When Yaakov blessed his two grandsons, he put his right hand on his younger grandson, Efrayim and his left hand on the older one, Menashe. He did this because he foresaw that the descendants of Efrayim would be very great.
Sometimes in life, we feel small and unimportant. We see people who seem greater, more popular or more accomplished than us. We should remember that there is so much hidden potential in each of us and we never know who will ultimately achieve more. We shouldn't let feelings of inferiority bring us down, greatness is within our reach!
May we be able to quiet any inner voices that tell us we can't and find the strength to keep trying to accomplish our goals!
Showing posts with label Bracha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bracha. Show all posts
Friday, December 21, 2018
Friday, November 9, 2018
Parshas Toldos
When Eisav came in from the field tired and hungry, he agreed to sell the bechorah in exchange for lentil soup. He gave up something eternal and got something fleeting instead.
When we are tired, hungry or stressed, we don't have the clarity to make good decisions. We might say or do things we will later regret. It takes a lot of work to be able to maintain an inner sense of calm but when we can do that, we will be in complete control of ourselves and our reactions. We will be able to respond to people with calm logic instead of reacting with emotional intensity.
May we be able to pay attention to our inner selves and regulate our emotions in a healthy way so we can deal with all situations calmly and with clarity!
When we are tired, hungry or stressed, we don't have the clarity to make good decisions. We might say or do things we will later regret. It takes a lot of work to be able to maintain an inner sense of calm but when we can do that, we will be in complete control of ourselves and our reactions. We will be able to respond to people with calm logic instead of reacting with emotional intensity.
May we be able to pay attention to our inner selves and regulate our emotions in a healthy way so we can deal with all situations calmly and with clarity!
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Erev Yom Kippur
It's Erev Yom Kippur.
We spend the day preparing, eating and asking people we may have wronged for forgiveness. It's a time for introspection. We make commitments to change for the better and ask Hashem to help us keep to our resolutions.
We look back at the past year and see how much has changed in our lives. Some things fill our hearts with gratitude and other things fill our hearts with questions. But we know all of it is for the good. We wish each other a "gmar chasima tova"-but if everything Hashem does is for the good, why do we need to give each other this blessing?
Although we try to instill the belief into our hearts that everything Hashem does is for our ultimate benefit, our desire is for all that happens in the coming year to be noticeable good in the moment. Not that we should have to wait days, weeks, months or a lifetime to be able to see why what we went through was good for us in the end.
May we be able to utilize the day of YK to achieve true kapparah, cleanse ourselves of our aveiros and be written and sealed in the Sefer Hachayim with immediate, recognizable good in all aspects of our lives!
Have a meaningful Yom Kippur!
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Friday, August 31, 2018
Parshas Ki Savo
The blessings that will come upon Bnei Yisroel if we keep the Torah and the curses Hashem will send if we don't are described in detail. The curses will befall us, "tachas asher lo avadita..." because we didn't serve Hashem with joy. Another meaning for tachas is below or under.
This can be interpreted as, if we see someone who isn't doing mitzvos with joy, don't rush to judge them. Look beneath the surface. Try to understand why. There's a reason why the enthusiasm for Torah and mitzvos is missing. And when we realize that, we can approach them with love and acceptance...and help them see the beauty and joy in serving Hashem.
May we be able to do the mitzvos with happiness and help fill in the gaps for those who are missing an appreciation for yiddishkeit!
This can be interpreted as, if we see someone who isn't doing mitzvos with joy, don't rush to judge them. Look beneath the surface. Try to understand why. There's a reason why the enthusiasm for Torah and mitzvos is missing. And when we realize that, we can approach them with love and acceptance...and help them see the beauty and joy in serving Hashem.
May we be able to do the mitzvos with happiness and help fill in the gaps for those who are missing an appreciation for yiddishkeit!
Friday, August 3, 2018
Parshas Eikev
Moshe Rabbeinu tells BY that after they enter EY they will become wealthy, but they should never forget Who provided them with all this bounty and riches.
Each of us is blessed with so much good. It's so easy to lose sight of where it is coming from. Whether it comes in the form of money, talents, looks or personality, we need to remind ourselves Who gave us these blessings. A beautiful voice, a creative mind, charisma and a sense of humor are all gifts from Hashem. We should thank Him for that gift and use it to influence the people around us for the good.
May we be able to have the self-awareness to notice our positive qualities, give Hashem credit for it and use those gifts to benefit other people!
Each of us is blessed with so much good. It's so easy to lose sight of where it is coming from. Whether it comes in the form of money, talents, looks or personality, we need to remind ourselves Who gave us these blessings. A beautiful voice, a creative mind, charisma and a sense of humor are all gifts from Hashem. We should thank Him for that gift and use it to influence the people around us for the good.
May we be able to have the self-awareness to notice our positive qualities, give Hashem credit for it and use those gifts to benefit other people!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Breaking Habits
Today, vav Shvat is my hebrew birthday.
Last year, on my birthday, I took something really small upon myself. I wanted to break a habit. I wanted to stop doing something I've been doing for years. I started on my birthday and continued with my progress daily. The first few weeks were hard. I would keep slipping up...and every time I'd catch myself I'd remind myself to stop.
With time, I would slip less and less often. I'm not sure exactly how much time it took, but by now I can say that I officially broke that habit. And it's a good feeling.
Growth in Judaism must be done in baby steps. We hear it all the time. The trick is to act on it. To take that first step towards change.
In her book, The Committed Marriage, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis talks about the concept of shteiging, of constantly developing ourselves and our characters and growing in our relationships. She quotes her husband who explained this concept so well. If you were told to read the phone book and remember all the names, addresses and telephone numbers, you would give up immediately. However, if someone asked you to memorize just one name, one address, and one telephone number every day, you would do it easily and you would be able to retain that information.
The same is true with changing ourselves, our habits and our personalities. If we thought about the person we want to become one day-the ideal perfect person we want to be-it would be too overwhelming and we would probably give up before we even started. On the other hand, if we were to make one little change, take on one little mitzvah, work on one bad habit and do it one day at a time, we would be able to master it. We would be able to make real changes. The trick is to do it slowly. One day at a time, one thing at a time.
On my birthday, I realize that change can happen. I look back at this past year and I see how much has changed, how much I have changed. When I try to look ahead, I feel overwhelmed. The coming year is full of uncertainties and unknowns. I daven to Hashem to help me become a better me, the me that I am meant to be...and I know that I will have to take the steps to change slowly and I can only do it with His help.
My birthday is also a time for me to reflect on the brachos Hashem has given me and to thank Him for them. Hashem has given me the greatest gift of all...the gift of life, the gift of a family, my precious children. They are all intertwined. I don't know where I would be without my adorable little kids who keep me going, push my buttons, make me laugh and cry and overwhelm me with stress and gratitude and everything in between. I am so grateful for them.
I have learned so many lessons this year. Hashem helped me strengthen my trust in Him in so many ways. Although I don't ask for challenges, when I look back and see how they have affected me, I can appreciate the growth and change that came about because of them. No, I don't want any more tests. But I know that I am not the same person I was a year ago...and that is because of the life Hashem is playing out for me...and because He is strengthening me and helping me every step of the way. I believe in Him more, I trust in Him more and (I hope) I talk to Him and connect to Him even more than before.
On my birthday, I like to give my readers a bracha. So...here goes :)
May each of you be able to zero in on the things you know you need to change and take small and steady steps to be able to break bad habits and start good ones. May you feel Hashem at your side, helping you become the person you want to be. When you feel your strength waning, may you feel Hashem strengthening you-because change is harddd...and even with small steps, you will still need His help to keep at it.
