Good Erev Shabbat to all!
We are very excited and happy to announce that this year's Annual Five-Town Reception for HAWQ will, B'Ezrat Hashem, take place on Wednesday evening, May 14th and will be once again graciously hosted in the home of Mark and Flora Bienstock. Our special guesrt speaker will the world renowned Torah personality HaRav Dovid Goldwasser. More details to come!
We are looking forward to our Boys visiting Coler Hospital on Monday and the Girls visiting Goldwater Hospital on Tuesday to help Rabbi Haim Alcabes conduct the model Sederim for the patients. This is a special program of the Bikur Cholim Youth Corps.
Mazel Tov to Yaakov wallach upon his acceptance to the Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva High school in Queens and Nataniel Nisonov upon his acceptance to Yeshivas Ateres Yaakov (South Shore). Both boys are students in the High School Preparatory Program in Talmudic Studies.
As we continue to read about the laws of Tzaraat in this week’s Parsha, Rabbi Frand in his sefer has a powerful insight. He quotes the famous Midrash about Rabbi Yannai. One day, while learning with his Talmidim, Rabbi Yannai heard a peddler shouting, “who wants a potion for life?” Upon investigating , Rabbi Yannai saw the “secret potion” was really the Pasuk from Tehillim, “Who is the man who desires life?….. Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking evil.” Rabbi Yannai was so thrilled with this information he paid the peddler! Why all the excitement? Is it possible that Rabbi Yannai did not know these well-known Pasukim!
Rabbi Frand answers that many people have the mistaken notion that being careful with Lashon Hara means being quiet. However, this is not the case. It is well known by those who observed the great Chofetz Chaim, Ztzal, in his daily activities that he very talkative, while, of course, never uttering a word of Lashon Hara. That was the lesson of the peddler. A peddler is a symbol of one who goes from place to place spreading gossip. Yet, this peddler, even though inherently a “talker” was able to be careful of Lashon Hara. The secret of the peddler was that “guarding one’s tongue” does not mean silence. On the contrary, Hashem wants us to use his wonderful gift of speech in positive way. To comfort, encourage, and cheer-up our fellow man.
Rabbi Frand amplifies his point by bringing a Zohar that comments that the two birds the Metzora brings as part of his purification were to atone one for bad speech and one for good speech. That an atonement was necessary for bad speech is understandable. But why is an atonement needed for good speech? Rabbi Frand explains that sometimes not saying the right thing, can be as painful and hurtful as saying the wrong thing. Not showing empathy or offering Chizuk to someone when the situation requires it, can be as detrimental and destructive as Lashon Hara itself. As we strive towards perfecting our Shemiras HaLashon and refraining from Lashon Hara, let us at the same time renew our efforts in also improving our Lashon Tov.
Shabbat Shalom!
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