WHEN HORRIFIC EVENTS TAKE PLACE DO WE LEARN FROM THEM

                        About a decade ago three of the pillars of this ‘utopian’ society we call America have been shaken at their very underpinnings with the destruction of the Twin Towers, part of the Pentagon and a large portion of New Orleans.

           These catastrophes hit like shock waves one after the other leaving us no  time to recover before the next one struck. Whether contrived by terrorists, or the result of volatile acts of nature, these cataclysmic events understandably provoke feelings of vulnerability and apprehension, but more importantly, they cause us to ask deeper questions of: Why are these tragedies happening? Why now? What is the message?

When the trauma is “man made” we tend to channel our anxiety and tension into a search and destroy mission, scouring the earth for the nefarious criminals and terrorists, no matter how futile the hunt may prove to be, however, when the misfortune is manifest from a ‘natural’ cause, it is harder to place the entire blame at someone else’s feet, leaving us with the uncomfortable feeling that maybe there are iniquities within us that caused or exasperated the problem. Of course, natural phenomenon such as hurricanes and earthquakes happen periodically throughout the world, so one could just conclude it was just our turn or our bad ‘luck’, but still the questions remain: Why now? Why specifically to us? And most importantly what is the deeper message?

These three cataclysmic events can at the macroscopic level as test of the fortitude of man at the three fundamental levels of human function. Each of us have been endowed with a mind to think, a heart to feel and the body physical strength to achieve.   

              These tragedies can be seen to correspond to the mind/brains , heart/emotions and body/brawn of America society.  The  twin towers could be said to be the prototype of our minds, housing as it did  the financial genius of this country, its glass encased boardrooms sending powerful messages out—messages  that left their indelible mark on the world’s economy. New Orleans, could be said to parallel the emotions as it  reverberated  with  the pulse-beat of its yearly dynamic festivities and now echoes emotionally the destruction that occurred in its midst.  For many the pentagon is an impregnable symbol of American physical prowess – the central command of her might and power.

             This means that mankind’s goal of living an idealist life based on ones intellectual ingenuity and physical prowess along with the freedom of emotional expression have all been put to the test. The million dollar question is what is the meaning of these tests and what can we do or change in our lives that will help to avoid these kinds of tragedies in the future?

                There are no doubt ‘think tanks’ that have been set up to deal with these very questions. There are ‘think tanks’ from the business sector, there are ‘think tanks’ from the military complex, there are think tanks from the social quarter but are there ‘think tanks’ that can be conferred with who will provide the theological prospective?

                 Let’s us use these unfortunate tragic events as an opportunity to stop ourselves and begin to ‘think’ – what can we all do to make this world a better and safer place where all mankind can live in peace and prosperity? Let us begin to look at both manmade and “natural” tragedies as an opportunity make those changes within ourselves that will bring out the best in us. The Jewish nation is a microcosm of the world and therefore, where there is a redefining of her borders, so also in the world as a whole there is a simultaneous redefining of its borders. Borders are not just physical but they include emotional attitudes and mental constructs. May we all merit to make the right choices rebuilding our borders based on only Torah defined lines of demarcation.

           May this year bring peace and redemption.   

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

LOG BI-OMER – THE SECRET MYSTERY OF THE BOW & ARROW

          

            As we soon approach the awesome day of Lag Bi-Omer, in which as many of five hundred thousand people will come from all over the world to be together in Moron with the Tana Rabbi Shimon Bar Yocai, there is to ask: what is the underlying unifying drawing power of this day and this Sage? To embellish this question, let us realize that logically speaking, Rabbi Shimon attraction should be mainly only those few individuals who delve into his sacred text of Kabbalah, known as the Zohar. Also there is to ask – how is it that such a diverse makeup of Jewish people, ranging from the Ultra Orthodox to the far left irreligious and everyone else in between are all drawn to the same place, time and person? Another irony in the spirit of this unique day where unity and joy have supreme reign is that Rabbi Shimon, like his named predecessor long before – Shimon the son of Yaakov both had within them a propensity of the meda of gavurot – strict judgment as seen by the story of Schem and Shimon’s reaction and with the story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yocai’s response when he saw someone working.

