If you missed the Rav Ehrman shiur and are curious what went on.....

Incase you missed the Rav Ehrman shiur here are a few ideas from it definitely not everything. (Please feel free to add any ideas that are not here)
There are a lot of tzaros going on and we have to try to always be happy even though there are so many sad things we see and hear about.
When Rebbi Meir Shapiro was on his death bed, he couldn’t talk. He managed to get a writing utensil and the last thing he told his wife was 2 words- “rak bisimcha”. The “Aderet” (Rav Kooks father in law) came 2 hours late to his daughters funeral. Where was he? He was thanking hashem. We must always thank Hashem for the bad equally as you would to the good, so thats what he was busy doing. In Judaism we should always be happy, there is no time to be depressed, not even tisha b’av. We should always try to see the bigger picture. When your davening for a choleh in shul look around at all the healthy people in shul! There is so much to be happy about, weddings bar mitzvahs, births, engagements...bH. The Rambam says never say that something happened by chance. Realize everything is from Hashem. See how you can grow from every situation that Hashem brings. Rashi says that every mitzvah has to be preformed with love.
In relationships try to always think about the other persons prospective, not your own. Don’t try explaining to a baby why you need sleep, don’t buy your wife a great mens suit, don’t give your friend a pacifier when she is sad. Look through the world in their eyes. Also when relating to hashem, don’t talk to him in terms of how you see the world. He knows best and we must follow his ways. Thats why we have the torah, to follow what Hashem wants not what we think is best. If we are not perfect, and maybe a little weird and we still love and accept ourselves, than why cant we love and accept other people just as much? Try to always make others happy. The Maharal says love is making a place in your heart for someone else. We also discussed how hashem counts all our tears. Crying is not a bad thing, its beautiful and the Piasesna says so many people waste their tears on movies, where its all “pretend”. We must always be Bisimcha, even when we cry. Rav Ehrman then (I think) gave a bracha that we should all get married and he brought a quote from RSO. “It’s not good for man to be alone” (RSO= Ribono Shel Olam)

50 Posts in less than one month! Way overdue but- a HUGE thank you and yashar koach to Aviva and Erin for starting this blog - Baurch Hashem you are both amazing! Thank you so much for providing a place for us to all share our Torah and learn from each other!

SMILE

I cant take credit for this... I got it off Rav Ehrmans blog..

Smile!

In this shiur (lecture) by Rabbi Ally Ehrman, I heard a wonderful idea. Reb Ally explains how he has started a new type of GeMaCh (a free loan fund; can be comprised of anything from clothes and money to baby pacifiers and diapers) in his home in the Old City of Jerusalem: A GeMaCh Chiyyuch (a Smile GeMaCh); the idea is that you give a smile to someone you see on the street, and allow them to pass it on to the next person!

This is an important idea in Judaism; our sages teach us to greet everyone with a pleasant countenance, and we also learn that our faces are considered Rishus HaRabim (public property or thoroughfare). Smiles are catchy, and we cannot quantify the actual positive effect that one tiny upward stretching of the facial muscles can do.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, after hearing this lecture, I felt quite inspired. I resolved to try and spread more happiness through smiling at people; I realized that I do a lot of traveling, and on the road - where one may not be expecting to see a fellow Jew - a smile can wield some real power (not say that Gentiles don't deserve smiles, but I did want to target Jews in the specific context of driving).

The first morning after this resolution, I am driving southbound on the Garden State Parkway toward Yeshiva. At one point, I realize that there is a chassidishe guy sitting in the minivan next to my car. He looks preoccupied; his face is vacant. I turn to him - and when I get his attention, flash a smile, and give a little wave. The guy blinks in confusion for a moment, and then his face splits into a wide grin and he waves back. He turns back to the road, and I can see the smile lingering on his face.

I was so excited. My idea worked!


The trip home was less successful - at one point, I found myself driving alongside this really straightlaced looking fellow. His beard is meticulously trimmed, his tie is knotted all the way up, and his hands are at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions on the steering wheel. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get him to acknowledge me and my smile, despite its hundred-watt brilliance...

You win some, you lose some, but the main thing is to not give up!

New Charlie Harary Video

Turbulance

How to escape from the overwhelming pressures of our daily lives.
by Rachel Jacobs

The airplane was fighting the air, beating up the clouds, banging back and forth. The wings were swinging. This is where I'll die, my friend thought. The plane dropped and popped up again and again. The seatbelt was buckled tight, though she knew that that wasn’t what was going to save her. She said the only chapter of Psalms she knew by heart. Over and over again.
“Oh God, please get me out of this!" she cried. Terrified, she was forgetting to breathe.
Her panic was interrupted by something Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg, founder of Kids Kicking Cancer, said: A pain in the toe is in the toe. It need not take you over completely.
This need not take me over completely, she said to herself. So she pulled out some inner strength: Imagery. She closed her eyes and tried to think of a place where movement of this kind would be normal. A jeep ride. I am on an off-road jeep ride, driving over rocks, bouncing on dirt mounds, she mused. Breathing returned to her for a minute, but she could not convince herself of this reality much longer than that, and went back to her jaw clenching prayers, and the dispersed, Please God save me from this!

She heard retching and the cries of children. More retching. More cries. She looked back at her own children. They were putting stickers in a coloring book. How could they be so calm? she thought. Oh, because the parent they were sitting closest to, the parent they were looking at was her husband.
More sounds of vomiting. She looked a few rows back. There was a mother sitting in between two children. She was passing a flimsy bag from one child’s chin to the other child’s chin. The bag wasn’t doing much. The children were covered in vomit. The mother was covered. A mother on a plane alone with two small children vomiting at once. Is there anything worse than this?
My friend unbuckled her seat belt and stood up, grabbing at the back of seats to keep from being thrown. She got the attention of the flight attendant and took paper towels from him. She brought the mother another sick bag and held a bag for one of the children. The children continued being sick for another ten minutes until the plane finally settled onto the ground. She pulled out a bottle of water and a package of wipes and helped the mother with the mess. She gave one of the children an extra pair of pants and her husband carried the child off the plane.

When my friend told me about her experience, I realized there was a great lesson here, and not just a lesson in kindness towards strangers and gratitude to God for her safe landing.
Sometimes you have to be with someone else during their hardship in order to forget your own. My friend was consumed by her own fear, by her own panic. The plane was still in turbulence while she was helping, but she didn’t notice it anymore.
Extending ourselves in kindness to others distracts us from our own hardships and changes us.
It is easy to get trapped in the intricacies of our daily lives; financial issues, spousal issues, child rearing dilemmas, illness. And it takes us over sometimes, making us no more than the plate of challenges given to us. Our complaints become us. We become our own baggage. And in effect we stay caught up in our own lives, seeing it only from one point of view: our own.
Extending ourselves in kindness to others distracts us from our own hardships, even for a short while, and leaves us changed.
A friend of mine is a self-appointed kindness organization. She will raise money for an orphaned bride, buy a poor boy a bar-mitzvah suit, find an easily accessibly apartment for a woman with a debilitating sickness. My friend has a bad back. Her husband has unstable work. She just had surgery on her teeth that kept her from her job. She could easily be consumed in her own life, but her hardships don’t consume her. And she isn’t in denial either. She mentions her lack of sleep, her aches, her husband’s extensive traveling time just to make a small wage. But talk to her about the people she helps, and she shines. Be with her while she is performing a kindness, and her aches are temporarily forgotten.
The popular belief is that giving more of ourselves will make us less; that having less time for ourselves will leave us wilted. But Judaism teaches the opposite; that giving more to others does not make us less; that giving more to others makes us so much more. More kind. More compassionate. Happier. We bring light and goodness into the world by giving and we become more like the person God intended us to be.


