Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Piece of Cake

i got this in a forward but it was so good i had to share it...

...Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God 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 algebra, her friend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, 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!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times.
But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.

Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

I hope your day is a piece of cake.

Monday, January 4, 2010

MY OWN CHIDDUSH!!! (mushka dont kill me! :( ) its my hashkafa essay if ur wondering why i wrote it...

G-d gave you this wonderful mitzvah to love your fellow Jew like yourself. That’s great because you love yourself. Even though you would love to believe that you love the rest of us that much, you don’t. But one second, why don’t you love all of us? Because you see our character flaws? Because the “you” that you see annoys you? Now take a look at yourself. You also have all these unwanted flaws that like a stain on a beautiful dress covers up the real you. But do you still want people to overlook that and love you for who you are? Well, the same goes for all of us. Everyone has their scratches and dents. We can all use a good day in the repair shop. Let us all celebrate our good points and tell our friends (or soon-to-be-friends) that they look gorgeous in their dress( what stain?). Hey at the end of the day we ARE all one, from one source. And who knows, that person might just be that ______ because really she’s so amazing. She might be struggling because she comes from this wonderfully high place that you can’t even imagine of. Maybe.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Separation Anxiety
By Tzvi Freeman

Within every love, there is fear: The fear of separation from that which you love.A child fears separation from her parents, a lover from his beloved, the body fears separation from the soul and the soul from its Source Above.So what do you love? Look at your worries and you will know. If you seethe in worry over your debts and financial future, then it is the material world you love—because you believe in the material world and you see it as the source of all good. If you sit and fret over the comments of others and the glances they throw at you, then it is social acceptance that you love, that you have made into your god.Cleave to the True Source Above and your heart will have no room for fear of this world.

I JUST HAD A NEED TO POST THAT DONT ASK IT SPOKE TO ME HOPE U ENJOY!!!!


AND HOPE U HAD AN EASY FAST!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

hashgocha protis

we're always told these amazing hashgocha protis stories that happened on mivtzoim or merkos shlichus or whatever.

this one could probably be just as cool but I'm not a speaker. :)

it happened on Sunday, the third night of chanukah.

my brother wasn't going to go on mivtzoim because it was raining and it was really cold, but he had no way of letting his friends know that so he ended up going.

my younger brother wanted to go with him, but my mother didn't want him to get sick, or start complaining about the cold and be a pain in the neck. My father said to wrap him up and he went.

they went on a mitzvah tank and once they got to Queens my brothers went with another boy as a group to approach people.

at one point, they were in a building. they went to every apartment that didn't have x-mas decorations and did not give out one menorah. either the people weren't Jewish, lit already, didn't want to light, or were afraid of having a bunch of people talking to them because they were alone.

They left the building and were already back at the mitzvah tank when one of the boys realized that he'd lost a glove. they went back to the building and found it in the front of the building.

they continued back to the mitzvah tank and on the way they were asking everyone if they were Jewish. One person they asked was a middle-aged businessman.
"excuse me, are you Jewish?"
"why?"
"because we're giving menorahs out to Jews who don't have. today's chanukah, blah blah blah."
"who told you to light menorah?"
"G-d."
"I don't believe in G-d."
big argument...
he was asking my younger brother questions to see if he learned it in school or if they were making it up on the spot to trick him.
"where did you learn this stuff?"
"in school, from my teachers."
"where did your teachers learn it?"
"from G-d." (basically that goes back all the to G-d on mt.sinai)
"because he learned it school, i believe that you're not making this up and I will light this menorah - I don't believe in G-d (yet), but I will tell people about it."

so good thing my brother couldn't let his friends know that he didn't want to go
and good thing my younger brother went despite the cold
and good thing they spent all that time in the building without giving out a single thing
and good thing the boy lost his glove and they had to go back to get it
and good thing we learn this stuff in school ;)
because otherwise they wouldn't have met the guy and convinced him (and maybe others through him) to light the menorah!

L'chaim

Going Up

If two people are on the same rung of a ladder, one going up and the other going down, who is higher?

The one going up!

Its a wonder why going up the stairs makes one out of breath, while going down the stairs is hardly an exertion.

elevation is a struggle. Going up requires effort.

As soon as someone is no longer struggling, then they are just gonna go down.

as they always say...
Chassidus demands Avodah!

Live by it!

:)



[as heard from Rabbi Kalmenson]

a thought...

This just occurred to me during history class one day.

I was wondering how it was possible that India, a country that was so advanced at first - they had smallpox vaccinations 1000 years before Europe! - could be a third world country today!

And then I noticed - they were a settled country, thriving, everything was established. But that was where they stopped. They didn't go out and explore, they didn't go out and trade with others. If people wanted what they offered, they had to come and get it.

And that was where they went wrong.

They sat there and said all finished! They didn't go out. So they disappeared. I'm pretty sure that India used to be a significant place; now, the first time most of us heard about it was by the Mumbai attacks.

The lesson is this: If you stay where you are and think you're complete, you will fall. If you aren't growing, you're falling. A Jew has to be a Mehalech. We learned this in Tanya last year, but I just really understood why you'll fall. Because if you aren't refining your inventions, your economy, your middos, they'll rust and fall apart.

L'chaim

Friday, December 25, 2009

ONLY OUR REBBE!!!! :)

can take something like chess and turn it into this!

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/528301/jewish/Chess-The-Game-and-its-Players.htm


When Sammy Reshevsky once attended a farbrengen, the crowd was delighted when the Rebbe explained the meaning of chess, "the Game of Kings," as it is seen in the upper worlds.

