I spoke with David Sokoloff about the life of Eli Pauli and his Yahrzeit this coming Shabbos.
This coming Shabbos, Parshas Mishpatim, is the Yahrzeit of Eli Pauly, Eli Ben Moshe Halevi. He died in 2002 at 54 years old. Eli was a dear friend to many including David Sokoloff, Rabbi Yochanan Nahan, Ruby Harris, Rabbi Ziskind ZL,zichrono livracha, of blessed memory and others.
I remember the funeral and Hespedim,eulogies; each one was special. My son Sholem came with me to the funeral. Rabbi Ziskind ZL was the first eulogizer and was the principal of the Veitzner Cheder, and himself succumbed to cancer soon thereafter. He opened his speech saying that Eli lived in tumultuous times of the 60s and his life was tumultuous, represented by the eponymous song of the Byrds – Turn,Turn, Turn (To Every Season) which are verses in Koheles.
Ruby Harris spoke about the Sunday that he and Eli went down to Maxwell Street and played with the great musicians. David Sokoloff spoke for only five minutes but every sentence was perfect and pregnant with meaning. Rabbi Unger of the Veitzener Cheder also spoke. Eli Pauli drove kids to school and he became very friendly with Rabbi Unger.
I did not eulogize him and have regretted it to today. At that time I did not have the confidence to speak publicly. I would have said that what merit did Eli have when he went to the court in heaven. He would have Shabbos. In those years, every Friday night my nerves were raw. When he came for the meal we spoke, we laughed, we talked history and some Torah. He calmed me down and we would have a great Shabbos meal. My kids were better behaved when he came over. He did this for other people who looked forward to his being a guest at their Shabbos table.
Eli wanted to produce a CD of his music. He worked hard on the CD cover which was a compilation of many pictures of Jewish leaders, with himself and the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the center. I lent him $3,000 to produce and distribute the CD. He was to pay me off from sales. Once he completed the CD, he came to the bank to play the CD for me. The first 15 minutes were his composition of music he played on the piano and only afterwards had lively music. I told him that he should have put more lively music upfront. He paid me back $900 and he was looking good. He had lost weight and seemed happy. About two weeks before Eli Paule died he came to the bank to talk. I took him into the Board room and we talked. He looked terrible and I felt terrible for him. He gained weight. He needed the $900 back because he needed money for his ex-wife and kids. Of course, I gave him the $900. I remember looking at him and thinking, what can I do for you, Eli Paule? Maybe I should take him out for dinner, however, I myself was emotionally tired so I did nothing. This entire scene came backing rushing to me when I heard he died and felt I should have done more.
As I was speaking to David Sokoloff last night, we were trying to remember where and when we first met him. I did not remember exactly but it must have been one Friday night when he came to daven, pray, at the Mishna Gemara shul, synagogue during the 1990’s. At that time I was always looking to invite guests for our Shabbos meals. Eli lived on California Avenue immediately north of the laundromat. He lived in the back in a ground level apartment.
His entire persona was a musician. He played piano and the keyboard. At my son’s Bar Mitzvah, Eli and Ruby played from about 11:00 PM to about 2:00 AM. They started with Jewish music and we danced. Then they started playing rock and roll and Elvis. We had a three hour concert of great music. Eli and Ruby argued about what to play. Sholem, my son, remembers lending Eli his keyboard. He was the tech guy.
Every first Shabbos in January we would drink a L’Chaim on the birthday of Elvis Pressley, the King. We both loved Elvis. I loved him not only for his great music, but when I ran the 1995 LA Marathon, I had lost weight but had not trained properly. At mile 14 I had nothing in me. I did not get any food on the marathon path, did not have any money to run into a store and get some food, and failed to carbon load. It was drizzling, 60 degrees, and I was freezing. I had no idea how I would finish. Pulling up behind me were 3 runners wearing white pant suits pushing a stroller with a boombox strapped to it playing Elvis songs on a continuous loop. Elvis’s music pounded into me and I made it. I finished the marathon. His song Shake, Rock, and Roll has never left my mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srdl2452J1I
Eli Paule had a story. A story of a life that took unexpected turns due to the Vietnam War and politics. He grew up in Northbrook in the 1950s. His father was a dentist and they were part of the Jewish migration out of the ghettos of the West side of Chicago, They lived in Northbrook which meant that they were somewhat wealthy. Most Jews moved to Skokie and Morton Grove which were nice but had tract housing. Northbrook had bigger homes and wealthier Jews moved to Northbrook. He played football in high school. For whatever reason this Jewish kid from the suburbs who was a musical artist by heart, ends up in the Army during the height of the Vietnam War. I never asked him about those years because they were private and I am not one to inquire about private matters. The only thing he told me was that during Basic training his Drill Instructor loved Miles Davis, a Blues musician, and they bonded over Miles Davis. The DI went easy on Eli. I did know that one day Eli went AWOL. Rabbi Ziskind said during his Hesped, eulogy, that Eli was part of the entertainment group and Eli was to give a speech about the joys of war. He could not do this and went AWOL. He ended up in France, Sweden, and ultimately Canada, playing in nightclubs and other musical gigs. In France he got married and had a son. He prided himself for playing with Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. I recall he married a second time and had another kid. They came in for his funeral along with his French wife. I gave one of his kids a Chumash, The Five Books of the Torah, with an English translation. He had a third child whom he called his love child with a woman in Hawaii. He flew her into Chicago and they ate over on Friday night.
