This is sooo encouraging to see and sooo empowering you must see!!!!

Click on this link to watch an amazing video!

The Best Way Out is Always Through Movie

This is live from yerushalayim you could almost feel yourself being in the midbar with hashems protection!! you must see how real this will feel:)

Sukkot - The Ultimate Shelter from Dan Roth on Vimeo.

PLS READ BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO SO U CLD GET CLARITY OF WHAT YOU WILL BE SEEING IT SOOO WORTH IT EVEN THOUGH IN HEBREW!! WATCH TILL THE END!!

JUST IN TIME FOR SUCCOS AND SIMCHAS TORAH WE GET A GLIMPSE OF SOMEONE WHO REALLY WANTS TO RETURN TO HASHEM AND HAS TO TAKE ONE HUGE LEAP AND ONCE HE DID THAT IT ALL BECAME SO MUCH EASIER AND SWEETER FOR HIM!!YOU GET TO SEE A PICTURE OF BEFORE AND AFTER WHAT A GIFT HE IS SHARING WITH US!! HE WAS TOTALLY NOT RELIGIOUS AND ONCE HE WAS TAUGHT WITH LOVE AND WARMTH OFCOURSE HE DECIDED TO COME HOME!! SO NOW HE IS BRINGING BACK SO MANY LOST NESHAMOS BEC HE UNDERSTANDS!!
WE COULD EACH ON OUR OWN LEVEL,COULD USE SOMETHING THAT WE WENT THROUGH TO GIVE SOMEONE ELSE CHIZZUK. SO WE USE THIS PAIN TO INSPIRE AND ENCOURAGE THEN THE PAIN WILL BE USED FOR SOMETHING VERY GRT!!
JUST SEE THE POWER OF SEIZING THE MOMENT IF HE HAD NOT CUT OFF HIS PONY TAIL THEN WHO KNOWS IF HE EVER WOULD HAVE!! IT WAS VERY HARD TO MAKE THAT FIRST STEP!!
WE NEED TO GRAB A MITZVA WHEN WE GET THAT CHANCE DONT WAIT MAYBE YOU WILL NOT WANT TO DO IT LATER!!
THE SHORT MOVIE CLIP YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE TOOK PLACE A FEW YRS. AGO IN BROOKLYN COLLEGE.. I WAS THERE TO WITNESS THE SCENE!! A NON RELIGIOUS GYE RAISES HIS HAND AND ASKS AMNON YITZCHOK FOR A BRACHA HE SAID, "IM NOT RELIGIOUS BUT I WANT TO RETURN TO HASHEM HOW DO I START?! ALSO I WANT TO GET MARRIED AND ITS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO FIND A GIRL THAT IS SPECIAL!", SO AS A JOKE RAV AMNON SAYS TO HIM OFCOURSE ITS HARD TO FIND A GIRL SHE SEES ANOTHER GIRL SHE WONT WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU!! IF YOU CUT OFF YOUR PONY MAYBE U WILL FIND A GIRL!! HE SAYS NOOOO WAY I AM NOT CUTTING OFF MY PONY THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!! HE TOLD HIM I GIVE YOU A BRACHA IF YOU CUT IT OFF YOU WILL FIND A SCHIDDUCH VERY QUICKLY.. WITHIN THE YR.. HE SAID TO HIM IF YOU LEARN TORAH YOUR FACE WILL CHANGE AND YOU WILL HAVE A REAL SHINE COMING FROM UR FACE, WITH A LOT OF SIMCHA AND PARNASAH!! HE WAS LIKE NOPE I AM NOT CUTTING IT OFF!!! FINALLY RAV AMNON SAID TO HIM IF YOU MAKE A KIDDUSH HASHEM IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE AUDIENCE YOU CAN COME TO HASHEM AND TELL HIM I DESERVE LOTS OF BRACHA BEC OF WHAT I DID!! THE AUDIENCE WERE SINGING COME ON... I WAS THERE I SAW HIM FLIP OUT..NO I REALLY AM NOT READY TO DO THIS.. FIRST LET ME CHANGE MY INSIDES AND THEN MY OUTSIDES.. IF YOU TAKE OFF YOUR PONY YOULL BE ABLE TO CHANGE YOUR INSIDE! I CANT!! FINALLY HE SAID I HAVE NO PROBLEM CUTTING IT... EVERYONE WAS CHEERING HIM ON!! HE WENT UP ON STAGE AND THEN HE GOT TO FEEL EXCITED TO DO IT! IN HEBREW THE WORD PONY IS KOO KOO (CRAZY) AND THEN HIS FRIEND JUMPS UP AND JOINS HIM ON STAGE!! WE WERE GOING WILD!! SO RAV AMNON SAYS TO HIM FROM ONE KOO TO ANOTHER KOO AND THEN CUT IT OFF!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE THE POWER TO DO THAT!! WOWOW!!
FOR A SPLIT SECOND YOU GET TO SEE A CROWN OF EARINGS THOSE ARE FROM GYES WHO TOOK THEM OFF AND HE MADE THEM INTO A CROWN FOR HASHEMS TORAH!!!
HE BECAME COMPLETELY FRUM IN SLOW STEPS HE SAID SHABBOS WAS WHAT SHOWED HIM HOW BEAUTIFUL A FAMILY IS!! THE BEST PART IS THAT HE CAME BACK TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE HOW HAPPY HE IS THAT HE CHOSE THIS PATH AND THAT HE IS ENGAGED TO SHARE WITH US THE POWER OF RETURNING TO HASHEM AND DOING IT RIGHT THERE CAN BE NOTHING SWEETER!!

I was there when this story happened in brooklyn college! u must see it to see the power inside someone!incredible:)i will expalin in english!!

what a story!! Hashem has so much love for his children its unreal!!

We had just all lit the candles of Chanukah, and my father was getting out his guitar, and harmardika, as I was looking at the glowing candles in deep thought... I was thinking about Camp Sternberg, Where I had, had the best J.C ever! My J.C always read to us Hashkacha Pratis stories that had happened to her over the years, which she recorded in a mini notebook. She had always said “Look around; open your eyes and see at least one thing everyday that Hashem does for us; it’s unbelievable!”

