Monthly Archives: May 2014

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From Chaos to Order

May 13, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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BS’D

Today’s daily dose of emuna is sponsored for the refuah shleimah of Itu bat Sosa. May Hashem bless her with a complete healing b’riut hanefesh v’briut haguf amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering in Klal Yisrael b’karov, b’rachamim, amen.

If you wish to sponsor a daily emuna email in someone’s zechut please write us: oritriter@gmail.com for more information on how to do so.

When we invest excessive time and energy in material security it results many times in despair over our inability to attain that which we desire. The Alter Rebbe ztk’l in his classic work the Tanya teaches that if we were only able to deeply etch the idea of creation ex-nihilo in our minds we would certainly be pacified from anxiety and distress.

Hashem in His infinite wisdom creates everything – every moment, every action, and every circumstance out of utter nothingness. Hence where is the room for despair? The essence of emuna is that Hashem is everywhere and all that stems from Him is complete goodness. Creation is happening at every instance therefore His goodness is showered each second.

Knowing that Hashem envelops and enlivens us with His nurturing care enhances our emuna and pulls us out of any state of despondency. Hashem plans our every step and leads us with eternal love. Our emuna testifies to this truth and as a result we are gifted with happier, more wholesome lives.

Through living a life of emuna we recognize that there is only goodness from Hashem. Examining the idea that creation began with chaos and is being rectified moment by moment into eternal order, settles our chaotic surrounding and leads us to a frame of mind that all is unfolding with reason and purpose.

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This was sent by one of our readers: (please respond directly to them)

Chaim, my husband, who as you know, is suffering from ALS and needs a respirator in order to breathe, had an unbelievable experience over Pesach. My feeling is that you might want to know about what happened, so I’m sending you this.

Chaim has been terribly ill all year. He had suffered from several hospital-aquired infections, received at least 10 rounds of IV and IM antibiotics, had intense attacks of high and low blood pressure, has had many blood transfusions and has been in and out of hospitals all year. Yet, with all of the tests coming out clean, none of the doctors could pinpoint what was wrong. ALS does not make a person sick in these ways.

One of our friends did much research and footwork for us, and finally put us in touch with a professor from the Intensive Care Unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. This man is a genius and a kind person. He called me to find out the details of all of my husband’s disturbing symptoms and difficulties over the last year. He was quiet for a few moments and then said simply, “He is being respirated improperly. He is most likely breathing almost on his own and the respirator he was issued is pumping air and excess oxygen into his system in dangerous ways, causing damage to his blood and circulatory system, digestive tracht, lungs and heart.” I was dumbfounded, as was everyone else I told, including other doctors.

We went to Haddassa Hospital, and Chaim was respirated by the professor with a different type of machine. Within hours his system began to stabilize. It turns out that Chaim has been fighting a fight for life against the respirator that was given to him. There is a new type of home respirator that detects the person’s breathing capacity every second. Until recently only hospitals could use this type of machine that tracks lung function. We discovered that Chaim is actually breathing well on his own, his lungs are perfectly healthy, he is able to breathe well without the addition of any oxygen. His lungs can’t expell enough air when he exhales, due to his ALS-weakened diaphragm (which is the muscle that pushes air out of one’s lungs). This was causing CO2 to accumulate in his lungs, which was the reason he needed to be respirated to begin with. We have learned that the machine he was issued from our health fund, was pumping extra air and extra oxygen at a set rate. This was working against Chaim’s own rate of breathe, as that machine cannot detect such sensitive vitals as when Chaim was pulling in his next breath on his own.

Within days of ordering this new home respirator for Chaim, which is a state-of-the-art, interactive computer, his hemoglobin began to rise, he had stable blood pressure and heart rate, excellent blood levels of oxygen and deeper breathing. He is now able to slightly move his head again, and is able to move his eyes easily in order to communicate with us for the first time in months! We had been speaking to Chaim non-stop all of these months as if he understood everything, even though we had almost no visible responses from him — and a good thing that we did!

He is answering us clearly now with his eye movements. Today, three weeks after beginning on the new respirator, Chaim followed the print of the entire Book of Psalms on a computer for 2 1/2 hours, while listening to a tape of Tehillim that his father had recorded 20 years ago. And this was in order to pray for his ailing father who was being operated on, may he be well!

We have to choose–between Chaim dying on a Kupat Cholim issued respirator– or Chaim living life with a respirator that helps him breathe. We are not able to receive this advanced respirator through our health fund, as it is not included in the Ministry of Health’s basket for healthcare. The cost– which includes 3 years of servicing by a private company, plus medical support– is around $22,000.

Most of our friends ask us this question whenever they see us:”How can I be of help?”. There are many ways to help Chaim, but the most crucial thing for him now is for us to be able to pay for this new respirator, that is giving him renewed life.

