New Sefer

There is a new sefer from the Rebbe Shlita on Chanuka called מוסיף והולך that can be purchased at finer bookstores in the States, as here.

Exciting!

Location Location Location

Three men are in the maternity waiting room at Hadassah Hospital in Israel. A doctor comes in and says to the first man, "Mazel Tov, your wife just gave birth to quadruplets!"
The man replied, "Wow, what a coincidence, I live in Kiryat Arbah and arba is four."
Another doctor comes in and says to the second man, "Mazel Tov! Your wife just gave birth to septuplets."
The second man replies, "I can't believe it. What a coincidence -- I live in Be'er Sheva, sheva is seven."
Just then, the third man faints and thuds onto the floor. The others rush over to him and one of the doctors is able to revive him. "Sir" he says, "what happened? Are you alright?"
The man looks at the doctor and smiles weakly, "I live in Meah Shearim.

Nachas

Two women meet on the street.
"Molly, I understand you have a mazal tov coming to you."
"Oh yes -- my daughter is getting married."
"Isn't that wonderful! And who's the lucky man?"
"David is the chief surgical resident at Cedars-Sinai Hospital."
"That's wonderful. But wait -- I thought he was a professor."
"Oh no, that was her previous husband -- a law professor at Yale."
"My goodness, that's really something. Then why do I seem to remember a psychiatrist?"
"You must be thinking of Saul, her first husband."
"Oh Molly, you're a lucky women. Imagine, having so much naches, from just one daughter!"

Don't Run Away

There is a story of the Alter Rebbe, as told by Reb Mottel Slonimer, who is known as one of the most accurate transmitters of chassidic stories, as follows: The Alter Rebbe was at a crossroads early in his life. He was one of the most successful young scholars in Europe and had already mastered the Talmud and halachic authorities. At that point, he felt that he had two choices; to study with the Gaon of Vilna or the Magid of Mezrich. He first chose to study with the Magid of Mezrich.  Although this is not part of Reb Mottel Slonimer’s tradition, it is told that the Alter Rebbe explained his decision to study with the Magid rather than the Gaon of Vilna by saying, “I already know how to learn a little bit, but I haven’t yet learned how to daven.” 

The Alter Rebbe studied with the Magid for several weeks, but he felt that he had not found himself; that the Magid of Mezrich was not the right Rebbe for him. As was the custom at the time, the Alter Rebbe visited the Magid to bid him farewell and seek a blessing for his journey home. During the visit, the Magid accepted his decision, but told him that he should also say goodbye to “the Malach, the angel,” i.e., the Magid’s son Reb Avraham who was known as the Malach because of his great holiness. 

The Alter Rebbe agreed and bid farewell to the Malach, who would later become the Alter Rebbe’s chevrusa. He offered to walk the Alter Rebbe to his horse, wagon, and driver. Before the Alter Rebbe got onto the wagon, the Malach said, “When you get into the wagon, you will see that the driver will smack the horse and it will begin running in an attempt to distance itself from the smack. And then the driver will smack the horse again, and it will run even faster, trying to escape the one pain of the whip. And it will continue on this way throughout your journey. But an intelligent person is not a horse. When an intelligent person feels a smack, he does not simply run away from it. He looks back to see who is smacking him and why he is being smacked.”

Being a deep and contemplative person, the Alter Rebbe understood the Malach’s message and stayed in Mezrich, ultimately becoming one of the star students of the Magid. May we all merit to understand the message of the wagon (עגלה)  and look beyond the suffering of the world of strict justice to see G-d’s loving kindness, and thus merit the final redemption, quickly (בעגלא) in our days.

 

[From Dixieyid.blogspot.com]

Rav Kook On Torah And Yiras Shomayim

 

Now… you gladdened my heart by informing me that you began to learn matters of mussar and fear of heaven with your students, wisdom from holy books; fortunate is your lot. Surely this is particularly necessary at this time and in this country, where the transient cravings for the vanities of the world, jealousy, desire, honor and the like, are so loud and clamorous. How can we stir the hearts of youths that they should open their eyes to see the glory and splendor, the brilliance and majesty of the Torah, if not by studying the discipline of genuine piety from the works of the great authorities of Israel, who delved into the wisdom of piety profoundly and expansively …?

