Nourishment for the Neshama

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits - Purim, Pesach and Interpersonal Relationships

2010-02-25T14:23:00Z

Purim:

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits - Purim and Interpersonal Relationships from Jerusalem Kollel on Vimeo.

Pesach:

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits - Pesach and Interpersonal Relationships from Jerusalem Kollel on Vimeo.

On Preparing for Purim, Inspiration Towards Ruchnius

2010-02-18T17:26:00Z

My father used to tell the story of the young man who killed his parents and then pleaded for mercy to the court because he was an orphan. I am reminded of this as we approach Purim and Pesach this year, with threats of nuclear destruction, terrible anti-semitism, huge financial losses, the shidduch crises and so much more that bears down on us. We plead before Hashem for mercy but, like the man who killed his parents and pleaded as an orphan, are we responsible for our situation?

Let’s look at a few questions:

1.   Are we looking at ourselves as souls in bodies or has our soul and its mission taken a back seat to more practical considerations?
2.   Does the wisdom that mankind has acquired provide the answers we need to solve our dilemmas?
3.   What can we do to improve our chances for mercy?

Are we looking at ourselves as souls in bodies or has our soul and its mission taken a back seat to more practical considerations?
Perhaps from time to time we realize we have a soul, but with our busy schedules and mortgages and tuitions, we are running all day to survive. And, we tell ourselves that because we are raising our families with Torah education, then everything we doing becomes spiritual for that significant goal. And there is truth to that. However, our souls themselves languish – where are we finding the greatest pleasure? Are the pleasures that we are experiencing the joy of connection to Hashem, of serving Him, or is what is bringing us happiness and pleasure something in this world – proper social circles, the benefits that Hashem bestows upon us so that we may do our missions, vacations, cars, or, chas v’shalom, our aveirahs that we forgive ourselves for because of “all we do” for the sake of Hashem? One thing that is apparent from the life of Reb Noach Weinberg zt’’l is that a person can experience great joy and sense of mission through loving Hashem, from taking the time each day to want to feel Hashem’s will. Reb Noach Weinberg zt’’l would contemplate ten minutes a day crying out to Hashem to help him want to bring back all the Jewish people who have wandered off. To see Reb Noach come to tears about this makes visible an ahavas Hashem that we can only aspire to. In Micah, it says, “What does Hashem want from us, do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Hashem.” We are not here to build empires and fortunes. We are here to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with Hashem. In truth, Hashem does everthing else. Our choice is whether we shall be just, kind, and humbly connected. And this must be our primary choice, not secondary. We must shift to this. Doing so will bring ahavas yisrael, the glue needed to re-create Klal Yisrael, to re-connect every Jew so that the Shechina can attach once again to Klal Yisrael and redeem us and bring the Bais HaMikdosh.

Does the wisdom that mankind has acquired provide the answers we need to solve our dilemmas?
Just pick up the papers. Mankind’s best has been overwhelmed in every headline, be it humanitarian aid to Haiti, stopping airplane bombers from boarding, solving health care reform, repairing the economy, H1N1 production, stopping nuclear threats, winning a war against hoodlums in the poorest country in the world and much much more. Dear readers, mankind’s collective intellect is teeny. Puny. Remember what Rashi said, that the amount of Torah that he knows in relation to the amount of Torah there is to learn is less than a thumbnail. And that is Rashi, one of the greatest Torah scholars ever whose words we embrace and through whom we understand the Torah that we have today. We are ants. There is a far greater intelligence in the world. Knowing this is the beginning of true wisdom. We cannot know what we need to in order to solve our problems. Hashem is running everything and it is time that we view ourselves in this proper context. When we go to a surgeon and he does everything he can, we all know the result is in Hashem’s hands. We don’t know very much at all.

Jewishly, we have many different groupings. But the Jewish people were twelve tribes. No one tribe can bring out all the facets of Hashem that the Jewish people can collectively. It is for us to embrace and respect the wisdom of each Torah observant community, for neither our wisdom, nor theirs, is supreme. We represent portions of Torah and can only be whole when Hashem sees us together, as a diamond, one soul.

What can we do to improve our chances for mercy?
The first step is to be open to the possibility that there is a far greater intelligence in the world that is running things. This should bring great peace of mind. The second step is to choose to do things that are pleasing to Hashem, that are consistent with His will as stated in Torah. In order to do so, we must rise above our natural physical selves, setting aside “the best” of what mankind knows to do should it be in contrast to Hashem’s will. We are one body with many limbs and organs, ONE SOUL. We must recognize that we are one with every Jew. We don’t have to like what they do or even feel a likability for them but we do have to treat each other with love and respect in thought, word and deed.

The hardest time to see ourselves as connected and unified is when our feelings and our judgments are negative toward each other, based on our intelligence. But this is THE time and occasion where we are being called upon to demonstrate ahavas Hashem and humility. Know that we do not know what is in another’s mind. Know that we are being judged based on our judgment of others. Know that the groupings that are natural to physicality go beyond what Hashem permits when hatreds form – we are different but all alike at the same time, alike in our connection to each other through our connection to Hashem. Just as a glass of water with a drop of tea in it becomes all colored by the tea, so do the Jewish people become affected by feelings of hatred one to another. It is futile and self-destructive.

Ahavas Yisrael requires that we speak well of our fellow Jew, respect our fellow Jews, look after their needs and do teshuva on past failures in these areas. We must take that seriously right now, as we approach Purim when we did teshuva and were saved because of it and Pesach, the season of our redemption.

Each one of us can make a difference. Think of someone with whom there may be distance and reach out to make amends. Soon, when the Moshiach comes (may it be today) you will be so glad that you did!

Mr. Grossman's Last Words were "Ahavas Yisrael" - Something for Men and Women!

2010-02-17T18:57:26Z

HILCHOS BEIN ADOM LÂ'CHAVERO EMAIL LEARNING LAUNCHED IN WAKE OF GROSSMAN
EXECUTION

Tremendous Achdus Generated; Condemned Man's Last Words Were 'Ahavas
Yisroel'

On February 16, 2010, Martin Grossman was executed by the State of Florida.

In the weeks preceding the execution, there was a remarkable outpouring of
support from Jews around the world. Jewish people of every 'label' and
stripe participated in the struggle to save Martin's life. Unfortunately,
all the efforts to save Martin's life were unsuccessful. On the morning
after his tragic death, what can we do to hold on to the tremendous
inspiration that this campaign engendered?

The demonstration of ahavas Yisrael and achdus was phenomenal. Indeed, Mr.
Grossman's final words were "… Ahavas Yisrael!

It is seems obvious that Klal Yisrael should strengthen itself in ahavas
Yisrael and Bein Adom L'Chavero. The Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed due to
Sinas Chinam, and averos Bein Adom L'Chavero. Certainly, an effort to
strengthen ahavas Yisrael will hasten the coming of Mashiach and the
rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdosh.

Towards this end, Linas HaTzedek: The Center for Jewish Values announces an
important new program. Today, the very day after Martin Grossman's
unfortunate death, the Center is launching a worldwide email list with a
daily learning portion of Hilchos Bein Adom L'Chavero. Participation will be
completely free. Subscribers will receive short daily emails on Hilchos Bein
Adom L'Chavero.

