"Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time... It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other. "
Imagine today was your last day on earth [G-d forbid!]. What would you do? I know what you wouldn't do - waste time! Well, our Holy Rabbis tell us to live every day as if it were our last. First of all, you never know. Secondly - imagine how much more we would accomplish and how little time we would have for nonsense.
Love and Blessings!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Individuality
"We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion."
"The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position. "
There is an interesting halacha I recently saw in the Rambam. If two people come before the court and testify about an event that they both say occurred and use the EXACT same words - we suspect that they are lying. It CAN'T be that two people would express themselves in an identical fashion. EVERYBODY is different. People might seem similar in certain ways but in fact every person is a world unto himself.
This is critical! It means that when dealing with someone else we must be very accepting and open to the person's "otherness". NOBODY is going to be exactly like me and if I accept this at the outset it will be easier for me to accept someone else. Then my heart will open and I will begin to appreciate the other peoples uniqueness. It is so important for us to let other people be themselves. That is who they are and how G-d made them - for a reason.
I often watch people's individuality being quashed. It is sad. The world loses out on that person and the person loses out on himself.
B'emet sad! So parents, siblings, friends, children - encourage others to be themselves and everyone will benefit!
Love and Blessings!
"The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position. "
There is an interesting halacha I recently saw in the Rambam. If two people come before the court and testify about an event that they both say occurred and use the EXACT same words - we suspect that they are lying. It CAN'T be that two people would express themselves in an identical fashion. EVERYBODY is different. People might seem similar in certain ways but in fact every person is a world unto himself.
This is critical! It means that when dealing with someone else we must be very accepting and open to the person's "otherness". NOBODY is going to be exactly like me and if I accept this at the outset it will be easier for me to accept someone else. Then my heart will open and I will begin to appreciate the other peoples uniqueness. It is so important for us to let other people be themselves. That is who they are and how G-d made them - for a reason.
I often watch people's individuality being quashed. It is sad. The world loses out on that person and the person loses out on himself.
B'emet sad! So parents, siblings, friends, children - encourage others to be themselves and everyone will benefit!
Love and Blessings!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
A Shiur I Enjoyed
For the more lomdus minded, a recent shiur on eidus, lo bashomayim he and related topics, here.
Big Day!
This story happened some years ago. My wife was expecting a baby, but - not good news. She was lacking amniotic fluid which endangers the fetus. Hashem in his great kindness made amniotic fluid to enable the fetus to remain healthy but our fetus was short of this liquid. I was "bugging out" as the young people say. I went to the grocery store to get some - but they didn't have! I went to the local pharmacy - same story!! NOW WHAT? At the time I did not yet know the Rebbi Shlita so I didn't know anyone who could miraculously create some for me. I was in dire straits.
Then my wife had to be hospitalized. Oy vey. I wasn't ready for this. A very short time after her hospitalization I was staying in Har Nof in my in-laws building. At about 1:30 am my mother in- law comes into my room and wakes me "ALLAN [she calls me Allan], Nechi is giving birth. You have to go the hospital". OH NO! It's not time yet. The instructions say "9 months in-utero". So I jumped out of bed [I wish I would always jump out of bed like that] and called a cab. On the way to the hospital I was so nervous and asked Hashem to PLEASE give me a healthy baby.
SWEETEST FRIENDS - HE DID!! Shmuli [officially Shmuel Alexander] was born - delicious and cuddly. Small, but some spinach would take care of that.
Tomorrow morning at sunrise my "baby" is going to be putting on his tefillin at the Kotel for the very first time. When we put the tefillin straps around our finger we say "viairasteech li liolam..." - We are marrying Hashem and the straps are like the ring on the kallah's finger. So I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Hashem for giving me the privilege of having a beautiful child who will be forever married to Him. He lives opposite the Kodesh Hakodashim, spends his days immersed in Toras Hashem, speaks the Holy Tongue and gives me boundless nachas [bli ayin hara].
