August 8 – 12, 2018
29 Elul 5778 – Yahrzeit of my Father-in Law
Reb Itamar Yaakov Janowski: 1922 – August 16, 2004
Parshas Re’eh
Wednesday- August 8, 2018:
We left for our family trip to Toronto for our dear father’s and grandfather’s 13th Yahrzeit. We left at 7:00 PM with myself, my wife Serka, and Sholom in the car. We picked up Eli at his apartment and then Tzvi at the corner of Michigan and Roosevelt. We drove for over 4 hours and reached the Comfort Suites Inn in Birch Run, MI about halfway to Toronto. We always stay at a Comfort Suites Inn for the free breakfast.
Thursday August 9, 2018:
Woke up at 8:00 AM. Went to the parking lot to daven. I love the quietness of the outdoors when I am on the road. Used the Siddur I got for the Jonah Parker Bar Mitzvah. Had a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit. At 9:00 AM drove to visit a nursing home in Saginaw, MI. Impressed. Back on the road to Toronto at 11:00 AM. Arrived in Toronto at 5:00 PM. Davened Mincha and Maariv at Lubavitch. My brother-in-law, Yisroel, davened maariv before the amud for the yahrtzeit.
Friday August 9, 2018 – 29 Av 5778:
Davened at the BAYT. Went to the “Feld” (Cemetery). Gave Victor his scooter.We said Tehillim. Said a El Maaloh and Kaddish. I read the headstone’s words in Hebrew and translated. Yisroel, my brother-in-law, spoke very nicely about Elul. Said a Kal Maalah by Uncle Marvin Lister. Passed by Baruch Javasky and told my kids about him. Went back to my mother-in-law for a Yahrzeit meal. She always puts out a delicious spread. Was very B’Simcha that my daughter and son-in-law drove in with their two kids. It was nice to have my kids interacting with their Toronto cousins. Later in the afternoon went onto my mother-in-law’s balcony and learned Daf Yomi. I did two Blatt.
Shabbos Parshas Re’eh – August 10 -11, 2018:
7:00 PM – went to Shul, the BAYT, https://www.bayt.ca/ . Came right before Ma’ariv and Rabbi Daniel Korobkin was speaking on the Parsha. He talked about Achdus and it seems that Achdus in Toronto is fraying at the seams. Not sure what he was referring to. I believe it was about Eitz Chaim having trouble and consolidating their three campuses into two. After Davening went to pick up Mordy and Rivkie who are staying at Eli Janowski’s house, right near the BAYT. Walked to my mother-in-law for a delicious Shabbos meal.
Shabbos Morning – August 1o, 2018:
Davened at the 7:30 AM Hashkama Minyan. On the way met and talked to Dr. Klein, a physiatrist. Rabbi Diena spoke. He just graduated college (I think his degree is in one of the sciences) and decided to take time off and learn in Kollel. He will learning in the Kollel Torah MiTzion Kollel. Rabbi Diena spoke out the Ba’al Haturim on Chapter 13, Verse 2. This Bible portion talks about false prophets. Verse 3 says, “If there should arise in your midst a prophet or a dreamer of a dream . . .”. On the third word in the verse is בְּקִרְבְּךָ֙ . The Ba’al Haturim says that the gematria, numerical equivalent of בְּקִרְבְּךָ֙) 324) is the same as, Zo Haisha (324). The plain meaning of the Ba’al Haturim is as the Sifrei says that the Bible portion of a false prophet also applies to women. There is speculation that the original language of the Ba’al Haturim was בְּקִרְבְּךָ֙ נָבִ֔יא is the same gematria as Zo Ha’Isha U’Benah, this refers to the woman and her son – meaning Mary and Jesus, as being false prophets (both are 387) but was censored in the middle ages.
After Minyan, attended a great Minchas Chinuch Shiur by Rabbi Effie Kleinberg on the Mitzvah of Living in Israel. Great, great Shiur. After the Shiur spoke to various people. On is a radiologist who will be in Chicago in October for a convention.
Went upstairs to listen to the Rabbi’s Drasha. I am embarrassed to admit, but I have zero recollection of his speech.
After the speech went to pick up Rivkie and my grandkids. She was not ready to go. I walked outside the house and decided to say hello to the first person I met. It was my cousin’s kid, Yummi Javasky and family. His parents are Jerry and Shelly Javasky. We stopped by his grandfather’s grave in the cemetery. Yummi and family live in Israel and were in Toronto for a month. It was great seeing him. His parents are great people. His father managed a mutual fund for McKenzie. His mother took in special needs kids as foster kids from birth for a few years until the parents could get back on their feet.
Rivkie was going to walk directly to my mother in law. Mordy and I were going to visit family. We walked to Lubavitch. On the way we met the Bidners. We played Jewish geography. Shockingly, Mordy knew of their son. Made it to Lubavitch at 12:30 PM. Mordy met his cousins, the Schechts, his cousins who he never met before. Their mother is his aunt and he knows here quite well. Walked with Schmuli Bernstein and kids to his house on Esther Crescent. Schmuli’s wife is my niece. When I married into the family in 1980 she was a kid of 7 – 8 years old. She looked like a flower child. We caught up. It was great, Mordy dominated the conversation’s. Mordy and their 22 year old son,. Label, know many people in common. Left at 1:50 PM and made it back to my mother-in-law at 2:00 PM. We caught a little flak for coming so late. Great meal with the kids.
At 6:30 PM went to Shul for Daf Yomi being given by Rabbi Diena. Met my wife’s nephew, Mordy Rothman, who runs Chai Lifeline in Canada.
Sunday, August 12, 2018:
Davened at the BAYT. There was a Bris. Went back to my mother-in-law for brunch. At about 1:00 PM we went to North York General to visit Aunt Ruthie Lister, Marvin’s wife. Aunt Ruthie is 96, however, has been in the hospital for a year. She had he wits about her and it was important that my kids got a chance to see her. Her daughter (who was my Shadchan with Esther Chase) visits her mother every day is with her the better part of every day.
Finally hit the road at 3:00 PM and arrived back in Chicago at 1:00 AM the next day. Eli did most of the driving.
Exploring Kotzk 