The material will be based on The Code of Jewish Conduct, an English guide
to Hilchos Bein Adom L'Chavero, written by Rav Yitzchak Silver under the
Center's auspices. It will also be possible to receive a Hebrew version,
from Rav SilverÂ's Sefer Mishpatei HaShalom.

Click here to sign up for the Daily Hilchos Bein Adom L'Chavero.

May this program be a zechus for the neshama of Michoel Yechiel ben Avrohom
a"h.

Linas HaTzedek: The Center for Jewish Values was founded in 5761/2001. The
organization's programs include: The Linas HaTzedek Kollel Network, an
international group of Kollelim which study Bein Adom L'Chavero in depth;
publication of Bein Adom L'Chavero materials for varied audiences in both
Hebrew and English; shiurim and learning programs across the globe. Rabbi
Yitzchak Berkovits, a world-renowned expert on Bein Adom L'Chavero, serves
as Dean and Rosh haKollelim.

Women: Please start an Ahavas Yisrael Chabura - go to www.ayproject.com and join (free) to get the materials and videos

Tefillos for Mr. Grossman - seemingly unanswered Prayers

2010-02-17T15:34:59Z

The following appeared in Hakhel Community Email

3 Adar 5770

Special Note One: Based upon all of the tefillos and hishtadlus of the tens
of thousands of individuals and dedicated tzibbur the world over, it would
seem to have been Derech HaTeva for Michoel Yechiel GrossmanÂ's aÂ'h life to
have been spared--at least for now. Hashem, for reasons known only to Him
did not will it, and the unworthy puppets below performed. To put matters
in further perspective, for those who did not immediately turn there for
guidance, we reprint below Day 77 in the daily program of Praying With Fire
the monumental work by Rabbi Heshy Kleinman, Shlita (Artscroll, footnotes
have been omitted):

"Sometimes, unfortunately, despite sincere prayers, a seriously ill family
member or close acquaintance passes away. There is a natural tendency in
such a situation to feel that one's prayers were for naught. However,
according to the Steipler Gaon, comfort should be drawn from the knowledge
that our prayers do have a significant effect; the prayers remain a source
of merit because through them, Heavenly compassion was aroused. These
merits will stand by the departed in the World to Come and may also protect
their children in the future.

"These prayers may also bring salvation to other individuals and to the
community as a whole. At the End of Days, when all will be revealed, we
will see the redeeming power of each and every tefillah that has ever been
prayed.

"When Rav Shneur Kotler, Rosh Yeshivah of Beis Medrash Gavoha of Lakewood,
was suffering from his terminal illness, a group of his students and
admirers journeyed to Bnei Brak, Israel, to implore the Steipler Gaon to
intensify his prayers on Rav Shneur's behalf. They confided to the Steipler
that they were discouraged because prayers were pouring from tens of
thousands of Jewish hearts, yet the Rosh Yeshivah's condition continued to
decline.

"The Steipler responded, 'Do not be dismayed. There is no such thing as a
sincere prayer that goes unanswered. Any heartfelt request addressed to G-d
must be answered. It cannot be otherwise. If it is not answered today it
will be answered tomorrow. If not tomorrow it will be answered in a week.
If not in a week, in a month. If not answered in a month, it may be
answered in a year, or in ten years, or in one hundred years or more. If
your prayers are not answered in your lifetime, they will be answered for
your children or for your children's children. We cannot say for sure when
a prayer will be answered, but we can rest assured that every prayer will be
answered somehow, someday.' Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus, Shlita, explains
that while each prayer evokes a corresponding reply from Heaven, Hashem
alone perceives a situation in its full complexity. One cannot always
understand the logic or justice in His response. Seemingly unanswered
prayers are sometimes like the rain and snow. They appear to sink out of
sight, accomplishing nothing, but in fact, they saturate the Heavens just as
rain saturates the earth and brings forth its blessings. The bounty of
Heaven, just like the bounty of earth, waits for its proper season.

"Only Hashem knows when that season will be. For example, a loved one might
be involved in a serious accident, G-d forbid. Nobody in the family knows
of the accident as the ambulances race to the scene. No one is there to
pray while the victim hangs tenuously onto life. In such a case, Rav Pincus
says, Hashem "takes out" a heartfelt prayer that a family member uttered
years ago--a prayer that was unanswered at the time--and showers its merit
upon the current situation. That prayer, held in reserve for so long, may
now become the injured person's salvation.

"Reuven is a confident, energetic little boy who runs everywhere he goes.
One morning, his mother calls him to come downstairs for breakfast, and he
dashes to the stairs in his typical, high-speed style. This time, however,
he trips on his shoelace and begins a headlong descent down the stairs. His
mother hears the child's startled shout and then the sickening thump-thump
of his body landing heavily on step after step. She runs to the scene just
as he crashes to the floor. He lies perfectly still for a moment, and her
heart fills with cold fear. Just as she approaches him, he begins to move.
He gets up, adjusts his rumpled shirt, collects his yarmulke and says,
What's for breakfast?'

"The boy's mother has prayed many times for many things, and sometimes, her
prayers were not answered as she had hoped. At this moment, however, she
can appreciate that not one word has gone to waste.

"We pray for certain aspects of good to come into our lives, yet we have no
real way of knowing if our vision of good is accurate from the true
perspective of Heaven. The man praying to meet his household's expenses may
always have to struggle for money, but his prayers might keep his children
securely upon the path of Torah. The couple praying for children may not
ultimately succeed in their quest, but the merit of their prayers may help
save their entire community from some terrible decree.

"We do not always know what good a prayer will bring. We do know, however,
that all sincere prayer is answered with good."

Special Note Two: The S'forno at the outset of Parshas Mishpatim explains
that the entire Parsha is really a continuation of the last of the Aseres
HaDibros--which is Lo Sachmod--not to covet another's possessions. Once we
respect the fact that his possessions are not ours--then the next step is to
recognize all of his rights in those possessions.

Hakhel Note: The Mishna in Avos (4:1) first teaches "Who is a Gibor--who is
strong? He who overcomes his Yetzer Hora", and only afterwards teaches "Who
is rich? He who is satisfied with his lot.Â" One must first vanquish the Lo
Sachmod within him (which is so important that it culminates the Aseres
HaDibros)--and only afterwards will he properly regard money and possessions
in this world. At the recent Hakhel Yarchei Kallah, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman,
Shlita, taught that people are very mistaken about Jewish Law in monetary
matters. Choshen Mishpat provides us with detailed laws as to what to do in
particular circumstances. We do not follow peshara--compromise--if a person
asserts a specious or meritless claim, or a claim that is lacking. We
follow peshara when both sides have relative equities in their
positions--which each party may very well be blinded to. When Dayanim make
a decision, their role, Rabbi Reisman explained, is not to effectuate what
they may think works out nicest for both sides--it is to rule in accordance
with the teachings of Hashem as put forth by Rebbe Yehuda HaNassi in the
Mishna, Ravina and Rav Ashi in the Gemara, and as promulgated by the Tur and
Shulchan Aruch and their commentaries. Unlike other bodies of law which are
left up to the foibles of fallible mortals, our monetary laws are actually
G-d given, developed by extraordinary men imbued with Ruach HaKodesh, and
applied by spiritual guides--Rabbonim, Dayanim and Poskim who must realize
that being a Yirei Elokim is part of their role in life--as opposed to
secular jurists with no pure knowledge of truth, who state what they feel is
right based upon their upbringing and own ideas, often resulting in marred
conclusions. When it comes to monetary matters, we must know that Hashem
wants us to follow His laws, and we must understand that not everything is
based upon one's good sense, business practices or custom in the community.
We should ask those who know what the right thing to do is. Rabbi Reisman's
Sefer on Ribbis, Rabbi MarburgerÂ's Sefer on Business Halacha, and Rabbi
Bodner's Sefer on The Halachos of Other PeopleÂ's Money are starters for
everyone's home. Rabbi Reisman, in fact, pointed out that when Yirmiyashu
Hanavi was exhorting the people to prevent the Churban Beis Hamikdash, one
would think he would spend all of his time convincing them to rid themselves
of all of the avoda zara that was then being practiced. Yirmiyahu, however,
focused to a great extent on proper dealings with money--honesty and
integrity in business matters according to Torah law--in order to try to
prevent the Churban.

