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Seller Tips

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October 2021

KAREN BEHFAR

I would like to share a topic with my Community family that is often overlooked – seller tips. Sellers often need to be educated in the real estate selling process.

Sellers, as well as buyers, definitely need to be educated. I find that what a seller needs to do is often overlooked. You see many Home Buyer’s Guides out there (we have an amazing one if you want to reach out to office@TheBehfarTeam.com to get your copy). When sellers say they want to sell their home on a whim, they generally revert to not wanting to sell. When sellers think about selling their homes for a few months, they are usually more serious. They call and reach out. They then come to me and ask for advice – figuring out what it’s worth, etc. It’s a process.

Sometimes it does happen that a seller will wake up one morning and decide to sell their house and they go through with it. But more often than not, when a seller decides on a whim to sell their house, they are usually not ready to actually sell, and have not thought it through thoroughly.

BE EDUCATED

There are many brokers and brokerages in our community. Sellers should ask the right questions, such as: What are you going to be doing to sell my house differently than other agents?

What price do you think we should ask?

When I see a listing that’s on the market for eight to ten months and the broker is not from Brooklyn, the house is not on MLS and does not have many buyers, it makes me wonder why the sellers would choose that type of broker.

A seller needs to find a knowledgeable broker in their area. For example, a seller will think his home is worth $1.4 million and if the agent is willing to list it at that price he will give it to them. Ultimately, the seller needs an agent who knows that area, who will guide and educate him during the selling process and get him the most money for his home. Many times, a seller will pick their broker or agent based on commission price – cheaper commission means less negotiation. If a broker is so confident in their strategies and marketing, why are they selling themselves short? Keep that in mind when choosing a broker. Why do you think the house is worth this much? Why are you marketing this way? Ask your questions, be smart about it, and happy selling! May you be blessed with a smooth process!

Does Putting Up a “For Sale” Sign Help?

To put up a sign or to not put up a sign? That is the question.

The sign in and of itself does not sell a house! I have not yet heard of a single home that sold ONLY because someone was walking down the block, saw a “for sale” sign, and
bought the home. One needs to have a multi-style approach to selling a home.

Putting up a sign can be one approach, but cannot be the only one. Examples of other strategies are, perfecting negotiation skills, social media exposure, excellent marketing campaign, and good relationships with other agents and community members.

All of these alone do not sell a home, but together they are an immense help. Some sellers give me an entire list of what I cannot do but they still expect to get top dollar. I cannot put up a sign, cannot post on social media, cannot use any of the tools I usually employ. It does create a challenge, especially when the seller still expects to get the highest price possible. I know of sellers who used this same strategy with different agents for eight months and have not had success in selling. Though I understand the need or want for privacy, sometimes one’s desire for privacy should be measured against what can be gained if the sign is up. It is definitely a personal decision. It also depends on the type of house, location, and price. Those all affect our decisions. Many times, I like the “wait and see” approach. After a month, we can reevaluate. So yes, a sign helps, ALONG with many other actions, but each house and situation is unique and should be looked at accordingly.

Dear Jido – October 2021

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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Dear Jido,

Before the pandemic, I applied for a promotion at my workplace. I was told that the job was mine, and I just had to wait for the paperwork to go through.

Then the pandemic hit. My employer instituted a hiring freeze, and the position vanished. I’ve asked a few times since then for an update, and was told that there was no news.

Because I don’t know if or when the position will reappear, I have been applying for other jobs. I expect to be getting an offer soon from a company that I interviewed with. The job is better than my current position, but not as good as the promotion that I was supposed to get. I’m worried that if I accept this job, the other position might materialize.

Is there a minimum length of time one should stay in a position before moving on to a better offer?

Signed, Unsure

Dear Unsure,

Many years ago when I was a young(er) man, I found myself in the same situation. I was part of senior management of a company that was going nowhere. I interviewed at another company and got a great offer. When I approached the owners of my company, they countered with a better offer with more money.

Three months later, they hired someone at a much cheaper price and I was out of a job.

If you’re working for a “community” company, be aware that the owners want to know that you are committed to them. Once they know that you are looking elsewhere, they begin to question your loyalty and you have fallen out of favor.

If you like what you’re doing and trust that management is looking out for your best interests, then wait it out and move up the ladder where you are. If, however, you think that they’re just stalling and have no intention of taking care of you, then move on.

In general, it’s never good to jump around from company to company. Less than two years at an employer is usually a sign of something lacking in the employee, not the employer.

You are fortunate that right now it is an employee’s market – lots of jobs available, not that many people who actually want to go back to work.

Consider your options carefully and make a wise decision.

All the best,

Jido

All Children Bounce Back…

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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TAMMY SASSOON, M.S.ED

Oftentimes we parents worry about how our children will embrace the challenges of their lives in a healthy way.

“Will she survive the school year with this teacher?”
“How will he deal with bullying on the bus?”
“What if my eighth-grader doesn’t get the class job she’s been wanting for so many years?”
“What if my child fails the entrance exam for high school?”

RECHANNELING WORRY ABOUT OUR CHILDREN’S CHALLENGES

And so, we spend useless time thinking about how our children will deal with the challenges they face. It’s literally wasted time that we could use to do something productive (such as bringing more joy to our families or to the world, or even to take better care of ourselves), because nobody ever had anything productive emerge from needless worrying.

So, we have two questions here:

1. What do we DO with that worry?

2. How do we feel okay knowing that our children are experiencing certain challenges?

Let’s discuss the answer to question #1 first.

What do we do with any feeling? Well, who ever said that we have to DO something about a feeling? Thinking that we need to do something makes the uncomfortable feeling grow into very, very uncomfortable feelings. Recently a cute little eight-year-old neighbor asked me how he can fall asleep at night when he feels so afraid. I gave him a tip or two, and then he came back the next day to say, “It didn’t work. I’m still afraid.” I asked him if he thought feeling afraid was a problem, and he said yes, so I then told him that his exciting new homework will be to let go of that unhelpful thought that it’s a problem to feel uncomfortable.