               This then leads us to another interesting question along the same lines: Since Lag Bi-Omer  corresponds to the seferiot – hod within hod (submission within submission), what is the deeper lesson of Aahron Ha-Kohan, who corresponds to the attribute of hod and is best known for loving and pursuing (ohav shalom and rodaf sholom) peace, being a direct descendent from Levi also participated in the misa of gavrot in the story of Schem?

                A final question is to ask: What if any is the significance of the bow and arrows that are customarily played with on Log Bi Omer?

                 Perhaps all these questions can be understood by realizing that although it may sound counter intuitive, it is specifically those people who have a certain “extreme” propensity, such as strong gavuros, can through great effort actually spring all the way over to the other end of the spectrum thereby coming to emulate the attribute of chesed even more than those naturally inclined.

                I once heard such a story where a well known Rav, who was particularly appreciated for his kindly nature, when asked how he achieved such an exalted level responded that his natural propensity was to be aloof and negative but after years of working on himself he “sprang” over to the opposite extreme of  being friendly and positive.

               So also it may be that this day of hod within hod that corresponds to Aahron Ha Kohan and is the Yortiet of Rabbi Shimon bar Yocai  is truly a day of joy because it teaches all of us that no one is forced to live by their mazel but just like an arrow’s distance and speed forward is dependent on the thrust of the bow backward, so also it is specifically those who have a propensity of one extreme can actually, like the arrow, be catapulted to the furthest point at the opposite extreme.

                 This explanation now explains why there is such a large varied group of Jews that are drawn to Moron on Log Bi Omer because the message of this day is that anyone and everyone can learn to love and pursue peace and that there is no better place on the earth than this day to put it into practice.

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

MEDITATION AND TRANSFORMATION – JEWISH STYLE

   

     One of the experimental and clinical findings of scientists and doctors has corroborated the benefits of meditative breathing, because the combination of cadenced contemplation has apparently the power to harmonize imbalances to the psyche and emotions caused by life’s daily stresses. However, the esoteric teaching of the Jewish scriptures (Torah)  reveals far deeper connections between the breath and the soul (neshoma). It is no coincidence that the word for breath in Hebrew (Loshen HaKodesh) is the word neshima whose root letters are the same letters (osios) as neshoma which is the Hebrew word for the soul [1] . The Torah thereby has for over three thousand years revealed this secret of the symbiotic relationship between the soul (neshoma) and the (neshima) breath. In lay language one could say that in order to turn up the volume of the metaphysical realm one needs first to turn down the volume of physical sensations.    

        Many mistakenly assume that these meditative practices originated in the far East, however this revelation actually has its roots going all the way back to the very creation of man. [2]                 

On a deeper level we can add that within every breath, that is bound to a positive thought, we are able to nourish from the spiritual treasury of the Source of all life. Then through our exhaling we have the ability to share those blessings with others and with the whole creation.

 Also, we can consciously envision each inhalation as a Divine reenactment of that initial breath that came directly from the Creator to the first man. (Please look at footnote 2 here if you have not already done so).  Each breath is a new opportunity to reawaken our souls energy thereby revitalizing the health of the body, mind and emotions.

            One of the main purposes of the neshoma having been sent into this world is to endeavor to help purify and rectify it. The body, mind and emotions are meant to be helpmates in providing their unique functions and talents. Since thought comes before words and action, the building blocks of righteousness begins in sifting and straining any less than ideal thoughts that arise and replacing them with “kosher vibrations”.

  What are kosher vibrations you are asking? They are the kind of thoughts and perceptions that we are not ashamed to entertain in front of anyone including the Creator.  They are the good conscience factors that counsel restraint rather than indulgence.  They are the kinds of thoughts experiences we would feel proud to relate to a beloved grandparent or a respected teacher.  They are the kind of thoughts that we can safely assume have occupied the head space of great righteous people (tzaddikim). 

                Ideally, every sound we hear and image we absorb should afford us only the purest and most focused thoughts. However, in our world today, such is often, unfortunately, not the case. We begin therefore by setting up a series of “filters” through which impressions from the outside and our inside world can be sifted.  The first such filter is watchfulness.  A good exercise in watchfulness is to first identify undesirable thoughts and feelings, then isolate and expel them as you exhale into oblivion.  At first blush, this may seem stilted, however, once we begin to scrutinize how many unwanted sights and sounds pass through the “boarders” of our senses we will begin to realize that we need to tighten our “border security”. 

