Parshas Bechukosai- Hod

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BSD
This week of Hod stands out of all the weeks in Sefirat HaOmer as having two minor Yom Tov days. The first day of Hod is Pesach Shaini, and the fifth day of Hod is Lag BaOmer. The Zohar highlights this as very significant. The illumination and inspiration of Pesach lasts for one full month, until the 14th day of Iyar. Then, this spiritual light begins to weaken. Hashem, in His mercy, grants us a day of Pesach Shaini, when we can re-tap into Pesach energy, and this new burst of inner Torah inspiration then lasts another one week. And so, if we have not paid attention to the daily inner spiritual work of Omer until now, Pesach Shaini comes to remind us that we have an extension. The following weeks of Yesod and Malchus are of a different quality altogether, basically rooting themselves in the work we have done on self improvement for the five preceding weeks.
Hod is the easiest of character traits to consider working on. It means true gratitude for all the kindnesses bestowed upon us by our Creator and Sustainer. We are given the chance to thank Hashem for all the circumstances in our lives. Everything from health to wealth, from possessions to experiences, from relationships to situations. We also have the chance to meditate and to realize that all is for the best, all is truly good. Nothing comes from Hashem that is not good. This is the meditation for the week of Hod.
Hakol Tov, Hakol LeTova. All is good. And all that is missing from a person to grasp and integrate this fact is correctable in this week of Hod.
Try this. Think of the saddest, most disappointing event or situation in your life. Then, begin to thank Hashem for it. Have a ‘thank you’ conversation, even if it seems hypocritical or ridiculous. Do this for a few days. See if things change, either within your own perspective, or in the situation itself.
It’s very important for each of us to understand how to put the world, and our own individual lives into proper perspective. There are two tracks, two Maslulim that Hashem is operating on. On one hand, there is the upheaval going on in the world at large. Weather patterns are going crazy, economies going crazy, terrorists going crazy and conspiracy theorist thriving on it all. That is the big, global picture and it is awesome and inspiring. The Yad Hashem is impossible to miss. Hashem is bringing the judgments onto the nations of the world, as promised and predicted in all of out neviim-prophets.
Then, there are the final and perhaps most difficult individual soul repairs – Tikkunim that are being visited on many of our People. Each of you knows of someone going through an unnaturally hard Nisayon-challenge.
The idea is to keep both thoughts in mind- Hashem is at one time, bringing the global end game into the final stage and bringing Mashiach. At the same time, each of us has a private life to live and final opportunities to catch.
Rebbe Nachman would say that Hashem talks to each person all the time. How? By sending situations, conversations, news reports and people into our lives. Each is a message. We have the ability to hear and read these messages, and we must not ignore them. They are always to encourage, direct and teach. Mostly to encourage.
In the Haftorah of Bechukotai, Yirmiyahu the Navi reminds us that the person who puts trust in Hashem is always safe and successful. That’s our job lately- to strengthen this trust in Hashem, deepening our conviction that He is in charge, and Hashem is directing His world and His history in His wisdom. We are privileged to be here for the ride. Fasten seatbelts and let’s see how Hashem Yilachem Lachem, V’Atem Tacharishun!!
икониикониПравославни икониикони на светцииконописikoniсвети георгиikoniхудожник на икониИкони на светци

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Dinim

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кухненски диваниBSD
The world is being judged in Mishpat of Bain Adam Lachavairo. The nations of the world have been exposed in the biggest Richilus-Lashon Hara crime of humanity. They are reeling in humiliation. Their governments and ‘kings’ are disgraced. This is how the Neviim predicted that the end of days would look.
And yet, we here in Eretz Yisrael were also afflicted, with the fire of Chanuka flaring up to consume much land in the north.
Lives were lost and land was scorched.
What is the reactions of the nations and their leaders to WIkiLeaks? Anger, more power control and accusations.
What is the reaction of the Nation of Israel to the fires?
Prayer, Teshuva Tzedaka.
The Kotel was abuzz until all night with communal prayer and holiness.
Calls from even the most secular Israeli politicians were for Tefilla.
Another point to make- various nations if the world volunteered to come to our aid. This is a very big spiritual event. Nations coming to our aid in a tragedy.
Perhaps among the myriad reasons and tikunim is this one- to give the nations an opening even within their time of MIshpat, to do a bit of Chesed and Teshuva.
Certainly, while they are being judged for injustice Bain Adam LaChaveiro, we, the holy Nation of Israel must make every effort to be perfect in this area.
The Rabanim said many Tehilim responsively at the Kotel last night and also stressed the need for Tzedaka and they also said Nishmat and Shir Hashirim.
We were told years ago that the last tests would be about Emuna…and that the story of Eliyahu Hanavi on Har Karmel would be repeated- but that the outcome would be different and that we would be tested in Emuna davka from such an experience. Do we still believe whole-heartedly that Hashem is redeeming us with every event…and that we, Israel, are worthy of redemption? This is one of the tests right now…Even though things are challenging, to hold on to the belief and knowledge that we will be redeemed…
May the fires turn into the fires of consolation and the holy fire of Torah.
The Bais Hamikdash was taken from us in fire, but will be restored to us and come back down again here, in FIRE..
Besorot Tovot and Shabbat ShalomПравославни икониИкониПравославни икониikoniикони на светциИдея за подаръкикони