IT IS OK TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AND TO LIVE WITH CHALLENGES

People often wonder why decades ago children were emotionally stronger. While there may be a number of explanations, perhaps people in those days knew that it’s okay to be uncomfortable. It’s okay to have to work hard. It’s not a problem to have a disappointment, it’s just an inconvenience. It’s okay to not like a certain teacher’s style of teaching, and still thrive in learning for an entire school year. The list of challenges in any child’s life can range from minor to tragic, but the key attitude we want to give over to our children is that we don’t have to DO anything about our uncomfortable feelings. Start by modeling to your children that when you feel disappointed, worried, hurt, or annoyed you do not believe that’s a problem. It’s just a feeling, and feelings are a very healthy part of the human experience. You can verbalize out loud, “Right now I am feeling very ___,” without yelling, controlling, or doing anything.

To answer question #2, let’s clarify the purpose of all challenges. They are designed for us uniquely by Hashem because we need them. While we certainly pray not to have them, the reality is that when challenges do show up, an attitude of growth can make them all that much easier to endure. That means that if your child is waiting for an acceptance letter to high school, he or she (and you) needs that challenge in order to reach their potential. So, instead of thinking, “How will my child handle this?” you can alternatively think, “This is rough, and I wonder how I as a parent can grow from this. Perhaps this is an opportunity to thoroughly internalize that my child’s value does not depend on whether or not he or she is accepted to a certain school.”

RESILIENCE

When your big children experience challenges, remember that resilience is one of the default settings of every human being. When your child was a baby and was learning to walk, and fell, he or she just got up and tried again. Resilience is not something
you have to teach your children because it’s already inside them.

All they need is to see that we believe the resilience is there, and that will help them tap into it to best grow from any challenges that do come their way. Lead your children on a journey of embracing life, with all its gifts and challenges.

One on One with Jacqueline E lbaz

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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ELLEN GELLER KAMARAS

What a treat to meet Jacqueline, a chef and the founder of her own catering business, Stuffffed. Jacqueline Elbaz, née Tawil, is the daughter of Debbie Dweck Tawil and Morris Tawil, a”h, both of Syrian descent. Her beloved father, Morris, passed away last summer.

Jacqueline fondly recalled how her friends would bump into her parents in the neighborhood and tell her how open and friendly they were.

Jacqeline’s father was very proud of his great-grandfather, Hacham Chaim Tawil, a”h, and he incorporated his great- grandfather’s love of Torah into his own life.

Jacqueline is the oldest of three children. She is close with both her sister Laura, a NY speech therapist, and her brother Hymie, who lives in Colorado.

As we spoke, I realized that it was so easy to chat with Jacqueline. I found her to be lively, warm, energetic, genuine, and super down-to-earth.

GROWING UP

Jacqueline attended Magen David Yeshivah for both elementary and high school. She says she was an okay student and was a friendly and outgoing child and teen.

“I marched to the beat of my own drum and didn’t fit the mold. Most of my closest friends are my childhood friends, the ones I’ve had for over 30 years. I went to college briefly, but it wasn’t for me.”

Family has always been a key element in Jacqueline’s life. When referring to her childhood and teen years, she lovingly spoke of her grandparents and great-grandparents and great-aunt, in addition to her parents and siblings. “Both my parents worked very hard to provide for the family.”

A fun fact: The cookbook, Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews, features a picture of Jacqueline’s great-grandmother holding her brother Hymie at his brit milah.

Jacqueline lived upstairs from her mother’s grandmother until she was 18 years old. She passed away on Jacqueline’s 21st birthday. “I got my inspirations and recipes from Grandma Esses.” Her Great Aunt Esther was the one who came up with the name of her business, Stuffffed.

MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN

In 2004, Jacqueline was introduced to her naseeb, Sion Elbaz, by his cousin. Sion is of Moroccan, Egyptian, and Syrian descent. Sion is also from Brooklyn and is two years older than Jacqueline. His maternal grandfather, Rabbi Sion Masalton, zt”l, was the Rabbi of Ahi Ezer Congregation and was a pillar of the Sephardic community.

“I was going on shidduch dates but didn’t feel pressured to get married. I was fortunate to go on Birthright’s program to Israel before I met Sion and I made some wonderful and diverse friends.”

The newlyweds remained in Brooklyn and have four children, a daughter fifteen, a son, thirteen, and two younger girls, nine and seven. Jacqueline lights up when she talks about her family. She calls herself the bad cop and Sion, who travels for business, the good cop and fun parent.

Both keen on spirituality, the couple chose Yeshiva Derech Eretz when the yeshiva was just starting out. They are thrilled with the school’s hashkafa, mission, and the positive influence it has had on the kids. Jacqueline is also grateful YDE has a day camp where her oldest child, Judy, worked this past summer while her siblings were campers. “Our kids are happy, confident, and do well in school. They have good values and don’t ask for big-ticket items or designer clothes.”

BECOMING A CHEF

How did Jacqueline start her business?

Several events and circumstances influenced Jacqueline’s decision to create Stuffffed.

First, she is crystal clear in declaring that food makes her happy. She has a healthy relationship with food, and she and her children are willing to experiment and try new things.

For as long as Jacqueline can remember she taught her friends how to fill a freezer. “My friends and I cooked and froze food and filled the freezer when we were nine months pregnant. I always cooked for girls’ nights out.”

When her oldest was seven, around eight years ago, Jacqueline decided to look for a job. She tried the jewelry industry and shadowed a child in school. These jobs did not feel right for Jacqueline. She considered returning to college for a degree in special education and asked her sister what that would involve. But Jacqueline decided she was not ready to commit to college and grad school. Her best friend, Fortune Gemal Levy, a”h, would ask her, “When are you going to start selling your delicious food?” And Jacqueline’s dad cheered her on.

Five years ago, an acquaintance asked if Jacqueline could make a certain type of kibbeh. That inspired her to post pictures of her uncooked frozen Syrian delicacies (such as kibbeh balls and yebre) on Instagram.

A close friend, Jackie Bitton, a gifted educator and inspirational speaker, guided and encouraged Jacqueline on her path to develop her business. Rabbi Bitton facilitated the JSOR hashgacha for Stuffffed by being one of her references.

