Yiddish From German

Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem

ה"תקע״ז- ה"תרנ״ח

In Yerusholoyim, there lived a tzaddik who sat all day wearing tallis and tefillin and learning Torah, and he adopted the practice of speaking only in the Holy Tongue. Once he came to Reb Yehoshua Leib to ask a question. He began to say his question in the Holy Tongue, when Reb Yehoshua Leib interrupted him with a rebuke: "Get out of my house! For all the days of our exile, Yiddish will be spoken!" Then he added, "The Jews in Germany, fearing that if they spoke the gentile language they would assimilate, chose a dialect of German spoken by peasants and made it their national language, to serve as a barrier between them and the gentiles. This is how our Yiddish was born. If this language was the barrier to assimilation, it is itself the Holy Tongue!" (Mara D'ara Yisroel, v. 2 p. 95).

(Source: Natruna)

We Are Human

"I had a restless night, my misgivings and anxiety about the future did not allow me to sleep, and I woke up quite upset." Pressburg Under Siege, p. 45.

Who wrote these words? The Holy Chasam Sofer of Frankfurt wrote them. So just when you might have been hard on yourself for experiencing anxiety or a sleepless night, questioning your faith, know that even a holy tzadick like the Chasam Sofer could have such feelings too. Of course, he was worrying about the invading army of Napoleon. Maybe some of our worries are over more trivial matters. But we see that even the greats could have anxiety.

Kehillas Ashkenaz of Modi'in Elit

I had the pleasure to spend a Shabbos at Kehillas Ashkenaz in Modi'in Elit. They have a thriving Kehilla there with a solid minyan, a roomy beis kenneses, a beis midrash stocked full of sepharim, and some terrific people. Many were English speaking. I met one fellow from Holland, one from Switzerland, and several from England. The German Jewish community spirit, friendliness, and politeness was most present. It was wonderful to partake in a Minhag Ashkenaz minyan again.

They are growing and working on their centrally located facility. I recommend a visit for any German Orthodox or TIDE person who comes to EY. Here are a few photos:

Beautiful edifice:

Nice organized sefarim.

Kehillas Ashkenaz

Disclaimer: For those who argue quite reasonably that it is improper to build settlements beyond the Green Line, I'll just note that Modin Illit is just barely over the line and is generally conceded during two state solution negotiations to be land that will go to Israel - I think.

Yahrzeit of Rav Schwab‏

Rabbi Meyer Schwab of Denver will be giving an address on the Yahrzeit of his father at the Achva Shul in Geula, Yerushalayim, at 12 noon today, Purim Kattan.

Donate to KAJ by clicking here.

God's love appointed Israel

"As His creating word calls forth the sun, and summons the light of the world, so has God's love appointed Israel as the bearer of the light of spirit and life, and as the bearer of Torah. O that you would mindful of such a high task! O that you would allow heart and spirit to be infused by the spirit of the Torah and allow your life, in word and deed, to be but a copy of the contents of this Torah! You would thus surrender yourself to God in love just as He summons you in love."

R' Hirsch, Horeb 628