from Aish.com

This reminds me of the idea in yiddishkeit that if we really want something for ourselves we should daven for someone else in the same situation. When we focus all of our efforts on other people we not only are able to cope with our our hardships better, but Hashem often grants us our requests as well. (It goes without saying that this is an effective way of helping us to appreciate how very lucky we are).

quick mussar

http://torahanytime.com/Mussar_of_the_Day/Mussar_of_the_Day/
torahanytime is a GREAT site
here is a link to things you can listen to on the topic of mussar if you only have 6-11 min...
enjoy

Address and info about RAV EHRMAN SHIUR TOMORROW

Iy”H on monday, (TOMORROW) Rav Ehrman will be in America and offered to give a shiur for young ladies! This is a huge honor! He is taking out time from his short trip to america to give us a shiur! If you already know him you know that this is a huge deal and if you don’t, come hear him and see for yourself. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD! Let me now if you think you can make it or if I can help in anyway or if you have any Qs! It will iy”H be at 5:30 at 115 central park west 72nd street apt. 9b ["Ehrman residence"].
ps- check out the three posts below, thank you Leah!

TZEMACH DOVID

IF YOU WOULD STILL LIKE A COPY OF TZEMACH DOVID, THE SEFER WRITTEN IN MEMORY OF DAVID ROTTENSREICH ZT"L, PLEASE CONTACT LEAH.MOSKOVICH@GMAIL.COM FOR A COPY...THANKS SO MUCH

The Jar of Life

Jar of Life
Author unknown popularized by Stephen Covey

At the start of class one day a teacher placed a large jar on her desk.
The teacher then pulled out some big rocks and carefully placed them in the jar.
When no more rocks would fit, she asked, “Is this jar full?”
All the student said “Yes!”
The teacher said, “Really?”
The teacher then poured gravel into the jar, filling the space between the big rocks.
She asked “What about now, is this jar full?”
This time they thought they’d figured the riddle out.
“Yes!” they shouted in unison.
“Not quite.” The teacher replied
She then poured sand until it filled the space between the rocks and the gravel.
The teacher paused for a minute to let the class think. She then asked “What life lesson did you learn from all this?”
One student jumped up and said, “No matter how full your life seems you can always fit more in!”
“Not quite.”
She emptied the jar and asked one of the students to come forward.
She gave him the rocks, gravel, and sand and asked him to fill the jar, but with one big difference: he had to place the big rocks in last.
No matter how hard the student tried, he couldn’t do it.
The teacher then explained:
If you don’t put in the big rocks first, you’ll never get them all in.
The big rocks represent the truly important things in your life such as family, friends, and personal growth.
If you fill your life with small things...you will never have enough time for the important things that make life worth living.
Do not say “When I am free I’ll pursue wisdom,” perhaps you never be free – the Talmud

What are the big rocks in your life?

Amazing Story--A MUST READ

My Muslim background left me unprepared for this shocking discovery:
by Mark Halawa

Growing up in Kuwait, I had the best of everything. My father owned a successful construction company, and provided us five children with amenities like piano lessons, swimming, calligraphy and trips all over the world. Although we were Muslims like everyone else, we were totally secular and my father always aimed to shield us from religious people whom he described as crazies.
I grew up being told that Israelis and Jews were the lowest type of creature in existence, put on Earth only to kill us Arabs. In math class the teacher would say, “If one rocket killed X number of Jews, how many would six rockets kill?”
My father was rabidly anti-Israel. He was a product of Nasser's school of thought: secular from a Muslim point of view, yet deeply dedicated to the idea of pan-Arab unity. Israel, he believed, was an American proxy in the post-colonial Middle East.
My father was a supporter of the PLO since the 1960s when Yasser Arafat (who founded the PLO while living in Kuwait) was raising money from wealthy Palestinians working in Gulf States. As an engineer, my father participated in a program where the engineering association in Kuwait would deduct money from his monthly salary to be sent directly to the PLO. He insisted that war and resistance was the only way to deal with Israel.
In the summer of 1990, when I was 12 years old, our lives changed completely. We were on vacation when Saddam Hussein invaded and annexed Kuwait. My father's business -- along with much of the country -- was ravaged. Our savings became worthless pieces of paper. We could not go back to Kuwait, so we immigrated to Canada. My father did manage to sneak back in for a few days to retrieve important business documents that would later be useful in recovering compensation from a United Nations fund.

Of my family, I’m the only one who stayed in Canada. My father never really adjusted to life in the New World, and he had good business contacts back in Jordan, so my parents returned there. All my siblings also moved back to the Middle East. One brother runs a successful company in Jordan, two brothers are studying in Egypt (one dentistry and the other business), and my sister lives in Dubai where she works in the banking industry.
One evening in 2003, I was studying at the university library in London, Ontario, when I happened to notice an older man. From his chassidic garb, he looked like a religious Jew. My curiosity was aroused, so I approached him and asked, "Are you Jewish?"
With a gentle smile on his face, he said, "No, but I like to dress this way." I didn't know whether he was joking or not. All the religious people I had come across in the past were pretty scary. Are Jews supposed to be funny?
His name was Dr. Yitzhak Block, a retired professor of philosophy. We exchanged a few words and then he asked about my background. My family history is pretty complex, and I get a headache every time I have to explain it all. So I simply told him that I'm an Arab from Kuwait, and mentioned that my grandmother from my mother’s side is Jewish.
My mother’s parents met in Jerusalem when my grandfather, an Arab from the West Bank, was serving in the Jordanian army fighting the Zionists. He was 18 years old and my grandmother was 16. Her father ran a school in Jerusalem -- the same school where she would jump off the wall to meet my handsome, uniformed grandfather. They fell in love, got married, and lived for a number of years in Shechem (Nablus).
After my grandfather was discharged from the Jordanian army, the family moved to Kuwait, where oil profits were fueling huge business and construction projects. That’s where my mother met my father and got married.
Knowing about my grandmother’s Jewish background always made me curious about Jews. Whenever we were on vacation in Amman, Jordan, I used to constantly watch the Israeli channel -- when my parents weren't around. My favorite was the Israeli national anthem, and I would stay up late waiting to hear them play it at the end of the TV transmission.
Standing there in the university library, this religious Jew, Dr. Block, looked at me and said, “In Muslim law, you’re considered Muslim, since the religion goes by the father. But according to Jewish law, you’re Jewish, since Jewish identity is transmitted by the mother.”
My head started to spin and memories of my childhood in Kuwait began to surface. I recalled how my grandmother had a funny name on her documents, Mizrachi, which I never heard before. She also had a small prayer book with Hebrew letters, and she prayed in the dark crying. (I thought the Wailing Wall was so named because crying was a part of prayer.)
Aside from a vague family legend, my grandmother never mentioned anything about being Jewish -- but now the pieces were fitting into place. I thanked Dr. Block for the conversation, and ran home to tell my roommate what I heard. He smiled and said, “So you're a Mus-Jew!” I was not amused.
I went to my room and called my mother. She rebuffed the story, saying, "Don't listen to people like that. We are Muslims and that's that."
I decided to call my grandmother myself and bring up the subject.
I beat around the bush a bit -- after all, she’d been denying it for the past 50 years -- and then finally blurted out, “Grandma, are you Jewish?”
She didn’t answer the question directly, but she started crying and spoke about the years of Arab-Israeli conflict. She told me how her brother Zaki had been killed in Jerusalem before the rebirth of the State. To me that was sufficient confirmation of her Jewishness and I decided to leave it at that.
Over the next few months, I avoided the whole issue of Judaism, mainly for the sake of not upsetting my mother. Besides, I was just finishing university, and career was my main priority. I was content with telling myself that I belonged to a mixed-faith family.