May you be able to notice and appreciate the good you have been given and may Hashem continue to shower you with so much bracha and good things. He should keep each of you happy and healthy always and give you many reasons to keep thanking Him.
Almost every person is awaiting a yeshuah of some sort. Whatever it is that you are waiting for, whether it is health, parnassah, a shidduch, a job, children, shalom bayis, nachas from children, clarity in your purpose in life, answers to tough questions, an end to stressful times, family harmony and peace, Hashem should send that yeshuah so soon. Keep davening for the things you are waiting for. May that connection to Hashem get stronger and not weaker, may that bond never be severed and may you be able to see Hashem answer your tefillos in the best possible way.
And...as easy as it is for me to give out brachos, that's how easily Hashem should make them happen! It's easier for Him to make those changes than it is for me to type up this blog post! :-)
Birthday wishes, brachos, cake, chocolate and ice cream...I take all of those! :-)
Last year, on my birthday, I took something really small upon myself. I wanted to break a habit. I wanted to stop doing something I've been doing for years. I started on my birthday and continued with my progress daily. The first few weeks were hard. I would keep slipping up...and every time I'd catch myself I'd remind myself to stop.
With time, I would slip less and less often. I'm not sure exactly how much time it took, but by now I can say that I officially broke that habit. And it's a good feeling.
Growth in Judaism must be done in baby steps. We hear it all the time. The trick is to act on it. To take that first step towards change.
In her book, The Committed Marriage, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis talks about the concept of shteiging, of constantly developing ourselves and our characters and growing in our relationships. She quotes her husband who explained this concept so well. If you were told to read the phone book and remember all the names, addresses and telephone numbers, you would give up immediately. However, if someone asked you to memorize just one name, one address, and one telephone number every day, you would do it easily and you would be able to retain that information.
The same is true with changing ourselves, our habits and our personalities. If we thought about the person we want to become one day-the ideal perfect person we want to be-it would be too overwhelming and we would probably give up before we even started. On the other hand, if we were to make one little change, take on one little mitzvah, work on one bad habit and do it one day at a time, we would be able to master it. We would be able to make real changes. The trick is to do it slowly. One day at a time, one thing at a time.
On my birthday, I realize that change can happen. I look back at this past year and I see how much has changed, how much I have changed. When I try to look ahead, I feel overwhelmed. The coming year is full of uncertainties and unknowns. I daven to Hashem to help me become a better me, the me that I am meant to be...and I know that I will have to take the steps to change slowly and I can only do it with His help.
My birthday is also a time for me to reflect on the brachos Hashem has given me and to thank Him for them. Hashem has given me the greatest gift of all...the gift of life, the gift of a family, my precious children. They are all intertwined. I don't know where I would be without my adorable little kids who keep me going, push my buttons, make me laugh and cry and overwhelm me with stress and gratitude and everything in between. I am so grateful for them.
I have learned so many lessons this year. Hashem helped me strengthen my trust in Him in so many ways. Although I don't ask for challenges, when I look back and see how they have affected me, I can appreciate the growth and change that came about because of them. No, I don't want any more tests. But I know that I am not the same person I was a year ago...and that is because of the life Hashem is playing out for me...and because He is strengthening me and helping me every step of the way. I believe in Him more, I trust in Him more and (I hope) I talk to Him and connect to Him even more than before.
On my birthday, I like to give my readers a bracha. So...here goes :)
May each of you be able to zero in on the things you know you need to change and take small and steady steps to be able to break bad habits and start good ones. May you feel Hashem at your side, helping you become the person you want to be. When you feel your strength waning, may you feel Hashem strengthening you-because change is harddd...and even with small steps, you will still need His help to keep at it.
May you be able to notice and appreciate the good you have been given and may Hashem continue to shower you with so much bracha and good things. He should keep each of you happy and healthy always and give you many reasons to keep thanking Him.
Almost every person is awaiting a yeshuah of some sort. Whatever it is that you are waiting for, whether it is health, parnassah, a shidduch, a job, children, shalom bayis, nachas from children, clarity in your purpose in life, answers to tough questions, an end to stressful times, family harmony and peace, Hashem should send that yeshuah so soon. Keep davening for the things you are waiting for. May that connection to Hashem get stronger and not weaker, may that bond never be severed and may you be able to see Hashem answer your tefillos in the best possible way.
And...as easy as it is for me to give out brachos, that's how easily Hashem should make them happen! It's easier for Him to make those changes than it is for me to type up this blog post! :-)
Birthday wishes, brachos, cake, chocolate and ice cream...I take all of those! :-)
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Tu B'Shvat-Trees
There's a beautiful piece of poetry about a man who took a walk outside and saw a tree with delicious tasting fruits. The man gave the tree a wonderful blessing. Instead of blessing the fruit tree to bear sweet tasting fruits or to give off a pleasant shade, he wished upon the tree to have offspring, fruits, that are just like the tree itself. In essence, he was blessing the tree that there should be many more fruits like him, with all the positive qualities of the tree, not just replicating one aspect of it's goodness.
Someone composed the "chorus" of the story and made it into a beautiful song.
Ilan, Ilan, bamah avarechicha...
Although many people have taken the message of the song and applied it specifically to parents-blessing them that their offspring should be as wonderful and as special as they are, I want to take this parable to a whole different level.
Ki Ha'adam Eitz Hasadeh-each one of us is compared to a tree. Just like there are many trees outside, there are many people in this world. And we meet different people at different points in our lives. Those who we come in contact with are looking at us, watching us and being affected by our shade-by the positive energy we give off.
Do YOU realize that?
Do you realize what power you have?
And how you can impact other people by the way you interact with them?
Imagine if this blessing was showered upon you. That all those who come in contact with you should learn from your positive character traits, from your good and giving heart, from your excitement for another act of kindness...would you act differently? Wouldn't you want to be the best person you can be...if you knew others were learning from you and acting just like you?
You are like a tree.
The people around you bask in your shade. They are watching you, making observations and following your lead.
Each one of you has the power to impact those around you for the good!
You don't know who is watching you with wide eyes. Who around you looks up to you and wants to be like you...because of the good they see in you that makes them wish they can be like you too.
I took another message from this beautiful blessing bestowed upon this tree.
I think about my brother Shalom a"h and about how he spent the last summer of his life. He was in camp Stolin, having a good time-just like all the other boys who were there with him. But he did do some extra special things, things that were highly unusual for a boy his age. He said tikkun chatzos every night. He got up early every morning, went to the mikvah and then learned with a chavrusa before davening.
I think about the last day of his life. He was extremely tired because on motzei shabbos nachamu, he stayed up to clean up and organize the siddurim, the tables and the chairs after all the men had finished dancing. His rebbe said that Shalom stood throughout the morning seder, leaning over his shtender. He didn't sit down because he did not want to fall asleep and he learned with an extra measure of excitement. Did he know what was coming? What the rest of the day would bring?
I think about the last few moments of my brother's life.
He was...up in a tree.
Marveling at the beauty of the borei olam. Looking at the scenic lake from his spot high up in that tree.
And then he fell.
This was Hashem's plan.
I think about my brother and I think about the song. And I say, Shalom, I give you a bracha. My wish is, shekol netiyos shenot'im mimcha yi'hiyu k'moscha-that all the children who were named after you should be just like you.
You already have three nephews who carry on your name.
One of them is my son.
