tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26063991969320456402024-03-07T04:06:31.084-05:00Dixie YidThis blog contains Torah, inspiration, and interesting, thought-provoking, or funny content. Inclusion does not necessarily imply limited or general endorsement/agreement.DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.comBlogger1777125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-49245851687387989092019-03-05T08:19:00.001-05:002019-03-05T08:19:29.337-05:00Surprise Me - Rav Weinberger's Drasha on the Women's Geula Event & Parshas Vayakheil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Below, please find this adaptation of Rav Weinberger's drasha from this Shabbos, <i>parshas Vayakheil</i><i> </i>5779. Rav Weinberger has reviewed this write-up and any corrections are incorporated herein. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
If you enjoy these drasha write-ups or any of Rav Weinberger's teachings, now is the time to please <a href="https://www.aishkodesh.org/campaign/2019-gala-dinner.html">reserve seats or give generously/take out a journal ad</a> for the major dinner we're having honoring Rav and Rebbetzin Weinberger next month. This will go toward enabling Rav Weinberger's teachings to continue to go out to the world for the next 25 years IY"H!! <a href="https://www.aishkodesh.org/campaign/2019-gala-dinner.html">CLICK HERE</a> to donate/reserve.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">See here for past <i>shiurim</i> at </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/" style="text-align: justify;">YUTorah.org's website</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Rav Weinberger both as leader of Emek HaMelech, as former Mashpia at YU, and from the past 20+ years. You can also click on one of the following links to subscribe to the shiurim: </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/subscribeTeacher/index.cfm?teacherID=80208&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=135&width=350" style="text-align: justify;">email</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/rssfeed.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=100&width=230" style="text-align: justify;">rss feed</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/podcast.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">podcast</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, or </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/itune.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">iTunes</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Please note that these drashos will only be available online for one month. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct it. If you are interested in a particular drasha that is no longer online, you can email me (right sidebar) and I'll send it to you IY"H, BL"N.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav Moshe Weinberger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parshas Vayakheil 5779<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Surprise Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
remarkable event occurred this past Tuesday. Tens of thousands of holy Jewish
women around the world gathered together to daven together for the redemption.
Strangely, because my name was listed alongside the <i>gedolim</i> who lent
their names and approval for the event, I received several dozen phone calls
from concerned rabbis who apparently did not wish to call Rav Chaim Kanievsky
or Rav Reuven Feinstein to criticize their support for this day of <i>tefillah</i>.
These phone calls caused me to ask myself why Jewish women today are more
aligned with the desire to bring the world to the final redemption? Why not the
men? What particular feminine quality primes women for this type of holy
endeavor even more than men?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let
us delve into this question in light of the first major project to which the
entire nation dedicated themselves, the building of the <i>Mishkan</i>. In <i>parshas
Terumah</i>, there is no mention of the women participating in the donations to
or the building of the <i>Mishkan</i>: “Speak to the children of Israel an,
‘And you shall take for Me a gift from every <i>man</i>…” (<i>Shmos</i> 25:2).
But in <i>Vayakheil</i>, the Torah and <i>Chazal</i> strongly emphasize women’s
contributions: “The men came with the women, every generous-hearted person…”
(ibid. 35:22). According to Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachaya, only the women brought
gold. The men only donated things of lesser value. And the Torah continues,
“And every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands…. And all the women whose
hearts uplifted them with wisdom, spun the goat hair” (ibid. 25-26). The women
were engaged in spinning goat’s hair in the most remarkable way to make the
highest-possible-quality material for the <i>Mishkan</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
see that Hashem and Chazal wished to emphasize how the women were at the very
center of the project to donate-to and build the Mishkan? Why is this? And why
were the women not mentioned at all in <i>parshas Terumah</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
chapter 18 of <i>Messilas Yesharim</i>, the <i>Ramchal</i> <i>zt’l</i> explains
what the trait of piety – <i>chassidus</i> means. It means thinking what Hashem
would appreciate above-and-beyond what is required and doing that for G-d. To
put this in modern terms, <i>chassidus</i> means doing the same thing for
Hashem that one does when he or she makes a surprise party for someone they
love. There are certain things one needs in a relationship and it is perfectly
appropriate for ask one’s partner to fulfill that need. In such instances, the
fact that one person asked takes nothing away from the value of the other
person’s fulfillment of that need. But it is nonsensical for one person to ask,
“Honey, next week is my fortieth birthday. Can you please make me a surprise
party?” By definition, a surprise party is something that arises from the heart
of the one planning it for the other. Asking for a surprise party is an
exercise in absurdity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But
the Ramchal teaches us that Hashem says to us, “Surprise Me!” Although Hashem
knows what we are thinking and planning, it makes Him so happy when we say to
ourselves, “What would Hashem really love? What would give Him <i>nachas</i>?”
There are many things that are required by <i>halachah</i>. And if a Jew
observes Shabbos according to every din in <i>Shulchan Aruch</i> and <i>Mishnah
Berurah</i>, including the rules of <i>oneg Shabbos</i> by singing at the
Shabbos table and enjoying the traditional Shabbos foods, one cannot have any
claim against him. But this is not <i>chassidus</i>. <i>A<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span></i><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> <i>chassid</i> always thinks about what <i>Chazal
</i>say, “I have a great gift in my treasure house and it is called Shabbos” (<i>Shabbos</i>
10b). He recognizes that Shabbos is a gift so he wants to reciprocate that
present by asking what would make Hashem happy even though it is not required. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
of the most apparent differences between men and women is that the vast
majority of men do not go beyond what is technically asked and required of
them, whereas women often understand intuitively what another person needs or
wants without being explicitly asked. This difference is apparent in a
remarkable teaching by the <i>Maharal</i> on the <i>passuk</i>, “Thus shall you
say to the house of Yaakov [the women] and tell to the children of Israel [the
men]” (<i>Shmos</i> 19:3). <i>Rashi</i> explains that this <i>passuk</i>
teaches that Moshe was commanded to speak gently to the women, but more
directly or harshly to the men. Most people understand <i>Rashi</i> to mean
that women are more sensitive, so one must treat them with kid gloves and walk
on eggshells around them, lest one hurt their feelings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But
the Maharal (<i>Drush Al HaTorah</i>: “<i>V’sageid l’Bnei Yisroel</i>…”)
explains quite differently. The only way men are likely to do what is needed
only if they are told clearly, in no uncertain terms, exactly what is expected
of them. If one uses subtly or expects them to infer what they should do, the
message is likely to go right over their heads. Moshe was therefore told to
command the men in direct, succinct, and unambiguous language, lest they miss
the point. But with respect to the women, Hashem told him to speak gently with
them because He knew that the women would infer even from indirect or gentle
language everything that they could do for G-d even without being told
explicitly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
can now understand why the Torah doesn’t mention the women in <i>parshas
Terumah</i>, the parshah in which Hashem commanded exactly what the Jewish
people were required to do with respect to the building of the <i>Mishkan</i>.
But <i>parshas Vyakheil</i> is the parshah of the actual carrying out of the
donations-to and the building of the <i>Mishkan</i>. The women were not
included in the initial commandment because Hashem knew they love to surprise
other people. He knew they would participate without being formally commanded.
And this played out in <i>Vayakheil</i>, where the women donated even more
generously than the men and spun the materials for the <i>Mishkan</i> in the
most remarkable way to ensure that it was of the highest quality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
also explains why tens of thousands of women gathered together around the world
to find a new way to beg Hashem to redeem us. And it sheds light on the
perplexing phenomenon of so many rabbis and men who were confounded by the
event. I explained to a number of people that besides the fact that Rav Chaim
Kanievsky <i>shlita</i>, and Rav Reuven Feinstein <i>shlita</i> lent their
approbations to the event, the <i>Chofetz Chaim</i> in his <i>sefer Tzipisa
L’yeshua</i>, lamented how desensitized we have become to our exile, saying
that he did not understand why men and women were not marching in the streets
begging Hashem for the redemption. There were even people who criticized the <i>Chofetz
Chaim</i> for making such a “big deal” about <i>lashon hara</i>. Yet today
everyone recognizes the importance of emphasizing and holding events to
strengthen this aspect of our service of G-d.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thankfully,
the Jewish women of today and are the forefront of making this “surprise party”
for G-d – holding an event to daven, beg, and plead that Hashem’s glory return
to earth with the coming of the complete redemption soon in our days. May their
and our prayers be answered quickly!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-12476077482786775052019-02-06T21:32:00.001-05:002019-02-06T21:32:32.226-05:00To Serve G-d - Rav Moshe Weinberger's Drasha on Mishpatim<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/311802685" width="640"></iframe><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Below, please find this adaptation of Rav Weinberger's drasha from this Shabbos, <i>parshas Mishpatim</i><i> </i>5779. Rav Weinberger has reviewed this write-up and any corrections are incorporated herein. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
If you enjoy these drasha write-ups or any of Rav Weinberger's teachings, now is the time to please <a href="https://www.aishkodesh.org/campaign/2019-gala-dinner.html">reserve seats or give generously/take out a journal ad</a> for the major dinner we're having honoring Rav and Rebbetzin Weinberger next month. This will go toward enabling Rav Weinberger's teachings to continue to go out to the world for the next 25 years IY"H!! <a href="https://www.aishkodesh.org/campaign/2019-gala-dinner.html">CLICK HERE</a> to donate/reserve.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">See here for past <i>shiurim</i> at </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/" style="text-align: justify;">YUTorah.org's website</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Rav Weinberger both as leader of Emek HaMelech, as former Mashpia at YU, and from the past 20+ years. You can also click on one of the following links to subscribe to the shiurim: </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/subscribeTeacher/index.cfm?teacherID=80208&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=135&width=350" style="text-align: justify;">email</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/rssfeed.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=100&width=230" style="text-align: justify;">rss feed</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/podcast.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">podcast</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, or </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/itune.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">iTunes</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Please note that these drashos will only be available online for one month. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct it. If you are interested in a particular drasha that is no longer online, you can email me (right sidebar) and I'll send it to you IY"H, BL"N.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav Moshe Weinberger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parshas Mishpatim 5779<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To Serve G-d<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
is impossible not to notice how we went from the drama and intensity of
Hashem’s revelation at <i>Har</i> Sinai and the giving of the <i>Aseres
HaDibros</i> amidst Divine revelation, thunder, and lightning at the end of
last week’s <i>parsha</i>, to the minutiae of civil laws that fill the majority
of this week’s <i>parsha</i>. The Torah then returns to the drama of the events
leading up to the revelation at Sinai and our acceptance of the Torah at the
end of the <i>parshah</i>. One could get whiplash from the quick transition
between <i>Har </i>Sinai, the litany of laws governing interpersonal
relationships, and back to Sinai. Why does the Torah interrupt the revelation
narrative with this legalistic intermission?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
once heard an answer to the well-known question on the Pesach Haggadah from my
Rebbe, Reb Dovid Lifshitz <i>zt’l</i>, in the name of Rav Meir Shapiro <i>zt’l</i>.
Why do we sing, in <i>Dayeinu</i>, “If He had drawn us close to <i>Har Sinai</i>
but not given us the Torah, it would have been enough for us.” The whole point
of bringing us to Sinai was to receive the Torah. How could coming to that
place without receiving the Torah possibly have been enough? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav
Shapiro answered by quoting <i>Rashi</i> (<i>dibur hamaschil</i> “<i>lakol</i>”
on <i>Zevachim</i> 116a), who says that something new happened when the Jewish
people arrived at Sinai. Before that, Jews and <i>Bnei Noach</i> both only
brought <i>olos</i>(elevation) offerings. But after arriving at Sinai, Jewish
people then began bringing <i>shlamim</i> (peace) offerings. What is the
difference between <i>olos</i> and <i>shlamim</i>? An <i>olah</i> offering is
completely consumed by fire on the altar. And a <i>shalmim</i> is consumed by
the altar, as well as the <i>kohanim </i>and the one who brought the sacrifice.
This explains why we were thankful for arriving at Sinai even if we would not
have received the Torah. We were then able to bring <i>shlamim</i> offerings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But
what is the deeper meaning of this? What is the deeper benefit for being able
to offer one additional type of sacrifice? Are we really singing out praises to
G-d for being able to eat more meat? What was the reason for this change and
what underlying transformation was it expressing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Volozhiner <i>yeshiva</i> was in dire financial straits. Rav Chaim Volozhiner <i>zt’l</i>
therefore sent out messengers (<i>meshulachim</i>) to different cities and
towns throughout Europe to raise desperately needed funds for the <i>yeshiva</i>.
One particular <i>meshulach</i> arrived in a certain very poor village. No one
was able to give more than a few pennies. But the people there told him that
there was one rich man in town. However, he was very stingy and never gave to
anyone for any reason. The <i>meshulach</i> asked where the man <i>davened</i>.
The people told him, so the man planned to speak to the wealthy person every
day after davening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
<i>meshulach</i> went over to the man immediately after <i>Shacharis </i>the
next morning. As he approached, the man immediately sensed where this was going
and told him, “Don’t even bother. I’m not giving you any money.” But the <i>meshulach</i>
persisted, “No, let me just tell you about the great Reb Chaim Volozhiner!” He
proceeded to tell him about the quality of the Torah learning, how this was the
only yeshivah in Lithuania, and the great merit of Torah learning created by
the boys in the yeshivah. But the man still refused to give.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
<i>meshulach</i> then carried out his plan by approaching the man after <i>Shacharis</i>,
<i>Mincha</i>, and <i>Maariv</i> every day. Finally, after a few days, as he
approached the man to extol the virtues of the <i>yeshiva</i>, the man said
that the <i>meshulach</i> should come to his home at a certain time that night
to meet with him there. Everyone around was extremely impressed because no one
had ever even gotten that far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That
night, at the appointed time, the <i>meshulach</i> arrived. When he got there,
the man said that he would give an extraordinarily large amount – an amount
which would have supported the <i>yeshivah</i> for months. The <i>meshulach</i>
was elated. But, knowing that <i>meshulachim</i> were entitled to take a
percentage of the amount donated to support themselves and enable them to
continue collecting, the man said, “I am giving this donation on one condition:
that you do not receive any portion of the gift. It must all go to the <i>yeshiva</i>.”
He would not consider any arguments or any alternatives. Having no choice, the <i>meshulach</i>
agreed to the condition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
wealthy man, however, decided that he did not fully trust the <i>meshulach</i>
to carry out his instructions, so he told him, “I am not going to send this
money to the <i>yeshivah</i> with you. Rather, I am going to give it to the
great Rav Chaim Volozhiner personally.” The man then arranged to travel with
the <i>meshulach</i> to Volozhin. When he arrived, he greeted Rav Chaim and
happily handed him the entire donation. Pleased with himself, he told Rav Chaim
the amount of the donation and the <i>rosh yeshiva</i> was both happy and quite
relieved. But the man could not help himself. He clarified, “I must tell the
Rav that I have placed a condition on this gift. It is only to be used to
support the <i>talmidei chachamim</i> in the yeshiva. None of it may be used
for ancillary purposes such as payment to the <i>meshulach</i>. It is
completely sanctified to the <i>yeshiva</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav
Chaim then made a face and immediately handed the gift back to the donor,
commenting, “<i>Ah korban fun a goy </i>– a gentile offering.” Shocked that his
gift was refused, he asked the <i>rosh yeshiva</i>, “What do you mean a gentile
offering! This is the first time I am making a donation. Why would the Rav say
that to me?” Rav Chaim answered, “Non-Jews also bring sacrifices, but only <i>olos</i>,
which are completely burned on the altar. They want their sacrifices only to go
to Heaven – to G-d. They do not want them to benefit human beings here on
earth. But Jewish people also bring <i>shlamim</i> offerings, which benefit not
only the altar, but also the <i>kohanim</i>, himself, his friends, and his
family.” Jewish people understand that that their service of G-d is not
exclusively for Heaven. We serve Hashem by giving other Jews whatever they
need, some food to eat or a place to live. We want our gifts to G-d to also
benefit His children, our brothers and sisters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Based
on what Rav Chaim taught that man, perhaps we can understand why we would have
felt satisfied if Hashem had brought us to <i>Har </i>Sinai without giving us
the Torah. Only then were we able to start bringing <i>shlamim</i> offerings.
The word <i>shlamim</i> comes a root word meaning not only “peace,” but also
“whole.” We were able to bring <i>shalmim</i> offerings because we recognized
that none of us can do everything by him or herself. We must make each other
whole and allow others to make us whole. We became a nation who finally understood
that serving G-d does not only mean doing things for G-d alone. It also means
doing good things to benefit Hashem’s children, our Jewish brothers and
sisters. This revelation alone, even before we received the Torah, was cause
for gratitude and celebration<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span>because only then
were we truly “like one man with one heart” (<i>Rashi</i> on <i>Shmos</i>
19:2). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
can now also understand why the Torah places the civil laws of <i>parshas
Mishpatim</i> between the beginning and end of the story of the revelation at
Sinai. Hashem is telling us that the way we treat other people is not an
interruption getting in the way of our Divine service. It is an integral part
of it. “Just as these [the <i>Aseres HaDibros</i>] are from Sinai, so too these
[the civil laws in <i>parshas Mishpatim</i>] are from Sinai” (<i>Rashi</i> on <i>Shmos</i>
21:1). We must make helping and doing good for other Jews an integral part of
the aspects of our Divine service we work on continually improving because it
is an inseparable aspect of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav
Yochanan Twersky <i>zy’a</i>, the Tolna Rebbe of Yerushalyim, lived a very
simple life, but always helped some of the lost Jews of Yerushalayim by
allowing them to live in his small apartment and sharing what he and his family
had with them. One year, at the <i>Pesach</i> <i>Seder</i>, the Rebbe noticed
that this man had been seated between the children at the table. To his horror,
he noticed the boys sitting on either side of him inching their chairs as far
away from him as they could. To ensure that the man did not notice and get
embarrassed, he called out, “How did this happen that my esteemed guest was
seated with the children. He should sit by my side!” He proceeded to ensure
that the man was seated to his right, in the most honored seat at the Seder.
The man felt amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
<i>Chol HaMoed</i> began, the Rebbe summoned the children to his study and
rebuked them, which was generally quite out of character for him: “When you
moved away from that man at the Seder, it could have embarrassed him, One
cannot do such things!” One of the boys protested, “But Rebbe, the man smelled
so bad. We couldn’t stay beside him.” The Rebbe was taken aback, “No! A Jew
smells good! A Jew smells very good! I am a connoisseur of scents and this Jew
smelled very good.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
must see the grace and beauty in other Jews to recognize that caring for them
is part and parcel of how we serve Hashem. May we merit to serve Hashem not
only with service directed Heavenward, but also by taking care of all of His
children, our brothers and sisters. May we then merit to see, soon in our days,
the time when Moshiach will teach and judge us by smelling so much deeper that
one can see externally (<i>Yeshayahu</i> 11:3; <i>Sanhedrin</i> 93b). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-55689504071388073882019-01-20T17:47:00.001-05:002019-01-21T13:33:39.565-05:00The Song of Miriam - Rav Moshe Weinberger's Drasha on Parshas Beshalach/Shabbos Shirah 5779<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Below, please find this adaptation of Rav Weinberger's drasha from this Shabbos, <i>parshas Beshalach</i><i> </i>5779. Rav Weinberger has reviewed this write-up and any corrections are incorporated herein. Enjoy!</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">See here for past <i>shiurim</i> at </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/" style="text-align: justify;">YUTorah.org's website</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Rav Weinberger both as leader of Emek HaMelech, as former Mashpia at YU, and from the past 20+ years. You can also click on one of the following links to subscribe to the shiurim: </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/subscribeTeacher/index.cfm?teacherID=80208&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=135&width=350" style="text-align: justify;">email</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/rssfeed.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=100&width=230" style="text-align: justify;">rss feed</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/podcast.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">podcast</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, or </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/itune.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">iTunes</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Please note that these drashos will only be available online for one month. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct it. If you are interested in a particular drasha that is no longer online, you can email me (right sidebar) and I'll send it to you IY"H, BL"N.</span><br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav Moshe Weinberger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parshas Beshalach – Shabbos Shirah 5779<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Song of Miriam</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
spoke on <i>parshas Va’eira</i> about the different leadership qualities of
Moshe and Aharon, how Hashem expresses Himself as “The Holy One” versus the
“Divine Presence,” and the different ways mothers and fathers express their
love for their children. On this Shabbos of the Song at the Sea and the Song of
Devorah, let us understand more deeply how women and mothers are the source of
our ability to succeed in this world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
men sang “I will sing to Hashem for He is very exalted…” (<i>Shmos</i> 15:1).
And regarding the women’s song, the <i>passuk</i> says, “And Miriam called out
to them, ‘Sing to Hashem for He is very exalted…’” (ibid 21). Why was it Miriam
who led the women’s song? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
see that many years earlier, when she was just a child of six years old,
Pharaoh decreed, “Throw every newborn son into the river” (<i>Shmos</i> 1:22).
According to <i>Chazal</i> (<i>Sota</i> 12a; <i>Shmos Raba</i> 1:19), Miriam’s
father Amram, the greatest sage of the generation, gave up all hope and
separated from his wife, and all the other men followed suit, lest they give
birth to children who would immediately be murdered. It was only little Miriam
who stood up and started a movement against the despair which had overtaken the
entire generation: “Father! Your decree is worse than Pharaoh’s!” He brought
her argument before the <i>beis din</i> and he and they agreed with Miriam.
Only Miriam’s courage was able to overcome the despondency that had infected the
leaders of the generation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
see something similar in this week’s <i>haftarah</i> in which the general Barak
and the rest of the men were overcome with fear of the <i>Kena’ani</i> army and
their general Sisra. When the <i>passuk</i> says, “The caravans ceased, the
travelers walked on crooked paths” (<i>Shoftim</i> 5:6), <i>Rashi</i> explains
that this was because “the Jewish people were afraid to travel because of the
enemy.” Normal life stopped because the people were paralyzed with fear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
even when Devorah communicated the prophetic message that Hashem would deliver <i>Kena’an</i>
into their hands, Barak was still afraid. He told her, “If you will go with me,
then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go” (ibid.<i> </i>4:8).
She agreed and thereby led the entire army to victory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But
this decisive defeat of the enemy’s will to fight came through another woman,
Yael, who personally assassinated Sisra in his own tent! (ibid. 21). Devorah
herself acknowledged the fact that Jewish women brought about the victory in
the song she sang celebrating Hashem’s deliverance. She relates how life
stopped for the Jewish people “until I, Devorah, rose up, until a mother of
Israel rose up” (ibid. 5:7). <i>Chazal</i> tell us that the Jewish people’s
victory in this war arose from the feminine side. They say the same thing about
our victory on Purim, when victory also came through a Jewish woman, Esther.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How
were Miriam, Devorah, Yael, and Esther able to revive the hopes of the Jewish
people when no one else could? We see the power of a “mother of Israel” to
inspire confidence, bravery, and strength in the people. While the men carried
the physical weapons (<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כלי נשק</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>), the Jewish mothers
used something even more powerful than weapons, but which shares the same
Hebrew root word: kisses – <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נשיקות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. A mother has the
power to speak to her children, her husband, or the entire Jewish people and
tell them, “You can do it! Hashem is with you! You will succeed!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">After
the salvation at the sea in this week’s <i>parshah</i>, the men proudly said,
“I will sing to Hashem!” But where did they get the strength to sing? There is
a backstory. When the <i>passuk</i> says, “And Miriam called out to them, ‘Sing
to Hashem,’” who was she speaking to? The men? The women? Both? The word for
“them” in the <i>passuk</i> is masculine, not feminine, which could indicate
that Miriam was speaking only to the men, or, at the very least, to both men
and women. According to one opinion in Chazal, Miriam was speaking not just to
the women, but to Moshe and the elders. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">According
to this opinion, the men received the strength to sing from Miriam, the woman
who, as a child, had saved the Jewish people from despair of Pharaoh’s decree!
Right after the song at the sea, Moshe told us, “If you will listen to the voice of Hashem your
G-d, do what is straight in His eyes, hearken to His <i>mitzvos<u>,</u></i> and
observe His laws, I will not place on you the entire sickness that I placed on
Egypt” (<i>Shmos</i> 15:26). The <i>passuk</i> says “sickness,” singular,
rather than sicknesses, plural. According to the <i>seforim hakedoshim</i>, she
saved the Jewish people from the most debilitating sickness of all – despair.
As a child, and again at the sea, she told her brothers and sisters, “Be alive!
You can do it! Hashem is with us!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
womb is called the “source” of life in Hebrew – <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מקור</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
And the numerical value of that word is equivalent to the word for “will” or
“desire” – <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רצון</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. Jewish women and mothers build us up from
womb to tomb so that we have the capacity to get out of bed and do what we need
to do to connect to Hashem and build the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
feminine side of Shabbos empowers us in a similar way. When the Shabbos Queen
arrives, we sing in <i>Lecha Dodi</i>, “Shake yourself off! Arise from the
dust! … Awaken, awaken! For your light has arrived. Arise, my light!” Devorah
too sang, “Wake up, wake up! [said] Devorah. Awake! Awake! Utter a song!” (<i>Shoftim</i>
5:12). On Shabbos, we are healed from that sickness of the six days of the week
– heavy-heartedness, sadness, and despair, which often debilitates us even more
than the swords of our enemies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tu
BiShvat begins tomorrow night. On this day when the earliest-blooming trees awaken
from the inactivity of winter in Eretz Yisroel, we eat from the seven fruits
for which the land of Israel is praised, including the tamar – the date.
According to the <i>passuk</i>, Devorah judged the people sitting under the <i>Tomer
Devorah</i> – the date palm of Devorah (<i>Shoftim</i> 4:5). Why a date palm
specifically? According to <i>Chazal</i>, the secret of the date is that “Just
as the date has only one heart [pit], so too the Jewish people have only one
heart for their Father in Heaven” (<i>Sukkah</i> 45b).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
one of our Jewish mothers, Tamar, also gave life to Dovid HaMelech and <i>Moshiach</i>
because she did not give up hope of carrying on Yehuda’s lineage, even when he
gave up. Commenting on the <i>passuk</i>, “The <i>tzaddik</i> blossoms like a <i>Tamar</i>,
he grows like a cedar in the Lebanon” (<i>Tehillim</i> 92:13), <i>Chazal</i>
say, “Just as the date palm has a beautiful appearance and all of its fruits
are sweet and good, so too the son of David will be beautiful of appearance and
all of his deeds will be sweet and good before Hashem” (<i>Midrash Shochar Tov</i>
on <i>Tehillim 92</i>). <i>Moshiach</i>’s great-grandmother Tamar gave him and
all of us the wherewithal to live beautiful lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
wife showed me a beautiful article that illustrates this perfectly. Several <i>rebbetzins</i>
and educators were interviewed. One woman, Mrs. Miryam Swerdlov, a <i>Chabad</i>
educator in Crown Heights, wrote the following about her parents, particularly
her mother:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My parents have
always been inspiration to me, as well. I was born in Russia and came to
America when I was a little girl. Life was not easy for us, but I didn’t know
it. My father walked with his cane his entire life, but he was never bitter. He
would say in Yiddish, “Pick up your cane in your hand and start walking.” That
is how we lived. We were taught, no matter what life gives you, you keep
walking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although I have
limited memories of my mother, since I was so young when she died, I do
remember that she would sing constantly while working in the kitchen. Sometimes
she would sing <i>liebedig</i> songs, and sometimes she would sing slow songs.
I could always tell what mood she was in by what songs she sang. I learnt from
her that no matter what you are going through, you must put yourself together,
put on the best you have, put on your makeup, comb your <i>sheitel</i>, and
walk out with your shoulders back and your head held high, because you can do
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">That is what Jewish
women like Tamar, Miriam, Devorah, Yael, Esther, and Mrs. Swerdlov’s mother
bring to us. Through their love and belief in us and Hashem’s providence, they
tell us, “You can do it!” Just like Miriam and Devorah, may the merit of Jewish
women herald the time when we will “Sing to Hashem a new song” <span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>)</span><i>Tehillim</i>
98:1) with the coming of the great-grandson of our mother Tamar, <i>Moshiach
Tzidkeinu</i>, soon in our days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-82363473130539710152019-01-20T17:45:00.001-05:002019-01-21T13:31:48.463-05:00Making a Mockery - Rav Moshe Weinberger on Parshas Bo 5779<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Below, please find this adaptation of Rav Weinberger's drasha from last Shabbos, <i>parshas Bo </i>5779. Rav Weinberger has reviewed this write-up and any corrections are incorporated herein. Enjoy!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">See here for past <i>shiurim</i> at </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/" style="text-align: justify;">YUTorah.org's website</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Rav Weinberger both as leader of Emek HaMelech, as former Mashpia at YU, and from the past 20+ years. You can also click on one of the following links to subscribe to the shiurim: </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/subscribeTeacher/index.cfm?teacherID=80208&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=135&width=350" style="text-align: justify;">email</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/rssfeed.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=100&width=230" style="text-align: justify;">rss feed</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/podcast.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">podcast</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, or </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/itune.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">iTunes</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Please note that these drashos will only be available online for one month. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct it. If you are interested in a particular drasha that is no longer online, you can email me (right sidebar) and I'll send it to you IY"H, BL"N.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Rav
Moshe Weinberger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Parshas
Bo 5779<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Making a Mockery<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Did Hashem inflict
the ten plagues on Egypt as a prank? The <i>passuk</i> in this week’s <i>parshah</i>
says, “In order that you should relate in the ears of your son and your son’s
son that I have made a mockery of Egypt and the signs that I have placed on
them, and they shall know that I am Hashem” (<i>Shmos</i> 10:2). <i>Rashi</i>
explains that Hashem was saying, “I made a joke” of Egypt. First, can it really
be that Hashem performed all those miracles in order to play a joke on the
Egyptians? And why does Hashem care so much that “they [the Egyptians] shall
know that I am Hashem?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Degel Machaneh
Ephraim <i>zy’a</i>, taught in the name of his grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov <i>zy’a</i>,
that there is a little Egyptian within every Jew. He explains that because we
lived in Egypt for so long, they became almost completely immersed in the
impurity of Egypt. When the <i>passuk</i> says that Hashem did the plagues so
“they,” the Egyptians, would know that “I am Hashem,” this was not referring to
the Egyptians themselves. It was referring to the Egyptian aspect within each
Jew. Hashem did the plagues so that the Jewish people themselves would finally
be able to let go of their attachments to the course physicality of Egypt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Why is this force of
impurity within a Jew called “Egypt?” According to the <i>Mei HaShiloach</i>, the
Torah calls Egypt the “garden of G-d” (<i>Bereishis</i> 13:10) because it was a
such a lush environment, filled with every blessing from G-d, where one could
enjoy all of the pleasures of the physical world. This level of physical luxury
is why the Midrash says that until the Jewish people left, a slave had never
fled Egypt (<i>Mechilta Yisro</i> 1). There was no constituency of Egyptians
demanding that a wall be built around the country and that the Canaanites
should pay for it. No slave had ever fled before because despite all of the
hard physical labor, those in bondage were also enslaved to the physical
desires they could only satisfy in Egypt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Even today, we see so
many people enslaved to substances or behaviors even though they know how bad
they are. They feel they are simply unable to flee. There are those who engage
in illicit behaviors, whether online or with other people even though they know
they are, in some cases, destroying their jobs, their families, and themselves.
They cannot imagine life without their drug of choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">We see this with
regard to the desire for wealth as well. I know people who made enough money to
live on for the rest of their lives 30 years ago, but they continue trying to
make new fortunes rather than learn in the <i>beis medrash</i> or use their
entrepreneurial spirit to spearhead projects that would help other people
directly. Such people also cannot imagine living without a certain type of home
or without a certain type of kitchen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Whatever the flavor
of excessive attachment, whether to money, illicit desires, food, some
substance, or almost any other form of pleasure to which a person can become obsessed,
the intense form of pleasure forms a border around the person. It blinds him
from seeing the broader world. It makes him or her smallminded. The Hebrew word
for Egypt – <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מצרים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> – comes from the word
meaning “border” or “limit.” Being a slave to the pleasures of this world puts
blinders on a person, binding him into a tiny world where he cannot imagine
anything greater than a life filled with his indulgence of choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">But imagine if a
person could see these silly little pleasures not as his whole world, but for
the absurd joke that they are. Anyone who reads the book of <i>Devarim</i> or
has read <i>Tanach</i> knows that the desire to worship idols used to be
overpowering, intoxicating, and almost inescapable. Yet do any of us feel drawn
to bow down to a crucifix on a Sunday morning? Even the suggestion is
laughable. Ever since <i>Chazal</i> nullified this desire (<i>Yuma</i> 69b),
the temptation for idol worship has become ridiculous in our eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It was critical that
Hashem make a mockery out of their pleasure-seeking lifestyle that the Egyptian
part of ourselves felt drawn to. He knew the only way we would be able to be the
first slaves to flee Egypt was to first release the psychological stranglehold
that materialistic place had on our psyches by demonstrating its absurdity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Similarly, when <i>Moshiach</i>
comes and Hashem slaughters the evil inclination (<i>Sukkah</i> 52a; <i>Bava
Basra</i> 16a), “our mouths will be filled with laughter” (<i>Tehillim</i>
126:2) when we look back at the years we spent working excessively or
pleasure-seeking. “How ridiculous we were. How could we have been so foolish?
How could we have fallen into an obsession with such drivel? What have we
done?!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">How did the miracles
of the ten plagues accomplish this? Hashem knew the only way we could escape
from the small-mindedness of Egypt was to expose us to true greatness. As Rav
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto <i>zt’l</i>, explains at the beginning of <i>Messilas
Yesharim</i>, “Man was only created to delight in Hashem…. This is the true
pleasure.” When a Jew tastes the pleasure of plumbing the depths of a <i>Gemara</i>
or experiencing that “Aha!” moment when he comprehends the profound depth
hidden in the words of a particularly difficult <i>Tosafos</i>, the shallow,
small material pleasures of this world feel like a joke by comparison. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This is the entire
theme of <i>Shir HaShirm</i>, which begins, “Your love is better than wine” (<i>Shir
HaShirim</i> 1:2) because “your love [is better] to me more than any wine
banquet and more than any pleasure and joy” (<i>Rashi</i>). The <i>passuk</i>
uses this expression “because He gave them His Torah and spoke to them face to
face, and that love is still more pleasant to them than any pleasure” (ibid.).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">All of this is why
the Torah separates the first seven plagues into last week’s <i>parshah</i> and
the last three into this week’s <i>parshah</i>. The Torah only explains that
the purpose of the plagues is to inculcate “knowledge” beginning with the first
of the last three plagues (<i>Shmos</i> 10:2). This is because the first seven
plagues correspond to the 7 emotional characteristics (<i>chessed</i>, g<i>evurah</i>,
<i>tiferes</i>, <i>netzach</i>, <i>hod</i>, <i>yesod</i>, and <i>malchus</i>). The
last three plagues, on the other hand, correspond to the three intellectual
faculties, <i>chochmah</i>, <i>binah</i>, and <i>daas</i> – wisdom, insight,
and knowledge. It is only when our minds absorb the message that the
pleasure-seeking Egyptian life is a joke that we can begin to leave Egypt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">How can we, today,
rise to a level where the pleasures of the world seem silly compared to the
greatness we are capable of attaining? Rebbeinu Yona, at the beginning of <i>Shaarei
HaAvodah</i>, writes that, “The first step for a spiritual seeker is to <i>know</i>
his own value, recognizing his own strengths and the strengths of his
forefathers, as well as their greatness, esteem, anb beloved status to Hashem.
And he should work and continually strengthen himself to live up to that
standard.” By taking out time to think about the greatness Hashem placed within
us and the inner power we have inside as a birthright passed on to us from
Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, we eventually start to see the absurdity and
silliness of materials pursuits by comparison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Rav Yaakov Weinberg <i>zt’l</i>,
relates a parable to help us understand how to pass this higher perspective on
to our children. In it, a boy is playing baseball with his friends in a park
that happens to be adjacent to a Jewish cemetery. In the midst of the game,
this boy is playing in the outfield when the batter hits a home run. The ball
sailed over the fence into the cemetery. The rule of the game is that the
outfielder closest to the ball must jump the fence to retrieve it so that the
game can continue. So, this boy began to put his leg over the fence to jump
over when he suddenly felt his father embrace him, saying, “No, my son, you
cannot go into the cemetery.” Not wanting to be different from others or have
restrictions placed on him, he responds, “But Dad, the outfielder always has to
get the ball. All of the other boys do it. Why am I worse than them?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The boy’s father
responds, “No my son. You are not ‘worse’ than the other boys. On the contrary,
you are a descendant of Aharon HaKohein and you have within you an even higher
level of holiness than other Jewish people. You cannot go into a cemetery not
because you are lower than others, but because, in a certain way, you have an
even greater level of holiness within you. It is beneath you to enter a place
of impurity because you are part of something greater.” <span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">May Hashem bless us to
recognize our own greatness and the awesome potential to conquer the emptiness
of the world’s pursuits for G-dliness. May He cause us to experience the depth,
intense pleasure, and sweetness of <i>Yiddishkeit</i> so that we will not have
to struggle so mightily to escape from the small-mindedness of a purely
material life and connect to Hashem and the broad-minded path of<i> </i>Torah!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-2179798438918469492019-01-06T18:10:00.001-05:002019-01-21T13:30:18.213-05:00Two Types of Leadership - Rav Moshe Weinberger's Drasha on Parshas Va'eira 5779<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Below, please find this adaptation of Rav Weinberger's drasha from this Shabbos, <i>parshas Va'eira </i>5779. I usually do not include the personal remarks Rav Weinberger makes for smachos in the shul, but as at the request of one of the fathers of the young couple who just got married on Sunday, I did include these remarks here. Rav Weinberger has reviewed this write-up and any corrections are incorporated herein. Enjoy!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">See here for past <i>shiurim</i> at </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/" style="text-align: justify;">YUTorah.org's website</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Rav Weinberger both as leader of Emek HaMelech, as former Mashpia at YU, and from the past 20+ years. You can also click on one of the following links to subscribe to the shiurim: </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/subscribeTeacher/index.cfm?teacherID=80208&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=135&width=350" style="text-align: justify;">email</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/rssfeed.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=100&width=230" style="text-align: justify;">rss feed</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/podcast.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">podcast</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, or </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/itune.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">iTunes</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Please note that these drashos will only be available online for one month. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct it. If you are interested in a particular drasha that is no longer online, you can email me (right sidebar) and I'll send it to you IY"H, BL"N.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav Moshe Weinberger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parshas Va’eira 5779<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two Types of Leadership<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let
us understand what the Torah teaches us about what it means to be a true Jewish
leader based on one <i>Rashi</i> in this week’s <i>parshah</i>. First, we know
that love comes in two varieties, conditional and unconditional. In the
language of Chazal, these are called “love which is dependent on something” and
“love which is not dependent on something” (<i>Avos</i> 5:16). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although
there are a wide spectrum of personality traits for both mothers and fathers,
generally speaking, fathers tend more toward conditional love and mothers tend
more toward unconditional love. Children, especially boys, often experience
their fathers as having a strict set of expectations for them. And their
expressions of love are predicated on the fulfillment of those expectations. Many
men find communicating the depth of their love for their children very
difficult unless their hopes, dreams, and expectations for them are met. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mothers,
on the other hand, generally have an easier time communicating their love for
their children no matter what. Children need to grow up with expectations and
the fatherly love which comes with the fulfillment of those expectations to increase
their chance of success in life. But without that immovable motherly love
undergirding the measures of success they attempt to attain, they cannot
survive. They cannot go on. If a person lacks that foundation of unconditional
love, demands and expectations are likely to completely break a person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
dichotomy exists in the two primary ways Hashem expresses Himself in His
relationship with us – as The Holy One Blessed is He (the fatherly expression)
and the Divine Presence (the motherly expression). The masculine side manifests
itself through <i>psukim</i> like, “<i>If<b> </b></i>you will walk in my
statutes and observe My <i>mitzvos</i> and do them, I shall give you rain in
its time, the earth shall give its produce, and the tree of the field its
fruit” (<i>Vayikra</i> 26:3-4). The promises are predicated by the word “If.”
These expressions of Hashem’s love come with strings attached. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
the other hand, Hashem manifests His motherly side through <i>psukim</i> like,
“And even when they are in the land of their enemy, I will not despise or hate
them to destroy them to nullify My covenant with them, for I am Hashem their
G-d” (<i>Vayikra</i> 26:44) and “Who dwells with them within their impurity” (<i>Vayikra</i>
16:16). Hashem shows us that He loves us unconditionally, no matter what, and
nothing can sever our connection to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
parental and Divine dichotomy also presents itself in the two paradigmatic
leaders of our people – Moshe and Aharon. As the <i>Gemara</i> says, “Moshe
would say, ‘Let justice pierce the mountain [i.e., be absolute]’” (<i>Sanhedrin</i>
6b). We explained that fathers often have difficulty expressing their love when
their children do not meet their expectations. As the <i>Maharal</i> explains
in <i>Gevuros Hashem</i> (28), sometimes great, spiritual people are unable to
communicate to others the depth of what is in their heart. As intellectually
lofty as they are, they lack a fully developed power of speech, which is a
lower-order, but critical, faculty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
we cannot understand the complexity of Moshe’s greatness, he himself
acknowledged this difficulty when he said, “I am not a man of words” (<i>Shmos</i>
4:10), the last letters of which spell “Shamai” – the <i>tana</i> who
paradigmatically expressed strict judgment. The Torah says about Aharon, on the
other hand, “And he will be a mouth for you” (ibid. 16), the initial letters of
which spell “Hillel” – the <i>tana</i> who paradigmatically expressed mercy. And
it was Hillel who said. “Be of the students of Aharon” (<i>Avos</i> 1:12).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
see that this dichotomy in their leadership styles played itself out in the
Torah as well. Even though Moshe loved the Jewish people deeply, after the sin
of the golden calf, he distanced himself from them, always placing a veil over
his face<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>(<i>Shmos</i> 34:33) and moving his tent outside the camp <span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>)</span>ibid. 33:7)<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. Moshe ascended Mount
Sinai to commune with Hashem alone, while Aharon remained with the people,
trying to work with them in their confusion and delay their sin, hoping that
Moshe would return before it went too far. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Aharon
was a motherly figure to us, always together with the people, speaking their
language and showing them his love for them. By acting as Moshe’s “mouth,” he was always
there for us to translate what Moshe was saying into language we could
understand. That is why, in the union between Hashem and the Jewish people, <i>Chazal</i>
call Moshe the King’s (Hashem’s) “best man” and Aharon the Bride’s (Jewish
people’s) “maid of honor” (III <i>Zohar</i> 20a).<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Which
type of leadership is more important or takes precedence? Strict expectations
or unconditional love? We find the answer in a <i>Rashi</i> in this week’s
parshah on the <i>passuk</i>, “That is Aharon and Moshe” (<i>Shmos</i> 6:26). <i>Rashi</i>
asks, “In some places, the Torah places Aharon before Moshe, and in other
places, it places Moshe before Aharon.” Why does it do this? “To tell us that
they are equal.” The Torah wants us to know that both types of leadership are equally
essential. We need leaders who are not afraid to make demands on their constituents,
who are not satisfied with the status quo. Without this fatherly type of
leadership, we would not grow or elevate ourselves. But without an undergirding
of immovable love, we would lack the emotional wherewithal to survive, much
less achieve what our leaders ask of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now
that we know both types of leadership, Moshe’s and Aharon’s, are equally
essentially, we must ask ourselves which one comes first, and which one comes
second. The Torah explicitly tells us this when it says, “And Moshe was eighty
years old and Aharon was eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh” (<i>Shmos</i>
7:7). Hashem brought Aharon into the world three years before Moshe to teach us
that when educating our children or leading those in our charge, we will fail
if we do not first establish motherly, Aharon-like love. Attempting to set
expectations and demands without pre-establishing a foundation of love is not a
recipe for success. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
was once a community leader in the Hungarian community of Tisefird who
commissioned the writing of a <i>Sefer Torah</i> and held a great <i>hachnasas
Sefer Torah</i> ceremony upon its completion in the mid-1800’s. He invited two
great <i>tzadikim</i> from the region to this celebration, Rav Tzvi Hirsch from
Liska <i>zy’a</i>, and Rav Hillel from Kolmaya <i>zy’a</i>. Though these two <i>tzadikim</i>
were equally great, they could not have been more different from one another in
disposition. While both would have liked to spend Shabbos and the beginning of
the week in the wealthy man’s community, Rav Hillel Kolmayer was not able to
come for that Shabbos, but postponed his visit to the following week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">During
his visit the first week, Rav Tzvi Hirsch could not stop himself from praising
the community in general, and the wealthy man hosting the <i>hachnasas Sefer
Torah</i> in particular, for the great honor they showed for the Torah and for
those who study it. He praised the community and blessed them that they should
continue honoring the Torah. Everyone felt elevated and strengthened by the
Rebbe’s visit and his encouraging words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
following week with Rav Hillel Kolmayer was completely different. He asked to
speak to the entire congregation Shabbos morning and began by saying, “It is a
shame that the donor of the <i>Sefer Torah</i> is providing a covering for the
Torah but not providing his wife with the proper clothing to cover herself
appropriately.” His message to the community only became harsher from there. He
criticized its departures from traditional Jewish customs as in keeping with
the ways of the “Enlightenment” and influenced by the evil inclination. The
Rebbe’s criticism of the wealthy man in particular, and the community in
general, continued throughout his visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">After
Rav Hillel had left the community, they were reeling and feeling broken. The
wealthy man sent a messenger to Rav Tzvi Hirsch, ostensibly to ask how he could
reconcile his praise of the community with Rav Hillel’s staunch criticism. In
reality, he was probably hoping to stir up a dispute between the <i>tzaddikim</i>
by obtaining a letter from Rav Tzvi Hirsch criticizing Rav Hillel’s strict
approach. He did not receive the answer for which he hoped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav
Tzvi Hirsch explained that both his and Rav Hillel’s approaches were correct.
As the Torah tells us in <i>parshas Shmos</i>, “And the king of Egypt said to
the Jewish midwives, ones of whose name was Shifra and the name of the second
was Puah” (<i>Shmos</i> 1:15). There are two ways to give life to the Jewish
people. There is the way of Shifra, whose name means “beautiful,” which is to
see the beauty and goodness in others, encouraging them to see the good in
themselves. He said about himself, “I cannot help myself. Hashem made me a ‘Shifra’
Yid. My way is seeing and showing Jews the good in themselves and in others.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav
Tzvi Hirsch continued by telling the messenger that Rav Hillel is a “Puah” Yid.
The name Puah is an onomatopoeia implying that this midwife made “Pu, pu”
sounds to soothe the babies she helped deliver. Thus, Puah is a name implying
speech. Rav Hillel’s way is giving life to the Jewish people by speaking to
them, by giving them <i>mussar</i>. Rav Tzvi Hirsch explained to the wealthy
man’s messenger that the Jewish people need both types of leadership. They need
the Aharon/motherly/Shifra approach to develop the emotional and psychological
wherewithal to believe in themselves. And they need the Moshe/fatherly/Puah
approach to challenge themselves and grow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">May
Hashem grant us leaders, <i>rebbeim</i>, and teachers who know when we need the
Aharon/motherly/unconditional love approach and when we need the
Moshe/fatherly/conditional love approach. And may He open our hearts and our
minds to accept both forms of leadership equally so that we may fulfill our
communal and individual potentials such that we merit bringing the ultimate leader
into this world, <i>Moshiach Tzidkeinu</i> with the arrival of the complete
redemption soon in our days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-6119246131011791122018-12-26T14:51:00.000-05:002018-12-26T14:51:01.361-05:00Victory or Vitur? - Rav Moshe Weinberger's drasha on Parshas Vayechi 5779<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After three difficult Shabbosim with Rav Weinberger away and one with me away, welcome back to the drasha write-ups!<br />
<br />
Below, please find this adaptation of Rav Weinberger's drasha from Shabbos, <i>parshas Vayechi </i>5779. I usually do not include the personal remarks Rav Weinberger makes for smachos in the shul, but as at the request of one of the fathers of the young couple who just got married on Sunday, I did include these remarks here. Rav Weinberger has reviewed this write-up and any corrections are incorporated herein. Enjoy!</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">See here for past <i>shiurim</i> at </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/" style="text-align: justify;">YUTorah.org's website</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Rav Weinberger both as leader of Emek HaMelech, as former Mashpia at YU, and from the past 20+ years. You can also click on one of the following links to subscribe to the shiurim: </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/subscribeTeacher/index.cfm?teacherID=80208&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=135&width=350" style="text-align: justify;">email</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/rssfeed.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=100&width=230" style="text-align: justify;">rss feed</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/podcast.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">podcast</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, or </span><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/rss/itune.cfm?teacherID=80208&teacherInfo=Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=120&width=220" style="text-align: justify;">iTunes</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Please note that these drashos will only be available online for one month. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct it. If you are interested in a particular drasha that is no longer online, you can email me (right sidebar) and I'll send it to you IY"H, BL"N.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rav Moshe Weinberger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parshas Vayechi 5779<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Victory or <i>Vitur</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
are fortunate to celebrate the upcoming <i>chassunah</i> of Shmuel Aidelson and
Rachel Meyer, two young people who grew up in Aish Kodesh. When two people in
the world from opposite sides of the political spectrum join forces, the world
calls this “reaching across the aisle.” Baruch Hashem, because both fathers
literally sit across the aisle from one another in shul, this will truly be an
“across the aisle” marriage. May these words serve as a blessing and a little
bit of guidance for Rachel and Shmuel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Every
year on <i>parshas Vayechi</i>, my father would tell us how, when he was a
child in <i>cheder</i>, the <i>rebbe</i> taught the boys a sad <i>niggun</i> to
sing when saying Yaakov’s words to Yosef from this week’s <i>parsha</i>, “As
for me, when I came from <i>Padan</i>, Rachel died on me in the land of <i>Kena’an</i>
on the way, when there was quite a bit of land till Efrat, and I buried here
there on the path to <i>Efrat</i>, which is <i>Beis Lechem</i>” (<i>Bereishis</i>
48:7). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
is a profoundly emotional <i>passuk</i>. Sometimes a person should talk to
someone in his life about something tremendously difficult, but it is too painful
to broach the subject. But when death begins knocking on the door, he knows his
time is running out and he can no longer remain silent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Something
was bothering Yosef that he was never able to express to his father because of
the esteem in which he held Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov addressed this unexpressed
complaint here, as <i>Rashi</i> says, “I know that you have complaints against
me in your heart” because instead of burying Yosef’s mother Rachel in <i>Me’oras
HaMachpela</i> in <i>Chevron</i>, with the rest of the family, Yaakov buried
here alone in <i>Beis Lechem</i>. And to make Yaakov appear even worse in his
son’s eyes, he asked Yosef to trouble himself to travel all the way from Egypt
to bury Yaakov in <i>Chevron</i> even though he seemingly did not bother to
take Rachel’s body the much shorter distance from <i>Beis Lechem</i> to <i>Chevron</i>!
This apparent denigration of his mother’s honor was lodged like a knife in
Yosef’s heart though he could not express it to his father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Many
<i>chassanim</i> and <i>kallos</i> ask me for the secret to <i>shalom bayis</i>
– a peaceful marriage. There are volumes to say on this topic and who knows if
either of them will remember what I say, but the truth is that there is one
trait which I usually tell people is the key to a happy marriage, and that is
the <i>midah</i> of <i>vitur</i> – the ability to concede or acquiesce. The
Lubavitcher Rebbe (<i>Likutei Sichos</i> 30) prefaces his explanation of Yaakov
Avinu’s answer to Yosef’s unspoken question by giving us a deeper understanding
of the <i>midah</i> of <i>vitur</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Vitur</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> can come from
weakness or from strength. It comes from weakness when one person gives into
another because he or she simply does not have the strength to argue anymore.
Someone does this when continuing to argue will create more pain than the
person is willing or able to endure, or because the other person has simply
worn them down. In a certain sense, this type of <i>vitur</i> can be good, but
it usually leads to long term resentment and anger. Someone who is <i>mevater</i>
on payment due to him from a counterparty to a contract may end the argument,
but in such situations, such a person often never again speaks to the person he
knows cheated him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
one is <i>mevater</i> from strength, this means that he agrees to what another
person wants because he loves that person, whether it is a family member,
friend, or spouse. He or she may be right and may be better at arguing the
point at hand, but despite this, the <i>vatran</i> – one who has internalized
the <i>midah</i> of <i>vitur</i> – nevertheless concedes to the other person’s
point because he values the other person and the relationship with him or her
more than he values being right or having his way. The <i>vatran</i> gives in
from a position of strength, free will, and full-hearted desire to make the
other person happy.<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that Rachel’s greatest trait was her <i>midah</i> of
<i>vitur</i>. The most famous example is when Rachel gave over the signs to
Leah which she and Yaakov had established to verify Rachel’s identity under the
<i>chuppah</i> in case Lavan tried to deceive them, which he ultimately did (<i>Megillah</i>
13b). But Yaakov Avinu was telling his son Yosef about another expression of
Rachel’s trait of <i>vitur</i>: “It is not like you think. Rachel was not <i>mevater</i>
on being buried in <i>Me’oras HaMachpela</i> from a place of weakness. She
chose to be buried in <i>Beis Lechem</i>, where she and I knew our grandchildren
would one day be lead on their way out of <i>Yerushalayim</i> and into exile.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The <i>passuk</i>
says, “A voice is heard on high – lamentation and bitter weeping – Rachel
weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children for they
are not” (<i>Yirmiyahu</i> 31:14). All Rachel wanted was to comfort her
children as they passed her grave into exile and to daven for them from above.
That is why she merited Hashem telling her, “Withhold your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears for there is a reward for your efforts, says Hashem,
they shall return from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future,
says Hashem, for your children shall return to their borders” (ibid. 15-16). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
have an ancient custom from the times of the <i>Rishonim</i>, which also has
roots in <i>Chazal</i>, that each <i>chassan</i> gives his <i>kallah</i> a gift
in the <i>yichud</i> room. When the <i>tzadik</i> Rav Areye Levin <i>zt’l</i>
was married he was as impoverished as he was during the rest of his life. His
wife Tzipora Channa <i>a’h</i>, the daughter of Rav Dovid Shapira <i>zt’l</i>,
later revealed what he said to her in the <i>yichud</i> room: “My beloved, I am
so sorry that I do not have any money to buy a gift for you. But let this
promise be my gift to you: For the rest of our lives, whenever we disagree
about something, I will always be the one who will be <i>mevater</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
I am sure that our <i>chassan</i> Shmuel has already bought his <i>kallah</i> a
gift for the yichud room tomorrow, I also know that he and Rachel will both
express Rachel Imeinu’s <i>midah</i> of <i>vitur</i> in their relationship.
Shmuel shares the name of Shmuel HaNavi who comes from “<i>Rama</i>,” as the <i>passuk</i>
says, “And he [Shmuel] returned to <i>Rama</i>, for his home was there” (I <i>Shmuel</i>
7:17). And the <i>kallah</i> Rachel shares the name of our mother Rachel, about
whom the <i>passuk</i> says, “A voice is heard on high – <i>Rama</i>.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
friends of the Aidelsons’ and Meyers’ for so many years and watching Rachel and
Shmuel grow up in the shul, the entire kehillah feel like family. We know that
whether the couple spends any Yom Tov with her family or his, we will enjoy
their company either way. May Hashem bless this young couple, along with all of
us in <i>Klal Yisroel</i> with <i>vitur</i> from a place of strength in all our
relationships. In this merit, may we witness the complete fulfillment of
Hashem’s words to our mother Rachel, “your children shall return to their
borders!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-12871336563410558292018-06-12T10:14:00.001-04:002018-06-13T12:48:19.322-04:00Article by R' Boruch Leff related to the Recent Flurry of Articles/Letters/Shiurim re Mishpacha Magazine/Chassidus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Relevant to the <a href="http://www.mishpacha.com/Browse/Article/10429/Meeting-the-Baal-Shem-Tov-in-2018-Revisited-The-Conversation-Continues">recent flurry of articles</a> following Mishpacha Magazine's recent article relating to the resurgence in interest in penimius HaTorah and chassidus, it is worthwhile to check out Rabbi Boruch Leff's article from his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Growing-Boruch-Leff/dp/1583303278">Are You Growing?</a>, which relates to Rav Moshe Weinberger's recent shiurim also on these issues, "<a href="https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/901893/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/hashems-unbreakable-love-for-every-jew/">Hashem's Unbreakable Love for Every Jew - Part 1</a>" and <a href="https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/902383/rabbi-moshe-weinberger/hashems-unbreakable-love-for-every-jew-2-/">Part 2</a>:</div>
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<b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hashem Awareness Even When Learning Torah</span></u></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Generally, there is a perceived difference of opinion between chassidim and non-chassidim regarding how much emphasis should be placed on actually thinking about Hashem within the realm of Torah study. This essay’s purpose is to show that while such a debate indeed exists, the two sides have much more in common than is usually understood.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">All those who study Torah in order to come closer to Hashem (which should include everyone) must make a real connection with Hashem within their learning. It is difficult to learn in this fashion. Most people simply open the sefer and begin to learn. Learning Torah in any fashion is a great mitzvah and we admire all those who do so, especially the yeshiva bochrim and Kollel students who learn most of the day. However, as difficult as it might be, we all should try to bring more Hashem awareness into our learning.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Perhaps you were surprised by the title: Even when learning Torah? Isn’t it obvious that when we learn Torah we are performing a mitzvah and are very much aware of Hashem? Let me tell you a story which will explain the title.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The famous Rav Shmelka of Nikolsburg<i> </i>was once learning in the <i>beis medrash</i> alongside his equally famous brother Rav Pinchas Horowitz, author of the <i>seforim HaMakneh</i> and <i>Hafla’ah</i>. Rav Pinchas noticed that every so often, the <i>shammas</i> attendant of Rav Shmelke would interrupt Rav Shmelke and whisper something into his ear. After a number of times of watching this, Rav Pinchas couldn’t contain his curiosity bordering on anger at the <i>shammas</i> for interrupting his brother’s learning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rav Pinchas finally asked his brother what the <i>shammas</i> was saying to him, “Why do you permit him to continuously interrupt your learning?! Tell him of the prohibition of <i>bitul Torah</i>—that he shouldn’t waste any of your time, especially when you are learning in the <i>beis medrash!”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rav Shmelke responded, “My brother, you misunderstand. I told my <i>shammas</i> to interrupt me. You see, when I learn Torah, there are times that I get so involved in what I’m learning and I enjoy it so much that I forget there’s a <i>Ribbono Shel Olam</i>! I told my <i>shammas</i> that every so often, even when I’m learning, he should whisper in my ear, ‘There <i>is</i> a <i>Ribbono Shel Olam</i>!’ This is what brings me back to the purpose of my learning Torah—to understand Hashem and His will better and to attach myself to Him!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A poignant story. The story’s lesson is related to what the Kotzker Rebbe once said, <i>“The Torah prohibits us from worshipping idols, avoda zara. . .even of the Torah itself!”</i> This means that we can’t allow our Torah learning to take on a life of its own. We must always learn with a real and continuous awareness of why we are learning and for whom we are learning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">WHILE YOU’RE LEARNING YOU MUST LEARN</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This does not mean that we must meditate upon Hashem while actually learning. Certainly, when we learn, we must concentrate and attempt to understand what Rashi<i> </i>and Tosafos and the<i> </i>Rashba are saying. But, as Rav Shlomo Brevda, <i>shlita,</i> once told me, in order to maximize the <i>hashpaah,</i> the powerful spiritual influence that Torah study can have upon our souls and our <i>midos,</i> we must fulfill the requirements of the prime student of the leader of non-<i>chassidim</i>, the Vilna Gaon. His prime student, Rav Chaim Volozhin, writes<i> </i>in the Nefesh HaChaim<i> (</i>Shaar<i> 4:6):</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“This is the proper true path that Hashem has chosen. Whenever a person prepares himself to learn Torah, he should sit down before he learns, at least for a short time, with a pure heartfelt fear of Hashem, and confess his sins from the depths of his heart, so that his Torah will be more pure and holy. He should then have in mind that he will attach himself to Hashem through learning His Torah, because by studying the word of Hashem, halacha, with all one’s strength, with this, one attaches himself to Hashem as much as possible. This is because He and His will (the Torah) are One.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Nefesh HaChaim (4:7) continues:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Before learning Torah, a person should think about Hashem with purity of heart and fear of Him, and cleanse himself with thoughts of repentance, so that He can connect and attach himself to the will of G-d when he learns. He should also accept upon himself to observe and fulfill all that is written in the entire Torah and he should pray that Hashem will lead him to discover the truth of Torah.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“<i>This should be done even in the middle of learning. Permission is given to interrupt regular learning subjects, for a short time, before the passion of the fear of Hashem becomes extinguished from his heart, (to reignite) all that he accepted upon himself before he began learning. He should think again of the fear of Hashem. . .This is not bitul Torah, because it is necessary in order for the Torah to have a lasting impact.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">LEARNING LIKE RAV YISRAEL SALANTER</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This approach to Torah study is vital in order to avoid the warning of the Kotzker Rebbe mentioned above. By actively and directly connecting our Talmud Torah to the <i>Ribbono Shel Olam</i> in a real sense, and not merely in a general, disconnected way, the learning becomes a vehicle for true <i>dveikus</i> with Hashem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rav Shlomo Wolbe writes similar thoughts in Alei Shur (Volume 2, page 106). He says that there are many ways to learn Torah—<i>iyun, bekius, pilpul</i>, in-depth analysis, general factual knowledge, to name a few. But there is also a ‘<i>Yiras Shamayim’</i> way of learning. This path does not negate any of the others but accompanies them. Every<i> sugya </i>and subject in <i>Shas</i> has the fear of Hashem within it if we but pay attention to it. All of the decrees from the <i>rabannan</i> are derived from a fear of Hashem not to transgress His Torah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A person can inject fear of Hashem into all that he learns, says Rav Wolbe. Frequently, the <i>gemara </i>says ‘<i>Amar Mar</i>—the (anonymous) Master said.’ The Midrash Tanchuma<i> </i>says that <i>Mar</i> refers to Hashem! Thus, instead of saying <i>Mar</i>, when learning the <i>gemara</i>, one should substitute the words <i>Amar HaKadosh Baruch Hu!</i> And then state the <i>halacha</i> the <i>gemara </i>mention<wbr></wbr>s. This is the path and method that Rav Yisrael Salanter utilized to directly connect what he was learning to Hashem and His <i>ratzon</i>. This is how we can discover <i>yirah </i>and <i>mussar</i> in whatever we learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh states that fulfilling the Nefesh HaChaim’s guide to Torah learning is a major component to the <i>mitzvah </i>of <i>Shivisi Hashem L’Negdi Samid, </i>I</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">set Hashem before me always (Tehillim 16:8).<i> </i>Though the Rema<i> </i>begins the Shulchan Aruch by saying this <i>avodah</i> of <i>Shivisi </i>is among the <i>maalos</i> of <i>tzadikim</i>, the highest levels of the righteous, the Biur HaGra there says, ‘This concept includes <i>all </i>the levels of the righteous—<i>vezehu kol maalos hatzadikim!</i>’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Thus, we must work on trying to feel Hashem’s presence at all times, and as we’ve seen, this applies even when we are learning Torah. <i> </i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">THE GOAL OF ALL MITZVOS</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What is the goal of life? Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh (Volume 3) states that we must crystallize the answer to this question before we can progress in our service of Hashem. We think the answer to this question is very obvious—most people would say the goal of life is to involve ourselves in <i>mitzvos,</i> and to learn Torah in order to know <i>Shas </i>and <i>poskim.</i> But the Ramchal<i> </i>writes differently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In Mesilas Yesharim<i>,</i> right in the beginning of the first <i>perek</i>, the Ramchal says the goal of life is ‘<i>l’hisaneg al Hashem,’</i> to derive pleasure from being close to Hashem. We are to put all of our drives into coming close to Hashem, to the ultimate extent of being drawn like a magnet to Him. This doesn’t mean, says Bilvavi,<i> </i>that we are not supposed to learn as much Torah as we can at every possible moment, trying to know <i>Shas</i> and <i>poskim</i>. As <i>Chazal </i>say, the world only continues to exist through the merit of learning Torah. But we must realize that the purpose of all of our learning is to attach ourselves to Hashem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">There are those who say that since the <i>Zohar</i> says that <i>HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Oraysa, V’Yisrael Chad Hu</i>—Hashem, the Torah, and the Jewish people are one, then when we learn Torah, we are automatically attaching ourselves to Him, whether we intend to or not. If we are attached to the Torah, we are attached to Hashem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">But Bilvavi points out that one can’t consciously ignore <i>dveikus B’Hashem</i> even when learning Torah, because according to this thinking, then when we’re involved and attached to other Jews, or when we’re ‘attached’ to ourselves only, we’re also attached to Hashem. After all, the Zohar says <i>Yisrael V’Hashem</i> is also <i>chad hu.</i> Rather, even when learning Torah, we must make a conscious effort to be cognizant of the goal which Torah learning is supposed to produce—<i>dveikus B’Hashem.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">IDEAS FROM RAV SHIMSHON PINCUS</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rav Shimshon Pincus<i> (Nefesh Shimshon-Torah V’Kinyaneha,</i> page 218) says that if a person wants to be able to learn Torah with an awareness of Hashem, he should make sure to recite the<i> tefila</i> from <i>Chazal </i>that is designed to be said before we learn Torah. Brachos 28b says that Rav Nechunya ben Hakanah would recite a <i>tefila</i> before he entered the <i>beis midrash</i> to learn Torah. The<i> tefila</i> was comprised of a request that he become successful to discover the truth of Torah and avoid any obstacles that would stand in the way of this goal. He would also say a<i> tefila</i> after he left the <i>beis midrash</i> thanking Hashem for the merit to be able to learn Torah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Mishna Berura (110:37) brings the Rambam<i> </i>in the Peirush Mishnayos who says that reciting this<i> tefila</i> is an absolute obligation because the <i>mishna</i> did not tell us what Rav Nechunya did to simply tell us a story; rather, the <i>mishna</i> is telling us what we must do to emulate Rav Nechunya. Rav Pincus declares that whoever says this <i>tefila</i> is guaranteed to be successful in his learning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rav Pincus continues to say that when we learn we should envison <i>HaKadosh Baruch Hu</i> Himself as our <i>chavrusa</i>, learning with us. The Nefesh Hachaim shows from many statements in <i>Chazal</i> that when we learn Torah, Hashem is mouthing the words along with us. He is literally with us—and we must be cognizant of this attachment with Him when we learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">KISSING THE GEMARA</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">We all need <i>rebbeim.</i> We all need to search for and find great <i>rebbeim</i>. There are different kinds of <i>rebbeim.</i> Some <i>rebbeim </i>teach us the <i>Gemara</i> or the <i>Chumash</i>. Yet this does not suffice. We need <i>rebbeim</i> who can teach us something else, just as important.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rav Yaakov of Ishbitz, son of the Mei HaShiloach and author of Beis Yaakov on Chumash<i>,</i> would give a <i>shiur </i>for a select group of students from 12AM until 4 AM every night of the week except Shabbos. Rav Moshe Weinberger, <i>shlita, </i>tells the story of one of the students who attended these amazing <i>shiurim</i>. Years later, the student described that he remembers how Rav Yaakov was very meticulous about time and every night at exactly 12AM—one could even set his watch— two of Rav Yaakov’s attendants would escort him into the room, one holding a candle and one holding the big <i>gemara.</i> Rav Yaakov would give the <i>shiur </i>with amazing <i>pilpul </i>and <i>chiddushim</i>. It felt like one was at Sinai. At exactly 4AM, the two <i>shamashim</i> came forward again, one with a new candle to lead him out into the street, and the other to hold the <i>gemara.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This <i>talmid</i> reflected that he loved going to this <i>shiur,</i> but he now remembers very little of the insights from the <i>shiurim</i>. “I experienced tremendous suffering in my life and I have forgotten most of what I learned. But there is one thing I never forgot, one memory that stayed with me and encouraged me throughout my years and throughout my suffering. The memory of how Rav Yaakov lovingly kissed his <i>gemara</i> when the <i>shiur</i> was over is the fire which keeps me going.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">There’s the teaching of the <i>gemara </i>and there’s the kissing of the <i>gemara.</i> If we only have a <i>rebbe</i> who is able to teach us the <i>gemara,</i> we need to find one who can also teach us how to kiss the <i>gemara.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When we kiss the <i>gemara </i>properly, we show that the learning is a vehicle to bring us closer to Hashem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;">Rabbi Boruch Leff</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-17579877614657382452018-03-07T21:51:00.001-05:002018-03-28T11:26:55.203-04:00Highlights from Our Trip to Israel for Our Son's Bar Mitzvah - With Videos and Pictures!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">We just returned from our trip to Israel in honor of our only son’s bar mitzva! The whole thing is a bit wacky so for our friends to share in the simcha and for our own memories, here is a brief summary, including a few short videos embedded for audio-visual augmentation. :-)</span></div>