After a relatively short period of contemplation, we then are able to quickly recognize potentially detrimental thoughts, words and images and immediately either escort them to the waste bin or transform them into kosher thoughts and feelings that elevate the soul. However, if all we do is purge ourselves of the mental and emotional toxins, this is not enough to bring us to glowing vibrant health, because just as in a healthy diet, we need to replace those “empty calories” with nourishing foods, how much more so do we need to absorb only a highly refined supernal diet filled with holiest “nutrients”. The Torah teachings offer us a lifestyle that is balanced and the highest quality of spiritually enriched nutrients.

              (Let us now do a Jewish meditation that will aid in the purification and enlightenment process. First find a quiet moment where there are no outer distractions. Begin, for example, by saying Psalms (Tehillim), chanting in your own words, scanning some esoteric passage or by listening to an uplifting song or melody.

          Once you have begun to relax, try to stop all mental activity except for the observation of your breath.  As you inhale, picture your breath (neshima) as a renewed aspect of your soul sent to you from on High and entering  as a pure radiance of holiness and then  circulating throughout  your entire body.  Breathe in slowly, deeply holding each breath for as long as is comfortable. During this time, concentrate on the breath thinking  that this, neshima,  breath is giving you your renewed Neshama, soul which comes directly from the Creator to you with Infinite love and care and that through this you are intimately connected  with G-d.

        Then as you slowly exhale,  send  mental and  emotional stresses and undesirable thoughts out of your mind. Just breathe and let them go with a puff as if you are winnowing out undesirable chaff.    Feel  burdens and stress   lifted  from you as you purify and refine your thoughts and emotions exchanging negative thoughts for positive ones. Continue doing this until you feel totally relaxed, renewed and free from toxic stress and negative thoughts and emotions.  Now  you are able to exhale pure thoughts, filled with holiness and goodness.  Visualize yourself  as sanctifying the entire world with these pure breaths  and  thoughts, understanding  that  they are a spiritual place (mikveh) of purification for the world, bringing it  to greater levels of holiness. Before completing your meditation, verbally express your gratitude and appreciation for the gift of life.)

   Perfection of the meditation practice that was described is not meant to be an end unto itself, but only act as catalyst to help bring about a shift in consciousness that we can adapt into all of our days activities.  Even as the baby is crying or the boss is making demands or a tire goes flat on the highway, we will be able to spontaneously exhale away the stress and feel reinvigorated as we reconnect, through the breath (neshima), with our soul (neshoma) thereby successfully dealing with the challenging situations with equanimity and dignity.  However, even this desirable level is not our ultimate goal, as we should continue to refine our thinking until we reach the place where we can use every breath, word and action to express our deep appreciation of life and the bounty we constantly receive from the Creator.



[1]    The soul (neshima) has no corporal form and does not exist in space and time,  yet  each individual has a unique soul. That uniqueness is expressed in the human personality, yet the personality is not the soul. How can we understand this conundrum? The Infinite Creator knows exactly which form of vessel – body – will best serve the needs of a particular soul. Like water, the soul which has no shape or form of its own disperses throughout according to each person’s potential and needs. Every place that the soul reaches is therefore potentially sacred.

            

[2] In Genesis,  the Torah teaches that G-d, created man by breathing the soul of life into his nostrils. The Zohar, in the kabalistic tradition, tells us that “One who blows, blows from within himself,”  thus teaching that  G-d  placed into man a soul, neshama, that originated from within G-d Himself .  In the holy tongue, lashon kodesh, the word for soul, neshama and the word for breath, neshima, are very similar.  Neshima, breath, has one extra letter. The extra letter in the word for breath is the letter yud which represents G-d’s Holy Name.  This parallel suggests that the breath is intimately tied to the soul and that every soul is harnessed constantly to the Supernal  Will of  G-d.                              

Parsha Bereishis 2: 7 “And Hashem, G-d, formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into the nostrils the soul (neshoma) of life; and man became a living being.” The Stone Editon Chumash

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All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

THE DIAMOND RING & SHABBOS

                This is an amazing incident that shows us the high level of mesrius nefesh an ordinary Jew can attain and how far the ripples of its influence can reach.

               After Reuven, who was learning full time at Yeshiva, became engaged – a chassan, his father one day entrusted him with a large sum of cash in order to purchase a diamond ring for his kallah. Reuven set out on his mission Erev Shabbos in the late morning as he felt that this time would least interfere with his learning seder. Before leaving his father wished him well.