May Hashem give all of my sweetest friends beautiful children who will light up the world and may I be included in the bracha and have more [I have been waiting over seven years since the last one and hope that all of my tefillos and yours will produce more - Elchanan ben Henna Miriam]. Hitler yemach shemo killed one and a half million and every one we have is another victory. Jewish children are pure, holy and the entire world exists in the merit of their Torah [as the gemara says]. KEYN YIRBOO!!!!
Love, Blessings and Mazel Tov to all!!!
Then my wife had to be hospitalized. Oy vey. I wasn't ready for this. A very short time after her hospitalization I was staying in Har Nof in my in-laws building. At about 1:30 am my mother in- law comes into my room and wakes me "ALLAN [she calls me Allan], Nechi is giving birth. You have to go the hospital". OH NO! It's not time yet. The instructions say "9 months in-utero". So I jumped out of bed [I wish I would always jump out of bed like that] and called a cab. On the way to the hospital I was so nervous and asked Hashem to PLEASE give me a healthy baby.
SWEETEST FRIENDS - HE DID!! Shmuli [officially Shmuel Alexander] was born - delicious and cuddly. Small, but some spinach would take care of that.
Tomorrow morning at sunrise my "baby" is going to be putting on his tefillin at the Kotel for the very first time. When we put the tefillin straps around our finger we say "viairasteech li liolam..." - We are marrying Hashem and the straps are like the ring on the kallah's finger. So I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Hashem for giving me the privilege of having a beautiful child who will be forever married to Him. He lives opposite the Kodesh Hakodashim, spends his days immersed in Toras Hashem, speaks the Holy Tongue and gives me boundless nachas [bli ayin hara].
May Hashem give all of my sweetest friends beautiful children who will light up the world and may I be included in the bracha and have more [I have been waiting over seven years since the last one and hope that all of my tefillos and yours will produce more - Elchanan ben Henna Miriam]. Hitler yemach shemo killed one and a half million and every one we have is another victory. Jewish children are pure, holy and the entire world exists in the merit of their Torah [as the gemara says]. KEYN YIRBOO!!!!
Love, Blessings and Mazel Tov to all!!!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
We Continue
The Gemara in Megilla says that the Jews didn't want Purim to be a day on which it is forbidden to do labor. The Gemara doesn't explain why. It would be great - a day off from work!
Explains Rav Hutner ztz"l that if labor would be forbidden we would have to say havdala at the end of the day. WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE A HAVDALA [separation] BETWEEN PURIM AND THE REST OF THE YEAR!! THE SIMCHA MUST CONTINUE!!!
My sweet friend Tzvi Moshe Kantor added that for this reason we say the pasuk from Megillas Esther - "layihudim hayisa orah visimcha visason vikar" [the Jews had light, happiness, joy and glory] every havdala on Saturday night: We are ending Shabbos but Purim continues!
Love and Blessings:):):)!
Explains Rav Hutner ztz"l that if labor would be forbidden we would have to say havdala at the end of the day. WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE A HAVDALA [separation] BETWEEN PURIM AND THE REST OF THE YEAR!! THE SIMCHA MUST CONTINUE!!!
My sweet friend Tzvi Moshe Kantor added that for this reason we say the pasuk from Megillas Esther - "layihudim hayisa orah visimcha visason vikar" [the Jews had light, happiness, joy and glory] every havdala on Saturday night: We are ending Shabbos but Purim continues!
Love and Blessings:):):)!
Monday, March 1, 2010
The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
Stephen Covey
I say this often but it is worth saying again. There is no such thing as "too busy". A Torah Jew never misses a tefillah - because it is important. A person never misses his or her wedding - because it is important. A person never misses a life-saving surgery - because it is too important. So "I am too busy" is merely another way of saying "It is just not important enough to me", or, to use the language of our opening quote, "Not enough of a priority". [This is a general statement. There are exceptions to this rule.]
This is important to remember in order to understand yourself and others. You tell me what a person's priorities are and I will tell you who that person is.
Love and Blessings:)!
