Click on image to hear Rabbi Weinstock's Shiur from this week.

SUPPORT GROWTH

Dear Friends,

We would like to gratefully acknowledge the tremendous support that you have given LINK over the past 22 years as the Kollel has grown from its humble beginnings in Westwood to being the powerhouse of Torah that it is today. Without your partnership and your confidence in our abilities to inspire Jews of all ages with passionate Torah study, we could never have done it. 

Once again this year, we will be having our Pledje Crowdfunding campaign, this coming Tuesday December 3rd at 10am until Wednesday December 4th at 10pm. Every dollar donated will be matched. We have already raised $750,000 from our major donors and we are turning to the community at large for your generous support in raising another $750,000 for a grand total of $1.5 million. 

Let us reflect for a moment on the uniqueness of the LINK Kollel. Every day from 6am to 11pm, we have a most unique combination that can be found under one roof. We have children (even pre-Bar Mitzvah boys twice a week), teenagers, college students, young professionals, middle-aged, and senior- aged Jews from literally all walks of life: Sefardim, Ashkenazim, those Frum from birth, and those just starting their journey. We have an active learning program for young women as well.

When one walks into the LINK Beis Medrash on any given evening, he is struck by the sheer excitement and passion that reverberates throughout the room. Our Avreichim are learning with a breathtaking assortment of Jews - some who are studying Torah for the first time, some who have come back to it after an absence of many years and some who never missed a day of serous Torah learning in their life

Our eclectic group of Avreichim are brimming with Torah knowledge and excited to be giving it over in a warm, non-judgmental manner. At the very same time - for many hours a day - these same Avreichim are learning Shas and Shulchan Aruch on a deep and profound level under the expert tutelage of our Rosh Kollel, Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar. They are training to become the future Rabbanim, Rebbeim, Dayanim, and Poskim of Klal Yisroel in Los Angeles.

Your generous gift to LINK is literally inspiring hundreds of Jews every week to strengthen their commitment to Torah and Mitzvos, each in his or her own way. Please go to pledje.com/link25 to make your donation before 10pm Wednesday, December 4th. We thank you in advance for your continued confidence and support of our unique institution!

In profound gratitude,

Rabbi Brander

Rabbi Lebhar

Rabbi Stern

Rabbi Brull

Rabbi Eliezer Gross Gives Legal Holiday Shiur at LINK Kollel

Rav Eliezer Gross, the venerable Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Los Angeles, gave a masterful shiur at the LINK Kollel on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 28th. The shiur was presented by the Kollel's Halacha Institute as part of its regular legal Holiday series. 

Rabbi Gross, who first came to LA with the inaugural group of Avreichim that founded Kollel Los Angeles in 1975 (under the leadership of Rav Chaim Fasman, ZT"L), has been the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah for over 40 years. The shiur was on the somewhat esoteric topic of "Ribui B'Shiurim." This refers to a situation where one is permitted to do Melacha on Shabbos for a person whose life is in danger (e.g. cooking or carrying). The question is may one add another piece of meat to the pot that he is cooking for the sick person or add another item in a bag that is being brought to the sick person?

Rabbi Gross began his shiur with a fascinating shailah that was presented to the Chafetz Chaim in the late 1800s in Russia. This shailah goes to the heart of the question of Ribui B'Shiurim. As is well known, the Czar's secret police would grab young Jewish boys (some as young as 10) and forcibly conscript them to the Czar's army for a 30-year enlistment. The question that arose was are these young men allowed to carry their Tefilin with them on Shabbos while they were on the march. They for sure needed to carry their weapons because of Pikuach Nefesh (their lives were endangered); could they carry their Tefilin with them at the same time since they would not be able to retrieve them after Shabbos as the army was always on the go. Would it make a difference if they were both put in the same duffle bag when carrying them or was that no better than carrying them separately? 

To answer this shailah, the Chafetz Chaim references the dispute amongst the Rishonim about whether Ribui B'Shiurim is a Torah or a Rabbinic prohibition. The Ran held it was a Torah prohibition and the Rashba argued that it was only Rabbinic. The Chafetz Chaim proceeds from the premise that the main opinion is that of the Rashba and then found several Halachic reasons why carrying the Tefilin would be permissible.

The bottom line of the Chafetz Chaim's argument is that the source of any prohibition on Shabbos is the actual act of the Melacha itself and not its outcome. If both items were placed in the same receptacle and then carried, there is no separate prohibition on the "non- Pikuach Nefesh" item. Likewise, if two pieces of meat were being cooked

at the same time in the same pot, argues the Chafetz Chaim, there is no separate prohibition on the second piece of meat that is not needed for the sick person. This is true even though at the end of the day a piece of meat has been cooked for a "non-Pikuach Nefesh" purpose and an item has been carried for a non-lifesaving purpose. Under the dire circumstances of life for a Jew in the Czar's army, the Chafetz Chaim said there was enough Halachic grounds to permit the carrying of the Tefillin on Shabbos, especially since the alternative would be tantamount to severing that young man's lifeline to Yiddishkeit. 

The attendees at the shiur (who were using their day off for advanced Torah study) were greatly impressed by both the lucidity of Rabbi Gross' presentation and his ability to present complex yeshiva-style “lomdis” to a lay audience.