I am unable at this time to offer you an orderly account of the ideas that are appropriate for your dear students. And it is especially difficult to specify the holy ideas in accordance with the level of the students, as I am not familiar with their state of mind and emotional strengths. Nevertheless, it would appear that, first of all, you ought to explain to all the students the fundamental principle that any success in Torah, sense of accomplishment in study … and one day achieving a high level in the crown of Torah – depends on the measure of fear of heaven and the depth of pure and holy faith that is implanted in one's soul. For the broadening and deepening of the intellectual faculty, its brilliance and its branching out in many directions, which is the great foundation for sharpness and fluency, depends on the depth of emotional will that awakens to value what is being studied. Since he is occupied with Torah, which is the word of the living God, the quality of the inner appreciation of his occupation with Torah depends on the sanctity of true fear of God that rests in the heart of him who is occupied in the Torah. For to the extent that the fear of heaven becomes strengthened in one's heart in sanctity and purity, so too the words of the Torah, which are the light of the countenance of the living king, become precious and elevated in one's eyes. And owing to their great dearness, inner desire attaches to them, and it is the nature of inner desire to arouse all of the soul's faculties with life, joy and good-heartedness, with great desire and the pleasantness of high and lofty spiritual delight. And since the soul's faculties are aroused - through the expansion of the holy quality of the fear of heaven - to love for the Torah and passion for all its words, and cognition grows from day to day…, the soul's faculty of memory is greatly strengthened, from the life force that the sacred desire for the Torah stirs up in the soul that contemplates genuine fear of heaven. And from the great respect and elevated value that he assigns to the words of the Torah, which grows every day in accordance with the fear of heaven that grows in his heart from day to day, as he continually occupies himself in the holy study of the true fear [of heaven] and its branches - his intellectual diligence is strengthened, the brightness of his mind grows, and true sharpness and sound reasoning increase.

 

It turns out, then, that the best advice for the students to succeed in their study, that their learning should be blessed and stay with them, and that they themselves should experience satisfaction and delight from their study, is to broaden their hearts every day with the study of the pure fear [of heaven]. All of its disciplines and all study of the soul and of character traits are offshoots branching out from the root of the elevated fear of God, which leads to perfect love of God, love of the Torah and its commandments, and love of Israel. (Responsa Da'at Kohen, no. 51; Iggerot ha-Ra'ayah, no. 798)

 

[Translation Vbm-torah.org]

New Articles

Vayeitzei - here.

How Rav Kook related to you and me, here.

Holy Thoughts From A Holy Man

From my archives.....

 This Shabbos is the yahrtzeit of the Holy Gaon and Tzadik Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap ztz"l so I thought it worthwhile to taste some of his irresistibly sweet and uplifting Torah [as I understand it].

 

1] The Torah relates that Yaakov came to the "place". ויפגע במקום. He then had his prophetic dream. The use of the word מקום is significant. Everybody needs to find their "place" in the world. So many people are unhappy because they feel lost. When a person finds his place, s/he can reach great spiritual heights. Even Hashem, kiviyachol, is blessed from His place. ברוך כבוד השם ממקומו. Chazal tell us that Hashem is the place of the world and the world is not His place. But even His blessings emanate from His "place".  

 

2] The gemara says that Yaakov passed by Yerushalayim and didn't daven and then when he arrived at Charan he said "How could I not daven where my forefathers davened?" He desired to return and, as Rashi teaches, Har Habayis jumped to where he was. The Avos paved the way for all of the generations. It doesn't matter in what physical geographic location you find yourself. If you DESIRE and PINE for a holy place, it will come to you. In fact, every time one davens, the halacha says that his/her heart must be in Yerushalayim opposite the holy of holies. It is all about desire. Go to Israel and skip customs [including disrobing and taking your computer out of the case...], the loooonggg trip and the pricey flight!!!

 

3] The Torah tells us that Yaakov dreamed that the angels of Hashem were going up and down the ladder which connected heaven and earth. We think that going "down" is of no spiritual value. Most people only enjoy going up. Here the Torah is teaching us that even when one is descending, it is still part of his spiritual journey. The מלאכי אלקים , the angels of Hashem also went DOWN. It is OK to go down. With one condition: That the ladder you descend connects heaven and earth.... Remember that each step of your journey is connected to the highest places. Wow-eeee!:-)

 

4]  Yaakov has a dream. He sees angels. He wakes up. Now what would YOU say after such a dream?

 

I would gather my wife and children and describe to them in vivid detail what I saw. What did Yaakov say? Well, first of all he doesn't go looking for someone to tell! Good things should be kept at "home". Next he exclaimed "Hashem is in this place". HASHEM? Angels!!!

 

 Lesson: It is lovely to be able to see angels. It is also a great, elevating experience to meet Holy Tzaddikim. But never forget the most important One. Sometimes, maybe due to His transcendence, we lose sight of this and focus on more earthly beings while forgetting about Him. We must remember that every creature draws its holiness from the Divine. Never forget the Source!  

 

  

5] Yaakov sees Rochel and he kisses her. NEGIYAHHHHHHH!!!!!! What is going on? Rashi says that he cried because he saw with Ruach Hakodesh that they would not be buried together. What a HOLY kiss!! Yaakov was experiencing ETERNITY! He was shaken because he realized that their union would not continue after death. He was thinking about his יום המיתה. What a HOLY ZEIDE we all have:-)!

  

 

6] How holy was Yaakov? He was with his Kallah for a whole night and only in the morning he found out the she was the wrong kallah. ויהי בבוקר והנה לאה - It was morning and it was Leah. It doesn't say that he SAW Leah but that it WAS Leah. A farfrumpte Chasidishe Bachur!  

  

 

A blissful-holy-shmiras-einayim-remembering-yom-hamisa-seeing-angels-but-focusing-on-Hashem-desiring-Israel-and-finding-your-place-dike-shabbos!:-)

 

 

 

Love and blessings!