Eli came back to Chicago when President Clinton pardoned the people who went AWOL. He had a picture of himself at Chicagofest at Navy Pier when Jane Byrne was mayor.
I wanted Eli to play at my kids’ weddings with Ruby Harris. Eli passed away before it could happen.
Eli should be a Melitz Yosher for us and may all his memories be sweet.
Scholar in Residence at Chabad – Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik
Rabbi Ben Sugerman and the Siyum
My Torah on the Parsha
Rabbi Zev Wolf Landau – the Sitrikover
This Week
Monday, February 3, 2025
Left at 9:00 AM to drive to Florida. Made it to the Comfort Suites Inn at Lookout Mountain at 9:30 PM. Lookout Mountain is about 650 miles from Chicago, a little less than halfway to Boynton Beach. The total trip is 1,350 miles, so we have another 70 miles. This is home to us on the road to Florida.
Tuesday February 4, 2025
Did Daf Yomi in my car in the parking lot. Temperature was in the 50s. Davened. Had breakfast, one bowl of Raisin Bran and one bowl of Rice Krispies. Found out the owner and his wife who are from India and very generous to us own just this one motel, a Comfort Suites Inn.
Got to Boynton Beach at 9:45 PM.
Shabbos February 8, 2025
This Shabbos, Reb Moshe Solovechik was the scholar in residence at Chabad of Boynton Beach. He was coming to Boynton Beach for the Connections of Palm Beach County dinner after Shabbos. I arranged for him to be the Scholar in Residence at Chabad. Rabbi Ciment and him are good friends. I donated money for his honorarium anonymously and gave $1,500. Reb Moshe spoke from the pulpit about the sixth Rebbi, the Rashab, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe we all knew. I stayed until 2:30 PM schmoozing with Reb Moshe, his wife, and Rabbi Ciment.
Reb Moshe also gave a Shiur on Sunday morning at 9:00 AM about hostages in Halacha.
After Shabbos, Reb Moshe, his wife, his son, Naftoli and I headed to the Connections dinner. It was at the National Croquet Center of West Palm Beach, https://croquetnational.com/index.html. I donated $1,000 in recognition of what Connections does from my granddaughter. I
Monday – February 10, 2025:
I took my granddaughter to a Siyum on Daf Yomi by Rabbi Ben Sugerman’s Shiur at Traditions in Boca
Raton. I took my granddaughter Tovah Levy. They asked me to speak and I obliged the crowd. I thought I spoke well. I of course took a picture with my Rebi, Rabbi Sugerman.
My Torah on BeShalach:
Comment #1
I saw a beautiful commentary from the זר זהוב. The זר זהוב is a Sefer of the history and Torah of Rabbi Zev Wolf Landau who was a student of the Kotzker, known as the Sitrikover. He was very close to the Kotzker. He died in 1891 and his son-in-law published the Sefer in 1901.
The wheels of the chariots were taken off, which caused them to drive with difficulty, and the Egyptians said to one another: “Let us flee from before Israel; for the Eternal is waging their fight against the Egyptians.”
Rashi comments on the words וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֖הוּ בִּכְבֵדֻ֑ת as follows:
וינהגהו בכבדות And He treated them with a treatment that was hard and harsh to them. In the measure that they (the Egyptians) had meted out to the Israelites was it meted out to them, for (9:34) “He hardened his heart, he and his servants”, and therefore here: “He treated them (the Egyptians) in a hard manner” (cf. Mekhilta).