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First of all, we originally planned a traditional bar mitzva celebration in New York, but one Shabbos, about 6 weeks before the big day, because of his desire to have his sister who is studying in seminary this year be part of the occasion, our son suggested that we consider moving the bar mitzva to Israel.<br />
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We discussed it further and ultimately decided to do the bar mitzva in conjunction with the children, bar mitzva boys, and teenagers living in the <a href="http://www.elazraki.org/">Beit Elazraki</a> (“BE”) Children’s Home in Netanya. Some backstory: our daughter is studying this year in Midreshet Torat Chessed in Netanya, a seminary which partners with BE. The girls participating in the program do Jewish studies in the mornings, pick up a group of kids from BE to do homework and activities with them and then take them to dinner in the afternoon, and then continue learning as part of the seminary in the evenings. So while we are still doing a party for our son’s friends, we thought it would be great to make a celebration for the kids in BE rather than for all of the bar mitzva boy’s parents’ friends. :-)<br />
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We went about making all of the arrangements, finding flights, reserving an apartment on AirBnB, and planning our activities. We planned to make the Israel bar mitzva a surprise for our daughter in Israel, working out everything with her seminary, BE, and all of our Israeli and American family joining in the simcha in such a way that she would not find out about our plans. There was one individual with unintentionally loose lips though, so she did end up knowing that something was happening, but not exactly what, when, or the extent of our plans.<br />
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Here is a short video showing a few overall highlights from the trip in general:</div>
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Our son got an aliya and read haftara for parshas Titzaveh/Shabbos Zachor at the Young Israel of North Netanya, where the rabbi is one of the rebbeim in MTC. He did an amazing job! </div>
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On Sunday Feb 24th, we visited the only other orthodox part of my side of the family. Originally from Houston, TX, my father’s first cousin and her husband now live in Yerushalayim. Their son, my second cousin, Ari Abramowitz, of The Land of Israel Network (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://thelandofisrael.com/about-us/&source=gmail&ust=1520562726788000&usg=AFQjCNGDFtrcLoyZnavsC3dCT__VUjAQxg" href="http://thelandofisrael.com/about-us/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://thelandofisrael.com/<wbr></wbr>about-us/</a>) and their granddaughter (daughter of their daughter) were there and it was a beautiful visit! First time I had seen them in over 20 years.</div>
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On Monday Feb. 26, we visited the Central tzedaka organization in Netanya (click <a href="https://zdaka.org.il/">HERE</a> for their website and <a href="https://zdaka.org.il/%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%94/">HERE</a> for their donation page), which, among many other services it provides to over 1,000 recipients/families, also distributes bread from Bread for Israel, an organization founded by my CEO. He was astounded by the fact that despite the multitudes of tzedaka organizations all over Israel, that a large minority of children in Israel actually go to bed hungry each night. He therefore went to Israel and personally negotiated an extremely low price of $1 per loaf, including delivery, for bread to distribute throughout Israel. He then developed a network of distribution points and means for getting the word out to the families who need it. The organization now distributes about 100,000 loaves of bread per month, though the demand by hungry people could support an additional 100,000 loaves per month. The only obstacle is money. So let me know if you can help or give on a one-time or recurring basis at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.breadforisrael.org&source=gmail&ust=1520562726789000&usg=AFQjCNE6SN3GKDS1aGjFG2sqa64ppbcyGw" href="http://www.breadforisrael.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.breadforisrael.org</a>. The video above has some pictures from our visit to the Netanya central tzedaka warehouse and distribution center.</div>
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And that night, we joined Yehuda Cohen, the director of BE Children’s Children’s home for an explanation of BE’s history and what it does. They literally take on the role of parents in all ways for the kids (age 0-17) who have to come to the home because they unfortunately cannot live with their parents or if their parents have passed away. They provide them with whatever they need, including therapy and tutoring, and do whatever parents would event after the kids “graduate.” They provide a place to go home to on breaks from army service, help with college, and they even pay for half the cost of weddings and even walk down the aisle with them when their parents cannot! During our bar mitzva celebration, they even live broadcast a Mazel Tov from the entire BE family to an “alumnus” who had just gotten engaged in America! </div>
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Our son had some time to hang out with the five bar mitzva boys from BE and we were able to give them some gifts and sponsor a celebration for the entire BE family which was beautiful! We were told that this was the first time that a family came to celebrate a bar or bas mitzva with the bar or bas mitzva children from the home who is a sibling of one of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/MidreshetToratChessed/posts/?ref=page_internal">Midreshet Torat Chessed girls</a>. Ashreinu! Here is a short video from the big night!</div>
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On Tuesday Feb. 27, we spent the morning at a private glass-firing workshop in Yerushalayim with artist Yael Vloch (), who I found out about from <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://funinjerusalem.com&source=gmail&ust=1520562726789000&usg=AFQjCNE3cqlb6of1qfANplVktcFrZEXs1g" href="http://funinjerusalem.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">funinjerusalem.com</a>. It was a great thing to do together! See here for a nice short video highlighting that experience:</div>
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I’m the afternoon, we got a private tour of the largest bakery in Israel, Angel’s Bakery in Jerusalem, with Yunti Burstein, one of the main logistics coordinators of Bread for Israel. I was even able to do the mitzva of taking challah for one of the gigantic batches of dough! Check out this video for a quick run-down of what bread production at that huge facility looks like:</div>
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We spent a quiet day on Taanis Esther, followed by Maariv and Megila reading at Laniado Hospital in Netanya, to which we were invited by my wife’s second cousin, one of the two orthodox families on my wife’s side, Itzik, who learns with the Rav of the hospital. Itzik is famous in Netanya for being the main source for scuba diving, surfing, and other recreation equipment, at his location by the beach affectionately known as “Itzik BaYam,” Itzik by the Sea. We then joined his family for a beautiful meal after Megilla.</div>
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Then, on Purim day we headed down to Holon, where my wife’s great-aunt was having a Purim seuda, and then headed over to to Bnei Brak for our Purim seuda with my wife’s other orthodox family, a second cousin, with a beautiful family who we also got together with last time we were in Israel as a family six years ago. Pictures from Purim are also in the video at the beginning.</div>
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On Friday morning Mar. 2, we went horseback riding on the beach in Netanya (again, pictures in the top video), which was beautiful! Then we headed to Yerushalayim where we spent Shabbos and had our meals on at the Prima Palace hotel, just off of Rechov Yafo. We had a meaningful Shabbos afternoon davening at the Kosel. After Shabbos, we sadly said goodbye to our daughter (though IY”H she is coming home for Pesach soon) and to Yerushalayim. Looking forward to next time!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-53025281971977761302016-03-01T10:41:00.003-05:002016-03-01T10:42:32.313-05:00New Video of History of Aish Kodesh/Rav Moshe Weinberger Posted!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This video, created by the amazingly talented David Jassee of <a href="http://dmjstudios.net/">DMJ Studios</a>, has amazing interviews with Rav and Rebbetzin Weinberger and many others from the shul. It has amazing pictures from past decades and the shul. It is beautiful, inspiring, and funny. I definitely reccomend seeing this extremely professional video.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-38709795798224542016-02-23T10:00:00.001-05:002016-02-23T10:03:46.816-05:00Clothing Makes the Man - Rabbi Yoni Levin's Shabbos Morning Drasha - Parshas Tetzaveh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rabbi Yoni Levin, the assistant rabbi at Aish Kodesh, was kind enough to send me his Shabbos morning drashah from this Shabbos, <i>parshas Tetzaveh</i>. Enjoy!</span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Clothing is an <b>extraordinarily powerful</b> tool.</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It’s not only a way of covering up one’s body, but it’s a way
expressing one’s inner most feelings.
There are studies done about how people feel when it rains versus when
it‘s sunny outside; and those feelings will in turn affect their decision
making and particular what clothing they might wear that day.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If someone is feeling down, he or she might wear black
clothing. And someone who is feeling
chipper might decide to wear colorful and bright clothing.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><b><u><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">בגדי כהונה</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Although at first glance, clothing is very superficial, very
external, the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תורה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> describes the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בגדי כהונה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> as <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">לכבוד ולתפארת</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
clothing of honor and glory. The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בגדי כהונה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> demanded respect; it imbued a great sense
of fear to whoever was <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">זוכה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> to see the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בגדי כהונה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כהן גדול</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> would walk through
the hallways of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בית המקדש</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> with his long coat,
almost like a cape with the melodious bells ringing, wearing his finely hand-woven
shirt and pants, and those shining jewels lined across his <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חשן משפט</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, and his prestigious hat, and the name of Hashem written across
his forehead. A person would tremble at
the very jingling of the bells, let alone when the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כהן
גדול</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> stepped into your presence.
It would make you melt, crumble into pieces. It would instill guilt for everything you’ve
done wrong making you shatter. You feel
the presence of greatness, of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, you feel as if the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שכינה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is hovering in front of your very eyes.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It’s amazing what someone else’s clothing can do to us. It is amazing how are feelings can be
altered by someone else’s clothing. It
could make us jealous. It could make us
scared. Sometimes it can even make us
laugh.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">How Our Clothing Affects Us</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">That’s how other people’s clothing affects us. But let’s not focus on other people’s
clothing. Let us take a look out
ourselves. How do <i>our </i>clothes affect
us? How does that shirt that I put on
this morning affect me? How do those
shoes that I just slipped on affect me?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Delivery of Uniforms on Shabbos</span></u></b></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The following Shailah was once presented to Rav Shlomo Zalman
Aurbach. There was a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חיל</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> who was on duty on Shabbos at the army base. A package was delivered and he knew that it
was the new uniforms that had been ordered.
He wasn’t sure if was permitted to open it up and give them up, or if it
as prohibited because of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מוקצה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. The boy decided to play it safe and he did
not open thr package on Shabbos.</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">After Shabbos he sent the Shailah to Rav Shlomo Zalman wanting to
know whether he had made the right decision or not. Rav Shlomo Zalman’s response was that he
should have opened up the package and given them out. Because a soldier feels like a new person
with a new uniform, <b>he is reinvigorated with new energy, strength and
confidence.</b> It will motivate him to
perform and serve his duty even better.</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Rav Shlomo Zalman understood how clothing can impact a person’s
confidence, his perspective, his ability to perform.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clothing Transforms us</span></u></b></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Although clothing is so superficial and so external, it has an
ability to transform a person. The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">גמ'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> says that a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כהן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
is not a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כהן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> unless he is wearing the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בגדי כהונה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
The clothing makes him into who he is.
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בזמן שבגדיהם עליהם כהונתכם עליהם אין בגדיהם עליהם
אין כהונתכם עליהם</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When a person wants to change, when a person wants to overcome a
struggle, a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תאוה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, it requires baby
steps. It requires small changes - changes
in things that seem so insignificant, so minor, so mundane, yet to easy that
can have enormous impact.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Overcoming the Weather</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">My wife told me that whenever it would rain, she would wear black
because that’s how she felt. But then
she starting thinking that she didn’t want to be sad, she didn’t want to be
gloomy just because it was nasty outside. She didn’t want the weather to dictate how she
felt. She decided instead to fight the weather and that whenever it would rain
she would do the opposite. She would wear
brighter clothing on the rainy days. Her
clothing would put her in a better mood and fight the downwards pull of the
weather.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overcoming our <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יצר הרע</span></span></u></b></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When kids go to Israel for a year, everyone makes fun of those guys
who quickly start wearing black and white.
Many times these are the kids who are struggling most, and by them
changing their clothing, it shows us where they want to be, it shows their <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רצון</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> to overcome their struggles in life. These young boys would like to be learning in
the Beis Midrash more. There is this
pull that’s taking them outside. It
could be the phone, the internet; it could be girls; it could be drinking. Whatever dark world that they are living, the
have the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רצון</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> to pull out of it. If they <i>dress</i> the part, they are <u>hoping</u>
they can <i>play</i> the part. Not
always successful, but it comes from a deep place within them.</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ספר חינוך</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is famous for writing
in a number of places how the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חיצוניות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
positively impacts the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פנימיות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, how the external,
how one dresses really does affect the deeper part of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נשמה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">This is not full-proof by any means. Just because someone begins to dress a
certain way, and affiliate with a certain type, it by no way means that the
person will actually change. But it is
at the least a start. It is an easy
change and helps get the ball moving.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: inherit;">בגד</span></u></b></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Perhaps this is why the word is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בגד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
the 3 consecutive letters in a row, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בג"ד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. This indicates how clothing, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בגדים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, something so small, something so mundane, can push us and
encourage us helping us grow on a slow, steady and healthy path – from a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> to a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ג</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
to a<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It is similar to learning Daf Yomi which also starts with a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, every <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מסכתא</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
starts with a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בג"ד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. That too is about taking small strides in
growth. Just one Daf a day. Even if you aren’t feeling the drive, but you
know you should be learning. Showing up
for 45 minutes a day, one daf after the next, will engender a healthy growth in
learning.</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">This coming Monday night, thanks to Jeremy Feder, we are beginning
Maseches Megilla. Each night we will be
learning one Daf. It is a great
opportunity to take upon yourself a small and reachable goal. In just 30 days we will iy”h be making a
Siyum.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Even the Mundane is Holy</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I know what you are all thinking about. Rav Weinberger goes to Israel and I am trying
to convince you all to start wearing white shirts, black hats, streimels?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I am not talking about what we wear, but <i>how</i> we wear the
clothing, how we get dressed.</span><b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">You know, there are <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הלכות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
about how to get dressed. Something so
mundane, something so routine and something so meaningless also has rules. And it is not because the Torah and Chachamim
are trying to be difficult and make our lives miserable <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ח"ו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
but it’s the opposite. Getting dressed is
full of so much <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, we just don’t
realize it! Everything in this world is
full of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, from getting dressed to eating, from
sleeping to walking. There is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> everywhere we go,
every person we see, every creature that we encounter, every blade of grass we
see, everything we do.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כהן גדול</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is not a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כהן גדול</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> unless he has the special clothing. We don’t have special clothing to wear, but
perhaps if we internalized what clothing means, what it means to get dressed it
can help transform us us like the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בגדי כהונה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
did to the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כהנים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marine Commercial</span></u></b></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I remember growing up seeing a commercial about joining the marines. You would see the camera focuses on just a
boot. The boot was shiny black looking
like brand new. You would see hands
tying them really neatly and comfortably.
Then the camera would focus on the body of a person putting on a
perfectly tailored jacket buttoning to perfection. Then you would see just the head with a cap
being tightly placed on top. And then the
video would zoom out showing the marine in the finest uniform, standing with
perfect posture ready to serve.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Every morning we should be getting dressed like this. We should be dressing up ready to meet the
King of the Universe, to speak to him.
Each sock that we put on, each button that we button, should be done
with care and intent on meeting face to face with <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בורא
עולם</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">And it is not just because we have to be presentable to <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ה' יתברך</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, but because our <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נשמה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
needs it. Our attitude and our feelings
are affected by the way we dress.</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When we are struggling to fight that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יצר הרע</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
each day, we need to be prepared to battle, we need to wear our uniform in
whatever color and size they come in. We
need to wake up and get dressed with confidence, with a goal, with a mission
and say that today I will not give in to my <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יצר הרע</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Just because yesterday you did something you shouldn’t have
done. You looked at something you
shouldn’t have looked at. You said
something that you shouldn’t have said. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ה' יתברך</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> gives us a new chance each morning. We wake up and get dressed and can be transformed
by putting on different clothing than the day before. And even if you wear the same clothing his
works.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><b><u><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">אדם וחוה</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">After the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חטא</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אדם וחוה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, the first thing that happened was that they got embarrassed
and realized that they weren’t dressed. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הקב"ה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> with his boundless <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חסד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
provided them with clothing, he provided them with an opportunity to cover up
their shame, the opportunity to change who they are by simply putting on
clothing.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Setting the Tone for the Day</span></u></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ספרים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> speak about how the
first moments of the day when we wake up really sets the stage for that entire
day. If we wake up and run over to check
our phone, likely that the rest of the day we will be checking our phone. If we run over to check the scores in the
game, then that will be the focus of the day.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But if we wake up and look ourselves in the mirror and say that
today will be a better day. If we get
dressed being cognizant that we are soldiers prepared to fight a battle and
that we are getting dressed in our uniform, then our day will be filled with us
overcoming fights and struggles.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Closing</span></u></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מדרש</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> teaches us that
before the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חטא</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אדם וחוה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
they had clothing of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אור</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אור</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> with an <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">א</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, meaning light. They were clothed with light, they were
surrounded by light. Iy”h we should be <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">זוכה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> by fighting the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יצר
הרע</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> day in and day out to that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כתונת אור</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
to that coat of light. By changing not
what we wear but how we wear it, by dressing like soldiers, ready to battle,
each day starting new, starting fresh, we should be <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">זוכה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
to overcome our struggles, overcome our <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יצר הרע</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
and very soon be <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">זוכה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> to the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כתונת אור</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אדם הראשון</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>!</span></blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-3046793043457006332015-12-24T08:31:00.000-05:002015-12-24T10:14:18.198-05:00Narcissistic Controller or Loving Grandparent? - Yaakov and Lavan - Parshas Vayechi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3bOrbocGELNuaufwHb_0tSHiw31GqCCsJZAxFS8Yxe3T8N1oFVghVA9KY4V0JCO1mI_kYbufwOYYza6oXrphPxuJpyeT8yTrCpKVDYdx6ZnCuq4KJTvh5pgDFk8lrwMD92snoB0H9k8/s1600/toxic-GPs-272x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3bOrbocGELNuaufwHb_0tSHiw31GqCCsJZAxFS8Yxe3T8N1oFVghVA9KY4V0JCO1mI_kYbufwOYYza6oXrphPxuJpyeT8yTrCpKVDYdx6ZnCuq4KJTvh5pgDFk8lrwMD92snoB0H9k8/s1600/toxic-GPs-272x300.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In recent years, I read Lavan's unhinged rant at Yaakov as the frustration of a narcissistic parent seething that he has been unable to manipulate Yaakov and his daughters into serving his own ends (Bereishis 31:43): "The daughters are my daughters, the sons are my sons, the flocks are my flocks, and everything that you have is mine!"</span></div>
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I felt that had Lavan been a healthy parent and grandparent, he would have recognized that his grandchildren "belonged" to Yaakov, Rachel, Leah, Bilha, and Zilpa - and not him. Such an attitude would have demonstrated respect for his daughters and son-in-law as his grandchildren's true parents. He would only have sought to see how he could be helpful, but would not have been controling - he would not have seen his grandchildren as if they were his own children. </div>
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So I was surprised when, this year, I noticed that in parishas Vayechi, Yaakov himself says something that initially sounds similar to what Lavan said to him years earlier (Bereishis 48:5): "And now, the two sons born to you in Egypt... are mine, they shall be like Reuven and Shimon to me." While I am aware of the normal meaning ascribed to this passuk, it would be irresponsible not to notice the similarities (and differences) between Yaakov's words here and what Lavan said to him in parshas Vayeitze.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Reading the conversation between Yaakov and Yosef, however, the whole tone is one of love and an intent on Yaakov's part to give the same blessings to Yosef's sons that he gave to his own. Lavan, on the other hand, flew into a rage because of his inability to control Yaakov and his children. </span></div>
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After noticing Yaakov's words' superficial similarity to Lavan's diatribe, I revised my earlier thinking to one that is less black-and-white. After all, Chazal say on his words (Pirkei D'Rabi Eliezer 35), "Grandchildren are like children." Lavan was not wrong because it is <i>always</i> self-centered to consider one's grandchildren his or her own. Rather, like virtually everything else, there's a right way and a wrong way to do something.</div>
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Yaakov wanted to <i>give</i> Efrayim and Menashe the same blessings he was giving to his own children. Lavan wanted to control Yaakov, his grandchildren, and his daughters. The key difference is between profound love and giving to the extent that one loves his grandchildren as much as his own, on one hand, and, on the other hand, selfishness, to the extent that one believes he can control his grandchildren to the same extent he thinks he should be able to control his children, both of whom he views as his property.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">May HaShem help us adopt an attitude of giving in all of our relationships, not asking what others should be doing, but rather what we can do to be helpful and of service to others!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-28923044613061059672015-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:002015-11-22T08:00:02.505-05:00Believing in Your Potential - Being Engraved on the Leg of the Throne of Glory - Rabbi Yoni Levin's Shabbos Morning Drasha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rabbi Yoni Levin, the assistant rabbi at Aish Kodesh, delivered the drasha this Shabbos while Rav Weinberger was at YU for Shabbos. He spoke in honor of the bar mitzvah of Avi Goldstone. Mazel tov! Below is the drasha which he typed up and emailed to me. Thank you Rabbi Levin for allowing me to share it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Believing in Your Potential - Being Engraved on the Leg of the Throne of Glory</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
astounding how each year we read the same stories, we read the same </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">פרשיות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> and they never seem to grow old. We are in the midst of a cliffhanger, a story
of suspense. We are on the edge of our seats waiting to see what happens to </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> as he runs into the dark of the
night all alone, all by himself, scared, and lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">I’m not sure about each of you, but I could never read
the same book twice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">But when it comes to the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תורה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
for some reason, each year, the story becomes more exciting. We are reliving the stories of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אבות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
Personally, I get most emotional when we read the end of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תורה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, and each year <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">משה
רבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> dies again, and it almost brings me to tears, the loss of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">משה רבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, our leader, the one who lead us out of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מצרים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, through the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מדבר</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Our <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נשמות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> are so connected,
they are so involved in each of these stories, in the lives of our ancestors,
to the point that the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשיות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> truly come to life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Story of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">So here we are in the middle of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ספר
בראשית</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> and <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span>is
running away since last <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שבת</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. He’s running as fast as he could. He has been sent off by his parents to escape
his brother <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">עשב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. His
destination: the house of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">לבן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, his uncle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">And during this marathon, he keeps looking over his
shoulder. He keeps looking to his right. He looks to his left. He is tense and uneasy not knowing where he
may confront <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">עשו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. He’s scared from any <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חיות
רעות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, he has no support system, no one to protect him, no one to
talk to. He is fighting a battle all by
himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">And as <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> wanders off on his
own, scared, lost, in a cloud of darkness, confusion, he winds up falling
asleep in the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מקום המקדש</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ה' יתברך</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
puts <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> to sleep particularly in the very place
that will eventually become the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בית מקדש</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
is lying down in this place of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, where he senses this
powerful energy, this <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מקום</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> full with the potential
of greatness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">While sleeping in this place of the Divine, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is overwhelmed with power, energy and <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span>is overtaken by this
dream. He experiences this vivid, clear,
and dominant dream of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מלאכים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> ascending and
descending the ladder <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">והנה סלם מצב ארצה וראשו מגיע השמימה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Message of the Dream<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is at a very
delicate moment of his life. What message
is Hashem giving <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> at this very tender
life-changing moment?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is
transitioning to a life of independence.
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is feeling lonely and lost, without
parents and teachers to guide him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">What is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הקב"ה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
teaching <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> through this dream? He is expected to be independent and
responsible for himself. He is being forced
to grow up. What <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חיזוק</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
could <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הקב"ה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span>possibly
give <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> at this very sensitive point in his life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Each one of us has possibly felt this same feeling at
some point in our life. Some of us might
be feeling them right now - this feeling of darkness and loneliness. Perhaps we are struggling with <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרנסה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, stuck in an unsuccessful business, no place to turn, no place
to look. We might feel this when we get
sucked into the darkness of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תאוה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, drawn into the world
of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">עבירות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> – this sense of guilt, a sense of regret,
depression, fear. We might feel this in
a relationship, this feeling of loneliness, abandonment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">On a global level, as a nation, as part of humanity, we
might be feeling lost as we see waves of terror throughout <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ארץ ישראל</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
This past week we lost more <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. We are constantly running away in the
darkness from a different brother of ours, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ישמעאל</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. We are constantly looking over our shoulder. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ה' ינקום דמם</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">France was hit with a big shock last Shabbos. Unfortunately, they were hit with reality, a
reality that Jews face every day in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ארץ ישראל</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
and many cities throughout Europe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">What is an appropriate message that can help build <i><u>us</u></i>
back up, strengthen us, put us back on track, both as individuals and as a
nation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">And <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> Wakes Up…<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">When <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
wakes up, he makes an interesting comment.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">ויאמר אכן יש ה' במקום הזה ואנכי
לא ידעתי</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">What does the word <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
mean?<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> The Artscroll defines the word to mean
“surely”. And <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
said “surely Hashem exists in this very place, but I was unaware”. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
sensed this magnitude of energy in this <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מקום המקדש</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
It was so certain to him, it was so clear, it was <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
this place was undoubtedly filled with an overflow of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קדושה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">However, there is another understanding of the word <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
Not in the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פשט</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, but in the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רמז</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, the hint behind this word, concealed
within each letter of the word <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">The Acronym of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכ"ן</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Many <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מפרשים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> explain that the word
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is actually an acronym. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
was sleeping in the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מקום המקדש</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, the center of the
world, the center of the universe, the center of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. He was lying below the center of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">עליונים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, the upper spheres. He was lying directly below the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כסא הכבוד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, Hashem’s Throne of Honor, beneath the
very legs that upheld the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כסא הכבוד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כסא הכבוד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, this throne on which
the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שכינה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> resides, had 4 legs no different than any
other throne that a king might be sitting on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">On each of the 4 legs was engraved a different image. There was a lion, an <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אריה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
which is hinted by the letter <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">א'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. Another leg had a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כרוב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
one of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כרובים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, an image of a baby,
hinted by the letter <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כ'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. And a third leg was engraved with the image
of an eagle, a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נשר</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, hinted by the letter
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נ'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
This spells out the word <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אריה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כרוב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, and <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נשר</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">And what was the 4<sup>th</sup> image on the 4<sup>th</sup>
leg? <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן יש ה'
במקום הזה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> says that he knew the
three legs, the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> but <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אנכי לא ידעתי</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
The fourth I didn’t know, he says.
The word <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אנכי</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> contains the three
letters of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אכן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> plus the letter <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">י</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. The 4<sup>th</sup> leg is represented by the
letter <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">י'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
What does the letter <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">י'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> stand for? <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חז"ל</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
tells us that the image of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> was engraved on the 4<sup>th</sup>
leg. The letter <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">י'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
represents <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> himself.
Now when <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> says <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אנכי לא ידעתי</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> it means he didn’t know the letter <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">י</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, he didn’t know himself, he didn’t know <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אנכי</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. He
didn’t realize that he himself was the 4<sup>th</sup> leg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">The Image of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> was in a
difficult stage of his life. He was forced
to grow up. He was off on his own. And during this very challenging stage <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הקב"ה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> shows him a dream. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ה' יתברך</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
shows <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> how much potential he
has. He shows him the tremendous heights
that he can reach. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> says <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אנכי לא ידעי</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, I didn’t know how
far I can reach, I didn’t know that my image touches the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כסא
הכבוד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. I didn’t realize my
actions have ripple effects in the World above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This message of teaching <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב אבינו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
how much he could accomplish is also the message behind the ladder. The ladder is rooted in the ground <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">והנה סלם מוצב ארצה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> but <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ראשו מגיע השמימה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
that we can reach tremendous heights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Our Image in the 4<sup>th</sup> Leg<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">The truth is, if you look at the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">גמ'</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חגיגה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> which records the 4 legs of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כסא הכבוד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> doesn’t say that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יעקב</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
is the 4<sup>th</sup> leg but the 4<sup>th</sup> leg is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אדם</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
– any person. Each one of us has our
image imprinted on that 4<sup>th</sup> leg.
Avi - you have your image on the
4<sup>th</sup> leg of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כסא הכבוד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. You have the ability to reach tremendous
heights and lofty goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">This 4<sup>th</sup> leg is a mirror. And when each one of us look up at this
mirror we see ourselves imprinted on the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כסא הכבוד</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <b>This is both a daunting realization, yet
an empowering message</b>. We have the
ability to shake the world above, make waves in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">We have to internalize how powerful our actions are, how
high they can reach, how we can turn over worlds, we can make changes in the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">עליונים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">There is a striking Gemara in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">גיטין</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
that records a debate about the details that surround the story of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פילגש בגבעה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">תלמוד בבלי מסכת גיטין דף ו עמוד ב</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">ועוד, הא ר' אביתר הוא דאסכים מריה על ידיה, דכתיב: בותזנה עליו
פילגשו, רבי אביתר אמר: זבוב מצא לה, ר' יונתן אמר: נימא מצא לה, ואשכחיה ר' אביתר
לאליהו, א"ל: מאי קא עביד הקב"ה? א"ל: עסיק בפילגש בגבעה, ומאי קאמר?
אמר ליה: אביתר בני כך הוא אומר, יונתן בני כך הוא אומר, א"ל: ח"ו, ומי איכא
ספיקא קמי שמיא? א"ל: אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים הן זבוב מצא ולא הקפיד, נימא מצא
והקפיד. אמר רב יהודה: זבוב בקערה, ונימא באותו מקום, זבוב - מאיסותא, ונימא - סכנתא.
איכא דאמרי: אידי ואידי בקערה, זבוב - אונסא, ונימא – פשיעותא</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">What is most striking though is that when Hashem is learning
this topic, he is quoting <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ר' אביתר</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> and <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ר' יונתן</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. And the same holds
true, when we are learning and we are <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מחדש</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
something, Hashem will quote us. That is
as if to say, we are placing the words in Hashem’s mouth. We are dictating what is being said upstairs
in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">If we can just take this idea to heart and realize how
far reaching our speech, our thoughts, our actions can go, it will drive us to
do only good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">We need to be confident in ourselves, confident in our
actions - how we act really does make a difference. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">A Little Bit About Avi<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">When you take a look at Avi, one thing immediately comes
to mind; and that’s his precious smile - that smile that goes from cheek to
cheek. Avi is forever in the state of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמחה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">שמחה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> is key to
reaching one’s true potential, one’s true heights. It indicates a healthy dose of confidence
that will enable Avi to reach immeasurable heights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף קל עמוד א</span><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">תניא, רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר: כל מצוה שקיבלו עליהם בשמחה
כגון מילה, דכתיב שש אנכי על אמרתך כמוצא שלל רב - עדיין עושין אותה בשמחה, </span><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Avi is starting off his life as a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בר
מצוה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span>boy with an unthinkable amount of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמחה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">Now Avi, as you embark on this new journey supplied with
the proper tools to succeed, you need to believe in yourself and your ability
to succeed. You already have shown us an
enormous amount of success with your dedication to daven, perform <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מצוות</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> and learn.
You need to remember <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">והנה סולם מוצב ארצה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>,
that the ladder is grounded, you need to stay firm and grounded with a strong
base, a healthy one. But you also need
to look forward and find your mission in life and to realize that you can be <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מגיע השמימה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">We look forward to seeing you continuously grow and you
should only bring Nachas to your family and continue to inspire all of us
around you with your smile, your happiness, your dedication to Torah, Tefila
and Mitzvos!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mazel Tov and Good
Shabbos!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?track=http%3A%2F%2Fdixieyid.blogspot.com">Click here</a> to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox or <a href="https://twitter.com/benbenabe">here</a> to "follow" me on Twitter.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-18096670459126006962015-10-13T13:48:00.002-04:002015-10-15T14:32:22.142-04:00Rundown of Major Articles/Events in Connection with Aish Kodesh Hilula and Sefer Debut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There are a lot of exciting things going on in connection with the big <i>hilula</i> being held by my shul, Aish Kodesh (Woodmere, NY), this <i>motzei Shabbos </i>at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPuoTKbBj5_xIJ1uiU2hC02k7DEUlwrkGdVmu11oXMegttPDf1Z8gL9-Uv-yKeKpw77A0WvqWBCmz4QBamzZoaXbxhO5Huh49JSe9sDP0Yw2eF5F_S1xLk-isiB_kicsNhWNxaKNsWuw/s1600/Aish_Kodesh_Hillula_5771_DSC_6353_6X4+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPuoTKbBj5_xIJ1uiU2hC02k7DEUlwrkGdVmu11oXMegttPDf1Z8gL9-Uv-yKeKpw77A0WvqWBCmz4QBamzZoaXbxhO5Huh49JSe9sDP0Yw2eF5F_S1xLk-isiB_kicsNhWNxaKNsWuw/s320/Aish_Kodesh_Hillula_5771_DSC_6353_6X4+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First is the Hilula itself. Besides naming the shul after the sefer Aish Kodesh by Rav Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczna, <i>Hy"d</i>, Rav Moshe Weinberger has been holding <i>hilulas</i> (events to celebrate the life and teachings of a <i>tzaddik</i> on his yahrtzeit) in honor of the Piaseczner Rebbe since 2000. As noted above, this year's <i>hilula</i> is going to be this <i>motzei Shabbos</i>, right after <i>parshas Noach</i>, at 8:30 p.m. at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst (corner of Broadway and Spruce in Cedarhurst, NY in the Five Towns). Yosef Karduner will be playing with Gadi Pugatch on violin (who you might recognize from <a href="https://youtu.be/7fuhTUvDuik">HERE</a>) and Rav Weinberger will be speaking. So if you're in the tri-state area, come on out <i>motzei Shabbos</i>! It promises to be an amazing evening.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5qXLBl4gxksrc0dZz4bT7HspKeTZHa76Q9QIHSi9kMF7soL5s8D41otq-bA3eW6Y6N18XidSx5Mx8w_EYJjzbyG2X58_qut6JmfFL_FeJ1n398G1CaDpkfDlB-CEY4iBmNs3FWmc_sk/s1600/cover+3d+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5qXLBl4gxksrc0dZz4bT7HspKeTZHa76Q9QIHSi9kMF7soL5s8D41otq-bA3eW6Y6N18XidSx5Mx8w_EYJjzbyG2X58_qut6JmfFL_FeJ1n398G1CaDpkfDlB-CEY4iBmNs3FWmc_sk/s320/cover+3d+%25282%2529.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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Second is the <i>sefer</i> debuting at the <i>hilula</i>. Many moons ago, Rav Weinberger asked me to make a <i>sefer</i> adapting the talks he gave at previous years' <i>hilulas</i> into writing. B"H, with the help of many sponsors, I did that and the <i>sefer</i> is now out and ready to be read! It's entitled "Warmed by the Fire of the Aish Kodesh - Torah from the <i>Hilulas</i> of Reb Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczna." There will be many copies of the sefer available for purchase at the <i>hilula</i>. If you can't be there, you can also buy it at your local Jewish bookstore, through <a href="http://www.feldheim.com/warmed-by-the-fire-of-the-aish-kodesh.html">Feldheim's website</a> or on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=warmed+by+the+fire+of+the+aish+kodesh">Amazon.com</a>.</div>
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I also recommend that you read a <a href="http://uberdox.aishdas.org/2015/09/brief-review-of-warmed-by-the-fire-of-aish-kodesh">review of the book</a> that Neil Harris just posted at his blog Modern Uberdox. Really heartfelt and beautiful. To me, the key line from the review is this:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I think the greatness of this publication is that it opens up a thirst that we don’t even know we have. We learn about and from the Piseczna Rebbe and the sefer leaves you wanting </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">more</em><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">. Wanting to learn his seforim, wanting to overcome the darkness in your life, wanting to come closer to Hashem. That’s why this is a more than just a sefer.</span></span></div>
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If you want to get more insight into what is motivating Rav Weinberger to do so many things to perpetuate the teachings of the Aish Kodesh (naming the shul after him, holding an annual <i>hilula</i> on his yahrtzeit, instituting a <i>siyum</i> on Shas by the men in shul and on Tanach by the women in shul on the yahrtzeit), I definitely recommend you watch this video. Rav Weinberger let me sit down with him for an "interview" <i>motzei Shabbos Shuva</i>. It's 8 minutes long and in the video, Rav Weinberger gives a much deeper insight into what motivates him to do so much for the Piaseczner and why his teachings seem to speak so much to this generation. Just turn the volume up on your computer/device though because unfortunately the sound is a bit low!</div>
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<b>Inyan Magazine Cover Story This Week, My Five Towns Jewish Times Article, and Nachum Segal JM in the AM Appearance</b><br />
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In honor of the Piaseczner's yahrtzeit and to raise awareness about this tzaddik so people will explore his teachings more, I wrote the cover story for this week's issue of Hamodia Weekly's Inyan Magazine! So pick up a copy of that this week! I assume it will be on shelves tomorrow (Wednesday) or Thursday. [<b>Update 10/14/15</b>: I've inserted a picture of the Inyan Magazine cover on the right and you can see some pictures of the interior of the issue <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katzdoniel/posts/1000489623334481">here as well</a>.]<br />
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[<b>Update 10/15/15</b>: My article in the Five Towns Jewish Times about the Hilula and other goings-on at Aish Kodesh just went online today! So you can read that <a href="http://5tjt.com/new-aish-kodesh-publication-honors-warsaw-ghetto-rebbe/">HERE</a>. Enjoy!</div>
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I am also going to be a guest on Nachum Segal's JM in the AM show at 7:45 tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at about 7:45 a.m. to talk about the <i>hilula</i> and what it's all about! So listen in at that time at 91.1 FM or online. I'll IY"H update this post with a link to the audio when it's available on their website. [<b>Update 10/14/15</b>: You can now listen to the full interview online <a href="http://www.nachumsegal.com/nachum-hosted-binyomin-wolf-to-highlight-the-aish-kodesh-hilula-and-more/">HERE</a> - 24 minutes - or in the embedded Youtube video below. Nachum asked me about the Hilula, the sefer release, and a few questions about my somewhat unusual personal background as well.]</div>
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Most importantly, pick up one of the Piaseczner's seforim and make a seder in learning and applying it!<br />
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-14449274115020664972015-07-15T09:11:00.002-04:002015-07-15T10:20:11.808-04:00Rav Moshe Weinberger's Guidance to Me on Responding to Tragic News in the Community<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The daughter-in-law of an acquaintance of mine in the community just passed into the next world two days ago, on Monday. They discovered that she was suffering from oso hamachla 8 weeks ago, when she was 7 months pregnant. They caused the birth of a baby girl 4 weeks ago and operated at that time. A tremendous number of people in the community and around the world have been davening for her recovery. But in the end, she passed away anyway. She was 31 years old and left behind a husband and 3 daughters under 7 years old.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because I wanted to support the father-in-law in this incredibly difficult time, I worked from home yesterday and attended the funeral, which was obviously very hard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After mincha/maariv last night, I mentioned to Rav Weinberger that I had been at the funeral and that it was very difficult. I think because he knew that I did not have a very close personal connection with the family, and I was not a close relative, this is what he said:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGh5SArjH8xV5hvXgWP_2r_-7_pvL7_RIMAZXNlNhivUrqGQtudwArncR33WCKesdZmEDo7aS3WZ2WHt1oA8MvcnIvDcRS5v8u7R3f8RRynLP6sVOPq4qqDwo6_3Q23WWs433iM-AuU0/s1600/Rav+weinberger+williamsburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGh5SArjH8xV5hvXgWP_2r_-7_pvL7_RIMAZXNlNhivUrqGQtudwArncR33WCKesdZmEDo7aS3WZ2WHt1oA8MvcnIvDcRS5v8u7R3f8RRynLP6sVOPq4qqDwo6_3Q23WWs433iM-AuU0/s1600/Rav+weinberger+williamsburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGh5SArjH8xV5hvXgWP_2r_-7_pvL7_RIMAZXNlNhivUrqGQtudwArncR33WCKesdZmEDo7aS3WZ2WHt1oA8MvcnIvDcRS5v8u7R3f8RRynLP6sVOPq4qqDwo6_3Q23WWs433iM-AuU0/s400/Rav+weinberger+williamsburg.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"It's very hard, but there is also such good news. Chanan (a member of the shul) just had a baby boy. So many other babies have come into the world in the past couple of days. Misha and Estee (other members of the shul who were </span><a href="http://www.vosizneias.com/209143/2015/07/13/goshen-ny-route-17-reopened-after-multi-car-crash-seriously-injures-orthodox-woodmere-family/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">in a serious car accident Sunday night</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">) have seen tremendous miracles in their recovery. There is so much to be thankful for."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rav Weinberger was giving me gentle mussar and teaching me an important point. There is bad news all over the world and I (and i'm sure many other people - that's why i'm posting this) focus excessively on that or feel that I'm not feeling other Jews' pain if I don't dwell on tragedies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's important to note that the nifteres here was not my sister, best friend, or sister-in-law. Accordingly, this was not my pain. It was a question of feeling other Jews' pain. So Rav Weinberger was showing me how someone in my position should view tragedies. I should not put such an inordinate focus on them to the exclusion of other Jews' joyous occasions and smachos. It shows that I don't truly connect to other Jews if I fail to focus on their celebrations and only notice tragic news. That lopsided focus only empowers the Kingdom of Sadness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">May I and the rest of us merit to rejoice in other Jews' much-more-numerous happy occasions and not place an inordinate emphasis on the sad times.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-54020736122098531372015-07-06T14:18:00.000-04:002015-07-06T14:20:07.493-04:00Rabbi Yoni Levin's Innagural Drasha as Assistant Rabbi at Aish Kodesh, Woodmere - Parshas Balack 5775<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past Monday (a week ago today), Aish Kodesh in Woodmere held an all-membership meeting at which Rav Moshe Weinberger and the board announced that Rav Weinberger had selected Aish Kodesh's first assistant rabbi: Rabbi Yoni Levin. Rav Weinberger spoke very, very highly about Rabbi Levin and his Rebbetzin, Randi. He definitely has a very impressive background, as you can see from his biography on the <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/Rabbi_Yoni_Levin">YUTorah page where his shiurim are posted</a>:<br />
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Rabbi Yoni Levin is currently the assistant rabbi at Congregation Aish Kodesh and a rebbe at Yeshivas Lev Shlomo, in Woodmere, NY, an affiliate of HALB. He graduated from Yeshiva College with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Business from the Sy Syms School of Business. He received semicha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University, and was a fellow at the prestigious Beren Kollel Elyon at RIETS. Rabbi Levin also studied in Israel for a year and a half at Yeshivat Hakotel. In addition, he has written scholarly Torah articles in Yeshiva University’s annual publications, Beis Yitzchak and Kol Tzvi. Rabbi Levin has participated in numerous Yeshiva University Communtiy Kollelim, including the DRS High School kollel in Long Island and others in the New York area. Rabbi Levin has also spent time in the workforce at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the actuarial department. Rabbi Levin and his wife Randi currently live in Woodmere with their five children, Batsheva, Yocheved, Yeshaya, Zev, and Yisroel Meir. </blockquote>
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This past Shabbos, parhas Balak, Rav Weinberger was away and we had the zechus to hear Rabbi Levin for the first time as our new assistant rabbi. And he used the opportunity not only to give a drasha, but to share some feelings about beginning his formal role with the shul. This time, it was not me who wrote up the drasha. Rather, Rabbi Levin himself wrote the following, just as <a href="http://brussels.mc.yu.edu/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.exe?site=localhost&a=p&p=about&c=lammserm">Rabbi Norman Lamm did</a>. It is my privilege to share the following drasha with my readership, which Rabbi Levin was kind enough to permit me to reproduce here:</div>
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Rabbi Yoni Levin</div>
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Parshas Balak 5775</div>
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This is a most humbling honor.</div>
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On behalf of my wife, I would like to begin by expressing our
gratitude to the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רבונו שלום</span> for this very special
and unique opportunity to be part of this <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה קדושה</span>,
a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה</span> that has been founded on <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חסידות</span>, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פנימיות</span>, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">לימוד התורה</span>, personal growth, growth in learning, drawing
close to one another, drawing closer to Hashem.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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During the past 2 years of giving the morning daf yomi shiur, I
have been met with only positive encounters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a קהילה filled with warmth,
care, and a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה</span> that possesses an
extraordinary powerful desire to learn, grow, and spread Hashem’s Torah.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">I have had the great <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">זכות</span>
in participating in the various shul-wide events many of which have been led
and organized by <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">יצחק מרדכי</span> Feder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each event filled with singing, Torah, rebbe,
and <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אחדות</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חנוכה מסיבה</span> at the Lawrence’s,
the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ט"ו בשבט סדר</span> at the Shuckmans, the
Purim Chagiga at the Gelmans, and the ultimate <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ל"ג
בעומר</span> celebration. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition
to the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בני מחשבה טובה</span> chaburahs that have
been organized by Reb Yirmi Ginsberg and hosted by the Gelmans, Perkels, Lerners, Rosens,
Hoenigs, and the Horowitzs. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Recently, under the guidance and initiative of Efrayim Nudman, Shaul
Harari, and Yaakov Meir Cohen, the shul has begun several new programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one that I personally have been involved
in, is the Sunday morning Chabura.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
has been quite a success as a great way to begin our week with in-depth
learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I very much love the
interactions that I have which each one of the participants and it’s inspiring
to see the tremendous amount of enthusiasm as the Kol Torah echoes through the
upstairs Beis Midrash.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">What is unique about these events is that each one of them has been
initiated by one of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each one of you
has an overwhelming <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רצון</span> to create more
events, to infuse more learning, and host these various events.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">We can’t forgot the women who are either allowing, encouraging, or
even pushing their husbands to come out and learn on Sundays, or early
mornings, Shabbos afternoons, or late nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">It is our hope that my wife and I can assist in any way possible in
fulfilling the mission of this <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה קדושה</span>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">It is our dream that we can help every member, every family grow in
learning, grow in Avodas Hashem each at his or her own pace and level.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Prior to my joining of the shul 2 years ago, I had never met Rav
Weinberger shlit”a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet quickly, Rav
Weinberger turned into rebbe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though I am being forced to sit up front, I am a talmid, a congregant of rebbe
just as much as any of you are.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">I thirst rebbe’s Torah like any of you. I try to guess at which
Shachris minyan rebbe will be davening just to catch a glimpse of the tzadik
that we are so blessed to have among us.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">I have had many rebbeim throughout my years in yeshiva and still
stay in touch with many of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I
have never had a rebbe like ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
master of all trades – a master in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נגלה</span>,
a master in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">נסתר</span>, a master in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">עיצה</span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">It is with much gratitude to Rebbe for giving me this wonderful
opportunity, to work with him in serving this wonderful <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה
קדושה</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thank him and you,
the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה</span>, for placing trust in me and look forward
to an amazing year as we strive to fulfill our mission as a unit, as a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה</span> until the coming of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">משיח</span>
when we will continue this very mission in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ירושלים במהרה בימינו
אמן</span>!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">There is an astonishing gemara that appears in Berachos (12b).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חכמים</span>
had a fleeting thought to insert the entire <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span>
smack in the middle of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could you imagine saying <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד</span> and then go off on a tangent in reciting
the entire <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span>?!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">And the only reason why they held back, was because it would be a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">טירחא דציבור</span>, an extreme burden upon the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה</span>, having to recite the entire <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span>
twice a day in addition the rest of davening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">So what <i>was</i> the reason in the first place if this idea
inserting <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span><span lang="HE"> </span>in
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span>, the height of our <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תפילה</span>,
interrupting our <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קבלת עול מלכות שמים</span>?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Where is there room in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמע</span>
when we are in the midst of being <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מקבל קבלת עול מלכות
שמים</span> to insert the story of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בלק</span>
and <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בלעם</span>, the story individuals who wanted to destroy
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כלל ישראל</span>?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The answer is found in the gemara. The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">גמרא</span>
explains that we would have read the entire <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span>
just for the sake of one <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פסוק</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is this one <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פסוק</span>
that finds its appropriate placement smack in the middle of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span>
and that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פסוק</span><span lang="HE"> </span>is:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">כרע שכב כארי וכלביא מי יקימנו</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> – “He will crouch and lay down like a
lion, like a young lion – who then can stand up against him?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">It doesn’t come across as a very powerful statement – not earth
stretching by any stretch of the imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the pasuk that was but so
close to being <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inserted in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמע</span>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What does the pasuk even mean?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Rashi explains that this pasuk is similar to the words that appear
in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמע</span> of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בשכבך ובקומך</span>
that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הקב"ה</span> watches over us when we get up, when we
are awake and when we sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as we
describe in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span> how Hashem protects
us all day and night, so too this <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פסוק</span><span lang="HE"> </span>from <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span> describes this very same
concept that Hashem protects us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
this reason, for this similarity, there was a thought to include <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span> within <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The truth is, this is the theme of all of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת
בלק</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כלל ישראל</span> was innocently journeying through the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מדבר</span> their enemies were plotting against them
as they always are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And without us
knowing, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הקב"ה</span><span lang="HE"> </span>as
always, protected us, ensured our safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is constantly fighting our battles, He is forever protecting us from
our enemies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">When we are <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כרע שכב כארי וכלביא מי יקימנו</span>
– even when we are sleeping who can stand up against us with the protection of
Hashem.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">During many of such occurrences, we find ourselves in a deep
slumber completely oblivious to the details of the behind the scenes, but when
we recite <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span>, when we read <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span>, we are reminded that even though we don’t
see and even though we don’t hear of these <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ניסים</span>,
we know that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">הקב"ה</span> is forever protecting
us.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">והיא שעמדה לאבותינו ולנו שלא אחד עמד עלינו לכלותינו הקב"ה
מצילנו מידם</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">This is the message of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span>,
this is the message of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פרשת בלק</span>, this is the message
of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פסוק</span> -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כרע שכב כארי וכלביא מי יקימנו</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hashem is forever watching over us.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">But there are times when we do forget this and we don’t realize
that Hashem is watching over us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
times are good, prosperous there is a tendency to forget the source of
everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We speed through <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קריאת שמע</span>, we don’t internalize this concept, we
tend to forget that Hashem is watching over us.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Today is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שבעה עשר בתמוז</span>, the beginning of the
3 weeks, the beginning of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בין המצרים</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תקופה</span>
where we feel distant from Hashem, when we recognize the lack of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בית המקדש</span>, the disconnect from Hashem, from <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ארץ ישראל</span>, from <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ירושלים</span>,
and feel almost forgotten just as we have forgotten Hashem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in a period of very intense <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אבילות</span> which underscores the distance we are
feeling from Hashem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">How are we supposed to react to this distance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we draw closer when feel the we are
drifting further and further?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">A few months ago, I sat in a lecture from Rabbi Motti Berger in
Aish Hatorah in the Old City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gives a
very intense and engaging lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
had presented 2 scenarios asking which would bring a person closer to Hashem -
someone who won the lottery and would have no financial worries or someone, as
he described and apologize for being so extreme in this example, who was on the
top floor of the World Trade Center as the plane hit the building below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The undisputed answer was that the one
experiencing the fear, pain, and threat would sooner acknowledge and draw
closer to Hashem.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">During these trying times, when a person is helpless, there is
nobody to rely on except for our Father in Heaven, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אבינו
שבשמים</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are being cornered,
we are being forced to recognize Hashem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Hashem is twisting our arm, making us so uncomfortable through this
period of 3 weeks until we scream “mercy”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until we realize that there is nothing but Hashem Above.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">But the Magid of Mezeritch explains differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gives a positive spin to this period of 3
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea is not that we are being
shoved into the center of the circle to dance with the Choson, but instead the
Choson is coming out to greet us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hashem
is coming closer to us.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Allow me to explain.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The Pasuk in Eicha says that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">"כל רודפיה
השיגוה בין המצרים"</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Magid explains that <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">כל רודפיה</span>,
anyone who is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רודף י-ה</span>, one who chases
Hashem will be <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">משיג</span> him, will catch him,
will come to close him, specifically during the period of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בין המצרים</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">But how is it that during this time period when we feel so distant,
we don’t see the light, is it possible to draw closer to Hashem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does that make sense to draw closer when
we are missing the main vehicle to <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמים</span>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בית
המקדש</span>, we don’t have <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קרבנות</span>,
we have no way to connect.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">I recently had taken my kids to Disney World, the Magic
Kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to thank Hurricane Sandy
and the insurance company in helping build up credit cards points to pay for
the trip.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Now in Magic Kingdom, the king is Mickey Mouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can imagine there are many long lines throughout
the park and to take a picture with Mickey is no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well for the most part. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waiting to see Mickey is a bit different.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The line for just taking a picture with Mickey begins outside this
large building towards the front of the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as you move inside the building, you go through this door and you
think you are there ready to take that photo you’ve been waiting for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then you pass through another door… and
you are still not there, until you pass through one final door where you find
yourself in the innermost chamber but still waiting behind a few more families
to meet the king.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The palace, the guards, the glory, make for a beautiful picture, it
instills fear, honor, and respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
imagine if there were no palace, imagine if the king were to be walking through
the streets with no place to hide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
would be no honor, there would be no glory, <i>but</i> it would make for a more
accessible king, it would allow us to see him, come close to him, build a
relationship.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Says the Magid, that this period of time when we commemorate the
destruction of the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בית המקדש</span> among other Jewish
calamities, there are no walls, no guards, no barriers – Hashem is completely
accessible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can approach him, we can
build a relationship, we can draw closer to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an incredible opportunity for us to
draw closer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Embedded within <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בין המצרים</span>
is a tremendous amount of potential to come closer to Hashem.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שו"ע</span> paskens that one
should not recite <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שהחיינו</span> since it is a period
of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אבילות</span>, one should not say a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ברכה</span> of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שהחיינו</span> which express ones
thanks and gratitude, one’s <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמחה</span> with the purchase of
a new house or new fruit.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">גר"א</span>, however, argues that
