PURIM – SEEING BEYOND THE MASK

March 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

On your way to (Pesach) Passover, don’t pass over Purim. Ah Purim, how we all appreciate you even though you tantalize us, mystify us and laugh with us as we struggle to understand you. Like Yom Kippur, you help us to reach a destination called forgiveness but what a difference in the trip. You allow us to atone for our sins with merriment and with eating and with drinking– a lot of drinking. On Yom Kippur we abstain. On Yom Kippur we remove our shoes, while you get us to put on an extra pair of clown shoes. On Yom Kippur we refrain from anointing ourselves while you allow us to us smear our faces and bodies with extra creams and cosmetics. On Yom Kippur we stay awake and focused while you – Purim – lead us to take an extra drink and or a little extra sleep. How does this happen?

Maybe we can find an answer using your mitzvah of drinking wine –everything becomes clearer with a little wine and even clearer with more wine . . . Let’s see, where was I ? Oh yes, Drinking can easily bring a person to frivolity and nonsense, yet you, Purim, are (mehapech) the opposite, you make a switch and the wine we drink takes us up the spiritual ladder towards purity and strivings towards kiddusha.

You’re really clever. You fool our (yetzer hora) negative inclination by giving it just what it wants lots of wine and maybe even some more and then all of a sudden, it can’t connive or deceive any more because (nichnas yayin yotzei sod) once wine goes in, on this unique holy day, then the inner yearnings of our pure Jewish soul come out.

You put masks on us to strip our masks away. All of a sudden we may realize that our regular, ordinary, middle of the road conduct is really the result of our inner battle between these two forces. Now we get a chance to glimpse at our dark side and through the special loftiness of this day can actually laugh at it , with that laughter freeing us from its negative influence hopefully not just for this day, but forever.

When we see beyond the mask, we learn how not to judge. Throughout the year we may be guilty of too quickly evaluating and judging others on a very shallow level. On Purim when a (adel) sweet person puts on a scary mask, we are not frightened because we know that behind the mask is a precious soul. So, too, in the real world, every Jew has good points which we should focus on and therefore not be so quick to judge anyone superficially.

Ah Purim, you don’t have us simply ask (mechila) forgiveness, of our friends, you tell us to say it with presents. How so? We give two gifts to at least one friend and minimally one gift to each of two poor people. One of the great Rabbis makes an observation asking why are we obligated to give at least double to a friend and only minimally one gift to each of the poor? He answers that the poor gratefully accept whatever we offer, but we might have offended our friends over the course of the year and they may continue to harbor resentment. On Purim we are commanded to make a special effort to repair these breaches in all relationships especially those which have weakened. Therefore we should “redouble” our efforts with sincere gifts and send a clear message to both close friends and estranged acquaintances that we are sincerely interested in healing the past and rebuilding the future together. Also we give them gifts that don’t need preparation – ie. ready to eat – to hint to them that they do not have to make any – preparations – changes in themselves – in order for us to accept them as they are.

On Purim, the poor can make us rich. One reason we are only minimally required to give one gift to each of at least two needy people is because as long as we don’t see the poor as our friends we ourselves are spiritually poor, however, if we see every Jew, including the needy, as our friends, then we will generously lavish them with gifts thereby taking them out of their physical poverty and ourselves our of our spiritual poverty.

Ah Purim, leave us with one more gift, leave us with your special smile which inspires our hearts as we prepare for the next stage of our journey that being the wonderful Pesach transformation.

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

JEWISH HOLY DAYS

PURIM & CHANUKAH SECRETS HIDDEN WITHIN THE GRAPES & OLIVES

March 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

There are two popular holidays in the Jewish calendar that can be celebrated even as we perform our ordinary weekday activities. Even though they have no special Yom Tov or Shabbos requirements they do much more than just commemorate events in history. Purim, in which wine is the drink of choice and Chanukah with its lighting of the menorah with ideally olive oil, have concealed within these days of joy, like quality olive oil that is extracted from olives and vintage wine whose transformed juice exudes from the grapes, heretofore untapped hidden powers that can aid us to help to rectify and elevate the entire creation.

[How is this achieved and why is it necessary? When Adam and Chava ate the forbidden fruit, violating the specific commandment of the Creator, the yetzer hara became internalized causing an admixture within all mankind of tov vi-rah. Since four of the five senses of hearing, tasting, seeing and feeling (touch) acted as “accomplices” to the primordial sin, we need to now use those very same senses, in the performance of mitzvos and acts and chesed, to rectify this cosmic error which continues to reverberate throughout the generations.] (this par. not pub.)

Partially because of a lack of enough sensitivity and an increase in senseless enmity (sinas kinom), that was a major cause of the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, our Sages wisely gave us specific additional mitzvos that focus on strengthening our sense of awareness thereby reawakening our sensitivity in our relationship others. How can this best be achieved?

Purim is a holiday that offers us an opportunity to become extraordinarily sensitive listeners through fulfilling the mitzvah of hearing every word of the Megilla. This unique mitzvah of focused rapt attention thereby teaches us how to truly listen to others, so as to better understand how to best help them. How is this achieved? We accomplish this through the other three mitzvos of the day which are giving charity generously, sending gifts of food to friends and opening the “doors” of our homes and hearts for a tasty meal which is a flavorful experience for all of us.

Now that our hearing has been attuned and our taste buds enhanced we can look into the lights of Chanukah to see how to best rekindle the proper feelings between each other. How is this achieved? Just as we bend over – lower ourselves – as the naros are ideally below ten

tefakim, so as to be able to light – ie. touch – the Chanukah naros until they are lit up by the “helper” candle known as the shomus, so too in our relationship with others, we should be willing to metaphorically “bend over”,when necessary, in order to share our soul’s “flame” to help kindle our fellow brethren including those who are still out in the shuk – ie. – the marketplace of spiritual obscurity.

