A cynic once commented that a commentary to Tanach can either be beautiful or faithful to the text but not both. While this statement is not entirely true it does capture the challenge faced by those who deliver Tanach Shiurim. Our listeners, on the one hand, demand our Shiurim represent an authentic approach to the learning. On the other hand, they expect the Shiurim to be beautiful and inspiring and that they emerge with a message that elevates them and enhances their lives as Jews. The constant struggle and challenge faced by Torah educators is the never-ending pursuit of Shiurim that succeed in being both faithful and beautiful.
There is one more ingredient to a successful Shiur. Chazal teach that “Ein Beit Midrash Bli Chiddush”, proper Torah learning includes novel approaches and ideas. In other words, for a Shiur to be successful, the Maggid Shiur must not simply repeat what was said by others. He must inject his own personality and insights into the learning.
The recipe for a successful Shiur is therefore hours of preparation and deep thought. It does not matter how many years one has delivered a Shiur on a particular topic. In order for compelling learning to emerge, enormous effort must be invested. Only with maximum effort and the support of Hashem can success be achieved, in line with the Gemara’s (Megilla 6b) teaching Yagata Umatzata Ta’amin (effort and success go hand in hand).
I have been privileged to teach Sefer Daniel no less than five times at Torah Academy of Bergen County. The students’ relentless questioning, high expectations, and brilliant insights have created a very high bar for which I have invested my all to satisfy. The book we present to our readers “Opportunity in Exile” is the product of the thousands of hours of hard work, deep thinking and intense davening invested to create beautiful and faithful interpretations of Sefer Daniel. I hope it will inspire Jews throughout the world to appreciate the majesty of Sefer Daniel and the treasures that are just waiting to be revealed and discovered. In particular, I hope it will help Rabbanim and Mechanchim in their quest to deliver inspiring and compelling Shiurim on Sefer Daniel to their congregants and Talmidim.
The Gilad and Amar family are critical to the creation of this book. Avi Gilad zt”l was the first to encourage me to think out-of-the-box and to teach Sefer Daniel to high school students. His idea was very on target and has led to great success in the Beit Midrash and classroom. It has even created compelling and very enjoyable learning through the difficulty of isolation during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Avi’s wife Ruth and children Rebecca, Erez, Leah, Yosef, David, and Yoni have completed the task by enabling us to bring our success in learning to the entire Torah loving world.
James Gershfield, in his dedicated and punctilious style, has elevated my writings on Sefer Daniel into the high-quality work that “Opportunity in Exile” has become. I am grateful for his important contribution.
Many TABC students and alumni are cited in this volume. It is such a pleasure and honor to cite the insights of so many students, especially from the past three years. I thank all of them for partnering in the most noble pursuit in life – to be able to extract the lessons Hashem is expressing in His holy Torah.
I thank Rav Yosef Adler, Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Academy and Rav of Congregation Rinat Yisrael for his constant encouragement over the past twenty-six years at TABC. Torah Academy’s Head of School Rav Shlomo Adelman is due an enormous debt of gratitude for his unending kindness and support.
The breakfast table in the Torah Academy faculty lounge is a treasure of our Yeshiva. I can always rely on a significant discussion amongst the Rebbeim concerning the issues in Sefer Daniel which yields invaluable and enriching insights. I thank my wonderful colleagues for providing such a spiritually nourishing environment.
I thank Hashem for the privilege of serving as the Rav of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. The formal and informal Torah discussions at Shaarei Orah are among my sweetest memories. May Hashem continue to send us many more years of beautiful Tefillah, Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim together. Special thank you to Heidi and Jack Varon for serving for so many years as the dedicated pillars of this wonderful Kehillah.
I thank Rav Elazar Meyer Teitz, the Av Beit Din of Elizabeth, for adopting me into his family and allowing me to serve as a Dayan with the Beth Din of Elizabeth since 1993. With Rav Teitz’ wise guidance the Beth Din of Elizabeth has flourished and achieved a stellar international reputation for balancing uncompromised fidelity to Halacha and sensitivity to human needs with its work in the fields of Get and Eruv administration.
I thank my wife Malca for providing a loving and happy environment in our house. She is the source of the happiness and joy of our home where our children (and in-law child) Bracha, Yisroel, Binyamin, Chaya Ziporah, Atara and Hillel grow and flourish with Hashem’s help. May our grandson Shmuel David follow in his parents’ Bracha and Yisroel’s wonderful path! My many Shiurim and writings easily flow in abundance due to the joyful environment Malca has created in our home. The accolade Rabi Akiva bestowed upon his family “Sheli VeShelachem Shelah Hi,” “my learning and your learning is all due to her”, applies at least in equal measure to Malca.
May this work serve Le’ilui Nishmat, to elevate the souls of my parents Ben and Shirley Jachter a”h. Although they never had the opportunity to know their daughter-in-law Malca, grandchildren and great grandchild, I am certain that they would have been enormously pleased with their complete dedication to Torah and high-quality character.
May this work serve Le’ilui Nishmat my father-in-law Rav Shmuel Tokayer zt”l and a source of comfort and support to my dedicated mother-in-law Mrs. Chana Tokayer. May Hashem extend her much Bracha and great support and kindness as she extends great support and kindness to all of her children and grandchildren.
Most of all, I thank Hashem for fulfilling my dreams to be blessed with a loving spouse and children, and to spend a life immersed in Kedushah, holy projects. As a young man I dreamed of teaching Torah to teenagers, leading a friendly and warm Kehillah, contributing to Am Yisrael as a Dayan and publishing valued works of Torah. Thank you, Hashem, for transforming all of these aspirations into reality. Thank you, Hashem, for facilitating such a large and loyal readership, way beyond any dreams I harbored. “Mah Ashiv LaHashem Kol Tagmulohi Alai”, I am overwhelmed with the enormous gratitude to which I owe our Creator (Tehillim 116:12). May it be His Will to continue bestowing all these blessings for many decades to come.
Chaim Jachter
16 Menachem Av 5781
Teaneck, New Jersey