this is an unnecessary <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חומרא</span> and one may recite a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שהחיינו</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps the idea is that in fact reciting <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שהחיינו</span>
is not contradictory to this period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although on the surface <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בין המצרים</span>
is a period of mourning, but in its <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פנימיות</span>
there is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">שמחה</span>, Hashem is closer than any other time of
the year, there are no walls and no barriers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">This is why on <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תשעה באב</span> itself, which would
seem to be the lowest day of the year, we don’t recite <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תחנון</span>,
because in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פנימיות</span> as <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">חז"ל</span> tells us, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תשעה באב </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is actually a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מועד</span>,
it’s a day of celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not on the
surface, but in its <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פנימיות</span> and we therefore omit
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תחנון</span>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Perhaps this is what is meant by the <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פסוק</span>
in <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פ</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE">רשת בלק</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">כרע שכב כארי וכלביא מי יקימנו</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> – “He will crouch and lay down like a
lion, like a young lion – who then can stand up against him?”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">When we are down and hurting, sleeping like a lion, destroyed and distant,
sad and mourning, <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">מי יקמינו</span>, who can stand up
against us?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Our closest connection is specifically during times like these, the
period of <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">בין המצרים</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is when Hashem draws closer to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is when we draw closer to each other,
that is when we have <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">אחדות</span> like we saw just a
year ago with the 3 boys in Israel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">גמרא</span> tells us that when
something bad happens we say <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ברוך דיין אמת</span>
but <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">לעתיד לבוא</span> we will say a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">טוב
המטיב</span> because even the bad is really good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t realize it because on the surface it
appears to be bad, but everything is really good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the 3 weeks are very good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פנימיות</span>
everything is good, its only in the external that things appear otherwise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">It is my hope and <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">תפילה</span>, that we come to the
point soon of recognizing everything as <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">טוב</span>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>where we can take every opportunity, every
event, every milestone as an opportunity to draw closer to Hashem and draw
closer to each other, as we grow as a community, as a <span dir="RTL" lang="HE">קהילה</span>
led by our leader, rebbe,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with our
common goal, our common mission.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Again, I thank you all for this most humbling honor and most
remarkable opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward
to getting to know each and every one of you in the upcoming year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">***</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-8353884691708137512015-06-19T10:02:00.000-04:002015-07-16T10:47:49.388-04:00Eretz Yisroel - Aish Kodesh Journey to Ukraine and Eretz Yisroel - June 4-7, 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Continuing the summary of the Torah, sights, and sounds the Aish Kodesh chevra experienced in <a href="http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2015/06/berditchev-and-mezhibuzh-aish-kodesh.html">Berditchev and Mezhibuzh</a> and in <a href="http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2015/06/breslov-and-uman-aish-kodesh-visit-to.html">Breslov and Uman</a>, the chevra came to Eretz Yisroel on June 4, 2015 on Ukrainian International Airlines (after <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1070105229670838&id=120799927934711">davening in the Kiev airport</a>). The flight was not as bad as the airline's name implies it would have been.<br />
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When we <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1070252662989428&id=120799927934711">arrived</a>, we first checked into the King Solomon hotel.<br />
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Whenever Rav Weinberger refers to the maareh mekomos sheets, you can follow along by <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B38DjycQ_UmGMVF2c3RmVW1vRlU&authuser=0">downloading those here</a>. </div>
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<b>Reb Gamliel Rabinovitch, Shlita</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZXiPBuy6qCK2MmelF_zCZAB2zQGG7XiKa_nIlSd_bMxofgMYgHkD4TfJ2_aPiKbwRVTql-RotcxbRIo1cMqwp863kapdZp4RKAyt0LPKsXuaD8gK5MIsr_3j6As3YJH3huNdfYVk2dI/s1600/10672372_1070446752970019_8955073420540660572_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZXiPBuy6qCK2MmelF_zCZAB2zQGG7XiKa_nIlSd_bMxofgMYgHkD4TfJ2_aPiKbwRVTql-RotcxbRIo1cMqwp863kapdZp4RKAyt0LPKsXuaD8gK5MIsr_3j6As3YJH3huNdfYVk2dI/s320/10672372_1070446752970019_8955073420540660572_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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After settling in to the hotel, we left to have a private meeting wth Reb Gamliel Rabinovitch, shlita. That meeting was remarkable. For those who have not met Reb Gamliel, he is a tremendous gadol in both the revealed and hidden Torah and is the Rosh Yeshiva of the kabbalah yeshiva, Shaar Hashamayim. The Rav is very humble, however, and hides his greatness behind a somewhat eccentric and self-effacing way of acting. Reb Gamliel helped set up the tables and chairs in his apartment himself and at one point even grabbed Rav Weinberger's hands and placed them on his head and would not let go until Rav Weinberger gave him a bracha. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1070651686282859&id=120799927934711">Here are some pictures</a> from that visit, including some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1070446846303343&id=120799927934711">here </a>of Rebbe with Reb Gamliel.</div>
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<a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837292/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Tzaadikim_Trip_-_Rav_Gamliel_Rabinovitch">Click here for the mp3</a> recording of Reb Gamliel's words to our group. You can see a video of the meeting here:</div>
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<b>Kivros Hata'avah</b></div>
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Following the meeting with Reb Gamliel, the chevra <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1070650376282990&id=120799927934711">had dinner</a> at <a href="http://www.papagaio.co.il/">Papagaio</a>, a Brazilian-ish style carnivorous restaurant in Yerushalayim. A good time was had by many a <i>boich</i>. After dinner, everyone was free for the rest of the evening.</div>
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<b>Rav Kook Shiur and Kever Rochel</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotm5b-6IR9p_7XTsAQnEIt3zG8pFpb9GQ5Cm_zlF5CkEtsLUAIXfGQywfmIdGOY7oWhFJpD9a2ADOWm9FHTTg3GKLVED5SvboFvb7E3v6BxdeTvaaP0DO7dYFEkDNRWpfvO0EOfTvQoI/s1600/11108948_1071673552847339_3109263107611839210_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotm5b-6IR9p_7XTsAQnEIt3zG8pFpb9GQ5Cm_zlF5CkEtsLUAIXfGQywfmIdGOY7oWhFJpD9a2ADOWm9FHTTg3GKLVED5SvboFvb7E3v6BxdeTvaaP0DO7dYFEkDNRWpfvO0EOfTvQoI/s320/11108948_1071673552847339_3109263107611839210_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After davening and having breakfast Friday morning June 5, 2015, Rav Weinberger gave a short shiur in Rav Kook. You can listen to the <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837290/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Tzaadikim_Trip_-_Rav_Kook_Chaburah#">mp3 of that shiur here</a>. A number of young folks from the Shul who are in Eretz Yisroel for the year <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1071674519513909&id=120799927934711">joined up with the chevra</a> for this portion of the trip as well.</div>
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Rabbi Simcha Hochbaum of the Hebron Fund met us in Yerushalayim in a bullet-proof bus. He shared a lot of Torah and history with us as we made the short drive to visit our mother Rochel in Beis Lechem. It was troubling to see how Rochel is closed in on all sides by gigantic concrete walls to protect us from our cousins who wish to hurt us. It was also disheartening to see how we are live like prisoners behind walls at our own holy places in our own land. But it gave us more to daven for as we asked Hashem to remove the degradation of the Jewish people and bring Moshiach.</div>
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After the chevra said their own personal prayers and Tehillim, Rav Weinberger led the group in several Tehillim together. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1071674096180618&id=120799927934711">Here are some pictures</a> from Kever Rochel.</div>
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<b>Chevron and Me'aras Hamachpela</b></div>
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For many people, the highlight of the entire trip was our visit to Me'aras Hamachpela in Chevron, which was surprising since almost everyone had been there many times before.</div>
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The visit to Chevron started with Rabbi Hochbaum speaking with us about the history of the Jewish yishuv going back to the time of Avraham in Chevron and how there was literally a Jewish community there from that time (except the period of the Egyptian exile) until 1929, when the local Arabs massacred the Jewish community. He led us around the Jewish community and explained how they fought political and court battles for each and every home, building, and trailer that they built there were great <i>mersirus nefesh</i>. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1071675456180482&id=120799927934711">Here are some pictures</a> from our tour of Chevron.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRHbGyhXilbORkZr35w6QcQfcGJx-vvyDBGJS9cZg7Ufx2joimKHDdUjw3mEEEAwP0QkZ2wzBt7EMCmhuDVFNdg-kkpv_jet-bhP7Xr0LopPMMJ4FpcU3pOcBl0hX0DpGT-sHEBZhgaw/s1600/11412348_1071674979513863_7105371805862123843_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRHbGyhXilbORkZr35w6QcQfcGJx-vvyDBGJS9cZg7Ufx2joimKHDdUjw3mEEEAwP0QkZ2wzBt7EMCmhuDVFNdg-kkpv_jet-bhP7Xr0LopPMMJ4FpcU3pOcBl0hX0DpGT-sHEBZhgaw/s400/11412348_1071674979513863_7105371805862123843_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We climbed a hill in Chevron where, at the top, there was a natural spring and a number of olive trees believed to have been alive at the time of Avraham Avinu. Rabbi Hochbaum pointed out that the spring was the only one known to exist in the area, so it is entirely possible that it is the spring referred to in the pasuk when Avraham said to the angels which appeared as men (Bereishis 18:4), "Please take a little water and wash your feet." And it could be that one of the olive trees standing near the spring was the tree about which Avraham told the angels (ibid.), "And rest under the tree." <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">With a fair warning that the water was freezing, many of the chevra immersed in the spring, which was quite an adventure! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1071675456180482&id=120799927934711">Here are some pictures</a> of what we saw in Chevron and Mayan Avraham.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We then went down into Me'aras Hamachpela to visit one of the only sections at our holy site where Jews are allowed to pray. Many of us said heartfelt prayers and Tehillim while one of our Yishmaeli "cousins" gave an impassioned drasha in the next room over. The real highlight of the trip was when Rav Weinberger led the group in Tehillim, announcing, "Let us now say Tehillim with all of our strength and drown out the sound of impurity from the next room." I don't know if I've ever heard such heartfelt Tehillim before. One of the loudest lines was when we reached the pasuk, "Pour our Your wrath on the nations who do not know you and who do not call out in Your name!" I know that we shook the ceiling and <i>shterred</i> our neighbors' kavvanah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">But the most amazing part was feeling the electricity in the room of Avraham Avinu and Sorah Imeinu, Rav Weinberger led the group in screaming out the 13 attributes of Hashem's mercy: "G-d, G-d, merciful and compassionate G-d, patient, with great kindness and truth, who gives kindness to thousands [of generations], who carries sin and iniquity, and error, and who cleanses." Everyone cried out those words (in Hebrew obviously) seven times in unison at the top of their lungs. Rav Weinberger then led everyone in saying "Ana Hashem Hoshea Na" and "Ana Hashem Hatzlicha Na." Finally, we screamed out "Shma Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad!" There are no words to describe the feeling at that moment except, perhaps, for the words chosen by one of the chevra to describe that moment: "We rocked Shamayim." When the moment was over, we had a nice rikud. No one was able to take out a phone to film the davening, but [here] is a video of a portion of the dancing [coming soon].</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">After we took a group picture on the steps of Me'aras Hamachpela, our fearless organizer, Yitzchak Mordechai Feder, told us that Rabbi Hochbaum was trying to raise $10,000 to build much needed bathrooms for Chevron residents and run a summer program for the children of Chevron to give them chizuk in their pressure-filled life because of the area in which they live. He then began taking pledges and reached over $11,000 in approximately 60 seconds. It was gevaldik! Many people made their payments right then and there, rather than relying on their memory to fulfill their pledges later. It was a beautiful moment and a great conclusion to a very, very high visit to Chevron and Me'aras Hamachpela.</span></div>
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We have a partial video <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ravmosheweinberger/videos/859014864174182/">here</a>, but here is a longer video of the dancing after the Tehillim and tefilos at the end of our visit to Me'aras Hamachpela:</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">[Coming Soon]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Shabbos in Yerushalayim</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We took taxis to the Kosel in time to finish mincha before candle lighting time in Yerushalayim. We davened mincha in the Kosel plaza, but had to go into the interior area of the Kosel because one of the groups behind us was too loud for us to hear ourselves. We had a beautiful kabbolos Shabbos and Maariv led by Yitzy Halpern. Many people of all stripes, including chassidim, tourists, and everything in between joined with us. The dancing and Lecha Dodi was great. A non-observant father and two sons from San Diego davened with us and a couple of us helped them keep up with the pages in an Artscroll siddur. It turned out that the younger son was there for his bar mitzva and, in the middle of Maariv, blurted out to one of the chevra, "This is awesome!" IY"H, our davening was a kiddush Hashem not only for us but for those around us as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">There were two other amazing things about davening with Rav Weinberger at the Kosel. First, a lot of old friends came to meet us there, so we saw former members who had made aliyah, and other long-time fans and chassidim of Rebbe. The second was the fact that wherever we went, it was obvious that Rav Weinberger is someone big because all people saw was a group of thirty men following closely behind a holy looking rabbi. So everywhere we went, people asked members of the chevra, "Who is that?" and then gave a knowing look when the answer was "Rav Moshe Weinberger."</span></div>
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Shabbos morning many people davened in the shul in the hotel. Others davened in a shul on the ground floor of a nearby apartment building. And another small group joined Aish Kodesh's friend Chaim Dovid at a small minyan at the Kosel led by an elderly Lelover chossid and mekubal, Rav Scheinberger. The chevra all got aliyos so they could say Hagomel and then went with everyone in the minyan to Rav Scheinberger's apartment in the Old City for kiddush and a drasha. One of the guys had a personal matter about which Chaim Dovid requested a bracha from Rav Scheinberger. Rather than giving a bracha, the Rav gave very specific directions regarding a specific series of actions the person was to take as a segulah to help with his issue. It was very intense. The guys by Rav Scheinberger were very eclectic ranging from chassidim to misnachalim types, to Americans and others. We sat very close to Rav Scheinberger and he was very friendly, asked us about ourselves and our Rav (he was familiar with Rav Weinberger) and wanted to make sure we ate everything we were served at the table.</div>
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Following kiddush and Rav Scheinberger's drasha, the Aish Kodesh chevra enjoyed a tour of Chaim Dovid's home and the beautiful view from his roof overlooking the Kosel and the Old City, including a number of beautiful Jewish homes in the "Muslim Quarter" which sported large, flowing Israeli flags. As he walked us out back toward our hotel, we met Motti Dan, one of the major figures at Ateret Kohanim, a group which purchases property in the "Muslim Quarter" of the Old City, Silwan, and other parts of Yerushalayim. It was fascinating to walk with him and see his home in the middle of the Arab neighborhood and other nearby Jewish buildings smack in the middle of that area, each sporting large, beautiful Israeli flags. The whole Shabbos morning was one adventure after another. Baruch Hashem!</div>
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Shabbos afternoon at shalosheudos, Rebbe spoke about many things, including the "<a href="http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/breslev/customs_and_thought/hungarian_wine.aspx?id=17448&language=english">Hungarian Wine</a>" we had tasted during the trip and pressed us to consider how we would bring what we gained back to Woodmere to lift up the community and not allow the effect of the experience to be lost. Ephrayim Nudman, our faithful president, adjured the chevra to think about this when he spoke at one of the Shabbos seudos. So people should please continue discussing this after the trip is over!</div>
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<b>Melaveh Malka on Netiv Areye Roof Overlooking Kosel with Shlomo Katz</b></div>
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We were zoche to have a Melaveh Malka led by Reb Shlomo Katz. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shlomo.katz/posts/10155626186245497">Here</a> are a few pictures of Rebbe with Shlomo. Some very great tzadikim and talmidei chachamim joined us as well. First, Rav Shlomo Bussu, who Rav Weinberger goes to for guidance, joined us for almost the entire Melaveh Malka, which is remarkable because he measures every single second with precision and rarely leaves his established schedule of Torah, avodah, and helping other Jews.</div>
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<a href="http://www.breslov.com/Maimon/">Rav Nosson Maimon</a> of the Breslov Research Center was also there. In addition, <a href="http://yna.edu/index.php/torah/55-pages/64-harav-yoel-rakovsky">Rav Yoel Rakovsky</a>, a rebbe at Netiv Areye and mashpia to a number of the Aish Kodesh "yutes," was there. We were also happy to see <a href="http://www.israel-music.com/chaim_dovid/">Chaim Dovid</a> there as he's a good friend of Rebbe and the shul, There were so many other great people there and old friends of the shul who came out to the Old City.</div>
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An mp3 of Rebbe's shiur from the Melaveh Malka, which was so moving and included some incredible stories, <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837289/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Tzaadikim_Trip_-_Melave_Malka_">can be heard here</a>.</div>
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Click here for a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/120799927934711/videos/1071828646165163/">video of a portion of the Melaveh Malka</a> which was circulated widely on Facebook and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1071833276164700&id=120799927934711">here</a> for some pictures. And click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/464378687028017/videos/667493933383157/?fref=nf">here</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/464378687028017/videos/667667043365846/?fref=nf">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/464378687028017/videos/667519993380551/?fref=nf">here</a> for few videos taken from a nearby rooftop of our Melaveh Malka!</div>
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Here's a video of the whole Melaveh Malka:</div>
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After the Melaveh Malka was over, at about 1:30 am, Rav Weinberger walked to the Kosel with a group of people from the Melaveh Malka to say Tikkun Leah of the Tikkun Chatzos. <a href="https://youtu.be/0csHIToxrWU">Here is a video</a> of a portion of that. After that, as noted above, people around the Kosel took note of the Rav wearing a shtreimel being followed by a large entourage and they posted a number of pictures, videos, and an article about Rav Weinberger's visit to the Kosel. You can see those here, here, and here. </div>
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<b>Meron, Tiveria</b></div>
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Right after davening on our last day in Eretz Yisroel, we left the hotel for good and headed up to Meron to daven by the kever of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1072086296139398&id=120799927934711">here to see some pictures of that</a>. Following individual tefilos, everyone said Tikun Klali together and then sang "Bar Yochai" and "Amar Rebbi Akiva" with Yosef Karduner. A video of that is here:</div>
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Afterward, we went to the home of Menachem Solarsh, who has a beautiful home in Meron, very close to the kever of Rebbi Shimon. Click here for some pictures from that shiur. Mr. Solarsh is the owner of the Uman Inn where we stayed in Uman, so it was a great piece of continuity. Following that, we traveled up to Tzfas and immersed in the mikvah of the Arizal and davned by the kever of the Arizal. Finally, before traveling to the airport, we went to the kevarim of Rebbi Akiva and the Ramchal in Tiveria.</div>
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<a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837551/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Tzaadikim_Trip_-_Rashbi_drasha_in_the_home_of_Menachem_Solarsh_in_Meron#">Here is the mp3</a> of the Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai shiur in Meron.</div>
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Rebbe gave a beautiful drasha at Mr. Solarsh's house. One small point that he made was an idea he quoted in the name of the Alter Rebbe. He said that while the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash took away the revelation of Hashem's presence from the Jewish people generally, it had no effect on the revelation of the Divine Presence for the greatest tzadikim. The specific tzadikim the Alter Rebbe mentioned were Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the Arizal, and the Baal Shem Tov. He then pointed out how we are so fortunate to be going to visit each of those three tzadikim in one week. Ashreinu!<br />
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Here is a video of that shiur:<br />
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As our last "activity" in Eretz Yisroel before leaving for the airport, following our visit to Meron, the group traveled to Tiveria and davened by the kevarim of Rabbi Akiva, the Ramchal, and the Arizal. Before davening by the Arizal's kever, most of the chevra immersed in the Arizal's mikva which, as cold as it was, was a cinch compared to the Mayan Avraham mentioned above! </div>
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<a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837365/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Tzaadikim_Trip_-_Shuir_by_Rebbe_Akiva-s_Kever_">Here is the mp3</a> of the shiur Rav Weinberger gave by the kever of Rabbi Akiva.</div>
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<a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837367/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Tzaadikim_Trip_-_Story_by_the_Kever_of_the_Ramchal_">And here is the final shiur</a> Rav Weinberger gave during the trip, after davening at the kever of the Ramchal, which included a Baal Shem Tov story illustrating the fact that every Jew goes to the tzadikim, waiting to hear his own story.<br />
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Finally, here is a beautiful video showing highlights from the entire trip from Betditchev to Tiveria, put together by Sara Mehlman, a powerhouse of a woman, who put together the Ukraine leg of the trip and joined us for several parts of the program in Eretz Yisroel as well:<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-20720628236751955962015-06-08T19:55:00.002-04:002015-07-15T19:34:10.539-04:00Breslov and Uman - Aish Kodesh Visit to Ukraine and Eretz Yisroel with Rav Moshe Weinberger, Yosef Karduner and Gadi - 6-3-15<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Continuing our summary of the Aish Kodesh trip to the Ukraine and Eretz Yisroel May 31-June 7, 2015 following the <a href="http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2015/06/berditchev-and-mezhibuzh-aish-kodesh.html">Berditchev and Mezhibuzh</a> parts of the journey, this post summarizes our adventures in Breslov and Uman, Ukraine. <b><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B38DjycQ_UmGMVF2c3RmVW1vRlU&authuser=0">Download the maareh mekomos sheets for the trip here</a></b>. We came to Rebbe Nosson of Nemerov's kever in Breslov after Mezhibuzh. When we arrived in Uman at about 10 pm on Tuesday night, June 2nd, 2015, we first had dinner at the Uman Inn. </span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Shiur by Reb Nosson of Breslov</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We made the beautiful trek up the hill in Breslov to daven by Reb Nosson's kever.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069496513065043&id=120799927934711"> Here are some pictures from that</a>. And <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069403779740983&id=120799927934711">here are a couple more</a>. The location was truly beautiful as well, definitely the most physically beautiful place we saw in Ukraine.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837103/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/By_the_Kever_of_Reb_Nosson_of_Nemrov">HERE</a> is the mp3 of the shiur.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And <a href="https://youtu.be/7fuhTUvDuik">here is a video</a> of a little bit of the dancing with Reb Yosef Karduner and Gadi after the shiur, including another shot of the amazing view from Rebbe Nosson's ohel:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>The Tziyun of Rebbe Nachman in Uman</b>:</span></div>
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After davening by the tziyun of Rebbe Nachman in Uman, the chevra said Tikun Klali together, led by Yosef Karduner, followed by a rikud. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069655086382519&id=120799927934711">Here </a>are some pictures from that. </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Click <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837134/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Bus_Ride_to_Berditchev_-_1_">HERE</a> to download the mp3 audio of the shiur Rav Weinberger gave by the tziyun in the afternoon. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069742769707084&id=120799927934711">Here are some pictures</a> from the shiur. And click here to see a <a href="https://youtu.be/XBcl8rpqYTs">beautiful video of some rikudim</a> to the music of Yosef Karduner and Gadi after the shiur. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Watch the video of the shiur:</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aish Kodesh Group picture in Sophia Park in Uman, Ukraine</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Sophia Park</b></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We had a beautiful time in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofiyivsky_Park">Sophia Park</a>, a botanical garden created by the Polish noble Count Potocki as a gift for his wife in 1796, where it is said that Rebbe Nachman did hisbodedus before his death in Uman (which was in 1810). <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069819383032756&id=120799927934711">Here</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069812486366779&id=120799927934711">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069871553027539&id=120799927934711">here</a> are some pictures from that visit.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>The Visit</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our visit to Uman was noticed by many people who saw how many people were going to see Rav Weinberger speak. A Hebrew Breslov website even <a href="http://www.umanshalom.co.il/html/news/uman_news/uman_news1/uman1475.html">had an article and pictures</a> about our visit. There were a couple of people who had set up mattresses in Rebbe Nachman's tziyun and were still sleeping when Rebbe gave the above-linked (afternoon) two hour shiur. At one point, one of the guys woke up and got out of bed to go wash. He looked quite amused and surprised to see a shiur with 40 listeners going on in his "bedroom!" </span></div>
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On our last night in Uman, Yosef Karduner and Gadi Pugatch (on violin) graced us with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069879199693441&id=120799927934711">a beautiful Melaveh Malka</a>. Here is a <a href="https://youtu.be/hXImhooNpCo">video of part of it</a>. The amazing thing is that at the very end of the trip in Eretz Yisroel, Yoni and Sarah Melman, who made so much of the arrangements for every detail of the trip, gave out a remastered CD of the music from the Melaveh Malka, along with a "We Rocked Shamayim" magnet in remembrance of our amazing experience in Me'aras Hamachpela. It was so nice.</div>
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<a href="http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2015/06/eretz-yisroel-aish-kodesh-journey-to.html">Click here</a> to continue reading about our adventures in Eretz Yisroel!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-65724035387786193582015-06-08T19:54:00.002-04:002015-10-19T11:03:28.944-04:00Berditchev and Mezhibuzh - Aish Kodesh Ukraine/Israel 2015 - Shiurim/Pictures/Videos - With Rav Moshe Weinberger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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About 30 Aish Kodesh members (not all of whom live in Woodmere) headed out to visit kivrei tzadikim with our Rebbe, Rav Moshe Weinberger, on Sunday May 31, 2015 from JFK. We were supposed to fly into Paris and then make a connection to Kiev, flying Air France the whole way. Because of weather problems in New York, the first flight was delayed 2.5 hours and everyone <a href="https://www.facebook.com/120799927934711/photos/a.1012868798727815.1073741828.120799927934711/1068726126475415/?type=1">missed their flight to Kiev</a>. Hashem always places obstacles in the way of one's efforts to connect to true tzadikim!</div>