Jacqueline’s confidence kicked in and the requests for catered foods began to pour in: “I need food for the holidays, I’ll take whatever you have.”

She was a personal chef for many clients and events over the years.

Jacqueline now caters locally and delivers her specialties to New Jersey. “I am proud to say that I can do a sebet for 200 people in my sleep.”

In the middle of telling me that some of her recipes qualify for Eve Elenhorn’s Flavorfulfit program, Jacqueline remembered that we had met briefly at Eve’s home. I had interviewed Eve

three years ago. Jacqueline credits Eve, a talented chef, personal trainer, and health coach, with helping her to launch her business.

Jacqueline started attending foodie events such as Kosherfest and she was overjoyed to connect with Naomi Nachman, a top chef. Jacqueline had originally messaged Naomi to ask for her hamantaschen recipe and a friendship was born. Jacqueline was elated to be a contestant at a Chopped event that Naomi was judging at Gourmet Glatt. Their relationship blossomed and one of Jacqueline’s recipes now appears in Naomi’s cookbook, Perfect Flavors.

When Jacqueline described each of the women who championed her, she expressed her immense hakarat hatov to these friends and to Hashem for blessing her with this network, her chevra. Jacqueline strives to give back by donating a maaser, a tenth, to the community.

“I AM A SYRIAN IN A SEA OF ASHKENAZ CHEFS”

Jacqueline’s friends and colleagues are a varied group. She even wrote an article for Fleishigs Magazine, a high-end kosher monthly cooking publication (fleishig is meat in Yiddish). The topic? She was asked to prepare a Syrian Purim feast in a test kitchen using five recipes.

What is unique about Jacqueline’s cooking style? Jacqueline does not follow a recipe and is open to innovation. Her followers can track the ingredients and measurements when she records her Instagram stories for new items. By the way, she does not bake but her oldest

daughter does. Jacqueline has expanded her skill set and is a recipe specialist and a Trader Joe’s specialist. She advocates using local farmers’ market ingredients.

FINDING BALANCE

Although Jacqueline made her work sound so easy and joyful, she admitted that her life is hectic, and her two oldest children help her to run the house. She does like being spontaneous about travel and has journeyed with a group of foodies to Florida and to London to attend key events.

Jacqueline made many new foodie friends and is in awe of how authentic and supportive they are. She confided that she was overwhelmed when she accepted an offer to cater a book party for 75 people using twelve recipes. It was around the time of her father’s yahrzeit and she needed help. Her friend from London was in town and jumped right in, and others also rallied to help her to pull off a successful event.

CHECK OUT JACQUELINE’S DELICACIES

You can find a great video on Kosher.com, with Jacqueline making kibbeh pomegranate with the renowned chef Naomi Nachman.

The best way to reach Jacqueline is on her cell (917-514-7432) or on Instagram @Stuffffed.

Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is
an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach. Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching. Ellen works part-time as an entitlement specialist at Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services. She can be contacted at ellen@lifecoachellen.com (www.lifecoachellen.com).

Business Insights – Omni-Channel and the Rise of IOT

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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Business Insights – Omni-Channel and the Rise of IOT

SAMUEL HADRIYE

For the past few years, big-box retailers such as Kohl’s, Walmart, Macy’s, and others have been taking a beating, while, on the other hand, Amazon sales have been booming, due to consumers flocking to Amazon’s revolutionized online shopping. The online retail market has been growing exponentially every year, seeing increases in the numbers of people shopping online, while brick-and-mortar retailers have been feeling it, with decreasing amounts of in-person visits to their stores.

The concept of buying something from the comfort of your own home, while relaxing on your couch, using your phone, and then having it delivered free of charge the next day – sometimes even the same day! – is a strategy that has helped grow Amazon into the big retail monster that it is today.

Now factor in the fears and restrictions people faced during the recent pandemic. The reality of people staying at home and not being able to go out to shop freely pushed down the already dwindling in-store shopping stats. The enhanced online shopping experience made the way for online giants to take over. To put things into perspective, online sales during Memorial Day in 2020 jumped 75%, from $2 billion in 2019 to $3.5 billion in 2020 according to Forbes Magazine. In the first three months of 2021, Amazon sales were up 44% from the same period last year according to the NY Times.

Retailers Jump on the Online

Marketing Bandwagon

In an infamous purchase back in September 2016, Walmart acquired Jet.com for $3.3 billion, stating that they would be utilizing Jet.com’s infrastructure for their own online selling. This attempt was meant to jump-start Walmart on to the path to compete with Amazon. But while classic retailers have always had the model of holding physical stock for their stores, how could they compete with Amazon if they have so much overhead, and most of their money is tied up with inventory?

Enter vendor-fulfilled programs. Every retailer might call it something else. Walmart has its DSV program – Drop-Ship Vendor. Boscov’s would call it SDF – Supplier Direct Fulfillment. Retailers have their vendors post their inventory to the retailer’s site and the vendors must be able to retrieve the orders themselves and fulfill them on behalf of the retailer. Great idea! However, this now needs an infrastructure for the retailer to be able to monitor and manage this partnership. Some retailers have created special teams or expanded their buying and IT departments to help accommodate this new opportunity, building out EDI, or API connections for their sites to help automate the fulfillment process and all that goes along with it. For example, Kohl’s partnered up with DSCO in 2019 to handle this infrastructure for them. Other big retailers such as Best Buy, Chewy, and Staples partnered up with a company called CommerceHub, which acquired DSCO this past November.

Vendors Challenged to Get Inventory

Out and Meet Retailer’s Demands

Going into the 2021 4th quarter has not been easy. With ports being shut to import goods, and containers being docked in the water for weeks longer than anticipated, vendors are struggling to have inventory ready. This is evident if you stop by your local big-box retailer, where you will notice a lot of empty shelves. Even so, the forecasts for the 2021 4th quarter predict an overall 2.7% increase in sales compared to last year’s 4th quarter, and Forbes predicts that 18.9% of this will be accounted for by e-commerce/ online retail. E-Marketer.com anticipates that e-commerce sales will rise 11.3%.

