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Welcome once again to Shabbos in Camp Kol Torah, and this edition of Tosfos Shabbos. We welcome the Shabbos at our first seudah by saying Sholom Aleichem Malachey Hashores yet right afterwards we say Tzeischem L’sholom. What is the meaning of this?

The Sfas Emes explains: Sholom Aleichem is meant for the Malochim of Shabbos… Tzeischem L’sholom is meant for the Malachei Chol. For on Shabbos we disassociate ourselves from anything of Chol… even Malochim.

Boruch Hashem we in Camp Kol Torah have enough things to deep us busy with matters of kedusha… the beautiful davening, zemeros, and a full Beis Medrash of boys of all ages learning Torah with hasmodoh. Let us grab the brochos that Shabbos has to offer us with both hands, and our whole week will be a much better one.

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R’ Yehoshua Leib Diskin ZTVK"L recounted the following tale. When his father R’ Binyomin Diskin ZTVK"L was the Rav of Lomza, a great Talmid Chochom there made a "neder" to remain in the Bais Medrash for a long time and not to leave its doors for any reason. The people of the city, feeling a responsibility for this person brought him food every day. This was a great inconvenience for everybody. On Shabbos it was especially difficult because the city had no eruv and arrangements had to be made before Shabbos.

One day the godol hador R’ Akiva Eiger ZTVK"L came to the city for a simcha. He visited the Lomza Rav’s home, as was the custom. During their conversation R’ Diskin mentioned the situation of the Talmid Chochom, and what a burden it was for the community.

R’ Akiva Eiger said, "If he is such a great Talmid Chochom it would be appropriate for me to come visit him." R’ Akiva Eiger went together with R’ Binyomin.

When the people in the street saw them going to the Bais Medrash many followed them. A large crowd was now visiting the Talmid Chochom. Seeing that R’ Akiva came here to see him gave him great anguish because he caused the gadol hador to waste his time.

R’ Akiva Eiger asked, "Had you known that you would cause me an inconvenience through your neder would you have made it?"

"Most definitely not." He answered."

"If so, Mutar loch, Mutar loch, Mutar loch, the neder is void."

Everyone answered "Mutar loch" in unison, and the problem was solved.

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Hashem called this vengeance the "nekoma" of Yisroel whereas Moshe Rabbeinu called the "nekoma" of Hashem. The Midrash explains, Moshe told Hakodosh Baruch Hu, "Had we been gentiles or idol worshippers or deniers of the Torah, they would not have hated us or attacked us. It is only because of the Torah and Mitzvos that you gave us. Therefore it is your vengeance Hashem.

The Rambam in Iggeres Teimon echoes the words of the Midrash. The hatred of the nations to Yisroel comes because of jealousy. From the day the Torah was given at Sinai until today it is only because of their jealousy of our religion, the fiery religion.

Perhaps with this we can better understand the hatred of the non-religious Jews towards Talmedei Chachomim, sometimes an even more intense hatred than a gentile to a "Yid." If a gentile’s soul which is a mere Tzelem Elokim feels something to be jealous about, surely a Jew whose soul is elevated subconsciencely feels the richness of Torah. He is therefore burning with jealousy at the fact that committed Jews have a treasure that they don’t possess.

(R’ Chatzkel Levenstein)

During World War II when the Nazis herded away the Jews to the slave labor comps the following incident occurred. When the Nazis read off the names of Jews to march into a line a woman convert yelled out "You forgot my name." The Nazis said she wasn’t Jewish and was not required to march. She insisted, " I am a Jewess and I will march with my people!" Off she went where she eventually died Al Kiddush Hashem.

When asked what motivated her to convert to Yiddishkeit with such a strong conviction, she answered, "I used to watch the Jews as they came home from Shul on Shabbos. They were beaming with an inner light and happiness that was not from this world. I envied this inner contentment, and found it once I became a Jewess."