There is an interesting possible correlation between Purim with its wine and Chanukah with its olive oil and two of the pillars of our avoda: Torah and tefillah. Just like the juice of the grape needs a transformational period of time of fermentation in order to become quality wine, so also, as was in the Purim episode when our nation prayed and fasted, do we sometimes need to pray over and over until our teffilos become transformed into a vintage quality that is able to mi-hapik the decree. The olive tree, on the other hand, which takes decades before producing quality olives and its olive oil can be likened to the extensive time it takes for a Torah student to develop into a true Torah scholar who is from then on able to produce chiddushim that adds spiritual “lights” to the world. Chanukah therefore symbolizes victory of Torah over teva with the olive oil of the Menorah symbolizing the wisdom of the Torah – as it is said: ner mitzvah, Torah orh.

A final insight found within the holiday of Purim is alluded to through the mitzvah of sending readymade foods to friends. Since during the course of the year some event might have caused others to feel that they have not lived up to our standards, the sending of specifically prepared foods expresses a profound message that just as this food needs no preparation, we are always ready and prepared to accept you just as you are.

May we through these beautiful mitzvos, which help us to realign our sensibility (feelings) of proper love and respect for all of our brethren, merit the final Bais HaMigdash soon in our days.

Special Days In the Jewish Calendar

DAVENING AT THE TZION OF THE RASHBI-THE BURIAL SITE OF RABBI SHIMON BAR YOCHAI

March 1, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Meron in Eretz Israel is the burial site of the RASHBI author of the ZOHAR the seminal treatise on Kabbalah. It is awe inspiring to see thousands of Jews from every walk of life come to this holy site to reconnect with the very roots of their souls.

        They come from all over the world and represent the entire spectrum of Jewish consciousness and social and political conventions and practices . Here we can find the ultra orthodox and the radically secular,the conservative and the liberal, some with long peyot [side locks] while others with pony tails.

        This diverse group comes together in order that each may connect with the supernal transcendence of this timeless holy place. Some are filled with tears of pain while others are celebrating in joyous ecstasy. Nonetheless, by the time they are ready to depart, each visitor will have a definitely discernible
experience – it may express itself as a sense of renewal and inspiration, or it
may present in a more subtle fashion — but each will receive in accordance with the power of his or her soul to be recharged.

    How is such a phenomena possible? The answer is not “blowing in the wind” but hovering within the core of each one of our souls. The holy RASHBI, as he is fondly and reverently called, merited to find a way to reveal the deepest levels of Kabbalistic tradition in a format that keeps itself hidden
from all but a select few Sages in each generation.

The sefer that he wrote, the Zohar contains all of the encoded secrets of
theTorah which were later revealed by giants such as the ARizal and his
disciples. This extraordinary sefer contains the spiritual keys to all of the
hidden worlds and the powers locked within them to re-balance our –
neshomas – thus providing the truest form of soul food.

HASHKAKA PRATIS

A DRINK OF WATER

March 1, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Many of the deeds we do seem quite insignificant but prove to have far-reaching implications. The following true story highlights the great value of carefully considering each of our decisions, large and small.

Yosef and Rachel were looking forward to this long-awaited journey to Eretz Yisrael. They left for the airport shortly after sunset. As they drove along, Rachel was chatting excitedly about the trip. She wondered aloud whether she had found the right gifts for their family and friends and then her conversation shifted to her favorite topic – of someday soon meriting to live in Eretz Yisrael. All the while her husband, Yosef, wasn’t paying too much attention because he apparently had something weighty on his mind. He kept glancing toward the darkening sky, looking at his watch and repeatedly opening his ticket folder to check on the time of their flight. Rachel asked him what was on his mind. He was concerned, he said, about whether he would have time to look for a minyan to daven Maariv before the flight.

Upon arriving at the airport, they quickly loaded their weighty bags onto a cart and began the lengthy check-in process. Yosef kept glancing at the large overhead clock as if his concentrated thoughts could make the hands move slowly enough for him to still have sufficient time to find a minyan.

Carry-on bags and tickets in hand, the couple now walked briskly over to the security area, where they were told to place all they were carrying, including coats and shoes, into the ever-cycling gray tubs that would be shuttled through the fluoroscope machine one after another like a flock of sheep forced into a line to enter the narrow gate of the pasture.

Having rescued their possessions, they headed down the long corridor toward the waiting room next to their departure gate. Rachel began to feel faint. Yosef, noticing her discomfort, suggested to her as they passed a water fountain that they stop a moment for her to have a well-deserved drink and sit down on a bench to rest for a few moments. Rachel, who always traveled with clean collapsible plastic cups for health’s sake, filled the two cups with water from the fountain but insisted that move along quickly to the flight gate and only then would she sit and take a drink. Yosef knew they had at least another five minute’s walk ahead of them and suggested again that they sit down to drink and rest a moment. Rachel thanked him for his consideration but urged that they keep moving.

“Let’s just get to the gate as fast as we can – I can rest later,” she assured him.

At the exact moment they arrived at their flight gate, they saw a group of men standing in a corner of the lounge and heard them saying the Vehu rachu… that prayer that precedes Barechu. Yosef was delighted to be able to join in with the minyan and daven Maariv with the tzibbur.

Thanks to Rachel’s insistence on postponing her own comfort so as not to delay an opportunity for her husband to seek a minyan before they boarded the plane, she was able to reap the spiritual benefits of helping him perform a mitzvah.

We of course cannot say which rewards are connected with which mitzvos but it does seem strange that Yosef and Rachel were the only people on that entire jumbo jet who had a vacant seat next to them. Rachel, who usually finds it difficult to sleep, much less relax and rest in an upright position on a plane, and who had refused to stop and rest for even a few seconds on their mad dash to the departure gate, was able to stretch out and sleep comfortably for many hours for the first time on an international flight.