About a year later, I was rollerblading one day in my neighborhood when I took a hard fall and badly sprained my wrist. The road was smooth so I couldn't figure out why I had fallen. I couldn’t stop thinking that it seemed like a push from Above. These thoughts caught me by surprise, since I wasn't into spirituality and I never had any religious connection. I was a bodybuilder, had tons of friends, and was on the heels of a successful career as a foreign exchange trader. So why had this happened?
Because my wrist was heavily bandaged, I was forced to take off work for a few days. Dr. Block had mentioned the name of his synagogue, so that Saturday morning, I decided to go check out the scene. I was hesitant at the thought of everyone being from European background and me the only Middle Easterner, but I decided to go anyway.
I called a cab and got dropped off at the synagogue. As I walked in, the first person I saw looked Indian. He shook my hand, said “Shabbat Shalom,” and handed me a kippah. Then I saw a black man which really surprised me. And Dr. Block was there, too.
I was handed a prayer book, shown the proper page, and before I knew it everyone was singing, V'Shamru:
"And the Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath an eternal covenant for their generations. Between Me and the Children of Israel, it is a sign forever that in six days God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."
Something hit me and I felt as though I knew this song. I just stood there taking in the sounds, the smells and the sights. Everything felt whole and perfect. It was the opposite of everything I'd ever heard about Jews or Judaism. At this point my tears were streaming in freefall.
It was the opposite of everything I'd heard about Jews.
After the services finished, I met everyone over Kiddush. I spoke with an Egyptian couple and we shared our personal stories. Jews from all backgrounds were gathered together and I was another piece of this puzzle.
After Kiddush, I accepted Dr. Block’s invitation to join him for lunch. I told him: “I can’t believe I'm here, singing and praying in Hebrew. I could never have imagined it.”
He smiled and said, "It's not so hard to believe. Every Jew is born with a little Torah and a little Menorah inside.” He then pressed his shoulder up against mine and said, “All it takes is for another Jew to bump into him and light it up."

My interest grew from there, and I began studying Torah and keeping Shabbat. Last year I spent a month in Israel touring and studying on Aish HaTorah’s Jerusalem Fellowships program. It was a great “homecoming.”
I still keep in close contact with my family and old friends. They’re wonderful people and I love them very much. Yet it’s hard to relate to them on many levels. In the Arab world there are tons of misconceptions and misinformation regarding Israel. So I am working to develop a program to educate Arabs about Jews and Judaism, to dissolve the stereotypes propagated by the Muslim media and schools. I hope that my unique background can help bridge some of that divide.
Another way I hope to achieve this is to help establish economic relations between Israel and Arab countries. That would create trust and shared experience, which could be directed toward the goal of a genuine and lasting peace.
Another issue I’m trying to address is how the Arab world is filled with Holocaust denial. This past summer I went to Auschwitz, and I am working to produce the first-ever Arabic documentary about the Holocaust. I want to explain to Muslims in their own language exactly what happened.
It often seems like the Arab-Israeli conflict is intractable. Yet I believe in today’s world, there is a real opportunity for a breakthrough. Arabs today have a more universal education, which makes them more open and curious. Also they are meeting Israelis and Jews in their travels around the world, which breaks down misconceptions. And as we saw during the recent protests in Iran, many young people in the Muslim world are yearning for reform. On top of all this, they have high-speed Internet access which opens up all kinds of new avenues of communication, and the possibility of forming new friendships unrestricted by borders or political agendas. Perhaps this can be the basis of a grassroots movement to mend relations and hopefully one day achieve peace.
My Jewish cousins are all living as Muslims in the Middle East.
The other issue that needs urgent attention is intermarriage in Israel. Unfortunately, a story like my grandmother's is not so rare. Many young Jewish women are wooed by Arab men and brought back to live in their villages. The children and grandchildren are never told the truth, especially with political tensions and the emotional unrest this would cause a family. As a result, many Jews are lost to our people. My mother has five sisters, and from there I have a few dozen cousins who are all Jewish -- all living as Muslims in the Middle East. I recently met a seventh-generation Israeli, whose cousin married a Palestinian and went to live in Saudi Arabia; her descendents are Jews living in Saudi Arabia.
All my relatives know that I’m practicing Judaism, and for the most part they’re accepting. I can talk to them about Judaism and they’re politely interested. We love and respect each other. My father is resistant, however, given that secularism and war against Israel are the two ideological pillars of his life. When I first became interested in Judaism, I didn’t tell him straight out. We were having a political discussion and I mentioned that I support the State of Israel. That ignited a big clash and I’ve learned to only discuss these matters with him in an indirect way. I always know when I’ve crossed the line; he gets angry and calls me a “Zionist.”
The other big exception -- not surprisingly -- is my grandmother. I’ve asked her a number of times for more information about her family background, but she refuses to talk about it. Maybe one day I will find the key to opening her up.
Growing up, I was taught that Jews were the source of all evil, descended from monkeys and pigs. On the other hand, I had the image of my grandmother holding her small prayer book with the Hebrew letters, praying with tender devotion. She is the sweetest person I know and there's no way she came from a bloodthirsty gang of murderers. She gave me a Jewish soul, and in her own way, it was she who kept my Jewish spark alive.

Dvar Torah-Parshat Be'Haalotcha

In Parshat Be’haalotcha, we see that the Jews were complaining to Hashem yet again. Rashi comments on this that the Jews had no real reason to complain; they were just looking for an excuse to distance themselves from Hashem. When someone sees the good that Hashem does for them, he most probably will not even think of complaining. But when something isn’t going right in your life, that is no time to complain to Hashem either, but rather you should take it as an opportunity to daven and connect with Hashem. If all you do in life is complain, then it will be a lot harder to see the positive in life. So the next time you want to complain about something, think before and see if it’s worth it. Most likely it’s not.
May you all have an amazing shabbis filled with kedusha and simcha!!!