I know the day will come when he will be old enough to listen to stories about you and mature enough to understand what a special uncle he had.
And my deepest desire is...that my son should be like you. That he should have that amazing mix that you had.
You were so good with your hands, always able to take things apart and put them back together in the most creative ways. I remember how you took apart a broken food processor and used the motor and some other small pieces to create an alarm clock. How you took the inside of your hat box and covered it with duct tape so it shouldn't get ruined by rain-and attached it to the back of your bike so you'd be able to switch from your helmet to your hat when you went off your bike and into yeshiva, shul or a store. You were so unbelievably creative.
You were so warm and loving to your nieces and nephews. You loved kids and were so gentle with them.
You were so much fun to be around. Your smile lit up the room...and our house.
You knew when to be serious but you also knew how to tell a great joke and get everyone to laugh.
There is so much about you that cannot be captured over here. But I know you...and I know that I wish that my son, who carries on your name, will grow up to be just like you...just like the uncle he never knew.
Shalom, yehi ratzon...shekol netiyos shenot'im mimcha yi'hiyu k'moscha.
Someone composed the "chorus" of the story and made it into a beautiful song.
Ilan, Ilan, bamah avarechicha...
Although many people have taken the message of the song and applied it specifically to parents-blessing them that their offspring should be as wonderful and as special as they are, I want to take this parable to a whole different level.
Ki Ha'adam Eitz Hasadeh-each one of us is compared to a tree. Just like there are many trees outside, there are many people in this world. And we meet different people at different points in our lives. Those who we come in contact with are looking at us, watching us and being affected by our shade-by the positive energy we give off.
Do YOU realize that?
Do you realize what power you have?
And how you can impact other people by the way you interact with them?
Imagine if this blessing was showered upon you. That all those who come in contact with you should learn from your positive character traits, from your good and giving heart, from your excitement for another act of kindness...would you act differently? Wouldn't you want to be the best person you can be...if you knew others were learning from you and acting just like you?
You are like a tree.
The people around you bask in your shade. They are watching you, making observations and following your lead.
Each one of you has the power to impact those around you for the good!
You don't know who is watching you with wide eyes. Who around you looks up to you and wants to be like you...because of the good they see in you that makes them wish they can be like you too.
* * *
I took another message from this beautiful blessing bestowed upon this tree.
I think about my brother Shalom a"h and about how he spent the last summer of his life. He was in camp Stolin, having a good time-just like all the other boys who were there with him. But he did do some extra special things, things that were highly unusual for a boy his age. He said tikkun chatzos every night. He got up early every morning, went to the mikvah and then learned with a chavrusa before davening.
I think about the last day of his life. He was extremely tired because on motzei shabbos nachamu, he stayed up to clean up and organize the siddurim, the tables and the chairs after all the men had finished dancing. His rebbe said that Shalom stood throughout the morning seder, leaning over his shtender. He didn't sit down because he did not want to fall asleep and he learned with an extra measure of excitement. Did he know what was coming? What the rest of the day would bring?
I think about the last few moments of my brother's life.
He was...up in a tree.
Marveling at the beauty of the borei olam. Looking at the scenic lake from his spot high up in that tree.
And then he fell.
This was Hashem's plan.
I think about my brother and I think about the song. And I say, Shalom, I give you a bracha. My wish is, shekol netiyos shenot'im mimcha yi'hiyu k'moscha-that all the children who were named after you should be just like you.
You already have three nephews who carry on your name.
One of them is my son.
I know the day will come when he will be old enough to listen to stories about you and mature enough to understand what a special uncle he had.
And my deepest desire is...that my son should be like you. That he should have that amazing mix that you had.
You were so good with your hands, always able to take things apart and put them back together in the most creative ways. I remember how you took apart a broken food processor and used the motor and some other small pieces to create an alarm clock. How you took the inside of your hat box and covered it with duct tape so it shouldn't get ruined by rain-and attached it to the back of your bike so you'd be able to switch from your helmet to your hat when you went off your bike and into yeshiva, shul or a store. You were so unbelievably creative.
You were so warm and loving to your nieces and nephews. You loved kids and were so gentle with them.
You were so much fun to be around. Your smile lit up the room...and our house.
You knew when to be serious but you also knew how to tell a great joke and get everyone to laugh.
There is so much about you that cannot be captured over here. But I know you...and I know that I wish that my son, who carries on your name, will grow up to be just like you...just like the uncle he never knew.
Shalom, yehi ratzon...shekol netiyos shenot'im mimcha yi'hiyu k'moscha.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
A Birthday Message
Today, Vav Shevat, is my hebrew birthday.
There are so many thoughts and feelings that come to me in this special day.
For me, my birthday is a time when I remind myself about how much I have to be grateful for. It's a day where I think about the good I have been given and thank Hashem for it.
When it comes to thanking Hashem, a lot of it boils down to the little details. It's all those little things that make me realize just how blessed I am, just how much good I have in my life and just how much I should show Him that I appreciate all of it.
I think about my precious, healthy little children, the adorable things they say, the joy they bring into my life...and I am grateful.
I think about how SB told me he had "corn on the bone" for lunch...and I smile...and I laugh. :-D The kid is too cute!
I watch CG play with her dolls, talk to them, diaper them, feed them and take care of them and my heart bursts with joy and appreciation to Hashem for giving me such a gift.
When I see Moishy crawling around the house faster than the speed of lightening and I hear him say his first few words, I am in awe of how this little teeny thing can do so much, can understand and communicate without very many words...and I am grateful.
I observe the way my children interact with each other, run to help each other and play together. They are learning so much, growing, changing and maturing each and every day. And my heart expands...until it can almost burst from thanks and appreciation.
I remember who gave me these priceless blessings, these adorable children, who take over my life and my heart. Who teach me to work on my patience, to be more easygoing, to let things slide...and to understand that they have reasons for their behavior and misbehavior...and who teach me to work on myself to be a better parent.
Kol zeman shehaneshama b'kirbi, modeh ani l'fanecha.
People say time moves fast. And that you turn around and wonder where all that time went. I don't feel it. My life is crawling. Each day is long. Sometimes, I look back and think to myself, that was just last week? It feels like ages ago!
But...I am alive. And I am grateful for each and every day I am given, each day that is filled with the joy and love and happiness I get from my children.
Each birthday brings me closer to the day...to the time of...v'atah asid lit'lah mimeni. I have no idea when that time will be.
Is it scary? Yes. But...don't I need that reminder? Isn't that something that's safe to think about (at least) once a year?
Kol zeman shehaneshama b'kirbi, modeh ani l'fanecha. As long as I am alive, I will be thankful.
Each birthday is an opportunity for me...and opportunity for reflection...for introspection...and for connection. A chance to look inside myself and see where I want to be and to take steps to get there. It's easy to forget but I have one day a year that I can make a little more spiritually elevated. Today can be a little different. It's not a special day for everyone else; it is my day. My day to make special...amidst the mundane, in middle of the regular routine...and use that day to the fullest, to start making positive changes, and to take steps in the right direction.
I am still young. I still feel so young. There is still so much I still have to do, so much I want to accomplish!
So...I will daven. I will ask the Only One who can help me for strength and ability to make those changes, to become better...and for the time I need to do it.
How could I write a birthday post without ending with a bracha? :-)
But first...I need to say this.
To all my readers out there, thank you. Thank you for your comments! They keep me going and make me realize that someone out there is reading and appreciating (or questioning :-) ) what I write. I enjoy the discussions and the feedback...and I want to thank you for it. Knowing that the inspiration from this blog is spreading is one of the things that keeps me writing and sharing my thoughts with you.