Hashkafa

TRANSFORMING OUR TEFILLAHS

February 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Have you ever found yourself praying (davening) mechanically –your lips mumbling through the familiar and soothing cadence of the liturgy (nusach) — as your mind wanders off the page and goes on an excursion of its own. Unfortunately, many of us have had this uncomfortable experience. When we do, we find ourselves fighting a battle on several fronts. We could feel inadequate and perhaps even hypocritical in our prayers (tefillos) thereby making it all the more difficult to achieve the joy, enthusiasm and sincerity we strive for. How can we experience renewal and joy in our tefillos when we daven almost the same words each day? [1]

One might think that our service of Hashem would be much more enthusiastic if we could pray simply in accordance with our emotions and thoughts.[2] Of course, personalized prayer is not only permissible but very encouraged. However, here, we are exploring the need for and unique value of set prayer. It is the combination of personal and set prayer that allows us to maximize our potential to communicate with Hashem. Also as we properly understand and utilize set prayer, it becomes our own.

What we do not realize is that the words of our tefilloth are indeed different and unique every time we pray (daven), however, these delicately nuanced and subtle changes usually are not perceptible to us even though they have significant profound long term effects on a spiritual level.

Though we may understand these concepts intellectually, how can we better connect and relate to them? By recognizing that it is the Creator (Hashem) who renews these brachas every single day and not taking any peaceful, healthy moment for granted, we certainly will feel the need and value of every tefillah.

One of the challenges with finding inspiration is not seeing the effect of our prayers. Ironically, this ‘silence from Above’ is one of the greatest blessings we have, albeit one that may be difficult for us to appreciate. This ‘silence’ can serve to inspire our emunah – belief. To appreciate the gap between belief and knowledge, take a moment to imagine how we would feel if we were actually able to see how our heart-felt tefillos for the recovery of a loved one, provided health and healing to unknown ,countless others. Imagine how inspired we would be if we could see how our prayers for sustenance were bringing plenty into this world; how our blessings (bracot) provided spiritual nourishment for the fields of grain and the fruit orchards.

Consider the following (moshal) paradigm: You are the pilot of a hi-tech plane that is flown only with instruments without any windows. You are assigned to fly several missions, but are not told what precisely what is being accomplished. You are highly trained to respond to all of the data that is fed back to you and you program in delicate course adjustments and press certain buttons and pull certain levers. At the end of the flight, you see that you have returned to your original point of take off.

If you would ask your flight director what value the flights had, he might tell you: You flew over the vast fields that provides much of the produce for that area. The first time you flew you seeded the fields. The next time you flew over the fields you watered the sprouting seeds and then finally you sprayed the young crops with a substance that protected them. If you had missed any of the flights, there would have been no produce available in the area. You served your country well by providing it with nourishing food.

We each have been sent here with specific missions, in which we often don’t see the results of our actions and efforts. We can, however, be sure that by following our (Torah) Jewish teachings, we are helping to cultivate blessings throughout the world and the entire universe. Indeed, part of the definition of exile (galus), is to be “spiritually blind” to the relationship between our prayers, (mitzvoth) essential good deeds and the results that flow from them. However, our inability to see the cause and effect result of our efforts does not minimize their great importance and even increases the blessings and benefits for all mankind.

Even during those moments that our tefillos seem imperfect, we can take strength from the knowledge that the holy nusach is working for us. This is because tefillah is an idealistic form of altruistic service. Even the self-importance we may feel when we have a “good davening,” can jeopardize it. Thus when we humbly recognize that our tefillos are lacking, that very humility may serve as an impetus for their acceptance. Indeed, Hashem is close to the broken hearted and humble of spirit , and it is at that moment that we can pray (daven) for the Divine presence (Shechina) which is in galus with us sharing in our exile. Tefillah allows us the opportunity to pray (daven) sincerely for others, whether or not they are known to us. The opportunity to daven for others provides a profound lesson in unconditional giving. Another facet of prayer is its capacity for connecting us to the Divine Presence (Shechina), whose exile, so to speak, is reflected through the problems of this world. The difficulties we personally experience allow us to relate the exile of the Shechina. For, in the future when the Shechina will dwell among us in its full glory the world will reflect this revelation through health, happiness and all good things.

The set nusach , created by the Sages of the great courts know as the Anshei Kenesset Hagedola during the time of the holy Temple in Jerusalem, is a beautiful astonishingly durable vessel which has remained constant in our service over the centuries in galus no matter where we have lived and what our needs were. It is universal in that it has been able to convey the heart felt appreciation, needs, dreams and hopes of a nation as diverse as ours, and yet sufficiently specific so as to effectively convey our uniquely personal connections with Hashem.

The nusach that many of us know so well, and indeed have even committed to memory, releases us from the need to overly concentrate on the pronunciation, grammar, word order or sentence structure and thus allowing us greater focus on the purpose and intentions of the tefillos. It is the nusach of our set prayer that specifically allows us to transcend our physical limitations and safely travel the beautiful “spiritual highway of prayer” created by our Sages, allowing us to offer our inner thoughts, needs, and emotional outpourings directly to Hashem. This then allows us to open the door to our higher consciousness which then aids us to peel off the superficial outer layers allowing us to reach our inner spiritual core. Through the perfectly crafted prayers that our holy Sages designed, we are able to enter a new realm of highly contemplative thought.

Thus, it is specifically through the set nusach that we can gain access to the innermost Palace. Not surprisingly the word nusach – נוסח — contains the same four letters as chason — חסון –which means sturdy, strong and powerful. Our nusach is that sturdy, strong and powerful vessel that carries the soul’s expression of praise and need up to the Heavenly throne.