Eim Habonim Semaicha- will change your life

I would like to start off by saying that Eim Habonim Simecha by Rav Teichtel is slowly changing my perspective on life. Although the sefer focuses on the relationship of the Jew to Eretz Yisrael it has a deeper meaning that is applicable to each and everyone of our lives. In the first perek on page ayin aleph Rav Teichtel refers to a midrash about bnei yisraels acceptence of the taryag mitzvot. He notes that hashem says " if you accept the taryag mitzvot, I will redeem you." This was the agreement hashem made with bnei yisrael in mitzrayim. This is also a personal message. In life sometimes things seem bleak but we can redeem ourselves through the mitzvot. The mitzvot change one's perspective on life and allows one to live a fulfilling free life. In essence one's redemption lies in the Mitzvot. Before we were able to enter eretz yisrael we had to undergoe a massive difficult galut in mitzrayim and bamidbar. As soon as we promised to accept the torah, hashem redeemed us. The same message applies to us today. If we make a concious decision to each individually focus on following Hashem;s laws, not only will merit a personal redemption but a redemption that has begun with the state of Israel. Another interesting point is how Rav Teichtel describes the reason for travesties as a nation. Rav Teichtel notes that when bad things happen to bnei yisrael, it sets them apart as a nation and suddenly they remember their yearning for tzion. He notes " Lo telech liibud bein haamim." Hashem does not want even one jewish soul to be lost among the nations. When things are one hundered pecent good for Jews statistically the assimilation rate rises. They forget their purpose of going to the land of Israel. When things are bad it serves as a wake up call for bnei yisrael to get up and behave as a light unto the nations but most importantly a separate nation. If everything would go perfectly the Jewish people would never desire to go to the land of Israel and be a separate entity. These are just some thoughts I thought would be nice to share,
Shabbat Shalom,
Tamar

Rabbi Noach- founder of aish

For everyone who took part in Reb Laz's project inspire program...and even for those who didn't.. this video is actually unbelievable. it is a tribute to Rabbi Noach Weinberg, A kiruv giant who is responsible for returning thousands of lost Neshamas to Hashem. this video really stresses the importance of being mekarev our brothers and sisters. it shows Rav Noachs dedication and his intense desire to spread Torah to Am Yisroel. it is our responsibility to continue spreading Ohr Torah .. he would appreciate our efforts and even more than that.. Hashem would be soooo happy =) !! take a look! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_VAl_sNjG4

All things are mortal but the Jew

"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvellous fight in the world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"

The Avodah Continues Even After Shavuos

We're still holding after Shavuas. It is important to remember that the forty days after Shavuas is the time when Moshe was in shamayim learning the Torah, and this time period has its own special avodah. Rav Tzvi Meir says that the avodah after the Yom Tov is even more important than the preperation for the holiday and even the holiday itself. The work now is to guard the treasure that we received. Sounds sweet but the situation after the holiday creates a unique challenge.

Tzvi Meir brings a beautiful metaphor from Rav Akiva Eiger. A poor Jew finds a hidden treasure of immense value. Unfortunately he does not have the time or vessels to collect what he has found so all he can do is take what he is able to, which is a very small portion of the treasure. Compared to the entire fortune that he found, he has only a tiny bit, but it is enough to make him rich and his children after him. So on one hand, he feels awful that he had to leave such an enormous treasure behind since he could not take any more; but on the other hand, he is happy beyond belief that he was successful to get the riches that he took.

Even though a Jew must aspire to greatness, nonetheless, it is the will of the Creator that we should have happy hearts and appreciate every little bit of any avodah that we are capable of doing. Every tiny mitzvah that we do is a great treasure. Don't despair if your avodah did not live up to your greatest aspirations, Hashem wants us to try and hold on to, and strengthen, all the gifts that we received during the holy holiday.

Chabad is so cooool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7xwCW3dh18&feature=player_embedded

guys this video is awesome! chabad is amazing

Torat Hashem Temima!

Hey Guys, today as I was getting a pedicure, there was a blackout. I found it very funny, and I also knew that Hashem was just reminding me that the only light that is eternal is the light of the Torah.

The Torah is the only thing that can give us sincere warmth and Simcha- so keep on Shteiging!

Moshiach is coming!!!

Urgent Tehillim- Gilad Hillel Ben Bracha Mirul

Hi girls. I don't know everyone on this list, but i needed to share something so I'm just forwarding it to everyone on rebeccas list for invites to the learning things. Those of you that know me, know that i have a friend Gilad, that is suffering for liver cancer for the past 3 to 4 years. It has gotten to a pretty bad point and it has traveled throughout his whole body. I wanted to share with you a blog (posted below) that his mother posted so you could all understand his situation a little bit more in order to add more meaning to the Tehillim that I am asking you to say for him. GIlad Hillel Ben Brach Mirul. He needs your prayers more than ever now so please daven for him.

May 25, 2010

scan: (noun) - definition: to examine by point-by-point observation or checking

medical scan: (noun) such as x-ray, CT or PET scan - definition: 1. sectional view of the body constructed through imaging 2. image made by computerized or positron-emission tomography

We realize that many of you are probably waiting to hear about the results of yesterday’s scans. We also know that you would like to know how Gilad really is these days, and we understand that you don’t want to pester us or be intrusive.

It’s hard to be honest and tell you what you probably already know, and what we have only alluded to in past posts, that Gilad is quite sick. His body has been dealing with this disease for over three years now, and unfortunately, in spite of all the surgeries and procedures and treatment that Gilad has endured, the cancer has been slowly spreading. The disease has progressed, meaning it has continued to grow; it has not gone away and it no longer resides only in his liver. We have known this for quite a while but have continued to move forward, always praying that we would not arrive at the challenging phase in which we now find ourselves. On the other hand, there is always room for hope and miracles; Gilad has astounded all of us – the doctors included – and rebounded many times in the past.

So is he in crisis? Yes and no. This is not an emergency situation, but it’s a turning point of sorts. Things have certainly become more complicated, and it’s painful for us to see these gradual changes manifest themselves in our dear, sweet boy.

And now you probably want to know what comes next. Even now, the doctors will craft yet another plan, to keep Gilad pain-free and comfortable, and to stabilize the disease as much as possible. There is also the possibility of a creative but uncertain experimental treatment.

In this post I feel I have been open and honest. But other times some of you tell me that you don’t always understand the meaning of my words and find that you need to read between the lines. Yes, I often do hide here behind my expressive phrases and metaphors. It isn’t exactly my intention, but sometimes it’s easier to talk around things, pontificating with some lilting, upbeat, or tidy words. But I think many of you do understand, from the emotion that is threaded through the sentences, trickling from the letters, what I am trying to convey.

In the meantime, we still pray for miracles and for good, easy days for Gilad. We ask for the strength to get through the day, and that each tomorrow will be an easier one. We hold onto whatever hope we can find, and we believe that is what has gotten our boy this far, and we trust that it will get us through many, many, many more days.

Short Vort: The Price

Many of us have been following closely the supposed progress being made in the negotiations to free Gilad Shalit. Obviously the question being considered is how many potential terrorists should be released for the life of one Jewish young man.

It us obviously beyond the purview of The Short Vort to decide this difficult question; however, some thoughts are in order.

The thoughts which are in order are what is the lesson for us?
Meaning, we certainly should be davening each and every day for the release of Gilad, however, what can we learn from the entire process?

The lesson for all us is: Freedom; how precious it is.
When I think of Gilad, I think of a young man 23 years old who has lost over three years of his life.
I remember well when I first heard of his being taken captive; the Daf Yomi was learning Massechta Brochus!
I think of all the Torah and Mitzvohs I have been able to learn and teach during those three years.
I think of the Simchos we have had and of the simple joy of being able to go where I want to go when I want to.
All of these and more have been taken away from Gilad.

