Audio Shiurim - Birkas HaTorah; Learning With Your Mind and Heart & Elokai Neshama

I am grateful to Rabbi Reuven Boshnack for sharing these shiurim with us and allowing me to post them.

Here is a three part shiur on Birkas Hatorah, Learning with Your Mind and Heart, by Rabbi Boshnack. You can and ought to get the maareh mekomos that were used during this three part shiur. You can download them in Word format here or here.

You can download PART ONE here or here or listen to the embeded player here:

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You can download part 2 of Birkas Hatorah, Learning with your Mind and Heart here or here or listen to the embeded player here:

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You may download to Part Three of Birkas Hatorah, Learning with your Mind and Heart here or here, or listen to the embed player on that shiur here:

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ALSO, He has given a shiur in the tefillah of Elokai Neshama, based on a teaching from Rav Kook. You can download the maareh mekomos in pdf format here or here. You can download that one here or here or listen to the embed player here:

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-Dixie Yid

(Picture courtesy of Beth El Jacob Synagogue in Des Moines, IA)

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Unbelievable Erev Shabbos Ma'aseh From Reb Elimelch of Lizhensk

Here's another amazing ma'aseh regarding the holiness of how one must prepare for Shabbos on Erev Shabbos, and do teshuva like it was Erev Yom Kippur. I heard this from my rebbe.

The Noam Elimelech, Rav Elimelech from Lizhensk had an erev Shabbos in his home and court like no one else. It was revealed to Tzaddikim in this world that the Chesed L'Avraham, Rav Avraham Azulai, the grandfather of the ChID"A, asked Rav Elimelech from Lizhensk, the Noam Elimelech, after both of them had passed from this world, the following question: "My seforim are so great and so beloved in Shamayim, that the Malachim up here are learning them personally. Yet when anyone mentions you're name, Reb Elimelech from Lizhensk, there is a huge noise and tumult. Why is that?"

The Noam Elimelch answered him that, "It is not that I am greater than you. That, of course is not the reason. Rather, it is because every Erev Shabbos in my house, it was like Erev Yom Kippur."

There is another story that comes from the Rebbe from Djikov. He was once in a certain city and heard that there was an old man there that worked as a young boy in the house of R' Elimelech. This man was very sick, and barely conscious and always layed down in bed. However, when he heard the Rebbe from Djikov say the name of Reb Elimelech and asked him what he remembered from the house, the man actually sat up in bed, trembling with fear. Tears poured down his face and he said:

"When I worked there, I remember that there were miracles happening from morning until evening every single day. But because I am old I do not remember any of these. What I do remember is that every Erev Shabbos, the Rebbe would come home from the Mikvah, and roll up his sleeves. He then proceeded, every single week, to place both of his arms into the fire and into the coals of the fire up to the elbow, sifting through the fiery coals. There were sparks and flames flying to the right and to the left. Yet he would not be burnt at all. And he would scream and cry at the top of his lungs so that everyone in the house and in the courtyard could hear, 'Meilech! Meilech! You're such a Rasha, even the flames run away from you! They want to stay so far away from you, they don't want to even burn you, Rasha!'

(Aparantly, as a young boy, he had once struck his mother and ever since then he dipped into the mikva of fire and the mikva of water, trying to cleanse himself of that and other aveiros.)

Watching and experiencing this sight every Erev Shabbos, the whole house was filled with fear and trembling and everyone did Teshuva. They all, from the simplest Jewish housekeeper in the house, begged and pleaded with each other to be forgiven for anything that they had done. But the minute that the Rebbetzin lit the Shabbos candles, the whole house was filled with joy from the beginning until the end of Shabbos."

Now, none of us will be placing our hands in fire or performing miracles. However, instead of just running around taking care of the errands of Erev Shabbos, we can make an effort to have a little bit more fear and eager anticipation that Shabbos is coming, and we can do teshuva, lest we come into the holy Shabbos with unclean hands. IY"H by us!