May our unified tefillot awaken Divine mercy from Above, thereby bringing peace and harmony along with the long awaited final geula to all mankind soon in our days.

[1][1] Very early in our history as a nation, we encountered repetition in the service of Hashem. During the construction of the Tabernacle (Mishkan), the Princes of the twelve tribes, offered twelve identical gifts. Each prince’s offering is separately described in great detail and repeated verbatim twelve times. (Parshas Nasso, 7:10-88). We know that each word of the Torah has everlasting significance. Since there are no superfluous words in Torah, what can we extrapolate from these seemingly repetitious verses? The Torah is coming to teach us that while on a superficial level each gift may appear to have been alike, each was actually different because each Prince gave his gifts for his individual symbolic reasons and each of the gifts reflected the distinctive spiritual level achieved by that Prince and his Tribe. Their presentation of identical gifts, however, was the very unifying quality that fused the unique talents and purposes of each leader and each tribe into one spiritual and physical national whole dedicated to the service of Hashem. According to the great commentator – the Ramban, this is the why the Torah adds the twelve offerings together and gives their sum.

TORAH TEACHINGS

CONQUERING ERETZ CANAAN … AND OURSELVES

January 25, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I was once riding on public transportation when a young person, sporting a ponytail and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt peered over my shoulder at the book (sefer) I was reading. It was a copy of Mesilas Yesharim with an English translation. I imagined that he would not give it a second glance, but to my surprise, his eyes lit up, he smiled broadly and asked me, “Is this the new one that’s just out. I read the first one and it was great.” Before I could absorb his comment and respond, he got off. His reaction aroused my curiosity. I came to learn that the personality improvement (mussar) movement has attracted adherents from unlikely quarters. They are young secular people, who, to their great credit, have apparently become disillusioned with relativistic morality. They appreciate a teaching that says that there is correct and inappropriate behavior. In a spiritually and morally challenged world they apparently have found the teachings of mussar to be comforting and inspiring.

However, the transformation even from a G-d fearing serious minded Jew to the righteous person (tzaddik) portrayed in the closing chapters of Mesilas Yesharim is quite a journey. How much greater is the distance, we may imagine, for that young man and his colleagues. Yet, we have learned that our Torah is accessible to all who sincerely strive to attain it. We do not need to ascend to heaven or cross the seas to find it. Thus, such transformation must be both feasible and practical. We therefore can ask ourselves, How does this journey begin?

An answer to this question can be found as a solution to a puzzling piece of Torah written twice, once in Sefer Shemos – Parshas Mishpatim (23:29-30) when Hashem promised to drive out the nations that lived in Eretz Canaan, it says, “I shall not drive them away from you in a single year, lest the land become desolate and the wildlife of the field multiply against you. Little by little shall I drive them away from you, until you become fruitful and make the land your heritage.” And then a second time saying: “Hashem, your G-d will thrust these nations from before you little by little; you will not be able to annihilate them quickly, lest the beasts of the field increase against you”(Devarim 7:22). Wouldn’t it have been better had Hashem driven them out all at once? Wouldn’t it have been easier for Bnei Yisrael to have subdued the occasional wild animal that might have crossed their path rather then do battle with the well armed, well fortified military forces of a number of powerful enemy nations?

These lines of Torah can, perhaps, at one level be understood as a parable – a parable that explains just how we can begin to walk the path carved out by the great and profound teachings of mussar and the elevating thoughts found in chassidus.

Eretz Yisrael may be compared to the body which can either serve as a vessel for holiness or its opposite. The connection between the land and the people can be seen in the word Yisrael, which refers to both and represents the spiritual DNA that makes up our personal and national characteristics. The letters yud, shin, reish, alef and lamed which form the word “Yisrael” are an acronym for the names of the Avos and Imahos, the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people: Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sara, Rivka, Rachel, Avraham and Leah whose positive middos, personality traits, were handed down to us as a spiritual legacy (according to the Ari HaKadosh, Likutei Torah, Kisvei Ari, parashas Vayishlach, d’h, Vayikra es shemo Yisrael).

The powerful “nations of the land” who built fortified cities and established military forces are parallel to various forms of knowledge and information which could be used to construct a thriving beneficial civilization based on truth and justice or a corrupt society. When the seven Canaanite nations who occupied the land chose to use their knowledge to live an immoral existence, those nations came to represent the seven kelipos, unholy husks, the negative counterparts of the seven positive spiritual attributes expressive of Hashem’s goodness and humanity’s true goal (Likutei Torah, Kisvei Ari, Parashas Devarim, d’h, Yesh Ladaas). These are the middos of chessed, loving kindness for the sake of Heaven, gevura, directed holiness through discipline, tiferes, harmony through the Torah, netzach, eternal connection to the Creator’s will, hod, splendor in the service of Hashem, yesod, moral purity in righteousness and malchus, the power of royalty to orchestrate and combine them all. These middos are hinted at in our daily prayer of Vayevareich David when we say, Lecha Hashem, “Onto you Hashem, we ascribe Hagedula (chessed), Vehagevura, Vehatiferes …” Thus, in the hands of the Canaanite nations, wisdom or knowledge became a vehicle for the pursuit of amoral, unprincipled and unethical diversions.

The “beasts of the field” represent the baser emotions which will clamor for the fulfillment of personal desires at the expense of loftier goals unless they are properly channeled. These “beasts of the field” are ruled by the heart and if not controlled lead to egotistic pleasure seeking.

When we enter the Land – meaning when we begin the process of transforming ourselves, we must confront two fierce adversaries which have to be subdued and controlled: One is the powerful, well fortified intellect which navigates through the world using verifiable scientific and sociological data and submits to society’s codes and mores in order to promote its survival.