My bracha to you is that you should always feel Hashem close to you, at your side. You should feel like those lines of communication are always open and you should be able to express yourself to Him at all times. When you can't find any reason to open up, think of one thing you are grateful for...and thank Him for it. Hashem gives us so much bounty! Variety of food, colors, tastes and so many simple pleasures. Say thank you!
May each one of you who comes here for inspiration always feel that inner desire to grow and become better...and may you have the strength to overcome your challenges in the difficult times and use the good times to connect to Hashem too, through gratitude and appreciation for all He does for you!
May you and those close to you have yeshuos in every area-shidduchim, parnassah and health. Those of you who know people struggling with their yiddishkeit should know-keep davening for those precious neshamos-and may you see them come back, finding their own path, with a passion and love for Judaism and for Hashem.
I usually don't have a hard time expressing my brachos to you. My last bracha is...that just as easily as I expressed all this, that's how easily and smoothly Hashem should fulfill all that I wish for all of you!
There are so many thoughts and feelings that come to me in this special day.
For me, my birthday is a time when I remind myself about how much I have to be grateful for. It's a day where I think about the good I have been given and thank Hashem for it.
When it comes to thanking Hashem, a lot of it boils down to the little details. It's all those little things that make me realize just how blessed I am, just how much good I have in my life and just how much I should show Him that I appreciate all of it.
I think about my precious, healthy little children, the adorable things they say, the joy they bring into my life...and I am grateful.
I think about how SB told me he had "corn on the bone" for lunch...and I smile...and I laugh. :-D The kid is too cute!
I watch CG play with her dolls, talk to them, diaper them, feed them and take care of them and my heart bursts with joy and appreciation to Hashem for giving me such a gift.
When I see Moishy crawling around the house faster than the speed of lightening and I hear him say his first few words, I am in awe of how this little teeny thing can do so much, can understand and communicate without very many words...and I am grateful.
I observe the way my children interact with each other, run to help each other and play together. They are learning so much, growing, changing and maturing each and every day. And my heart expands...until it can almost burst from thanks and appreciation.
I remember who gave me these priceless blessings, these adorable children, who take over my life and my heart. Who teach me to work on my patience, to be more easygoing, to let things slide...and to understand that they have reasons for their behavior and misbehavior...and who teach me to work on myself to be a better parent.
Kol zeman shehaneshama b'kirbi, modeh ani l'fanecha.
People say time moves fast. And that you turn around and wonder where all that time went. I don't feel it. My life is crawling. Each day is long. Sometimes, I look back and think to myself, that was just last week? It feels like ages ago!
But...I am alive. And I am grateful for each and every day I am given, each day that is filled with the joy and love and happiness I get from my children.
Each birthday brings me closer to the day...to the time of...v'atah asid lit'lah mimeni. I have no idea when that time will be.
Is it scary? Yes. But...don't I need that reminder? Isn't that something that's safe to think about (at least) once a year?
Kol zeman shehaneshama b'kirbi, modeh ani l'fanecha. As long as I am alive, I will be thankful.
Each birthday is an opportunity for me...and opportunity for reflection...for introspection...and for connection. A chance to look inside myself and see where I want to be and to take steps to get there. It's easy to forget but I have one day a year that I can make a little more spiritually elevated. Today can be a little different. It's not a special day for everyone else; it is my day. My day to make special...amidst the mundane, in middle of the regular routine...and use that day to the fullest, to start making positive changes, and to take steps in the right direction.
I am still young. I still feel so young. There is still so much I still have to do, so much I want to accomplish!
So...I will daven. I will ask the Only One who can help me for strength and ability to make those changes, to become better...and for the time I need to do it.
How could I write a birthday post without ending with a bracha? :-)
But first...I need to say this.
To all my readers out there, thank you. Thank you for your comments! They keep me going and make me realize that someone out there is reading and appreciating (or questioning :-) ) what I write. I enjoy the discussions and the feedback...and I want to thank you for it. Knowing that the inspiration from this blog is spreading is one of the things that keeps me writing and sharing my thoughts with you.
My bracha to you is that you should always feel Hashem close to you, at your side. You should feel like those lines of communication are always open and you should be able to express yourself to Him at all times. When you can't find any reason to open up, think of one thing you are grateful for...and thank Him for it. Hashem gives us so much bounty! Variety of food, colors, tastes and so many simple pleasures. Say thank you!
May each one of you who comes here for inspiration always feel that inner desire to grow and become better...and may you have the strength to overcome your challenges in the difficult times and use the good times to connect to Hashem too, through gratitude and appreciation for all He does for you!
May you and those close to you have yeshuos in every area-shidduchim, parnassah and health. Those of you who know people struggling with their yiddishkeit should know-keep davening for those precious neshamos-and may you see them come back, finding their own path, with a passion and love for Judaism and for Hashem.
I usually don't have a hard time expressing my brachos to you. My last bracha is...that just as easily as I expressed all this, that's how easily and smoothly Hashem should fulfill all that I wish for all of you!
Monday, July 30, 2012
For the VERY First Time
I posted this last year and am posting it again. I had similar thoughts when I broke my fast last night...
Remember the first bracha you made last night when you broke your fast?
Remember the first bracha you made last night when you broke your fast?
Mine was a shehakol on a cup of water. I said the bracha slowly and carefully and thought about the words I was saying.
Why was this bracha different than the others that I say on a regular day?
It was the anticipation. I waited a long time to be able to take that drink of water so the few seconds before I took that first sip, I really thought about what I was saying. I was so thankful for that drink and savored the feeling of the cool water going down my throat and through my veins.
R’ Shimshon Pincus zt”l talks about how anticipation for a mitzvah makes all the difference in how a mitzvah will be performed.
Imagine a man who is on a road trip with his family when he suddenly realizes that it’s almost shkiya and he needs to daven mincha. He finds out where the closest shul is-luckily he is able to find one and he runs in and quickly davens mincha with a minyan. He davened but…what was that mincha like?
Now, imagine a man who is a chassid and is planning to daven with his Rebbe on Rosh Hashana. He plans to take a flight to his Rebbe’s city so he could be with his and he knows he is going to be so uplifted. It’s going to be such a special yom tov for him. He knows it. He feels it. He gets to the airport and…his flight is delayed. He keeps checking his watch and hoping he will make it in time. Finally, the plane takes off and he makes it to the city in record time. He rushes off the plane, gets into a taxi, drops off his suitcase and runs to shul so he could daven mincha on erev Rosh Hashana with his Rebbe. He catches his breath as he lands in his seat but...he made it in time!
What was his mincha like? It must have been incredible, full of kavanna and dveikus to Hashem!
How did he do it?
Try to make the feeling you had last night before your first bracha last…for as long as you possibly can.
I’m trying…one bracha at a time.
Didn’t he rush just like the other guy?
What was the difference between these two people?
What was the difference between these two people?
It was the anticipation. The preparation. The excitement. The entire time he was in the airport, waiting for his flight to take off… waiting for the airplane to land, he was thinking that very soon he would get to his Rebbe’s city, get to his Rebbe’s shul and then…he would daven with his holy Rebbe! He waited so long for that moment and was so excited so it didn’t matter that he rushed into it because he prepared for it mentally all that time!
When a person anticipates and prepares for something, it makes all the difference in the outcome.
And that is what made the first bracha after the fast so special.
Can you try to hold on to that moment?