-Dixie Yid

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Rabbi Leff Speaking this Monday Night At Brooklyn College Hillel

My friend Rav Reuven Boshnack has asked me to post an announcement for an upcoming event at Brooklyn College Hillel this coming Monday night, November, 12, 2007 at 8:30 PM at the Brooklyn College Hillel. Rav Zev Leff will be speaking there and I encourage anyone who can come to do so!

You can click on the flyer to see it in full size.

-Dixie Yid

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The inconsiderate Meshulach & Judging Others

One morning recently, I was approached during davening by a person collecting money for himself, holding a certification from a rabbinical organization, showing that he was a good recipient for tzedaka. I handed him a dollar and asked for .50¢ change. He said he didn’t have change and walked away with the dollar bill.

Immediately, I felt annoyed. What did he think he was doing?! I considered following him and asking for my dollar back since he’d essentially taken it without my permission, or at least fifty cents of it. I wondered how he could live with himself, knowing he’d just walked away with some money from someone who didn’t agree to give it to him.

Then I remembered what the Baal Shem Tov said; that every time you see someone doing an aveira, Hashem is showing you that because you are guilty of the same thing.

Then I realized how I am, in fact, guilty of the same thing and have no place judging someone else. How many times have I taken a salary from my employer, who expects certain things in return from me. And then I turn around and basically say, “Well here’s the job that I can do. Hope it’s enough…” What I’ve done is basically say that I can’t do all of what’s asked of me, but I keep that paycheck anyway.

Alternatively, Hashem could have been telling me that I’m taking the benefits of this world, a beautiful family, good health, a home, a great rebbe, wonderful parents and in-laws, and many other things, but I’m telling Hashem that I cannot fully pay my bill for all of these great things. Just like that meshulach, tzedaka collector, I take things that were given to me with certain expectations, without fulfilling those expectations.

By judging that man harshly, therefore, I was judging myself. (As can be seen in the Meor Einayim and Ohr Gedaliyahu on Yom Kippur in the name of the Baal Shem Tov) Whatever that man may have done wrong is between him and Hashem. However, whether or not I learn what Hashem wants me to learn from having seen what I saw is up to my own free will.

May you and I merit to learn the lessons that Hashem intends for us from the things that we see around us!

-Dixie Yid

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R' Itchie Mayer Morgenstern from this week - Toldos 5768

You can download the 20 page pdf of Parshas Toldos from R' Itchie Mayer Morgenstern in Hebrew here or here.

And again, you can subscribe to the e-mails to get these Torahs in both English and Hebrew here: tc7(at)neto.bezeqint.net.

-Dixie Yid

(Picture courtesy of Gustav Dore)

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Uman Emergency - R' Brody's Full Update & What You Can Do About It

Rabbi Lazer Brody has the full story on what is going on with the corrupt Ukranian government officials that is threatening Jewish ownership and control of the Shul and area by Rebbe Nachman's kever in the Ukraine. You must read this and then please, contact your Senators, congressman, and the President to ask them to please intervene with the Ukranian government to save Uman! Regardless of where you live, you can contact them at the following links.

Use THIS LINK to find and contact your Congressman in the House of Representatives.

And CLICK HERE to e-mail or call your Senator about this.

And CLICK HERE to e-mail, call or write the President of the U.S. to ask him to intervene in this scandalous matter with the Ukranian government.

UPDATE: Here are the specific names that you should either contact or ask your representatives to contact. This is from R' Akiva at Mpaths.com.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States:

Dr. Oleh SHAMSHUR, "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary"
Mr. Olexandr ALEKSANDROVYCH, Embassy Minister-Counselor on Economic,
_Cultural_, and Informational issues.
Dr. Olexandr SCHERBA, Embassy Political Department - Counselor to
Congress & _Jewish organizations_.

Contact info: Ukrainian Embassy to the United States -
tel:1-202-333-0606, fax:1-202-333-0817

The US Congressional Ukrainian
Caucus in Congress are particularly good people to write to about this.