There are a growing number of options available to help vendors meet their retailer’s demands for direct drop-ship vendors. But there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. Some platforms such as Shipstation (a Stamps.com subsidiary) allow a vendor to collect and bring in their orders, process them, and send back shipping information to the retailer’s site for consumer access, via their third-party partners, but Shipstation will not maintain other aspects such as updating real-time inventory. Other programs can update and maintain vendor inventory on one retailer site but may not give the option of sharing that information across all of the retailers they are set up with. Finding the right solution is critical in order for companies to maintain a good relationship with their customers, take advantage of this wildly growing trend and increased sales, and not hurt their basic day-to-day operations. Depending on how the vendor company operates, it will take time and experience to find the right solution to make this opportunity a successful venture.

YJS Solutions empowers organizations to embrace new strategies in marketing, distribution, and E-commerce. They can be reached at 646-437-8879.

The Great Awakening: 2021 M&S Champions

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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SAM SUTTON

The anxiously anticipated 2021 M&S World Series finally arrived. After a long summer of magical moments, the two teams left standing were We Are Live and the surging wild card team The Great Awakening.

Teams Left Standing Give It Their All

We Are Live was one of the better teams this season featuring the likes of Hall of Famer Allie Marshall, perennial slugger Jimmy Malakh, who is chasing the first championship of his career, along with upstart starting pitcher Michael Ancona, JoJo Mamiye, and many more. For the Great Awakening, the 2020 winning co-captains Teddy Ishak and Sammy Esses returned to the championship looking to win back-to-back titles. This team has a totally different makeup than last year’s squad featuring former MVP JoJo Seruya, Joe Sefaradi, and Saul Cohen. But the story has been rookie pitcher Edmund Beyda, who has carried this team in the postseason both at the plate and on the mound.

The road to the cup was not easy for the Great Awakening as they took down a hot Hole squad and then went on to sweep the first place Hit Men team in an upset. For We Are Live, after looking dead in the water following Game One of the Semis, the heart and soul of the team, Morris Kassin, rallied the troops with an awe-inspiring huddle, and just like that they flipped a switch and defensively put away the dangerous Katz In The Cradle squad.

9/11 Marks World Trade Center Tragedy and Beginning of World Series

On September 11, the 20th anniversary of the tragedy at the World Trade Center, the World Series was played. It was an emotional night from the get-go as the league paid tribute to the fallen. The teams took part in an 11-second moment of silence after the lineups were announced and the National Anthem was played.

Game One got off to an exciting start as We Are Live got on the board first with a bloop RBI off the bat of captain Michael Sabon Salomon. But the team with the American flags across its chest valiantly came right back, powered by a booming double off the bat of sophomore Ian Lerner to tie it, and later in the 2nd was capped off by a clutch 2-RBI liner from rookie Yitz Safdieh. Joe Sefaradi followed with another RBI and TGA took a commanding 4-1 lead into the third. That big second inning set the tone for the game as TGA went on to win by a final score of 9-1 behind the masterful pitching of breakout star Edmund Beyda.

World Series Game Two

With the season hanging in the balance, and their backs against the wall, We Are Live once again got out to a good start and plated a run off the bat of the ageless Allie Marshall, but TGA limited the damage as they got out of a bases-loaded jam to hold it at one. In a similar fashion as the opener, TGA answered right back in the bottom of the first and scored three runs with big hits from Saul Cohen, Albert Sitt, and Ian Lerner. In the second inning, WAL managed to scratch across a run to pull within one, but stumbled yet again.

It was a 4-2 game in the third and Joey “Hebrew Hammer” Dweck tied the game with a hot shot to 3rd to tie the game at four. The Great Awakening, a team with no quit, stayed true to form and scored two runs in the bottom of the 3rd and 4th highlighted by David Harari and Albert Sitt RBI base hits.

The Great Awakening

Are Crowned the Champs

Michael Ancona cut the deficit to 8-5 with a rope to center in the fifth, but We Are Live came up short and The Great Awakening held on to an 8-5 victory and secured the 2021 M&S World Series title. Joe Sefaradi took home the MVP honors.

When the final out was made, The Great Awakening celebrated with the M&S Cup and their shiny new championship rings to close out another successful year of M&S.

Mashiah Revealed – Olam Habba – The World to Come – Part XII

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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Mashiah Revealed – Olam Habba – The World to Come – Part XII

All of us have no doubt heard of the concept of Olam Habba

– the World to Come. What many of us do not realize, however, is that the term “Olam Habba” is not synonymous with “Gan Eden.”

Olam Habba is, without question, the place where the righteous receive their reward for the good deeds they performed while on this world. But the fact that it’s called “the World to Come” indicates that it does not yet exist – as opposed to Gan Eden, which quite obviously has existed since the dawn of creation.

In this month’s installment, we attempt to dispel the common misconceptions surrounding this topic and describe the magnificence of the World to Come. We will also try to determine who will be allowed to live in this world, and when this world will come into being.

Where Does the Soul Go After Death?

The term “Olam Habba” is generally understood as referring to the dwelling place of the soul after it leaves the body and ascends to the heavens, where one receives his reward for his achievements here on earth. Our sages teach us that when the soul departs from the human body and ascends to heaven, it is first brought before the heavenly tribunal to determine whether it is worthy of eternal reward in Olam Habba. If the man or woman was righteous and is thus found worthy, then the soul is immediately brought to Gan Eden in the heavens, where it joins the rest of the sadikim, enjoying magnificent spiritual pleasures that cannot be described or understood by human beings. But if, Gd forbid, a soul is deemed unworthy, it is either brought to the fires of Gehinom to be cleansed, or painfully chased by prosecuting angels until deemed worthy of being cleaned in Gehinom. In some instances, a soul can be returned to earth to try to rectify the misdeeds of a previous life.

The Ramban (Rabbi Moshe Nachmanides, 1194-1270), as well as most other commentaries, point out that the soul does not receive its full reward in Gan Eden¹. The complete reward is dispensed only at the end of the world’s existence, following the Messianic Era, during Olam Habba – the world’s final chapter of existence, a glorious paradise where all the righteous people from all generations receive their full and final reward. Accordingly, Gan Eden and Olam Habba are two entirely separate entities. Essentially, Gan Eden serves as a “waiting room” (though quite a pleasant one, to say the least) where the righteous remain until the time of Olam Habba, an existence that will come into being only after the Messianic Era, to receive their eternal reward.