Can you try to be more careful with your brachos, articulating them and thinking about the words you are saying while you say them?
Do you begin to realize what a gift it is to have so many choices of foods and drinks to eat and drink and enjoy?
Thank Hashem for it!
Hashem blesses us with so much good-green apples, bright orange oranges, red tomatoes, 4 different colored peppers, green cucumbers (can you tell I love fruits and veggies?!) – and that’s just naming a few!
Before you take your next bite, take a few seconds to think about and appreciate the pleasure and enjoyment you will have from the food you are about to eat.
Try to make the feeling you had last night before your first bracha last…for as long as you possibly can.
I’m trying…one bracha at a time.
So can you!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Memories of a Gadol
A friend of mine, Esti C. emailed this to me in response to this post about Rav Scheinberg zt"l.
I felt a personal connection to HaRav Scheinberg because he lived in the same building as my great-grandfather, HaRav Zeidel Epstein, the mashgiach of Torah Ohr (Rav Scheinberg's yeshiva), whom I visited very often (almost daily) during our year in seminary.
I felt a personal connection to HaRav Scheinberg because he lived in the same building as my great-grandfather, HaRav Zeidel Epstein, the mashgiach of Torah Ohr (Rav Scheinberg's yeshiva), whom I visited very often (almost daily) during our year in seminary.
My Israeli cousin lived in the same building too and took
care of my great-grandfather, as well as doing some things for Rav
Scheinberg as well. He felt completely at home there. He would just
knock and walk in. He took me there many times too.
Though, I never had the experience of cleaning his desk while
he sat there ... I know what you must have been feeling. It's an
incredible feeling. Scary, all at once.
I felt that many times, as I sat with my great-grandfather, who was not the way he used to be, having just been in a coma. I would sit and hold his hand and stroke it. Then, I would think about all his talmidim and all the things he accomplished in his life; the brachos he gave, the mussar he gave. And I would think - who am I to be touching a person of such stature? How can I just sit here and act as if he is a "regular" person. So I would just sit and watch him in awe, as he slept, his face so peaceful.
Many days, I davened mincha in his kitchen, or on the marpeset (porch) in the back of his apartment. I honestly remember feeling kedusha there, more than in my own room in the dorm.
And, on those days when he was awake and aware and could talk, he would say one thing to me - nem (take) - he was worried about me. While he was the fragile one, he was only concerned that I should have something to eat. He would motion for me to go the makolet at the corner to buy something for myself to eat and put it on his bill. In the beginning, I didn't understand what he wanted me to do, as he couldn't speak in full sentences. But the assistant that stayed with him explained to me. Sometimes I pretended that I had something to eat because I felt bad buying this on his cheshbon, but he knew when it wasn't true :) He could see right through it.
Many times, I asked him for brachos. Though he could only speak few words, he did give me a bracha for a shidduch, and other things too. At the end of the year, I specifically asked him that I should be zocheh to come back to visit him with my husband iyH. To the astonishment of the assistant, he actually put his hands on my head and gave me a bracha. However, as I am the oldest in my family and had until that point been the only one in my family (from my siblings) to ever see my great-grandfather in person, I asked him for a bracha that my siblings should be zocheh to come visit him as well. Yet, to this, he did not respond. It was very strange. It was almost as if he didn't hear that I had asked anything. The assistant tried too. But, my great-grandfather just motioned that he was getting tired and wanted to rest.
Then - I went back to America at the end of the year and bH got married during that first winter. The following summer, my husband and I went to EY and were indeed zocheh to visit my great-grandfather, just as he had promised. We stayed for ten days. 3 weeks after we left back to America, my great-grandfather was niftar. The reaction of my great-grandfather regarding my siblings visiting him had not been just a coincidence. He knew they were not going to come during his lifetime. I cried and cried and cried. But I thanked Hashem from the depths of my heart that I had had the opportunity to become close to my great-grandfather, even if it had not been in the prime of his life, when he had been a vibrant powerhouse of torah and yiras shamayim.
May our deepest wish come true for us to be zocheh to see the geula sheleima b'karov!!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
For Everything a Blessing
Thank you M.B. for emailing this story to me.
When I was an elementary school student in Yeshiva—a Jewish parochial school with both religious and secular studies—my classmates and I used to find amusing a sign that was posted just outside the bathroom. It was an ancient Jewish blessing, commonly referred to as the asher yatzar benediction, that was supposed to be recited after one relieved oneself. For grade school children, there could be nothing more strange or ridiculous than to link the acts of micturition and defecation with holy words that mentioned God's name. Blessings were reserved for prayers, for holy days, or for thanking God for food or for some act of deliverance, but surely not for a bodily function that evoked smirks and giggles.
It took me several decades to realize the wisdom that lay behind this blessing that was composed by Abayei, a fourth century Babylonian rabbi. Abayei's blessing is contained in the Talmud, an encyclopedic work of Jewish law and lore that was written over the first five centuries of the common era. The Jewish religion is chock-full of these blessings, or brachot, as they are called in Hebrew. In fact, an entire tractate of Talmud, 128 pages in length, is devoted to brachot.
On page 120 (Brachot 60b) of the ancient text it is written: "Abayei said, when one comes out of a privy he should say: Blessed is He who has formed man in wisdom and created in him many orifices and many cavities. It is obvious and known before Your throne of glory that if one of them were to be ruptured or one of them blocked, it would be impossible for a man to survive and stand before You. Blessed are You that heals all flesh and does wonders."
An observant Jew is supposed to recite this blessing in Hebrew after each visit to the bathroom.
We young Yeshiva students were reminded of our obligation to recite this prayer by the signs that contained its text that were posted just outside the rest room doors. It is one thing, however, to post these signs and it is quite another to realistically expect preadolescents to have the maturity to realize the wisdom of and need for reciting a 1600-year-old blessing related to bodily functions.
It was not until my second year of medical school that I first began to understand the appropriateness of this short prayer.
Pathophysiology brought home to me the terrible consequences of even minor aberrations in the structure and function of the human body. At the very least, I began to no longer take for granted the normalcy of my trips to the bathroom.
Instead, I started to realize how many things had to operate just right for these minor interruptions of my daily routine to run smoothly. I thought of Abayei and his blessing. I recalled my days at Yeshiva and remembered how silly that sign outside the bathroom had seemed. But after seeing patients whose lives revolved around their dialysis machines, and others with colostomies and urinary catheters, I realized how wise the rabbi had been.
And then it happened: I began to recite Abayei's brocha. At first I had to go back to my siddur, the Jewish prayer book, to get the text right. With repetition—and there were many opportunities for a novice to get to know this blessing well—I could recite it fluently and with sincerity and understanding.
Over the years, reciting the asher yatzar has become for me an opportunity to offer thanks not just for the proper functioning of my excretory organs, but for my overall good health. The text, after all, refers to catastrophic consequences of the rupture or obstruction of any bodily structure, not only those of the urinary or gastrointestinal tract. Could Abayei, for example, have foreseen that "blockage" of the "cavity," or lumen, of the coronary artery would lead to the commonest cause of death in industrialized countries some 16 centuries later?
I have often wondered if other people also yearn for some way to express gratitude for their good health. Physicians especially, who are exposed daily to the ravages that illness can wreak, must sometimes feel the need to express thanks for being well and thus well-being. Perhaps a generic, nondenominational asher yatzar could be composed for those who want to verbalize their gratitude for being blessed with good health.