We have a tax deductible number at the Vaad Harabonim office called the ‘Chaim Reznik Fund number: #קרן מספר: 3308
You can get in touch with them in the USA at 1-877-722-2646 or in Israel at 1-800-22-3636. Credit card is the best way to donate thru them.
PLEASE BE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT YOUR MONEY IS TO GO TO THE FUND FOR CHAIM REZNIK # 3308, AND SHOULD BE EARMARKED AS SUCH.
If you are sending a check, the check should be written out to:
Vaad HaRabbanim Linyanei Tzedaka and the memo on the check should have a clear directive that it is for Chaim’s particular fund number.
The address for dollar checks in America: Rabbi Green for Vaad Harabbanim 221 Regent Drive, Lakewood, N.J. 08701
The address for shekel checks in Israel: Vaad HaRabbanim L’ Tzedaka P.O.B. 50112 Jerusalem
It is a huge organization, helping many people, and if you let us know that you went this route, we can check that your gift to Chaim gets to him.

Please help us get in touch with other people that you know, who either know us, or might want to be part of this group effort to
help give vital life-support to Chaim.

If you don’t need a tax-deduction, want to wire money directly into an account, or prefer to send an occasional check, please contact me at nashira@bezeqint.net. You can also call me at 052-763-9018 /9. From outside of Israel please call: (011)(972)52-763-9018 OR (011)(972)4-692-5251. American checks have become problematic to cash in Israel, so let’s find a way around sending a check to Israel. My sister in Teaneck can also receive American checks for us.

By the way, please come to visit Chaim. Come with a story, sing for Chaim, share your personal news with him, bring him a ‘vort’ from your favorite ‘sefer’. It has always been Chaim’s pleasure to welcome people into our home. And please keep him in your prayers for a complete and total recovery:
Chaim YItzchok ben Gitl.
Thank you for your efforts and time.

Every moment of life is precious. May you be blessed with many healthy, happy and productive years to come.
Zayts Gebentsht.

Mrs.Eydl Reznik, Director
The Right Track – B’Derech HaMelech

Tiveria & Tzfat

May 13, 2014
Kayla Krauss
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The schedule:

Sunday AM visit the local holy burial sites in Tiveria of the RamBam, Shlah HaKadosh, wife of Rebbe Akiva, Yocheved mother of Moshe Rabbeinu and more.  Arrive at hotel at 1:00 pm in time for check-in and delectable lunch buffet.  Relax, swim, and/or emuna workshops until a delicious dinner buffet.  Evening entertainment. After a scrumptious breakfast head up north to more tzaddikim, emuna strengthening and outside picnic.  Returning home in the evening.  Come and join us!

tiveria trip

Emuna and wellness

May 12, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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BS’D

The emotional wellness of the Jew is intimately connected by the level of emuna he/she holds. Emuna comprises of four different aspects according to the Radak in his book ‘Sefer HaShorashim’:

• Strength: Hashem’s ability to carry out that which He has promised to the Jewish nation
• Faith: Hashem has always taken care of His beloved children, thus we should have faith in Him as a result of such nurturing
• Nurturing: This interlocks with the previous implication; due to the fact that the Jewish people rely on Hashem and have faith that He will support them Hashem continues to do so, based on their emuna in Him.
• Creativity: This calls for a more in-depth explanation which we shall begin to explore and continue in the coming days.

Hashem created the world from nothingness. Yet, according to Kabbalistic tradition this state of oblivion did in fact contain aspects of chaos (according to the Mystics left over from the world that preceded this world, very complex so let us leave it at that). Following this unruly state Hashem designed our world; the world of rectification. Keep in mind that the word barah (to create) is rooted in the Hebrew word b’riut (health).

We deduce from this, as there is a connection between words that share the same Hebrew root, that creation or creativity take on a therapeutic form. As we work to create and weave our lives into order, we cultivate emuna and develop an overall sense of wellness and happiness.

Today’s Daily Dose of Emuna is dedicated to ther refuah shleimah of Yohan Moshe George ben Rivka.  He is a father in his 30’s to 3 small children on a respirator with brain edema after being hit by a bus a week ago.  He just took a turn for the worse.  Please pass this along and daven that he merit a complete healing amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, amen.

This is my G-d: Zeh Keli

May 8, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the verse “This One will be my G-d (Zeh Keli)”.  As here in this moment I see and understand that my fate and my inner life has been directed by this G-d alone and so I will place the whole of my internal and external life at His disposal and allow my whole life to be directed by the Divine.

This G-d will be mine, keli, literally “The Director of my movements.” V’anvehu, and so I will offer myself to be a Divine home. My whole existence and life will be a sanctuary for Hashem’s glorification, the home of Divine revelation; this is the natural consequence of declaring zeh keli, this is my G-d.

Neveh designates a place which offers a refuge. Hence, neveh is a place that herds or flocks are supplied all that they require—where they can remain permanently without having to seek pasture elsewhere. Thus, v’anvehu literally means, “I will be a place for G-d” or “by my whole life I will prepare a place for Hashem of which He will proudly declare, ‘I now dwell amongst you.’” (Hirsch, Commentary on the Torah: Exodus, 189).

