As I rounded the corner yesterday, I was quite shocked to see four red balloons flying in the wind. Yes, the balloons I just wrote about are back!
My kids were ecstatic. My son's face was shining, lit up with the biggest smile you could ever imagine. The balloons they were hoping to see...for so long...they were back! I even circled the block so they could see the balloons a second time because my daughter didn't get a good enough look at them the first time round.
My kids talked about them the whole way home.
For me, this had a whole different meaning.
I took this as a small message, a personal love note from my Father Above, saying to me...Don't give up hope. Just like the balloons you've been waiting to see are back, the day you are waiting for will come. Hang in there.
Thank you Hashem, for the message of hope.
May you all be able to continue holding on through the tough times, using them to come out stronger. And may your deepest desires and things you've been hoping for come true in the best possible way.
Good Shabbos.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Balloons of Hope
I have a lot to learn from my children.
I take the same route home from work every day. Each day, as I'd turn a certain corner, my children would cheer from their seats, "I wanna see the balloons!" And as we'd pass by the store with the balloons right outside the window, they'd shout out happily, "balloons, balloons!"
Usually, there were balloons outside the store window. But some days, they weren't there. Those days were disappointing to them.
"Maybe tomorrow the balloons will be there," I'd reassure them.
And usually, by the time the next afternoon came around, there they were, swaying in the wind, giving my children such simple, untainted pleasure.
It's been a really long time since we've seen those balloons. I can't even remember the last time I turned the corner and those balloons were flying in the wind. Maybe some time in the summer? Maybe longer?
But my children do not give up. Every day, as we turn that corner, they say, "Maybe today we'll see the balloons!"
And when we pass the store and the balloons aren't there, they always have something to say, some hope to hold on to.
"Maybe they're blowing up the balloons."
"Maybe we'll see them tomorrow."
"Maybe they needa buy more balloons for us."
"Maybe...maybe...maybe..."
But tomorrow comes and the balloons still aren't there.
My children are so disappointed. You could hear it in their voices as I turn the corner and pass the store.
Yet...they still come up with excuses, with reasons...and they are still so very hopeful. Hopeful that the day will come when I will turn the corner and the balloons will be back, back in their familiar place, giving my children the pleasure and enjoyment they used to get from looking at them.
The two second pleasure they would take with them for the rest of the ride home. "We saw the balloons today!"
They're waiting for that day to come. And they aren't giving up. They're holding on to the smallest thread of hope.
I'm learning from them.
No matter what happens, no matter what goes on, there is always hope.
We are now in the month of Kislev, approaching the yom tov of Chanukah. Perhaps one message we can take from this is the message of hope. That no matter how dark life seems, no matter how dark life is, there is always hope.
The chashmonaim searched through the devastation and rubble, through the destruction and the mess...and at last...they found one jug of oil. They didn't give up. They kept searching until they found what they were looking for.
I look to my past and I see those brave Jews who persevered, never giving up hope.
I look ahead of me, at my precious little children and I see innocence in their eyes. My children never give up hope.
And so...neither will I.
I take the same route home from work every day. Each day, as I'd turn a certain corner, my children would cheer from their seats, "I wanna see the balloons!" And as we'd pass by the store with the balloons right outside the window, they'd shout out happily, "balloons, balloons!"
Usually, there were balloons outside the store window. But some days, they weren't there. Those days were disappointing to them.
"Maybe tomorrow the balloons will be there," I'd reassure them.
And usually, by the time the next afternoon came around, there they were, swaying in the wind, giving my children such simple, untainted pleasure.
It's been a really long time since we've seen those balloons. I can't even remember the last time I turned the corner and those balloons were flying in the wind. Maybe some time in the summer? Maybe longer?
But my children do not give up. Every day, as we turn that corner, they say, "Maybe today we'll see the balloons!"
And when we pass the store and the balloons aren't there, they always have something to say, some hope to hold on to.
"Maybe they're blowing up the balloons."
"Maybe we'll see them tomorrow."
"Maybe they needa buy more balloons for us."
"Maybe...maybe...maybe..."
But tomorrow comes and the balloons still aren't there.
My children are so disappointed. You could hear it in their voices as I turn the corner and pass the store.
Yet...they still come up with excuses, with reasons...and they are still so very hopeful. Hopeful that the day will come when I will turn the corner and the balloons will be back, back in their familiar place, giving my children the pleasure and enjoyment they used to get from looking at them.
The two second pleasure they would take with them for the rest of the ride home. "We saw the balloons today!"