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R’ Moshe Sternbuch Shlita explains that Shevet Levi is not required to fight wars because they fought to settle worldly matters. Shevet Levi has removed itself from worldly matters by dedicating their lives to serving Hashem in the Beis Hamikdosh, and teaching Torah to Klal Yisroel. The war of Midyon, however, was a war of Hashem to avenge the fact that they caused Klal Yisroel to sin and rebel against the word of Hashem. It is very appropriate then that Shevet Levi take part in such a war.

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In yeshivos today the name Rav Boruch Ber is synonymous with ameilus in Torah involving deep concentration, and understanding. Many Roshei Yeshiva base their shiurim on his wealth of Torah. The Brisker Rov ZTVK"L said of him: "In today’s generation with limited understanding we speak of Rav Boruch Ber as the greatest ‘lamdon’ or the greatest ‘tzaddik’. One who understands him as such totally misses the mark. For R' Boruch Ber could not be measured in comparison to other gedolim. He was in a world unto himself."

R' Boruch Ber was born in Slutzk in 1863. Already at a young age he excelled in Torah. As a young boy he would cry in Shmone Esrei. When his mother wondered why the boy was crying his father answered, "because he wants to understand the Torah better." How right he was.

It is well known that R' Boruch Ber had many notebooks of Torah before he came to Volozhin to learn by R’ Chaim Brisker. Yet once he became a talmid of R’ Chaim he hid the notebooks. For the Torah he wrote there was different than the "derech" he learned from R’ Chaim. Even years later as an accomplished Rosh Yeshiva he would not repeat the Torah from those notebooks because it was not to the liking of his rebbe.

A talmid in Kaminetz once approached R' Boruch Ber after a shiur with a question. R' Boruch Ber thought a few moments and quickly answered to the satisfaction of the talmid. About one half-hour later as the talmid was learning he felt a tap on his shoulder. He was surprised to see it was R' Boruch Ber who told him that the answer he gave him was not good. The talmid wondered why. For hours he reviewed the answer… seeing that it fit in beautifully with the gemorrah. He was perplexed as to why it wasn’t a good answer. The next day R' Boruch Ber approached the talmid with an illuminated face telling him the correct answer to the question. Now the talmid was really puzzled. This was a repeat of the answer he gave yesterday. Why then did R' Boruch Ber not like the answer yesterday, yet today he was happy with it. When the talmid questioned him on this he answered, "Yesterday I answered you on the spot. The answer came to my mind without the proper ‘ameilus’. Such an answer was not acceptable. Last night I stayed up late developing the ‘svorah’ through ameilus. Now I can say it is a good answer."

Indeed, R’ Isser Zalman Meltzer ZTVK"L said: "From R' Boruch Ber we learned how hard one must work in order to say a ‘svorah’."

One day R' Boruch Ber changed his customary route to the yeshiva for a longer route. The reason being… a Catholic priest moved into the neighborhood. Their custom was to hang crosses all over their house. R' Boruch Ber in his kedusha could not tolerate looking at a cross. He exclaimed, Rebono Shel Olam. How could I answer a "Shvere Rambam" if I see these things." Shortly thereafter the priest removed all of the crosses from his house. When questioned about this he said, "Last night I had a dream that if I don’t remove the crosses my house will burn down." R' Boruch Ber was able to take the regular shorter route to the yeshiva through divine intervention.

R' Boruch Ber had a daughter of marriageable age, and eyed one of his best talmidim to be his son in law. The "shidduch" was made, and R' Boruch Ber was ecstatic. He bought the chosson a gold watch, a "kapoteh," and a Homburg. He convinced the chosson that until the wedding he should go learn in the Volozhiner Yeshiva.

Volozhiner Yeshiva was a place where many matchmakers made a living. The best bochurim learned in Volozhin, and they were offered wealthy shidduchim. The chosson sat and learned with "hasmodoh", and was approached by one such "shadchen" with an enticing offer. The chosson realizing that R' Boruch Ber could not offer him such a wealthy lifestyle was now interested in this new offer. He sent R' Boruch Ber back the presents he received with a letter expressing his regrets that he had to break the shidduch.