The king is the most valuable piece on the chessboard. Protecting the king and attacking the pieces which threaten the king's "dominion" is the objective of the game, and the goal of all the pieces at the king's disposal.

The same thing is true with all of created reality. The king represents the King of the Universe. When G‑d created the world, He had an end-goal in mind – that this G‑d-denying reality be made into a place where His dominion is known. Just as all of the pieces in the chess game exist only to protect the king and further his goal, all components of creation only exists in order to fulfill this deepest desire of the King of kings.

While the king represents the transcendent quality of G‑d, the queen represents malchut d'Atzilut, G‑d's immanent quality. This quality of G‑d generates the rest of the spiritual hierarchy, including all the angels and souls.

The officers -- rooks, bishops and knights -- represent the angels. They inhabit the spiritual worlds and channel Divine energy to the worlds below and are imbued with great powers.

And on the lowest rung are the pawns, which represent the souls of Jews as they are embodied in physical bodies in this world.

Every level of this hierarchy has a unique position and method of moving, in accordance with its mission.

On the lowest rung, but on the front lines, are the pawns. Like the pawn that can only go forward one step at a time, we make the world into a place where G‑d can feel at home by moving slowly, step-by-step. We do our work with simple actions that are often not very glamorous. Although we can achieve a lot, we must work within the limits of the natural universe.

However, when a pawn finally completes its step-by-step progression and reaches the other side, it can be swapped and promoted to a higher level. It is even possible for a pawn to attain the level of queen.

This is also true spiritually: It is possible for a simple human soul to be united with its source in malchut d'Atzilut, to be charged with the level of G‑dliness that is higher than all the angels and souls. We are the only ones in all the realms of created reality that are capable of this kind of drastic transformation.

This is in contrast to the officers: the rook, bishop, or horse. They can hop and skip, several steps at a time. Yet they can each only move in the way they have been assigned. The rooks only move in straight lines, the bishops only move diagonally, and the knights only go two-squares-vertically, one-square-horizontally, or vice versa.

In the spiritual worlds, each angel has its own unique character and method of transmitting the Divine flow to the lower worlds. But while angels are supernatural spiritual forces, they can "hop and skip," they are limited by their own job-descriptions. Unlike humans, angels cannot act out of character, upgrade or improve themselves.

The queen has more power and freedom than any of the officers; she can move infinitely in any direction. But freedom implies risk, and the queen is often thrown into harm's way for the sake of the game. Paralleling this, G‑d allows an aspect of Himself to go into exile, to become embedded in a world that will not necessarily recognize His presence. G‑dliness can be found everywhere and at any time, even in situations that appear foreign to G‑d.

Interestingly, the king, the most important piece, seems to have the least power. While it can move in any direction, it can only move one step at a time, like a lowly pawn. It does not engage in the fighting, and it moves only when it is most necessary, to win the whole game or in a time of danger.

This is because the king represents the innermost essence of G‑d which is completely removed from the mundane world. This aspect of G‑d does not ordinarily become engaged in the happenings of the world. But in a stunning move of extravagance, when the battle becomes a battle of life-and-death, when the whole purpose of creation is at stake, the King of kings, "G‑d" in the most infinite sense, steps in and joins us. We are never far removed even from that most transcendent aspect of G‑d.

And what does it mean to win a game of chess? What is the future that even G‑d Himself will drop everything to save? It means to win the war of all wars: when the world will be a place of good and harmony, peace and tranquility; when no part of G‑d will be in exile; and when the essence of G‑d will no longer be "removed" from creation.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

IM SOOOOO PROUD :) :) :) :) :)

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/menorah-medina/#comment-588189


WOW.

I am like heart-is-soaring-to-the clouds-happy to be Chabad.

Proud?

Definitely.

Embarrassed?!

definitely not.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Food for thought

This is something I heard in TC from Rabbi Lipskier. Pretty filling food for thought, especially on inspiration- less snowdays, or after a week of no prayer or chitas.

Here Goes:

the Question: If Modern Orthodox is concidered to be okay, then why be chassidish?!

The Answer:
Two men were sitting side by side on an aircraft, flying cross country. Upon landing, one man whipped out his cell phone, dialed his home number, and gave his wife arun-down of his flight, while reassuring her that he landed safely.
When he snapped his phone shut, his seat- mate laughed mockingly: "You, you married fools! Look at you! You have become a slave to the woman! Constantly having to give in and work hard for them. While I... Why, look at me! Im a free man! Free to do as I wish! Free to go wherever I want, for however long I want, without feeling guilty one bit. Fool!"

To which the first man replied:
"Fool?! Who do you think is the fool here!? I may be constantly in indebted to her, but that's my way of showing my appreciation for her concern! You, on the other hand, are a fool. For though you may go wherever you wish, you are uncared for, and there is no one to acknowledge your return! "

---

Same with us. By being mehudar, we are enabling G-ds care for us to shine through in a deeper way. We aren't just living passively, doing what we have to or want, we are constantly aware that there is Someone out there, accepting what we work for with concern. We are making a keli for Hashem's love.


gnite chassidistes...

and a freilichen snowday to u aalll :)

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Lessons of Chanuka :)

Time For a Change of Scenery?




Question:

My life has come to a standstill. I'm bored at work, and my relationship is going nowhere. I think I need a change of scenery. I'm thinking of moving to a different city, or maybe changing my career.

