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Blessings in Disguise

November 11, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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BS’D

Today’s daily dose of Emuna is dedicated l’iluy nishmot Almog Yissaschar ben Michal and Dalia Lemkos who were both brutally killed yesterday by terrorists, HY’D.  May Hashem envelop Ahm Yisrael with Rachamei Shamayim and protect our nation from evil. May we, His beloved nation, understand that the Geulah is rapidly approaching and B’H soon we will all merit to see Divine justice b’mheira, b’rachamim, Amen.

How can I say thank you for a driving ticket? Why would I want to thank the crooks that cheated me? I can only do so if I can judge the term ‘good’ vs. ‘bad’ objectively. Can I really say that something is for my benefit or harm?

To bring this point closer to home let us briefly recap the story of Rabbi Akiva ztk’l who wished to sleep at an inn while traveling, but was turned away. After spending the night in the forest the wind blew out his lamp, a weasel ate his rooster and a lion ate his donkey. Yet, he still proclaimed, “All that Hashem does is for the good.” The next morning the good in all that happened was clearly revealed to him. A gang of robbers had marched into town where he was supposed to sleep and killed all who lived there. Rabbi Akiva was spared since they did not discover him in the forest. The donkey, rooster and candle would have alerted their attention to the forest and he otherwise would have met the same fate as the others; a blessing in disguise.

How many blessings are disguised? The key is to clearly understand that all situations are brought by Hashem through Divine providence. Even if it appears unfavorable, know that eventually it will lead to a positive outcome. Usually, this will be discovered and revealed in time, although sometimes we will not know the truth until we reach the World of Truth.

We should never see ourselves as victims of random circumstance – all is ultimately for our personal good. Certainly there is a concept of apparent good and disguised good, however they both are good. In fact they are both very good.

With that in mind we can even say ‘thank you’ to the police officer that hands us a traffic ticket. Who knows what decree it replaced and the important lesson we just learned such as to drive more carefully?

Gratitude

November 10, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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BS’D

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Nosson Tzvi ben Sara Rivka Kashtiy. May Hashem send him a complete recovery and for all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen!

How wonderful it would be if we could clearly see how much good there is in life – in our lives. It is a worthwhile practice to train ourselves to see the good in the world. Life is about focus. What do we choose to concentrate on?

The media loves to brainwash us into thinking that we are lacking; gadgets, appliances, electronics, clothing, vacation, etc. Even if we do attain some of the above they ‘grow’ on us, we get used to it and stop appreciating their value.  When gratitude is implanted in our hearts it renews our vision and we become excited over the gifts we have. Imagine constantly living with words of thanks on our lips.

Rebbe Nachman ztk’l teaches, “Gratitude rejoices with her sister joy and is always ready to light a candle and have a party. Gratitude doesn’t much like the old cronies of boredom, despair and taking life for granted.” Let’s practice being grateful for rain, our shoes, green grass, red apples and a pumping heart, of course.

Thankfulness is a middah (character attribute) closely woven into the Torah way of living. Chazal teach us that a refined soul is a soul that is grateful. The ability to live a life of thankfulness is planted in every Jew, yet it needs to be developed through practice. The reward – we release ourselves from the nagging feeling of dissatisfaction and thus can begin to enjoy that which we have. When we stop running after whirls and winds of this world, we can clearly see and cherish what has been there all along in front of us.

Reaching our Higher Self

November 6, 2014
Orit Esther Riter
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BS’D

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of those injured in the terrorist attacks in Yerushalayim.  May we all unite in Tefillah and overturn any harsh decrees and invoke Rachamei Shamayim for all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen!

Mitzvot are physical deeds which translate the language of the soul. They enable us to achieve a closer bond to Hashem.  Through our treasured mitzvot we can transcend this world, tap into our souls and enhance our eternal bond with Hashem.