There was one unforgettable patient whose story reinforced the truth and beauty of the asher yatzer for me forever. Josh was a 20-year-old student who sustained an unstable fracture of his third and fourth cervical vertebrae in a motor vehicle crash. He nearly died from his injury and required emergency intubation and ventilatory support. He was initially totally quadriplegic but for weak flexion of his right biceps.
A long and difficult period of stabilization and rehabilitation followed. There were promising signs of neurological recovery over the first few months that came suddenly and unexpectedly: movement of a finger here, flexion of a toe there, return of sensation here, adduction of a muscle group there. With incredible courage, hard work, and an excellent physical therapist, Josh improved day by day. In time, and after what seemed like a miracle, he was able to walk slowly with a leg brace and a cane.
But Josh continued to require intermittent catheterization. I knew only too well the problems and perils this young man would face for the rest of his life because of a neurogenic bladder. The urologists were very pessimistic about his chances for not requiring catheterization. They had not seen this occur after a spinal cord injury of this severity.
Then the impossible happened. I was there the day Josh no longer required a urinary catheter. I thought of Abayei's asher yatzar prayer. Pointing out that I could not imagine a more meaningful scenario for its recitation, I suggested to Josh, who was also a Yeshiva graduate, that he say the prayer. He agreed. As he recited the ancient bracha, tears welled in my eyes.
Josh is my son.
Kenneth M. Prager, MD
New York, NY
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
For the VERY First Time
Remember the first bracha you made last night when you broke your fast?
Mine was a shehakol on a cup of water. I said the bracha slowly and carefully and thought about the words I was saying.
Why was this bracha different than the others that I say on a regular day?
It was the anticipation. I waited a long time to be able to take that drink of water so the few seconds before I took that first sip, I really thought about what I was saying. I was so thankful for that drink and savored the feeling of the cool water going down my throat and through my veins.
R’ Shimshon Pincus zt”l talks about how anticipation for a mitzvah makes all the difference in how a mitzvah will be performed.
Imagine a man who is on a road trip with his family when he suddenly realizes that it’s almost shkiya and he needs to daven mincha. He finds out where the closest shul is-luckily he is able to find one and he runs in and quickly davens mincha with a minyan. He davened but…what was that mincha like?
Now, imagine a man who is a chassid and is planning to daven with his Rebbe on Rosh Hashana. He plans to take a flight to his Rebbe’s city so he could be with his and he knows he is going to be so uplifted. It’s going to be such a special yom tov for him. He knows it. He feels it. He gets to the airport and…his flight is delayed. He keeps checking his watch and hoping he will make it in time. Finally, the plane takes off and he makes it to the city in record time. He rushes off the plane, gets into a taxi, drops off his suitcase and runs to shul so he could daven mincha on erev Rosh Hashana with his Rebbe. He catches his breath as he lands in his seat but...he made it in time!
What was his mincha like? It must have been incredible, full of kavanna and dveikus to Hashem!
How did he do it?
Try to make the feeling you had last night before your first bracha last…for as long as you possibly can.
I’m trying…one bracha at a time.
Didn’t he rush just like the other guy?
What was the difference between these two people?
What was the difference between these two people?
It was the anticipation. The preparation. The excitement. The entire time he was in the airport, waiting for his flight to take off… waiting for the airplane to land, he was thinking that very soon he would get to his Rebbe’s city, get to his Rebbe’s shul and then…he would daven with his holy Rebbe! He waited so long for that moment and was so excited so it didn’t matter that he rushed into it because he prepared for it mentally all that time!
When a person anticipates and prepares for something, it makes all the difference in the outcome.
When a person anticipates and prepares for something, it makes all the difference in the outcome.
And that is what made the first bracha after the fast so special.
Can you try to hold on to that moment?
Can you try to be more careful with your brachos, articulating them and thinking about the words you are saying while you say them?
Do you begin to realize what a gift it is to have so many choices of foods and drinks to eat and drink and enjoy?
Thank Hashem for it!
Hashem blesses us with so much good-green apples, bright orange oranges, red tomatoes, 4 different colored peppers, green cucumbers (can you tell I love fruits and veggies?!) – and that’s just naming a few!
Before you take your next bite, take a few seconds to think about and appreciate the pleasure and enjoyment you will have from the food you are about to eat.
Try to make the feeling you had last night before your first bracha last…for as long as you possibly can.
I’m trying…one bracha at a time.
So can you!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Think About it
I posted this once before and wanted to share it with you once again.
Now that we are in the nine days, it's time to really think about the churban and what we can do to bring moshiach closer.
We have so many opportunities throughout our day to do mitzvos. And like we've all learned when we were younger, each mitzvah you do adds a brick to the bais hamikdosh and yes-it is true! Each mitzvah you do helps bring the geula closer!
It's hard to imagine what we are missing when we never lived in those times. But it shouldn't be too hard to feel, to really feel that we want it back-even though we never experienced life with the bais hamikdosh. It takes a little bit of thought but once you think about it, you will realize how much we really NEED moshiach to come already!
Take a few minutes to think about the things going on around you. There is so much pain in the world. When moshiach comes, that pain will end. People who are sick will become healthy, orphans will be reunited with their parents...and the list goes on and on. There are people who are struggling financially, people with emotional problems, parents and children who need a big band-aid to improve their relationship...and all these things can and will be fixed one day!
We are busy with so many things throughout our day and what we can do is elevate our actions so that the mitzvos we are doing anyway become filled with enthusiasm and excitement. This way, they wont just be actions, mitzvos that are plain and simple, they will be great! How can we do that?
So here's the tip. You need to take an extra minute before you do something to actually think about what you are about to do.
Let's start with brachos.
We spend plenty of time each day eating. Don't you think that by spending a few extra moments before putting the food into your mouth, that bracha can reach a higher level?
The bracha of mezonos-thank you Hashem for giving me food that keeps me full and satisfied!
Shehakol-that everything Hashem created is an extension of His will. Everything exists only because He wills it.
These thoughts take a few extra seconds of your time, but by really thinking about what you are saying as you are saying, you add so much to the bracha you are saying!
There are plenty of other mitzvos that you do throughout your day. If you make yourself aware and try to think about what you do just a minute before you do it, your mitzvah will become so much greater! It's the kavannah, the thought that goes into it that makes all the difference!!
Now that we are in the nine days, it's time to really think about the churban and what we can do to bring moshiach closer.
We have so many opportunities throughout our day to do mitzvos. And like we've all learned when we were younger, each mitzvah you do adds a brick to the bais hamikdosh and yes-it is true! Each mitzvah you do helps bring the geula closer!
It's hard to imagine what we are missing when we never lived in those times. But it shouldn't be too hard to feel, to really feel that we want it back-even though we never experienced life with the bais hamikdosh. It takes a little bit of thought but once you think about it, you will realize how much we really NEED moshiach to come already!
Take a few minutes to think about the things going on around you. There is so much pain in the world. When moshiach comes, that pain will end. People who are sick will become healthy, orphans will be reunited with their parents...and the list goes on and on. There are people who are struggling financially, people with emotional problems, parents and children who need a big band-aid to improve their relationship...and all these things can and will be fixed one day!
We are busy with so many things throughout our day and what we can do is elevate our actions so that the mitzvos we are doing anyway become filled with enthusiasm and excitement. This way, they wont just be actions, mitzvos that are plain and simple, they will be great! How can we do that?
So here's the tip. You need to take an extra minute before you do something to actually think about what you are about to do.
Let's start with brachos.
We spend plenty of time each day eating. Don't you think that by spending a few extra moments before putting the food into your mouth, that bracha can reach a higher level?
