Don't Let Your Past Determine Your Future

 A family member of a well known Rav [so well known that everybody knows of him] related [לשבח] that he paid no attention to his children. All he did was learn. When he was unable to learn because it was too dark, he would go on a walk with a child but the rule was that the child was not allowed to speak b/c that would distract him from his thoughts in learning. When a child was hospitalized his wife didn't tell him as to not distract him from his learning. 

Many would harshly criticize such seemingly neglectful behavior. It is certainly not the way of even the biggest Masmidim. But I am not going there. It is not my place to criticize this person, although I wouldn't recommend it for others. I will let Hashem judge and try my best not to complain about the "snow on my neighbor's roof when my own doorstep is dirty" [as the old saying goes]. Baruch Hashem, I have plenty of things to fix and I hope Hashem gives me the time to fix them before expiring my visa here on the planet. 

My point is that his children did not go off the derech. They actually became themselves huge Talmidei Chachomim. While it is true that some of his children can't read a Gemara - their husband's are great Talmidei Chachomim...  He produced hundreds of grandchildren and great grandchildren יראים ושלמים. 

It is great to get love from one's parents. It is amazing to have had an idyllic childhood. But who we ultimately become is up to us. 

I am reminded of Clarence Thomas who went from being a poor black child in the segregated south, abandoned by his father and raised by his poor uneducated grandparents, who worked hard, went to Yale Law school [which he greatly regretted, by the way.....] and has been a Supreme Court Justice for the last 35 or so years. Before he received the job there were people who worked very very hard to bring him down [including Joe Biden who lied to him in order to obstruct his promotion but that is another story]. But he overcame. 

History is not destiny.  

 

Einstein The Telzer

 

Reb Yaakov's Siyata Di-shmaya

While he was in Slobodka in the 1920s, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky raised a penetrating question regarding a passage in Tractate Gittin. The matter became the talk of the entire Yeshiva, yet no one could find an answer to his difficulty.

While he was in Europe, every time he reached this Gemara in the study cycle, he would tell his students that he did not know the plain meaning of the text. They understood that this was a testament to the difficulty of the topic, and not because the Rabbi was unprepared for his lesson. However, when he arrived in the United States to teach at [Yeshiva] "Torah Vodaath," he feared what would happen when they reached this tractate. Would he come to teach in the Yeshiva, raise the question, and not be able to answer it? When he tells American students that he doesn't know the plain meaning—how will they react to that?

And indeed, the day arrived; at "Torah Vodaath," they reached Tractate Gittin. On the night before the lesson in which the question would arise, Rabbi Kamenetsky reviewed and studied the topic several times but found no answer for it. He was restless, and in the morning, he did not know what to do. Having no choice, he decided he would teach the Gemara, raise the difficulty, and tell his students he did not know its solution. And behold, during the study of the topic in the lesson, the answer suddenly occurred to him, and he was not forced to admit a deficiency. When he shared his new interpretation with other scholars, they agreed it was brilliant and valid.

Rabbi Kamenetsky told his friend, Rabbi Teitz, that he found a source in the Gemara in Tractate Megilla (page 6b) explaining what had happened to him. The Gemara says: "Rabbi Isaac said: If a person says to you, 'I labored but did not find'—do not believe him; 'I did not labor but I found'—do not believe him; 'I labored and I found'—believe him. This applies to words of Torah, but in business (dealings)—it is assistance from Heaven."

Torah is acquired through great effort; if a person exerts all his ability and skills, he will find an answer, and if he did not find it, he did not labor enough. In contrast, in business, it is possible for a person to succeed without exhausting himself, through assistance from Heaven (Siyata Di'Shmaya).

And behold, before Rabbi Kamenetsky became a Rosh Yeshiva (Head of the Yeshiva) and all his time was dedicated to Torah alone, his labor [on this specific point] had not been enough to find the answer. However, once he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva, his lack of knowledge might have cast doubt on his suitability for the position, and the matter then became for him a "business/livelihood" matter. Therefore, he merited assistance from Heaven, and the answer was found for him.

Crazy Old Guy At Nursing Home Keeps Telling People He Was Once The President

WILMINGTON, DE — Residents and staff at a local elder care facility were forced to stifle their laughter again this week, as a crazy old man who moved into the nursing home over a year ago kept telling people he was once the President of the United States.

Though he's known mostly as "Joe" around the facility, the man displayed no discernible characteristics that would lead anyone around him to believe his claims that he was once the leader of the free world.

"Sure, Joe. Sure you were, buddy," said an orderly at the nursing home. "I'm sure you were definitely the most powerful man in the world, sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office and steering geopolitical affairs. I absolutely believe you. Now finish up your juice box so you can get to the rec room in time to watch Wheel of Fortune. You know you hate it when you miss it."

Despite the skepticism of everyone around him, the man was adamant that he was once the nation's chief executive. "It's true… all of it," he mumbled again. "I used… I was… I was once the guy who… that time in the… the place. They were all there. They told me… they said I… we finally beat Medicare. Can you believe it? There was a colored fella… or… no, that was the other time. A colored broad. She laughed a lot. She was… anyway."

At publishing time, the staff at the elder care facility had ushered the old man off to his room for his seventh nap of the day.

Nation Really Wishing Someone Out There Would Start A New Podcast

U.S. — A recent survey showed that an overwhelming number of Americans spend their days desperately wishing someone out there would start a new podcast.

The survey questioned over a million Americans and showed that the vast majority of them are yearning for some new sort of podcast to listen to, such as a political one that lasts over an hour and has three or four talking heads all simultaneously working to get their views across.

"There's just not enough to choose from. It's all so stale," said local man Todd Wilson. "What this national really needs is for someone new to record and share their opinions with the world. I just hope it happens."

The overwhelming majority of survey respondents reported that what was missing in their lives was another podcast to listen to. "I wake up every day hoping today is the day that someone starts a new podcast," said Julie Miller. "It's what America really needs. I want to mash that like and subscribe button so badly. Maybe today someone will finally step up."

At publishing time, another survey was released that shows the vast majority of Americans would like a new streaming service to subscribe to, as there just aren't enough out there to choose from right now.

Liberals Applaud Improving Diversity Of Would-Be Trump Assassins

U.S. — Following the harrowing incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend, progressives across the United States applauded the steadily improving diversity of would-be Trump assassins.

With many liberals concerned over the lack of minority representation among people trying to assassinate Trump, Democrats breathed a sigh of relief after learning that the latest failed assassin was black.

"For too long, the would-be Trump killer space has been dominated by white men," said local liberal Jamie Gallagher. "Today was a long-overdue step forward in assassin representation. It's really encouraging to see people from different ethnic backgrounds engage in political violence. I just hope it helps little kids know that their skin color and sexual orientation do not have to hold them back from trying to kill Donald Trump."

While stating there was still more work to be done, DEI advocacy groups hailed the news of a minority assassin as a landmark victory. "When you see people of all different skin tones and socioeconomic classes trying to murder political figures, you know you've done your job," said DEI consultant Mary Harding. "To be clear, we are not there yet. There are still so many underrepresented groups who face significant barriers in trying to assassinate world leaders. We will continue the hard work of ensuring real equity among people shooting guns at President Trump. We really hope the next one is a female. That would really advance a woman's place in society and people would have more respect."