Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin of Salant
While living in Mamel, R’ Yisrael instituted the practice of lighting the ovens in the beis medrash very early in the morning, so that the wagoners who crossed the border at night would be able to come in and warm themselves.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
Monthly Archives: March 2008
A peak at how I think
Although my wife and I loved the Shaloch Manos that we made this year. I had several other ideas that I knew wouldn’t even make the cut. Here’s one of them:

One of these:
Sunday’s Spark of Mussar
Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin of Salant
So careful was R’ Yisrael to honor others, that he would even address young boys with the formal you (Ihr) in Yiddish in order to develop their self-esteem.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
Purim: Rethinking Last Year
I think the other angle, that both foods can have the same bracha made over them is also worth thinking about. Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, in LIVING BEYOND TIME, quotes a beautiful idea by Rav Hutner z”tl. Rabbi Stolper write (based on Rav Hutner) that “the practice of gift giving and charity is unique to Purim, because it was on Purim that the Jewish people reaccepted the Torah. Unity is a prerequisite to the giving of the Torah. The Torah records that when the Jews prepared to receive the Torah, “Israel camped against Mt. Sinai.” The Hebrew word camped, vayichan, is written in deliberately written in the singular instead of the plural so as to inform us, as Rashi observes, that the Jews assembled at Mt. Sinai “as one man with one heart,” fully united.” (page 264)
Rabbi Stolper points out later that in Megillas Esther (9:23) we have the phrase, “ve’kubale haYehudim la’asos, And the Jews undertook to continue that which they had initally undertaken.” Again, the word ve’kibale is written in the singular. We were again an Am Echad when we reaccepted the Torah in the days of Purim.
This concept of being unified when being given the Torah is so important. IMHO, when it comes to Purim we want to emulate Hashem by giving, as this is one of the most direct ways to attach to Hashem (see Rav Dessler’s Kuntres HaChessed, or Discourse on Loving Kindness). “Man has been granted this sublime power of giving, enabling him too be merciful, to bestow happiness, to give of himself.” (Strive For Truth! Volume I, page 119). This idea of Rav Dessler’s has recently been “given over” and expanded by the author the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh in the translation of video seven, here (link thanks to Dixie Yid).
Ultimately, by giving to another (especially to someone we are not so close with) we are making a connection. We, in essence are looking past the differences that we have on the surface, no matter if those differences have to do with where we daven, if we daven, what we wear on our heads, or where we send our precious children to get their education. While it’s important to maintain one’s uniqueness within the collective whole, the bigger picture is that it doesn’t matter if it’s a Coke or some salmon we all fall into the same category, that being a Yiddishe Neshama.
A Freilichen Purim to you!
As heard from R Paysach Krohn…
Lonely Man of Faith: Free viewing in Chicago

CHICAGO RABBINICAL COUNCIL
AND IDA CROWN JEWISH ACADEMY
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Congregation K.I.N.S, 2800 W. North Shore Ave.
Open to public. No charge. Separate seating available.
A panel with producer, Ethan Isenberg, and
Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Av Beit Din of the cRc, will follow.
For more information, call ICJA at (773) 973-1450 or
the cRc at (773) 465-3900
Sunday’s Spark of Mussar
Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin of Salant
What a person of midos can achieve during a Purim seudah, a ‘pious’ man without good midos can lose during Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
Seconds Thoughts
Sunday’s Spark of Mussar
Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin of Salant
A person who truly trusts in Hashem is truly rich. But a person who is only reputed to trust in Hashem is like a person who is only reputed to be rich.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
The right perscription….
A Simple Jew recently asked me:
I have always preferred sifrei Chassidus over sifrei Mussar. I find sifrei Chassidus to be uplifting and many sifrei Mussar to be somewhat depressing since they break me down and remind me that I am nothing. Although they may be the right prescription for another type of neshoma, I feel that for me it would be equivalent to taking the wrong type of medicine.As someone who feels an attraction to sifrei Mussar, do you think my observation is an oversimplification?
My answer can be found here.