Answer:

There's only one problem with changing scenery. Wherever you go, you'll still be there. Even if everything around you changes - your address, your job, your spouse, your car - as long as you are the same old you, you will be living the same old life.

The human soul has a deep need for growth. Stagnation is poison to the soul. What was good enough yesterday is insufficient for today, and the me of the past will not satisfy us in the future. We need to be constantly adding new insights, facing new challenges and charting new territory. To achieve this, we need not go anywhere. We need just to look inside ourselves and change our inner scenery.

You don't need a career move. You need a soul move. Embark on some new challenges in your spiritual life. Go and buy an inspiring and meaningful book and read a little every day. Feed your mind with new ideas. Challenge yourself to work on a character weakness, like being more patient with your kids or with your parents, or thinking before you speak. Take on a new mitzvah, like putting on tefillin in the morning or saying a blessing before and after eating.

The changes need not be big and dramatic, but they must be consistent. We learn this lesson from the Chanukah candles.

On the first night of Chanukah we light one candle, on the second two, and we continue to add one new candle each night, until the eighth and final night when we light eight candles. This means that what was enough yesterday is not enough today. If on the fourth night of Chanukah I light four candles, I have fulfilled the mitzvah perfectly. But if I light the same four candles on the fifth night, I am lacking, I have fallen behind. Every new day requires another new candle.

If you aren't growing spiritually, if you haven't added more light, you are stagnating and falling. Not even a new iPhone can fill that void. But if you just add one candle, a single spiritual challenge and one solitary step further in your soul journey, then you have changed from within, and the whole world changes with you.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Hey Yall! This is a really long and stunning story!!! Enjoy!

The Fifth Night of Chanukah By Rabbi Moshe Greenwald
Permit me to share with your readers a story that happened to my father, of blessed memory. He always kept this story within the family, but now, after the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, I feel obligated to make it public. May the merit of our belief in Tzadikim bring us closer to the redemption.
In 1929, the Rebbe married Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, daughter of the previous Rebbe, on the fourteenth of Kislev, 1929. My father, Abraham Tzvi Greenwald, who was then 17, had the opportunity to meet the Rebbe at his hotel.
At one point the Rebbe turned to my father, and said:
"There are a few days left until Chanukah. Do you know why it is customary in Chassidic shuls to celebrate and make special parties on the "Finef'te Lichtel" (the fifth night of Chanukah)?"
The Rebbe continued: "It happens that the fifth day of Chanukah can never occur on Shabbat. This represents great darkness. The fifth Chanukah candle symbolizes that the light of Chanukah can illuminate even such intense darkness. This is the duty of every Jew, wherever he may find himself, be it in Warsaw or in London, to illuminate even the greatest darkness."
Years passed. The tragedy of the Holocaust hit Polish Jewry. My father went through its horrors, first in the ghetto and then in the death camps. His first wife and five children were killed in front of his eyes. At the end of the war, he was broken in body and spirit.
My father remained in the D.P. camps for two years, looking for surviving family members. All his sisters, brothers and family had been murdered. He emigrated to America in 1948, where his uncle helped him start a new life.
My father met my mother in Toronto and decided to marry. He needed encouragement and confidence for this second marriage, so he traveled to New York to receive the blessing of the Rebbe's father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneerson of righteous memory.
My father received a blessing to build a family and live a long life. Before leaving, my father mentioned that he had attended the Rebbe's wedding in Warsaw. Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneerson's eyes lit up, and he said: "Since you were at my son-in-law's wedding, it would be proper to stop in and visit him too."
My father went downstairs to the Rebbe's office. The Rebbe recognized my father from his visit in Warsaw twenty years earlier.
He then said: "Since my father-in-law told you to come to visit me, I must tell you a Torah concept. We are now in the month of Kislev, close to Chanukah. It happens that the fifth day of Chanukah can never occur on a Shabbos. This represents a great darkness. The fifth candle thus symbolizes the great light of Chanukah, which can illuminate even such an intense darkness. It is the duty of every Jew, wherever he may find himself, be it in New York or London, to illuminate even the greatest darkness."
My father was stunned. The exact same words came back to him, word for word, as the Rebbe had told it to him nearly 20 years ago in the Warsaw hotel.
After my sister and I were born, our family moved to Toronto. Before my marriage in 1969, my father said that although we were not Lubavitch Chassidim, he wanted me to receive the Rebbe's blessing before my wedding, just as he had done before his wedding.
It was not easy to schedule an audience with the Rebbe. My father pleaded with the Rebbe's secretary to allow me in for a blessing before the wedding. It was finally agreed to let us in, only for a blessing, but for no other discussion.
There were many people waiting for their turn with the Rebbe that evening, and we entered the Rebbe's room by early morning. It was the first time I saw the Rebbe and he made a deep impression on me. My father gave the Rebbe a note with our names, requesting that we merit to build a Jewish family.
The Rebbe looked up at my father and smiled. He said, "It is now more than 20 years since you came here before your wedding, especially since my father-in-law sent you to me..."
My father remained standing. The secretary was knocking on the door that we should hurry, but the Rebbe waved his hand to dismiss it.
The Rebbe opened the letter, and gave us his blessings to build a home, and he also blessed my father with a long, good life. The Rebbe said to my father: "Just as you attended my wedding, so may G-d give you strength to attend your grandchild's wedding."
My father was very moved. Before going out, my father dared to ask the Rebbe a question. "In Toronto, I hear complaints and criticism about Lubavitch outreach programs to the unaffiliated. How can you associate with people who are secular, irreligious and against the Torah? How can you put Tefillin on with people who are not observant? I do not mean to criticize, but I want to understand it and be able to explain it to others."
The Rebbe answered:
"Suppose the daughter of your very religious neighbor would abandon Judaism, G-d forbid? What would he do? Would he try to bring her back to Torah and Mitzvot, or would he say, 'She is irreligious, I will sever relations and never want to see her again.'?
The Rebbe continued: "Of course, his own daughter is different, as it says, 'Do not remain oblivious to the plight of your relatives.' However, in G-d's eyes, every Jew is as dear and precious as an only child. Every Jew is a relative who cannot be ignored."
The Rebbe then looked at me and my father and said:
"We will conclude with a blessing. It is known that Chassidim celebrate the 5th night of Chanukah. The reason is because the fifth day can never occur on a Shabbos. This represents a great darkness. The fifth candle thus symbolizes the great light of Chanukah, which can illuminate even such an intense darkness. This is the duty of every Jew, wherever he may find himself, be it in Toronto or London. Every Jew is a part of G-d above, His only child. When you illuminate his or her soul, then even the Jew furthest away, in the darkest place, can be awakened."
My father was taken aback. All the way back home he kept repeating to himself; "Amazing. Amazing."
Ten years passed. My younger brother got engaged to a girl from London in 1979 and our family was flying there for the wedding just before Chanukah. Minutes before leaving our house for the airport, our neighbor, a very respectable member of the Torah community, came in to talk with my father. He confided to him that his daughter had forsaken Judaism. Two weeks earlier, to their great embarrassment and dismay, she eloped with a non-Jewish boyfriend and fled to London. All their efforts to locate her were unsuccessful. The neighbor asked my father, since he was going to London, to try to find his daughter and save her.
We arrived in London and rejoiced at my brother's wedding. After the wedding my father told his mechutonim, his new in-laws, the story, and asked their advice.
The mechutan told my father, that he himself had no idea what to do, but he recommended a Lubavitch friend, Rabbi Avrohom Y. Gluck, who had helped many lost souls find their way back to Judaism.
They immediately called Rabbi Gluck who called the girl's parents in Toronto for information and clues on how to locate the girl. My parents were still in London during Chanukah when Rabbi Gluck called urgently, "I have a surprise for you."
My father hurried to Rabbi Gluck's house. When he arrived he saw a weeping girl sitting in the living room. Rabbi Gluck had located the girl and had convinced her to return to her family in Toronto.
As my father looked around the room, his eyes fell on the kindled Chanukah menorah. It had five burning candles... He almost fainted as he recalled the Rebbe's words to him fifty years earlier, thirty years earlier and ten years earlier.
"The fifth candle of Chanukah symbolizes the strength of the Menorah light... the role of every Jew to light up the darkest place, whether in Warsaw... in New York... in Toronto or in London."
"...If his daughter strays from Judaism... in G-d's eyes every Jew is an only child..."
The girl returned to her family and to Judaism. After returning home to Canada, my father wanted to visit the Rebbe and tell him what had happened.
In his characteristic humility the Rebbe commented: "My father-in-law had a lot of foresight."
My father passed away on the 14th day of Kislev 1989, after the wedding of my eldest daughter. This fulfilled the Rebbe's blessing to my father that he rejoice at the wedding of his grandchild. It was exactly 60 years to the day since the Rebbe's wedding in Warsaw. It had taken 60 years for the Rebbe's prophetic foresight to come full circle.
AFRELICHEN CHANUKA!

