א אפענעם בריוו צו די איחוד הקהילות למען טוהר המחנה

Thank you to whomever spent the time translating my article to Yidish

א אפענעם בריוו צו די איחוד הקהילות למען טוהר המחנה, געשריבן דורך ר' דוד טייטעלבוים, מנהל פון קעמפ שדי חמד

Dear Matzav, Please Remove my Father's Divrei Torah from your Piece of Filth Website!

Update: Sorry that this letter is a little vague as to what exactly I'm referring to. It isn't one thing per say and it would be counter-productive to link to any of it.

To the Matzav.com Editor:

I tried to contact you via email but you seem not to care to even respond, so instead I post this publicly hoping it might help with my cause.

I don't know who the administrators of your site are or who is responsible for what gets posted, but I do have a major issue with your behavior and I request you hear me out.

I recently came across some of the most disgusting literature I've yet to read. I clinked on a link to your site, thinking it kept some form of halachik guideline,  as you call yourself  "A site for Torah Jewry", but it quickly became clear to me that I found myself in a cesspool of defamation and in the midst of another online hangout for letzonas. I'm not a reader of your blog, or any of the so-called “Yeshiva” news sites, for that matter, so I am indifferent as to what does or does not constitute news, but since you have posted articles from my father, Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum Z"L, I feel I need to do my part here and speak out. (I should add; material that was taken from my father’s camp website without prior permission, but it being Divrei Torah and all I saw no reason to make an issue of it)

VCF Filter Scam: Please share to alert the public!

Moved to here: http://frumscams.blogspot.com/2013/05/vcf-filter-scam.html

How a Young Chasidish Boy Taught me a Lesson in Ahavas Yisroel

“If they don't have a problem with me, I don't have a problem with them.”

As the days of sferia come to an end I look back and notice so many discussions and articles covering the nitty gritty details of shaving, not shaving, laundry, music, concerts, etc. What strikes me as peculiar, and, quite sad, is the equal number of topics spewing animosity at others who don't necessarily behave or see things the same way as we do. Now, from what I remember of my yeshiva days, Yimei Sefira was about Ahavas Yisroel, and the tragedy that befell the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva for not respecting one another. It's not uncommon today to practice all the halochos, but forget the purpose behind it. Here is a short story that taught me a great lesson, I'd like to share it with my readers.

My Reflections on Yom Hazikaron, Yom Haatzmot and Reinventing our Past

I wonder how many people reading this know who Mickey Marcus or Moshe Segal are, or have even ever heard their names mentioned. If you went to Sdei Chemed or had my father, Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum A"H, as a Rebbi, you probably do. That is because my father told over many stories of great men who fought for Eretz Yisrael. I can't say for sure, but I assume he chose these two individuals, because they were Americans who traveled to Israel just to fight for other Jews and Eretz Yisrael. Maybe he picked the stories of Moshe Segal because he risked his life just to sound the shofar every Yom Kippur at the Western Wall, while the British had made it a criminal act. I hope one day I'll upload my father’s stories so people can enjoy them, but for now, I wish to just write about the wonderful, positive impact these stories had on my upbringing, and how unfortunately things have now changed.

Autism Awareness, Camp S'dei Chemed Style!

The Autism Society has labeled April as National Autism Awareness Month. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community. They say there is no cure for autism but I'm not convinced that's true. In might not be found in the sciences or medical field but it exist in how we treat one another. Before even the diagnoses of autism, 2000 years ago Chazal chose this same time of the year, the days of Sefira, as "treating your fellow man awareness time". But awareness for us religious Jews goes beyond wearing a ribbon or a bumper sticker. For us it means something completely different its about changing ourselves not the child with Autism.

Parshas Tazria – The Power to Ignite and the Message of Bris Milah by Mordechai Plotsker

Tazria – The Power to Ignite and the Message of Bris Milah

by Mordechai Plotsker

עָרְלָתוֹ בְּשַׂר יִמּוֹל הַשְּׁמִינִי וּבַיּוֹם ... זָכָר וְיָלְדָה תַזְרִיעַ כִּי אִשָּׁה

If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male,… And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (Leviticus 12:2-3). [Conversely, if the male emits seed first, she (the woman) gives birth to a female (Niddah 31a & Berishis 46:15, Rashi)].

The Kedushas Levi questions the correlation between the birth and circumcision. Answers the Kedushas Levi, there are two energy sources that sustain the world.

1.      One form of Divine stimulation is known as the Ohr Hayashar - Hisohrirus M’limahla (stirring from above) - HSHM. The Ohr Hayashar is an independent source of energy that formed our universe and through which HSHM continues to sustain the world. This attribute is defined by rachum v’chanun - compassion and grace.

"The Greatest Challenge We Face Today is Making Yiddishkeit and Torah Geshmak for Us and Our Youth"

"The Greatest Challenge We Face Today is Making Yiddishkeit and Torah Geshmak for Us and Our Youth" - Those are not my words but words from an interview with Rabbi Lieff, Rav of Agudas Yisroel of Flatbush, in the Pesach Edition of the Yated Neeman. I read that quote over many times because I was so excited to see an issue dear to my heart finally being brought out into the open. But all that excitement dissipated when I read the interview. Mainly, because the topic wasn't raised at all. For a caption that is labeled as the greatest challenge of our time I would expect a little more in depth examination.