While our particular verse has often been understood as the basis for the concept of hiddur mitzvah (lit. beautifying a mitzvah, often through the use of  beautiful Judaica artifacts) Hirsch offers a very different reading. Far from “buying in” to the notion of anvehu meaning “I will glorify Him,” Hirsch latches on to the root of the word—connecting it to nun-vav-hey, meaning a resting place, oasis, or home.

For Hirsch, B’nai Yisrael declare that they are dedicating their whole selves to becoming refuges of the Divine. At the moment that Hashem provides tangible salvation for B’nai Yisrael rescuing them from slavery, each one of them declares in his or her own personal voice that he will become a loyal holy servant.

How different would our lives be if we could live in the spirit of Hirsch’s explanation of this verse! If we could aim to devote and build our lives according to the Divine blueprint—to create, as a response to the greatness of Hashem’s presence in the world, both a refuge for humanity and a true home for Him to dwell amongst us.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Yona Menucha bas Leah Chana.  She is a young lady in her upper teens who had heart surgery when she was in 9th grade and now has reoccurring problems and was rushed to the hospital.  May Hashem shower her with rachamei Shamyim amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

Being Humble and Happy

May 7, 2014
Orit Esther Riter
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BS’D

“Oseh Shalom b’mromav, Hu Ya’aseh Shalom Aleinu v’ol kol Yisrael (He makes peace in His Heavenly Heights)” (Iyov 25:2)

Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta ztk”l teaches how beloved peace is to HaKadosh Baruch Hu when Hashem wished to bless Klal Yisrael.  He did not find any vessel in which to place the abundant blessing other than the vessel of peace as it is written; “Hashem oz l’ahmo yiten, Hashem yivarech et ahmo b’Shalom (Hashem gives strength to His people, Hashem blesses His people with peace)”.

Dispute creates distance and postpones tikkun olam (rectification of the world).  Whoever encourages peace creates unity throughout all of the worlds since one of Hashem’s names is Shalom (peace). The foundation of the entire world is peace which is embedded in Shabbat Hakedusha.  Shabbat merges the upper and the lower worlds.  If someone belittles peace, he loses his portion in the world to come.

This tefillah encourages peace amongst Klal Yisrael.  It is for this reason that we bow to the left, right and finally straight ahead, bending in all directions, while asking Hashem to make peace.  We must be flexible and mesh with all personalities.  We must seek tolerance amongst all walks of life.

Hashem asks that we make peace within our homes just as there is peace in Shamayim.  Home is the place to work on our middot because it is the place where all of our guards come down and we feel free to let off our steamy emotions.  Yet, the Torah teaches us that we should channel our emotions in order to attain a sense of inner peace.  It is vital to do a self-accounting on a regular basis and settle out one’s feelings in honesty.

“And the humble shall inherit the land…” (Tehillim 37:11)

Above all others the humble shall enjoy life.  Even if they must endure trials and tribulations, they enjoy a life of tranquility.

According to Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch ztk”l; the humble submit to Hashem’s will because they internalize the fact that their understanding and strength is limited.  They ‘wish to be only that which Hashem wants them to be, and nothing else.

Today’s daily dose is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Devora Leah Bas Kayla Sara a 25 year old mother who just gave birth to her second healthy baby girl but she herself developed a blood clot and internal bleeding in her brain after giving birth.

Oy, Hashem, we need Your compassion to be revealed, all is good, but we wish to see it openly shown to us.  Please shower Devora Leah Bas Kayla Sara with rachamei Shamayim amongst all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering in Klal Yisrael, b’karov, b’rachamim, amen.

 

Which One? Carrots, eggs or coffee

May 5, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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 BS’D

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one would pop up. Her grandmother took her to the kitchen.She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire until they came to a boil. In the first pot she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. Her grandmother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The grandmother then asked the granddaughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the grandmother asked the granddaughter to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma then asked,

“What does it mean, grandmother?” Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her granddaughter. And we should ask ourselves, which one am I?

G-d’s Cake

May 1, 2014
Orit Esther Riter
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BS’D

ROSH CHODESH TOV TO EVERYONE!

(source unknown)

Sometimes we wonder, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ or ‘Why did G-d have to do this to me?’ Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong, she’s failing in school and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like some and the daughter says, ‘Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.’

‘Here, have some cooking oil,’ her mother offers.

‘Yuck’ says her daughter.

‘How about a couple raw eggs?’

‘Gross, Mom!’

Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?’

‘Mom, those are all yucky!’

To which the mother replies , ‘Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves, but when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!’

G-d works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such seemingly bad and difficult times. But G-d knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for the good! We just have to trust Him and eventually they will all make something wonderful!
G-d is madly in love with you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen.

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the hatzlocha raba of Nissan ben Malka who was released from prison yesterday.  HODU L’HASHEM KI TOV, KI L’OLAM CHASDO!  May his life from this point forward be decorated with Torah, mitzvot and ma’asim tovim. amen. 

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