I think about my ability to communicate with whom I want to, when I want to.
I think about my ability to express my words and thoughts in free way and in an unrestricted manner; all of these and more have been denied to Gilad.

What do you want to eat for breakfast today?
What do you want for lunch and for dinner?
Gilad has never been allowed to eat what he wants and where he wants for over three years.
Do we appreciate the freedom we have each and every minute of our lives?

We say in the morning Brochus: Matir Assurim – Hashem, You free those who are imprisoned.
Every day we are freed from the prison of sleep and we are allowed to choose to do what we want to do, when we want to do it.
May Hashem allow Gilad ben Aviva to have that same choice speedily.
In the meantime, think and daven for Gilad ben Aviva; and appreciate your freedom.

Share your torah!

"Don't tell Hashem how big your problem is...tell your problem how big Hashem is!"

INSPIRE the movie....

http://www.kiruv.com/forYourInspiration/movies/inspireOne.asp
look on kiruv .com for more

Oleinu by ABD

Don't forget:
KIRUV SEMINAR AT EIGHT PM SHARP AT MY APT!!!!!

-Rebecca

BAKE SALE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hello everyone!
We hope that you all had a great chag and awesome shobbos!
a few weeks ago we had an unbelievable turn out for the shalva bake sale.
because we were so successful (thank g-d) we want to do it again! this time
the proceeds will be shared between 2 amazing causes. One being the gift of life foundation, this will
really help our friend Zack's chances of getting what he needs to have a refuah shelema. Our second cause
will be sent to the childrens oncology ward in Hadassah Hospital. Michlelet Esther sends the girls there with lunch and games and they really bring the biggest smiles to the patients faces and their parents as well. its really unbelievable! please take advantage of this great chessed opportunity.. and remember., were not just making cakes.. were making a difference! Hope to see you there! you guys are awesome!!!!!!!! feel free to forward this to anyone who you feel would like to be apart of it!!

the bake sale will iy'Hashem take place on
THURsday June 3 at the Saligs home..
411 mistletoe way lawrence NY
2pm-6pm
tizku l'mitzvos! mwa!
Love <3 Dani and Danielle <3

Words

Close your eyes.

Picture a word. Picture it in the shape of a fruit, ripe and luscious hanging from a branch.
In the cool dawn air you approach the word.
Picture the word. Stop a few paces away and admire it as it sways gently in the breeze. On mine, it’s colors in contrast with the green, green leaves, like a glowing jewel in an emerald crown. The rising sun enhances your word in it’s warm, radiant ascent. What does your word look like? If it's not beautifuk, maybe move on to another one. You don't want anything but the best word.
A bird alights on the branch and your word is shaken. It begins to fall
Fall
Fall

Reach out and catch your word.
There!
Now you are holding your word. You feel it? I have mine right here. Mine is firm, bursting with flavors beneath its smooth surface.
What’s your word feel like?
If your word feels mushy and wormy, throw it into the nearby lake for the ducks to enjoy.
But if your word feels right, and only you can feel it, pull out the bag you brought along especially for it. Place your word carefuly into your bag and continue on through the orchard. Do you see any more delicious words among the trees? Wonderful words that are in season, such as Peaceful, Amicable, Mediation, Calm, Tranquil, Faith, Love …
When you’re finished looking and have found all the words you want, leave the orchard.

NOW
Picture yourself with a friend. Picture her looking agitated, nervous. Picture her trying to tell you that she broke your favorite cd; that she accidentally ruined your favorite sweater; that she—. She seems really uncomfortable and really sorry. Your friend stutters as she tries to get the words out, “I, well, then it just, I mean—“.
Picture yourself. It was your favorite _____. And now it’s gone, over, destroyed. You’re frowning. Your face feels hot and red. Your hands are clutched in fists and your mind is racing. You want to Scream, to Yell, to Crush her.
Open your bag and pick out one of the words. Pick out Peaceful, Amicable, Mediation, Calm, Tranquil, Faith, Love… Take a bite. Chew a few times. Swallow.
Smile. Tell your friend that it’s ok.
Picture a few girls in a fight. They’re argueing about _____. Give them a word.
Or even a sentence.
If you run out of words, or cant find one whose flavor matches the situation, go back to that orchard and in the cool dawn air pick some more. There are so many words that the orchard will never run out.
You can open your eyes soon, but before you do, just a word of caution.
Every word you chew will not only be heard by the other person or people, but it goes in you. Check your words carefully before you take them because you don’t want to end up swallowing a rotten, or even a poisonous, word.

Now you can open your eyes. Is the day a bit dark? Pull out a word and change it.
-Charlie

Isn't it Funny...

Isn't it funny that $10 seems like a lot when we give tzedaka, but so

little when we go shopping?



Isn't it funny how one hour seems so long when we worship G-d, and so short

when we watch a ball game?



Isn't it funny how 2 hours in shul seem so much longer than when we watch a

video?



Isn't it funny how when a ball game goes into overtime we get so excited,

but when prayers last a little longer than usual, we complain?



Isn't it funny how we find reading a whole Parsha from the Torah tiring, but

it's so easy to read 100 pages of the latest novel?



Isn't it funny how we want to sit in the front row when we go to a

basketball game but we sit in the last rows of the shul?



Isn't it funny how we need 2 or three weeks notice when there is an event to

attend in the shul, and how we are always available for other events or

programs?



Isn't it funny how we have difficulty to learn the parsha, but so easy to

learn and tell the latest gossip?



Isn't it funny how we believe in the newspapers, but we question the Torah?

Be Nice to Even Your Cab Driver

This story JUST happened:
A few hours ago my friend told me she had left her wallet in the cab on her way home so I said I'd say some tehillim and hope she finds it. I asked her if she could call the company to get his number but she said it was just a regular yellow cab and she couldn't but she just hoped the person who found it would be nice and return it. She wasn't too upset just a little annoyed about having to replace all of her stuff.
Just now she texted me saying the cab driver returned her wallet! He left his number with her doorman and she called him to thank him and offer to pay him.
But you know what he said? "You crazy I did it because I remember you were so nice to me!"

Definitely a worthwhile message!

http://www.aish.com/sp/pg/84101077.html

the emuna tattoo- Rabbi Wallerstein

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2qvmLDuhF4

RAV EHRMAN SHIUR- in america!

Iy”H on monday, (a week from today) Rav Ehrman will be in America and offered to give a shiur for young ladies! This is a huge honor! He is taking out time from his short trip to america to give us a shiur! If you already know him you know that this is a huge deal and if you don’t, come hear him and see for yourself. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD! Let me now if you think you can make it or if I can help in anyway or if you have any Qs! It will iy”H be at 5:30 at 115 central park west 72nd street apt. 9b ["Ehrman residence"].
ps- please do not forget that Rebecca is hosting a kiruv seminar in her apt. on Tuesday 8 pm prompt. It’s completely FREE. If you can make it, it’s something you do not want to miss, please let her know if you can go.

Truly Inspirational!

A little bit long but seriously incredible and worth reading

The story of Rabbi Nathanael Kinstein - Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Yesh Ma L'asot

Like far too many an American Jewish family, Rabbi Kinstein’s family never spoke of religion or G-d. His father’s family left the Ukranian kehila for the shores of the Golden Medina. His mother was a child Holocaust survivor. His parents assimilated into American culture, his father joining the US Navy and going to Vietnam as a pilot, and becoming a POW.
Like many a young Jew in America, Rabbi Kinstein's total Jewish experience consisted of “we don’t eat pork”.