Cheshvan 25 / November 25-26, 2024

Monday Night - Tuesday

Learning dedicated by

The Pritikin Family

In Yahrzeit Memory of their dear Mother

Yehudis Nechama bas Hirsh, A”H

GIVE THE GREATEST GIFT:

The Merit of 18 Hours Of Continuous Torah Study!

Whether for a family member, a friend or oneself, the merit that accrues from sponsoring a whole day and night of Torah learning at LINK (dozens of chavrusos and class participants) is priceless.

$613 FOR A FULL DAY AND NIGHT

$360 FOR A HALF DAY

Invoke The Merit Of A Day's Learning for the elevation of a loved one's soul on a Yahrzeit, a Refuah Shleimah for those who are ill, Parnasah for those in need, success with finding a Shidduch or in bearing children, assistance in overcoming personal challenges, and blessings on a birthday. The name you submit will be prominently posted in our Beis Medrash and be on the lips of our Rabbis.

Please contact Mrs. Sarah Amar at 310-470-5465 or office@linkla.org

To sponsor a day of learning visit linkla.org/Parnas-Hayom or email link@linkla.org 

DEADLINE TODAY (FRIDAY) AT NOON FOR CLEARING COAT RACK!

With the advent of the cool and rainy weather, we respectfully request that people remove any items they may have inadvertently left hanging on the coat rack by noon on Friday,  November 29. After that, any remaining items will be placed in Rabbi Stern's office. This will allow our fellow attendees ample space to hang up their coats while learning and davening at LINK. Thank you in advance for your understanding consideration.

EARLY START TO SHABBOS MORNING DAVENING

Once again, we will be starting davening early this Shabbos, at 8:25am, in order to finish Krias Shema by the latest time, 9:11am. P’sukei D’zimra will conclude around 8:55 and davening will end around 10:50am.

KIDDUSH

Sponsored by Aaron & Tziporah Levy in honor of the birth of their baby girl, Rivka Dina. May they merit to raise her to a [ben] Torah, Chuppah, and Ma’asim Tovim!

ANSWER THE CALL OF THE HOUR – THIS WEEK - DEC 3-4

Please respond generously to our annual campaign to help LINK thrive in our mission of inspiring Jews from all walks of life through the transformative power of Limud HaTorah.  PLEDJE.COM/LINK25

CHANGE OF SEASON

This coming Wednesday night, December 4th, is when we began to add the phrase “V’Sein Tal U’Matar L’Vracha” in the Bracha of Boreich Aleinu in the Maariv Shemoneh Esrei. If omitted, it can be inserted in the Bracha of “Shema Koleinu.”

SHABBOS MEVORCHIM

This is Shabbos Mevorchim Chodesh Kislev. Rosh Chodesh is Sunday and Monday (davening times remain the same). There is an interesting dispute amongst the Halachic authorities when Rosh Chodesh begins on a Motzei Shabbos. The issue arises because people often continue eating Shalosh Seudos until after dark and then bentch, but if Rosh Chodesh has already begun, does one say Yaale V’Yavo in the bentching? Or do we say that that would be a contradiction in terms because we still say R’tzei as it is still Shabbos. The consensus is that we only say. R’tzei. However, the Mishnah Berurah feels we should try to avoid the Shailah altogether by not eating bread after the onset of twilight (about 13 minutes after sunset in LA). On the other hand, Reb Moshe Feinstein, ZT”L feels that there is no problem in eating bread as long as one is still in the middle of their Shalosh Seudos meal and still they would only say R’tzei in bentching.

MAZEL TOV

Mazal Tov to Mrs. Donna Graubard upon the birth of a new grandson on Shabbos to her children Tzvi & Sorah Graubard! The bris will be IY”H on Shabbos in La Brea. May they merit to make the Bris on time! May the parents merit raising their new son to a life of Torah, Chuppah and Ma’asim Tovim!

Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Dina Ram on the marriage of their son Shimon to Sarah Ambelou in Monsey, NY this past Sunday! May they merit to build a Bayis Ne’eman B’Yisroel!

Mazel Tov Rabbi and Mrs. Aryeh Markman on the marriage of their daughter Basia to Yitzchak Elchanan Stein this past Tuesday night in Lakewood. May they merit to build a Bayis Ne’eman B’Yisroel! 

Friendly Reminders for Shabbos Morning Children’s Groups

1. Parent(s) MUST remain in the LINK building for the entire duration of the time that they leave their children at Shabbos Groups. 

2. For everyone's safety as well as for our congregants’ ability to be to daven with kavanah, please make sure that your child is either in their designated group or in the shul sanctuary supervised by you. We cannot have children roaming the hallways, or running in and out of the sanctuary, kitchen or classrooms.

3. As soon as davening ends, please go to your child's group and pick them up from the designated room.

The above rules will be strictly enforced

YOUTH SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Partner with the Youth Department to help make our exciting programs even more special by dedicating them in honor/memory of someone:

 Torah Tuesday & Thursday Learning program

 Shabbos Teen minyan

 Shabbos Groups

For more information on sponsoring any of these events email

office@linkla.org