Monthly Archives: September 2015

BS’D
Everlasting change must originate from the inner scream of our hearts.  This shriek speaks words of grief over a lifeless chase without purpose and happiness.  Particularly these days we should involve ourselves with ‘hearing our shame and not responding’; contemplating our misdeeds and feeling remorse, motivating us to change our ways.

Rebbe Nachman ztk’l teaches teshuva is to return; to come back to the true standing of ‘man’.  Man’s true status is embodied by humility; his ability to say “I do not rule”.  Therefore all negative emotions – frustrations, anger, sadness, stress, etc. are signs that man has not acted like ‘man’, rather has taken kingship on himself thinking he is in charge.  Teshuva returns “I will rule’ to “Hashem You rule”.

How do we know we have made teshuva?  We need to gauge how much negativity we feel in certain areas of our lives.  Those situations which are ‘constantly driving me mad’ are indicative to areas which we assume ‘kingship’ over and have not allowed Hashem to ‘rule’ over.  Here is where we need to do teshuva the most.

Teshuva is not an easy process.  It demands deep looking and tough contemplation and this may be painful.  However, these are the steps that lead us to our own mirror; to see where we are broken and what places need healing.  As we surrender ‘our desire to rule’ and hand the scepter to Hashem, our hearts fill with great joy at discovering how beloved we are to Hashem.

If anyone would like to help out families who are financially struggling here in Eretz Yisrael, I would be happy to be a good shaliach to distribute to them what is truly lacking and desperately needed to make their chag beautiful. Tizku’ l’mitzvot.

BS’D
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Eden Malka bat Ravit, a 5 week old baby with meningitis and in critical condition. May Hashem send her a complete healing among all of those in Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

The Gaon Rav Yechezkel Levenstein ztk’l teaches that we tend to let the days leading to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur idly pass us by. This is due mainly because we do not recognize the importance of these days nor the enormous opportunity given to us to prepare for the upcoming year.

Rav Yisrael Salanter ztk’l writes in his Iggeret – events in this world appear to be the result of ‘natural circumstances’; broken off from their divinely ordained root.  Elul offers the chance to break away from this routine mindset and reprogram the way we think.  The major issue is that many do not want to change their ‘take on life.’  It is human nature to steer away from harm; therefore we choose not to think about the upcoming judgment of Rosh Hashanah and its possible repercussions.

Mankind relishes in the idea that he will remain healthy, wealthy and live out his life forever on this planet.  He thinks back over the previous Rosh Hashanah’s and how he ‘succeeded’ in the past.  Unfortunately no one can rely on the past as we are meant to realize how fragile our destiny is.

‘Ostrich mentality’ has become the favorable way of our generation; we tend to place our head in the sand.  However, the fear of judgment is an essential component in preparing for Rosh Hashanah.  Uvacharta ba’Chaim, choosing life is just that – a choice.  In order to find favor in the eyes of our Creator, the King of existence, we must lift our heads high and beseech His compassion and love.  Consciously making this choice places us in His ‘Merciful Hands’ and enables us to feel His closeness.

May we all let out a heartfelt cry to Hashem in the coming days; “Hashem, I love You.  I can’t live without You.  Have rachmanut on me; on my soul.  What am I to do?  I have only You to turn to, Hashem.  Only You can direct me onto my proper path.  Give me the words, the feeling, the heartfelt stirring, the desire to want to do Your will. Help me forget the frivolities of the world and remember eternity.  Help me align my life with Your will and feel wholesome and pure.  Help me remember that my life is in Your hands and I have no one else but You.”