Since then, I have and as I was watching those beautiful glowing candles I was thinking, of something that was hashkacha pratis that happened that day. After a few minutes of deep thought, I just took a deep breath and thought, “well I cant think of anything maybe it isn’t everyday that Hashem does something for us...maybe she’s just too much with the whole idea that Hashem does something for us…to get us to start following her in thinking about what Hashem does for us everyday…

I shook my head out of my silly thoughts and whipped my long, beautiful, silky braid around to face all the simcha and music that was playing in our house-and suddenly I saw something flash at the corner of my eye. I look down at my hair and see- that my hair was on fire! I screamed, and screamed like I have never done before-trying to bend down so that my hair wouldn’t make my shirt catch on fire as well. All hope left me. My hair that was up to my hip, had fire that was going so fast that it was already almost touching my scalp! I shrieked so load that people outside was watching me from the window-I was now going to die! My time was now up on this world! What should I say shima? With whatever voice I still had in me from all that screaming I said, “Shima Yisroel Hashem Elokainu Hashem Echud!” Thinking-Hashem thank you for giving me life until now. If this is all that I was born onto this world for then I guess my time is now up; what could I do? But please Hashem when you are now about to take me up to shamyim-please for give me for all that I had done, weather it was embarrassing others, or making fun of people, or speaking L”H, or even not behaving properly-please Hashem forgive me-I beg you! And when you take me, let me be a kapparah for others that are suppose to die, but never have fulfilled there goal in life! Please Hashem I beg you!

Just then I heard a splash! I felt something wet and saw that my hair was now totally burned-out, and the fire went out too...and you know what-I was alive! Nothing like Hatzala had to be called! I was alive, breathing, and totally fine! B”H, Hashem gave me a father that was able to recover from shock right away and have a cup of some water on me-another second and I would have to end up in the hospital-just one more.

Everything, and every second that we are alive, we should thank Hashem for. Hashem gives us so much, and we just take it for granted because it’s ok, and it’s not such a big deal. NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! We should appreciate all the things Hashem gave us, every second of it! Hashem is giving so much that if one second Hashem doesn’t say our name; we wouldn’t exist, but Hashem loves us so much that every second of the twenty-four hours, Hashem repeats our name over, i love you im here for you !!! Hashem just keeps on giving us more and more chances in this world. After this story I opened up my eyes to see the gift of life that Hashem gives me every minute!! if we know that life is a gift, a free gift so everything I get I only get bec. hashem loves me and he gives me a gift evry day!!
liat knof thank you soo much for sending this incredible story to me!!

My eretz yisroel story:) even if you heard it its worth it to read bec. it is written so well so pls read and comment!!!!

I want to share with you the power of praying to Hashem at a time of darkness, when things are so bleak that it seems there is no way out. At such a time, if you sincerely turn to Hashem to help, He will answer in ways you would never expect.

This past summer I had the opportunity to take a group of eight teenage girls with me to Israel. The goal of this trip was to expose Bais Yaakov girls to the beauty of Yiddishkeit as it comes alive in a special way in the Holy Land. With that goal in mind, we set out on our trip.

During the course of that summer, we went on many fascinating tours and were having a great time. One particular day, we arrived back at our apartment from a trip to the North of Israel. We dropped our bags, exhausted from the traveling, and settled down to rest and regroup. I gave two of the girls my bank card and asked them to go to the market to buy some food for lunch and supper.

They walked the short distance to the store and filled up a shopping cart with food for our group. When they got to the check-out counter, they handed the cashier my bank card to pay for the order. He swiped the card, but the transaction was declined.
"I’m sorry," he told the girls. "But it says, ‘Not accepted. Insufficient funds.’"
"What?" one girl exclaimed. "How can that be? Please, can you try again?"
He tried it again, but it was no use. The card didn't work. The girls returned to the apartment and told me the bad news.
"There must be some mistake!" I said. "Let me go to the bank and check this out."

I ran over to the bank and discovered that, unfortunately, the cashier was right. For some odd reason, our account was empty. That meant that all the money the girls had pooled to pay for the expenses of the trip was inexplicably failing to register on the account’s balance. If we could not get access to the money, the trip was finished.

I was not sure what to do next. The girls were crying and the mood of our trip was turning sour. I thought to myself, "Hashem, please, this is not a test that we can handle right now. We don't have money to buy basics, and the girls are looking to me for guidance." I told the girls, "It seems to me that the only thing we can do now is daven for Hashem to help us."

"Listen, Chaya Sarah," one of the girls said. "This is not a time to be all spiritual. Let's get real, OK? We’re in big trouble here."
"I know girls, but there is really nothing else to do now."
The girls thought I was being a fanatic, but then they actually took my advice. Each girl in her own words asked Hashem to help us out of our impossible situation.

After the brief prayer, I suggested to the girls that we study two laws of shmiras haloshon in Sefer Chofetz Chaim, which is a known segula in difficult times. Before we began learning, I asked again, "Please, Hashem, help us out here. Your daughters need you now."

After learning the two laws, I suggested to the girls that we go to the Old City, a place where there are many things to do, even if you don't have money. i started seeing the hand of Hashem a min. after we read the halachos and really showed him that we truly trust only in him! We had no money to even take a bus ride.. i put my hand in my pocket and I took out a bus card that had enough for 8 girls to come along!! wow!! Rabbi Wallerstein heard how difficult it was for me, he said i am sending you 2000.00 and he did!! That was all the money that we had till the end of the trip!
A friend of mine named Chani offered to come along and to sponsor supper. We went to the Old City and gratefully ate the supper Chani purchased for us. It was the only meal we ate that day. The girls were still hungry and tired, and worst of all, they were depressed over our difficult situation.

I suggested that we go to the Kosel, but the girls were not interested. It was getting late, and we decided to head back towards the buses and head home. We hoped that somehow, in the morning light, a solution to our dilemma would appear.
As we wound our way through the streets of the Old City, my friend Chani encountered a familiar woman.
"Hi, Chani! What are you doing here?"
"Hello,Pamella. I’m here with some friends."