There are, of course, many, many things that can be said about the events of
recent days in Florida. One of the major lessons we must take with us is
that we must do our best to finally rid ourselves and the world of this
bitter Galus. A world being run by secular leaders, without regard for
instructions and pleas from men of spirit, is certainly devoid of much of
its purpose. Hashem especially showed us how we have to yearn for Geulah,
as he allowed all of the goodness to fall before us. So, although our
achdus over the last week was unmatched by any other people, the Parsha
cries out to us that it is time to work on the Mishpatim. It is no secret
to anyone that Parshas Terumah this week follows Parshas Mishpatim of last
week--ostensibly indicating to us that if we follow the Torah's teachings in
money matters--then we get to the immediately following step--building the
Mishkan! Let's get going--instead of being washed-out--we can be mezakeh
ourselves and Michoel Yechiel by purifying ourselves and the world.

--------------------------

Hakhel MIS

--------------------------

For past issues of The Hakhel Community Awareness Bulletin, public notices

and an archive of emailed notices, visit Hakhel's website at

http://www.hakhel.info

Overwhelmed! And The Meek will Inherit the Earth

2010-02-10T22:42:00Z

The year 5770 is 1,940 years after the destruction of the Second Temple (3830), that is 1,940 years of human history/wars/empires, wealth, romance, art and more. The intelligence of mankind,the grandeur of Adom – to where have we arrived?

Rabbi Tatz, in a shiur on Adom’s sin, teaches that Adom was not capable of sinning. That the nachash, which was the yetzer hara in an external form, knew that in order to get Adom to do the wrong thing, it had to make Adom think he going to be doing a mitzvah.

Adom wanted to show Hashem that he, Adom, could come into this world and sanctify Hashem’s name, that he, Adom, would be able to glorify Hashem in this world. Hashem said to him “I know you can, but let me do it for you.” But Adom chose. And Hashem changed the makeup of the world so that the yetzer hara could confuse us by making the yetzer hara internal to us. He placed us in a life and death battle with the yetzer hara. When we choose to do good or evil in the world, we create indeterminate forces through which Hashem runs the world. The power is ours to choose, so it is good if we can understand the metaphysical reality and accept it and operate within it.

The very best of man’s intelligence seems to be repeatedly coming up short! Dec 25 bomber, Fort Hood, Snow removal, power restoration,wild fires, humanitarian aid to Haiti, recession and Wall Street crash, disease control/H1N1, AIDS, Ponzi scandal. Could it be that man’s hand has been played out, that now is the time to see that there is a far greater intelligence and a metaphysical reality beyond what the naked eye can know or discover? If so, what model can we understand that may help us acquire this understanding?

What does a parent do with a teenager or young adult who wants to “do it himself?” A good parent allows the child to experiment, to grow, to see what happens with his best efforts. Hopefully, the child grows into a responsible, intelligent adult who is able to bring integrity and fine qualities to the world. But what if the child grows into someone who finds brilliance in values less than ideal? What if the child finds out how powerful he is from the temper tantrums that he throws? What if the child sees that if he can get away with something without getting caught that he can take what he wants with impunity? What if the child can effectively blame someone else and find out that there are no consequences for him?

A good parent should and would step in. “This has gone far enough!”

Let’s take a look at a few things that mankind’s wisdom without consideration of the 10 commandments has shown, offered as possible reasons that “This has gone far enough” is coming into the world:

1. That people who hate each other and are determined to commit acts of violence on each other are very hard, if not impossible, to stop (i.e. terrorists, ethnic cleansing, Al-queda, etc. but more in our own homes, lashon hara, ona’as devarim, machlokes, power struggles,disputes, exploitation and more) Hatred is a form of violence in and of itself. But when it is acted out, it is a breach of the 10 commandments.

2. That hateful tactics can be very useful in acquiring and maintaining power (i.e. tyrants, abusers, bullies and cliques)and in giving the appearance of success – that is, success in the three dimensional world. As long as the perpetrator can hide in concealment and strike in the dark, he can take and ruin and destroy with impunity and not be accountable - there is a whole range between illegal and unethical in which he can hide. If there is no proof, those who suffer and are pained just lose. The perpetrator looks powerful and wise and strong and may even acquire wealth and tremendous success. In a "looking out for number one" environment, many may see him as a role model, a shrewd get the job done expert. Hiding behind human frailty, some even feel sympathetic to the predators. A "leave no bruises abuser" hurts emotionally and in other ways and walks away, looking victorious.

3. That if there is something that goes wrong, find someone to take the blame and call that justice, appealing to the emotional component of the matter.

4. That if people demand something long enough, they can change what is considered ethical and proper, changing the face of society (i.e. same sex marriages, gays in the military, unmarried couples living together, single never been married mothers, sexual immorality, pornography,and more) It is urgent to remember how much Hashem hates sexual immorality in every form.

5. That alliances established by doing favors with an agenda of using this new "friend" for a selfish agenda can help a person advance by taking advantage of the people whose trust is earned based on a sense of loyalty that has a faulty base (faulty because it is self-serving and power-based, albeit it may be put forward on an ideological plane). When people do not have good self-esteem (i.e. a self-esteem based on their relationship with the Creator) they are vulnerable to feeling good about themselves when those with power, influence, or a certain knowledge appear to show interest in them and want to include them in their ideological goals. This "ego stroking" helps them to feel good about themselves but makes them vulnerable to the takers who will bribe them with personal benefit while using the person's wealth, influence, and skills to serve themselves and their own political goals - perhaps even in the name of the greater good. Those wise in human nature can and do manipulate and wield great influence over people who may never realize that their life-force has been diverted (through their emotions and fear of losing ego pleasure) toward someone else's selfish personal agenda for success. Or if they do realize they are within someone's power, find the bribes and ego pleasures to be sufficient "payment" for their alliance and conformance, even if their conscience feels it conflicts with the 10 Commandments, because they know they will receive a negative "check" from the alliance builders (i.e. they will be ostracized, they will suffer financial consequences or public rebuke or humiliation, or simply lose ego-pleasure and status.) Instead, they find a way to see what they are doing as acceptable and normal so as to belong, yet somehow trading in their inner life for an appearance of a successful life.

6. That actions that are undetectable by other people due to the limitations of human perceptions and ability to gather evidence are essentially okay to do, especially if they are covered up with warmth and appearances of well-being. Every thought and action that we do is known, even if people cannot perceive it, and has an impact on the entire world. Know this.