The other is the seat of equally powerful emotional drives which will urge us to bend or break the rules of society whenever they interfere with the fulfillment of personal pleasure. We can harness the intellect and the emotions and use them to aid us in the acquisition and perfection of the positive attributes that have been handed down to us, in potential, from our Avos and Imahos. Indeed, it is the acquisition of the positive character traits of our Avos and Imahos that earns us the title of Bnei Yisrael. In this process, we are able to affect the soul’s purpose on earth by allowing these lofty goals to guide our intellectual decisions and control our emotional responses so that we can achieve the proper service of Hashem. However, the self willed intellect and the exuberant emotions will not meekly yield to this yoke without a struggle.

It is to this struggle that our portion of Torah addresses itself. It teaches that the intellect set upon pursuing misdirected secular goals – the enemy nation – is not as harmful to us as the unbridled lower emotions – the wild beasts of the field. Importantly, it teaches that the mind, like the land, is never empty – it is either occupied by people or by wild animals – meaning by intellectual pursuits or emotional experiences.

Thus, if in the conquest of our “land” we try to rid ourselves of non-beneficial pursuits before Torah driven values, ideas and activities have had a chance to increase, spread out and occupy our thinking, then the vacuum thus created, could, if we are not exceedingly careful, be filled by the “beasts of the field” – the lower passions and desires. Thus our Torah teaches that “Hashem, your G-d, will thrust these nations from before you little by little; you will not be able to annihilate them quickly, lest the beasts of the field increase against you.”

Growth in the service of Hashem is like climbing a ladder. We must be realistic about our present level and not try to pretend to a righteousness that is not yet ours. The transformation from secular ideologies and their corresponding lifestyles cannot occur all at once, but only “little by little.” Just as a person cannot mature from infancy to adulthood in a brief period of time, so too we cannot instantly make drastic changes in our natures. The Torah, therefore, warns that this process of vanquishing inappropriate mindsets and lifestyles needs to take place little by little to give an opportunity for the Torah driven values that we have planted to grow and spread and keep the wild beasts of the field at bay.

By way of example, let us assume that someone has attended an inspiring mussar shiur and makes a decision to forgo reading novels and secular newspapers. For someone who has spent a great many evenings in those pursuits, this is quite a tall order. The person certainly means well, but does not yet have the training, the discipline or the motivation to dedicate those long evening hours exclusively to learning Torah, doing community work or engaging in other constructive activities. That person might feel frustrated or anguished and could, at one extreme, decide that he or she is not capable of keeping to this newfound resolve and may let go even of spiritual levels that had already been achieved.

Therefore the Torah wisely informs us that if such a person sincerely wants to change these aspects of their lifestyle they might choose to begin by looking critically at what they read and by exchanging certain harmful and debased subject matter for that which is less so, all the while increasing slowly but surely their pursuit of a Torah directed lifestyle.

As Torah values are put in place, unnecessary and unhealthy intellectual pursuits can be safely removed or transformed into useful ‘servants’ of the soul. Unrefined emotions will have no foothold because our neshama will have spread out, filling the potential vacuum with the glory of the Divine Radiance that is waiting to shine within all of us. This means that as we mature, develop and apply the attributes that are part of our inheritance from our Avos and the Imahos, then and only then will Hashem totally remove any connection with the lifestyle of the other nations. Eventually through effort and sincerity we can reach the level of living life according to the will of and for the sake of the Creator alone. Hopefully, through this perception and approach to life’s challenges and most importantly with the help of Hashem, we will succeed in returning to our inheritance and living within its borders in peace and holiness soon in our days.

JEWISH HOLY DAYS

TU-BI- SHEVAT – A TIME FOR RENEWAL

January 19, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Tu BiShevat: A Time of Renewal

The Glorious Proliferation of Trees

From the metaphysical to the metaphorical, from the mechanical to
the medicinal, trees are sources of wonder and joy, nourishment and nurture.
Metaphysically speaking, the Torah teaches that the Tree of Life was a link to
eternal existence. Metaphorically speaking, the Torah compares mankind to the
trees in the field (Devarim 20,19),
and indeed, we exist in a symbiotic relationship with them – so much so, that we
speak of ourselves as being “rooted” in reality with ideas that “bear fruit.”

In their mechanical and physical aspects, trees are no less
remarkable. Did you know that there are almost 247 billion trees of all sizes
in the United States?
That is a blessing because even a single tree produces some 260 pounds of
oxygen per year, and thus two mature trees can supply enough oxygen per year to
meet the needs of a family of four. Trees contribute to the water supply, as
well, with our national forests serving as the originating point for drinking
water used by some 3400 communities and 60 million individuals. Trees provide
shade and wind buffering that reduce annual cooling and heating costs by 2.1
billion dollars, reducing the temperature in buildings some 20 degrees in the
summer. Trees are an abundant source of raw material in the form of wood and
paper. An average family uses about 750 pounds of paper every year, and 95% of
the homes built in this country are made of wood. And these figures don’t even
begin to speak of the food that comes from trees.

A Season of Silent Celebration

These statistics bear witness to the extremely productive role
played by trees in the worldwide ecosystem, yet we celebrate their New Year
during their deepest stage of hibernation, in a still and seemingly lifeless
period in the midst of the winter when not a leaf is left to rustle or a fruit
remains to be plucked. What is it that causes us to remember the tree at the
nadir of its yearly cycle, and how can we understand human productivity in this
context?

Indeed, lack of productivity makes many of us uncomfortable and
is particularly difficult for the “movers and shakers” – the trendsetters and
money makers – who spend their lives amidst the constant hustle and bustle of
the fast-paced metropolitan hubs.