Friday, December 11, 2009

A goood shabbos to You all.....

And speaking about shabbos... heres some gevaldik "cholent"........



By Aron Moss


Question:

Rabbi, I appreciate your invitation to join your classes, but I just don't have time in my life for spirituality right now. My week is packed with work, family commitments, fitness, a little socializing and time to relax. I don't see where I can fit in spiritual activities. I don't want to burn out, do I?

Answer:

There was once a rabbi teaching a classroom full of students. He started his lesson by saying, "My dear students, today is our last class together before you graduate. For this special occasion I am going to do something different. I am going to teach you the secret of a good cholent."

The students were aghast. Cholent, the traditional Shabbat stew, is a classic of Jewish cooking, but hardly a profound subject for a rabbi to teach his students for their final lesson.

The rabbi took out a crockpot and filled it to the brim with potatoes. He then turned to his students and asked, "Tell me, now that I have filled the pot with potatoes, is the pot full?"

"Yes," his students replied, confused by the simplicity of the question, for there was no way to fit in any more potatoes into the pot.

With a smile the rabbi took out a bag of beans and poured it into the pot, and the beans managed to slip between the spaces among the potatoes. "Ok," said the rabbi, "now is the pot full?" Looking into the pot the students agreed that it was indeed full.

Without missing a beat, the rabbi took out a bag of barley and poured it into the pot. The small kernels meandered effortlessly between the cracks and crevices among the potatoes and beans.

"Now it's full," said the students.

"Really?" said the rabbi, taking out his collection of spices. He then began shaking generous amounts of salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder all over the pot. The students watched dumbfounded as the spices easily settled into what had seemed to be a completely full pot.

The rabbi, obviously enjoying himself, asked again, "Is it full yet?"

Without waiting for the answer, the rabbi produced a jug of water and proceeded to pour its contents into the pot. To the amazement of his students, he was able to empty the entire jug of water into the pot without a drop spilling over the sides.