The bracha of mezonos-thank you Hashem for giving me food that keeps me full and satisfied!
Shehakol-that everything Hashem created is an extension of His will. Everything exists only because He wills it.
These thoughts take a few extra seconds of your time, but by really thinking about what you are saying as you are saying, you add so much to the bracha you are saying!
There are plenty of other mitzvos that you do throughout your day. If you make yourself aware and try to think about what you do just a minute before you do it, your mitzvah will become so much greater! It's the kavannah, the thought that goes into it that makes all the difference!!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Brachos
Chaya Sara is in Eretz Yisroel for the summer and asked me to post this for her.
Hey everyone its Chaya Sara from Eretz Hakadosh!!!! Its amazing to be here you feel so connected to Hashem and the truth of the world!!!
We were all so shooken up by this insane story and I heard something that we could do in a small way and it has powers to help us grow from this whole experience!! It's so hard to understand what is going on now and we must realize that Hashem wants to get our attention and we need to do something fast!!!! Here's one small and very easy thing to do. Please share this idea with others! (It's not copy writed at all!!!)
We had a speaker come to speak to us in eretz yisroel about the awesomeness of making brachos out loud and getting someone to say amen to your brachos. She said in the name of R' Moshe Feinstein zt"l that brachos with someone saying amen to the bracha is a full bracha and it saves a person from death!! She said to repeat in your head brachos save from death:)!! So we should work on saying our brachos out loud because then we really connect to hashem in a real way and open up the doors of bracha!!
She also said that a few years ago a big tzaddik came in a dream and said tell everyone that making brachos opens up many doors of brachos and everyone should make sure to get someone to say amen!!! And while saying amen the thought you should have is to think Hashem is true!!! So that is a small thing that you could really work on to help us all get closer to Hashem in a real tangible way!!!! And she said that every amen creates a malach and we dont want to throw a malach in the garbage...She said in hebrew malach lo lepach:)!! Isn't that cute?
So if we could really work on it that could be a great starting point:)
This is something that is not so difficult at all. It takes a little bit of extra concentration and the effect this can have is unbelievable! When you have someone to answer amen to your bracha, you will automatically say the words of that bracha slower, try not to jumble the words together and you will probably start to think of the meaning of the words you are saying!
Hey everyone its Chaya Sara from Eretz Hakadosh!!!! Its amazing to be here you feel so connected to Hashem and the truth of the world!!!
We were all so shooken up by this insane story and I heard something that we could do in a small way and it has powers to help us grow from this whole experience!! It's so hard to understand what is going on now and we must realize that Hashem wants to get our attention and we need to do something fast!!!! Here's one small and very easy thing to do. Please share this idea with others! (It's not copy writed at all!!!)
We had a speaker come to speak to us in eretz yisroel about the awesomeness of making brachos out loud and getting someone to say amen to your brachos. She said in the name of R' Moshe Feinstein zt"l that brachos with someone saying amen to the bracha is a full bracha and it saves a person from death!! She said to repeat in your head brachos save from death:)!! So we should work on saying our brachos out loud because then we really connect to hashem in a real way and open up the doors of bracha!!
She also said that a few years ago a big tzaddik came in a dream and said tell everyone that making brachos opens up many doors of brachos and everyone should make sure to get someone to say amen!!! And while saying amen the thought you should have is to think Hashem is true!!! So that is a small thing that you could really work on to help us all get closer to Hashem in a real tangible way!!!! And she said that every amen creates a malach and we dont want to throw a malach in the garbage...She said in hebrew malach lo lepach:)!! Isn't that cute?
So if we could really work on it that could be a great starting point:)
This is something that is not so difficult at all. It takes a little bit of extra concentration and the effect this can have is unbelievable! When you have someone to answer amen to your bracha, you will automatically say the words of that bracha slower, try not to jumble the words together and you will probably start to think of the meaning of the words you are saying!
Let's all try to work on this together and then we will bring so much goodness into the world!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Reminder - Make the Bracha
This is just a reminder for those of you who have not yet made a bracha on a tree this month to quickly grab the chance and do it!
Wednesday is last day of Chodesh Nissan - the month when each one of us should make a bracha on a fruit tree.
Grab the opportunity and don't let this chance for a once-a-year bracha slip away!
And here's a link to an article from aish on the topic.
May this month be one full of growth and overflowing with brachos!
Wednesday is last day of Chodesh Nissan - the month when each one of us should make a bracha on a fruit tree.
Grab the opportunity and don't let this chance for a once-a-year bracha slip away!
And here's a link to an article from aish on the topic.
May this month be one full of growth and overflowing with brachos!
Labels:
Bracha
Monday, April 4, 2011
Don't Complain About the Rain
I heard in the name of R' Avigdor Miller zt"l about the rain
When you think about this, it wont be such a pain
He said that when it rains brachos shower down from shamayim
It could be in the form of parnassa, a refuah or a l'chaim!
It's like Hashem is sending down sweets for His children He loves
Rain is truly a gift from the one above
So next time you want to complain
About how wet you got from all the rain
Think about this-it will help you stay sane!
Because we really do have a lot to gain
Hashem sends down candies and brachos from way up high
While the little drops of rain come down from the sky!
Isn't that a heartwarming thought?
Better than real candy because yeshuos cannot be bought!
I hope my drift you all caught!
So next time the sky gets dark with clouds
Don't get upset and try not to shout
Remember what good rain does bring
It causes so much growth to everything
This way the plants grow and so do the trees
Don't let it bother you - it will be such a breeze
This water from the sky helps those beautiful flowers
Enhance your garden or home - all from rain showers
It also helps us have healthy fruits and veggies to eat
So next time it rains, don't miss a beat
Although you'll get wet
It shouldn't cause you to fret
Let's not forget
How much bracha it brings down
Turn upside down your frown
Smile big tall and proud
Thank Hashem so loud
For all the good that He gives to us down here
And of the benefits of rain make sure to be aware!
When you think about this, it wont be such a pain
He said that when it rains brachos shower down from shamayim
It could be in the form of parnassa, a refuah or a l'chaim!
It's like Hashem is sending down sweets for His children He loves
Rain is truly a gift from the one above
So next time you want to complain
About how wet you got from all the rain
Think about this-it will help you stay sane!
Because we really do have a lot to gain
Hashem sends down candies and brachos from way up high
While the little drops of rain come down from the sky!
Isn't that a heartwarming thought?
Better than real candy because yeshuos cannot be bought!
I hope my drift you all caught!
So next time the sky gets dark with clouds
Don't get upset and try not to shout
Remember what good rain does bring
It causes so much growth to everything
This way the plants grow and so do the trees
Don't let it bother you - it will be such a breeze
This water from the sky helps those beautiful flowers
Enhance your garden or home - all from rain showers
It also helps us have healthy fruits and veggies to eat
So next time it rains, don't miss a beat
Although you'll get wet
It shouldn't cause you to fret
Let's not forget
How much bracha it brings down
Turn upside down your frown
Smile big tall and proud
Thank Hashem so loud
For all the good that He gives to us down here
And of the benefits of rain make sure to be aware!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
You Have the Power!!
I am passing on this message from today's Hakhel post.
THE POWER OF A TZIBBUR: Any Tzibbur, acting together, can bring about Refuos and Yeshuos (healings and deliverances) that all of K’lal Yisroel, acting individually, may not necessarily accomplish. The Gemara in Rosh Hashana (18A) teaches that Hashem is ready to accept the Teshuva of a Tzibbur the whole year the same way that he accepts the Teshuva of an individual in the Aseres Y’mei Teshuvah.