In this, the fifth or so generation after the birth of the
“Industrial Age,” the goal has been and continues to be efficiency – cheap,
mass-produced items whose worth is measured in quantity rather than quality.
Indeed, progress in every area of life has come to be based upon that end. In
this regard, fruits are plucked before they have ripened, and all sorts of
services have been “outsourced” or computerized. The secular media mill is
expected to churn out new material each day, and therefore often settles for
banality and mediocrity in an effort to feed the voracious appetites of
readers, listeners and viewers. Children are placed in a school setting which
expects students to learn more and faster by bombarding them with an enormous amount
of facts and figures, often at the expense of quality, sensibility and balance.

Growing up in this world, it is no surprise that many feel very
uncomfortable when faced with periods of dormancy – times when life seems
unproductive, torpid and inactive, and when creativity and inspiration are on
the wane. Therefore, it behooves us to try to get to the root of the matter and
then make concerted efforts to reach up to pluck potentially fruitful insights
that can excite our taste for and appreciation of those periods in our lives
that are relatively “passive” and appear less productive. Let us now discover
from the “tree of life” how to reinvigorate our own lives by learning to view
this phase of “cyclic hibernation” as an essential stage that prepares us for
the next step in our growth and renewal

Growth Beneath the Surface

Although imperceptible to the external observer, on Tu BiShevat,
the life-giving sap, hidden deep within the tree’s core, starts flowing upward,
triggering the tree’s awakening. Although human growth is not necessarily tied
to the seasons, we, too, undergo transformations – spiritual and psychological
restorations that occur well beneath the surface, often hidden even from
ourselves; and it is apparent that the winter months lend themselves to the
kind of solitude and isolation that is conducive to contemplation and inner
change.

As our Sages have informed us, “The greatest of blessings comes
from that which is hidden from the eye.” Nonetheless, we have been instructed
to begin proclaiming at this time the beracha
of “Shehechiyanu,” expressing thanks
and praise for this auspicious time.

If it is better to keep
this transformative process hidden while it does its work, why do we forgo the
benefits of concealment by openly declaring the greatness of this period
through our berachos? Perhaps we can
venture to say that our proclamation of gratitude and total acknowledgment of
the true Source of blessing enables us to tap into an even greater beracha of renewal and growth than does
our silence. The blessing of Shehechiyanu
acts as a catalyst, catapulting us above and outside the realm of teva (nature), and therefore, we no
longer need be concerned with remaining concealed. Now, all of our potential
mitzvos and ma’asim tovim can
unassumingly begin to be revealed, each in its ideal time and appropriate
place.

The illusionary forces of stagnation that correspond to the depth
of winter only exist in those who don’t recognize from where the “fruit” of
their actions evolves. By binding our souls to the Creator with cords
(blessings) of praise and sincere appreciation, however, as through the beracha of Shehechiyanu, we can overcome all impediments, thereby clearly
recognizing the great value of each and every stage of our existence,
sustenance and development. A seed represents potential. Only after sprouting
and undergoing a lengthy gestation period does the seed gradually grow and
develop until reaching fruit-bearing maturity. So also do we grow and develop
in a slow and gentle unfolding from birth to adulthood. Like trees, however,
people cannot truly reach maturity until they actualize their potential by
producing luscious “fruits,” which are their mitzvos and ma’asim tovim.

Individual Place of Development

There is another insight that can deepen our understanding and
appreciation of the different stages of life. Most trees produce their fruits
after relatively few years. One notable exception, however, is the olive tree,
which does not begin to bear its highly praised and valuable fruit for many,
many years. What can we learn from this phenomenon? Perhaps it is to make us
cognizant of the fact that each person’s potential for development has a
different timetable. Assuming that we are making our best efforts, we should
never become frustrated or envious if we see our peers “succeeding” in ways
that we have not. There are early bloomers and late bloomers, but if each of us
develops our potential, we will, in the proper time and setting, merit to bear
exquisite fruits.

In summary, let us approach this season of potential renewal
realizing that even during the quiet, seemingly less productive, or even
challengingly restrictive periods of our lives, there is hidden within us a
reservoir of potential spiritual influx waiting to be tapped, bringing with it
an elevating surge of renewal and inspiration. By acknowledging our belief in
the absolute governance of the compassionate Creator, we can remove the
personal impediments of imagined limitations, thereby enhancing our potential
for rejuvenation, change and growth. May we all together raise our voices in
thanks, proclaiming Shehechiyanu for
our existence, veki’yemanu for our
growth and sustenance, and vehigianu
for developing and bringing us la’zeman
hazeh – to this special moment in time.

TORAH TEACHINGS

THE MANN – HEAVENLY NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL

January 12, 2011 admin Leave a comment

“He who recites the chapter of the (Manna) ‘Heavenly bread’, written in Parshas Beshalach (16: 4-36) every day is assured that he will not lack food” (Gem. Yerushalmi). The Levush explains that this chapter teaches that G-d provides each day’s substance – just as He provided the manna each day in the wilderness.

Would that we could see with the pure eyes of a child for whom the world is filled by Hashem with wonder and delight. Imagine the reaction of the younger members of the generation of the Dor Hamidbar, who only received their nourishment from the “heavenly bread,” entered Eretz Yisrael and saw agricultural produce growing from the ground, they no doubt considered it a supernatural event. We, on the other hand, see our food as common place taking it for granted, but consider the life support system that provided food, water, and protection to 3,000,000 men, women and children along with their herds and flocks in the desert for forty years that was truly an open miracle. Yet, both systems are part of Hashem’s miraculous governance of the world – a hashgacha that can be perceived by us as miraculous if we but choose to take the opportunity to do so.

The Mann was a wondrous source of nourishment. The sustenance provided to us in the midbar did not require the expenditure of physical effort, nor were needed any of the labor intensive tasks ordinarily associated with the growth and production of food and its preparation. We might, therefore, be tempted to think that the generation of the midbar was not only freed from the obligation of earning a living but absolved of all of the challenges related to this endeavor. However, such is not the case.

