tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82470022740404900452024-02-08T13:30:49.620-05:00B'nei Machshava TovaInspired by and dedicated in memory of Rabbi Kalonymos Kalman ShapiraShmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-64535417918158404932011-10-05T12:07:00.000-04:002011-10-05T12:07:01.692-04:00Ten Things to RememberA <a href="http://blog.yitz.com/2011/10/ten-things-for-every-jew-to-remember.html">great post</a> by Yitz, of the <i>Waxing Wellspring</i> blog. I'm posting it here because I think it has very practical applications.Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-59782974735388239312011-08-21T22:31:00.000-04:002011-08-21T22:31:55.589-04:00A <a href="http://loveisthemotive.blogspot.com/2011/08/storming-barricade.html">pre <i>Tisha b'Av </i>post</a> I wrote over at <a href="http://www.loveisthemotive.blogspot.com/">Tikkun!</a> brought to mind an important element of daily prayer that can be used to enhance the potency of one's prayers:<br />
<br />
The <i>Kav HaYashar</i> writes at the end of Chapter 3 that one should take pains to ensure that he sits in a specific spot in <i>shul</i> on a consistent basis, and that he sit next to someone who does not engage in frivolous talk during the prayers. Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein explained that one of the ideas behind a <i>makom kavua</i> is like the parable from the other post: when we pray at a specific place, our prayers rise up to the Gates of Prayer up above and try to enter in the same spot. The constant, repetitious barrage of daily prayers aimed at the same spot effectively "weaken" that area, which may be otherwise impenetrable.<br />
<br />
Moreover, sitting next to someone who doesn't waste his time in <i>shul</i> is mutually beneficial; together you can form a unified front, and give encouragement via reinforcement by your conscious efforts to maximize your prayers.Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-3492230491834386232011-08-11T16:00:00.000-04:002011-08-11T16:00:22.940-04:00One-Minute Hitbodedut<i>Hisbodedus</i> is a wonderful way of nurturing one's relationship with HaShem. While <i>hisbodedus</i> is probably most famously associated with Rebbe Nachman and is a major pillar of Breslov <i>avodah</i> (see <i>Hishtapchut HaNefesh</i>), <i>hisbodedus</i> has been around in one form or another going back at least to the <i>Avos</i>. Other famous non-chassidic practitioners were Reb Yisrael Salanter, the Chofetz Chaim, and more recently, Reb Shimshon Pincus.<br />
<br />
<i>Hisbodedus</i> according to the Breslov method involves (ideally) secluding oneself for an hour every day, and speaking to God "as one would speak to a friend".<br />
<br />
While doing <i>hisbodedus</i> for a whole hour seems daunting even to some seasoned practitioners, beginners are encouraged to begin with baby steps. Rabbi Ozer Bergman, a teacher and writer associated with the <a href="http://www.breslov.org/">Breslov Research Institute</a> gives a step-by-step suggestion on how to begin practicing <i>hisbodedus</i> in earnest, in his work <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-Earth-Heaven-Kiss-Bergman/dp/1928822088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313092333&sr=8-1" style="font-style: italic;">Where Earth and Heaven Kiss: A Guide to Rebbe Nachman's Path of Meditation</a>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Set a time during the day when you know you will be alone and fully available for <i>just one minute</i>.</span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stop what you're doing</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Take a deep breath.</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Thank</i> God for any two things in life - one current, the other current or past.</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Ask</i> God for two <i>material</i> things - one related to today, one related to the future.</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Ask</i> God for two <i>spiritual</i> things - one related to today, one related to the future.</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Ask</i> God to help the Jewish people in two ways.</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Either:</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(a) Ask God to talk again tomorrow and say, "Thank You," or</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(b) Keep talking. When you finish, go to (a) </span></li>
</ul></blockquote>Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-7953607329411032722011-08-05T01:18:00.001-04:002011-08-05T01:19:41.433-04:00EichaEicha begins: Eichah yashva badad - How She [Yerushalayim] sat alone. ALONE!<br /><br />Why did we enjoy and rejoice in Yerushalayim? Because Yerushalayim connected us to the Source as the pasuk in tehillim says שמחתי באומרים לי וכו' ירושלים הבנויה כעיר שחוברה לה יחדיו I rejoiced when they told me .... Yerushalayim when built is the city that connects us to the Source. When Yerushalayim was destroyed we lost that connection. That is what the pasuk means when is says איכה היתה לזונה קריה נאמנה - How did She turn into a harlot that faithful city. The word "emuna" [kirya neemana] means "drawn after". When Yerushalayim was built we were "neeman", drawn after Hashem, but when we sinned we were unfaithful, we were no longer drawn after, which is metaphorically like a harlot who by connecting to everybody is connected to nobody.<br /><br />A gematria! The gematria of Eicha is 36 which is the number of prohibitions for which one gets kares, excision, being cut off from G-d. "Eicha" means that as a community we were cut off. Eicha means "HOW CAN THIS BE?"<br /><br />We are cut off. HOW CAN THIS BE?????<br /><br />The tikkun of course is to reconnect. From churban to chibbur.<br /><br />Bimheyra bi'yameinu!<br /><br />[Sfas Emes Dvarim 1893]Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-59560222617562034772011-07-28T10:02:00.003-04:002011-07-28T10:05:52.577-04:00Limitless Shefa<em>A poor farmer asks a rich man for a donation of some food and hands him a plastic bag to fill up. The rich man says "I will give you a whole TRUCKFUL of food! You don't need this bag."</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>The poor man has never seen a truck, doesn't know what a truck is and asks that the rich man just fill up the bag.</em><br /><br />We are the poor man. Hashem has limitless <em>shefa</em> [bounty] to shower upon us but our keilim are so deficient. He wants to bestow upon us such bracha but we are all too often satisfied with some crumbs.<br /><br />[Sefer Yichud Hahisbodedus]Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-58788894398583261342011-07-26T19:02:00.001-04:002011-07-26T19:03:45.766-04:00The Danger Of Excessive Fearלפעמים ע"י העמסת יראה יתירה על נפשו יותר מכחותיו בא לידי שנאת התורה. וצריך כל אדם למדוד את כחו וגם כששטף המחשבות המוסריות מתגבר עליו, וגם הטוב שבו מתעלם ממנו, ומוצא הוא בעצמו כל הדופי וכל החסרונות שבעולם לא ירף ידו ולא יבהל , וידע שבכל זאת הרבה טוב צפון בו. וידע גם כן שבכל התוכחות הרבות שבספרים, שעל פיהם מוצא האדם עצמו אומלל מאד, בתוכם מוסתר אור חיים וישועה, חסד גדול ואומץ לבב. ודוקא מתוך עומק נפילה באים לעומק קימה, ומתוך ריקניות התורה יבוא לאהבתה, ולהתאמץ בגדלה ותפארתה. ונתיקת הרצון בכל דהו לצד המעלה, מרים הכל לטוב. וישכיל ויבין שמצב העולם ההרוס גם הוא לטובה ולברכה, ולמחיה עשהו ה', וסוף הכל לתיקון גמור. -שמונה קבצים קובץ ו אות פח<br /><br />ובתרגום חפשי -<br /><br />Sometimes, when a person overloads himself with excessive fear of Heaven beyond his powers and abilities, he comes to hatred of the Torah. Even when a person is flooded with self-critical thoughts and sees no good in himself he shouldn't lose his bearings and should remain calm and at peace with himself, knowing that there is much good that reposes within him.He should also know that all of the stringent rebukes written in mussar sefarim that may make a person feel worthless, within them are hidden the light of life, salvation, great chesed and a courageous heart.<br /><br />Specifically from the depths of failure one comes to the deepest success, from an empty feeling towards Torah one comes to love and to a feeling of it's glory and grandeur. Moving one's will in the right direction, elevates everything to the good. And he will understand that the world's present state of destruction is also for the best and everything is leading to the complete rectification.<br /><br />So one should certainly have Yiras Shomayim - but only within his abilities to maintain. He must also know that all of what seems bad and scary is ultimately destined to bring one to a state of goodness and joy.Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-61884435188446329752011-07-10T12:07:00.001-04:002011-07-10T12:08:25.743-04:00Tikkun!: Both the Chassidim and the Mitnagdim are mistaken....<a href="http://loveisthemotive.blogspot.com/2011/07/e-z-iyp-a7.html?spref=bl">Tikkun!: Both the Chassidim and the Mitnagdim are mistaken....</a>: "Both the Chassidim and the Mitnagdim are mistaken. The Mitnagdim are mistaken in that they believe that they don't need a Rebbe. The Chassid..."Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-77705848966081054622011-06-22T13:16:00.003-04:002011-06-22T16:29:36.727-04:00What is Frumkeit<span style="font-size:78%;">(Reposted here by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071">Shmuel</a>'s request. I wasn't all that impressed with the piece myself.)</span><br /><br />The word “<em>frum</em>” has become a near-synonym for Orthodox. How this came to be is noteworthy. <p><em>“Frum</em>” descends from the German “<em>fromm</em>“, meaning pious or devout. In pre-war Yiddish, usage appears to have varied widely. On the one hand, those who named their daughters “Fruma” clearly thought being <em>frum</em> as complementary. On the other, there was an idiom, or as Rav Aharon Kotler often put it, “<em>Frum iz a galech; ehrlich iz a Yid </em>– the town priest is ‘pious’, a Jew is refined.” I also heard the first part from Bergers of that same generation, “<em>frum iz a galech</em>“. Admittedly, both data points from Lithuanian Iddish.</p> <p>How did the word “<em>frum”</em>, then, ever catch on in the Yeshiva world, a community that aspires for continuity with the <em>yeshivos</em> of Lithuania? How did a word go from being a scornful description of the wrong kind of religiosity to a self-label?</p> <p>I think that’s it’s for the same reason why kids who are eating at McDonald’s are branded “at risk”, but those who are chronic liars are not. The first group are “at risk” in the sense of their risk of leaving the community and no longer staying exposed to our values — and thus losing the likelihood of returning. <strong>Which means we’re defining ourselves by how we differ from non-Orthodox Jews and non-Jews — not by what’s most important.</strong></p> <p>To some extent, when we use it as a self-identification, we are still thinking of <em>frum</em> in its original, ritual centric, meaning. A <em>frum</em> Jew is one who belongs to our community, and thus is following <em>Orach Chaim</em>, <em>Even haEzer</em> and <em>Yoreh Dei’ah</em>. And as implied by my comparison, this is an important threshold — it’s the line between someone who wishes to remain influenced by our teachings and culture, and those who do not. But it does not accurately reflect priorities. “<em>Ehrlich is a yid</em>.”<em> </em></p> <p>It is the original derogatory usage which is clearly the starting point for Rav Shelmo Wolbe’s essay on <em>Frumkeit</em>, in <a title="Alei Shur II pp 152-155 (pdf)" href="http://www.aishdas.org/as/frumkeit.pdf">Alei Shur II pp 152-155</a>. R’ Wolbe takes the informal usage of yore and gives it a robust, specific, technical meaning. In his hands, the word “<em>frumkeit</em>” refers to an etiology for a specific kind of cul-de-sac on the path of religious growth.</p> <p>As you may have noticed following this blog, I am a strong advocate for a thoughtful and passionate approach to religious observance. As the name says, a fusion of passionate <em>aish</em> with the rigor of <em>das’s </em>law-based rite forming a new thing, a new word, “<em>AishDas</em>“. But in my discussion of thoughtful Judaism, I have always presumed the antonym of thoughtless Judaism, observance based on habit, on culture. Putting on <em>tefillin</em> merely because “that’s what is done.”</p> <p>Rav Wolbe notes a different alternative to thoughtfulness — instinct. To Rav Wolbe, <em>frumkeit</em> is an instinctive drive to be close to the Creator. It is not even specific to humans; the <em>frumkeit</em> instinct is what King David refers to when he writes, “כְּפִירִים שֹׁאֲגִים לַטָּרֶף, וּלְבַקֵּשׁ מֵאֵ-ל אָכְלָם — lion cubs roar at their prey, and request from G-d their food.” (<a href="http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26104.htm#21">Tehillim 104:21</a>) And, “נוֹתֵן לִבְהֵמָה לַחְמָהּ, לִבְנֵי עֹרֵב אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאוּ — He gives the animal its food, before the ravens who cry.” (147:9)</p> <p>What can go wrong with something that draws us to the Almighty, even if it is instinctive? Instincts are inherently about survival, self-preservation. As we see in the <em>pesuqim</em> cited in Alei Shur, the lion cub and the raven calls out to Hashem to get their food. Rather than being motivated by thoughtfulness, <em>frumkeit</em> is the use of religion to serve my ends.</p> <p><a title="Aspaqlaria: The Lishmah of Interpersonal Mitzvos" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2005/09/lishmah-of-interpersonal-mitzvos.shtml">A while back I posted</a> on my blog, <a href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp">Aspaqlaria</a>, about something I called the paradox of performing <em>mitzvos bein adam lachaveiros lishmah</em> — doing interpersonal <em>mitzvos</em> for the sake of the <em>mitzvah:</em></p> <blockquote><p>What is the purpose of such mitzvos? To develop feelings of love and caring toward others; to expand our natural focus on ourselves to include others. Does the <em>lishmah</em> (lit: for itself) mean doing the mitzvah for the sake of doing a mitzvah? If it does, then we are not focusing on caring for other people, we are focusing on <em>Hashem</em>. On the other hand, if we define lishmah as being “for the purpose for which we were given the <em>mitzvah</em> (as best we can understand it)”, we would conclude that <em>mitzvah bein adam lachaveiro</em> “for itself” means doing it without thought to its being a <em>mitzvah</em>. As I said, a paradox.</p></blockquote> <p>Rav Wolbe quotes the Alter of Slabodka’s treatment of this question:</p> <blockquote><p>“<em>Ve’ahavta lereiakha <strong>komakha</strong> — </em>and you shall love your peers <strong>like yourself</strong>.” That you should love your peer the way you love yourself. You do not love yourself because it is a <em>mitzvah</em>, rather, a plain love. <strong>And that is how you should love your peer.</strong>“</p></blockquote> <p>To which Rav Wolbe notes, “This approach is entirely alien to <em>frumkeit</em>.” The <em>frum</em> person is the one who makes sure to have Shabbos guests each week, but whose guests end up feeling much like his <em>tefillin</em> — an object with which he did a <em>mitzvah</em>. A person acting out of <em>frumkeit</em> doesn’t love to love, he loves in order to be a holier person. And ironically, he thereby fails — because he never develops that Image of the Holy One he was created to become. The person who acts from self-interest, even from the interest of ascending closer to G-d, will not reach Him.</p> <p>One must approach a <em>mitzvah</em> with a drive to see the deed done, rather than the self-interested drive to be the one doing it. This is “<em>mimaaqim qarasikha Hashem — </em>from the depths I call out to you, Hashem.” I reach for G-d not while instinctively grasping for loftiness, focusing on how can I make me more lofty, but when I subdue myself for the sake of the deed. To honor Shabbos out of a sense of honor, to give to the poor because one feels such love and empathy that nothing else would be thinkable.</p> <p>This is why <span style="font-style: italic;">mussar </span>is primarily a study of <span style="font-style: italic;">da’as</span>, of wisdom and thoughtfulness.</p>micha bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612144735431285113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-45469445240498947742011-06-16T00:49:00.000-04:002011-06-16T00:49:02.696-04:00As an addendum to his essay on <i>bitachon </i>and <i>hishtadlut</i>, Rav Dessler gives us several practical suggestions for maintaining a healthy balance between the two. Again, this text is from <i>Michtav M'Eliyahu</i>, Vol. 1 (<i>Bitachon v'Hishtadlut</i>)*:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We explained above that one can minimize endeavor only to a certain extent. The proviso is that one is strong enough to withstand the tests that may result without feeling sorry that one started on the path of faith in the first place. We should therefore look for ways to lessen the risk by strengthening our ability to meet challenges of this sort. Here are some suggestions.</span></blockquote><blockquote><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Train yourself to be satisfied with less in the way of worldly goods. The less you need, the easier it will be for you to cut down on physical endeavor and the less dangerous will be the test. As our Sages said (<i>Avot</i> 6:4) "<i>The way of Torah is to eat dry bread and salt and drink water by the measure...</i>" </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Pray with devotion until you recognize that everything comes from HaShem</i>. Then even if you don't succeed in your endeavors you will know that your lack of success, too, is decreed by Heaven. The deeper you realization of this truth, the less likely you will be to regret the course you have adopted. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reflect constantly on the importance of trust in HaShem. Read about trust in our holy sources. Even when you are engaged in necessary physical endeavor be aware that you are only fulfilling the decree "<i>By the sweat of your brow, etc.</i>" (Gen. 3:19) Realize that what you will have is decreed and the extent of your endeavor <i>will not alter this</i>. All this will serve to strengthen your faith. Be prepared to close your ears to the taunts of those who call you "good for nothing" and similar epithets. Better to be called this and worse, than to abandon one's principles. Remember the words of our Sages (<i>Eduyot</i> 5:6): "<i>Better I should be called a fool all my life than be a </i>rasha<i> before God for one hour</i>."</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When a person has to do something which he feels is unworthy of him he is affected by a sense of shame and is impelled to do it in private. This is an instinct implanted by HaShem, and dates from after the sin of Adam. before that the Torah says "<i>...and they were not ashamed</i>." (Gen 2:25) At that time physical desire was not within their experience at all. But afterwards, since it became impossible for a human being to achieve complete unselfishness, he was endowed with a sense of modesty which taught him to be ashamed of selfish physical desire. Similarly with economic endeavor, even thought the person may have no choice (after all, it was Adam's sin that brought this upon us), he should still engage in it with as much modesty as possible. He should experience a sense of shame that he has to do actions which seem to contradict the all-pervading power of HaShem. Just as modesty is effective in limiting physical desire, so it is with physical endeavor; modesty and restraint can serve to keep it within proper bounds. There is an interesting comment by the Vilna Gaon on the word "cheresh" used in connection with the sending of the two spies by Yehoshua. He writes: "This means that he sent them in silence...so that they should not fail as the earlier spies did." This provides remarkable confirmation of what we said above [in the essay].</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"<i>Make your Torah fixed and your work casual</i>." (Avot 1:15). To achieve this one has to make Torah one's main ambition. One must strengthen one's determination to achieve success in Torah to such an extent that one is prepared to give up one's life for it, in accordance with the words of our Sages. When one's life-ambition is for spiritual things this will automatically lessen the urge for physical endeavor and one will also spend less time on material things generally. He will accordingly be less prone to regrets if he is not so successful in the material sphere. Regret is after all only a function of unfulfilled ambition.</span></li>
</ol></blockquote> *English adapted from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strive-Truth-Parts-Eliyahu-Dessler/dp/1583306889/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308195436&sr=8-3">Strive for Truth!</a></i> by Rabbi Aryeh CarmellShmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-75800766098108091272011-03-11T01:10:00.002-05:002011-03-11T01:10:49.337-05:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Reb Shmuel Strashun, author of the </i>Hagahot RaSHaSH<i> (a supercommentary on the </i>Talmud Bavli<i>) was known as a genius par excellence. Once, he was grappling with a difficult passage in the gemara when he met up with Reb Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (</i>Rosh Yeshiva<i> [dean] of the famed </i>yeshiva<i> in Volozhin, author of </i>Ha'amek Davar<i> and </i>Ha'amek Sheila<i>), to whom he posed his difficulty.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Immediately, the Netziv (as Rav Berlin was known; not only was it an acronym of his name, it also means "prince" in Hebrew) answered Reb Shmuel's question. His answer was so brilliant and true, Reb Shmuel was astonished by the Netziv's erudition; not only was the answer so obvious, the Netziv had even supplied the answer in Reb Shmuel's own stylistic approach! When he expressed his amazement, and queried as to how the Netziv had attained such a level of understanding, Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda looked him in the eyes and responded:</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>"Because while you studied in wealth, I studied in poverty!"</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The RaShaSh was a renowned genius who displayed an uncanny mind even at a young age. He effortlessly mastered whole tractates of Talmud and volumes of <i>Torah</i> literature, and continued to progress through his adolescence.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Netziv had far humbler beginnings. By his own admission, he was a mediocre student as a child, and only after nearly squandering his <i>yeshiva</i> career did he settle down and dedicate himself to the task of learning <i>Torah</i>. He sequestered himself in a room for thirteen <i>years</i>, toiling with great effort, spending weeks on a single folio of <i>gemara</i> until he knew <i>everything</i> in it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The "wealth" and "poverty" that he referred to wasn't in monetary terms; it was in innate talent versus diligence and hard work.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">There is much value in genius, and those who possess great cognitive abilities (and utilize them properly) deserve our respect.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But nothing - <i>nothing</i> - can beat hard work.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Adam l'ameil yulad</i> - Man was born to toil, and this holds true for every aspect in life, especially when it comes to spiritual matters. Contrary to what the hagiographic biographies would have you believe, many of our <i>gedolim</i> were not <i>wunderkind</i> - they strove, and persevered, and sacrificed a lot to get to the level they ultimately reached.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And if <i>they</i> could do it...</div>Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-27249450926428943632011-03-02T14:25:00.001-05:002011-03-02T14:25:42.639-05:00The Tzetel Katan<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">[T]here is another remarkable document, which Rabbi Elimelekh distributed to his followers as a devotional handbook. It is called the <i>Tzetel Katan</i>, literally the "Small Note," and it consists of a seventeen point program on how to be a good Jew. Highly popular even among contemporary Hasidim, it is still reviewed every day by many Hasidic <i>yeshiva</i> students. Although it seems to describe an almost impossible discipline, for many, it serves as a goal for which to strive... </span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While the Ba'al Shem Tov preached the imminence and constant availability of God, Rabbi Elimelekh reminds us that even to achieve this, a constant state of vigilance must be maintained. God is everywhere, but sin separates man from God...In order to relate to God absolutely, one must be ready to renounce everything, whether it be his attachment to human relationships or to temporal matters...</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rabbi Elimelkh presents us with an exalted picture of human potential. Standing at its apex is the <i>Tzaddik</i>, who is as much a denizen of the spiritual worlds as he is of the physical universe. But through the program of the <i>Tzetel Katan</i>, every person can strive to attain an absolute relationship to God.</span> - Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasidic-Masters-History-Biography-Thought/dp/0940118904/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1299093470&sr=8-10"><i>The Chasidic Masters</i></a>, (pg. 56-57; 1984)</blockquote>Many contemporary <i>siddurim</i> do print the <i>Tzetel Katan</i>, either following <i>Shacharis</i> or in the back of the <i>siddur</i> as an appendix. Either way, it's certainly a laudable and useful tool for growth in <i>avodah</i>, even to just learn it daily. Of course, the ideal would be to incorporate the exercises into the daily routine...<br />
<br />
For an English translation of the <i>Tzetel</i>, click <a href="http://www.holmininternational613.com/books/TZETIL_KATTAN-E.pdf">here</a>.Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-71431410293447204372011-02-25T01:09:00.000-05:002011-02-25T01:09:27.763-05:00<div><blockquote>אם תעירו ואם תעוררו את האהבה עד שתחפץ (שיר השירים ב:ז</blockquote> The RaMBaN (in <i>HaEmunah v'haBitachon </i>19, which can be found in the <i>Kisvei RaMBaN</i> [thank you Reb Ally!!!]) has a wonderful interpretation of this thrice-repeated verse in <i>Song of Songs</i>:<br />
<br />
When you feel an awakening of sorts, a stirring of the soul, a thought or desire to do a good deed - don't let it get away! The verse says "...<i>ad</i> <i>she<b>techpatz</b></i>" - that is, until you have taken that <i>his'orrerus </i>and placed it in something tangible<i> </i>(a <i>chefetz</i> in Hebrew), enclothed it in a physical deed, you run the risk of losing that feeling. The only way to capture that fleeting sense of "goodwill" is to turn it into something real.<br />
<br />
For example, Rav Moshe Weinberger relates that when he feels an urge to do <i>teshuva</i>, he begins humming the liturgy from the High Holy Days in order to retain that feeling.<br />
<br />
As a tool for <i>shmirat einayim</i>, I find myself quoting the verse "...<i>and do not stray after your hearts and after your eyes</i>" loudly with the cantillation notes (this also earns me a lot of stares, which ultimately adds to the dissuasive effect as well).<br />
<br />
Memorizing a chapter of <i>Tehillim</i> can be useful for this idea, or carrying a little <i>sefer</i> to learn something quickly when the feeling arises...<br />
<br />
For more on this topic, see <i>Ohr Gedalyahu</i> on <i>Lech L'Cha</i>; <i>Hachsharas Avreichim</i> (page 109); and <i>Imrei Elimelech.</i></div>Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-48743189268538556102011-02-06T21:17:00.004-05:002011-02-06T21:34:03.835-05:00Rav Yisroel SalanterPursuant to Neil's post on Reb Yisroel's yahrzhiet:<br /><br />From the 1800's until today there have been many calls to reform Judasim. Reb Yisroel's vision was similar. But instead of reforming Judaism Reb Yisroel, strove to reform Jews!<br /><br />He never wrote books but we have his famous iggeres hamussar which opens "ha'odom chofshi bi'dimyono vi'assur bi'musskalo" - Man's imagination is unrestrained while his intellect is bound. His imagination leads him to stray and graze in foreign pastures, assuring him of the great pleasures that wait for him. His intellect says "Hold on buddy, life is about hard work, restraint, delaying gratification, working towards spiritual goals etc. etc."<br /><br />So when it's Miami Beach in the sun with a pina colada and many potential "Rebbetzins" in the area, against leaning four hours of gemara followed by a mussar seder where he takes responsibility for his failures in life and thinks of ways to improve his character - who wins?<br /><br />What time is the flight down south?!<br /><br />Reb Yisroel reminded the world that what our imagination offers may SEEM enticing but a wise man with a head on his shoulders will get a shtender, a gemara, a mesillas yesharim and begin to create one of the long lost species of our race.<br /><br />A human being.<br /><br />A mentsch.<br /><br />A reflection of G-d Himself right here in the alma di'shikra.<br /><br />זכות הצדיקים יעזור ויגן ויושיע!!<br /><br />Love and blessings!:)Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-13753474817676815892011-02-06T21:15:00.002-05:002011-02-06T21:16:07.401-05:00SuccessChildren are given the message that they are only worthy if they succeed.<br /><br />For this I mourn.<br /><br />Then they grow up and are never able to shake the nagging feeling that they are not good enough.<br /><br />A person is special by virtue of the fact that he/she was created in the image of G-d. Period.<br /><br />After this feeling is internalized we may begin to expect the child to ATTEMPT to succeed.<br /><br />I don't love my children for what they DO.<br /><br />I love my children for who they ARE.Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-6538923808841511802011-01-31T08:53:00.000-05:002011-01-31T08:53:12.809-05:00Yarhzeit of Reb Yisrael Salanter-25th of ShevatThe following words have been on my mind for the past two months. They were written by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman, in the introduction to his translation and commentary of Messilas Yesharim, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Path-Just-Moshe-Hayyim-Luzzatto/dp/1568215967">The Path of the Just</a>:<br />
<blockquote>The greatest problem we Jews have to contend with today, though its not recognized as such yet, is the loss of our memories and dreams. We have forgotten who we are, what we do, where we would like to be, what our unique national power and genius is, and what it is that makes us continue to go forward in history.<br />
<br />
Once we had character and vision. If we go lost or sidetracked, we had only to close our eyes and hear ourselves again, and we would go right on course to the goal we had recognized (and either followed or openly disavowed but recognized nontheless). But we have lost this. Like a singer in the midst of a great din and rumble, we cannot hear our keynote, and we are dumbfounded.</blockquote><br />
<br />
Indeed, dumbfounded, or numb. Many are living a vibrant life of observant Judaism, while others are floating from day to day, from Shabbos to Shabbos. It's been 128 since Reb Yisrael left this world. It is easy enough to point fingers, write blogs, and bemoan the current state of the observant life. The fact that, as least for me, there is a desire to strive for an absence of mediocrity is due to R Yisrael Salanter.<br />
<br />
For a biography please see <a href="http://uberdox.blogspot.com/2010/01/rav-yisrael-salanter-biography-from.html">this</a>.Neil Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12797772082427806345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-76781976916392403442011-01-01T18:16:00.000-05:002011-01-01T18:16:00.478-05:00Do Battle With Strategies.In honor of Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler's <i>yahrtzeit </i>(earlier today, the 25th of <i>Teves</i>):<br />
<br />
Rav Dessler was a non-stop smoker for quite some time while serving as the <i>mashgiach</i> in the <i>yeshiva</i> in Gateshead. Once, the <i>bachurim</i> noticed a sign on the door to Rav Dessler's office with an announcement that the <i>mashgiach</i> had officially quit smoking. Mystified, one of the faculty members approached Rav Dessler and questioned him about the sign. After all, the <i>mashgiach</i> wasn't known for being ostentatious, so why the proclamation.<br />
<br />
Rav Dessler turned to his colleague and replied (paraphrasing):<br />
<br />
<blockquote>I know that it isn't healthy to smoke, and I really want to quit. However, I know that the urge - the <i>taivah</i> - for a cigarette may be too strong to resist, and I will never really quit. By putting up that sign, I'm performing a little test, to see which is stronger - my <i>taivah</i> for a cigarette or my <i>taivah</i> of pride? If people read that sign and then see me smoking again, they might think less of me for not being able to commit to something so trivial; I am confident that my ego won't allow for that...</blockquote> Obviously it takes a special <i>Gadol</i>, one whose self-awareness is intact to such an extent to make such an evaluation, but the ingenuity of Rav Dessler's strategy is amazing. Utilizing one <i>middah</i> against another <i>middah</i> can be a powerfully effective way to fix negative traits and stop unhealthy behavior.Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-72948060063326805962010-12-23T21:15:00.002-05:002010-12-23T21:19:40.231-05:00Warning - Danger Ahead!Every Yeshiva Bochur worth his salt knows that there are FOUR major categories of damage: Shor - Ox [Ox does damage], Bor - Pit [harm caused by ones pit] , Maveh - Tooth [animal consuming others produce], Hever -Fire.<br /><br />Listen to the Heilige Ba'al Shem Tov in the Tzavaas Harivash: Four major damagers in Avodas Hashem.<br /><br />Shor - From the word 'Ashur' which means to see. Looking at what is forbidden KILLS your Avodas Hashem.<br /><br />Bor - A sdeh bor is an empty neglected field. This means batala - wasting time. That DESTROYS your soul.<br /><br />Maveh - Tooth. When a person overeats - BAAAAAAD!!!Hever - Fire.<br /><br />Anger. Anger is the most reliable servant of the Satan. Anger must be quashed. He is the arch-enemy of all that is holy and pure. The Zohar says [quoted in the sefer "Erech Apaim" - an entire book devoted to the evils of anger and how to conquer it] that when a person gets angry he loses his G-dly soul and the spirit of impurity penetrates in its stead. Scary.<br /><br />But the explanation of the Besht - GESHMAK!Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-2468557806959201022010-12-19T21:52:00.003-05:002010-12-19T22:00:48.025-05:00Humble BeginningsThere I was at my friend Kenny's mansion sipping a cup of tea in his backyard and enjoying the view of his pool and beautiful grounds [approximately the size of Rhode Island].<br /><br />"Man", I said, "who built this place? Two tennis courts, manicured lawns, parking lot for all of the cars - the Lexus, the Limo's, the minivans, full length football field [with a big aqua and orange dolphin in the end zone -he is a Dolphins fan - and yellow uprights] and gorgeous fruit trees everywhere. And the house - 26 rooms, paintings that go for an average of 1.5 mil, exquisite furniture, domed ceilings - and that's the not even the half of it!!"<br /><br />"Nobody built it", explained Kenny, "one day a bunch of Mexicans were driving down this street with a truck full of dynamite and them BOOM! It blew up."<br /><br />"And then?"<br /><br />"And then this mansion slowly EVOLVED over time and the final result is what you see today. Including the paintings, the pool, including the water which suddenly EVOLVED out of thin air. Also the tennis court with the straight lines, the colors - green on the inside and red on the outside, the fruit trees with the delicious, juicy fruits which contain seeds to plant more such trees, the furniture which not only EVOLVED into what they are but EVOLVED in the exact place where they are needed. Also the fancy cars including the cd player and air conditioning."<br /><br />"KENNY - YOU CAN'T EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT. From a BIG BANG, all of this???"<br /><br />Anyway, we were talking and I asked him about his parents background.<br /><br />"Well today my Dad is a world famous brain surgeon. He developed a number of new ways to perform surgery and has done extensive groundbreaking research. But he had humble beginnings. He used to be a MONKEY. Mom is an artist and writes poetry and has sold millions of books of poetry that touch the soul. She, too, was born a monkey." <br /><br />I guess that is what attracted them to each other, I thought. My first date with my wife was also at the zoo, but we were on the <strong>other</strong> side of the fence.<br /><br />"So how did they develop into who they are" I asked.<br /><br />"Oh, they slowly but surely EVOLVED into who they are. Just like that. By accident."<br /><br />Uh huh.Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-83810579712557658452010-12-10T00:53:00.001-05:002010-12-10T00:55:25.186-05:00Belief in "Self Empowerment"Pearls of wisdom from the <i>Chovat HaTalmidim</i>:<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just as it is impossible to accomplish anything without will, or to practice a discipline on a constant basis without decisiveness, it is equally impossible to ascend spiritually without having faith in oneself and in the power of one's devotions.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That is to say, we have already established the fact that doing good deeds is not sufficient in and of itself; a person must himself become good. He must take his character traits and transform them to goodness; just as Israel as a whole is engaged in a process of ascent and of growth, so must he be. But it is very difficult for a person who is in a lowly state, who feels that his personality is composed of degraded traits and that even his essence is ignoble to believe that his character will be transformed and made virtuous, and that he himself will experience spiritual ascents.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because of this, he will be halfhearted and will not make a real effort. He will perform good deeds, but that is all. He will not try to strengthen himself in order to transform his being itself into good.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And yet, have we not said over and over again that you do not know yourself, that all you see is the outer covering - what is inside is concealed from you as well? Why doubt your own ability, thus destroying your own great future, when you do not really see and cannot really know?</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Desire, decide, and believe in the power of Israel that is within you and within your devotions. Then you will see whether or not you will become holy as others have, and whether or not you too will shine like a bright star...*</span></blockquote>There are so many valuable things to take away from this small excerpt.<br />
