they became shomer shabbos. And, uh, one of my nieces said, "Yeah, we go over at Grandma and Grandpa's house on shabbos, and Grandma makes challah and for everybody, and Grandpa plays bingo." I said, "These are the same people who told me if I put on a blech, I was going to burn down the house?" And now they're bubby and zaidy sitting there making challah. How did that happen? What did I miss that part, you know? So, I had to fight over, you know, lots of things, and, uh, you know, and at some point, you your first allegiance has to be to a Kodesh Baruch Hu. And then, then to your family, and then to everything that goes with it, you know. So, um, yeah, you're going to have conflicts. Yes, sir. If I had the chance, would I raise my kids as Israelis? Reb Mendel Weinbach said this to me. He said, "You tried to raise an American family in Eretz Yisrael." And I said, "You didn't?" And he said, "No, when I moved to Eretz Yisrael, I only raised my kids speaking Hebrew, and, uh, my kids are Israelis. And they're like all Israelis, they hate Americans. They tolerate me." That's what he said to me. So, I I have a problem, I have to live in Eretz Yisrael. My soul does not allow me to live in chutz la'aretz. I can't breathe. I I I'm like the mashal that Rabbi Akiva gives of the fish in the water, that he has to live in the water, you know. Israel is a very hard place to live. Very hard. And, uh, Israelis are very difficult people, and, um, and it's a it's a tough way, and I can honestly say that all of my kids paid a price for my decision to live in Eretz Yisrael. And, um, and, uh, it was it was difficult, but I needed to. And so, if I could raise my kids as Israelis, would I do it? No, I don't think I would. Because my kids tell me all the time, "Abba, we're not Israelis, we're not Americans, yesh suga acher that are called American Israelis." Uh, Israeli Americans. And most of them married other Israeli American Israelis, except one daughter who married a straightforward American. Um, if my kids would have married straight Israelis, I wouldn't have objected, but I would have had a lot of fun at their expense, because I don't really speak Hebrew, so, you know, so one of my nieces married a straight American, and I just make fun of him constantly, and he has no idea what I'm saying. You know. So, um, uh, so at the end of the day, um, I think living in Eretz Yisrael is a tremendous chos, and it's very hard, and, um, uh, I I'm not capable of raising kids as Israelis, I'm not an Israeli, I don't know how, you know. So, my son, you know, when you have all the children, they sit around the table and discuss how you destroyed their lives. This is what they enjoy doing. And, uh, my son said, "You know, one of the things you did that you really messed us up is you insisted that we tell the truth." And Israelis are all liars. Mendel said this to me, you know. He said, "Whenever an Israeli says anything to you, you have to figure out what they really mean." Cuz they all lie. And so, everybody be fooling around in the class, and the principal would come in and say, "Who is talking?" And I knew that if I lied, I would get into trouble. So, I said, "Me." He said, "Anybody else?" "No." And I would get the punishment. I said, "You should get punished over and over again to let people know that you tell the truth." Well, I don't know that they appreciated that insight. But that was, uh, you know, it's it's a challenge, it's a challenge in Eretz Yisrael. Yeah. Any other que- Yes, sir. Why is there no major push from the rabbanim to move to Eretz Yisrael? So, you being one of the major rabbanim, why is no push to move to Eretz Yisrael? I thought he asked you the question. I I would say, if based on the ones that I've spoken to, because it's very hard. It's hard, it's hard to live there. And so, therefore, only someone who really wants to do it can manage to handle it, because it's a very hard, it's a hard life. An Israeli American family that moves there is going to be at a disadvantage. Your kids will move there, they don't know the language, um, they don't have the protectzia. That's an Israeli word, protectzia. In English, it means corruption. In America, what they call protectzia, you could go to jail for, you know. Means that, you know, you have to take 3 months to get an appointment with a doctor, but if my mother knows the secretary, so they can move you to the front of the line. That's illegal, but in Israel, it's we call it protectzia, it has such a nice sound to it, you know. And so, you can get your kid into the school if you have protectzia, and all these kind of things are protectzia. But, um, you know, Americans come in, and we don't know how to play the game like Israelis do, and we're at a disadvantage. Uh, the way I put it is, my grandfather came from Vengrov, and he came to Brownsville, and he never learned English. He spoke Yiddish his whole life, and