               Even though hub of jewelry stores were usually only half hour bus ride, because of heavy roadwork, the trip took a much longer long. By the time Reuvan arrived at his destination he since the arrival of Shabbos was coming closer he quickly looked at a number of rings but he didn’t feel he had found the one he wanted to purchase. Reuvan strengthened his resolve that everything is from Heaven and ultimately for the good, turned around and began his trip back home. During the subway ride home, Reuvan began to feel a little tired so he closed his eyes, for what he thought would be a few minutes, however when he woke up he realized that he had well passed the stop for his home and now traveling in the wrong direction. With Shabbos soon approaching he quickly got off the train and hailed down a taxi. Unfortunately, the taxi moved like a snail as the traffic was very congested this time due to an accident that still wasn’t cleared. Reuvan realized that at this pace that he wouldn’t get home in time, so he started to review in his mind his halacic obligations in order to any transgression of Shabbos. Being it was the winter time with very short days, candle lighting was quickly approaching. Finally, a let up in the heavy traffic allowed them to move along at a jiffy pace reaching an area not so far from his house just minutes left till Shabbos. Reuvan decided he couldn’t chance staying in the taxi any longer so he immediately paid the driver thanked him and exited.

Now Reuven’s concern was the large sum of money that he had with him. He looked around him and saw that he had exited the taxi right in front of a large store that was open. He went in and looked around. It was full of salespeople and customers, but he saw an office off to the side and through the glass door, he could see an elderly man sitting behind a desk. Reuven knocked and entered. With a quick excuse for interrupting the man at his work, he explained that he was a religious Jew and would have to leave his wallet somewhere because it was just a few minutes until the Jewish Sabbath and he couldn’t carry it with him.

 

The man looked at him strangely but he apparently felt that Reuven was sincere and asked how he could be of service. Reuven said he was carrying a large sum of money and asked the man if he would hold it for him until after Shabbos. The man nodded, accepted Reuven’s wallet and placed it in an envelope. Reuven thanked the gentleman and left immediately.

 

Reuven walked briskly home, relieved that he had not transgressed the Shabbos. After Shabbos second thoughts assailed him and he berated himself for having given that man his money without any witnesses or receipt. Would he now even be able to find the man? Would the man admit to having received the money and most importantly, would he return it? These and other thoughts and suspicions filled his mind. With a deep resolve not to worry, for he felt he had done the right thing, he pushed away these worries and continued his learning.

 

The next day after davening Reuven returned to the store where he had left his wallet. There was the same man sitting behind his desk. He knocked and entered the office.

 

“Do you remember me?” Reuven asked.

“Yes,” the man said noncommittally.  

 

“Can I now have my wallet back?” The elderly man looked Reuven in the eyes for what seemed like forever, stood up in silence and went into a back room. Reuven was tense, but he strengthened himself with the thought that he had managed to not transgress the Shabbos and that was worth more than money. After what seemed an eternity, the man came back with an envelope in his hand, which he turned over to Reuven. In it was Reuven’s wallet – intact.

 

Reuven was relieved, to put it mildly. He was also so overwhelmed by this man’s honesty, that he couldn’t withhold his admiration and praised him profusely. The elderly man then answered in a European Yiddish “Nu, what do expect from a fellow Jew?”

 

Reuven was astonished. He had no idea the man was a Jew. The elderly man, who was the owner of this business, then told Reuven: “After you left my store and all during Shabbos my conscious started hounding me. Through the harshness I experienced during Holocaust I had given up all signs of my Jewish ness, but your mesirus nefesh and dedication to the sanctity of the holy Shabbos now reawakened in me the will to do return to the ways of my tradition – teshuvah.” He then concluded: “ From now on, thanks to you, this store will be closed on Shabbos!”

They spontaneously fell into each other’s arms with tears in their eyes with Reuven now realizing what a great “investment” he had made after all. From that day on, for the first time in decades, this precious Jewish soul would again be “reinvesting” his life in the service of Hashem. Well – it came out that Reuvan did find a diamond after all that day – the diamond within the soul of that Jew.

 

As told to Y.B. & S.E. Falk by Rabbi H. Waxman

Monsey N.Y.

 

 

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia