Photo of the Day - The Whole World?

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Lubavitcher Rebbe on How Gerim Had a Jewish Spark Before Conversion

We posted on this also here and here. Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox or here to subscribe in Google Reader.

"Kivinu Kol Ha’Yom" – Yearning All Day Long - Audio Shiur

Have you recently contemplated the phrase we say in davening each day: "Ki Leshuascha Kivinu Kol Ha’Yom"?

Have you thought about the basic meaning of these words: “Because we yearn for Your salvation all day long.”

If so, have you asked yourself about the accuracy and truthfulness of these words as they relate to your own life? Do we truly yearn for Moshiach? Baruch Hashem we do. But “all day long”?! How is this to be understood, davened and lived?

In this sixth shiur on berchas "Es Tzemach Dovid" in Shemoneh Esrei, Reb Yerachmiel analyzes the phrase "Kivinu Kol Ha’Yom" and provides numerous mahalchin in halacha and hashkafa to support the voracity of these words within the context of our own lives.

Click below to get the shiurim by either left clicking on the links to listen right away or right clicking and selecting "Save Target As" to download.

Part 1
Part 2

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Derech Hamelech Needs Help to Continue Its Unique Role Among Yeshivos

Dear Friends and Family of Derech HaMelech, PLEASE take the time to read this important message!

As we conclude the fourth successful year of Derech HaMelech, we are also about to complete the last portion of our smicha program. In a few weeks, the members of our kollel, many of whom have formed the backbone of the yeshiva since its inception, will receive rabbinical ordination after having completed a rigorous curriculum in practical Jewish Law. The young men have spent the past three years studying the laws of kashrus, Shabbos, and family purity at the highest level of scholarship. The group is scheduled to receiving comprehensive testing from Rav Mordechai Friedlander, Rav Asher Weiss, and Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg prior to their ordination.

We extremely proud of their monumental accomplishment, having personally witnessed how far each one has individually come from the time that they first arrived at the yeshiva all those years ago. Many of them had never even experienced learning from the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law. Now they have become real first class scholars and are all ready to go on to become leaders of the Jewish people. Of course none of this could have been possible without the unending devotion of Rosh Kollel, Rabbi Yeshua Levine, whose expertise and clarity has lifted everyone up to a new level.

In addition to this, over the past four years of Derech HaMelech’s existence, we have helped spiritually and physically to marry off over 30 students, we have trained dozens of them to go on to become sofrim, ritual scribes, and helped countless more to find their own personal connection with Torah and divine service so that they will eventually be ready to raise beautiful Jewish families of their own. Our website receives thousands of visits each month and enables the greater English speaking public around the world to gain from our inspirational classes in Chassidic thought, Talmudic history, and Jewish Law all for free. We have already surpassed our highest expectations and we will continue to reach our dreams and goals in the future, b’ezras Hashem.

As we all know, this has been a difficult year for everyone. Although we are all struggling to make ends meet, yeshivas and other non-profit organizations have been hit the hardest. Unfortunately, Derech HaMelech is no exception. Personally I have incurred tremendous personal debt over the past four years in order to keep the yeshiva going. This year alone, the yeshiva has taken on a critical deficit. As much as I wish that I could continue to shoulder this burden alone, I am forced to turn to the greater Derech HaMelech community to help us to continue. With your help, MUST raise $40,000 in the next few weeks in order to open our doors in Elul. We won’t be able to meet this goal unless we all make a conscious effort to keep this special Torah community alive. We strongly believe that we can do it—but we need help from each and every one of you.

Derech HaMelech continues to fill a gap in the English speaking yeshiva system in Israel, offering warmth and spirituality together with the highest level of Torah study. Based on our unparalleled successes over the past four years, we believe that Derech HaMelech must continue to exist to provide our present and future students with the tools to live their lives according to the Torah and to go on to help to make the world a better place. If everyone who shares this dream with us were to chip in, there is no question that we can continue to make this dream into a reality.

With all of our best wishes and gratitude,

Baruch Gartner

P.S. Please feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions of how you can help.

The easiest way to donate is thru our website (For online donations, scroll to the bottom of the page).

Or checks can be sent to our New York office
c/o Rabbi Yoseph Abramowitz
Yeshivas Derech Hamelech
1846 49th street
Brooklyn NY 11204

R. Baruch Gartner
Founder and Dean
Yeshivas Derech HaMelech
972-52-773-3836(Israel)
410-608-3836(US)
www.derechhamelech.org
baruchgartner@derechhamelech.org

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Why Have Stringencies Increased Through the Ages?

Bilvavi 5 - Pirkei Avodah u'Machshava - Ma'amar 42

Everything that exists in the world of Nefesh (individual souls)
exists also in the worlds of shana (time) and olam (space/place).

Many things that used to be permitted because the Torah allowed them
have become forbidden since matan Torah through various takanos and
gezeiros miderabbanan, rabbinic decrees.

Every posek or opinion in Chazal speaks and paskens according to the
root source of that person's soul, and this is the ratzon Hashem
because He created those people from their own specific source for a
Reason and caused the rules of psak to accomodate a wide variety of
results.

Therefore those piskei halacha rooted in the world of nefesh of those
poskim/divrei Chazal, found their expression in those places (Olam)
and times in history (shana) to which they were appropriate.

Because the generations have decreased in holiness and purity since
Creation,and because permittedness (koach d'heteira) is rooted in
purity/holiness and forbiddenness is rooted in tumah/impurity, as the
world has descended to greater impurity, the power of forbiddenness
has increased, as we have seen.

This is obviously G-d's will because it is the product of His
infinitely exact providence.

One question I have on these ideas is whether the author means that
forbiddenness is itself an expression of the koach of impurity that
has increased or whether he means that strictness/forbiddenness is
merely the correct response to the existance of the greater presence
of impurity?

Toiling in BigLaw or in Torah?

I first have to appologize for my lack of original posts in these last couple of months. One of the major reasons has been the fact that my time and headspace have been taken up by my summer associateship in biglaw. But that fact begs the deeper question of what the point of all of that extensive hishtadlus, toil, is.

In Ma'amar 40 of the section of Bilvavi Vol 5 called "Pirkei Avodah U'Machshava," the mechaber discusses fundamental yesodos in understanding the conflict between yediah (G-d's knowledge, which, I think, is synonmous with the idea of hashgacha pratis, specific Divine Providence over every detail of creation) and bechira (man's free choice). He points out that, among other things, a person has to have a lot of wisdom to know when to approach his avodah in this world through the lens of yediah and when to look at it through the lens of bechira.

It goes without saying that we are obligated to choose to keep halachah, since Hashem told us "Uvacharta VaChayim" in the Torah, thus not only affirming the existance of free, will but obligating us to exercise it to make choices that conform to His will.

But in reality, yedias Hashem/hashgacha pratis covers every single aspect of life. Rav Shwartz points out the sliding scale that exists with regard to how much hishtadlus, toil, is necessary to "make" a parnasa. If one lives in the world of yediah, he is aware that Hashem decrees everything and that he will only make the amount of money that Hashem decreed. His toil for parnasa does not make one iota of a difference in what he will actually make because his livelihood is entirely made through hashgacha pratis. Even according to the simple understanding of "hakol biydei Shomachim Chutz MiYiras Shomayim," "everything is in the hands of heaven except the fear of heaven," parnasa is certainly in the category of things that are in the hands of heaven. So one living on the level of yediah, like Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai doesn't have to make any effort towards parnasa because he is filled with the consciousness that it is all from Hashem anyway.

It is only from the perspective of bechira, where I feel that the toil that I choose to exert has some relationship to my parnasa, that I will feel the need to work for my parnasa. And to the extent that I feel a connection between my work and the money that I make, I will have to work to make that parnasa. This perspective, to one extent or another, covers most of us because we do not really feel, deep inside, that it all comes from Hashem. That is why the Gemara says "Harbei asu k'Rashbi, v'lo alsah b'yadam." "Many tried to do like Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai (not to work for parnasa at all, but only to learn Torah) but they were unsuccessful.

Although I certainly know people who work harder than I have to this summer and harder than I will probably have to work even when (IY"H!) I start as an actual associate, my field is certainly one which which "requires" a lot of toil, parnasa. One reason I am going this route is because I have learned in kollel and even tried to do a job where there was the potential to make a lot of money without the necessity for as much toil. In either case, the parnasa was not and seems that it would not have been on the level that my family would have needed to thrive without the need for matnas basar v'dam.

But "כִּי-אָדָם, לְעָמָל יוּלָּד," "man was created to toil" (Iyov 5:7) If that toil is not in Torah with an conscious feeling that everything in parnasa comes directly from Hashem and not through our hishtadlus, then that toil will be in hishtadlus for parnasa. While I may have been learning Torah, I was not toiling in Torah and since I wasn't toiling in parnasa either, it was decreed (I think) that I learn how to toil by toiling in law school and in parnasa.