<br />
First of all, the <i>Rebbe</i> is teaching us an important concept of <i>avodah</i>: there are many levels to serving God, but if one wants to truly grow, he has to internalize his dealings on a "molecular" level. When performing a <i>mitzvah</i>, one has to do it with the intent and the desire that it should have an impression on the very fiber of his being, refining him, altering his spiritual construction; it doesn't happen without a cognizant effort.<br />
<br />
But most important, Reb Kalonymos Kalman once again begs us to focus on our innate qualities. This element of faith in oneself does not stem from hubris but rather from knowledge of a special power vested within us by HaShem; as a member of <i>Knesset Yisrael</i> we have to ability to tap into the deepest reservoirs, the richest potential that manifests itself in each Jew through his or her unique expression. It is rooted so deep that we cannot even see it without consciously focusing on that power, and striving to coax it out.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">* translation adapted from <i>A Student's Obligation</i> by Rabbi Micha Odenheimer</span>Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-57475280639239545562010-11-24T21:20:00.001-05:002010-11-24T21:21:54.656-05:00Thanksgiving“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."<br /><br />G.K. Chesterson<br /><br />The first word out of a Jew's mouth every morning - "thanks".<br /><br />"Yehudi" means "thanks".<br /><br />A Jew IS thanks and gratitude.<br /><br />Internalizing what you have to be thankful for is the secret to happiness.<br /><br />The secret is OUT!!!:)<br /><br />Love and Blessings Tyere Yidden!Mevakesh Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515981344329367262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-82388585998477579102010-11-19T10:05:00.000-05:002010-11-19T10:06:11.539-05:00What Defines Greatness?<p>From R' Gil Student's blog "<a href="http://torahmusings.com/" target="_blank">Hirhurim</a>", a sad <a title="Hirhurim Blog: R' Shlomo Herman a"h"" href="http://torahmusings.com/2009/01/reb-sholom-herman-ah.html" target="_blank">quote </a>about the underlying greatness of my rebbe:</p> <blockquote><p>When I was a <i>bochur </i>in <i>yeshivah</i> I had a scary experience. I had the <i>zekhus</i> of assisting a <i>gadol ba-Torah</i> in his last days. When R. Dovid Lifshitz got very sick, I was assigned the task of helping him out during davening. At the end of his life, I saw something incredible. He would come to the <i>beis medrash</i> and someone else would put tefillin on him. Then he would sit with a <i>siddur</i> and <i>daven</i>. I was waiting to see when he finished the page to turn it for him and I realized that he would keep davening the same page over and over if I let him. Sadly, the illness and the medication took away his memory and almost his ability to function. But one thing he knew, something that was in his very bones, was that he wanted to daven. When you strip away all of the learning, all of the accomplishments, what you end up with is a simple, kosher Jew. Deep down, that is what a <i>gadol ba-Torah</i> is – a kosher Jew.</p></blockquote> <p>"If I were to wake you up at 2 o'clock in the morning," R' YB Soloveitchik would often ask his students to get their instinctive responses, "how would you answer?"</p>micha bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612144735431285113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-62587979013252062732010-11-12T13:39:00.003-05:002010-11-18T09:56:32.469-05:00In one sentence, what Yeshiva chinuch is all about(<a href="http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-one-sentence-what-yeshiva-chinuch-is.html" target="_blank">Cut-n-paste</a> from R' Chaim Brown's blog, <a href="http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/">Divrei Chaim</a>.)<br />
<blockquote><i>Thursday, November 11, 2010</i><br />
<blockquote>“In public school, they’ll ask you at the end, ‘Well, what have you learned?’ But here at Rice, the question is, ‘What kind of person have you become?”<br />
<div style="padding-left: 120px;">- p. 75 in “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Street-Stops-Here-Catholic-Foundation/dp/0520255178/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289507309&sr=1-1">The Street Stops Here – A Year at a Catholic High School in Harlem</a>” by Patrick McCloskey</div></blockquote>I don’t think I could come up with a better one sentence summary of what yeshiva education should be all about.<br />
<i>Posted by Chaim B. at <a href="http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-one-sentence-what-yeshiva-chinuch-is.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr title="2010-11-11T15:28:00-05:00">3:28 PM</abbr></a></i><br />
</blockquote>micha bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612144735431285113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-53331574516063817962010-11-11T14:01:00.001-05:002010-11-11T14:03:04.404-05:00My 5 second ruleNeil posted this over at his own blog, but I felt that this is a very pertinent example of <i>tikkun hamiddos</i>, and would be a proper entry on this blog...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://uberdox.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-5-second-rule.html">My 5 second rule</a>Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-9652717342120918352010-11-03T08:39:00.001-04:002010-11-03T19:22:37.814-04:00The Sudilkover EitzaI found this on <a href="http://asimplejew.blogspot.com/">A Simple Jew</a>'s blog. It's worth taking the time out to read, and furthers my previous post about the value of making lists. Enjoy it - I did.<br />
<br />
<div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The day after </span><a href="http://asimplejew.blogspot.com/2007/11/only-good.html"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">our three hour conversation</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">, I called the Sudilkover Rebbe as directed to hear his specific advice for me.</span></span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">The Rebbe prefaced his advice by saying that his advice was not his advice. It came directly from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's instruction to seek out one's good points in </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Likutey Moharan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> "<a href="http://www.azamra.org/sing.shtml">Reish Peh Beis</a>". The implementation plan that he prescribed to me, however, was his own. He told me that he wanted me to start this 40 day plan that very day and guaranteed that I would start seeing a real benefit from it within four to five days. He further stated that it was a wonderful way to develop my emuna and remarked, "I guarantee you will see miracles through doing this."