my father had to make it on his own. I grew up as an entitled American, and I I know my way through the system. And then I moved to Eretz Yisrael, and my kids are like my father, they have to make it on their own. I can't help them, cuz I don't understand how things work. I still don't. You know. So, one of my kids had cancer, and, uh, they had to figure out how to manage the system. I tried, but I don't know how Israelis work, you know. But his rabbaim helped them, and they worked through the system, and I just did the best that I could, but I don't know I don't understand what it means to be an Israeli. Israelis have a different way of doing things, you know. My kids would say to me, "Abba, how come we're the only ones on the block with an old car? How come all the Israelis have new cars?" I said, "I don't know. They all sit and learn in kollel, and they make $600 a month, and they all have new cars. I don't know how it works, so." So, that's why I I think that people say it's hard, and so, to make a big push, unless you know how to do it. It's difficult. So, I'd like to just take a small stab at that also, because I'm here and you're there. Yes. So, um, there as the rabbi explained, living in Eretz Yisrael is, um, Eretz Yisrael is nitznis b'yisurin. But, um, there there really are I have I have two of my daughters live in Eretz Yisrael, raised families in Eretz Yisrael. As soon as they got married, they moved to Eretz Yisrael, so, uh, their children were born in Eretz Yisrael. Um, at the same time, I have family that's here, and I'm here. Uh, to make a big push for everyone is not everyone can do it. Not everyone has the stamina. There are a lot of people who have tried and have had to come back. And Hashem many most of them go and they're able to stay. They're able to make make a go of it and make it work. Again, it a lot depends on how old your children are at the specific time. Um at certain periods of time in a person's life where uh your children are not of the right age to be able to go. Um but uh as far as those of us who stay here and haven't even made an effort to go uh not even thinking about it. Because there's a lot to be done here, too. It's not like uh it's there's a there is a an advantage living in Eretz Yisrael, no question about it. And the rabbi rabbi's correct. Living in Eretz Yisrael is a big klus. There's no question about that. It's uh the Kedushas Eretz, so it's something we strive for. It's something we daven for three times a day. I mean uh but uh there are issues that are here that need to be taken care of, also. If all of the rabbis, all of the rabbonim, all of the frum people would decide to move, what would happen to everybody else who's not? I We've done quite a pretty decent job here uh over the course of the years and there you can't just abandon can't abandon the world that the the the world of of of American Jewry and just all the rabbonim pick up and the rabbonim make up make I can't make a push for people to move to Eretz Yisrael. I'm living here and I'm not going anywhere. There there are those rabbonim who say that we are going and I'm going to take you with me and we're going to make a move. We're going to go together. And we'll make it work over there. But uh everybody has to feel the responsibility. Everybody has to feel where their achrayus is. And if you're a you have an achrayus, some of us have an achrayus here. We can't abandon that achrayus and leave and leave the people just abandon abandon the people that are here. I know Rabbi Feinstein zt'l was living in Luban, Russia, right? He stayed until he couldn't stay anymore because he had a responsibility to his children. He was He didn't leave as long as he had girls. His older older two children were girls. He stayed. Rebbetzin Shisgal uh zt'l went to school in the Russian school. She was the valedictorian. She was supposed to be a valedictorian. She was but she wasn't because she was Jewish. Her mother came to the mother came actually came to her graduation and they wouldn't allow her to be the valedictorian because she was Jewish. But um she They went to school there. But when Reb Dovid Reb Dovid was born here when Reb Dovid was getting old enough, the sheva realized that this is no no eitzah. He has to needs to leave. He needs to leave because of chinuch of his own children. Reb Dovid is the reason the sheva came to America. And I feel but he left He left his He left his flock because of his family. To save his family, he left his flock. But to abandon your flock, you just can't walk away from them just like that. Yes. There is a teshuvah from Rabbi Feinstein for a sheva in Igros Moshe that seems to imply that it is permissible for a woman who covers her hair to allow for a tefach in the front to be exposed. Is that the question you're asking me? Or That's what it's evolved into. It just isn't true. Okay? It isn't true. And um I've heard Reb