In the Megilla, we learn from the words of Lech K’nos ( 4:16 ) that Mordechai and Esther elected to gather all of the Jews in Shushan to daven, instead of asking everyone to do something on his own.
The power of Tefilla is immeasurable. It can break the harshest of decrees. Our cries brought about Yetzias Mitzraim. Moshe Rabbeinu’s pleas broke the decree of destruction at the time of the golden calf and brought us victory against Amalek. In fact, our Tefillos broke Haman’s decree to destroy the entire Jewish people during this time of year.
OUR GOAL: HAVE KAVANA IN THE FIRST BROCHA OF SHEMONE ESREI: According to the Shulchan Aruch (101:1), one is required to have Kavanna in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei. According to the Mishna Berurah, this means that one should not daven at all until he feels that he will have Kavanna in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei. This is how important the first Bracha is.
Our goal is to activate the power of Tzibbur and the power of Tefilla together by asking each member of the Tzibbur to have Kavanna in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei when davening each day from today, through Purim. Please especially have Kavanna when reciting the words “Ozer” (Helper), “U’Moshia” (Savior), “U’Magen” (Shield):
Ozer--a Helper, who thwarts an existing immediate danger from overpowering a person (example: you have already been attacked and the attacker is defeated);
Moshia--a Savior, who cancels danger threatening to overpower a person (example: prior to his attacking, the attacker runs away);
Mogen--a Shield, who prevents trouble from reaching you in the first place (example: the attacker never leaves home).
See Michtav M’Eliyahu 4:65 as brought in Praying with Fire (page 117).
IMAGINE THE Z’CHUSIM: The z’chusim which can be created by the thousands of us getting together to have Kavanna--in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei, are literally astounding. Davening properly, that is, having Kavanna for the simple translation of the words of the first Bracha, which we are all capable of doing with little effort, can convert a Shemone Esrei that perhaps should not have been said, into a true prayer to Hashem. The results will B’EH be Refuos and Yeshuos for K’lal Yisroel.
THE POWER OF A TZIBBUR: Any Tzibbur, acting together, can bring about Refuos and Yeshuos (healings and deliverances) that all of K’lal Yisroel, acting individually, may not necessarily accomplish. The Gemara in Rosh Hashana (18A) teaches that Hashem is ready to accept the Teshuva of a Tzibbur the whole year the same way that he accepts the Teshuva of an individual in the Aseres Y’mei Teshuvah.
In the Megilla, we learn from the words of Lech K’nos ( 4:16 ) that Mordechai and Esther elected to gather all of the Jews in Shushan to daven, instead of asking everyone to do something on his own.
The power of Tefilla is immeasurable. It can break the harshest of decrees. Our cries brought about Yetzias Mitzraim. Moshe Rabbeinu’s pleas broke the decree of destruction at the time of the golden calf and brought us victory against Amalek. In fact, our Tefillos broke Haman’s decree to destroy the entire Jewish people during this time of year.
OUR GOAL: HAVE KAVANA IN THE FIRST BROCHA OF SHEMONE ESREI: According to the Shulchan Aruch (101:1), one is required to have Kavanna in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei. According to the Mishna Berurah, this means that one should not daven at all until he feels that he will have Kavanna in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei. This is how important the first Bracha is.
Our goal is to activate the power of Tzibbur and the power of Tefilla together by asking each member of the Tzibbur to have Kavanna in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei when davening each day from today, through Purim. Please especially have Kavanna when reciting the words “Ozer” (Helper), “U’Moshia” (Savior), “U’Magen” (Shield):
Ozer--a Helper, who thwarts an existing immediate danger from overpowering a person (example: you have already been attacked and the attacker is defeated);
Moshia--a Savior, who cancels danger threatening to overpower a person (example: prior to his attacking, the attacker runs away);
Mogen--a Shield, who prevents trouble from reaching you in the first place (example: the attacker never leaves home).
See Michtav M’Eliyahu 4:65 as brought in Praying with Fire (page 117).
IMAGINE THE Z’CHUSIM: The z’chusim which can be created by the thousands of us getting together to have Kavanna--in the first Bracha of Shemone Esrei, are literally astounding. Davening properly, that is, having Kavanna for the simple translation of the words of the first Bracha, which we are all capable of doing with little effort, can convert a Shemone Esrei that perhaps should not have been said, into a true prayer to Hashem. The results will B’EH be Refuos and Yeshuos for K’lal Yisroel.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Did You Dance Today?
Rabbi G. Kosovar, a well-known elementary school principal in Yerushalayim, went with a delegation of principals to visit Beit Chinuch Ivrim, a school for the blind in Jerusalem.A young man of about 16 years old, came over and felt Rav Kosovar's head and then face, and asked him "You are a rabbi, true?"
"True." Agreed the Rav.
"Tell me" demanded the boy, "Rabbi, have you danced today?"
Now this was getting confusing. "Danced?" Rav Kosovar asked him. "It's 10:00 in the morning, where might I have danced?"
The bachur responded with great feeling, "You opened your eyes this morning and saw the world around you... I would give my life to see the world before I turn seventeen! I've never seen anything, ever, since the day I was born. And you opened your eyes today, seeing, and you didn't dance!!?"
When we lift our siddurim, and see the holy letters before our eyes and say the bracha in birchos hashachar of "Baruch Ata...pokeyach ivrim", let us think for even the briefest moment how it all could have been different...praise Hashem, and let your heart dance!
Labels:
Appreciation,
Bracha,
Daven,
Eye,
Story
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
On My Birthday
Today, Vav Shevat is my hebrew birthday. There is so much to think about on my birthday and so much to be thankful for. I look back at how much has happened this past year and I'm amazed and in awe at how much can change in a person's life.I was blessed with another daughter who is so precious. I can look at her for hours and see the Hashem through her - how such a tiny human being has a perfectly working body, a heart pumping blood through her veins, a digestive system that works just right, eyes that blink every few seconds. It is so incredible how something so little has a body that works the same way as an adult!
A birthday is a time for me to notice how much I have and thank Hashem for it. It is also a time to try to commit myself to become better, to change in one area so that next year I can look back and be happy with what I see.
When I was in seminary in Eretz Yisroel, my birthday came out on shabbos. I made sure to stay somewhere within walking distance to the Kosel and was able to say the whole tehillim. Now I'm not able to even think about such a huge feat because baruch Hashem I am busy with my children. But I know that this is my job right now - this is my tehillim and thanks to Hashem! Taking care of them and watching over my children, Hashem's children - that's my priority. My job is not to lock myself in a room and daven for an hour. Hashem gives each person a role and right now I am meant to be taking care of my children. Iy"h when I become a grandmother and have free time during the day, I will once again be able to daven and say tehillim on my birthday.
The role of a mother is so important - she will raise her children to be the next generation of people to follow the torah and do the mitzvos. What can be more crucial than that?! She has to fill her childrens' hearts with love for Hashem and love for Judaism. Davening then becomes a conversation with Hashem throughout the day, instead of taking out a siddur at a specific time each day.
I know that many people give brachos on their birthday. I don't know if I can say it better than I did last year - the bracha was so overflowing that when I reread it just a few minutes ago I thought I cannot redo it because there's so much in there. So here's a link to last year's bracha and may it come true for all of you!
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L'ilui nishmas Shalom ben Chaim Nosson
All inspiration gained from this blog should be a zechus for our brother's special neshama.