If we were stripped of our bodies and left to live as souls, we would intuitively know the mitzvot. This is precisely how our Avot and Imahot were able to keep mitzvot even though they did not yet have the Torah’s instructions.  Our Avot and Imahot lived with such a keen awareness of Hashem that they were intuitively drawn and dedicated to perform His will, without specific guidance.  In contrast, as we are not on this lofty spiritual level, we need the specific instructions of the Torah to show us how to cleave to Hashem.

If we were ever to consider the mitzvot as ‘burdensome’, chas v’Shalom, we would be merely resisting our inner higher self.  This higher self can be seen as a projection of a spark of Hashem in the world; a revelation of the only real true reality.  Transgressing the mitzvot represents being disloyal to our inner truth and essentially betraying ourselves.

We should constantly reinforce in our minds this idea that mitzvot bring us back to our inner true self. Let us not wait until we are lost and confused to find our way back to who we are and what we are meant to accomplish in this world.  We need Hashem’s guidance.  There is a bigger picture.  Torah and mitzvot broaden our vision, enabling us to see this bigger, deeper view.

What does Hashem want from us?

November 5, 2014
Orit Esther Riter
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BS’D

What does Hashem want from us?  Do we really need a set of commandments to tell us how to act and react? Are we not capable of making our own logical decisions?

If we glimpse into what Freud and Adler have to say on human motivation we will find that what drives mankind are not altruistic motives but the fulfillment of personal desires and honor.  Pirkei Avot (4:28) teaches that ‘natural’ tendencies ‘Take a person out of this world’.  We are G-dly and truly seek to cleave to our Divine image, therefore anything else which appears to be exciting and worthwhile is simply a facade! Hashem didn’t simply place us in this world and close the door with a farewell, “So long, good luck, see you after 120!”  Yet, provided us with a manual of instructions telling us, so to speak, “Turn left at this intersection, turn right after the bend in the road”, etc.

The Torah is a book of Emuna, teaching us to fulfill our essence and portray our G-dliness, which is what we truly wish to do if only we delved inside and quieted all of the ‘noise and resistance’ permeating from the outside world. The mitzvot are physical expressions of Emuna. They are the language of the soul yearning to fulfill its mission and not waste precious moments on passing worldly delights that are meaningless.

If we truly examine our ‘natural inclination’ we will discover that what we want is precisely what Hashem wants for us. We NEED to transcend our physical.  We NEED to act G-dly.  We NEED to break beyond our limitations.  Yet, we often forget and loose touch with our soul and therefore are not always truthful with ourselves.

Free will lies in the answer to the following question, “Do we portray G-dliness by emulating G-dly attributes of unconditional giving, loving and humility OR G-d forbid do we falsely act as though we are G-d and seek control over life?”  Within the answer to this question we will also find the answer to, “What does Hashem want from us?” as well.  When each of us ‘Walks in the ways of Hashem’ B’H we will create barriers and stop evil in its track.

Be a Chasid!

November 4, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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BS’D

Rachel Imeinu ztk’l certainly portrays the trait of mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice).  Her unconditional willingness to do anything for the sake of alleviating her sisters pain and embarrassment is unparalleled.

Being that we are descendants of such righteous Matriarchs and Patriarchs we have it in us to do the same.  However, life is not about scoring it ‘high’ on the kindness chart.  It is about loving to and being enthused by the idea of doing chesed with others.  The emphasis is on how our heart responds when involved with acts of kindness.  We earn the title chasid by elevating our love of performing acts of chesed.

How do we do it?  Train the mind and body. Pledge to do one, two, three acts of kindness everyday. Search, seek and beg for it.  That measure of self-sacrifice will already instill within the unshakable need to be kind and immeasurable pleasure when having found it.  Mankind has a natural tendency to act with self-preservation, “Will I have enough?” “Am I cheating myself when I give to another?”  Therefore we need to enter ‘Chesed boot camp’ and break away from our anxiety that we are depriving ourselves when we give to others.