"Great!" Pamella said, looking at the assembled group of morose girls. "Would you girls like to come up to my home?"
"Yes!" they shouted in unison, suddenly re-energized.
"I'll be with you in a minute.. I'm just saying goodbye to the senator of Texas.."was her reply.
we were completely shocked the senator.. since her father was in the government she always had professionals in her home, so she was very used to having senators and governors all the time!

Pamella had a magnificent home in the old city that was over a few millions dollars directly facing the Kotel!! She and her husband were known throughout the city as generous philanthropists, and Pamella was the quiet force behind many acts of kindness and chesed.

We followed Pamella into her beautiful home, taking in the original artwork that adorned the walls. One of the girls turned to me and said, "Wow! We really went from rags to riches!!

"Are you girls hungry?" Pamella asked.

There was no hesitation.

"yeh a little.."
we didnt want her to know how hungry we were..
The supper we had eaten earlier had barely filled the void left by a long day with little to eat. Besides, the girls had restrained themselves, knowing that Chani was paying the bill and not wishing to take undue advantage.

Since she had the senator of texas she had really fancy food to serve us!!
Pamella maid brought out hot, fresh rugelach and mini hot dogs in blankets and delicious drinks, which the girls devoured.
we felt soo luck to be so well taken care of!!

Then Tammy asked the girls, "Do you know where you are standing?"
"No, where?" they asked.
"Directly across from where the Beis Hamikdosh will be. Come take a look."

She brought us close and told us to peer right ahead of where we were and said, "Look there." We looked out and saw a breathtaking view of the Kotel, above which we were able to see the large dome of the mosque that presently occupies the place of the Bais Hamikdosh. Imagine where the Beis Hamikdosh will be rebuilt..we weer able to see it straight from her porch!!

The girls could not get over the amazing sight. It was as if one moment ago, we were lost in the darkness, and then in the very next moment, Hashem was embracing us, saying "I will not let you go."

The girls were so thrilled, one girl shouted spontaneously, "Hashem is amazing!" I felt as if Hashem were reaching into the hearts of these girls who, although observant, had not found a truly spiritual, inspiring path in their religious lives as yet. He was opening their eyes and letting them know that He is always there, if only we will call to Him.

"Girls I want to tell you something," said Pamella. "I want you to know that Hashem is always with you, no matter how dark a situation is Hashem will always be there to light up your life if you turn to him!

She then told us how she had given up a life of being a model for DKNY, she used to walk down the runway and have thousands of cameras in her face!! she gave it up because she wanted to have Hashem in her life!! she said that a life of Torah and mitzvos is the only way she could see herself living! She told the girls that she wouldn't give it up her Yiddishkeit for anything. She spoke to their hearts and gave them a lot of chizuk, revealing that she was now married for 20 years and had no children, but instead of wallowing in pain, she was using all of her strength to help unfortunate soldiers. She visits them in the hospital and brings them over presents to help them feel better!!

Pamella made a deep impression on the girls at just the moment when they stood at a crossroads in life. She was showing them that Hashem is truly there for them in all situations, and coming from such a woman, the words had a real impact.

After Pamella spoke so candidly to the girls, they opened up to her and told her about the disappearance of all their money and their difficult position.

"Wait here one moment," Pamella said. She went upstairs and when she came down, she was holding a small box. She opened it up and said, "I hope this helps your situation." She handed each girl a 20 shekel bill, and then gave Chani a few hundred shekel just in case, that paid for the entire supper and for the cabs ride home!! We could not believe the hashgacha pratis. The girls were simply floored by the entire experience.


The girls’ hearts were clearly moved. "You know, Chaya Sarah, if you don't see Hashem now, then you would have to be really blind," said one girl. No speech in the world could have done for us what this experience did.

We left the house and the girls turned to me and said, "Now we are ready to go to the Kosel to daven."

We all ran down to the Kosel and embraced the cold stone. It was raining outside, so all the women had gone indoors to daven, and no one was standing at the wall when we arrived. We had it all for ourselves.

The girls stood there, oblivious to the pouring rain, and they were all screaming,"I love you Hashem!" "Thank you Hashem!"

I stood back and watched proudly as these girls finally made the connection I was waiting for. In the moment of darkness, they had found Hashem, and I hoped and prayed that night that they would never let go.
The girls later told me that this experience, which started out as the potential ruination of the trip, became its unforgettable highlight.

I believe the lesson of my story is that sometimes Hashem places us in darkness,, but when He does, He wants us to know, " I am with you in the pain, I am right there. If you turn to Me at that moment of darkness, you will see Me turn the darkness to light. In the end, you will thank Me and praise Me," because only in the darkness can you really come to see Hashem. We saw Hashem that night, and so will you.

Like a Cup of Coffee

Staying Pure

I posted this mashal last year after Rosh Hashana and I think we can all take the same message for ourselves now, after Yom Kippur. We need to think of ways to keep the inspiration going. You all just went through (hopefully) a very powerful and touching YomHadin, a day where Hashem looked into each of your hearts while you davened and begged for forgiveness. Now that you have come out cleansed and pure, you need to make sure that the inspiration from Yom Kippur doesn't fade away.

How can you keep strong and hold back from doing the wrong thing?

Try to think about some of the things you asked Hashem to forgive you for and think of ways you can stop yourself from doing it again.
So many of the al chaits mention using our mouths for the wrong things...lashon hara, making fun of others, saying things that hurt someone else...Respecting elders, parents, teachers, your spouse...

...Looking at pictures or things that are harmful for your neshama. We all need to work on this. There is so much garbage out there on the internet - without even wanting to see it, the pictures just jump out at you. The internet can be such a time waster - you look at the clock and notice that your night is gone and you didn't even do much! Limiting the time you spend online or setting real limits and rules for yourself can help you prevent yourself from wasting something so precious...The less time you spend online, the more you can be sure you'll stay away from the bad stuff!

Now that Yom Kippur is over know that you are totally clean! It says, ashreichem yisroel - how lucky you are Bnei Yisroel, lifnei mi atem metaharim - before whom are you purifying yourself u'mi metaher eschem - and WHO is purifying you? Avichem Shebashamayim - your Father in Heaven! Do you understand what that means?! When you send a suit into the cleaners, you are not guaranteed to get it back 100% clean. The stains may not come out, in can come back a little bit faded or damaged...but when your neshama is cleaned by Hashem, you can be sure that when Yom Kippur is over and done, you are super clean! You can't get cleaner than the way Hashem cleans you! This is what the passuk is saying: know how lucky you are that your neshama gets cleaned by Hashem Himself!