"The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus was founded in the House of
Representatives. At first it comprised about two dozens of
congressmen. Under able leadership of the co-chairs – Curt Weldon,
Marcy Kaptur, Sander Levin and Roscoe Bartlett it grew up to over 40
members from 12 states."

The United States Congressional Ukrainian Caucus -

Kaptur, Marcy (D-OH), Co-Chair
Levin, Sander (D-MI), Co-Chair
Bartlett, Roscoe (R-MD), Co-Chair
Gerlach, Jim (R-PA), Co-Chair

Andrews, Robert (D-NJ)
Berman, Howard (D-CA)
Bilirakis, Gus (R-FL)
Brown, Corrine (D-FL)
Crowley, Joseph (D-NY)
Davis, Danny (D-IL)
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln (R-FL)
Dogget, Lloyd (D-TX)
Engel, Eliot (D-NY)
English, Philip (R-PA)
Fossella, Vito (R-NY)
Guttierez, Luis (D-IL)
Hastings, Alcee (D-FL)
Hinchey, Maurice (D-NY)
Holden, Tim (D-PA)
Issa, Darrell (R-CA)
Kildee, Dale (D-MI)
Knollenberg, Joe (R-MI)
Kucinich, Dennis (D-OH)
Langevin, James R. (D-RI)
Lantos, Tom ( D-CA)
Lipinski, Dan (D-IL)
Lowey, Nita (D-NY)
McCotter, Thaddeus (R-MI)
McNulty, Michael (D-NY)
Miller, Candice (R-MI)
Pallone, Frank (D-NJ)
Pascrell, William (D-NJ)
Pelosi, Nancy (D-CA)
Rangel, Charles (D-NY)
Rothman, Steven (D-NJ)
Schakowsky, Jan (D-IL)
Schwartz, Allyson (D-PA)
Sherman, Brad (D-CA)
Slaughter, Louise McIntosh (D-NY)
Smith, Chris (R-NJ)
Walsh, Jim (R-NY)
Waxman, Henry (D-CA)
Weiner, Anthony (D-NY)
Wexler, Robert (D-FL)
Wilson, Joe (R-SC)

(List courtesy of the office of US Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.)

-Dixie Yid

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Why Did Chana Daven For an "Average Child?"

I received a beautiful mussar vort from Mr. Uberdox. It is copy/pasted below. Enjoy!

Dedicated by Manfred and Rose-Ellen Leventhal in loving memory of:
Yechiel ben Rav Pinchas, Gittel Rus bas Rav Meyer,
Meira Leah bas Rav Michael,
Elya Moshe ben Rav Yonah, Avraham Hillel ben Rav Yeshya - Z"L.

THE AGADATTA OF THE TALMUD\BRACHOS 31B

Rabbi Dimi said, "When Chanah, the Prophetess, prayed for a child, she prayed that her child should be average height, average build, average complexion, and average intelligence."

We all want our children to succeed in their life's mission. Chanah, who was childless for many years, surely wanted a child who would excel in Torah, character, and good deeds. If so, why did she pray for an "average child?"

In her modesty and wisdom, Chanah was aware that if a child stands out above his piers, he might cause distress to the other parents and children. Therefore, in a moving expression of sensitivity, she prayed for an average child in order to spare others the uncomfortable feeling of seeing another child "outshine" their own children.

Even after waiting many years for a child, she tempered her desire to bring a child into the world with consideration for the other members of her community. In this light, Chanah wanted a child who would be pleasing to both man and HaShem.

HaShem rewarded Chanah's heartfelt prayer by giving her a righteous son. Accordingly, she named him Shmuel, which means "HaShem has heard my prayer." Indeed, throughout the course of his lifetime he found special favor in HaShem's eyes. Ultimately, he became the greatest prophet of his time, yet conducted himself with great humility, earning the love and respect of his people.