Interestingly enough, the sages teach that the sadikim’s “account” continues to grow during the period they spend “waiting” in Gan Eden. Many of the good deeds performed during a person’s lifetime yield long-term effects upon others that can continue for generations. Therefore, while “waiting” in Gan Eden, the reward allotted for the righteous in Olam Habba can continue to grow without limit.

A Physical or Spiritual World?

The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, 1135-1204) was of the opinion that Olam Habba will emerge in two stages. The first stage will begin at the time of tehiyat hametim when all the righteous will be brought back to life in a physical form. The “new world” they will inhabit will be more elevated than the world as we know it, but will still be a physical world where people eat, drink, and engage in all other physical activities. Eventually, however, all people will reach such an exalted spiritual level that their souls will leave their bodies and rise to the heavenly Olam Habba, a completely spiritual existence, where they will receive their final and full reward for all eternity.

Others, however, including the Ramban, maintain that Olam Habba entails only one stage. In their view, the righteous will receive their eternal reward immediately after tehiyat hametim, in the elevated physical world in which they will live after resurrection.²

The Pleasures of Olam Habba

The Talmud comments that the intense spiritual pleasures that await the righteous in Olam Habba cannot be described with words, and cannot be imagined by the human mind. Even the greatest prophets, the sages teach, were unable to contemplate the full extent of these spiritual delights. In fact, the sages tell us that just a brief “smell” of Olam Habba provides greater pleasure than all the delights offered in this world combined.

Kabalistic teaching identifies the neshama (soul) that Hashem gives us at birth as a part of Hashem himself that is implanted within our bodies. However, the soul is not entirely severed from its source; it still retains its spiritual connection to Gd throughout a person’s life, as though there is a spiritual “rope” leading from the body to Hashem. Our spiritual side leads us to strive to reconnect and identify with our neshama’s original source. And this is precisely the essence of the pleasures of Olam Habba, where the soul will once again bask in the light of the Shechina, its original source. This feeling is the most pleasurable delight that a soul can possibly achieve.

Who Will Merit Olam Habba?

The Mishna teaches that in principle, every Jew, simply by virtue of his being a Jew, earns a share in the World to Come, the size of which depends on the amount of Torah he studied and missvot he performed during his lifetime³. However, it is possible for one to forfeit his entire share in Olam Habba. The Mishna lists a number of ill-famed Biblical figures who lost their share in Olam Habba as a result of their sinful behavior. This list includes the infamous kings Yeravam, Ahav, and Menashe from the First Temple era, each of whom led much of their constituency astray during their respective reigns.

Our sages go on to list several offenses that cause one to forfeit his share in the World to Come, including: denying the eventuality of tehiyat hametim and Olam Habba, denying the divine origin of any part of the Torah, or harboring heretical beliefs (an “apikorus”), consistently degrading Torah scholars, putting a fellow Jew into physical or monetary trouble with a hostile establishment (a “moser”), and intentionally causing a large number of people to sin⁴.

The Talmud records a debate between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua as to whether other nations can earn a share in Olam Habba. The Rambam follows Rabbi Yehoshua’s view, that righteous gentiles who observe the Seven Noahide Laws will indeed merit a portion in Olam Habba⁵. Although not all the early commentators agreed with the Rambam’s conclusion, it is nevertheless the accepted opinion by later scholars⁶.

Will We Observe Missvot in Olam Habba?

The Talmud records an interesting debate among the scholars as to whether it is permitted to bury a person with shrouds containing sha’atnez, as he will be wearing forbidden clothing at the time of his resurrection⁷. The debate revolves around the issue of whether we will be required to observe the missvot at the time of tehiyat hametim. Interestingly enough, the Shulhan Aruch (halachic code by Rabbi Yosef Karo, 1488-1575) rules leniently on this matter, indicating that we follow the opinion that we will not be required to keep the missvot at that time. There are however some opinions that say we will be released only from negative commandments, while all of the positive commandments will remain obligatory. Many authorities add that only those who had died and underwent resurrection will be exempt from missva observance, while those who remained alive will be required to observe all the missvot.

However, even the scholars who hold that missvot will not be obligatory agree that we will learn Torah and be able to voluntarily perform missvot in Olam Habba⁸.

The Se’udat Livyatan

Immediately with the onset of Olam Habba, a magnificent party for the righteous will begin, during which they will be served the meat of the Livyatan, a fish that was created during the six days of creation and reserved for this occasion. The sadikim will also be served the meat of a special wild ox, and the wine made from especially luscious grapes, which were created during the first days of creation.

The Hafess Haim, z.s.l., explains that these special foods are significant in that they came into being before man’s creation, and were thus produced without the defect of human intervention. As such, they were created in the highest form of precision and perfection possible, giving them the most pleasurable taste imaginable.

When birkat hamazon is recited after this meal, a cup of wine will be passed among all the sadikim to determine who is worthy of holding it during the recitation. They will all decline the honor, saying that they are not worthy, until the cup will finally reach King David. He will accept the honor of holding the cup, saying that it is indeed fitting for him, as he wrote in Tehillim (116:13), “Kos yeshu’ot esa uveshem Hashem ekra – I will lift the cup of redemption and call out in the name of Gd.”