Now that your neshama is clean and pure, try to keep it that way! Take the extra minute to have real kavannah when you make a bracha, say the words slowly and appreciate the food you are about to eat. Think about what you are saying when you say birchas hamazon - you just had a delicious and satisfying meal...so take the extra few minutes to read the words from the bencher and put some thought into your words!

There are so many areas to fix and so many things to work on. By making sure to be proactive about it and not letting yourself fall for the things the Yetzer Hara tells you, you can be sure that you will keep your purity intact!

TO MY BELOVED SISTERS OF KLAL YISROEL(FRM RABBI BRODY)YOM KIPPUR PREPERATION IN THE REALEST WAY!! PLS READ THIS EVEN IF ITS LONG!!

READ THIS AS IF I AM SCREAMING A SUPER IMP MESSAGE TO YOU TO SAVE YOUR YEAR THIS YOM KIPPUR CUZ MY BELOVED SISTERS WE ARE ALL SISTERS AND BROTHERS WE EACH FEEL EACH OTHERS PAIN !!WHEN ONE PERSON DOES SOMETHING GOOD YOU ARE AFFECTING ANOTHER SO PLS READ WITH YOUR HEART!!
THIS IS THE KEY!
I have a very imp thing to share with you to help you prepare for the big yom hadin!!! The day in which hashem will decide every happy moment in your year, every tear that you will cry, every simcha you will go to,Every good friend you will have..all the inspiration you will be gifted with! Every smile you will share and every bracha you wish with all your heart!!! this is all being sealed on Yom Kippur!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhh!!
We need to be a little scared and also be prepared!!!
This is all from a shuir I heard tonight by Rabbi Horowitz from ohr naava!
He said that on yom kippur its the biggest day of our lives for this whole year!!! If you think about it its quiet scary!! so yes open up your heart to what I want to share with you it might change your year to be written in for loads of bracha and happiness if you read this with your heart!!!
As we know on yom kippur the satan has no power the gematriya for hasatan is 364 bec. on yom kippur he does not have power only one day a year!!!! Just on yom kippur he cannot get us to do aveiros!!
well guess what, he is locked in to a closet and is locked behind bars,just picture the scene of the satan standing behind the bars wishing to come out,but he is locked and chained so he cannot escape!!! Finally we could lock up the satan for one day!!!! if you could picture the scene...
He wants to come out sooo badly but hashem does not let!!!
wow what a powerful thought that is!!

wait!! bec you must know this part.. its a bit scary there is only one way that you could wake him up and take him out of his chains and bars and have him stand in front of hashem and tell hashem all the horrible things you did!!!
how could he do this!! no way I dont want him to do this to me!
well guess what as soon as you open your mouth and speak loshon hara or yell at someone or get mad at someone.. you now got the satan to jump out of his bars and come to hashem esp. when all your aveiros are right in front of hashem bec of all the al cheits and viduy! you just told hashem all the avieros that you did and now guess what... the satan will tell hashem judge her with din for these horrible aveiros that she did!! ahhhhhhh!!!If the satan stays in his locked room hashem will judge you with rachamim and loving kindness and feel so bad for you and give you hugs and kisses for appoligizing, but if the satan comes out of his closet guess what hashem will have to judge you with din!!
Din means scary stuff!!! CAR ACCIDENTS, CANCER, PARENTS DIEING, LOOSING MONEY... you do not want it trust me!!
so how do I SAVE myself from such danger!! esp if i say loshon hara on shabbos on yom kippur terrible things could be written down for me...
so Rabbi Horowitz gave a sugg. whoever can should make a tanis dibbur where you dont talk to anyone at all!! You tell your family before hand otherwise they will think that you went nuts... but you decide to use this day to say tehillim read inspiring things,the al cheits...
bec the more detail you put into the aveira that you did and tell hashem how sorry you are the more forgiven you are!!
Like for example.. "Hashem I know this year I lied many times to diff. ppl bec I was nervous that if I didnt lie then I would get into trouble.. hashem I lied about... (you fill in the blank.. with any aveira that you did!! )...hashem im soo sorry I must have caused you so much pain that I lied...(fill in the blank of anything else you did!!) all I want to do with my life is be the best that I could be hashem help me!!! As soon as you show hashem you want he will open the doors for you to get the biggest hug!!
You just cannot talk loshon hara and then hashem will judge you with so much rachamim bec. you are trying soo hard! he gave a sugg. that he has a piece of paper that says taanis dibur so when ppl greet him he jsut holds up the paper!!
Guess what I am beezras hashem going to do it.. he said if you knew that your life is on the line you would not care what any thinks or says only for your own good!! Be smart read this as if I am screaming this to you!! your life depends on this day!!! No loshon hara no din, no din.. so much less tzaros for me and you and the world..if hashem judges you with rachamim you could feel like the luckiest person!! rachamim example.. you might have to go through something hard for whatevr reason.. hashem will send you a loving warm ppl to help you maybe he will let you go on an incredible vacation maybe you will win something in an auction.. just throwing out ideas that would sound like rachamim..
din is you will go through something hard and you will not be able to get through to anyone to help you you will jsut feel sooo much pain... I'm not sure abt this just throwing out this idea!!!
THE WORLD NEEDS RACHAMIM WE HAVE ENOUGH DIN ENOUGH CAR ACCIDENTS AND SICK CHILDREN IN HOSPITALS ENOUGH TEARS HAVE BEEN SHED YOU COULD SAVE US!!!!!!!
JUST THINK IF U CANNOT DO A TAANIS DIBUR THEN THINK TO YOURSELF I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PPL THIS YOM KIPPUR..if you need to talk for taking care of kids or something imp. then yeh!! do that...but try as much as possible to not say any words that you dont need to... its a huge zechus!!
ESP. IN SHUL ON SHABB. YOU DONT WANT TO MESS WITH THAT!!!
PLS E MAIL ME IF YOU WILL BE DOING THIS GREAT ACT OF KINDNESS TO YOURSELF AND THE WORLD!!
VERY VERY IMP!!
IF YOU FORGIVE OTHERS FOR WHAT THEY DID TO YOU AND I KNOW ITS SOOO HARD HASHEM IN TURN WILL FORGIVE YOU FOR ALL THE HORRIBLE THINGS YOU DID TO HIM THIS YEAR!! ITS A PROMISE IT SAYS IT IN THE GEMARA, I READ IT IN THE BOOK A TOUCH OF PURITY...
YOU MUST SAY IT OUT LOUD.. HASHEM I AM MOCHEL EVERY PERSON THAT HURT ME EVEN IF IT WAS IN A HUGE WAY BEC EVERY PAIN THAT THEY CAUSED YOU ERASES AVEIROS... (I DONT WISH THIS ON ANYONE JUST KNOW THAT ITS TRUE!!) U FORGIVE THEM HASHEM WILL FORGIVE YOU!!!!
I KNOW ITS MURDER TRUST ME I HAD SOMEONE STEAL 20,000.. FROM ME AND GUESS WHAT I FORGAVE HIM BEC I SAID THAT HASHEM IS THE ONE WHO DECIDED THIS NOT THIS GYE!!
SO PLS PLS TAKE TO HEART WHAT I WROTE IT TOOK ME ABT AN HOUR BEC MY HEART IS SOOO HERE WITH ME IN THIS I JUST WANT YOU TO BE SEALED FOR THE BEST YEAR!!! PLS COMMENT WHAT YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS IDEA..IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGG. FOR PPL WHO WILL NEED TO TALK.. WE LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK THAT IS WHAT GETS US GOING AND MOTIVATED!!PLS SEND OTHERS TO READ THIS BEC ITS SOOO IMP.. IT MAY NOT BE WRITTEN GRAMATICALLY CORRECT BUT THE MESSAGE IS SOO IMP!!!