May Chanah's remarkable compassion and goodness inspire us to be sensitive, kind, and considerate.

TODAY: Be careful to avoid words or actions that could be offensive to others.

To subscribe (free) to eMussar send email to salant@netvision.net.il
or visit our website www.salantfoundation.org

-Dixie Yid

(Picture courtesy of MazelTovPages.com)

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Shiur - Introduction to Kabbalah by R' Itchie Mayer Morgenstern

Thanks to an anonymous friend in Yerushalayim, you can listen to this very important 90 minute audio shiur, by Rav Itchie Mayer Morgenstern, which is an introduction to Kabbala in English. Most of the shiur covered the basics of kabbala. The end of the shiur consistes of a teaching from the sefer Eitz Chaim, the introduction to which is a pre-requisite for learning Kabbala.

This is the first in a series- next week will be learning from the sefer Eitz Chaim.

If you want to read R' Itchie Mayer's Torahs every week as they are given, click here for information on how to access these teaches in both English and Hebrew.

You may listen to the embeded player below or download the shiur here or here.

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-Dixie Yid

(Picture of the sefer Eitz Chaim by Rav Chaim Vital courtesy of Nehora)

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Keep the Shul and Area by Rebbe Nachman's Kever in Uman In Jewish Hands- UPDATED

Yeshiva World News is reporting that the area around the kever of Rebbe Nachman Mi'Breslov may be sold off to a Ukranian businessman and politian who holds a lein against the property. This would be a tragedy if it were to be allowed to happen.

As I understand it, Rav Nasan Maimon at the Breslov World Center is the primary organizer of the Uman Rosh Hashana programming and therefore, I suggest that you all contact him at: nasanm@gmail.com. Also, please visit the Breslov World Center website to get more information about their programs.

You may also send them donations to help pay off this debt and keep the Shul and area around Rebbe Nachman's kever in Jewish hands at:

Breslov World Center
5 Meah She'arim St.
Jerusalem, ISRAEL

Yasher koach.

Update: Update from Rabbi Lazer Brody as quoted at A Simple Jew:

This is an act of the Ukrainian mafia, which unrelentlessly has been extorting funds from Breslev, and extends from the local town council to the President, with everyone and their grandmother getting cuts on the way. They charged $300,000 for work in the Kloiz that they didn't do, and now - with Ukrainian interest - the tab has reached $5 million. HaRav Nasan Maimon has been having sleepless nights for a long time. We are working behind the scenes to get the intervention of the Israeli government in our behalf, but obviously, only Hashem can solve this problem. The answer - more tefilla, more hisbodedus, strengthening our hiskashrus, and understanding that everything Hashem does is for the very best.

SECOND UPDATE: There is a further update and more ideas for what you can do HERE.

-Dixie Yid

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Ma'seh w/Alter from Novardok & How Responsibility Creates New Abilities

My rebbe taught a huge yesod that regardless of a person's current kochos, abilities, when he must accomplish something, Hashem gives him the kochos to get it done. He told over a ma'aseh about the Alter from Novardok, which was quoted in a sefer by Rav Shmuel Birenbaum, the Mirer Rosh Yeshiva.

During World War I, there was no food or money in Europe and all of the yeshivos were forced to close down. There were no yeshivos learning Torah at that time in Europe. However, the Alter from Novardok made an announcement that spread around Eastern Europe and Lithuania like wildfire. He said that anyone who wanted to learn Torah, should come and he will provide them with food and a place to sleep. Talmidim flocked there and without any known resources to do so, through his leadership, he started 30 yeshivos, which were virtually the only bastions of Torah learning during that war.

Through tremendous sacrifice, he traveled all around raising money to feed all of these people, so he could keep his word. It got to the point that even though he had no money for these travels, since he was an old man, the anti-Semitic gentiles who operated the train, had mercy on him and let him hang onto the bars between the cars of the train, which he did all day and night on the ride between cities.