"Alright," said the rabbi, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Now it really is full, right?" The students all nodded in agreement. "Are you sure?" prodded the rabbi. "Are you absolutely certain that I can't fit anything more into this pot?" Suddenly unsure of themselves, the students looked at each other nervously and said, "Surely you can't put anything else into there!"

With drama and pathos, the rabbi raised a finger in the air, lowered it slowly and flicked a switch on the side of the pot, turning on the heating element lying beneath. "You see," said the rabbi triumphantly, "I just filled the pot with the most important ingredient of all - warmth. Without it, the pot may as well be empty."

The rabbi paused, and looked deeply into the eyes of his stunned students. "My children," he finally addressed them, "you are about to leave my class and go on to live busy lives. In the big world out there, you will no longer have the luxury of studying holy texts all day. In time you will be consumed by the pressures of looking after a family and making a living. But always remember this: your material pursuits are just the potatoes and beans of life. Your spirituality is the warmth.

"Until the fire is turned on, the pot is full of disparate ingredients. It is the warmth that unites them all into one single stew.

"If you don't maintain a spiritual connection, through praying every day, studying the holy books, and keeping focused on the true meaning of your lives, then you will end up as a cold cholent - very busy, very full, but completely empty. When you have lost touch with your soul, your family life will suffer, your career will be unfulfilling, you won't even be motivated to exercise.

"But if you keep the fire burning in your soul, if you stick to a daily schedule that nourishes the spirit, even if it is only for a few minutes a day, then those few minutes will bring warmth and inspiration to all your other activities. A spiritual connection imbues your entire life with meaning, keeps you anchored and directed, inspired and motivated. It permeates all you do with a sense of purpose, and makes you succeed."

"You may be wondering," continued the rabbi, "how will you have time for all this? How will you be able to juggle the demands of material life along with your spiritual development? You will find the answer by looking to the cholent. Did you notice that though the pot seemed full of potatoes and beans, barley, spices and water, when I added the warmth it did not overflow? Never think that adding spirituality to your schedule will overburden you. On the contrary, it will bring everything else in your life together, because it will remind you why you do all these other things in the first place; you work in order to be able to live a life of meaning, you get married in order to bring the best out in yourself and your spouse, you have children in order to educate them in the ways of goodness, you keep fit in order to have the strength to fulfill your mission. Spirituality is the warmth that does not take up space, it creates more."

With a loving smile, the rabbi concluded his farewell with words of wisdom that I think apply equally to you:

"You should never think that you are so busy that you can't afford to concentrate on your soul. The truth is, you can't afford not to. May G-d bless you that each and every one of you should always be a warm pot of cholent."

warning! this article is about taharas hamishpacha. article: http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/192,2066945/Making-A-Baby.html#articlepage.

these 2 paragraphs *aren't* (theyre soooo interesting) but they do refer to it. if u have issues, dont continue. if you dont:

According to Chassidic sources,3 both Yitzchak, the patriarch of the Jews, and Chavakuk, the son of the Shunamit4 were born with souls from alma d’nukva or the feminine realm. It is interesting that both were born through extraordinary, holy circumstances, and even so, as men created from a feminine realm, they were lacking an essential spiritual component necessary for masculine life.


It would likewise take the extraordinary, transformative experiences of the akeda, and the death-and-revival (techiyas hamesim) of the Shunamit’s son, for their souls to be made whole. The unnatural conditions by which these individuals were conceived would require “correction”5 later in life.

....

The “garments” of the soul, as described in the Zohar, that are affected by the circumstances of conception may benefit and be healed by absorbing holy images. In anticipation of these confusing times, when Jewish life is so misunderstood and neglected, and children are born with all sorts of unwanted and unwarranted factors, Chassidism offered an antidote in the practice of Chitat—an acronym for Chumash (Torah), Tehillim (Psalms) and Tanya.


Just by reading the words, by absorbing the images of those letters and those words and those paragraphs in daily segments, the negative repercussions of assisted reproduction may be corrected. The Torah letters—the letters of the Chumash, the revealed part of Torah, heals the outer layer; the Tehillim, composed of David’s heartfelt outpouring, heals the heart; the Tanya—the esoteric, or deeper layer, heals the soul.

**OFFICIAL**

*climbs up onto soapbox, cough cough everyone listen up!!*

following are the OFFICIAL rules for this very choshuve, inspiring and otherwise all-amazing blog. those who fail to adhere to them will be severely frowned upon by yours truly.

#1: quote. it is absolutely forbidden to post anything without a source = the name of the speaker and preferably the date and place too (so that if any of us were there, we can tell you if your notes are off). if it's from online, like chabad.org or askmoses, paste the link as the title or at the very beginning of the post. because

a) it is easier to read from the original site, anyways

b) legally, those sites are copyrighted = you basically can't copy off of it without permission (altho they'll obviously let)

c) when you're reading an amazing story/insight from the original site, you just click around on it... read some more... end up on chabad.org for hours.... :) joke, but seriously one good deed leads to another....

d) One who says something in the name of its speaker brings redemption to the world, as is stated, "And Esther told the king in the name of Mordechai." (Pirkei Avos, 6:6)

#2: if it is your own chidush, that is totally unbelievable. however, you MUST say that it is your own idea. because

a) you have to quote, remember? (see rule #1)
b) if I think it is totally amazing and want to later repeat it... i have to be aware that while what you said was very inspiring, it basically has no source. it's important to realize which ideas come from text, which from speakers, and which from our own brilliant chassidic minds which are able to come up with brillian chassidic thoughts.

thanks everyone!!