Those who are meek are not well-versed in these tactics,better known to those seeking power, influence, empire-building or political gain. The meek have not formed themselves in these ways.

Yet, as a race, have we brought to fruition what Adom set out to do, to sanctify Hashem’s name by bringing His light into the world? Or have we forgotten that depth and adjusted ourselves to a normalcy that leaves out the inner life and soul of a person, something that those considered meek continue to pursue? Man is responsible for his choices because we create indeterminate beings based on our responsibilities to Hashem and the values Hashem has commanded us, not based on the persuasions, favors and ideologies of those in positions of power and influence. Without this realization, we are distant from Hashem and He has the role to say "This has gone far enough!"

May all that is overwhelming us help us to come to the realization that there is an intelligence in the world far beyond mankind’s intelligence. The beginning of wisdom is fear of Hashem. And may we be successful in challenging within ourselves conduct that is considered “normal” and choose to elevate our conduct to something above this world, something that contains holiness and that brings Hashem’s light to this world.

Reflections on a deep snow

2010-02-09T21:09:00Z

On February 5, 2010 a snow storm was predicted that would bring 30 inches of snow. Anticipating that we might lose power, I turned on the gas burners so that there would be warmth in the house should we lose power. At 9 PM, we lost power and had no electricity or heat. The snow fell through Shabbos evening. To protect our indoor pipes, we turned the water off and only turned it on when we needed it and let the water run out each time so as not to damage the pipes. We had food, even warm food, but had to keep warm with blankets. We rested most of the time, watching the snow accumulate, wondering when the electricity would come back on.

We spent Motzei Shabbos shoveling a small walkway from our front door to the street, in case we had any emergency we had a path at least to the street. This was far from the entire driveway, just a small path.

Sunday morning came and there was still no electricity. Our home without electricity, without heat, and with inconvenient plumbing, was barely meeting our needs. We managed with the help of some paid snow shovelers to shovel our driveway to the street, but the street was not plowed and we still could not go anywhere.. We live about two lots from a street that was plowed and which did have power. Our own efforts were not enough. We were dependent on others to get to a warm place So near and yet so far away!

Luckily, a private truck came to plow out our neighbors closer to the plowed street! He had a truck with a plow on it, and even he got stuck in the street! But he did plow to the corner. From my driveway, the distance of street that needed to be plowed so we could get out was just my driveway to the next! We ventured to shovel the snow in the street.

And we made it, with some help. I took the car and tested it…I got to the corner before I started spinning, so I put the car back and took my shovel and began digging at the corner so that we would be assured to be able to go back and forth to our home if we relocated until the electricity and heat were restored.

As I dug, families and children, each with a bag, were walking off the street. No car could manage 30 inches of snow and the hills of the street. We needed to be plowed out. Yet here it was, Sunday, and no plow had comedown the street except for our neighbor’s son. No electricity was restored. People’s faces were sad, gloomy, and full of frustration and despair as they left, not wanting to go but not being able to stay at home in such unlivable cold.

We went to a nearby hotel and came back that evening to see if there was a change. None.

On Monday I returned again to the house, threw out all the food in the refrigerators and freezers. A plow had now come through and moved snow in front of my driveway so I had to dig out again. And, it blocked the mailbox too. I spent several hours at home on these tasks, and as I did, neighbors who had not yet been plowed were out walking around. Everyone felt the same – “When will those who can get me back into my home get to my situation? How long will I have to wait to get back into my house? What are their priorities and how can I persuade or encourage them to respond more quickly to my situation?”

Back to the hotel. Yet we came back in the evening on hearing that the electricity had been restored. We walked into our house, with heat and electricity and felt so joyous! But it was not without worry because the next day’s forecast was for another 10 to 20 inches of snow on top of what had already fallen. There was still much to do to make ready.

But it was that moment of joy of being back in my house that some subtle feelings that I had been having all during these circumstances took root. It was as if, in one second, the entire experience had become a metaphor – Hashem could not stay in His House, first because of our aveiras and then because Klal Yisrael ceased to exist due to sinas chinum. We were no longer one and the Shechina had nothing to attach to, and we went into exile. His House was just not livable.

How long will we be in exile? When will those who can restore the matter make that choice? WE are the ones who can restore Hashem to His House. He has waited patiently for us – understanding our priorities, we have to make our choices and decisions because life is complex. Hashem has been waiting very very patiently, but He is near! He is checking in on us – are we Klal Yisrael again? Will He be able to return home?

Hashem has been waiting 2000 years. Is it time for us to shift our priorities, to make ourselves more conscious of Hashem’s Will, to set aside disputes, hatred, anger, fighting, power struggles, bitterness and more so that the Shechina, when checking, can see that conditions are different and Klal Yisrael is restored and that Hashem can return to His Bais?

WE are the ones making the decisions here. Let us make wise choices, choices that include G-d-consciousness and love for Hashem! Passover is coming in about a month. Please – let’s do what we can in every way to correct what needs to so that Hashem can return to His Bais. We will be so glad that we did!! One way can be found at www.ayproject.com

Reflections on the Emotions of our Heart and Action

2009-11-02T13:24:00Z

Have you ever had a fight with someone where you felt strong negative feelings for that person? Were you able to put it past you? Unless the matter produced a total turn around in facts so that the cause of the matter was proved untrue, chances are, you were able to make up with the person to a certain degree but the relationship never regained the footing it had. A remnant, a scar, remains on our hearts that is a blemish. And this can be true even if it was due to our own misperceptions, based on a grain of truth and a negative reaction. Things can get very blown out of proportion and distorted, and leave terrible scars.

“A person who feels strongly about something will pursue it relentlessly” says Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz in his sefer on the Six Constant Mitzvahs (p. 236). He continues:

“But are emotions always rational? Can we control them? Take a look at people reading a novel. When they sit down on the sofa and begin to read, they know that they are about to enter the world of imagination. They know that it is fiction. Before long, however, they reader begins to feel an emotional attachment to the characters. A moving novel will cause a reader to live through the trials and tribulations together with the characters. Try to stop someone in the middle of a novel and point out that the fear he is feeling for the hero or heroine in danger is all for naught, because he or she never existed. Will it make a difference? Hardly. Their emotions have taken control of them…

“Since the heart responds so readily to petty or false cues, can we trust it to make our decisions in life? Much as the heart is crucial, we must remember that it is no more than a muscle. Like the heart of every other member of the animal kingdom the human heart instinctively produces emotions that protect us or help us survive. But as humans, we must strive for more. We must place our heart in the service of our superior intellect.” (p.237)

Our emotions affect our decision-making process and often may cause us to make improper choices. In this world, everything appears separate and we sometimes have doubt about the ultimate unity of Creation. The example of Shaul HaMelech shows this – that his compassion led to failure. By listening to emotions that were a product of his misguided heart twice – when his heart told him to be compassionate toward the Amalekite King as well as when his heart later told him to protect his kingdom and his family’s future (whereby he followed it in an act that totally lacked compassion.) he shows us why the Torah warns us not to follow our hearts alone – our values become distorted when we accept emotions that should not exist. We must learn to control and redirect them when they are inappropriate. (paraphrased from Rav Berkowitz’s sefer, pages 240-242).