With no spiritual direction and many family challenges (a father locked away in a Vietnamese prison camp), Reb Nati embarked at an early age in a search for truth.

Now this is painful. It's not the kind of thing shared in polite company within the religious Jewish community. Those who have returned, who have found truth in Torah, usually don't speak of their past. The types of things lost Jews get involved in aren't understood within the religious community (and they should never know of such things). But ONLY the Baal Teshuvah can bring up the sparks from the lowest, dirtiest, grossest level.

Young Nathanael (Nati) had no education in any matter spiritual, and NO education in ANYTHING Jewish. When he heard his father was shot down in Vietnam, he felt a need to pray. His ONLY experience was something he'd seen on TV. So he got down on his knees and prayed - the only way he'd ever seen or heard.

At 15, he befriended a religious geek on the school bus who was the target of all the bullies. Sick of seeing him beaten and his bible torn up week after week, a young Nati stood up and pushed back. The young man spent some time afterward to teach a young Reb Nati that "violence isn't the way of my lord", and took him to pray. A young Nati figured it was worth checking out, looking for some positive meaning in life with a family situation that was fecal.

At 17, following a parental split, he was left homeless with $200, a bus pass, suitcase, and a broken plate from his father (a symbol of you don't eat here any more). Homeless and with no place to turn, he joined the U.S. Marines.

In the marines he learned to stand up, be strong, fight, take it free if it's offered to you, and live today because who knows if you'll be here tomorrow. So when they showed up on base and said, "free food and pretty girls, and those that go to church avoid duty", well darn, he was there! (And so were practically every other guy.)

Soldier Nati was ready to be saved...from a difficult childhood, from troubles of the world, and from guard duty. A little fire and brimstone preaching on the left side, free food and church girls on the right side...hey, this looks ok.

However, Nati took it seriously. He picked up the books and read them. He went to classes. He wanted to learn about G-d, and avoid the negative. He asked questions, too many questions. "Why is there a rule against adultery, and then god breaks his own rule? If (the man god) followed the testament, why were his followers breaking the rules? It says if someone teaches that the Torah is not important, he's the least...if someone teaches that it applies and is important, he's the greatest. Why are you going directly against this?" Why is it all inconsistent? Why does it seem anti-semetic? Why do I have to stop being Jewish to be a believer??? Why don't these things make sense? Finally they got sick of him and sent him out to the Messianic Jews.
So he found a place where he could be Jewish and still believe in god (the little man god). But now there were more books on the shelf, more information to be learned. The Talmud, the Mishnah, the Midrashim, the (little man god) wasn't anywhere to be found. But at least he could be a Jew, a cultural Jew. When he learned about Succot and drove to Miami to buy a lulov and esrog (and a few NCSY books on yiddishkeit, "The Jewish Catalogs") and came back, they laughed at him when he entered the Messianic "synagogue". "What are you, the Jewish prop man? You spend $80 on a lemon?" Having the farce that it was thrown in his face, he walked out...

Down the street to the Conservative synagogue. The Conservative synagogue was nice. Very Jewish, also very well to do. Besides not fitting into the social class, Nati wondered whether these people were serious when he saw various congregants with a "Chanukah Bush". He spent the time learning well and deeply, beginning to understand what Torah, Emes, and Hashem was (and even more importantly, what it wasn't.) But the inconsistencies in the books on the shelf versus the actions of the average congregant was a little much. No, he wasn't looking for perfection, but couldn't understand "kosher in the house, not in the restaurant" or "keep Shabbos, but not if it's inconvenient". After posing these questions to the rabbi, the rabbi said "the orthodox guys are wacked, but that's where you need to go. See ya."

So after getting thrown out by Xianity, spit upon by Messianic judaism for having the nerve to do a mitzvah, and sent away by Conservative Judaism for being machmere (serious) about Judaism, he walked into an Orthodox synagogue with the Chabad rabbi.

Nati walked in, told him where he was coming from and said "I want to know the truth." The Chabad rabbi stroked his beard, looked at him and said, "Oh, so you want to be a yid." And he started learning, and helping, and growing.


Of course, every time any Jew heard where he was from, they turned their backs on him. How could a Jew who's been to church want Judaism? How could a Jew who's been with the Messianics not be a spy or a missionary? How could a Conservative Jew give up his (outside the house) cheeseburger?
That was the start, the beginning. A journey from Florida to Crown Heights, from Crown Heights to Monsey, from Monsey to the Shomron (West Bank), from the Shomron to Jerusalem, and onward to today. Every halachic issue arising from such experiences has been dealt with by the highest batei dinim and biggest rabbonim. Every issue of teshuva dealt with by tzaddikim.

Nati was (re)married in a kosher chupah by the highest beis din in America, he learned in Chabad yeshiva in Crown Heights, Viznitz yeshiva in Monsey (and learned Gemora with the Viznitzer Rebbe!), Breslev yeshiva in Immanuel, learned the secrets of kabbalah with HaRav Shabbtei Teicher, a"h, and the secrets of emunah (true faith) with HaRav Shalom Arush, shlita, and received rabbinic ordination from the Beis Din of Jerusalem.

There are still people today who occasionally arise to throw the sins of the past in Rabbi Kinstein's face. People who would say there is no teshuva, there is no hope, there is no cleansing of averot, no scarlet washed as white as snow (Yom Kippur davening).

Most people would bury their past, hide it away in their darkest memories. Yet Rabbi Kinstein would use his past to let others know that no matter how far you think you're away from G-d, no matter how deep in the tumah (negative stuff), there is ALWAYS hope and there's always a way out. And Torah can change your life and your heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrpO0rkzvHM

PARASHA SIGN UPS/LABELS/ gift of life

Hi girls! I’m loving what people are posting so far its really giving me such chizuk! Thank you all who wrote stuff and who are reading. It would be great if everyone who is reading this will sign up for a dvar torah if they want. You do not have to come up with a chidush, it can really be anything! It can be a nice dvar torah about the parasha that you saw and want to share. On the side look for the link to "parasha sign ups" Also please add your name to the bottom under labels if your adding so we know who you are! Thanks so much have a great night!
ONE MORE THING- today in just one location over 2000 people came to do a cheek swab to get tested for the gift of life. Over 2000! It’s a really amazing organization, I’m sure you’ve heard, and if you have not yet gotten tested and you want to you can find out times for drives @ http://www.giftoflife.org/

Another Blog

I am not undermining this blog cv"s! haha i just want to bring another great blog for everyone to follow (if you dont already)- its Rav Ali Ehrman from YNA, also he subbed in midreshet a few times when i was there/mishmar and what not- anyways- i really like it, its called Mevakesh Lev- its worth a visit.

Thanks for giving me something to do while i procrastinate studying for my finals. This is a great idea.