*steps off soapbox*

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Hey ppl. this blog is reaallly DEAD!!! add some spice!!!

luv, chaya raps.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Beautiful Absurdity

I was searching thru some old emails (call me a bored soul ;) ), when I found this old daily dose, and thought I'd share it.


Short and to the point :)


Enjoy!

---


The world is absurd. Ugly absurd.

To repair ugly absurdity, you can't just be normal. You need an alternative absurdity. A beautiful absurdity.

We call it, "holy madness".

Sunday, December 6, 2009

HP inspiration of the day

read this amazing article!
Its serious HP!

He Needed A Sign: An Askmoses Story



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Rabbi Eliezer G: Welcome to the Rabbi's one on one chat room, how can I help you today?

SoulOnFire: Is it true that before Moshiach comes, 4/5 of the Jews are going to die?

Rabbi Eliezer G: no this is not true

Rabbi Eliezer G: this happened before the liberation from Egypt but this will not be the case when moshaich comes

Rabbi Eliezer G: We learn this from the hagaddah

Rabbi Eliezer G: we tell the wicked son that if he were there he would not have been liberated

Rabbi Eliezer G: we deduce that only if he had been there in Egypt before G-d gave us the Torah and made us responsible for each other and bound us into a single unit would it be possible that he might not be liberated

Rabbi Eliezer G: but once the Torah was given, we are assured that in the future liberation - moshaich - "lo yidach mimenu nidach", no one will be left behind

SoulOnFire: I heard this from a rabbi who quoted the Zohar

SoulOnFire: he said there would be 15 days of darkness

SoulOnFire: and during those 15 days, 4/5 of the Jews would die and those who remain alive will be burying the dead

Rabbi Eliezer G: the Lubavitcher Rebbe has said, and the former rebbe before him, that whatever suffering the Jewish people had to endure before the coming of moshiach (for which reason the sages of the Talmud were glad not to live in the generation preceding moshiach), has already been experienced in the holicaust, may there never be such a tzoro [Ed. calamity] again

SoulOnFire: I see

SoulOnFire: so are we talking about different opinions within Judaism?

Rabbi Eliezer G: as far as I know we are talking about a fact

Rabbi Eliezer G: the zohar speaks in riddles and one must be a great kabalist to claim a full understanding that would be based on fact

Rabbi Eliezer G: If the Lubavitcher Rebbe said that we have no worries about mass death then I have no worries

SoulOnFire: well, the rabbi I mentioned was not a lubavicher

Rabbi Eliezer G: I am not disparaging anyone

Rabbi Eliezer G: But the Lubavitcher Rebbe can certainly be said to be a master in the concealed dimension of Torah

SoulOnFire: I know...

SoulOnFire: I'm just wondering whether it's just a different way of looking at things

Rabbi Eliezer G: if he proclaimed that there is nothing to fear then I am comfortable with it and you may too

SoulOnFire: I see

Rabbi Eliezer G: The rebbe was very serious about this too

SoulOnFire: I know, because what I heard was quite unsettling

Rabbi Eliezer G: any time a rabbi would suggest that there might be punishment coming to Am Yisroel [the Jewish People] on account of our sins the rebbe would stand up and deny it loudly and emphatically

Rabbi Eliezer G: he would say that the only one who can foretell a punishment is Hashem

Rabbi Eliezer G: and through him a prophet

SoulOnFire: that's comforting

Rabbi Eliezer G: otherwise, no one can claim to know of a negaitve thing to happen to Jews

Rabbi Eliezer G: because Hashem loves his children

Rabbi Eliezer G: and even when he forcasts punishment in the torah we dont know precisely what form this might take, or precisely what kind of Teshuvah is sufficient to mitigate such punishment

SoulOnFire: I see

Rabbi Eliezer G: we also dont know whether this punishment forcasted in Torah already happened during the Churban Habayis [destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem]

Rabbi Eliezer G: as such we have no right or standing on which to proclaim that a punishment is due the children that Hashem loves

Rabbi Eliezer G: especially when each child in this generation is a sapling saved from the fires of the holocaust

SoulOnFire: I understand

Rabbi Eliezer G: every child is precious and beloved to Hashem

Rabbi Eliezer G: this was the Rebbe's strongly held view

Rabbi Eliezer G: he would say that Hashem is not vengeful but always seeks ways to be merciful

SoulOnFire: I see

Rabbi Eliezer G: in fact I saw an interesting thought from the Rebbe today

Rabbi Eliezer G: there is a discrepency among the Rishonim about the destruction of the first beis hamikdash whether the walls of Jerusalem fell on Tamuz 17 or (earlier, on) Tamuz 9

Rabbi Eliezer G: the rebbe resolved the question in the following way:

Rabbi Eliezer G: there is a Midrash that hashem waited between the walls for seven days to see if the Jews would repent

Rabbi Eliezer G: says the Rebbe, perhaps the Babylonians broke through the defenses of the first wall (Yerushalayim had three walls during the second beis hamikdash and perhaps more than one during the first - I don't know how many walls there were during the first)

Rabbi Eliezer G: so perhaps the first wall was breached on Tamuz 9, then Hashem held them off from breaching the second wall for another seven days, till Tamuz 17 when they breached the second wall

Rabbi Eliezer G: desperately hoping all the while that the Jews would yet return to the Torah and abandon their evil ways

Rabbi Eliezer G: so is the love of G-d for His children

Rabbi Eliezer G: so says a lover of Jews, an advocate for Bnei Yisroel - that was the Rebbe

Rabbi Eliezer G: a man who was concerned with every Jew in every corner of the world

SoulOnFire: so Hashem is waiting for us to repent?