Responding to Mumbai

Forgiveness

The following question was submitted anonymously.

If a person feels they can't forgive someone, must they say they forgive them?

They don't want to forgive them because they caused them so much pain, however they don't want to suffer the consequences of that action. What to do?

I'm sure that there are other people reading this blog that also have this question and I'm so glad you asked it so I can try to answer it for all those who were wondering but just didn't ask. I really respect you for trying to find a way to get past the hurt and work on really forgiving others for the pain they have caused you-that is really something to look up to!

Forgiveness can be a very difficult thing. On one hand, someone else hurt you and on the other hand, you know it is a very dangerous thing to hold on to the past without letting go.

One important thing to remember is that every single thing that happens to you is from Hashem. Of course we all know that as a fact but internalizing it and really feeling it when things are tough or when someone hurts your feelings is another story. If a person hurts your feelings, says something to make you feel bad, embarrasses you or does anything that makes you not want to forgive them, know that this is all from Hashem. S/he cannot do anything to hurt you if Hashem didn't want it to be that way.

Maybe it's a kapparah - if you are embarrassed in public or if someone says something to hurt your feelings and you don't answer back, you are seriously erasing your aveiros in a way that you cannot imagine! And what a better time to get your aveiros erased than before Yom Kippur! I'm sure we can all use that - a quick "delete" of our sins so we can become cleansed.

Maybe this is a way for you to work on your middos, on being more accepting, on not letting things get to you. If someone hurt you in a way that made you feel really bad, you need to think about it-why does this hurt me so much? Maybe I'm holding on to something too strongly and I need to let it get past me?

And maybe it happened for unknown reasons-unknown to you, that is. Because Hashem has a plan, He knows what He is doing and just know that this is all for your good, for the good of your neshama, for your spiritual growth. You can take this as a way to let yourself become a more giving, forgiving person.

Keep telling yourself again and again no one can hurt me in any way unless Hashem wants it to be. I may not understand why He wants this to happen, but I know that whatever happens in my life is not in my control. I will work on myself to look past the things that hurt me so I can forgive.

Forgiveness is not for the other person-it's for yourself. It's so that you learn to become a better person, a person who can give in, a person who can say it's okay.

Now, don't get me wrong, you should not let yourself become a doormat. If someone keeps hurting you again and again, perhaps you need to reevaluate your relationship and see if it is going in the right direction. I don't know who it is that hurt you that you are trying to forgive - but know that if it is someone with whom you can end a relationship or maybe make them realize your side, maybe you need to do that: talk it over. Tell the person that you feel hurt by whatever was done/said to you. Try to get that person to understand your side.

Also, some things are so trivial, so unimportant that when you will look back in a little while, you will realize that it was so not worth getting upset about. Of course, right now when you are in that situation, it hurts and it hurts terribly. But when you look back after you are over and done with it, you will be able to see that these things pass and things will get better.

You may have heard that if you forgive other people, especially when it's hard for you, Hashem will forgive you. What could be better than that? Now, before Yom Kippur, don't we all want forgiveness for our aveiros? By you going the extra step and saying, I will find it within myself to forgive this person and get past the pain, Hashem will forgive you for the things you may have done that were "too much"!

I hope this helps answer your question and if you still have more to add, you can email me, submit another question anonymously or just drop a comment. Either way, can you please leave a comment to let me know that you read this post and if it helped at all?

May you be able to forgive all those who have hurt you with a light heart and may this year be one where we all achieve full forgiveness from Hashem!

Rosh Hashana in the Emergency Room

This past Rosh Hashana, I spent a few hours in the Emergency Room with my mother. It was the second day of Yom Tov, Friday, and my mother had an irritation in her eye. Since everyone was in shul and we couldn't contact a doctor (and it couldn't wait until after Shabbos), we walked together to the hospital. On our way, we passed lots of people walking to shul, holding their machzorim...who would guess where we were going on this day?!

We got to the ER (which b"h wasn't too full) and saw another frum older couple with their teenage son (who must have come along to be there with them), talking to a frum woman who was helping them out and knew the ins out outs of the hospital. We overheard her trying to help them get in touch with a doctor so the husband could get dialysis treatment...it was so sad to watch and made me realize how lucky we are to be healthy! Do we realize what it means to have to live with such a thing on a daily basis? This man has to go in three times a week to have his treatments...and now one little thing went wrong, something that had never happened before, and here they were, sitting in the emergency room on Rosh Hashana, trying to get a doctor who would help him!