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Most people were able to get onto a direct Air France flight to Kiev 7 hours later. Two people got a flight to Amsterdam with a 4.5 hour layover before heading to Kiev and one person got a direct flight to Kiev before everyone else on Ukranian International Airlines. Hooray! Much of the chevra with the Paris layover travled around to see Paris (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1068806956467332&id=120799927934711">pictures</a>) and the two fellows with the Amsterdam layover saw downtown and the Anne Frank House (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1068808826467145&id=120799927934711">pictures</a>).</div>
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Ultimately, even getting to Kiev 10 hours later than planned, the group made up for lost time by traveling, davening, and learning throughout the night so virtually nothing on the itinerary was left out (except sleep). Ultimately, we owe Yoni and Sara Mehlman, who traveled with us and made all the arrangements, and Yitzchak Mordechai Feder who organized things on the Woodmere end, for working tirelessly to make all arrangements throughout the trip. </div>
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On to the exciting part; Rav Moshe Weinberger's shiurim before each of the kivrei tzadikim. <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B38DjycQ_UmGMVF2c3RmVW1vRlU/edit?usp=docslist_api"><b>First, you should download this pdf of all of the maareh mekomos we used on the trip</b></a>. Rav Weinberger refers to these and learns through them in virtually all of the shiurim that will take place on this trip.</div>
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Between the Kiev airport and Berditchev, Rav Weinberger gave over two shiurim in advance of our visit to Reb Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah Sasha's kever and we made a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/120799927934711/photos/a.1012868798727815.1073741828.120799927934711/1068973809783980/?type=1">gas station stop</a>. </div>
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<b>First Pre-Reb Levi Yitzchak shiur</b>: </div>
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Click <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837134/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Bus_Ride_to_Berditchev_-_1_">HERE</a> to download the mp3 audio of the shiur.</div>
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Watch the video of the shiur (please forgive the background noise and shaking due to the fact that the shiur was in a moving bus!):</div>
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<b>Second Pre-Reb Levi Yitzchak shiur</b>:</div>
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Click <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837135/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Bus_Ride_to_Berditchev_-_2">HERE</a> to download the mp3 audio of the shiur.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Watch the video of the shiur (please forgive the background noise and shaking due to the fact that the shiur was in a moving bus!):</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Short Shiur by the Tziyun of Reb Levi Yitzchak</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">It is difficult to describe the energy at Reb Levi Yitzchak's kever. It was the first place we visited during the trip and watching Rebbe there was beyond words. So I will not attempt to describe it. You'll just have to talk to one of the participants about that. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069305953084099&id=120799927934711">Here are some pictures</a> from our visit to Reb Levi Yitzchok's tziyun (and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069069763107718&id=120799927934711">here are a couple more</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Click <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837074/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/By_the_Kever_of_Reb_Levi_Yitzchak#">HERE</a> to download the mp3 audio of the shiur. And you can click here and here to see pictures from that visit.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">First, after arriving and davening Shacharis at the Heichal Habaal Shem Tov, our good friend Yosef Karduner met the chevra and, along with Gadi Pugatch on the violin, led the chevra in some dancing after davening. <a href="https://youtu.be/_FXLcUO-Wcw">Here is a short clip</a> of some of that dancing and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069136389767722&id=120799927934711">here are some pictures</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Click <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837103/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/By_the_Kever_of_Reb_Nosson_of_Nemrov">HERE</a> to download the mp3 audio of the brief shiur by the tziyun.</span></div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/SydWTzc3NlA">Here is a short video</a> from our dancing after the shiur. Also, you can see some pictures from our visit to Mezhibuzh <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069497379731623&id=120799927934711">here</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1069305953084099&id=120799927934711">here</a>. </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Shiur on the Baal Shem Tov Given in the Reconstructed Baal Shem Tov Shul - Part 1</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Yosef Karduner on guitar and Gadi on the violin led the chevra in a rikud after Rav Weinberger's shiur. <a href="https://youtu.be/SydWTzc3NlA">Here are a couple of minutes</a> of that beautiful rikud.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Shiur on the Baal Shem Tov Given in the Reconstructed Baal Shem Tov Shul - Part 2</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Click <a href="http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/837138/Rabbi_Moshe_Weinberger/Tzaadikim_Trip_-_By_the_Kever_of_the_Baal_Shem_Tov_2">HERE</a> to download the mp3 audio of the shiur.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Watch the video of the shiur (please forgive the background noise and shaking due to the fact that the shiur was in a moving bus!):</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">[Coming Soon - Please check back every few days - this video will IY"H be added]</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Click <a href="http://x.vindicosuite.com/click/fbfpc=1;v=5;m=3;l=401071;c=776283;b=3368032;dct=http%3A//dixieyid.blogspot.com/2015/06/breslov-and-uman-aish-kodesh-visit-to.html">HERE</a> to continue on to our adventures in Breslov and Uman!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-75315654282910239252015-05-26T08:30:00.000-04:002015-05-26T11:09:40.473-04:00Five Towns Shabbaton for Former & Questioning "Chareidim" - Includes Shiur/Q&A with Rav Moshe Weinberger!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is a fascinating <a href="http://jewinthecity.com/2015/05/register-now-for-makom-shabbaton-june-12-13-2015/">Shabbaton</a> for a truly under served group of Jews coming up in the Five Towns parshas Shelach, June 12-13. That group of people includes those who grew up in either chassidish or right-wing Litvish communities who have found that the way they grew up is not right for their shoresh neshama, their particular nature. </div>
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Some who fit this description may have "gone off the derech" in the vernacular. Some may have partly left the observance they grew up with and others may not have left it at all and may still live in the same type of community in which they grew up, but feel like strangers in their own neighborhoods. </div>
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The problem many people from this background face is that they may have a hard time accepting that anything other than the Yiddishkeit with which they grow up is really Yiddishkeit at all. </div>
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Many people adopt their community's belief that theirs is the only "true" Yiddishkeit. Accordingly, they feel that if the Yiddishkeit they grew up with is not for them, then Yiddishkeit generally is not for them. This is exemplified by one now-non-observant Skverer chassid who <a href="http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/_blog/The_ProsenPeople/post/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-hasidim/">recently wrote an article</a> explaining why those who embrace a different type of chassidus than what he grew up with are not <i>real</i> chassidim at all. </div>
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Because this particular problem is based on a misconception about what Yiddishkeit actually is, Allison Josephs (of <a href="http://jewinthecity.com/">Jew in the City</a> fame), Mindy Schaper and Gavriella Lerner started a program they call <a href="http://jewinthecity.com/project-makom/">Project Makom</a>. The purpose of the program is to provide programs, information, Shabbos hospitality, mentorship, and other resources for those "former and questioning chareidim" who are open to learning about other options within orthodoxy besides the one they grew up with. (In case there is any doubt, the purpose of the program is not to "lure" anyone away from their community of origin. As I understand it, Project Makom is geared toward those who have already come to believe [or are seriously considering the possibility] that the community in which they grew up may not be right for them.)</div>
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As a major part of this effort, they are holding a Shabbaton in less than three weeks in the Five Towns, in Long Island, NY, on June 12-13, parshas Shelach. They will have speakers like <a href="http://pesachsheini.blogspot.com/">Pesach Sommer</a> and <a href="http://www.mtsinaishul.com/dena-block.html">Yoetzet Dena Bloch</a>. Others will address the important distinctions between minhag, Deoraisa, and Derabanan. And several former chareidim will speak in a panel on how they transitioned out of the communities in which they grew up into other frum communities. The Shabbaton will mainly take place in Cedarhurst.</div>
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I'm most excited about the fact that the Shabbaton participants will be trekking over to Woodmere Shabbos afternoon to hear <u><b>Rav Moshe Weinberger speak on: The Difference Between Chassidus and Modern Chassidic Culture.</b></u> The really great opportunity for the participants is that <u><b>after the shiur, they will have the opportunity to ask Rav Weinberger questions during a Question-and-Answer session</b></u>. </div>
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So if you grew up in a chassidish or far-right Litvish community (whether you're currently still halacha-observant or not and whether you're currently still in that community or not), <a href="http://form.jotform.us/form/51227709350149">CLICK HERE</a> to sign up for the Shabbaton!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-62220141463759381822015-02-10T12:54:00.003-05:002015-02-10T12:55:35.648-05:00As a Favor to Dixie Yid, Please Read!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Howdy y'all! I want to ask you to read something about my son's cheder, Siach Yitzchak, which is an amazing place, with the hopes that you will <a href="http://minivanraffle.org/pledge.html">buy a raffle ticket</a> (and write my name in the "Referred By" box) to support the school. The drawing will be this Sunday, Feb. 15th, though that date will probably be extended a bit. Tickets are $100 for one ticket and $360 for five. The prize is a choice between (i) $20,000 cash or (ii) $25,000 toward a Sefer Torah, a trip to Israel for 10, or a new car.</div>
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As I wrote the last <a href="http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2013/01/personal-request-by-dixie-yid.html">two</a> <a href="http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2014/01/as-favor-to-dixie-yid-please-read-this.html">years</a>, Siach Yitzchak is unlike almost any other yeshiva that I have heard of. Please see those links to prior posts where I detailed a few examples of things that show how Reb Dovid Sitnick (who was appointed to head the cheder by its founder, Rav Shlomo Freifeld) has created a cheder in which the boys experience how Yiddishkeit and Torah are the most precious things in the world. <a href="https://twitter.com/benbenabe/status/563421783345598464">My son</a> is now in fourth grade and has been in the cheder since he was three years old. In addition to the observations I related in my previous posts about the cheder, here are a few more examples of things which I feel make Siach Yitzchak stand out as such an unusual and special place:</div>
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My daughter told me that, as my wife was dropping our son off at school after one of the major snowstorms in the past couple of weeks, she observed Rabbi Seide, the educational director of the cheder, lifting as many boys as he could over the huge pile of snow on the side of the road as they came to school. </div>
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The rebbeim truly care about the boys and it comes across in everything. My son's rebbe from Pre-1-A (4 years ago) sat down with him the other day to ask him about his recent extra-curricular Mishnayos learning (with me) and discussed with him ideas on what to learn next! </div>
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<li>At PTA conferences last month, our son's rebbe advised us, when reviewing each day's kriah homework with our son, that we should go back to make sure he understands the words he had a problem with. But he added that the homework should not take more than about 20 minutes. He told us we should stop in the middle if it does because beyond that, it will just drive him crazy and it will become counterproductive. </li>
<li>The previous example, along with the energy and excitement the rebbeim put in, show that their entire focus is on giving the kids not just technical learning skills, but, even more importantly, a love for learning and a feeling of satisfaction from it.</li>
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With all of the lack of excitement about Yiddishkeit and the focus on externals that we see are so prevalent in some yeshivos, I feel so blessed that we have merited to find and be able to send our son to a cheder like this. </div>
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As a favor, I therefore ask you to please go right away to <a href="http://minivanraffle.org/pledge.html">buy a raffle ticket</a> before the end of the day this Sunday, February 15th! Thank you!</div>
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<strong>In the <a href="http://minivanraffle.org/pledge.html">website form</a>, please write "Dixie Yid" or my real name (if you know it) in the "Referred By" box. If you feel more comfortable, you can also call the cheder's office number (718-327-6247) to give them your credit card info or you can give it to me at 516-668-6397 and I can take care of it for you.</strong> Note that the system allows you to pay for the ticket(s) all at once or split it up over 4 payments. Shkoyach!!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-10911537447432838042014-12-31T08:00:00.000-05:002014-12-31T10:53:57.918-05:00Alex Clare - Eli Beer - Zusha: Video of Woodmere Melaveh Malka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Eliav and his Rebbetzin Ruchie Frei brought together some of the deepest musical brothers for a Melaveh Malka at his home after Shabbos 12/27/2014. It was so beautiful.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Eli Beer (<a href="http://www.elibeer.com/">http://www.elibeer.com/</a>)created the musical gravity around which the evening revolved and the unique sound of Zusha (<a href="http://www.zusha.com/">http://www.zusha.com/</a>) (Elisha Mendl Mlotek [precussion], Zachariah “Juke” Goldshmiedt [guitar] & Shlomo Ari Gaisin [vocals]) brought everyone to a very deep place.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We also merited to have a very special guest as well, Alex Clare (</span></span></span><a class="yt-uix-redirect-link" dir="ltr" href="http://alexclare.com/" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; color: #167ac6; cursor: pointer; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank" title="http://alexclare.com/"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">http://alexclare.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">), who was in New York after the tail end of his current U.S. tour but before the beginning of the European leg of the tour. He shared beautiful Torah and stories from a recent tour, as well as his own music. It goes without saying that he has a deep soul and it was a pleasure to sing with him.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">And as if that weren't enough, Rav Moshe Weinberger, a rebbe to everyone present, came for a good portion of the Melaveh Malka.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I created a full-length video of the whole Melaveh Malka, as well as separate videos for each artist. The full length video is first below, and then the separate videos for each of the artists are below that. Enjoy and share!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-9195148364645920612014-11-06T13:44:00.001-05:002014-11-06T13:44:39.341-05:00Video From Eli & Dina Beer's Sheva Brachos Thursday Night (10/30/14)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm happy to share this video of Eli and Dina Beer's sheva brachos, hosted by the holy couple, Ruchie and Eliav Frei, in Woodmere, NY! Eli grabbed his guitar and led the niggunim much of the time and shared a many Torahs and stories. Quite awesome.<br /><br />Eli is known for his song/video Ve'yiyu Rachamecho: <a class="yt-uix-redirect-link" dir="ltr" href="http://youtu.be/1P2Ou-K2hQU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://youtu.be/1P2Ou-K2hQU">http://youtu.be/1P2Ou-K2hQU</a>.<br /><br />And here is a video of Eli's amazing Halel from Rosh Chodesh Adar II from earlier this year: <a class="yt-uix-redirect-link" dir="ltr" href="http://youtu.be/KyGjupqPNfU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://youtu.be/KyGjupqPNfU">http://youtu.be/KyGjupqPNfU</a>.<br /><br />The video was taken by the inimitable Dov Perkal. Here is the info on the camera and lighting equipment he used:<br /><br />Canon EOS 70D<br />Canon lens 18-55 mm<br />Polaroid 320 Vari-Temp Super Bright LED Light<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-39105971786941823392014-09-05T12:21:00.001-04:002014-09-05T12:21:59.117-04:00The Story of the Chozeh of Lublin and the Barber - The Power of Sacrificing for Another<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is the story of the Chozeh of Lublin and the barber, as retold by Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, in the name of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, zt"l, at the Hilula (yohrtzeit celebration) for the Tzadik, Reb Kalonymous Kalmish Shapira in 2010, held by Cong. Aish Kodesh of Woodmere:<br />
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Reb Shlomo Carlebach, zt”l, told
the following story of the Chozeh, the Seer, of Lublin: The Chozeh needed a
haircut before Yom Tov like anyone else. But everyone knew about the Chozeh’s
spiritual sensitivity and were afraid to touch the Chozeh’s head, lest he be
unworthy and somehow disturb the Rebbe’s holiness. All of the barbers in Lublin
spent several days before each Yom Tov fasting, praying, and doing teshuva in
the hopes that whoever the Chozeh chose for his haircut would be worthy enough
that the Chozeh could tolerate his haircut.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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Just before one particular Yom
Tov, the Chozeh’s assistants, as usual, gave notice to the barbers to begin
preparing themselves to cut the Rebbe’s hair. When the day arrived, the barbers
lined up outside of the Chozeh’s room. The first barber approached the Rebbe’s
chair. But when he touched the Rebbe’s head, although the Rebbe did not intend
to insult him, he cried out in pain. He quickly left the room, feeling horrible
that he had hurt the Rebbe. The other barbers saw how quickly he left, without
giving a haircut, and they became even more afraid. The second barber went into
the room and the same thing happened. As soon as he touched the Rebbe’s head,
the Rebbe screamed out in pain. The process repeated itself until they ran out
of barbers. They did not know what to do in order to arrange a haircut for the
Rebbe for Yom Tov.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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But someone told one of the
Rebbe’s assistants that he saw a strange looked Jew on the streets of Lublin, a
traveler, who carried a sign around his neck that said, “I’m a barber and a
little bit of a doctor.” After discussing the matter among themselves, they
concluded that it was worthwhile to at least try to determine whether this Jew
could cut the Rebbe’s hair. Perhaps he was an upright person. When they
approached the man about cutting the Chozeh’s hair, they asked him whether he
knew whose hair he was about to cut. He said that the did not but that it did
not matter. He was capable of cutting anyone’s hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told him that they were about to bring
him to cut the hair of the Chozeh of Lublin. Unfazed, he answered, “Okay,
everyone needs a haircut. So does the rabbi. And I’m a barber. No problem.
Please bring me to him.” He entered the Rebbe’s room without any preparation. <o:p> </o:p></div>
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The man and the Chozeh looked at
one another and the Rebbe saw the barber’s little sign and smiled. It seemed
the Chozeh already liked this barber. He took out his old scissors and the
Rebbe’s assistants began covering their eyes, not relishing the scream they
were about to hear. But when the barber touched the Rebbe’s head, he sighed and
said, “A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mechaya</i>, a pleasure!” And
with every single snip, the Rebbe continued to enjoy himself, repeatedly
saying, “a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mechaya</i>!” And as soon as
the haircut was over, the man simply left.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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The Rebbe’s assistants followed
him, “Sir, sir! Can we ask who you are? Where are you from?” But he simply
answered, “You can see on my sign. I am a barber.” Apparently, he did not want
to say anything about himself. They formulated a plan, however, to find out
more about him. They invited him to a local establishment that served alcoholic
beverages. Once he had enjoyed a couple of drinks and they saw that he was in a
good mood, they asked<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>him again, “Tell
us who you are. When every other barber in Lublin touched the Rebbe’s hair, he
screamed out in pain, but when you cut his hair, it was a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mechaya</i>. We have never seen anything like that. What is your story?<o:p> </o:p></div>
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Even with a couple of drinks,
however, he did not want to talk about himself. But they persisted and asked
him repeatedly, “Tell us about yourself? Who are you?” Finally, the barber
stood up, pulled up the back of his shirt, and they saw that his entire back
was covered with horrible, disgusting welts. They chassidim recoiled and asked
him, “What happened? What is that?” So he told them the following story:</div>
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I travel from place
to place. I am a barber and a little bit of a barber. I cut people’s hair and
do what I can for them. In one town I went to, I saw some sort of commotion.
When I approached, I saw that the non-Jewish authorities were dragging a man
away from his family and his wife and children were screaming. I asked someone
standing there what happened and they told me that something had been stolen in
the town. And as the authorities always did, they blamed the Jews and grabbed
the first Yid they found. They were going to take him away and give him 100
lashes for his “crime.” The man was so skinny and small that I realized he
would die. He would not be able to survive. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And because I am a
little bit of a doctor, I figured that I am healthy and somewhat stronger so
that I would probably survive 100 lashes. Also, no one would marry me anyway. I
have no wife or children. And even if I am wrong and I die of my injuries, at
least I would not leave behind a widow and orphans as this man would. So I
walked over to the police and told them, “You have the wrong man. I did it.” I
was a strong man and I truly thought I could handle it. But those wicked people
beat me with such strength that after ten lashes I was sure that I was going to
die. I cried out to Hashem, “You know I am not doing this for myself. I am
doing it for this man, his wife, and children. I accepted these lashes only
because that man is a Jew and I am a Jew and one must help another Jew. So
please Hashem, have mercy and let me<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not
die.”<o:p> </o:p></div>
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And I do not know
how I survived. Every blow felt harder than the one before. But somehow, I
endured one hundred lashes. And that is why I walk with a limp and why my back
looks this way. But thank G-d, I am alive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
When the Chozeh saw this Jew, he
saw someone who did not turn away from other Jews. This Jew had every reason to
run. But he took a beating for another Jew. The Chozeh felt that in the deepest
way. His hands and his entire existence were filled with sacrifice for other
Jews.<br />
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-51062485555807711282014-07-28T10:24:00.001-04:002014-07-28T10:24:41.566-04:00Translation of Colonel Ofer Winter's Inspiring Letter, read by Rav Moshe Weinberger on Shabbos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL5UY7-jYG26A9J1CC1WPMFTyfFxrIXgKrIntX3ktUhnCkCZOtLU5_Igu8lMstBDf3NY1fIJrg4uhL9KylIFs1XvKTTxbr-BvGOGTQzodJAhCUS2UH6TiqXCTggXftRce9HxU4277apQ/s1600/untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL5UY7-jYG26A9J1CC1WPMFTyfFxrIXgKrIntX3ktUhnCkCZOtLU5_Igu8lMstBDf3NY1fIJrg4uhL9KylIFs1XvKTTxbr-BvGOGTQzodJAhCUS2UH6TiqXCTggXftRce9HxU4277apQ/s1600/untitled.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxHCFzbBCqYvkchfZste0cxyB5uOKEUhIAQSOKt6pz9QGdUKS4ZAA31rk05wTKPef2zj7YWpQ8VJDETWaLrI6nVDDj2iRcGNmWB1AS1nYQOHkhuh_h-jsvaHSLqWGt147OtUAW95ql3o/s1600/ofer_winter_letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxHCFzbBCqYvkchfZste0cxyB5uOKEUhIAQSOKt6pz9QGdUKS4ZAA31rk05wTKPef2zj7YWpQ8VJDETWaLrI6nVDDj2iRcGNmWB1AS1nYQOHkhuh_h-jsvaHSLqWGt147OtUAW95ql3o/s1600/ofer_winter_letter.jpg" height="400" width="288" /></a>Rav Moshe Weinberger was in Woodmere for Shabbos and, among other things, he read the widely circulated letter by Colonel Ofer Winter, which inspired and gave moral clarity to our entire people. Pending Rav Weinberger's review of my full write-up of the drasha, here is my translation of Colonel Winter's amazing letter (I included citations to psukim he obliquely referenced):</div>
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We have been
bestowed a great privilege to command and serve in the Givati Brigade at this
time. History has chosen us to be on the cutting edge of the war against the
terrorist enemy, the “one of Gaza” [cf. Yehoshua 13:3] who curses, reviles, and
defames the G-d of the battalions of Israel. [Cf. Dovid’s encounter with Golias,
the Plishti, Shmuel I 17:10, 26, 36, 45.] Let us prepare and ready ourselves
for this moment when we accept upon ourselves this mission with a sense of
agency and complete humility and with a readiness to put ourselves in danger or
give up our lives in order to protect our families, our nation, and our
birthplace.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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Let us work with resolve
and strength and with initiative, strategy, and hard work in our encounter with
the enemy. We will do everything we can to fulfill our mission to cut down the
enemy and to remove fear from the people of Israel. Our credo is “We do not
return before the mission is done.” Let us work and do everything we can to
bring back our boys in peace by utilizing every means at our disposal and with
any effort that is required.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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I am relying on you,
on each and every one of you, to do your duty in this spirit, the spirit of
Jewish warriors who go out in in front of the camp. “The spirit which is called
‘Givati.’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lift up my eyes to Heaven and
say with you, “Shma Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.” May Hashem, the
G-d of Israel, bring success in our mission in which we stand to do battle for
the sake of Your people Israel against the enemy who curses Your Name.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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In the name of the
warriors of the IDF generally, and in particular, in the name of the warriors
and commanders of our Brigade, may Hashem act and fulfill in us that which it
says in the pasuk, “Hashem your G-d goes out with you to do battle with your
enemies for you to save you” [Devarim 20:4], and let us say Amen.</div>
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</div>
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"Together, and only together, will we be victorious."</div>
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</div>
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Ofer Winter, Aluf Mishneh</div>
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</div>
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Commander, Givati Brigade</div>
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606399196932045640.post-48718592495458768532014-07-24T10:45:00.000-04:002014-07-24T10:45:20.710-04:00What the Chareidim Doing During the Gaza War - Nachal Chareidi and Lomdei Torah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEvEnPTYXkvv3FLwtAbXcmWKTuTkJUzCq39Yp_UvHwtvAcjas_INg4An-Z0aqSCvnyxeoN0eaz4hvDt4WMXt6KGF3eSa7ECWqwkzZQP68L3AX1pTmDTk9bgKjyeVSercB1zc4120rS5Y/s1600/article1_5b1fe72021b640a8bf5fab85ccd12246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEvEnPTYXkvv3FLwtAbXcmWKTuTkJUzCq39Yp_UvHwtvAcjas_INg4An-Z0aqSCvnyxeoN0eaz4hvDt4WMXt6KGF3eSa7ECWqwkzZQP68L3AX1pTmDTk9bgKjyeVSercB1zc4120rS5Y/s1600/article1_5b1fe72021b640a8bf5fab85ccd12246.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nahal Haredi Chayalim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Rabbi Tzvi Klebanow, CEO of the <a href="http://nahalharedi.com/">Nahal Haredi foundation</a>, sent me <a href="http://www.bhol.co.il/article.aspx?id=71348">this article</a> which describes what Nahal Haredi is doing now.</div>
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According to the article, dozens of Netzach Yehuda (the actual name of Nahal Haredi) chayalim have joined the battle in Gaza and many Netzach Yehuda reservists have also joined through other units. </div>
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</div>
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The unit's primary mission, keeping the Jenin and Tulkarem areas in Yehuda and Shomron secure is also continuing. They are handling security there, where periodic rock throwing and riots are breaking out.</div>
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</div>
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Meanwhile, Nahal Hareidi employs many rabbonim to serve the chayalim in Netzach Yehuda. And they have called upon the yeshivos and kollelim to dedicate their learning to the success of the IDF in general.</div>
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IY"H, with everyone doing their part, all of the chayalim and all of Am Yisroel will not see any more injured or killed, G-d forbid, and will see success in completely decimating Hamas!</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=225916</div>DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03713423988723533390noreply@blogger.com0