“The primary objective in combating the natural feelings generated by our heart is to circumvent them by developing more powerful ones for the truth that we have come to know from the first five constant mitzvahs”[Hashem is One, There is no other power, love Hashem, fear Hashem, Know there is Hashem] (p.244) We must not react to our feelings, we must act in response to Hashem’s Will .How do we do this? Hashem says “My child, give your heart to Me”(Mishlei 23:26)

“Take your heart and submit it to your intellect. Emotions can be combated only with more intense emotions, which, in turn, can be created only by the mind. As we develop clarity in our understanding of these mitzvos, we should become emotionally involved with them We should walk around feeling “Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu,” feeling fortunate that we have the opportunity to take part in the purpose of this world, and that we will eventually reap the most pleasurable reward possible in the World to Come. The clearer we are in our purpose, the more emotion we will generate for it. These emotions can become so strong that they will make us impervious to the threat of the heart’s challenging emotions.” (p. 244-245) To know there is Hashem and that Hashem is One, to Love and Fear Hashem and to strengthen ourselves in knowing that there is no other power are daily, hourly, minute by minute choices in the milieu of opportunities presented in our day. The choices we make are what bring down shefa from above.

“We learn from King David that the first step is to avert the danger by avoiding situations in which we may be tempted to indulge in cravings or senseless passion. We must face the difficult reality that we are human and that we have a yetzer hara inside us that tries constantly to lead us toward sin. Yes we realize that he is part of the great purpose of the world but we must still admit to ourselves that we are often too weak to resist his constant badgering. If we are honest about how much of a presence he is in our system, we will train ourselves to run away from potential temptation….the good news is that cravings are not in the sole possession of the yetzer hara. We can develop cravings for spirituality as well.” (p. 245)

A person who is mevater, who chooses to see only good in others or to do chesed with someone who wronged them, who gives the benefit of the doubt – this person is not a doormat although it may look like that. This person understands that doing the Will of Hashem, Who is the Only Power, Who is so big and omnipotent as to be able to provide all of the person’s life, needs and more (for all eternity), is a sensible approach and a real alternative to taking a stand that might cause himself to offend or create machlokes or any type of destruction in the spiritual realms. And when we rise above our limited selves to serve Hashem, Rebbetzin Heller, in her shiur on Yechezkeil on www.naaleh.com tells us that Hashem has an outstreched arm that lifts us above the circumstances from harm, and that this turning toward Hashem, this teshuva, unfolds tremendous healing from Hashem.

If it is good, then Hashem wants us to have it, provided our sins do not create a barrier to it. Giving our heart to Hashem protects us from scarring ourselves and blocking the good He wants to give us through ill-advised actions stemming from our own this-world only perceptions.

May Hashem help us to develop the emotions we need to be able to rise above our every day challenges and limitations to respond with actions that serve Him.

Reflections on Human Nature – Ahavas Yisrael as a Trump Card

2009-10-26T14:39:00Z

On what merits will we be redeemed from this golus? It is said that we will be redeemed becauseof the merits of our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov but also on our desire for kedusha.

For the purposes of this essay, kedusha means rising above our physical, earthly limitations in order to bring into this world the DivineWill, both in mitzvahs and in emulating His Yud Gimel middos. A desire for kedusha means that the desire for the resulting relationship with Hashem becomes our primary motivation inorder that we may throughout our day experience this source of great joy (an actual experiential joy).

We have free will – do we, with our free will, choose kedusha? Or are we flooded by the demands of every day life to a point where the flood has or has almost extinguished the flame inside our own private mizbeach?

What “floats your boat? Is it succeeding and feeling mastery in achievement oriented daily pursuits? If so, are we expending more of our holy energy on what, in the end,is a sophisticated game of life than on what Chazal tell us is our purpose here? Are we concerned that our wisdom and our judgments be seen as right and true or are we concerned that with our wisdom we are capable of bringing in the wisdom and middos of the Highest Consciousness? Do we feel strength in connection to a group of like-minded powerful people (and fear of being rejected) or do we feel strength from connection to Hashem and being small and beloved in His eyes?

The goal of this essay is to suggest that we all take up pursuing a desire for kedusha as a daily involvement, believing that we can develop a joyful relationship with Hashem through mitzvahs and emulating His middos, a relationship for its own sake, but knowing that thereby we will also be acquiring merits and eternity. This is ongoing work on an infinite path.

Many people have a favorite game. When I was young, my dad loved baseball. I remember sitting on his lap and watching Yankee games – I knew the names of the players, the number on their uniform,all the rules of the game. It was one of the main ways to be a part of my father’s life. I did it for the relationship and I still like baseball.

Those early memories are the reason that I am still interested in the World Series playoffs. I can picture the baseball diamond, follow the radio announcer’s descriptions of the game, and feel the excitement. Wow. A nice distraction. Yet I hesitate to listen to the game because I fear it will strengthen the part of my soul that craves satisfaction from this world activities rather than the part of my soul that craves closeness to Hashem and holiness. Ultimately, I want to feel excitement and interest in activities that deepen my relationship to Hashem –mitzvahs and emulating His middos.

As a Baalas Teshuva, it has taken me many years to acquire a taste for closeness to Hashem. But I believe I have an inkling of it at times. And, even when I don’t have the joy of feeling close to Hashem, I have the memory of the smattering moments when I felt connected – a sense of shelamos, of joy, of being small and beloved in Hashem’s arms. At those rare moments, I have a perspective on my physicality that I believe is healthy – a temporal existence that allows me time and gives me opportunity to attach to what is eternal.

What is so amazing though is how easily a moment of fear or anger can cloud the pathway to that immense pleasure. Human nature. We all have a yetzer hara, an evil inclination. One day, when the Moshiach comes, the yetzer hara will be no more and we will no longer have the opportunity to press against it and grow. But now we do. And every moment we are aware of its interference, we can say I want to rise above it, to overcome it and ask Hashem to help us. And He will. Doing so is, in my opinion, the pre-eminent pursuit of happiness, something that I want to occupy my time at every moment.

The key is that we have to want to overcome (and not want)what the yetzer hara tells us is the greatest pleasure – power, control, revenge,desire, etc. If I have any doubt that the greatest pleasure is the sense of closeness to Hashem, if I can’t remember that, what will keep me from pursuing the seemingly logical steps that the yetzer hara lures us with? After all the yetzer hara sounds more like our best friend than our mortal enemy, especially when we see that “everyone is doing it,” and that, in a culture where externalities are defining who we are more and more, the inner self is quite diminished in our own eyes. Our subsequent sins, heaven forfend, may even look like mitzvahs to us! But they cover up our holiness and we are, in reality, cutoff from the most pleasurable experience of life, closeness to Hashem and the sense of blessing that comes from bringing in shefa and from doing actions that are pleasing to Hashem.

How can we choose to pursue kadosh? Each person is an individual and has an individual answer. There were twelve tribes because no one tribe could adequately represent all the many facets of Hashem and His attributes. Together, we are Klal Yisrael. There is no one way that is right. There is merely a Torah-dic way to process through our free willed choices.

Here are a few questions:

1. Do I de-humanize people and objectify them for my own purposes?

2. Am I considering my eternal self when I make choices? Am I taking into primary consideration the part of me that will experience the consequences for eternity rather than the part of me that ishere to help me accomplish my mission?