We were very lucky to be in a hospital that understands how Jewish people work. Since we weren't able to write, they had a rep who did it for us, signed us in and made all the phone calls we needed to get us in as soon as possible.

The woman helping out the couple who came in with kidney problems also told us that someone would be coming to blow shofar for us. It was a very emotional shofar blowing - even though it was really short (only 30 blasts), just to think about all the people who are in the hospital for big things, who need refuos and are counting on this day for their tefillos to be answered. It didn't take much to cry a little bit for these sick people and for all of us to have a year filled with health and happiness...

While we were waiting to see a doctor, two chassidish men passed by with big shopping bags and asked us if we wanted any food. Even though we answered that we were fine and weren't hungry (my mother insisted that I make kiddush before we begin our "journey"!), they gave us two pre-wrapped packages of cookies/rugelach and cakes. They were from a bikkur cholim organization and I thought it was so special of them to go around and give out food to so many people! Mi K'amcha Yisroel!

Sitting next to us was a teenage guy (probably Mexican) who had walked in limping, wearing jeans and a bright yellow short-sleeved t-shirt and flip flops. His foot was swollen and he didn't look very comfortable. My mother offered the cake to him which he took gratefully and ate so quickly, I was wondering when the last time he had eaten a normal meal was.

I tried to imagine the thoughts that must have gone through his head, wishing he were a Jew (just for that moment!) and noticing how Jews really care about one another, even if they don't know each other personally. I felt bad for him, he had to come to the Emergency Room all alone, with no family, who cared for him? Who was worried that he hurt himself and needed help? He must have looked at us enviously when those two strangers offered us food without even knowing us. We are so lucky to be part of such a nation, a nation that will do anything for anyone!!

We got to see a doctor and got a prescription for the right medicine but it was a whole process to get that prescription filled since we could not call the pharmacy and didn't have my mother's insurance cards with us. But the hospital was extremely helpful and did everything they could (and more) to get it for us. I spent some time waiting, davening and thinking about how lucky I am to come for something so little and be able to get out of there relatively quickly. Baruch Hashem we did not have to be admitted, stay at the hospital for a long time and have to deal with so much pain.

I also visited my grandfather who is really sick - it was very scary to see how frail he became and how much older he got. It was such a strong reminder for me, on Rosh Hashana, to see an old person aging...and knowing that one day I too will be old and my body is just flesh and bones and doesn't last forever. Of course, I gave him a bracha that moshiach should come and everyone will be healed and he wont have to be in pain anymore. But it's such a scary reminder, when you see someone so old, their body is a shadow of what they used to be...and you seriously see flesh and bones...and know that one day each person will return to the ground.

Of course, the nurse in the room asked me questions like, "Is today just New Years for you or is it also a holiday?" (It's a holiday where we decide on ways we want to change...) and "What's up with that horn you blow?" (There are many reasons but one of them is that the sound of the horn is supposed to wake us up and get us to look deep inside ourselves and think about how we can change and become better people...) and "When's the day that you atone for your sins?" (That's next Saturday, Yom Kippur, we don't eat anything, we remember our sins and ask g-d to forgive us.) and "What comes next?!" (That's called succos, where we go outside and eat in huts...) "Oh yeah, I remember that! Why do you do that?" (Well, the four walls our like a hug from g-d because now that we achieved atonement, we are confident that g-d will give us a good year and so we sit in His embrace. R' Shimshon Pincus zt"l says that) "That's really beautiful!"
It was fun to answer all her questions!

After that, I went to visit a friend who gave birth before yom tov-it was a nice way to end my hospital visits. I got to see someone who is getting to the end of his life...and someone who just brought another life into this world. It's scary how things move and how we must utilize our time to work on ourselves and accomplish as much as we can while we are here.

Baruch Hashem, I was lucky to only have to go to the ER for something small - but the lessons I took from that day were big and powerful!

Yom Kippur: Everyone Falls

You Can Fight Back!!

To my star pupil,

I am writing this letter to let you know what I think of you. Up here in heaven things are not like they are down on Earth. Over there, people only know what they can see. If they see a person is "successful", they think that he is the greatest guy. When they see somebody struggling, they think he might be one of the weaker elements.

Let me tell you something. Hashem gives every person certain abilities that nobody knows about down where you live. Some people are capable of tremendous things, while others were put there for much smaller purposes. Only Hashem in His infinite wisdom is able to give every person exactly what he needs, to reach his potential.

I am very misunderstood. Most people hate me, and I don't really blame them. Most people think that my job is to make sure that they fail in all aspects of Mitzvos, and that I rejoice every time they sin. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Did you ever watch a boxing coach train his student? It is really a funny sight. The coach will put on gloves, and fight against his student. At first, he won't hit him so hard, or throw his best punches. But, as the student gets better and better, the coach will start to fight him harder and harder. He does this so that the student will improve his skills, and become the best boxer he can be. This is where it gets strange. Every time the coach knocks down the student, the student gets yelled at!! But finally, when the coach threw everything he has at his student, and not only does he withstand the beating, but he knocks the coach down, there is nobody in the world happier then the coach himself!

This is exactly how I feel. If you fail right away, and don't even try to fight back, I see that there is not much talent to work with, and so I take it easy on you. But if you get back up swinging, I realize that I may have a real winner here, and so I start to intensify the beating. With every level that you go up, I increase the intensity of the fight. If you finally deal me a blow that knocks me out, I will get up and embrace you and rejoice with your success.

Sometimes my job is very disappointing I see a person with a lot of potential and I start right in on him. He fights back for a while, but when the fight gets too tough, he quits and just remains on whatever level he was on. (And he usually ends up going down!) I feel like yelling at him, "Get up you fool! Do you have any idea how much more you could be accomplishing?!" But I am not allowed to do so. I just leave him alone, and go try to find another promising candidate.

If I have chosen you to be the target of my more fierce battles, it was not for no reason! You have tremendous ability! You were born into a very special family, you have Rabbeim who really care about you, and parents who would help you grow in Torah and Mitzvos. You are a very respectful and kind person.