Someone asked him how he could do it. He answered that the way is that he never ever made a cheshbon, a calculation, "Am I able to do this." Rather, his calculation was "Does this need to be done?" That was all.

Making absolute decisions, and committing one's self to a decision is the way to cause Hashem to imbue you with kochos that you never had up to this point.

Before I started working in a secular job, I had difficulty being on time to a 7 AM minyan. I was never a morning person. I was the type of person who stayed up late and had a very difficult time getting up in the morning. Once I started working outside klei kodesh, I knew that I would not be able to learn at night. After a full day of work, I didn't think I would consistently be able to drag myself out of the house to learn, besides the irregularities in nighttime learning with simchas, meetings, and other things that interrupt the kevius, sacrosanct-ness, of such a seder in learning. So the only other option was getting up to learn before davening, which seemed like an impossibility, given my nature.

However, since it was a choice between essentially not learning virtually at all or finding a way to get up early, I was just started doing it, even without "knowing" that I could do it. I got up for a 5-7 AM seder in gemara. B"H, it is one of the most rewarding things I've done in my life and learning during that time is just magical.

When I started learning the Bilvavi seforim, I really had no good time to learn it with my little chaburah and all other times were taken by other things. I also didn't want to take away time from my seder in gemara b'iyun. So because I felt that there was no other choice (it's either learn at 4:30 AM or don't learn Bilvavi b'kevius at all), I was able to start getting up for that 4:30 seder.

So I can tell you from personal experience, even if you don't have the kochos for something, if you realize that it needs to be done, Hashem will give you the kochos to do it anyway!

May Hashem help all of us to stretch ourselves beyond our current vision of our own capacity to reach new heights!

-Dixie Yid

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Is Choosing Orthodoxy an Abdication of Choice?

Please click on over to Beyond BT for my guest posting on whether choosing to become Orthodox is really an abandonment of personal choice, and a cop-out escape method to avoid personal responsibility.

I include an interesting (in my opinion) short story about several of the conversations that I had with some of my local reform rabbis as I was becoming observant. Enjoy!

-Dixie Yid

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Audio Shiur - Channeling the Midos of the Avos into Tefilla

Reb Yerachmiel's Baltimore Community Kollel Rav Pincus Chaburah is now available for download. You can go to the esnips page for that file (caveat emptor: possible innappropriate pictures in the advertisements there) or download it directly RIGHT HERE.

Thanks again to Reb Yeracmiel for allowing me to be the unofficial online home for his shiurim. It's a great privilige and I really appreciate all of the positive feedback I've been getting about these shiurim. I have been passing it all on to Reb Yerachmiel. Here's the summary!

Approaching the first three berachos of Shemoneh Esrei through the Eyes of Rav Shimshon Pincus zt"l: Understanding how Hashem runs the world via the seemingly divergent channels of the "Chessed of Avraham" and the "Gevurah of Yitzchak"; and how both actually emanate from an infinite ocean that is the Kindness of Hashem.

-Dixie Yid

(The picture of the dam, a physical channeler of tremendous energy into a usable form, is courtesy of YangtzeRiver.org)

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Guest Post by Nossie Gross on Public vs. Private Grieving

Nossie Gross, from Zemer Orchestras in Baltimore, has written a guest post that I am posting below, reflecting on the ideas of public vs. private expressions of grief that A Simple Jew and I were discussing in our Q & A. He cites the Gemara in Chagiga 5b. You can see the text and translation in a bit larger form if you click on the picture above.

-Dixie Yid

Dear Dixie Yid,

Regarding your discussion about displaying sorrow, here
is an important source. The Gemara in Chagiga 5b describes Hashem’s display of
sorrow as being only in the inner chambers – while in the outer chambers there
is only strength and joy. I attached a pdf with the original gemara and an
approximate translation in case anyone would benefit from it.