One could imagine the pain and disappointment R' Boruch Ber felt. A few days later R' Boruch Ber received another letter from the former "chosson." The family of the girl he was pursuing was interested in finding out information about him. Would R' Boruch Ber write him a letter of recommendation so that he could show it to the family. The "chutzpa" of such a request was mind-boggling. What was R' Boruch Ber’s reaction?

He called R’ Koppel to get him the two most chosheve bochurim in the beis medrash. When they arrived he told them: "No doubt you’ve heard about my misfortune. The bochur now wants me to write him a letter of recommendation for a shidduch. I am afraid that because of my hurt feelings I will not be able to write a letter with the proper praises for this bochur. I therefore call you here to supervise me while I write it so that I don’t leave out anything.

R' Boruch Ber’s love of his talmidim was legendary. Once R’ Koppel was waiting for a train to take him home for bein hazmanim. All of a sudden he hears a familiar voice "Koppel! Koppel!" It was R' Boruch Ber running after him. "First of all," he said, "I forgot to kiss you good bye before you left. Secondly, one of the bochurim is seriously ill, and I came to ask you to recite tehillim on you trip home."

R’ Moshe Bernstien ZTZ"L a son in law of R' Boruch Ber and a godol in his own right told the following story:

During World War I R' Boruch Ber lived in the city of Krementchuk, and then he moved to Vilna. One day R’ Moshe saw that his father in law was trembling with fear. What happened? R' Boruch Ber found amongst his seforim a sefer from the beis hamidrosh of Krementchuk, surely taken by mistake. "I am a thief," he cried in anguish. "Not only that but I caused a ‘get’ to be posul. For while I was in Minsk I signed on a ‘get’, and being that I am a thief I am "posul" to be a witness on a "get". If so this woman now got married against the halacha. How much sin I have caused!"

R’ Moshe tried assuaging his fears. "Surely you are not a ‘gazlan’. You did not take the ‘sefer’ intentionally." But R’ Moshe’s attempts to calm R' Boruch Ber were to no avail. R' Boruch Ber paced the floor nervously. Suddenly he stopped and his face lit up. "I think I didn’t cause harm by signing on the "get". For before I arrived in Minsk we were attacked by a band of murderous robbers. We were a hairsbreadth away from death. I said "viduy" and did "teshuvah" on all of my aveiros. If so this was included. Even though I didn’t actually return the sefer I am still not a rosho because the situation of a war did not allow me to do so."

R' Boruch Ber once saw a man working in his house, and greeted him in Polish. The man laughed at him. R' Boruch Ber asked his rebbitzen to find out why the man was laughing at him. The workman answered, "The rov thought I was a ‘goy’, and he greeted me in Polish. I am a ‘yid’, and he could talk to me in yiddish." When R' Boruch Ber heard this he turned pale. Oy! I must ask the man for mechila. He approached the man and begged his forgiveness. The man laughed it off, but R' Boruch Ber persisted. You didn’t do anything wrong to me… why do you need forgiveness? R' Boruch Ber explained in detail the "kedusha" that a yid has, and the failings of a goy. Then again he asked for "mechila". Later R' Boruch Ber explained, "Had I not explained the difference between a ‘yid’ and a ‘goy’ he would not know what to be mochel me for.

In the Song of Shabbos "Mizmor Shir Leyom HaShabbos" we say, "How great are your works Hashem." Why is this associated with Shabbos? Can’t we say this every day of the week? The answer is: Because during the week we are busy with our daily work. This distracts us from appreciating the wondrous world that Hashem has created. We are in such a constant rush everyday that we fail to hear the works of Hashem calling out to us: "See Hashem’s greatness!" But come Shabbos we rest. We have time to think, and to appreciate. Now is the time to admire the world, and through this, sing the praises of Hashem.