There is considerable discussion among the commentaries as to whether this description is to be understood literally, or if it alludes to deep, mystical concepts that lie beyond our comprehension. What is clear, however, is that this celebration will be the most spectacular event ever in the history of the world!9

Next Issue: Properly Awaiting the Redemption

Sefer Hagemul
See Sefer Ossrot Aharit Hayamim, page 120
Masechet Sanhedrin 90a
See Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva, chapter 3
Hilchot Teshuva 3:5
Rabbi Yaakov Hillel, volume 35, pp 89-111
Masechet Nidda 60b
See Sefer Ossrot Aharit Hayamim I, pp. 99-105
Sefer Ossrot Aharit Haymim

The Case – A Summer Retreat

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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Benny has rented Alex’s home every summer for the past three years. In preparation for this year’s summer’s rental, they verbally agreed on the cost of rent for the 2021 season. Alex then sent an email request to Benny for a $3,000 deposit along with an attachment of a written contract for signing. Benny immediately transferred to Alex’s account three thousand dollars but did not sign and send back the contract. With only two weeks before the summer season, Benny called Alex just to follow up and was informed by Alex that the house was just rented to another party. Alex explained that although Benny gave a deposit, he never signed the contract. Alex continued to explain that he did not willingly renege on his agreement with Benny, but rather he was unaware that the exclusive agent that rented out his home during the winter was authorized by contract to rent it out for the summer as well. In order not to ruin his relationship with the agent that rents out his home every winter, he agreed to rent it via the agent for the summer as well. In Bet Din, Benny claimed that since he put a $3,000 deposit towards the rental he was legally entitled to the home and demanded that the other party be denied access to the property. Furthermore, Benny claimed, that upon inquiry in the market for a last-minute vacancy available for rent, he found prices to be substantially higher. The rent for one property of interest was nearly 25 percent higher than that of Alex’s home. Benny was vehemently unwilling to release Alex from his commitment to rent him the property unless Alex compensates him for the additional cost of rent due to a last-minute rental.

Is Benny entitled to the property for the summer? Is Alex required to compensate him for the additional cost of a last-minute rental? How should the Bet Din rule and why?

TORAH LAW

According to the ruling of the Shulhan Aruch, the sale of real estate is viewed as a binding transaction upon the transfer of funds and the signing of the proper documentation. In the absence of either the transfer of funds or signed documentation, both the buyer and seller can potentially renege on the transaction. Notwithstanding, the party that elects to renege in such an instance is subject to various forms of penalty. The degree of penalty is likely

dependent on the stage and context of the parties’ agreement.
The above ruling is applicable strictly to the sale of real estate. Regarding the rental of real estate, by Torah law, it is sufficient for a tenant to transfer funds to his landlord to execute an effective binding agreement. If, however, a landlord indicates that the rental transaction is not final until funds are transferred and a contract is signed, a tenant is required to comply with such a request to finalize the rental. Additionally, if it is common practice in rental markets, that in addition to the transfer of funds a lease is signed to finalize a deal, the transfer of funds alone is insufficient.

Although a buyer or a seller of real estate can legally renege after the mere transfer of funds prior to the signing of a contract, nevertheless, some halachic authorities impose a severe castigation on one who does so. However, many halachic authorities differ and maintain that regarding real estate one is not subject to chastising. In view of the above dispute, a Bet Din will refrain from chastising a party that reneges on a real estate transaction when only money is transferred between the parties.

The same is applicable to a rental agreement in which a landlord requires his tenant to sign a contract to finalize the agreement. As mentioned, in such an instance the transfer of funds is insufficient and does not constitute a binding rental agreement. Hence, if either the landlord or the tenant opts to renege at that point, a Bet Din will refrain from chastising the reneging party.

By the rule of the Shulhan Aruch, it is considered untrustworthy to renege on one’s word. A man’s word is his honor, and it is unethical to back out of a deal. A Bet Din will nevertheless not enforce a party to live up to their word. In the absence of a binding agreement, a Bet Din will not enforce an agreement.

Additionally, if a party was genuinely unaware of a pre-existing situation at the time he gave his word, some halachic authorities waive the responsibility to keep one’s word.

VERDICT The Last Rose of Summer

Our Bet Din ruled in favor of Alex the landlord, by denying Benny access to the property and rejecting his compensation claim. As explained in Torah law, since Benny did not sign the contract upon request, the rental agreement was not finalized. Although Benny indeed transferred funds, Alex is entitled to rely on the halachic authorities exempting him from castigation by a Bet Din for reneging on a real estate deal after receiving payment. Additionally, although Alex gave his word to Benny to rent him his property, he was genuinely unaware of a pre-existing arrangement that he had with his broker. In such instances, numerous halachic authorities do not view reneging on one’s word as unethical. Nevertheless, our Bet Din suggested that Alex conduct himself honorably and offer Benny some compensation for his anguish. Alex complied with our suggestion, and peace was restored between the two friends.

YOU BE THE JUDGE!

THE ART OF DECEPTION

Steven is an owner of a residential building complex. By contract, a tenant who wishes to rent in the luxury building is required to prepay a year in advance at the time of signing. Gary, an old friend of Steven’s, showed interest in one of the smaller apartments in the building. Steven quoted Gary the price of $3,800 for the apartment and Gary rejected the offer as the price seemed exorbitant. Steven then showed Gary a larger apartment he had just rented out on the floor below for the whopping sum of $4,500. Steven explained to Gary that based on the larger apartment’s square footage the going rate for his apartment is at least $3,800. Gary was convinced, he signed and prepaid the first year of his two-year contract. A short time thereafter Gary spoke with the tenant on the floor below and inquired about the size and cost of his rental. The tenant told Gary that he was paying $3,800 for his apartment, which was clearly larger than Gary’s. Gary confronted Steven and demanded his money back claiming that the apartment was rented to him under false pretenses. Steven dismissed Gary’s claim with the wave of a hand, defending his position by claiming that the contract made no mention of any contingencies or considerations regarding the $3,800 cost of rent. He added that he did not necessarily recall the exact figure he told Gary regarding the larger apartment. Furthermore, Steven explained that the larger apartment was indeed valued at $4,500 in the market. Gary contested and refused to be a victim of deception.

IS GARY ENTITLED TO BREACH HIS CONTRACT? IS HE ENTITLED TO HIS MONEY BACK?

HOW SHOULD THE BET DIN RULE AND WHY?

From the Files of the Mitzvah Man – Hashem Always Picks The Right Tickets For Us All

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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From the Files of the Mitzvah Man – Hashem Always Picks The Right Tickets For Us All

This story occurred four years ago at a Mitzvah Man Organization Chinese Auction. A few days before the scheduled Chinese Auction. Mr. A. Called the Mitzvah Man hotline. Mr. A. told the Mitzvah Man that he is deeply in and desperately needs $8,000. The Mitzvah Man answered very apologetically that the organization does not give out money.