3. Am I playing games with people for my own gain or do I truly see them as made in the image of Hashem and treat them as such – giving to them, treating them with Hashem’s Yud Gimel middos?

4. Do I feel a connection to people and toall things in this world as having the same root source, the one and only Hashem? (Ahavas Yisrael)

We all have a yetzer hara. We will until the Moshiach comes. Yet we all have a tzelem elokimas well. When we look at each other and see only the yetzer hara, we are missing the most precious thing about every person – Hashem loves every single one of us and we are connected, one body with many limbs and organs. Our yetzer hara would have us think that we can do something to one person that we are not doing to ourselves and all of us. That is simply not true. We can choose to see what we have in common and how that is truly everything. We love each other even though we all have yetzer haras and are struggling with this work. That is Ahavas Yisrael.

So, the next time we are frustrated, angry, feeling powerless, upset, or any other negative feeling driving us to “take action”, if we remember that everything is happening for our ultimate growth and development (to rectify us, to bring us closer to Hashem), we will no longer feel the need to be upset with the messengers Hashem used to bring the matter to our attention. Suffering strips away all the externalities that can cover over our neshamas.

Instead, let’s remember the joy of closeness and ask Hashem to help us rise above our initial reactions and rise upward in our soul, soothing us as we re-gain a sense of being small and beloved in His Arms. What mitzvah can I do? Which of Hashem’s Yud Gimel Middos might I emulate here? Which message of the yetzer hara will I be turning away from (indignation, jealousy, desire, insult)by turning toward Hashem? What action can I take that will concretize my choice to rise above my natural inclinations in pursuit of kedusha?

May Hashem help me to keep the fire on my mizbeach burning.

Reflections on Hoshana Rabba - Did We Measure Up on our Teshuva

2009-10-09T20:31:00Z

Hoshana Rabba is a serious day of reflection, the final opening to avert a severe decree. Have we or have we not lived up to our teshuva from Elul through Yom Kippur? Have we taken steps to implement it?

In a nutshell, teshuva is drawing closer – in whatever areas we may have grown more distant from the Creator, teshuva means to draw closer. Drawing closer means to emulate the Creator’s middos, to properly keep the mitzvahs which are His Will, and to recognize that Hashem Echad – that He Alone is the only power in this world and nothing except His Will is done, and that all that He does is for our spiritual growth and development.

On Rosh Hashana we crown Hashem King. Most of the time, we are involved with our needs, our work, our families, our projects, our feelings, and more. That is the nature of this world. When we reflect and remember the basic truth that Hashem is the King, we are reaching for absolute truth – no matter what our efforts, we need siyata d’shmaya and only if it is good in Hashem’s eyes from Hashem’s perspective will we be granted success.

As adults, we have come to a point of independence where we want to make sure that we are self-determining as much as possible – we take total responsibility for our actions, our speech and our thoughts, the venues over which we have control. The additional adult responsibility that Jewish people take, in order to live the ethics and chochma given in Torah, includes remembering that Hashem is King and that Hashem Echad.

What does that look like?

Two different people shared some examples:

Love Hashem and give Love Like Hashem - Ahavas Yisrael

“We had visitors for Chol HaMoed – relatives who live out of town who are not observant (Conservative). We were able to withstand in a friendly manner their probing and challenging (isn’t this a bit antiquated? Are you living in the Dark Ages – it is 2009) to our practices because we understood that they are b’tzelem elokim (souls created by Hashem) and we were focusing on ahavas yisrael (Loving your fellow Jew – respecting every Jew, acknowledging belief in Hashem.) While we tried to give some explanation without being defensive, we were successful in changing the subject simply by letting them know we respect their wisdom but are not able to convey to them in a discussion format all that would be needed for us to have a meeting of the minds. We invited them to learn more about it with us at another time if they would like to, but for now, to change the subject. This worked, we felt, because we conveyed our love and respect for them without accidentally insulting them. “

Emes - Hashem is the Only Power

“I often have to fight off fearful thoughts. I made a resolution to remember that Hashem only sends good but here I was, falling again into the clutches of worrying about what action someone might take or how something might be misinterpreted and what kind of a lashing I would be subjected to – what would happen to ME? It was Hoshana Rabba, and I wanted to have only unity in mind, beseeching Hashem to cancel all negative decrees against our people and bring the Moshiach. Instead, or maybe as a test to see if I truly have incorporated into my being the concept that Hashem is the only power, something stirred up my toughest set of negative fears and there I was, headed into the mire of condemning, hating, resenting and worse.

I spoke out to Hashem and said I want the Moshiach more than anything and this is all in Your hands..I trust that whatever happens is for my ultimate good and please on that basis reduce my suffering from these fearful thoughts – and before I could even finish pleading with Hashem to remove the suffering I felt at peace.

Hashem is the only power there is. By recognizing that my indulging the negative thinking was because I was hurt and angry, I was able to stop and remember Hashem is the only power and only does tov. Now that I see how easily my feelings shifted, I realize that the suffering from the negative thinking is self-inflicted and unnecessary, I immediately davened to Hashem to ask that He count my being able to shift my mood as a merit for Klal Yisroel and that He cancel all negative decrees against the Jewish people and bring Moshiach. Upon reflection, my concern for what would happen to me seemed so real and worth worrying about. I wonder why I don’t have the same sense of importance to what I was successful in doing – in shifting my mood – because we learn that these things DO have a huge impact on the spiritual realms. I like the idea of ascribing the same type of satisfaction that previously was invested in indulging the negative thinking to the simple shift to a positive mood and will bui neder try to bring full heart into feeling satisfaction with “Hashem is the only power.” To do so, I must remember that my soul will continue after my body leaves this world and to include as a primary factor in my decision what will generate connection and growth for my eternal soul whenever considering action.”

Reflections on Peace

2009-10-07T13:34:00Z

Peace starts within each person. Basic to peace is the understanding that there is a far greater consciousness in the world than the consciousness (or even the collective sub-consciousness) of all mankind, and that relating to that greater consciousness is the most pleasurable existence for a person while alive. Each person is a puzzle piece in the whole picture, a picture much larger than the combined total of the entire human race.

Unfortunately,what 9/11 and terrorism has brought upward in our consciousness is that intimidation is effective, yielding power, and that there are ways to intimidate and use sympathy to successfully affect public opinion. What is even more confusing is that murderous crimes are being declared fora higher consciousness! And what is still more confusing is that the success of these murderous crimes means that they are permitted by the Creator, which in turn means that they are, in fact in accordance with His Will and Divine Justice. Are the people who inflict the suffering choosing the best way of serving the Creator? If the roles of man and the Creator are not properly understood, one might make a huge mistake and ask - Is the most pleasurable existence for a person while alive(relating to the greatest consciousness there is) the dedicated use oft he lowest sociopathological character traits found in mankind - hate,intimidation, unrepentant destruction - in the name of Divine justice? What is the relationship between the Creator and a person who chooses with his free will to commit murder?