Inside our body there are two chemical plants. These are the kidneys. They are the size of a fist with a weight of just six ounces yet without them we could not live. Our blood has in it many poisons that could harm us. The kidneys act as a filter to cleanse our blood. No wonder they are so well protected alongside the lower spine by a bed of fat inside the lower ribs. Let us see some interesting facts about the kidneys.

1. The kidneys remove waste products, and control the salt, and liquid content of the body.
2. Each kidney has over one million tiny filters called Nephrons. If you would take out these tubes and connect them they would stretch for 70 miles!
3. Every minute 2 pints of blood are pumped to the kidneys. It takes 50 minutes to purify the whole bloodstream.
4. Kidneys also control the amount of fluid in the body.
5. If you don’t drink enough water, and lose fluid through sweating the blood contains less fluid than usual.
6. When this blood passes through the brain area a special sensor detects the low water level.
7. The Pituitary Gland in the brain sends a messenger (hormone) to the kidney telling it to retain more water than usual.
8. It also produces a message to the person that he is thirsty, and must drink more water.
9. The greatest wonder is how anyone can fail to see this brilliant structure as another piece of Hashem’s master plan.

Just as this past year there was much ado over the end of the millennium, so too with the approach of the year 1000 CE there was much excitement. The Christians believed it was a time for their messiah to come, and so there was an awakening of religious fervor. This lasted for close to 100 years. At that time 1096 CE the Moslem Turks captured Palestine. This was a special blow to Christians who held that the land was theirs. Furthermore news reached Europe that the Moslems in Palestine were committing atrocities against Christians. The news prompted Pope Urban II to declare at a meeting in Clarmont, France, a holy war against the Moslems to free Palestine from foreign hands. This war would be called a Crusade. "Crus" refers to the cross. The people sewed crosses of cloth into their garments to show their loyalty to the church.

Many people of different backgrounds, and life styles gathered to march to the Holy Land…. each with different goals in mind. The pope promised that anyone who participates in the mission will be forgiven for all of his sins. Of course for those who felt they committed sins this was a motivation to go. Merchants saw this as an opportunity to open new business avenues. Knights and noblemen saw in it the ability to conquer new lands. Criminals and murderers saw it as an exciting adventure with possibilities to plunder, rob and kill. Yet others saw it as a way of escaping the disease, and hunger of backwards Europe for the more advanced Moslem countries. The Christians also believed that this mission could help to unite the church, which was divided.

Peter the Hermit was a priest who delivered fiery speeches to arouse the people. He led a small group of men, women, and children towards Palestine. These people possessed minimal intelligence. For they marched forward without any food of other provisions, having no inkling of how they would survive. Another question that never entered their mind was how would they conquer Palestine without any sort of ammunition or battle tactics. They listened to the maniacal ranting and raving of Peter… and followed blindly. As they marched from town to town, more and more people joined them. Women marched with their young children by their side often with baby in hand. They believed their savior would help them. Soon there were tens of thousands slowly marching together.

The tefilla continues:

"Avenge the holy blood of your servant that was spilled"… Along the way someone suggested: How can we march to Jerusalem to destroy Moslem infidels (unfaithful to our religion) while there are Jewish infidels all over Europe. A cry went out, "We must stand up for the honor of the Nazarene! (Yoshke)." "Kill the Jews!" was the cry that quickly spread amongst the rabble.

On May 3, 1096 an army commanded by Count Emrich of Leisinger made their way to the city of Speyer. This was a city full of "chachomim", "tzadikim," shuls, and a great yeshiva. The rabble of simple people trampled over everything in their way. Jews were chopped to pieces… babies pierced with spears in their mothers arms. Two Jews named Isaac and Uriah in order to save themselves agreed to be baptized together with Isaac’s daughter. Later, depressed over becoming a Christian, Isaac murdered all of his children. Together with Uriah he set the main shul aflame. The shul, with them in it, and most of the city was burnt to ashes.