Wishing Klal Yisrael a k’tiva v’chatima Tova.  A year of emuna, strength, clarity, love, acceptance, forgiveness, care and giving.  Please forgive me if I have ever offended anyone through my writing and teaching.  Thank you all for inspiring me to learn and teach the passionate call of our generation – Emuna.  May Klal Yisrael know of no more sorrow and suffering, only revealed goodness and blessing.  May we fulfill our holy task and make the best of every living moment – love and accept Hashem’s Kingship with a full heart. May we soon rejoice and dance together in the Beit HaMikdash and experience the true joy only to be revealed at the time ofMashiach Tzedkeinu b’mheira b’yameinu, Amen.

BS’D

Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Ya’akov Dov ben Blima Chana, Shoshana Chaya bat Blima Chana and Avraham Yosef by Blima Chana the children of Morris and Beth (Pitem) Faitelewicz Z”L who tragically died in a horrific car accident yesterday in the Catskills, NY.  May Hashem send them a complete healing b’riut hanefesh v’br’iut haguf and strength to bear the suffering of loosing their parents, among all of those in Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

Through the verses of Malchuyot of Mussaf we recognize that Hashem rules the world; His authority is absolute and unconditional. The blasting of the shofar comes to coronate the King and reminds us that Hashem is the Creator of the entire world. The Shofar sound awakens remembrance of  the physical beginning of Hashem’s plan for the world.  Moreover, our memory of Matan Torah is revived; the spiritual purpose to this world. Lastly the shofar comes to complete the picture of existence by reviving our memory of the ultimate culmination of Jewish destiny; the coming of Mashiach, B’H, b’karov.

What does it mean to anoint Hashem as King over the world?  A king is chosen by the people out of their own free will.  Yet the nations of the world have not ‘chosen’ Hashem and do not view Him as the Ruler of the world.  Our prayer on Rosh Hashanah is that soon the entire world will joyfully accept Hashem’s kingship and sovereignty.  It is written in sefer Devarim (26:17), “Et Hashem he’emarta hayom l’heeyot lecha l’Elokim …. (Hashem has distinguished today to be for Him a treasured people… “) The commentaries explain this verse to mean – the Jewish people select and recognize Hashem to be the supreme and only authority over the world; Ein Od Milvado!

Hashem is our King and no matter what we do Hashem’s will will be carried out. Simply put, Hashem’s master plan for existence will unfold; through Rachamim orDin.  The choice is ours. Positive mode, Rachamim,  is displayed when the Jewish nation follows the Torah laws.  Negative mode, din, happens only if the Jewish nation rebels thus causing her enemies to rise against her. This causes us to do teshuva thus resulting in our enemies downfall and displays Hashem’s everlasting sovereignty to shine forth through their defeat.  What is our choice?

BS’D
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Emuna Chaya bat Sarah. May Hashem send her a complete healing b’riut hanefesh v’br’iut haguf among all of those in Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering, b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.

Throughout the year we continuously view life through fragmented lenses.  We see dissolution, many causes to events and therefore struggle to attach to the Oneness of Hashem.  Rosh Hashanah comes to remedy this disjointed mindset.  Our entire focus on this holy day should be centered on accepting Hashem as the One All – Be All, total sovereignty over existence.

This is a difficult task.  Western world media constantly bombard us with logical reasons behind world events and blame the decision-makers for pulling the strings.  The Jewish standpoint is that Hashem Yitborach has many cohorts who carry out His carefully designed masterplan.  They are imaginary and on Rosh Hashanah the sound of the shofar comes to wake us from our spiritual slumber and remind us Who is really in charge.

However Chazal teach us that it is not enough to intellectually know Who the Supreme Authority of existence is to achieve complete teshuva.  The additional missing piece of information is that Hashem ‘hides’ His presence from the Jewish people when they forsake His will; a Jew must remember this important point to attain teshuvah shleimah.  

Furthermore, this intellectual understanding and heartfelt emotion must motivate us to examine and change our ways. This is highlighted in the tefillah of Rosh Hashanah called Zichronot of Mussaf. Here we are gifted with the awareness of how our deeds impact the entire world.  Our behavior affects the destiny of the smallest to biggest happenings in the lower and upper worlds.