What nags at civilized consciousness is the role of intimidation and terror - we are all brought into its psychological grip, suffering with how it affects our sense of value. Our holy energy that is intended to do good in this world and intended to emulate the Creator's qualities is drawn down into exploring how to survive and how we can protect and defend ourselves physically from those determined to utilize their spark of Divinity to destroy - and it is a short walk before we are, heaven forfend, drawn so far downward into the erroneous belief that we question if there is a higher consciousness in the picture at all, or worse, that if there is, we don't want anything to do with it! If we are unable to recognize that within mankind is the potential to choose acts that bring evil into full reign in the world, we are too easily drawn deeper into the erroneous belief that there is no higher consciousness in the world and we fall into the clutches of the darkest levels of human nature, never realizing that we are in the grips of something that cannot be solved by human intelligence without the help of Heaven. In such a scenario, we will draw down all our resources until there are none left and chaos reigns worldwide.

The realityis that the Creator has given people free will to go as far astray as we choose from the ethical dictates of the Ten Commandments, seeking tyrannic power, discriminatory and hateful control, effecting destruction, chasing illicit desires and more. With our free will we can push the Creator out! He gave us this choice. We have free will,the G-d-given right to choose or reject the moral precepts of the Creator; however, we do not exist in a free, un-judged spiritual environment. The longer we turn away from the knowledge that there is a Creator and a higher consciousness operating, the more vulnerable we are to succumbing to erroneous beliefs that add our holy energy to the wrong side of the equation, becoming part of the problem instead of part of the solution. Our choices affect us as individuals, as a society, and as mankind. The solution is to recognize and return to the rules of the Creator, not to submit like an abused woman to the dictates of the sticks He uses to wake us up. We were given a set of ethical rules and the choice to use our energy to observe the rules or not for a purpose. The purpose is for us to choose a relationship with the Creator based on love and fear that will benefit us now and for eternity. It is time to turn upwards and comprehend that we live in a spiritual ecosystem with Divine Justice and that we play the starring role and our actions matter.

If there were a murderer on trial and he said that he committed the crime because a god told him to, he would be considered insane.

All the monotheistic religions accept that the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai by the Creator.Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky on Tisha B'Av said that the Creator could have given the Ten Commandments on one long tablet. Instead, the Ten Commandments were given on two tablets, with the five on the left which deal with our relationship to the Creator paralleling the five on the right dealing with our relationships with other people.

The sixth commandment is "Do not murder" and this is parallel to "I am the Lord Your G-d" - Rabbi Orlofsky tells us plainly that when we see another person, we respect that other person as having a bit of G-d within, and that if we know there is a Creator, out of respect and awareness, we do not murder. This commandment is from the Creator, clear and unambiguous.

The overall goal is perhaps what every person on earth might agree to -peace. No matter what religion we are, people want peace. Peace starts with each person. It is a choice, to have a close relationship with the Creator and to emulate Him through acts of kindness and love. Not only that, it is a free choice…there is no cost to it, no army needed, no bombs, no tanks, no guns. Choose peace through acts of kindness and brotherly love. Any ideology claiming that the Creator is happy when one person acts out of hate, terrorism, rejection, murder or other crimes is in direct conflict with the simple reality of the sixth commandment.

The forces of darkness come from a spiritual realm beyond the reach of what mankind can control with mankind's intelligence - the forces of darkness are balanced with mankind's choice to bring to this frame of reference the Creator's light, love and peace by following His ethical rules set forth in the Ten Commandments including the Seven Noahide Laws applicable to non-Jewish people.

Rebbetzin Heller on Jews and Non-Jews - The Relationships Between the Religions and more

2009-01-20T17:27:00Z

Rebbetzin Heller discusses the relationships between Judaism, Christianity and Islam Jews and Non-Jews

Rebbetzin Heller on Money Mayhem - The Purpose of Money

2009-01-20T17:23:00Z

Rebbetzin Heller explains in detail the purpose of money: Money Mayhem

Brainstorming ideas

2008-11-30T14:41:00Z

My friend shared with me the content of what Sara Rigler said in Baltimore when she was hear and, given the events of the last week in Mumbai, I invite you to join me in an effort to brainstorm what we might do. Please visit www.brainstormingbloggershuli.blogspot.com

Mrs. Rigler spoke about the importance of having spiritual goals

The Vilna Gaon said the goal should be tikun hamiddos (correcting our Middos)

The Ramchal says to cling to Hashem by doing mitzvohs

The Chassidishe Masters say to bring spiritual light into a dark place (I think this means emulating Hashem's middos, see Tomer Devorah).

Recently R. Elyashiv told R. Noach Weinberg that the danger to the Yidden today is more dangerous than it was during the Holocaust. R. Weinberg asked in what way was the danger worse. R. Elyashiv answered that physically, it will be worse for us. R. Noach asked what could be done. It was suggested that to hopefully circumvent these decrees, the women soul get together in small groups to brainstorm what can be done to save K'lal Yisroel. Historically, it has been the women who have been able to save K'lal Yisroel through their spirituality.

R. Kaminstsky says, "The Geula is imminent" He suggests t'fillah or deeds of Ahavas Yisroel.

At the end of the shiur, Mrs. Rigler exhorted us to DO SOMETHING, and not just become paralyzed into inaction.

If you choose to create a brainstorming blog, please make sure to select the settings so that it is private and to read the instructions on my blog about this.

Hope to share ideas with you. All ideas welcome! If you know others who might be interested, kindly let them know.

Reflections on Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5769

2008-11-27T23:15:00Z

Today is November 27, 2008, the national holiday of Thanksgiving. At this time, the fate and whereabouts of hostages remains uncertain after the terrorists killed and kept hostage those in the Chabad House in Bombay India. I am anguished regarding the fate of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Holtzberg and still hope to hear besoros tovos. And there are many dead and injured. Quite a few victims were Israelis and Jewish people. Korbons on erev Kislev.

The only clear message we are to derive from all sufferings and tragedies is teshuva. Hashem desires for us to come closer, to do mitzvohs to enhance our connection to Him, to improve our middos so that we emulate His Attributes, to offer kindness to others in the form of good deeds and charity, to cry out in prayer to Hashem for rachamim and to speak to Hashem and include Him in every moment of our day.

The message of teshuva on erev Kislev is, to me, significant because I am remembering the messages from Tisha B’Av from Rabbi Mattesyahu Salomon and Rabbi Brevda. In brief, Rabbi Salomon spoke to us through the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Tisha B’Av event about jealousy and how we suffer from it. His was a call to us to realize this as the cause of all sinas. His overall message was that in order to be worthy to receive the third Bais HaMikdosh, the third temple, all we need to do is eradicate the reason we lost the second Bais HaMikdosh in the first place, which was because of sinas chinum. What teshuva have we to claim toward eradicating sinas chinum amongst us so that we are unified? His message was to comprehend and overcome within us the midda of jealousy, kinna by telling ourselves when we suffer from it, we don’t want suffering Hashem, we only want YOU.

Rabbi Brevda spoke also about Tisha B’Av. What moved me was his humble admission of the shame he feels year after year, reading the story of Kamsa and Bar Kamsa. He tells over the story in elaborate detail about how the disagreement began, and how the story unfolded. A person needs to listen to Rabbi Brevda’s shiur on this subject to see that this was something that is understandable now and happens every single day, and is not relegated to “the past” by any stretch of the imagination. Without going into the details, the bottom line was that Bar Kamsa could not get over the shame and humiliation that was unjustly thrust upon him, and that none of the guests attempted to protect him from. And, since all of the guests were prominent religious people, he did not subdue his anger, nor accept as a kaparah the total humiliation. And, calling Bar Kamsa an apikoras, Rabbi Brevda retells how Bar Kamsa sabotaged the temple with a damaged offering and the results of his revenge were the loss of the second temple and exile. All because Bar Kamsa could not rise above the affront to his ego and the pain the entire matter had been causing his family for many years. Not an easy test, but he surely did not rise to the occasion.