IY"H, may I be zocheh to start to see the disconnect between my hishtadlus and my parnasa so that I may be able to move at least somewhat down the path toward greater ameilus in Torah/Yiras Shomayim and less toil in parnasa.

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Audio of Eitan Katz Kumzitz in Baltimore - Shomrei Emunah

With thanks to Reb Yerachmiel for providing this recording, I wanted to share the following audio of the kumzitz held by Eitan Katz at the Shomrei Emunah Shul in Baltimore on Motzoi Shabbos May 23rd. I had posted that event here. It is a beauuuuutiful audio, especially part 3.

Click on one or all of the following three sections of audio to get the clips either by left clicking to listen right away or right clicking and selecting "Save Target As" to download.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

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Bilvavi Beis with Rabbi Boruch Leff of Baltimore - Audio Shiur

Rabbi Boruch Leff has been mezakeh us with Part the final part of his series of shiurim on Bilvavi Vol. 2, Chapter 12. The shiur discussed how buying cereal become a holy event, how is life like being held upside down over Niagara Falls, how can I practically fulfill Shivisi Hashem L'Negdi Samid, and whether I have a good life chavrusa.

CLICK HERE to get the shiur!

P.S. You can get "Shabbos in My Soul," Volumes 1 and 2 by Rabbi Leff, for the price of one, HERE.

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"Ki LeShuascha Kivinu" - Audio Shiur by Reb Yerachmiel

Baruch Hashem, in this fifth shiur on berchas "Es Tzemach Dovid" in Shemoneh Esrei, Reb Yerachmiel discussed the fundamental kavanas of both the "head" and "heart" ingrained in the phrase "Ki LeShuascha Kivinu". If said kavana is not "shgurah beficha" this is a must listen, as the ripple effects of this phrase range from the vital bear minimum of what it means to be a Jew, to the far-reaching-realms of meriting Olam Haba and having a hand in the bringing of Yemos Ha'Moshiach even TODAY!

CLICK HERE to get the shiur by either left clicking to listen right away or right clicking and selecting "Save Target As" to download.

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Breslov Chassidus on the Parsha - The Land that Consumes Its Inhabitants

B"H, we are zocheh to present Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky's shiur on Breslov Chassidus for women. In this shiur, the Rebbetzin gives over Likutei Moharan I:129.

CLICK HERE to listen!

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Rav Nassan Maimon of Breslov in Cedarhurst at 8 PM Tonight!

Rav Nassan Maimon of the Breslov World Center, a great master of Rebbe Nachman's teachings and organizer of the annual Uman Rosh Hashana program, will be speaking at 8 PM tonight for men only at the home of Avi Weiss:

493 Oxford Rd.
Cedarhurst, NY 11516

Audio Shiur on "Es Tzemach Dovid" - Tefillos for Moshiach ben Yosef

In this fourth shiur on berchas "Es Tzemach Dovid" in Shemoneh Esrei, Reb Yerachmiel introduced us to a tzaddik in need of our tefillos. His name is Moshiach ben Yosef. And his future depends on us.

Highly important and practical shiur on a seldom explored topic which truly requires our tefillos.

Click on PART 1 and PART 2 to get the shiur by either left clicking to listen right away or right clicking and selecting "Save Target As" to download the wav file to your system.

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Kavod Harav, Kavod of Clothing, Drawing Down Torah - Rebb. Golshevsky Audio Shiur

Continuing Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky's shiurim for women on Breslov Chassidus, the following shiur covers the drawing down of new Torah concepts, kavod haRav, and the kavod of clothing. It is based on Likutei Moharan I:126-127. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE to download.

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R' Leff on Bilvavi Beis - Everything is in the Hands of Heaven, Even Yiras Shomayim?

Rabbi Boruch Leff has been mezakeh us with Part 3 of his series of shiurim on Bilvavi Vol. 2, Chapter 12. The shiur discussed the concept of davening for everything in our lives, even spiritual success. But where's free will if G-d is giving me my spiritual success? Are you allowed to ask for things on Shabbos? Why should we daven so that we should be able to daven?

CLICK HERE to get the shiur!

P.S. You can get "Shabbos in My Soul," Volumes 1 and 2 by Rabbi Leff, for the price of one, HERE.

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Bilvavi Vol. 2 and Da Es Atzmecha in English Now Available in the U.S.!

Da Es Atzmecha in English now available in the U.S.! Getting to Know Yourself

Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Vol 2 now available in the U.S. in English! Building a Sanctuary in the Heart

HT Steven Frankel and A Simple Jew

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