Rabbi Eliezer G: today? we don't know what is holding hashem up today

Rabbi Eliezer G: the rebbe has said many times that we must look forward to the Geulah [Redemption] because it is going to arrive at anytime

Rabbi Eliezer G: I was speaking of the destruction of the first Holy Temple; I was not reflecting on today

SoulOnFire: oh, ok

SoulOnFire: thank you very much Rabbi Gurkow

Rabbi Eliezer G: you are entirely welcome

SoulOnFire: you made me feel better

Rabbi Eliezer G: Thank you for visiting Ask Moses today and I invite you to come back at any time

Rabbi Eliezer G: I would like to tell you a short story

Rabbi Eliezer G: if you have a moment

SoulOnFire: please do

SoulOnFire: I do

Rabbi Eliezer G: ok

Rabbi Eliezer G: Rabbi Yoself Weinburg was on his way to South Africa [from NY]

Rabbi Eliezer G: as usual he went to the rebbe for a blessing before he left

Rabbi Eliezer G: the rebbe, a manhig Yisroel [leader of the Jewish People], who worries for every Jew, sighed: it is a pity that we fly from one large Jewish community to another, flying over little Jewish communities on our way when we might be able to be of assistance to them

Rabbi Eliezer G: Rabbi Wineburg thought norhing of it

Rabbi Eliezer G: but when his plane got stopped in Dakar Africa for techinical reasons and they were told they would have to wait two days to continue their journey he felt that he has a mission from the rebbe to seek out Jews in this little far away backwater country in Africa

Rabbi Eliezer G: he took his black coat and hat and bag found his way to the middle of the city and started to look around for signs of Judaism

Rabbi Eliezer G: a man tapped him on the shoulder

Rabbi Eliezer G: he turned around and saw a Jewish looking man

Rabbi Eliezer G: Rabbi Wineburg, shocked, murmured, Shema Yisroel

Rabbi Eliezer G: the man replied Hashem Echod

Rabbi Eliezer G: they fell into each other's arms

Rabbi Eliezer G: to make a long story short, the man was dating a non Jewish woman and felt really bad about the prospect of marrying outside his faith

Rabbi Eliezer G: he was walking down the street at that moment saying to himself, if only hashem sends me a sign that I should remain strong in my Judaism

Rabbi Eliezer G: when he saw Rabbi Weinburg!

Rabbi Eliezer G: the man ended up marrying a Jew

SoulOnFire: you mean marrying a non-Jewish woman?

Rabbi Eliezer G: no he married a Jewish woman

Rabbi Eliezer G: and that's not all, he helped to organize the few Jews in Dakar into a cohesive community

Rabbi Eliezer G: Rabbi Weinburg sent them Teffilin, taleisim [prayer shawls] and Siddurim

Rabbi Eliezer G: he also sent matzos

SoulOnFire: so the man was about to marry a non-Jewish woman, and when rabbi Weinburg got in touch with him he decided not to

SoulOnFire: and eventually married a jewish woman?

Rabbi Eliezer G: yes you understood it correctly

Rabbi Eliezer G: the man thanked the rebbe, in a letter, for being the only Jew who cared enough to reach out and help forgotten Jews in far away Dakar

Rabbi Eliezer G: that was the Rebbe

Rabbi Eliezer G: the rebbe did not know if there were Jews in Dakar

Rabbi Eliezer G: (unless he knew through mystical spiritual abilities)

Rabbi Eliezer G: but when he heard that someone was going to Africa his first thought was, perhaps there are Jews in the forgotten places that no one thinks about

Rabbi Eliezer G: and he never tired of seeking out Jews; this is just one such story of which there are many

Rabbi Eliezer G: may we learn from this example and be inspired to reach out to every that we possibly can

SoulOnFire: Rabbi, can I ask why you told me this story?

SoulOnFire: I don't mean to be rude, but I am curious

Rabbi Eliezer G: we were talking about the Rebbe's love for every Jew

Rabbi Eliezer G: his aversion to the thought that harm would befall Jews

Rabbi Eliezer G: I wanted to paint a picture that would help put it in perspective

Rabbi Eliezer G: this story, which I recently read, inspired me greatly and I thought it would be inspirational to hear

Rabbi Eliezer G: and I hope it was

SoulOnFire: the reason I am asking is that I am thinking about dating a girl who isn't Halachically jewish

SoulOnFire: her father is Jewish and her mother isn't

Rabbi Eliezer G: wow, I had no idea....

SoulOnFire: and one of the things I told myself was... if only Hashem sent me a sign, then I would do the right thing

Rabbi Eliezer G: can this possibly be a sign???

SoulOnFire: sure looks like one!

SoulOnFire: you see, I met her a few years ago at Hillel

SoulOnFire: the Jewish student organization

SoulOnFire: I hope I'm not taking up too much of your time

SoulOnFire: but I'd like to tell you about it

Rabbi Eliezer G: I have all day

SoulOnFire: thank you, I appreciate it

SoulOnFire: both of my parents are Jewish

SoulOnFire: it's funny, but I don't look Jewish at all

SoulOnFire: and that girl looks VERY JEwish

SoulOnFire: and when I met her... I thought... this is the girl for me

SoulOnFire: and one day... she told me that her mother was Catholic

Rabbi Eliezer G: tell me more about her

SoulOnFire: well, she's very nice... she reminds me of my mother...