Not that Kamsa did…could he have tolerated the presence of this man at his simcha? Could he have not spared his feelings, even when asked? Again, the pain that he felt was handled in an openly embarrassing way. He did not quietly seek the advice of any of the wise, learned guests who might have been able to gently escort Bar Kamsa home, with a respectful word of shalom. Whatever the issues were, the lines were drawn in the sand, and the dispute and issues of kina last to this very day.

Are we closer or farther from overcoming the causes of sina (e.G., kina, ego) ? Are we in touch with the ways these aspects of our makeup affect us enough to subdue them when need be? And what would be a good enough reason to subdue them, when would that need actually be to choose to subdue our natural selves?

In our area, a drama unfolded regarding a 12 year old boy who was on life support. His doctors declared him brain dead, including his brain stem. The hospital wanted to turn off the life support and allow the boy to pass on. Being ultra-Orthodox, the family asked for the life support to remain until the child pass on his own. The hospital petitioned the courts to remove the support, wanting to give these life-saving resources to patients who could, in fact, recover. Before the courts could decide, the boy did pass away, as soon as Shabbos came in on the Friday night after being declared brain dead. He was niftar on Shabbat, like a tzaddik.

In those few days, the matter was on the front pages of the Washington Post. In there, the reporters went around to get all the varying Jewish opinions. And there it was, in one article, for all the whole world to see. Who thinks he should stay on, why so-and-so says it is okay to take him off life support, how brain dead qualifies people as organ donors, and all the various justifications with halachic proofs. All the world who was following this story saw this variety of opinions, diversity. Not that there is anything wrong with diversity or at fault with sharing an opinion and view. But I ask, how did we look to the world? Does the non-Jewish world understand all these distinctions? Of course not. To the outside world, what must it look like? It certainly did not look like unity. And to Hashem, how did it look?

Focus now on the matter at hand in Israel regarding the Road Map and all the diverse opinions there. Are we going to undergo a much larger scale microscopic examination by the world? Do we realize that all these varying opinions, one Jewish view arguing with another Jewish group, weaken us and make us look foolish?

Our holy Torah is the blueprint for the world. It is the path of peace and of life. It is an absolute. It conveys the morals and laws by which the HaKodosh Baruch Hu wants us to live so that we can rise above ourselves and remain connected to Him. He knows what we are. Is it within our ability to make an attempt to reclaim our Torah as an absolute? Within the discussion of differences within the Torah, is there a stream of thought that we can all recognize as absolute and thereby grab onto in order to unify? With all the varying opinions about how to accomplish peace, giving the land, not giving the land, the IDF, etc, what can we do within our control to find an absolute Torah value that can unify every Jew? It may have nothing to do with Israel – it may simply be respect and love for every Jew as King Shlomo offers in Shiur HaShirum, that no matter how covered over we are, our essence and our ability to connect are beloved to Hashem. This is what comes to my mind. That we see every Jew for his neshama alongside his opinions and practices, and thereby, when we see another Jew, we see behind him a someone that Hashem loves. If we can restore Ahavas Yisroel in some way, perhaps that might be the teshuva to evoke the rachamim of Hashem to bring the redemption, may we be zocheh to see Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily and dedicate the Third Bais HaMikdosh as Chanukah approaches!

Reflections on Ahavas Israel

2008-11-07T03:16:00Z

We are in the month of Cheshvan, after the plethora of holy days in Tishrei. We have no Yom Tov now until Pesach.
In Kislev, we will have Chanukah and in Adar, we will have Purim.

On Yom Kippur we clopped our hearts for the collective sins of every Jewish person. The pronoun used was "we". Together, we stood before Hashem, no matter if we were in an Orthodox, a Conservative, a Reconstructionist or a Reform service. It almost seems that we have as many different factions as we have individual Jews. Or perhaps, more realistically, that we have as many different factions as we have synagogues.

What unifies us? The only thing that has absolutely unified us in this world has been anti-Semitism. It made no difference to Hitler what kind of a Jew he exterminated. All that mattered to him was that a Jew was killed

Does it take this type of adversity for us to realize that, no matter what our differences, we have more in common with each other than with any other nation or people? Perhaps this thought is upsetting to some. I know many Jews who would not like to be included in a group that has ideas that they don't accept or follow.

If we accept our unity in terms of anti-semitism, if we would all be ready to give up our lives to die for the sake of being a Jew, then does it not make sense to strive to find some common ground by which we can live together when there is no immediate threat, live together as a nation of Jews, of diversity, of 12 tribes and individual missions?

Again, I ask, what unifies us?

Or, perhaps I might ask, Who unifies us? Are we a nation because Hashem declared that we are one nation?

Every Jewish person reading this - please realize that there is a Creator of the World to whom we are connected. Whether or not we comprehend this connection or nurture this connection, is already something else. The reality that I care to impress upon the reader is that there is a Creator Who runs the world, and Who loves every Jew. When we look at each other, we remember this - Hashem loves that Jew! It brings us to a place from which we can respect another, even if we do not agree with the other. If we see another doing something that is in violation of Hashem's will, we have the opportunity to practice patience, just as Hashem waits patiently for us to repent for what we do wrong. In so doing, we emulate Hashem's middah of patience, which means that we truly are shining His light in the darkness.

In the morning, when we wake up, please let your first burst of energy be Modeh Ani Lifanecha Melech Chai Vikayom - Thank you to Hashem for returning my soul to me. Offer a prayer to Hashem, let Him know that you know that He is running things. We all have our adult responsibilities to attend to, but when we say tehillim before making our efforts, we spread a message of faith to our children and friends that is most valuable.

If every Jewish person comes to connect in this way to knowing that there is a Creator, a Creator who is running things, Who loves us, Who wants to give good to us, then we will have congealed ourselves in a most basic and Jewish way as one nation, no matter what else each Jew does or does not do.

What unifies us is our recognition that there is a Creator Who desires to give us good. Let us recognize this reality. Building attachment to this truth, regardless of ritual practice, is the fundamental thread of unity.

Why is this on my mind? Why am I writing this?

The Jews have many enemies in the world right now. Historically, suffering that has been brought upon us has been for the purpose of bringing us to cry out to Hashem, to ask Him for help - Father Father!

When we call out, He swoops us up in His arms and saves us. But if we don't know we have a Father, and we don't cry out to Him, how can He swoop us up in his arms and save us when we need it? Instead, the suffering comes upon us. More and more suffering, until we cry out to Him, because we have no where else to turn.

I like short cuts. If we can see that there is more suffering for Jews in the world, why not take the message and understand NOW what to do? Why wait until more severe tests are sent, causing everyone to scream Father Father! If we see that there is a Giant with a huge stick threatening us, do we have to wait for the stick to strike us before we cry out Father Father? Are our differences, our disputes and our individuality blinding us?

Calling every Jew! Time to "get on the Ark!" Please wake up with the realization that the Creator restored your soul and is running things. Then, offer a prayer, begin speaking to Him. Let that be the unifying thread.