Let us remember an important point when working on any of our middot (character traits).  When we go beyond our nature, we bond closer to what is above, Hashem. Hashem ‘resides’ so to speak in our attributes. Thus when we emulate ‘G-dly traits’ we draw closer to Him.  The condition: do so unconditionally.  Be kind to others not because ‘they deserve it’ or you ‘feel for them’.  Be compassionate, kind and helpful beyond what you think or feel.  Do it just because you are a G-dly individual and want to reach high spiritual levels of giving and attach yourself to Hashem through it.

In the merit of Rachel Imeinu’s act of care and love for her sister, she was able to ‘convince’ Hashem to save the Jewish people when they went into exile.  She merited such closeness because her essence was one of unconditional compassion and love.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

November 3, 2014
Orit Esther Riter
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Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour (or white)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup oil

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar (or cane sugar)

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup craisins

 

Preparation:

* Mix flour and baking powder, set aside.

* Mix oil, sugar, egg and vanilla.

* Add oats and craisins.  Then the flour mix at the end. Mix just until well-blended, don’t over mix.

* Scoop onto pans lined with parchment paper, tablespoon size.

* Bake 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 175 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Cranberries possess a unique ability to inhibit bacteria, including E. coli, from adhering to the urinary tract. This is why cranberry juice is often recommended to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI’s). Cranberries also contain hippuric acid, which is antibacterial and helpful for warding off UTI’s.

This recipe is a healthy alternative to settle a sugar craving.  Yet, let’s take a glimpse into the idea of cravings.  There are many reasons why we crave specific foods, however they all stem from a discrepancy between body, heart and soul.

When we crave sugary foods on a physical level it is because we are not getting enough energy – possibly due to a lack of minerals.  Of course we all can relate craving sugar to a lack of sweetness on an emotional level; infusing a sugar high while experiencing something bitter.  However this is a temporary bandage and not permanent healing. Of course we must take the time to gain perspective on where these feelings come from and tackle them at their core.

Craving salty food items generally originate from high stress level situations which deplete adrenal glands and reduce the creation of a hormone that retains sodium.  Emotionally this is tied into feelings of fear, lack of control and lack of inner strength to stand strong in the face of challenges.  A practical solution – trust in Hashem and be mindful of His presence.  Strengthen your ability to accept life’s circumstances with love – that it is all good.

Lastly craving oily and fatty foods generally relate to calcium deficiency being that saturated fats specifically help maintain bone density and keep calcium in the body.  Try to fill in the gap with richly filled calcium based foods.

 

 

Rachel Imeinu ztk’l

November 3, 2014
Orit Esther Riter

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BS’D

Ahy, yahy, yahy… if we only could contemplate the self-sacrifice Mama Rochel made for her children, we would dance at the thought that we are from the same family and part of the same heritage!!!

When we read the Torah portion of Vayetzei we know the end to the story of Rachel, Leah and Ya’akov Avinu. It doesn’t seem to ‘tickle’ us as much as it should.  We know the end; Rachel did in fact earn the right to marry Ya’akov in addition to her sister Leah … but she didn’t know that. From her perspective she willingly switched her destiny with that of Leah. Leah cried endless tears in her youth since she knew through Divine inspiration that she was destined to marry the wicked Esav.  That life was now destined to be Rachel’s.  How many tears she shed…

Mama Rachel gave up this world and the next to console her sister’s pain.  She gave up this world assuming she would marry Esav and be the Mother of the future Esav generation, among them Hitler, may his name be erased.  She gave up the next world understanding that there is little reward, if any, for mothering such a nation.

Rachel Imeinu was willing to give up her title as Mother of the Jewish Nation.  Therefore measure for measure Hashem rewarded her with the name ‘Mama Rachel’, Mother Rachel.  “Karov ailecha hadavar miod b’ficha ubilvavecha la’asoto (Rather, the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform)”, parshat Nitzavim (30:14).  We are all made of the same ‘G-dly stuff’ and have it in us to live with such self-sacrifice and love for one another; most of us already do.

In the merit of Mama Rachel, today let us do one selfless act for a fellow Jew without telling a soul; just l’Shem Shamayim, to honor Hashem’s name and our Mother Rachel.

 

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