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Yeshiva Simchat Shlomo

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кухненски масиBSD
Dear Friends,
Please help keep the wonderful learning at Simchat Shlomo by coming to classes in Nachlaot today, and whenever you can. The program, run by R Sholom Brodt is one of the most special learning programs that I know of. R Sholom and his wife Judy are Moser Nefesh to keep their home, hearts and souls open to every Jew regardless of affiliation or level of observance. It is my privilege to teach their and I am asking you all to help by your presence and if possible, by your presents to the program.
Every shekel-dollar is used to help spread loving Torah to all Jews…May you be blessed…Please see their schedule at:

http://www.shlomoyeshiva.org/course-schedule/

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Best Updated Rosh Hashana explanation- from R Tzvi Freeman @ Chabad.org

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BSD
MAY WE ALL HAVE THE MOST BLESSED AND SWEET NEW AND UPCOMING YEAR, REVEALED SWEETNESS AND REVEALED TOTAL REDEMPTION. HERE IS THE WAY R TZVI FREEMAN EXPLAINS THE MINDSET AND EVENTS OF ROSH HASHANA.
KETIVA VACHATIMA TOVA TO YOU ALL, AND TO ALL OF KLAL YISRAEL

Question: Every one else has a great time celebrating their new year. Why do we take ours so seriously? What’s this whole judgment deal? Why all the prayers? Can’t we just party?

Response:

If you would know the drama that’s going on, you would zip out of the wildest party to be there. Imagine the entire universe in reboot. Imagine a mega-surge of creative energy, enough to power the whole of reality for an entire year. Imagine a system loading parameters for every galaxy, star, planet, organism, cell, protein, molecule and atom over a 48 hours period and you’re starting to get the idea. And you? You are adjusting the input at every step.

You see, time doesn’t run smoothly. It’s not just some steady stream, like a train of cars one neatly shlepped after the other. It’s more like a pulse, with each new moment carefully and deliberately articulated through the medium of a cosmic soul that powers all life and existence. Every year, that packet of energy slips back to its primal zero-state. From this point on–the night of Rosh Hashanah–the universe is effectively on life-support. It receives just the juice it needs so that it will not utterly recede back to nothingness.

When the shofar is blown the next day, a new vitality of a higher order than any that preceded it enters time and space. Now get this: Time is also a creation. So time is also renewed. The past now exists as a consequence of the present–something like if you had rebooted in the middle of watching a video and now continued from where you left off. As far as you know, the old past may have been a very different past. But you couldn’t know. All you know is this past that was loaded into the prams at reboot. And since this vital force is a new force on a qualitatively different level than whatever came before, this new past is truly new.

Why the judgment? Well, you can’t just feed anything into the system. The energy source we are discussing is unlimited, but the target system–our reality–has discrete parameters. Rebooting without taking those parameters into account could be like plugging your laptop directly into the 22.5 gigawatt current blasting out of the power plant on the Yangtze. And infinitely worse.

So there’s gotta be an accounting made. Like your laptop, the parameters of the physical universe are set at the core level. In this case that means human consciousness. As far as the Creator is concerned, His entire universe is nothing more than a human observation. All He needs to do then, is to look into the state of that consciousness and accordingly adjust the flow of current.

That’s empowering. Because you see those parameters of human consciousness are dynamic and not determined by the system. They are determined by us. If we open them up, they contain more–and more is given. Tighten them and the conduits of life tighten along with them.

Now comes the vital information: What is open and what is tight? This is kind of counter-intuitive. In the words of the dean of the heavenly academy (cited in the Zohar, an encoded manual for system maintenance), “Big is small and small is big.” Unencrypted: Make yourself big and you can’t contain anything, make yourself small and you can contain the unlimited.