The unique challenge of the Dor Hamidbar lay in the fact that they had absolutely no physical control over their food, water or protection. Thus they were simultaneously confronted with the test of feeling vulnerable to the elements while at the same time experiencing complete dependence upon the benevolence of the Creator.

In fact every single necessity upon which their physical well being depended was not in their “hands”. They had no fertile land, no rivers teaming with life, no reservoirs filled with water or towering forests to provide timber and game. They had no homes and no sense of permanency. Although a tremendous surplus of manna fell each day, each person was allowed to collect only what he or she needed for that day alone. With the exception of the extra portion that was allotted for Shabbos, the manna was not permitted to remain for even one extra day for if additional manna was gathered, it would immediately spoil. Thus they were never able to establish any “physical security” or feeling of independence.

Though it would seem that they were able to obtain manna without effort or exertion, that is far from the truth. The efforts that the Dor Hamidbar had to make in order to “earn” their food, was a constant “exercise” in emunah and bitachon at the highest level, as the Sages inform us: “Who is strong? One who surrenders his inclination to the will of Hashem.”

The reward for these efforts was a “spiritual food” that nourished the body by feeding the soul. Like all things spiritual it had no physical limitations or boundaries and was not the subject of the natural laws of cause and effect. Each person received the same size portion regardless of size or weight and yet each person felt satiated .The message to be found within this phenomenon is very profound in that at the level of pure soul we are all equal and therefore each individual received the same sized portion. However, there were certain differences that each person experienced dependant on their spiritual level. If the Mann was left close or far away, and the need of preparation and flavor were based on the level of one’s righteousness.

The more virtuous found their portions ready to eat at the entrance of their tent, while the less upright had to search further a field and then prepare it according to their needs. These distinctions served as a daily “bench mark” of one’s spiritual level and thereby served as an incentive to constantly improve.

The whole creation exists within a five dimensional continuum, consisting of the three dimensions of place together with time and soul. Using these concepts of place, time and soul, we can analyze the distance, placement and preparation of the manna connecting them to specific objectives of spiritual achievement.

The three dimensions of place and their directions, North–South, East-West and above-below are measured in terms of distance or closeness to a given point. The absolute and constant reference point for place is reflected through Hashem’s Holy Name, HaMakom which means The Place. This conveys the idea that Hashem is that eternal and unchanging reference point. Distance or closeness to Hashem is reflected in our ability to see Him as everywhere. With this in mind, perhaps we can say that the placement of the portion of the manna at a specified distance from the recipient reflected that individual’s level of awareness of Hashem’s governance, the hashgacha pratis within that person’s life. The degree of preparedness of the manna can be understood as reflecting the dimension of time. Moving along the place-time-soul continuum from the most concrete of concepts—place– to the most ephemeral—soul– time lies somewhere in between. Every effort we make can be measured in terms of the time needed for its completion. Our progress from birth throughout life is measured by age, which is simply another way of expressing the effect of time. Though we may see time as a natural phenomena whose passage is measured by the ticks of a clock, time, like distance and soul has its G-dly basis, time is and can be experienced as a function of and subject to Hashem’s governance. Thus, the amount of time allotted to a person on this earth can be measured in terms of the number of words he or she has spoken. Needless to say words of Torah and words said in connection with the doing of mitzvoth are not included in this countdown.

The amount of time spent in excessive preparation is time lost from its potential supernal enjoyment. Those people who measure time by the inexorable ticking of the clock will find that their preparations will take a “natural” course; while the person who recognizes Hashem’s control of time can merit “super natural” intervention being able to use this Divine gift to “capture” moments otherwise lost thereby revealing the eternality within each second. We are ready on time for Shabbos, whether the Friday is long or short. All our efforts in preparation for Shabbos, yomin tovim and other mitzvoth are synchronized with the Creator’s heavenly clock and thus enjoy an “inspired efficiency”.

Last but not least, the amount of spicing necessary for the mann may well reflect our varying needs for excitement, stimulation and pleasure in this world. For those who have accustomed their “diet”
to appreciate nuanced “spiritual flavors” of the perfect blend of ahavah and yirah, all of ones activities directed toward the service of Hashem will produce supernal joy and pleasure, being able to favorably savor even challenging experiences; while those still far from becoming “connoisseurs” in “spiritual delights” may find themselves still engaged in a sub-optimal search for “artificial flavors”.

Now perhaps we can understand why Chazal teach us that those who recite the Perek of the Mann every day are assured that they will not lack food, because recitation of this chapter is our acknowledgement, in Divine hashgacha, that it is the Creator who is the true provider for everything in its right place and proper time.

Hashkafa

CELL PHONES, CIGARATTES & LIFETIME QUOTAS

December 27, 2010 admin Leave a comment

On January 4, 1954 six of the largest cigarette companies in the country and certain large tobacco growers got together and published “The Frank Statement” in the New York Times. In this full page ad they attempted to deflect growing concern with the health risks of smoking, announcing that they were aware of the experiments with mice that linked smoking with cancer, but claimed that the “experiments [were] not regarded as conclusive in the field of cancer research,” and pledged “aid and assistance to the research effort into all phases of tobacco and health.”

Over the last few decades, juries in courtrooms across the country have had to decide whether this statement was evidence of a massive conspiracy of silence among cigarette manufacturers who already knew all too well of the link between smoking and cancer or whether it accurately reflected the paucity of their knowledge at the time and their genuine interest in clarification.

In any event, no one today doubts that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer and other fatal illnesses. According to the American Cancer Society, the use of tobacco in its various forms, in the United States was responsible for 1 in 5 deaths. This means that hundreds of thousands of men and women die each year because of tobacco use.

Each year second hand smoke may be responsible for about 3,000 lung cancer deaths in non smoking adults and an additional 35,000 to 40,000 cases of heart disease in people who are not current smokers . At present still tens of millions of people in this country alone are still currently smoking.