I am writing to you now, because I have a very serious request to ask of you. Please don't step fighting! Don't give up! I have been beating too many people lately, and I am losing patience, Believe in yourself, because I would not be involved with you as much as I am if I didn't think you could beat me. Know what your strengths are! A great Rabbi once said: "Woe is to he who doesn't know his weaknesses. But, 'Oy Vavoy' to him who doesn't know his strengths - for he will not have anything with which to fight."

Always remember one thing: you have a secret weapon at your disposal. I shouldn't really be telling you - but I will anyway. Hashem himself is watching our "training" sessions very closely. I'm pleased to inform you that He's rooting for you! If things should ever get tough, almost too tough to bear, just callout to Him with a prayer, and He will immediately come to your aid. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that after 120 years when your time is up in that world of falsehood, you will come up here to the world of truth, where I will be waiting for you with open arms, to congratulate you on your victory, and personally escort you to your place next to the Kisey HaKavod.

Sincerely, and with great admiration I remain,

Your Yetzer Hara

Before Rosh Hashana

With Rosh Hashana coming up in just a few hours, there's so much to think about.

Here are a few important points to keep in mind for this HUGE day.

When Hashem looked at Yishmael, he judged him ba'asher hu sham, the way he was right then, at that moment. This is how Hashem looks at each and every one of us. Your past doesn't matter when you are standing before Hashem in judgement. All that matters is where you are now. What do you want to do with your life and with your future? What is your focus going to be? Tell Hashem, I'm sorry for the things I did wrong. I'm sorry for the times I messed up. I really don't want to do the wrong thing! The yetzer hara is just so strong. But really, I want to be good adn I want to do the right thing! If you tell Hashem that deep inside your heart you want to do the right thing, that is how you are viewed and that is how you are judged.

Another important thing is to try to daven for other people and have them in mind. There are so many people who need your tefillos! When you daven and pour your heart out on this special day, think about your neighbors, friends and family. Think of people who are too sick to come to shul and daven. Daven for those who need parnassa, those who are waiting for all kinds of yeshuos and those children who left their Father and are out on the streets...daven for them to come back! Daven for those who were never introduced to yiddishkeit and don't know about the beauty of our heritage. Daven for anyone and everyone else that you can think of - for all those people who are waiting for brachos to come pouring down upon them.

There are some people who won't come to shul much, besides for coming to hear shofar. Remember, your tefillos at home are powerful too! If you don't get to daven much because you are home taking care of little children, remember that this is your job right now. Hashem wants you to be home and be busy with your little ones. Every tefillah you daven, whether from a machzor or from your own heart, is special and precious to Hashem. The job you have right now, raising the next generation, is the most important job - so don't belittle it and try not to get frustrated if you can't daven as much as you wanted to. Baruch Hashem for a good reason!

On Rosh Hashana, we are crowning Hashem as King. You say, Hashem, I want you to be my King and I want to be your servant! Let's daven for the day when Hashem will be recognized by all as King of the entire universe - for the day when Moshiach will finally come!

Remember-the time when the shofar is blown is extremely powerful. When you say the perek Lamnatzei'ach before you hear the shofar, you say it seven times. This is because each time you say it another one of the seven skies are opened up. So this is the perfect time to daven and beg Hashem for a good year! And don't be embarrassed to cry. Close yourself off from everyone else and let your mind and heart connect to Hashem. Hold your machzor in your hand and talk to Hashem. Let the tears flow, because tears can accomplish the most amazing things!

One last thing: At this time of year, we wish each other a SHANA TOVA - a good year. I heard from R' Eli Mansour that the word shana-year also comes from the word shinui-change. So we wish one another that this year should be one of GOOD CHANGES!!
May this year bring many good changes to all of you-spiritually, emotionally, financially, physically and may we hear lots of good news from everyone!!

Choose Life

What kind of life do you want to choose for yourself this year?

The Lost Child

This was the first post that was ever put onto this blog. I wanted to share it with you again for all those people who never got to read it because you can take such an incredible lesson from it!!!

I want to share an incident that happened the other day. I think it puts a lot of things into perspective!!

I was on the boardwalk enjoying the beautiful scenery when suddenly I saw a huge crowd of worried faces all talking and pointing in one direction. I hurried to see what the whole commotion was about and I saw a little boy standing by himself looking very sad. I asked the bystanders what happened to him they said that he lost his father and they already called the shomrim to come get him. So I said, "Oh! What's his name? Maybe we could find out who he is."
They said, "Yeh! We tried but he refuses to tell us his name."
So I walked over to him and I said, "Please can you tell us your name we want to bring you back to your Tatty!"

He just stared blankly at me and would not say a word. I scooped him up in my arms and said, "Please tell us your name we want to help you and find your Tatty for you."
The bystanders started checking his shirt to see if he has a name in it. This poor little boy is standing there looking at everyone feeling so uncomfortable. By this time the crowd just got bigger and bigger but the boy refused to talk.

Finally, I told my little sister ask Hashem to make the boy tell us his name cuz we really need to find out who he is - by the time the shomrim come we need to have some info about this precious 4 yr old.

Elisheva, my younger sister, did 2 halachos of shmiras halashon in her head and it was sooo unreal to hear this little boy suddenly say his name. We had a bag with hebrew lettering on it, so i said does your name start with a shin shook his head no, does it start with a vav no does it start with a mem he shook his head yes!! Great! So is your name Menachem, Moshe, Mendy.. noooo all of a sudden he says Mem Reish Daled Chaf Yud and I scream out Mordechai and he says yes!!
Wow shehecheyanu!!!

We now have one part of his name the whole crowd got sooo excited! It was such a moment of achdus all we cared about was to help this boy no one cared if you were chassidish, litvish, fat or skinny all that mattered was to take care of this little scared boy!!
Next, what is your last name, he refused to say!!

We all asked Hashem please help us help this little boy his parents are probably frantically looking for him.
Just then we see a very worried father walking by so we tell the little boy i think your tatty is here!!! Mordechai goes running up to his father with such a relief and excitement it was unreal to see!!
This set me thinking about our lives.