That’s what we are doing on Rosh Hashanah: Making ourselves very small. Expanding our little minds to a state of realization that, hey, there is something bigger than me–and not just elephants. And maybe even, hey, I didn’t make this place. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. It’s totally unprogrammable, undecodable and ungeekly. And here I am, just another artifact of the system observing itself from inside of it. I could be re-scripted or even deleted from the code altogether at the whim of Whoever Is Running This. And now that Whoever is asking me to discuss with Him the plans for the coming reboot.

In a state of utter awe and wonderment, the Reboot finds its most fertile soil.

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Shiurim In N.Y.

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BSD
With Hashem’s help, I will be in NY from July 21-Aug 4.
To schedule a Shiur or a private meeting, you can email me at Kolrena@gmail.com or call 917 832 9121.
Looking forward to seeing you and to a complete Geula soon, B’ Rachamim…

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Seeing Hashem In Current Events

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BSD
The Tzaddikim were always conscious of the Yad Hashem in world events and often pointed out Hashgachat Hashem just by hearing ‘what’s going on in the world’.
We don’t yet have prophecy restored, but we do have the ability to observe and to ponder…
So, I can’t help but see the Geula coming closer, in a very natural way..and the Dinim on the Nations who have made things hard for us…
The Gulf of Mexico is filling with pollutants, making its water unsafe and unusable.
And here in Hashem’s Land, the Israeli Water Commission has announced the opening of the world’s largest desalination plants, predicting that, with Hashem’s help, Israel will soon be able to clean and use Mediterranean water, even to the point of redirecting the water to the Kinneret and refilling the Jordan, and the Dead Sea.
Chasdei Hashem.
May we keep seeing Hashem’s miraculous intervention and graciousness to us, His Children, here in His Land.

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Parshas Bamidbar 5770

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BSD
Parshas Bamidbar

The Slonimer Rebbe in Nesivos Shalom points out the Medrash that says that the Torah was given with fire, water and in the desert. Fire surrounded Har Sinai, the Torah teachings nourished and revived us like water and all this happened as the Jewish Nation stood in the wilderness.

The metaphor is clear- fire represents serving Hashem with passion, energy and striving upward. It also represents Yir’at Hashem- fear of losing His closeness, awe of His greatness.

Water represents the concept of serving Hashem with love. It also contains the element of humility, since water, as opposed to fire, tends to go from a higher elevation to a lower one.

In the physical world, fire and water are opposites. In the world of the spirit, they don’t cancel each other out, but they complement and complete each other.

These weeks of Sefirat HaOmer were meant to be a time of elevation, of self correction, of preparation for the yearly spiritual adventure of Kabbalat HaTorah, receiving of the Torah. We are beginning the last week of Omer.
So, what if your Sefirat HaOmer has not been a time of growth, of self correction or a time of inspiration? What if you’ve just been concerned with ‘regular’ life, and have not felt an upgrade in your spiritual life?

The Rebbe says that the answer is to go to the third element of Kabbalas HaTorah- the desert. We might not be in awe or in love with Hashem and His Mitzvos right now, but we can be Mevatel ourselves to Hashem and His Mitzvos.

Mevatel means to put your own apparent desires aside when they conflict with Torah. It means to stay committed to the actions of Torah. It means to humble yourself to commit to Torah life, despite the lack of inspiration.

Bitul is about a decision to commit yourself to the Torah. It is about recommitting to thousands of years of Jewish history, to your Land and destiny. Bitul reminds us that the body is the vehicle of the soul, that which allows the soul to manifest and express itself. The body and soul made a pact to serve each other- the soul enlivens the body and the body allows to soul to perform physical actions.

Putting the ego first is the opposite of Bitul. Committing to acting the right way, the Torah way, is the key for any Jew, inspired or not, to receive his or her portion in the Torah on Shavuous.

This is an interesting time in world history. Not a day goes by without some global change. The economy of the world, particularly Europe has been hit. It is not a coincidence that the Icelandic volcano began to disrupt Europe on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust day. It is not a coincidence that Europe is covered in ashes.

The ashes of our brothers and sisters were also scattered by the Europeans just a few decades ago. Hashem is great and His justice is great.

May we see the true and everlasting Geula BeRachamim in these days.