I was at
the shiva of a great Rav/Rebbe here in Baltimore – Rav Amram Taub. He was an
amazing man with a smile that would light up a room. Joy was always on his face.
His face did not show the tragedies that he suffered in the Holacaust where he
lost his wife and all his children or the great suffering he had here in America
–losing his 2nd wife and raising his children alone and then losing a daughter
at a young age.

His children told us that he would say that a man’s face
is a “Reshus Harabim” – a public domain. Maybe he was referring to the concept
in this gemara. Hashem is not putting on a happy face in the outer chambers –
there is real joy. Hashem is not faking the sadness in the inner chambers – it’s
real tears. There can be what to cry about and at the same time great reason for
joy. For some reason – it seems that the place for the joy is where everyone can
see it – and the place for the sorrow is in private. This is not necessarily
referring to a levaya or shiva, where an outward display of joy seems
inappropriate, but it seems like very relevant concept nonetheless. Maybe the
sorrow is only in the inner chambers because while the sorrow and joy are both
real and may both be true – the one we need to spread to others is the joy.

Nossi

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Living as a Bas Noach - Alice's First Column at BreslovWold.com

Please click over and read Alice Jonsson's first column on living as a Ben/Bas Noach at Breslov World.com. You may remember her first essay as a guest post right here at Dixie Yid.

Great job Alice and keep up the good work! By the way, here's a picture of Rabbi Lazer Brody from his recent visit to Atlanta, GA, with Alice's son that she talks about in the column I linked to above at Breslov World:



-Dixie Yid

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Great Ma'aseh W/Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz for Shabbos

I heard a great ma'aseh about Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz from my rebbe, for Shabbos.

The Mirer Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, met another Alter Mirer in the Yeshiva on Friday night. He asked this other Talmid Chacham what he was doing for the seuda that night. He responded that he was hoping to be by the Rosh Yeshiva for the seuda. So Rav Chaim brought him home with him. At the beginning of the seuda, the Rebbetzin brought out the soup. After they finished, the Rosh Yeshiva asked that they be brought out seconds. The Rebbetzin brought out more. Then the Rosh Yeshiva asked for a third serving, and then a fourth.

Astonished, the Talmid Chacham asked Rav Chaim, while the Rebbetzin was in the kitchen, what had happened to him. He was worried that his holy friend from back in yeshiva had become a "fresser," a nosher.

The Rosh Yeshiva explained: When I give a shiur in the yeshiva, and there is a talmid that comes over to me after the shiur and asks me to repeat the shiur, it gives me a lot of nachas. Similarly, for the Rebbetzin, she puts a whole day in preparing her "shiur," the Shabbos seuda. In the beginning of the day, she had to go out to Machaneh Yehuda to buy the vegitables. That was one shiur. Then she went to cook them, but there was a problem with the oven fuel, so she had to go to a neighbor to get more propane for the oven. That was another shiur. I know that just like when I know that a Talmid benefited from a shiur because he asks me to repeat it, that I get nachas from that, so too my wife gets a lot of nachas when I ask her to repeat her "shiur" for me.

My rebbe connected the fact that Rav Chaim was so concerned with the "little things" relating to others' feelings, even during the exalted time of Shabbos, when one would think he would focus only on Torah, zemiros, etc, with a teaching on this point from Oros HaTeshuva by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook. In Oros HaTeshuva 14:33, Rav Kook writes that one must do Teshuva before Shabbos and after Shabbos. Before Shabbos for those aveiros that one did during the week, lest one come into Shabbos with the stain of those sins of the six days of the week. And one must do teshuva Motzoi Shabbos, for those "little" sins of Shabbos committed on Shabbos that weren't noticeable because of the great light of Shabbos.

It is possible to be so caught up in the holiness of Shabbos that one forgets about the little acts of consideration to others and their needs and feelings, especially those of your wife and children. One can also have impure motives and less than l'shem shamayim thoughts while doing the different good things one does on Shabbos.

May we learn the lessons from Rav Kook and Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz and not be such small people that we forget about the "small things" when we're working on the "big things."

-Dixie Yid

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