Dovid Reb Dovid has spoken spoke about that many times. He wrote he There was a He was asked that question. He actually wrote a letter on the subject. And the sheva's teshuvah was referring to a question having to do with tefach has to do with saying Shema. So you're allowed to say Shema with a tefach of what we call ervah exposed. And so therefore really it's two etzba'os, two etzba'os in the front and it's it's another two etzba'os. Six etzba'os Five etzba'os is a is a tefach. And so therefore you know, so therefore it's the four or four or five depending on what type of tefach we're talking about. But um he would uh that that's He was talking about the permissibility of Again, I heard this from Reb Dovid more than once. And he wrote He wrote a letter about it. That it's only had only was only referring to the permissibility of davening saying Shema in the front of exposed hair. So just to clarify, it's not permissible at all. Excuse me? So just to clarify, it's not permissible at all for Not permissible for except for what Chazal say is that the hair that comes out on the sides of the head, you know, that uh that that that's something that does not uh you know, the hairline doesn't run around by automatically by itself. So when you cover your head, so there on the sides there's sometimes here that can stick out. That's not uh that's not a problem. Yes, sir. That is correct. Yes, sir. Are you allowed to go to Har Habayis? All the Gedolei Yisrael all the Gedolei Yisrael have paskened what is Okay, Har Habayis is where they say Har Habayis is now. Is the other side anywhere on the other side of the Kosel Maaravi? If you go there, you'll have pay the price one day. It's very simple. You come to Shamayim, they're going to ask you who paskened that halacha for you? Which Gadol told you it was muttar to come here? Right or wrong or indifferent. I don't care who you are. You know one's big enough to pasken a child for themselves. And to do and go and violate what Gedolei Yisrael, that's mamash dvar Hashem boso. Dvar Hashem boso. You're going against the what what the Gedolei Yisrael have for for for for if at least centuries have said where it's assur to for you to go. And why? Why? You even have a shailah, have a safek. Why? You're so frum. You're so frum. You want to bow down on Har Habayis. Come to shul three times a day. It's just have more kavana during davening. You have to go That's where you That's how you have to show your religiosity? That's what you have to show? It's not There's nothing to do with being frum. It's nationalistic. That's all it is. And that's not what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants from us. Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants us to listen to Gedolei Yisrael and follow what they say. And we daven on this side of the Kosel. And that's where we belong and that's where they come. And if we do that, we'll find we're going on the other side. Asidin le'eitanus adin. No question about it. All right. Well, this has been a lot of fun, everybody. A special thank you to our special guest, Rabbi Yitzchak Franko, the Rav of the Agudah of Five Towns. If you would like to uh get the Sefer Sha'ashu'ei Yad Dodi, how would they go about doing that? Well, it's hopefully they're it's in the sefarim stores. And if you're not near a sefarim store, it's judaicaapress.com. judaicaapress.com for those of you who have a goyisha neighbor with the internet. And uh Rabbi Franko's other uh sefarim Machshavah Shel Yad. I have Machshavah Shel Yad on Chumash. Chumash and Megillas Esther and on uh on the on Megillas Rus. I mean I'm sorry, you're right. It is Megillas Rus. Thank you. Rus and on the Haggadah Shel Pesach. The reason I brought it up is I was just giving shiur on Megillas Esther. So yeah, it's Megillas Rus and uh so there are five volumes on the Chamishah Chumshei talked once about your Machshavah in Megillas Rus and and the Yes. changing perspective which is very kedai. Yeah. And uh that's it for now. So if you want to find out more about the Rabbi Orlowek Show, you can go to my website, orlowek.com. If you have a non-Jewish neighbor, of course. Uh No, anyone who's going to go to my website is the non-Jewish neighbor. And And that's it. Until the next time. Uh hopefully this will go up on uh definitely on TorahAnytime, wherever else it goes. Uh that's it. Until next time. I am Rabbi Orlowek, and this has been the David Orlowek I'm Not Dead Show. It's the Rabbi Orlowek Show. Torah and Simcha, ready to go. It's the Rabbi Orlowek Show. Knowledge and wisdom will help you grow. Lots of fun in every episode. And we don't have to rhyme, though we will. It's the Rabbi Orlowek Show. orlowek.com Torah anytime, YouTube, and more. It's the Rabbi Orlowek Show. Torah and Simcha, ready to go. It's the Rabbi Orlowek Show. Till next time, till we meet again. It's the Rabbi Orlowek Show. It's the Rabbi Orlowek Show.