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Lag BaOmer 5770

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BSD
LAG BAOMER 5770

MI KE’AMCHA YISRAEL
Having just returned from Meron with the music still ringing in my ears and the light still shining in my eyes, I want to share two stories with you that touched my heart.
The first was one that I heard on the bus going up to Rashbi from the head of one of the seminaries here in Yerushalayim. In his words:

“My first experience with Meron on Lag Ba’omer left me speechless. Well, perhaps not speechless…perhaps that was the problem. As a regular Yeshiva Bachur, I was used to the discipline, the dignity and the Derech Eretz of Torah and B’nai Torah. The wildness of Meron shocked me. The music, dancing, merriment that bordered on Tohu, disturbed me. Those were days in my life when I was in a religious fervor of Emes and I remarked to a friend that in my humble opinion, Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai must be ‘turning over in his grave’.

No sooner had I said this, when I saw something that verified my fears- some young man, apparently very merry and borderless, began to start up with one of our students. I ran over to defend her, and the man began chasing her, and then me with a large stick. He could barely walk a straight line, this young man, and I just ran around, dodging him, until all the girls from the group were safely away and he had run out of strength.

Frustrated by his inability to hurt me ( I have no doubt that when he came back to his sober self, he would never have wanted to do any harm…), he tried to wield his piece of wood towards me, but it finally got the better of him and he dropped it. In the end, all he could get out was a big mouthful of spit, hurled forcefully towards me and landing on my shoulder.

Back on the bus, we all had a good laugh but I began to ponder. Why had this happened to me- and on Lag Ba’omer no less, in the holy resting place of Rashbi? Thinking back to the events prior to the ‘attack’, I decided it was because I had criticized Jews- albeit inadvertently and certainly without wanting to damage anyone. Who was I to say anything about Rebbe Shimon’s opinion of the revelry at his Tzion on his Yahrtzeit? This is his day, he ‘invites’ all the Neshamos that need his specific method of Tikun to come to him. He certainly loves and accepts all of us, despite our wrongdoings. This is his party- who am I to say anything against anyone who heard the inner call to come and be elevated?

I decided then and there never to criticize any Lag Ba’omer event in Meron- for there are things going on there in the souls of Jews that we just don’t quite understand.”

When the Rav told this over, in his self effacing and humble way, it made me think of all the potential that this story contained. It could have been said as a warning to the girls we were taking up to Rashbi to be in their guard. It could’ve been turned into stam Leitzanus, a good funny joke, another Israeli chutzpa story. It was a good entertainment possibility, as our patience was tested time after time with traffic and well meaning but sometimes unorganized traffic managers… Instead, it described the midda of the day- humility, acceptance of every Jew and faith in the power of the true Tzaddikim to enlighten and inspire.

The second story was told to me by a friend on Erev Shabbos, in front of the fruit store…
It seems that a newborn girl was diagnosed with blindness in one eye. The devastated young parents went to their Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Sheinberg Shlita with the news and in need of advice. He told them, “Lag Ba’omer is coming up soon and the light emanating from the holy Rashbi on that day is very great. Your daughter needs to see, and Rebbe Shimon enlightens all of our eyes. Take her there and may Hashem help.”

The young couple made the difficult trip with their infant to Meron. Anyone who has made the trip knows it’s often arduous, and although worth every minute, it takes much inner strength and determination. The young couple made it up to Meron and the father actually took his young daughter into the Tzion, and placed her directly on the Matzaiva of Rashbi.

The next week, the doctors were amazed to reconsider their original diagnosis and pronounce this baby totally fine.

But to me, the biggest miracle of Meron is the fact that although hundreds of thousands of Jews of all stripes and types arrive and stay in the tiny area of Rashbi’s cave, never was there a terror attack or violence. There is virtually no security to speak of, no screening, no searching and no metal detectors to walk through.

Hashem takes very good care of his kids.

Maybe one of the reasons for the extra care is the food lining the sides of the streets, with people literally begging you to eat something, and in doing so, to merit them with the Mitzvah of Hachnasos Orchim.

As our trip came to a close, we told the girls to meet us by the big Chabad balloon, which would be bobbing on the Chabadnik who stands next to the bouncing Breslovers, who share their music with the Rav Ifergan Sefardim who also support the Ethiopians and who are next door to Yad L’Achim saving women from Arabs and kids from missionaries, who enjoy the food from the Tzefat Rabanut, next to the Shtefenesh tent…sounds like the enhanced version of Chad Gadya…

May all who came to Meron see with physical eyes the Brachos of the Rebbe come true, may all who sent messengers to daven for them also see their Yeshuos and may all of Klal Yisrael have all their Yeshuos and come next year to the great Lag Ba’omer parade that will begin in Meron and dance straight to the rebuilt Bais Hamikdash.

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