</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">First, he told me to review </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Likutey Moharan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> #282 (<a href="http://www.mysefer.com/product.asp?P_ID=4044">Azamra</a>) and to listen to the corresponding audio shiurim from Rabbi Nasan Maimon in order to obtain a fuller understanding of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's teaching (I also listened to Rabbi Lazer Brody's <a href="http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/emuna_beams/2006/10/positive_thinki.html">CD</a> as well). The Rebbe then advised me to get a notebook and draw lines down the pages and divide them into three columns. In the first column, I was to record things that I did good that day; to include even small things like washing negel vasser in the morning upon arising. In the second column, I was to record the challenges and nisyonos that I experienced that day. This was to include things such as occurrences when I failed to maintain my composure and expressed my anger. Finally, in the third column I was to record examples of Hashem's chasadim (kindnesses) that I observed that day.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Rebbe instructed to read what I had written down out loud before I said Krias Shema al HaMita each night. After doing this for forty days I would have a clearer picture of how I should proceed. He even mentioned that he too kept such a note book from time to time and said it might be something I may find that I will want to continue past the 40 day period.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Following my hour-long conversation with the Rebbe, I went right out and bought a notebook so I could begin that day.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">My yetzer hara immediately started its barrage of arguments.</span></blockquote><blockquote><em><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"How is writing down these things in a notebook really going to help you? And you will see results in four to five days??!!"</span></span></em></em></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I knew better than to listen to my yetzer hara.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">My mind then recalled that the Rebbe's advice also fit into another shtickel of </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Degel Machaneh Ephraim</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> that we learned together. In the Likkutim section at the end of this sefer, the Degel wrote that one time his grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov, told him that if he would say the tefillos "Keil Rachum Shemecha" and "Aneinu" as he did, that he could quite literally be able to bring Moshiach.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Sudilkover Rebbe explained that these prayers from Selichos are located at the end of the Selichos service and are very often rushed through in an attempt to finish. The Rebbe explained that the Baal Shem Tov was teaching his grandson that one should not treat these tefillos in such a haphazard manner but rather should understand that these tefillos represented the pinnacle of the Selichos davening; that the little things that we do have the potential to accomplishment unbelievable things if only we would believe in ourselves.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Little things like walking me to our meeting were not little in the Sudilkover Rebbe's eyes. When Chabakuk Elisha came to pick me up, the Rebbe thanked him. In his modesty, Chabakuk Elisha tried to brush it aside, but the Rebbe persisted to tell him what a great thing he had done and how much nachas he had brought him by escorting me. He stressed to Chabakuk Elisha that this was not just a little thing which lacked significance. Quite the contrary.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">By identifying confidence/good points as the area where I needed improvement, the Rebbe had also zeroed in on advice that I received from co-workers in a recent </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360-degree_feedback"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">360-degree assessment</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">. While noting that I was strongest in my ability to see other viewpoints and opinions, my co-workers noted that I was not forceful or confident enough. This was not news to me. For some people arrogance is something that they have to continually work on, however, it is definitely not so in my case. My father constantly ingrained the trait of humility into me from any early age with perhaps too much zeal and not enough confidence building. If anything, I now swing too far in the opposite direction and can be too self-effacing at times.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">In order to return me to a proper equilibrium to follow the middle path, the Sudilkover Rebbe's plan was a pendulum swing in the opposite direction of self-effacement. It was exactly what I needed. Amazingly, as I followed the Rebbe's instructions, I started seeing results immediately. Each night my list of good points and the list of chasadim grew longer and longer and my list of challenges/nisyonos grew shorter and shorter. The process of having to be conscious each day to write something down made me stop and think at intervals throughout the day. What am I doing good today? What am I not doing good today? What are some examples of Hashem's kindness that I am aware of at this very minute?</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Twenty days after I began keeping the notebook, I noticed that what I wrote in my good points column was three or four times longer than my entry from the first day. I began to become so aware of more and more good points each day that I needed to bring my notebook along with me to work so I would not be forced to remember them all at the end of the day when I got home.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Searching out Hashem's daily chasadim, I came to have an new awareness and renewed appreciation for numerous things such as my sight, hearing, smell, taste, and digestive system. I spoke to the Sudilkover Rebbe again about my observations, and he told me that as the days go on, that I would not just be able to note a few things, but I would be able to identify literally hundreds of acts of Hashem's kindness each day.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was not long afterwards that I was able to see kindness in circumstances that others might have labeled as tzoros. Whether it was leaky pipes, a return of mice in my house, or my oldest daughter falling down and scaping and bruising her face, the first thing I did was thank Hashem for these things; knowing that it was tremendous act of kindness since each of these events could have all been much worse. Later, I even added these events to the "chasadim" column of my notebook.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Aside from these "negative" types of chasadim, I also became even more aware of the traditional "positive" types of chasadim and soon attained the ability to stop what I was doing at any given time and name a handful of them at that very moment.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">My last insight into the whole 40 day process came during the final 10 days. The Sudilkover Rebbe's advice benefitted me greatly in the area of my davening. It was only then that I was able to really tie together the notebook advice, the concept of finding one's good points, and my davening.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">In </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Likutey Moharan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> #282, Rebbe Nachman taught,</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></blockquote><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></em><br />