In recent times has arisen a new potential health hazard as the number of cell phone users in the world has already reached the billions. There has been a flurry of research tending to show that cell phones may cause damage at the cellular/genetic level under laboratory conditions. A number of European institutes have done thorough studies that have showed that cells exposed to electromagnetic field similar to those emitted by cell phones showed significant increases in DNA strand breaks. However, some of the world’s mobile phone makers are calling for more research and “awaiting evaluation by the scientific community.” It is starting to sound a bit like the smoking and cancer controversy of the fifties and sixties. Okay, but is that all there is to the cell phone- cigarette connection– or is there something deeper here.

We are taught by our Sages that each of us is given a lifetime quota of words, however words that we use to learn Torah or to accomplish (mitzvoth and ma’asim tovim) acts of kindness are not deducted from this fund. Perhaps it can be inferred that unnecessary words are subtracted from the total. This makes sense because– as we may quietly admit to ourselves–we have been more often “tripped up” by our tongues than by our feet.

The extra “air time”, now available to cell phone users for little or no extra cost could raise the total amount of time spent in conversation and thus statistically increase the potential for some of those conversations to be spiritually as well as physically detrimental. Both cell phones and cigarettes involve the use of our breath and in both cases – what is not so obvious is that the passive by-stander can also be harmed. When cigarette smoke is exhaled, this so called, second hand smoke, has proven to be very dangerous to those exposed. Like the person who inhales second hand smoke, the person who merely listens to (richilus or loshon hara) slander or gossip can be as detrimentally affected by what is being said as is the speaker.

The good news is that cell phones unlike cigarettes can and do have positive applications and can enhance the (simcha) joy of life by making traveling safer, planning and doing (mitzvoth) good deeds easier and keeping relatives and friends more accessible. Some scientific researchers have suggested that potential side effects can be minimized by keeping the cell phone away from the head by using wireless ear phones and keeping the cell phone itself away from any vital organs. We might add one more suggestion to our cell phone do and don’t list: Keep in mind our Heavenly “calling plan quota”!

A final upbeat note: Just as friends and lucrative business deals are instantaneously within our reach at all times and places, how much more so is the Creator always available– all we need to do is connect and speak up.

Uncategorized

GENERATION TO GENERATION – THE APARTMENT

December 23, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The following is a wondrous true story of Divine intervention (Hashkaka Pratis )

In the year 5738, I was learning in Kolel [advanced Talmudic Studies] in the Northern Galilee. There was a young single man who I will refer to as Reuven, that I would invite for Shabbos and learn with occasionally during the week. A half year later, the birth and bris of one of my sons was in B’Nei Brak, which then with the bus transfers was about a four hour trip

How surprised and elated I was to see Reuven, who had traveled on an early morning bus come to our simcha. With Eliyahu Hanavi there he no doubt prayed for the right shidduch for himself and to be blessed with good children.

Within the year, due to certain circumstances, we moved to New York and remained there for the next eight years. We then returned to Eretz Yisrael to a small community outside Jerusalem. In our third year there, and eleven years since I had had any contact with Reuven, I met him in Jerusalem. We quickly caught up on the events of each other’s lives during the years of separation. He was now happily married with two small children, first a girl then a boy. We exchanged telephone numbers and I informed him that for supplementary income I was taking tourists to the holy sights.

Within the year, I received a call from Reuven that his uncle was visiting and needed a tour guide. I made arrangements with him and took him to various holy places in the land. On the last day of his stay, he went with me to kever Dan. While there, he expressed that he was getting older and was looking for a way to secure his portion in the (Olam Haba) -‘World to Come’. Being taken by surprise, I wasn’t sure just how to answer him, but with the help of Hashem I suggested that if he were to find someone in Eretz Yisrael who was learning Torah and by helping to support their efforts especially through buying them an apartment, this acquisition would surely secure him a nice portion in Olam Habah. Perhaps in the back of my mind, I had wishful thinking, that I would be the beneficiary of his beneficence, but although he tipped me nicely for my services for him, at the end of the day we parted company, with me never seeing or hearing from him again. Two years later, my family and I moved back to New York and spent another eight years living in the States before returning to Eretz Yisrael. It was now 21 years since we left the Galillee.

One day I received a call about a shidduch for one of my sons. I liked what I heard and after making some inquiries, the couple met and it was a match—mazel tov. Arrangements with my future mechutan were to split the cost of the (Chassena) wedding and the furnishings for a rented apartment. A few weeks before the Chassena, the (mechutan) bride’s father called me happily announcing that we are buying an apartment for the chasan and kallah. I repeated our original conditions, explaining that I was not able to afford at that time to help buy the new couple an apartment. He interrupted me saying that he also was not paying for the (dera) apartment, but that his uncle, whom I had taken to Cever Dan, had just passed away leaving instructions to his family to provide enough funds for this kallah, his niece, to buy an apartment in Eretz Israel.

Our Sages tell us our mitzvas are preserved for eternity and our good words and encouraging thoughts are never lost. That new mechutan is my old friend, Reuven; the kallah being his only daughter whom he prayed for at the bris of my son in bnei Brak, with this young man now becoming Reuvan’s son-in –law. My suggestion for Reuven’s Uncle twelve years earlier of preparing for eternity by making a (kinyan) acquirement in Eretz Yisrael now became a present for my son and our new daughter-in-law, meaning Reuven’s daughter. I have no doubt that Reuven’s Uncle through this generous gift has received a wonderful portion in the World to Come – for the intelligent investment that he made while still in this world.

All our acts of kindness in this world are not only benefits to its recipients, but are our passports and bank accounts on our journey back to the world of souls. May we all merit this and return soon to the land promised us in peace with the advent of the Meshach soon in our days.

Jewish Soul Journey