SoulOnFire: in any event, I had to go through a harsh medical treatment a while ago

SoulOnFire: about x xxxxx ago to be exact

SoulOnFire: I just wanted everyone to leave me alone

Rabbi Eliezer G: what happened?

SoulOnFire: so we stopped dating

SoulOnFire: and she found herself another guy

Rabbi Eliezer G: how have you felt about her being with someone else?

SoulOnFire: a bit angry... but then I didn't blame her for it, afterall, I couldn't give her the attention because I was sick

SoulOnFire: but now I am all better

SoulOnFire: and I found out that she broke up with her boyfriend

SoulOnFire: so I thought we'd give it another shot

Rabbi Eliezer G: hmm

SoulOnFire: in fact, I saw her last wednesday

SoulOnFire: but...

SoulOnFire: I've been struggling with Judaism for a very long time

SoulOnFire: I listened to the rabbi's class this morning and I heard him say the things I just told you

SoulOnFire: and I thought to myself

SoulOnFire: first of all... if that were to come true, then it's not the redemption I would look forward to

SoulOnFire: afterall, even if I were one of those Jews who would stay alive, I'd have to bury my friends and relatives

SoulOnFire: a really horrible thought

SoulOnFire: but at the same time

SoulOnFire: if he had been speaking the truth

SoulOnFire: then I must accept it

SoulOnFire: afterall, if G-d is real, then I must accept everything from Him

SoulOnFire: and I told myself, I am looking for a sign

SoulOnFire: I try to go to my local Chabad every week

SoulOnFire: and this morning I was actually thinking of quitting

SoulOnFire: but now that you've told me this story

SoulOnFire: it's going to definitely change things

SoulOnFire: in fact

SoulOnFire: one of the things you told me

SoulOnFire: let me scroll up

SoulOnFire: Rabbi Eliezer G : he was walking down the street at that moment saying to himself, if only hashem sends me a sign that I should remain strong in my Judaism

SoulOnFire: that describes exacly how I've been feeling

SoulOnFire: this is very powerful

Rabbi Eliezer G: wow

Rabbi Eliezer G: this is as inspiring to me as it is to you

SoulOnFire: I really don't see myself dating that girl

SoulOnFire: she's very nice, and she's going through a tough break-up from what I understand

SoulOnFire: I need to find a way to handle it

SoulOnFire: but you've really put things in perspective for me

SoulOnFire: when I saw that girl I made it clear to her that I wanted to start dating again

SoulOnFire: and now I need to let her know that it's not going to happen

Rabbi Eliezer G: Hashem brings us together in ways that we know not how

Rabbi Eliezer G: but in ways that are beneficial to us all

Rabbi Eliezer G: netier you or I knew that we would talk this morning

Rabbi Eliezer G: I had no idea that I would be inspired to tell you this story when you first came on

Rabbi Eliezer G: and here, we were brought together

Rabbi Eliezer G: my friend, hashem does not send signs every day

Rabbi Eliezer G: it is an incredible kindness that He has shown you and me today

Rabbi Eliezer G: let's not waste the message of this sign

Rabbi Eliezer G: take it to heart

Rabbi Eliezer G: and do me one favor please

Rabbi Eliezer G: I will make the same request of you that Rabbi Weinburg made to that Jew in Dakar

SoulOnFire: what kind?

Rabbi Eliezer G: send me an invitation to your wedding, whenever it happens, to the Jewish girl that you will choose

Rabbi Eliezer G: write down my address

Rabbi Eliezer G: 5xx Huxxx Street, Lxxxxx, XN x5xx6

Rabbi Eliezer G: this will be something tangible to remind you of the miracle we both wittnessed today over ask moses

Rabbi Eliezer G: and remember when the time comes send me an invitation please

SoulOnFire: I will

Rabbi Eliezer G: I will look forward to it

Rabbi Eliezer G: and wherever it may be, I will bli neder make an effort to attend

SoulOnFire: now I have to find her

SoulOnFire: not an easy task :)

Rabbi Eliezer G: with a miracle like the one we wittnessed today, there is no reason why you cant move forward with another miracle

Rabbi Eliezer G: this boy in Dakar found a Jewish girl in France

Rabbi Eliezer G: if he found one while living in Dakar you will find one from wherever you live

SoulOnFire: wow, you don't know how much this all means to me

SoulOnFire: I don't know how to express my gratitute

Rabbi Eliezer G: Your gratitude and mine belongs to Hashem who brought us together. It means so much to me too to be a part of this

SoulOnFire: I'm pretty speechless

SoulOnFire: I'll be thinking about this chat for months

SoulOnFire: years

SoulOnFire: probably my whole life

SoulOnFire: and it came so unexpectedly

Rabbi Eliezer G: may it be for a blessing to us both

SoulOnFire: thank you

SoulOnFire: and that's a huge thank you


YOU Can Shine

Remember that the outside isn't what trully matters its what's in the inside that really counts. Your appearence might be on the outside, but you dont want to be seen as just a hollow body that has has nothing inside. What you do and how you act has an effect on everthing and everybody. Your the only one that can be YOU so be the best YOU, you can be! In honor of Yud Tes Kislev lets all take on a little Halchlata and try to be the best we can be and let our true selves shine from the inside out!

Disclaimer!!

Its OK to Hog A Blog
HEY EVERYONE!!!!!!!
its chya raps!!! and basically i wanna bentch evryonbe!!! u know its my birth day!
everything u want should come true!!!!
do well in school!!!
all the sick ppl. should get better!!
moshiach now!!
lov chaya raps!!