We are all lost in this galus trying to find ourselves and we are sooo sad and clueless as what to do. Hashem knocks on our door and he sends us all kinds of messages saying I want you to come back to me you are lost what do you need to help me bring u back. I want to help you come home!! we just look blankly back at Hashem and say what????? do you want from me!! and Hashem makes these boys get stuck in jail a way of telling us beg me to take you out the way you are begging me to take out these boys!! And all the other crazy stories we had this year!! We just look at Hashem and say what do you want I'm not interested in telling them "my name"!!
Hashem scoops us up in his arms saying, I will make life sooo hard for you until you come to me and beg me to take you home!!

We say hashem why???? are you making it so hard for me I dont feel you!! Hashem says back i want to help you find yourself please tell me your name and we refuse making faces at Hashem!! If only we would realize that hashem is begging us to beg him to just take us out and he is even holding us in his arms as he is doing it!! So he makes life here unbearable and what do we do we just ignore him and stare at the sky like Hashem stop dayenu!!

Hashem has such a burning desire to bring us all home to be with us in Eretz Yisroel and hold our hands forever yet we just forget to beg him to take us out that is what we need to do!!!!
Then He will grab us out with so much love and excitement we wont know what hit us!!!
Lets work on dan lekaf zechus not to jugde people before we know the whole story!!
Like today it looked so mean of me to be holding this boy in my arms and keep asking him the same question again and again for any by stander would look at me and say leave him alone they have no clue how much we care about trying to help him!!

So the next time you hear a story about someone and you dont know if its true try to not jump to conclusions think positive of the person!
Remember, you never know the full story!! You are walking into their lives in the middle of a chapter of the book how could you know what and where they came from!!

This way Hashem will see us looking for the good in others and not judging them beezras hashem He will say let me see the good in klal yisroel who is trying soo hard and bring them home so I could give them the biggest hug ever!!!!
Imagine how awesome it will be seing parents reuniting with their children who had left this world!! Imagine children seeing their parents who left them what a crazy simcha it will be LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!
ONE SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS CAN TIP THE SCALE FOR ALL OF US!!
CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU IN YERUSHALAYIM!!
Please let me know what you think and what you took from this!

Thoughts on Elul

I wrote this a few years ago, passed it around as an email and posted it on the blog last year. I think the message is still so powerful and I hope you gain from it.

If your parents were to give you money to spend on whatever you wanted, there are a few things you could do.

Either you can buy yourself a present with the money they gave you. That would be very nice as that is what they had in mind when they gave you the money. They give you ten dollars, you buy yourself some pizza and ice cream. They give you more, you buy yourself shoes, clothing or a new book. They give you lots of money, you buy yourself something more expensive.

But even better than that, you can use the money they give you to buy them a present. That would be extra special because you are using the money you got to try and repay them for all the good they have given you. They gave you ten dollars, you buy them roses. They gave you more, you buy them a gift to enhance the Shabbos table. They gave you lots of money, you buy an expensive piece of silver.

But imagine if you were to take that money and use it against your parents. They gave you ten dollars, you buy yourself some fuel and matches and burn the house down. They gave you more, you buy yourself some other destructive device and cause untold harm. They gave you even more, you use it to pay for a car and crash into them and kill them.

Sounds ridiculous, no?!

This is what happens when we sin against our loving father, HaKadosh Baruch Hu. He gives and gives and gives to us. He doesn’t stop. And we have choices of how to use the gifts He has gives us.

We can use them to our benefit alone. We can eat the food he gives us and enjoy it. We can sing songs to ourselves and enjoy our beautiful voices. We have eyes, we can use them to read. We can use our ears to hear sounds and our lips to speak words.

But even better than that, we can use our talents to come closer to Him. We can't repay HaKadosh Baruch Hu for a bit of what He does for us, but we can give Hashem a present by using what He gave us to bring Him nachas and joy. We can say brachos on our foods or use our voices to sing songs that will inspire ourselves and others to come closer to Hashem. We can use our eyes to read stories and look at things that will bring Hashem happiness. We can use our ears to listen to words of Torah and use our lips to daven and sing Hashem's praises.

But when we use our body to sin against Hashem, we are giving Hashem a "slap across the face"!! Hashem gives us eyes and what do we do?! We read and look at things we should have never read and seen. We look at people with a jealous eye instead of fargining. Do we look into the siddur and the holy aleph bais when we daven or do we let our eyes wander around the room diverting our attention and getting distracted from our tefillah?!

We are blessed with the ability to hear and what do we use our ears for?! We listen to words of lashon hara and ona'as devarim. We listen to others complaining and then validate them instead of helping them realize that there may be another side to their story. Should we try to listen more when someone is trying to tell us something instead of interrupting them before they finish their thought?!

We were given the ability to speak. How careful are we with guarding our lips? Do we daven and bentch slowly and carefully? Perhaps we can start to say each bracha with more articulation, thereby enabling us to have more concentration when saying it. When we use our mouths and our lips to do aveiros, we are taking the gifts Hashem gave us and using them against Him! What could be a bigger insult to Hashem than that?! "I give you a gift and this is what you do with it?!" Do we want Hashem to chas v'shalom have to wake us up by taking away one of these gifts so we wont be able to use them altogether?!
We just started month of Elul. It is a time for us to really think. We should use this month to give Hashem nachas by showing Him that we are using every part of our body to serve Him. So work slowly. Take one part of your body and tell yourself, "Today I want to work on my brain. How can I fill my brain with positive thoughts and use my brain to get closer to Hashem?" Is this hard? Maybe. But think about the millions of things you can thank Hashem for. You will never get bored with these thoughts. Go through your body and start realizing how much is going on inside of you. Thank Hashem for your health and that your heart is pumping blood throughout your body... Thank Him for your family and friends. Thank Him for keeping you alive. You have so much to be grateful for! Just use your free time to think about all the things you can thank Him for and you will be serving Hashem with your brain!

You can use each part of your body to get closer to Hashem. It just takes a little bit of time and some serious thought. You can do it. Give it a try. See how it works. You'll be amazed by the feeling you'll have when you realize that you are able to use the gifts Hashem gave you to get close to Him. So instead of throwing the gifts He gave us back in His face, let us try to use them to come closer to Him and thereby merit the coming of Moshiach, where we will see Hashem face to face!!