At the auction, Ralph, one of the volunteers who knew Mr. A., decided to buy a ticket for the Split the Pot on the day of the auction was $18,000!

Thousands of tickets were in the bin when Ralph bought one $15 ticket for Mr. A. Ralph wrote “Sarah” on the ticket, which was the name of Mr. A.’s wife.

After all the Chinese Auction prizes were awarded, the finale of the evening was the choosing of the winner of the Split the Pot raffle. The host of the auction asked his 10-years-old daughter Rachel to choose the winning ticket. Remember, this ticket was one of thousands.

The Mitzvah Man said to Rachel in front of the remaining 50 onlookers, “We want you to make a public announcement saying the following, ‘Hashem, please help me pick the winning ticket for the family that needs it the most.'”

After Rachel made the announcement, she closed her eyes, reached into the bin, and choose the ticket. She read the name SARAH loud and clear. This was the ticket that was bought for Mr. A.’s struggling family.

The representative of the Mitzvah Man organization joyfully brought over the $8,000 to Mr. A., who had requested financial help only a few days earlier.

HASHEM ALWAYS PICKS THE WINNING TICKETS FOR US ALL!

www.mitzvah-man.org or call 866-355-1825

New Science Textbooks Put Hashem in the Picture

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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New Science Textbooks Put Hashem in the Picture

MACHLA ABRAMOVITZ

A buzz is in the air. Middle schoolers at Jewish schools and yeshivot such as YDE, Mekor Haim, Ateret Torah, Yeshivat Shaare Torah, and Ahi Ezer have become super excited over the past four years about one particular subject. These students come home quoting the Rambam and the Chovot HaLevavot and they seem more engaged with and aware of their natural environment.

This class is not a hashkafa class, at least not in the traditional sense, although its lessons are packed with Torah teachings. Rather, this is a science class taught not as part of their limudei Kodesh curriculum but in their secular studies program.

Science Textbooks Like No Others

If you have middle schoolers, you will also notice your children enthusiastically waving – or incredibly reading – a rather unique-looking textbook unlike any you may have seen before. For one, it is small and thin, is very colorful, and is packed with photos and illustrations. Secondly, unlike the standard Pearson texts for natural sciences (which are studied in most middle schools, and your older children probably used more as a paperweight than for examining its content), these textbooks are fun to read and bring a smile to children’s faces. And not only the children are enamored, teachers and rebbes are, too!

Despite the enticing format, these are texts to be taken seriously. They contain all the requisite information and complex designations children need to know to pass their exams, such as what are hyphae (hy-fee) and mycelia (my-see-lee-uh). But in these textbooks, the words are not intimidating. Instead, they pop out above or below cleverly designed illustrations, tickling children’s fancies. More than pictures, though, the writing is not boring; it excites and stimulates the imagination. It also tells stories about the natural environment, expanding children’s knowledge base using words and ideas that speak to them in a language with which they are familiar and comfortable.

Your children and their classmates are not alone in experiencing this phenomenon: In over 120 schools in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, more than 10,000 sixth to eighth graders are similarly engaged. And no wonder. These texts represent the culmination of twenty years of perseverance and four intensive years of actual work. Quite a feat for author Rabbi Yaakov Lubin, 42, a science enthusiast and “a big kid” at heart. As he puts it, “It took me 20 years to write the first book [Fundamentals of Life Science] in one-and-a-half years.”

It also took the insight and initiative of Yeshivat Mekor Haim’s Rosh

Yeshiva Rabbi Yosef Ozeri and its General Studies Principal Rabbi Eli Sultan. They watched Rabbi Lubin’s presentation to the Sephardic schools introducing his science program and they enthusiastically endorsed his unique endeavor – writing and creating a science textbook that combined high secular standards with a Torah perspective.

The Author’s Journey

From an early age, the Ft. Lauderdale resident gravitated towards studying the sciences. Becoming religious added a profound dimension to his understanding and appreciation of the natural world. Subsequently, the Rambam’s famous words spoke directly to his neshama: “When a person contemplates His wondrous and great deeds and creations … he will immediately love and praise Him, yearning with tremendous desire to know [Gd’s] great name” (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:2).

For Rabbi Lubin, studying science was simply a means towards seeing Gd within science.

He was 23 years of age and attending the Weizmann Institute of Technology in Rechovot when the budding talmid hacham and scientist first recognized the need for science textbooks for religious students. “The only science textbooks used in yeshivot and Bet Yaakov’s in Israel and the United States didn’t have religious hashkafot,” he recalls.

Rabbi Lubin does not understand why nobody else thought of addressing this pressing need before, given that the issue was around for over fifty years when governments began pressuring yeshivot to teach their students science-based curriculums.

However, it wasn’t until twelve years later that Rabbi Lubin attempted to design a science textbook for religious students. Meanwhile, he had dropped out of the Weizmann Institute, married, received smicha, and dedicated himself to learning Torah full time at Kolel Toldos Moshe Yitzchak in Yerushalayim.

All the while, his dream of producing such a textbook continued to percolate. But how could he combine his passion for Torah and science to create a text that spoke directly to religious students?

Rabbi Lubin’s expertise was in biology, earth sciences, and astronomy. He decided to embark on his first project by creating a biology textbook for religious high school students. The project proved much more complicated than he anticipated. This first attempt, which he named “Exploring the Wonders of Creation,” flopped.

“Nobody wanted to publish it,” he recalls with a laugh.

Not only was the book too academic, but Rabbi Lubin’s writing was not yet on a high level.

Regardless, he did not give up.

Website Leads to Author’s Focus on Writing for Students

Rabbi Lubin giving a video presentation to elementary students.

Instead, the now father of eight and Beitar resident started a website titled “Our Wondrous World.” This time, Rabbi Lubin geared his short essays for the ordinary person who knew little about science. Slowly, slowly his mailing list grew. A while later, Junior Mishpacha editor Libby Teschler approached Rabbi Lubin, impressed with the content of his articles. She saw in them the potential for a monthly column for her magazine. But how was Rabbi Lubin to write about scientific information for children? It requires a skill that, fortunately, can be acquired. Two years of monthly columns under the patient guidance of Mrs. Teschler did the trick. He started reinterpreting science in a brand-new way. So now, from his newly developed vantage point, fungi (mushrooms) were not merely eukaryotic organisms but Hashem’s garbagemen that clean up the planet, making it habitable for people and animals alike.