Archbishop Ruther for a nominal fee welcomed the Jews into his castle. He told them to bring their valuables to hide there. When the soldiers arrived he did not do anything to prevent them from entering and committed a great massacre. About two weeks later they entered Worms where hundreds were killed. A week later they reached Mainz the largest German- Jewish community. They spent four days there including Shavuos. The carnage was indescribable. Thousands dead with unspeakable atrocities… all in the name of their savior. In a two-month period the crusaders passed through the Rhine valley, and killed over 12,000 Jews in a most hideous way.

From Germany the mobs continued on to Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) where they overran Prague, and Wesseli. It was quite apparent that the simple mobs were interested in converting their victims to Christianity. Yet the bishops and leaders of the crusaders were more interested in the loot taken during the attacks.

TO BE CONTINUED

Think of an answer… Tell Rabbi Schwarz… win a prize!

Night had descended upon the town. Slowly but surely people were leaving the marketplace for their houses. They deserved a good rest after a hard day of work. In due time the lights of the houses were extinguished, and the town was enveloped in total darkness, and stillness. Only the stars twinkled their light and the sounds of crickets and frogs could be heard.

The mansion of the "poretz," the master of the town, was also wrapped in silence and darkness. Behind the outer wall of the estate sat Ivan one of the townsmen carrying a heavy club. He stood next to a hole in the ground, a pit containing prisoners he was hired to guard. Occasionally one would hear a weak sigh coming from the pit.

Ivan, who was naturally goodhearted, could not find peace within himself. "I can’t bear this cruelty" he whispered to the darkness. "For months now these pour souls have been trapped in this prison. And for what! Because he didn’t have enough money to pay his rent. For this they throw him and his wife and children into this awful pit to die a slow death. It wasn’t his fault. What was he to do if times were bad… business sagging… and he made no profits? How beastly is this baron who could commit such cruelty. How much longer con they survive… especially the baby. Why he’s not even one year old. No! I cannot leave them here to die. I must save them no matter what it takes. But how? I just lower a rope into the pit and pull them up one by one. Then I drive them away in my wagon. But in the process I will seal my doom. My wife and I will take their place in this miserable pit.

" I have an idea! Lucas the guard that replaces me at midnight is a drunkard. It would be easy to pull one over on him. I must hurry."

Ivan hurried home, and returned on a horse drawn wagon. He brought with him a large jug of wine.

"Yisroel," he called into the pit, "are you asleep?"

"No, Ivan. I am not asleep, in my anguish I cannot sleep. Our strength is leaving us. The baby is dying in front of our very eyes. Our daughter is also getting sick."

"Listen Yisroel." Said Ivan, "I’ve decided to help your family escape. Strengthen yourself, and follow my instructions. I will lower a flask of wine. When Lucas comes let him have his fill of wine… He will fall asleep like a dead man. Then I will come, and free you all. Lucas will get the blame. He deserves it… drunkard that he is."

A short while later a gruff loud voice was heard. Hey Ivan here I am. Cursed Jews! I wish they would all rot. I have to sit here a whole night, and guard them. What a nightmare!

Ivan left… pretending he was walking on the path home. Instead he hid amongst the trees, watching the goings on. Lucas lay down at the edge of the pit. "Jews, are you still alive?" he called. All of a sudden the sweet smell of wine entered his nostrils. "What is that… wine? A prisoner may not indulge in wine. Let me have that."

Lucas knew that he was not allowed to drink on the job. But his mouth thirsted for it. "Just one gulp," he muttered. It was a very fine wine. One gulp led to another, and before long Lucas was fast asleep. The still night was disturbed only by his violent snores.

Ivan appeared from amongst the trees. He pulled Yisroel and his family out of the pit. It was a very emotional moment but there was no time to reflect on it. They had to leave quickly or risk being caught by the patrolman who rode by from time to time.

Suddenly they heard the sound of hoof beats. Ivan put them in his horse drawn wagon and saw them off. It all happened so quickly that there was no time to say goodbye. He heard a cry from the wagon, Oh, no! We forgot the baby! But it was too late. There was no turning back for them now.

TO BE CONTINUED