Rashi says what is the מִדָּה שֶׁמָּדְדוּ: – measure for measure? Just like Pharaoh and his servants hardened their hearts after the plague of hail also here at the Yam Suf וַיְנַהֲגֵהוּ “בִּכְבֵדֻת
The Mechilta explain the measure for measure using a different verse:
וינהגהו בכבדות. במדה שמדדו בה מדדת להן הם אמרו (ה’ ט’) תכבד העבודה אף אתה באותה מדה מדדת להן וינהגיהו בכבדות:
The Ba’al Haturim brings down the Mechilta and says וינהגהו בכבדות על שאמר תכבד העבודה:
Why does Rashi bring down a different Pasuk than the Mechilata. Additionally, what exactly is the measure for measure according to Rashi. Seemingly just as Pharaoh and servants hardened their hearts therefore Hashem made it hard for them. This is not a good match and even if the measurement is as the Mecilta says, the Mechilta’s Pasuk is a much better match.
The זר זהוב asks the the question. Where did Rashi get his Peshat that is different than the Mechilta.
The זר זהוב uses beautiful language.
ונפלאתי אל המראה עד שמצאתי זוהר בּשלח, רב חייא אמר בּכבדות מהו? . . . בּפרעה כתיב, “ויכבד לב פרעה”
The Sitrikover says that he found a Zohar in the name of Reb Chiya that measure for measure is based on the Pasuk 9:34 that by the plague of hail Pharaoh and his servants hardened their hearts.
The Sitrikover goes on the explain:
וההפרש בניהם, לפי דברי רב יהודה היה מדה במדה, באשר הוא הכביד העבודה הכביד עליו גם כן. ולפי דברי רב חייא היה המדה כנגד הכבדת הלב. כי באמת היה נבהל ומשׁתאה מהמופתים ומהמכות, אעפ״כ התחזק בעקשות לב לאמר כל חפצי אעשה ואוכל
במדה זו מדדו לו, אף כי ראה כי רע ומר וכלתה אליו הרעה ואבריו מתפרקין ונשברים אעפ״כ התאמץ לרדוף, ולנהוג עצמו בכבדות, בּהנהגה שהיא כבדה וקשׁה להם, מדה במדה גדושׁה
Peshet according to the Zohar which is brought down by Rashi is different from the Mechilta. The measure for measure based on the Zohar is just as Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let the Jews leave Egypt, Pharaoh hardened his heart at the sea and he chased the Jews in the sea assuring their destruction. At 2:00 AM, when the angel of God lifted the clouds and Pharaoh was able to see that the sea split and that the Jews were traveling through the sea, he did not hesitate. He did not stop and look at the phenomena in front of him. He did not stop, look at the miracle before his eyes, hesitate and hold a war council. He should have considered that this might be a trap. He saw a miracle of the splitting of the sea in front of him, and knew that miracles happened for the Jews in Egypt. He hardened his own heart against himself and his people, made a decision against himself, and assured their destruction. . The Zohar also seems to also say the Pharaoh realized that he would be destroyed, he still did not hesitate to go to his downfall. This is the measure for measure. Pharaoh hardened his heart against the Jews and at the Yam Suf Pharaoh hardened his heart against himself and this led to the destruction of the Egyptian army. The worst thing in life is when you have all the factors in front of yourself, and you make a terrible decision. You sabotage yourself. This is Kotzk. I hate to admit this but in a large part this was the story of my life. I feel I have constantly sabotaged myself, made the wrong decisions, and caused me great anguish.
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his courtiers had a change of heart about the people and said, “What is this we have done, releasing Israel from our service?”
The entire nation of Egypt along with Pharaoh were upset that they let the Jews leave.
He harnessed his chariot and took his nation with him;
וַ
The english translations are split explaining אֶת־עַמּ֖וֹ between his army and between his people. The plain translation of עַמּ֖וֹ is his people. It is true that the better word should have been “his army” because all of his people did not go, only his army. I think that the true interpretation is his people and not his army after all עַמּ֖וֹ means all his people. The Torah is telling us that his entire nation was united with him. They were also going to war against the Jews. He took his entire nation with him. We can expand this idea that normally when a country goes to war the entire citizenry goes to war. To go to war with a king, an army must have the support of their citizenry. To win, not only must the opposing army be defeated, but the will of people must be broken. This is why in the Civil War, one of the reasons Sherman marched to the sea, destroying everything in his path, was to destroy the will of the South to continue the war. This is why the US dropped the H bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not only to show Emperor Hirohito that further war was useless but also to break the spirit of the Japanese people.
The Egyptians pursued them; and the horses of Pharaoh, and the chariots, and his horsemen, and his infantry, all of them overtook them while they were encamped by the sea, at the side of Pi-Hahiroth, in front of Baal-Zephon.
Question – In verse 14:7 the Chumosh explains that Pharaoh took his entire force of chariots only. In Verse 14:9 it expanded the troops he took to include his cavalry along with infantry. What is the explanation for the difference?