Stephen Covey
I say this often but it is worth saying again. There is no such thing as "too busy". A Torah Jew never misses a tefillah - because it is important. A person never misses his or her wedding - because it is important. A person never misses a life-saving surgery - because it is too important. So "I am too busy" is merely another way of saying "It is just not important enough to me", or, to use the language of our opening quote, "Not enough of a priority". [This is a general statement. There are exceptions to this rule.]
This is important to remember in order to understand yourself and others. You tell me what a person's priorities are and I will tell you who that person is.
Love and Blessings:)!
What Every Jew Deserves
Ahhhh - Sweetest Friends!! I hope your Purim was as uplifting as mine. It was WOWWWW!!! And that was only thanks to all of the sweet Yidden who came to visit. I was dead drunk!! Not on alcohol - on Yidden! I was reminded of a story [I like it so much I will italicize it!]:
The Heilige Rebbe of Vizhnitz known as the Ohev Yisrael [aptly named] was once surrounded by a a large group of Chassidim who wanted to get close to this Man Of G-d. Suddenly, a mentally imbalanced man who, besides being obese and unkempt, also didn't really believe in that great human pleasure called "bathing". One need not be a chemist to know that if one abstains from bathing for an extended period of time, the smell that emanates from him will be EXTREMELY unpleasant. When the Chassidim smelled the man trying to get close to the Rebbe they parted like the Yam Suf. It was repulsive for them to be near this man.
So he approaches the Rebbe and everybody watches to see what will happen. The Rebbe came close and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He then exclaimed "A Shtik Yid" [A Piece of a Jew]. Then he made his way to the other side of this large man and planted another kiss on his second cheek. "Noch a Shtik Yid" [Another piece of a Jew].
The smell and filth accompanying this man did not deter the Ohev Yisrael, precisely because he was such a great Ohev Yisrael.
That is the way I felt today. Every Jew deserves a kiss [I actually gave out quite a few, myself].
Imagine someone was almost killed and was saved. What does his family do? They kiss and hug him. On Purim we were almost killed - we all deserve lots of affection.
But now, unfortunately, Purim is over. But the Mitzva of loving Jews is not!! The alcohol helped many break down barriers and show others their love. Now we can try it sans [FANCY WORD! - it means in the absence of. From Old French. I bet Rashi heard of it] alcohol.
PS Please daven for Shulamit Bas Esther, an elderly lady who fell and broke her neck today and might need surgery. Tizku Lmitzvos.
The Heilige Rebbe of Vizhnitz known as the Ohev Yisrael [aptly named] was once surrounded by a a large group of Chassidim who wanted to get close to this Man Of G-d. Suddenly, a mentally imbalanced man who, besides being obese and unkempt, also didn't really believe in that great human pleasure called "bathing". One need not be a chemist to know that if one abstains from bathing for an extended period of time, the smell that emanates from him will be EXTREMELY unpleasant. When the Chassidim smelled the man trying to get close to the Rebbe they parted like the Yam Suf. It was repulsive for them to be near this man.
So he approaches the Rebbe and everybody watches to see what will happen. The Rebbe came close and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He then exclaimed "A Shtik Yid" [A Piece of a Jew]. Then he made his way to the other side of this large man and planted another kiss on his second cheek. "Noch a Shtik Yid" [Another piece of a Jew].
The smell and filth accompanying this man did not deter the Ohev Yisrael, precisely because he was such a great Ohev Yisrael.
That is the way I felt today. Every Jew deserves a kiss [I actually gave out quite a few, myself].
Imagine someone was almost killed and was saved. What does his family do? They kiss and hug him. On Purim we were almost killed - we all deserve lots of affection.
But now, unfortunately, Purim is over. But the Mitzva of loving Jews is not!! The alcohol helped many break down barriers and show others their love. Now we can try it sans [FANCY WORD! - it means in the absence of. From Old French. I bet Rashi heard of it] alcohol.
PS Please daven for Shulamit Bas Esther, an elderly lady who fell and broke her neck today and might need surgery. Tizku Lmitzvos.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