They're waiting for that day to come. And they aren't giving up. They're holding on to the smallest thread of hope.
I'm learning from them.
No matter what happens, no matter what goes on, there is always hope.
We are now in the month of Kislev, approaching the yom tov of Chanukah. Perhaps one message we can take from this is the message of hope. That no matter how dark life seems, no matter how dark life is, there is always hope.
The chashmonaim searched through the devastation and rubble, through the destruction and the mess...and at last...they found one jug of oil. They didn't give up. They kept searching until they found what they were looking for.
I look to my past and I see those brave Jews who persevered, never giving up hope.
I look ahead of me, at my precious little children and I see innocence in their eyes. My children never give up hope.
And so...neither will I.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Kislev-My Miracles
One of the things I learned from my mother was the importance of expressing gratitude. Not just for the big things but for the little things as well...because they may not be so little. She was very big on thank you cards, sending them out often to those who did favors for her.
Even after my brother Shalom a"h, was niftar, my mother expressed her appreciation to all those who assisted in trying to save his life-the main lifeguard in camp who came running to the scene after he fell from the tree, the assistant lifeguards, the rebbe who said shema with him in the hospital in his last moments...all of them received thank you cards in the mail after my brother passed away. She wanted them to know that our family did not chas v'shalom blame them for not working hard enough and that we were sure they all did their utmost in trying to save Shalom's life...and that this was a decree from Hashem and we were accepting it. They were in no way at fault. And she used those thank you cards to put her feelings into words.
She was always thanking our teachers, the school staff, the delivery guy, the neighbor who did her a favor. She said thank you to the car service driver, giving him a tip, even though this was his job. She'd thank the cashier as she left with her bags....everyone. She took note of every single thing, little and big and showed her hakaras hatov. And I took this lesson from her and try to carry it with me wherever I go.
Just yesterday, I received a phone call from my son's school. A phone call I've been waiting for ever since the beginning of the school year. The person on the other line confirmed that everything was in place and some important paperwork we were waiting for finally went through. Things should be smooth from here on.
Interestingly, the day before I got this phone call, as I left my son's school building knowing I was still waiting, I turned to Hashem and said, "Hashem, that's it. This is in your hands. We did whatever we could and there's nothing else that could be done. Now I'm turning to you and relying on you completely. Please...make this work out already...make it happen soon. How much longer can we wait for this?"
The next day, I got that phone call...my own, personal miracle.
And after I got that phone call, I sat down and penned the following,
Here's a little note to say thank you,
For all the behind-the-scenes work that you do.
We don't usually get to see the details,
And we don't know exactly what your job entails.
But for us - you worked hard, giving up was not an option
And for that we'd like to express our deepest appreciation.
You kept trying - calling and emailing too,
You listened to our (almost) daily question of "anything new?"
And now that all the paperwork finally came through,
We have two words for you-Thank You!
How much time did it take me to write that? Just a couple of minutes. But do I know how much that thank you means to the one who put in all the work for us?
I learned this from my mother-to take a few minutes to express my appreciation in this way.
Just that same evening, something happened that made my heart stop beating. It still continues pounding every time I think about it and replay those few moments in my mind.
I was home alone with my children and was busy in the kitchen when I heard my little baby, who is at the crawling stage, start screaming. I ran into the next room and saw the front door-the door right above my staircase, wide open. My heart froze. I stood at the top of the staircase and for a split-second I knew he fell down the long flight of stairs.
I was wrong.
I looked down the steps...but he was not there. Then I saw a flash of orange-he was right at the top of the staircase! He was lying up side down, with his head on the third step from the top and his feet on the second step-right where the staircase starts to turn. Had he chas v'shalom been one step lower, where the staircase leads straight down...I can't imagine where I'd be at this moment. But I wouldn't be here typing up this blog post.
I scooped up my baby and hugged him so tightly, my hands trembling and shaking. I kissed him and cried knowing that I just experienced my own little miracle.
I felt like...this is what I needed right now. I needed this two second scare as a reminder of what I have and what I need to appreciate. I have three little miracles in my care, three precious little children. Although it's true that Hashem watches over them, over me, every minute of the day, it took this to show me just how closely He is watching over my family.
Today is Rosh Chodesh Kislev. It is the month of miracles. The month when we experienced the miracle of Chanukah-of light in the darkness.
May you each experience your own personal miracles this month and may you feel Hashem illuminating your path, illuminating your life. May the darkness you've experienced be transformed into light and may you be blessed to notice and appreciate the miracles in your life...because the small miracles...they are really big.