<blockquote><em><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><blockquote><em><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"The prayer leader is called the shaliach tzibbur, the messenger of the people, and he must be sent by the all the people. His job is to find and gather all the good points in each of the worshippers."</span></span></em></em></blockquote></span></span></em></em><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I asked myself, "If am not the shliach tzibbur today, how can I still gather up all my good points?" I then recalled another of Rebbe Nachman's directives, "You can crease and wrinkle my book any way you like when it comes to your own interpretations – as long as you don't violate a single paragraph of the Shulchan Aruch."</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A little creasing, wrinkling, and hisbodedus provided me an answer.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Remembering the connection Rebbe Nachman made between davening and the hands, I decided to modify the bed time ritual that I wrote about </span><a href="http://asimplejew.blogspot.com/2007/06/five-fingers.html"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">. Before davening each Shachris, Mincha, and Maariv, I used my right hand and counted out five new examples of Hashem's chasadim, and then counted out five new examples of my good points using my left hand.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Reb Noson wrote in </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">Likutey Halachos, Hilchos Haskamas Haboker</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> 1,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">"Discovering one's good points is the foundation of prayer."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> Indeed, I found that the more I discovered more of my good points and employed this new strategy, the easier it was to daven and to shake of any lethargy that sometimes tried to convince me otherwise.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Although the 40 day period came to an end on the 12th of Teves, I have continued this practice before davening and I continually seek to find more and more good points in myself and in others. As Reb Noson said, </span></span><br />
<blockquote><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Each person's life is unique, but this teaching is universal; it applies at all times in life, in youth and old age. The lesson of Azamra can revive us. Happy are those who take it to heart."</span></em></blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
<blockquote><em><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></em></em></blockquote></div>Shmuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08623549507370220071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247002274040490045.post-5887412438424876112010-10-31T15:52:00.004-04:002010-10-31T20:54:15.397-04:00Rabbi Yisrael Salanter on writing<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Rabbi Yisrael Salanter said, "Writing is easy; erasing-very difficult."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(as sited in "The Story of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter" by R Dr. Zalman F. Ury)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cross-posted <a href="http://uberdox.blogspot.com/2010/10/sundays-salanter-selection_31.html">here</a>.</span><br />
<br />
Erasing seems to mean that either we made a mistake or have changed our thoughts, as expressed in the written word. Admitting that a mistake was made isn't always the easiest thing to do. I think this is what R Yisrael is getting at. The digital version of erasing could be the delete button (which requires no effort and isn't even seen by a reader) or using <strike>strikethrough</strike>. <br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://uberdox.blogspot.com/2008/07/hashkafic-implacations-of-strikethrough.html"><span style="font-size: small;">The hashkafic implications of strikethrough</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h3><div class="post-header-line-1"></div><div class="post-body entry-content"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strikethrough"><span style="color: #5588aa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wikipedia</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">:</span><br />
<blockquote><i>Strikethrough (also called strikeout) is a typographical presentation of words with a horizontal line through the center of them. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><s>Here is an example</s></span></span>.</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>It signifies one of two meanings. In ink-written, typewritten, or other non-erasable text, the words are a mistake and not meant for inclusion. When used on a computer screen, however, it indicates recently-deleted information. (The difference is that in the latter situation, the struck-through text previously was a legitimate part of the document.) It can also be used for humorous purposes, such as something that normally shouldn't be shown is shown anyway, but with the striketrough put on, rather than the text being deleted.</i></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I admit, using <strike>strikethrough</strike> is nice, once in a while. The new version of </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/start"><span style="color: #5588aa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blogger in draft</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> allows one to publish using the typographic element of strikethrough. In life I hardly ever use a pencil, I prefer pen. When taking notes, if I make a mistake I simply mark it out with a pen. I have no problem with this. With writing (non-digial) I try to give as much of a finished product as possible, mistakes included.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it come to Yiddishkeit and mitzvah performance, I'm not so sure where I stand on <strike>strikethrough</strike>. One one hand, it's important to show ourselves and others that we make mistakes, think before we speak, and attempt to even take back things that we say (this can also be done with the DELETE or BACKSPACE key).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, there is much to be said for a "finished product"' that represents hard work, rough drafts, editing, and spellcheck. There are stuggles that one may have and accomplishments that one may have made that result in the "finished product". These struggle and accomplishments might be of a private nature that only a close friend may know about. It may be that only Hashem was privy to know of these things.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it comes to giving <em>chizuk, </em>by<em> </em>showing somone that I made a mistake in a certain area, and thus, exercised a <strike>strikethough</strike> on a particular thought, action, or word is important. However, showing the process involved in correcting something or doing <em>teshuva </em>seems to have even more merit, in my mind, as the total end result should be <em>shelaymus</em> (perfection). While the goal of reaching a level of shelaymus is admirable, remembering the process that got you there is just as important.</span></div><div class="post-body entry-content"></div><div class="post-body entry-content"><span style="font-family: Arial;">(Adapted and updated from a post written <a href="http://uberdox.blogspot.com/2008/07/hashkafic-implacations-of-strikethrough.html">here</a>)</span></div></div>Neil Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12797772082427806345noreply@blogger.com0