THE OTHER BLOG- http://www.mevakeshlev.blogspot.com/

I am a child of G-d.

http://www.aish.com/v/85947782.html

Get a head start and Hashem will come and help you the rest of the way :-)

I heard this idea over shabbos-

We know that in Parshas Naso, Moshe is told to count the Levi'im...who are counted often. What's the difference between the Levi'im getting counted and the rest of bn'Y getting counted? The rest of bn'Y gets counted starting at age 20 but the Levi'im are counted from when they are babies. so...when Hashem told Moshe to count the Levi'im, Moshe asked Hashem, how can I count the babies? That would involve me going into every families' tent while the mothers are taking care of their children and count all the little ones.
so, Hashem's answer to Moshe was: go to each tent and just stand outside, no need to go in. Once you are there I (Hashem) will help you the rest of the way in the counting.

This teaches us the very simple lesson of : when you are in need of help, all you have to do is take the first few steps, and Hashem will be there to help you along the rest of the way...

This dvar Torah was remembered by my 16 year old brother from when he was in 6th grade :-)

Don't Join The "Frummies" In Gehinom

I know Parshas Naso was last shabbos but I still think this is worthwhile to read.

Parshas Naso: Kli Yakar - Don't Join The "Frummies" In Gehinom

Rebbi Eliezer HaKiper famously states that the reason a Nazir Tamei brings a Korban Chatos. The Meforshim explain that despite his holy agenda, still he restrained himself from drinking wine and indulging in a pleasure that Hashem gave us. While this is a wonderful thing, nevertheless in a slight sense he did not live up to the order that Hashem created in the world.

The Kli Yakar asks, if so why is it that only a Nazir who became Tamei brings this Korban and not a Nazir Tahor who finished his term of Nezirus?

He answers that if he truly served his term of Nezirus and spent his days immersed in holiness like the Torah prescribes, then he is not a chotei and his abstinence is commendable. When he ends up becoming Tamei and the days of his Nezirus go to waste and he must start again, then has he abstained from the pleasures Hashem brought to the world in vain.

The Kli Yakar says this peirush is "yakar". Quite often we take on extra Chumros which we honor superficially. It does not penetrate our insides and is purely an external exercise and a show of frumkeit. One could wonder based on this Kli Yakar if at the end of day we will need to give a Din VaCheshbon on all the grief and pain our abstinence causes us that we did not take advantages of the conveniences Hashem blessed us with and we chose to give them up for silly reasons that have nothing to do with Hashem's will.

This may be pshat in the gemara Yuma (72b). The gemara says that a Talmid Chochom must be gold on the inside and on the outside, MiBayis U'MiChutz Titzapenu" (Shemos 25:11). "Woe is to those who learn Torah but do not have Yiras Shamayim!" Rava pleaded with his Talmidim not to live two Gehinom's, one on this world toiling in Torah and not benefiting from this world, yet earning a second Gehinom when they arrive in Shamayim and find out their efforts were not at all appreciated.

When sacrificing for a Chumra ask yourself two questions. First is it really justified? Secondly "why am I doing this"? Don't be a martyr only to join the Nazir Tamei section of Gehinom. Better to do it right and be Kadosh V'Tahor. It is the same act and only a shift in mindset, but at the end it make a huge difference.

To My Star Pupil..( Long but worth it!)

To my star pupil,
I am writing this letter to let you know what I think of you. Up here in heaven things are not like they are down on Earth. Over there, people only know what they can see. If they see a person is "successful", they think that he is the greatest guy. When they see somebody struggling, they think he might be one of the weaker elements.

Let me tell you something. Hashem gives every person certain abilities that nobody knows about down where you live. Some people are capable of tremendous things, while others were put there for much smaller purposes. Only Hashem in His infinite wisdom is able to give every person exactly what he needs, to reach his potential.

I am very misunderstood. Most people hate me, and I don't really blame them. Most people think that my job is to make sure that they fail in all aspects of Mitzvos, and that I rejoice every time they sin. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Did you ever watch a boxing coach train his student? It is really a funny sight. The coach will put on gloves, and fight against his student. At first, he won't hit him so hard, or throw his best punches. But, as the student gets better and better, the coach will start to fight him harder and harder. He does this so that the student will improve his skills, and become the best boxer he can be. This is where it gets strange. Every time the coach knocks down the student, the student gets yelled at!! But finally, when the coach threw everything he has at his student, and not only does he withstand the beating, but he knocks the coach down, there is nobody in the world happier then the coach himself!

This is exactly how I feel. If you fail right away, and don't even try to fight back, I see that there is not much talent to work with, and so I take it easy on you. But if you get back up swinging, I realize that I may have a real winner here, and so I start to intensify the beating. With every level that you go up, I increase the intensity of the fight. If you finally deal me a blow that knocks me out, I will get up and embrace you and rejoice with your success.

Sometimes my job is very disappointing I see a person with a lot of potential and I start right in on him. He fights back for a while, but when the fight gets too tough, he quits and just remains on whatever level he was on. (And he usually ends up going down!) I feel like yelling at him, "Get up you fool! Do you have any idea how much more you could be accomplishing?!" But I am not allowed to do so. I just leave him alone, and go try to find another promising candidate.

If I have chosen you to be the target of my more fierce battles, it was not for no reason! You have tremendous ability! You were born into a very special family, you have Rabbeim who really care about you, and parents who would help you grow in Torah and Mitzvos. You are a very respectful and kind person.

I am writing to you now, because I have a very serious request to ask of you. Please don't step fighting! Don't give up! I have been beating too many people lately, and I am losing patience, Believe in yourself, because I would not be involved with you as much as I am if I didn't think you could beat me. Know what your strengths are! A great Rabbi once said: "Woe is to he who doesn't know his weaknesses. But, 'Oy Vavoy' to him who doesn't know his strengths - for he will not have anything with which to fight."

Always remember one thing: you have a secret weapon at your disposal. I shouldn't really be telling you - but I will anyway. Hashem himself is watching our "training" sessions very closely. I'm pleased to inform you that He's rooting for you! If things should ever get tough, almost too tough to bear, just callout to Him with a prayer, and He will immediately come to your aid. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that after 120 years when your time is up in that world of falsehood, you will come up here to the world of truth, where I will be waiting for you with open arms, to congratulate you on your victory, and personally escort you to your place next to the Kisey HaKavod.

Sincerely, and with great admiration I remain,

Your Yetzer Hara

Best Challah Recipe

1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup white sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

1/2 egg
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon water

Mix the yeast, 1/3 cup of sugar, and warm water together in a large bowl, stir to dissolve the sugar, and let the mixture stand until a creamy layer forms on top, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of flour to make a loose sponge.
In a separate bowl, beat 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 cup of sugar together, and stir the egg mixture into the yeast-flour mixture until well combined. Continue mixing in flour, 1 cup at a time, up to 9 total cups. Dough should be slightly sticky, but not so wet that it leaves dough stuck to your hands.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 5 minutes to develop gluten. Form the dough into a compact round shape, and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over several times in the bowl to oil the surface of the dough, cover the bowl with a cloth, and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and knead for another 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper. To make egg glaze, whisk together 1 egg, 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, and refrigerate until needed.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces, and cut each piece into 3 smaller pieces for a 3-strand braided loaf. Working on a floured surface, roll the small dough pieces into ropes about the thickness of your thumb and about 12 inches long. Ropes should be fatter in the middle and thinner at the ends. Pinch 3 ropes together at the top and braid them. Starting with the strand to the right, move it to the left over the middle strand (that strand becomes the new middle strand.) Take the strand farthest to the left, and move it over the new middle strand. Continue braiding, alternating sides each time, until the loaf is braided, and pinch the ends together and fold them underneath for a neat look. Place the loaves onto the prepared baking sheets, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. Brush a coating of egg glaze onto the tops of the bread, and reserve the remaining glaze.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and brush another coating of glaze onto the bread. Return to the oven, and bake until the tops are shiny and golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool before cutting.