The answer is that in Verse 14:7 it says that he took the elite troops, his chariot corp. Led by “experienced and battle tested” field officers and generals. These officers made his chariot corp lethal. Pharah meant business and he was out to destroy the slaves. The Torah is emphasizing that he took his most formidable troops. At Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee lost a large number of experienced field officers and generals that he could not replace, and his army could not be as lethal a force in the future and he would not be able to defeat the Union army. This is the Kotzker’s vort about the Crimean War when he realized that the Russians would shortly lose the war. Verse 9 adds that he took his entire army.
The angel of Elohim moved [from its position] when it traveled in front of the camp of Israel, and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and it stood behind them.
(Onklesys translation)
Question:
It seems like there were two entities; a מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים and there was also a עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ . I thought that the pillar of cloud and for that matter the pillar of fire was the מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים.
The answer is as the Rashbam and Rabbi Charles Kahana explains. There was an Angel of God and he controlled the pillar of cloud. At night the Angel of God went behind them taking the pillar of cloud and positioning this pillar behind the Jewish people to darken the Egyptian camp and to absorb the arrows and stones catapulted towards them. What about the pillar of fire? Was this controlled by the same angel or by God himself. I assume that it was another angel of God.
Rabbi Charles Kahana in his Torah Yeshara:
The angel of the Almighty, who went before the camp of Israel, guiding the column of clouds in front of them, changed his course, and now went behind them, and he removed the column of clouds that was in front of them and now stood behind them, in order to separate the camp of Israel from the Egyptians,
(רש”י, רשב”ם.)
Rashbam:
ויסע מלאך האלהים – המוליך את עמוד הענן.
לפני מחנה ישראל וילך – המלאך.
מאחריהם – ומתוך כך.
ויסע העמוד מפניהם ויעמוד מאחריהם – כי המלאך הוליכו להפסיק בין מחנה מצרים ובין מחנה ישראל וישם מאפל ביניהם כדכתיב ביהושע: שלא יוכלו לקרב זה אל זה כל הלילה.
The angel of God that was guiding the pillar of cloud in front of the marching columns of Israelites, changed positions and moved behind the columns of marching Israelites instead. The result being to create a barrier between the Israelites and the Egyptians approaching from behind. The angel created a barrier of darkness and as a result, the Egyptians did not draw nearer to the Israelites during the entire night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the Eternal turned back the sea by a strong east wind the whole night, and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
The Children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall of protection for them at their right hand and at their left.
In the latter part of the night toward morning, the angel of the Eternal looked down, between the columns of fire and cloud, upon the Egyptian camp, and threw the Egyptian camp into confusion.
The wheels of the chariots were taken off, which caused them to drive with difficulty, and the Egyptians said to one another: “Let us flee from before Israel; for the Eternal is waging their fight against the Egyptians.”
After the Israelites had reached the opposite shore, the Eternal said to Moses: “Stretch out your hand toward the sea, so that the waters which formed a wall may turn upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen.”
Moses stretched forth his hand toward the sea, and towards morning the sea returned to its regular flow, and the Egyptians, instead of fleeing from the sea, fled in their confusion toward it, and the Eternal shook the Egyptians from their chariots into the midst of the sea.
The waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen which belonged to the army of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea; not one escaped.
(רמב”ן.)
Analysisof verses 14:21-26:
Rashi previously said that as the sun was setting on the sixth day, Pharaoh reached the Jewish people camping by the sea. It also says that during the night the two camps were separated. Verse 21 says that Moshe spread his hand over the sea and all night a strong eastern wind blew. The wind blew the entire night while the sea bed dried and while the Jews entered the sea on dry land. This is verse 22 and is saying that the Jews entered the sea at the beginning of the night. Verse 23 says that the Egyptians entered the sea to chase the Jews and Verse 24 goes on to explain when the Egyptians entered the sea. It was during the last third of the night, from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM, meaning that at 2:00 AM the pillar of cloud disappeared and the Egyptians saw the Jews in the sea. They pursued the Jews into the sea. The Egyptians did not hesitate thinking maybe this is a trap. They saw the pillar of cloud darkening their camp and at 2:00 AM it disappeared, opening the way for the Egyptians to pursue the Jews into the lion’s den. As the Egyptian army entered into the Yam Suf, God then threw the Egyptian camp into confusion. The dry land became mud, the horses could not move properly, they were like bucking bulls and jerking their bodies every which way, and discombobulating the horsemen. Like bull riding. The wheels of the chariots burned off. In the early morning, at 6:00 AM, Moshe stretched out his hand a second time over the sea and the waters returned to their original way, drowning the entire Egyptian army.
Exploring Kotzk 