At the same time, Rabbi Lubin started teaching high school biology at the Yerushalayim Torah Academy for American olim. “I designed courses, which provided me with a structure.”

It also brought him in direct contact with students, which confirmed his gut feelings.

“What I discovered was that many students couldn’t even read the standard science textbooks. They were way over their heads. And, that they hate learning science if taught from traditional textbooks, but love learning science if taught to them in a meaningful way.”

Aha! Fun and Informative Science Teaching Is Born

Suddenly, a distinct image of the textbooks Rabbi Lubin wanted to write materialized in his mind’s eye. These books would fuse the joy and excitement of science captured in his monthly articles with the educational content teachers must convey. In other words, the textbooks would be a cross between a Mishpacha article and a heavy-duty traditional textbook. “I wanted them to be fun, exciting, and cool. But at the same time filled with the information they needed to learn.”

Creating that fusion was quite a challenge, but this time he felt up to the task.

And the task he assigned for himself was immense. This textbook was but a by-product of a much larger project, which was creating the Jewish Center for Science, a non-profit that provides religious Jews with the resources needed to explore the wonders of the world safely and from a place of comfort. Why dream small when you can dream big?

Armed with a professionally produced audiovisual presentation that he called Borchi Nafshi, Rabbi Lubin began publicizing his program to middle schools, which proved a phenomenal success. Financial partner Andrew Sossin from Hollywood, Florida, then introduced him to Mark Dwek from NY, who, in turn, connected Rabbi Lubin to many of the rabbis in charge of Sephardic schools, including Rabbi Yosef Ozeri.

“Rabbi Yosef was so excited about my writing a science textbook from a Torah perspective that he asked me to prepare a chapter and, if good, he promised to help raise funds to finance the text.”

Team Effort Goes into First Textbook

Rabbi Lubin filming ‘Tour of the Kennedy Space Center.’

Rabbi Lubin produced the finished chapter on fungi, as Hashem’s little cleaners fascinate him. He showed the sample chapter to oncologist Dr. Joseph Safdie. Genuinely impressed, Dr. Safdie referred it to Rabbi Eli Sultan and other general studies educators for their opinions. Designing the text became a team effort.

“There was a lot of input to make sure that the textbook would be a first-class production and that the parents would be happy with it,” Rabbi Lubin says.

They started with grade six.

“I used the NY State core curriculum standard as my base of information. I also referenced other texts but rewrote everything. I didn’t want it to be a kosher version of the Pearson textbook. Those texts aren’t educating kids; they are boring them.”

On an airboat for his upcoming film about the Florida Everglades.

Rabbi Lubin also went much further. Not only did he include a slew of fabulous pictures and illustrations, but he also added a repertoire of teachers’ aids and resources that included tests and dynamic PowerPoint presentations. “When I gave my school presentations, I noticed that the kids loved the videos. So, I included a series of educational videos for teachers to use so the kids could see all this awesome stuff come to life.”

Rabbi Lubin also stepped out of the box in choosing an editor with no scientific background whatsoever. “She would read the script and tell me, ‘I don’t know what you’re saying here. What does this mean?’ I knew that if she, a university graduate, didn’t understand what I wrote, how could I expect sixth graders to understand it?”

In Iceland while producing “Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice.”

His second textbook, Anatomy and Physiology, was written with the guidance of Drs. Isaac and Ralph Madeb, and Dr. Safdieh, the three of whom comprised Dr. Lubin’s advisory board. These prominent physicians gave his textbook much-needed credibility by ensuring that it measured up to the highest standards. Dr. Isaac Madeb was so convinced of the book’s value that he sponsored its publication.

Rabbi Lubin has now completed his third book for eighth graders on physics, chemistry, science, and astronomy, which just hit the schools.

Textbooks’ Wide Appeal

Not only Sephardic children are benefitting from these texts; they appeal to religious schools of all types. In fact, Rav Ahron Feldman, Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisroel Baltimore, was so enthused that he readily added his haskamah to the book.

Moreover, he also asked Rabbi Lubin to include an explanation of how the thought processes of the Talmud leading to a halachic psak mirror the scientific method in the sixth-grade book’s introduction.

Many Chassidic yeshivot who never had science books before also use Rabbi Lubin’s textbooks. He has had numerous requests to translate them into Yiddish.

Why are these texts so successful? “It’s the style of writing. They’re easy to read; you don’t have to be really smart to read the book from cover to cover. And, of course, the ruchnius element guides the readers throughout the books. It’s hard to convince children to learn something that they feel doesn’t apply to them. But if you change the focus away from pure science to Niflaos Ha’boreh (the wonders of Hashem), it’s an entirely different discipline,” Rabbi Lubin explains.

Meanwhile, our roving scientist and talmid hacham, a tripod resting on his shoulder, continues his quest to integrate science and ruchniut. Before Covid hit, he pursued yet another dream to produce documentaries combining these two elements. For his first film, he flew to Iceland, where he shot “The Land of Fire and Ice,” available at https://jewishcenterforscience.com/.

He also made a film about the Amazon and has since put out two films about space, including a tour of the Kennedy Space Center. NASA allowed Rabbi Lubin to shoot his documentary before the Center opened to create a better experience.

What Is Up Next?

Rabbi Lubin hopes to eventually bring viewers along with him virtually on a safari in Africa, a visit to China, and other fascinating places on earth and beyond.

His plans, though, do not stop there. Rabbi Lubin envisions creating a portable science museum with a planetarium and 3D theater, circulating in North American schools. Children will get the opportunity to wear 3D Virtual reality goggles to have “incredible experiences.”

The universe is vast, and middle schoolers – and all us kids at heart – are fortunate that for Rabbi Yaakov Lubin, the possibilities of glorifying Hashem’s name through His creation remain endless.