ENJOY! Don't forget hafrasha if you have enough!

Whatever it is that you do be happy about it..

Unbelievable story about Meir Solomon (formerly of Moshav Band) and his wife

CHIZUK

“Some people like the Jews, and some do not. But no thoughtful man can deny the fact that they are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world.”

- Winston Churchill - Prime Minister of Great Britain

A tznius miracle

A beautiful story heard in a shiur given by Rabbi Avrohom M. Alter that is available online. He said the story in the name of Rebbetzin Kanievsky:

In March, someone packed a car with 100 kilos of explosives and parked it at the CineMall in Haifa. It was parked hear a supporting pillar. Had it exploded, not only would it have destroyed that pillar, but other cars in the lot would have caught fire causing the gas tanks to explode. In that very popular mall, the consequences would have been too horrendously tragic to contemplate.
The explosion did not happen. A passerby spotted some smoke coming from the car and alerted the police whose sappers were able to come and defuse the explosives.
Even Ehud Olmert recognized this was a miracle, although he attributed it to the alertness of civilians.
Here's what really happened:
Several weeks before this event, a girl in Haifa who had been sick and went for tests was told she had stomach cancer. The tumor was so big, and had metastasized, and there was nothing the doctors could do. They told her to go home for her final weeks.
This non-religious girl and her non-religious parents pleaded with the doctors to try. They begged them at least to make an effort. The doctors finally agreed and told her to come back the next day for surgery.
She was assigned a young, inexperienced surgeon. They felt it would be good practice for him, and since there was nothing that could help her, it didn't really matter.
The night before the surgery, this non-religious girl pleaded with Hashem. She said to him, "HaKadosh Boruch Hu, when we had the Bais HaMikdosh people could bring you korbanos to plead their case. Now we have no Kohanim, we have no Bais HaMikdosh. But I still want to bring you a korban."
She went to her closet and took out all her immodest clothing and took it out to the yard and burned them. As the her clothes went up in flames, she cried out, "This is my korban."
The next day this girl went to the hospital in her nightgown. She had burned her entire wardrobe and this was all she had left. She had the surgery. The giant tumor had not metastisized, as was previously believed. It was totally contained. It was easily removed. And it was benign.
She told all her non-religious friends about the miracle. When the girl had recovered enough to get out of bed, her friends brought over all their immodest clothing and made another fire.
Left with nothing to wear, the girls needed new clothes. When that bomb was supposed to explode at the CineMall, these girls were inside buying themselves new, modest clothing.
A miracle that a civilian saw some smoke? Or a reward for tznius?

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have a great shabb and thank you to EVERYONE who joined this and to EVERYONE for fwding the email! keep it going! also don't forget to sign up for a dvar torah on the spread sheet made by Leah THANKS SO SO MUCH!!
aviva

Prashat naso

The Netivot Shalom asks a question about Birkas Kohanim in this weeks parsha. The Bracha that the Kohanim say is "levarech et amo yisrael Ba'hava" - why is it that the bracha ends with the word "be'ahava"? What is the meaning of it and why is it attached to so many of our brachot... in shemona esrei, and in kri'at shma as well?
The world runs based on the relationship between the משפיע and מקבל- the giver and the receiver. Hashem is the משפיע He provides everything to us and we, and all the creations of the world, are the מקבל - we receive everything from Hashem. Even among ourselves, the world runs on this constant basis of giving and receiving. If we didn't need anything, or have the natural inclination to give, the world couldn't possibly run. So what is the מידה that causes us to give and connects the giver and receiver in any relationship. It is love/ אהבה. Without it, people wouldn't give to to other people. You love someone that you give things too. That is what connects the משפיע and מקבל. Hashem loves us and that is why He provides for us. This answers the question of why אהבה is involved in many of the brachot. When we say a bracha we are saying that we know that Hashem is the source of everything and we ask Him to channel that into a certain area that we need and want to ask for. The only way we can get these things from Hashem is if there is אהבה - the connection between the משפיע and מקבל how else could it be that Hashem will give us what we need and answer our tefilot. It has to be "be'ahava" - We have to have a loving קשר with Hashem and that way He will always be our משפיע. This helps us understand a little bit more the power of a bracha and what it says about our connection to Hashem.
Have a great shabbas!
-Rikah Lerer

A Gutten Shabbos

Wishing everyone a Gutten Shabbos Kodesh!
Looking forward to being part of this blog, Shkoyach!!
-Erica/Esther Chaimowitz

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Parshat Naso

There is a huge question on the flow of ideas in Parshat Naso. When different topics in the Torah are placed next to each other, "s'michus parshiyot", we know that it has great significance and we must learn a lesson from it. There are 6 topics in Parshat Naso and they all seem very random! We have the camp arrangement, metzorah, dinei asham, sotah, nazir, and finally birchat kohanim. There are many explanations to the s'michus ha'parshiot. One answer given is that there are word and phrase associations between all of the topics and maybe Hashem placed them all here together to make it a clear mnemonic device for us to remember them!
The answer given by the Ibn Ezra is amazing. He explains that there is a clear flow between all of these topics. If you have a camp, he explains, you need to keep it holy and therefore any problem causers like the metzorah need to be kicked out. The metzorah sinned intentionally and therefore he'll then need to bring a korban asham. A sotah also sinned intentionally and will need to being a korban asham. A sotah sinned using and over abundance of wine, and a nazir, the next topic, must refrain from drinking any wine. Lastly, the nazir is "kadosh la'hashem" and kohanim are also kadosh to Hashem. This now seems very logical!
One last explanation comes from the Ralbag. He explains that in every camp there must be an order. First we have to get the bad out of the camp. So for shalom in your camp, get the metzorah out of there. Sotah then connects because before you can have shalom in the camp, you must have shalom bais, shalom in your home, first! Then parshat nazir connects because no one can have shalom bais with out shalom b'atzmo, shalom with in yourself. Lastly, once you have shalom b'atzmo you can get the ultimate shalom given by the kohanim, "Va'yasem lecha shalom"- Hashem will put final peace upon you.
(This shiur was given in stern by Mrs. Schechter)

May we all have a shabbos filled with shalom and simcha!
-Leah Moskovich

Parshas Naso

Dvar Torah based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
During the twelve days of the dedication of the Luchot, the heads of the twelve tribes each brought an offering. Although the offerings of the leaders were the same, the Torah repeats each gift with all of its details. The Torah never uses an extra word or letter unless it is coming to teach us a lesson about life. What lesson can we learn here?
The Ralbag, a 14th century French Biblical commentator, informs us that the lesson for us to learn is that we should not try to outdo another person in order to boast or feel superior to him. We should keep our focus on the accomplishment, not on our egos.
The goal in spiritual matters is to serve the Almighty, to grow as a person and not to seek honor or to compete with anyone else. Competition has its motivating factor, but one-upmanship has no place in fulfilling Torah principles. One should fulfill mitzvos with pure intentions.

Have a great shabbos!
Erin

WELCOME!!!

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