A gutten chodesh.
Even after my brother Shalom a"h, was niftar, my mother expressed her appreciation to all those who assisted in trying to save his life-the main lifeguard in camp who came running to the scene after he fell from the tree, the assistant lifeguards, the rebbe who said shema with him in the hospital in his last moments...all of them received thank you cards in the mail after my brother passed away. She wanted them to know that our family did not chas v'shalom blame them for not working hard enough and that we were sure they all did their utmost in trying to save Shalom's life...and that this was a decree from Hashem and we were accepting it. They were in no way at fault. And she used those thank you cards to put her feelings into words.
She was always thanking our teachers, the school staff, the delivery guy, the neighbor who did her a favor. She said thank you to the car service driver, giving him a tip, even though this was his job. She'd thank the cashier as she left with her bags....everyone. She took note of every single thing, little and big and showed her hakaras hatov. And I took this lesson from her and try to carry it with me wherever I go.
Just yesterday, I received a phone call from my son's school. A phone call I've been waiting for ever since the beginning of the school year. The person on the other line confirmed that everything was in place and some important paperwork we were waiting for finally went through. Things should be smooth from here on.
Interestingly, the day before I got this phone call, as I left my son's school building knowing I was still waiting, I turned to Hashem and said, "Hashem, that's it. This is in your hands. We did whatever we could and there's nothing else that could be done. Now I'm turning to you and relying on you completely. Please...make this work out already...make it happen soon. How much longer can we wait for this?"
The next day, I got that phone call...my own, personal miracle.
And after I got that phone call, I sat down and penned the following,
Here's a little note to say thank you,
For all the behind-the-scenes work that you do.
We don't usually get to see the details,
And we don't know exactly what your job entails.
But for us - you worked hard, giving up was not an option
And for that we'd like to express our deepest appreciation.
You kept trying - calling and emailing too,
You listened to our (almost) daily question of "anything new?"
And now that all the paperwork finally came through,
We have two words for you-Thank You!
How much time did it take me to write that? Just a couple of minutes. But do I know how much that thank you means to the one who put in all the work for us?
I learned this from my mother-to take a few minutes to express my appreciation in this way.
***
Just that same evening, something happened that made my heart stop beating. It still continues pounding every time I think about it and replay those few moments in my mind.
I was home alone with my children and was busy in the kitchen when I heard my little baby, who is at the crawling stage, start screaming. I ran into the next room and saw the front door-the door right above my staircase, wide open. My heart froze. I stood at the top of the staircase and for a split-second I knew he fell down the long flight of stairs.
I was wrong.
I looked down the steps...but he was not there. Then I saw a flash of orange-he was right at the top of the staircase! He was lying up side down, with his head on the third step from the top and his feet on the second step-right where the staircase starts to turn. Had he chas v'shalom been one step lower, where the staircase leads straight down...I can't imagine where I'd be at this moment. But I wouldn't be here typing up this blog post.
I scooped up my baby and hugged him so tightly, my hands trembling and shaking. I kissed him and cried knowing that I just experienced my own little miracle.
I felt like...this is what I needed right now. I needed this two second scare as a reminder of what I have and what I need to appreciate. I have three little miracles in my care, three precious little children. Although it's true that Hashem watches over them, over me, every minute of the day, it took this to show me just how closely He is watching over my family.
Today is Rosh Chodesh Kislev. It is the month of miracles. The month when we experienced the miracle of Chanukah-of light in the darkness.
May you each experience your own personal miracles this month and may you feel Hashem illuminating your path, illuminating your life. May the darkness you've experienced be transformed into light and may you be blessed to notice and appreciate the miracles in your life...because the small miracles...they are really big.
A gutten chodesh.
Labels:
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Easy to Say
It's easy to talk about emunah when things go smoothly. When everything about you is positve and happy. The real test, the real test of our strength and belief is when things get tough. When we do not understand.
I have been thinking about this ever since my last post about Hurricane Sandy. I wrote: Trees got thrown down just a few inches away from houses and cars. I saw with my own eyes the precision of the fall...how every inch is calculated. Another inch-and that car would have been smashed. Another inch-and that house would have had major damage. This showed me how every little detail is calculated, every inch, every moment of our lives. The same One who made the tree fall directly in front of that house and an inch away from that car, is watching over me every moment. The details of my life are calculated; Hashem works with precision and care.
Yes, all of that is true. But what about the trees that fell down and did cause destruction? As I was driving on the day I wrote that post, I passed a minivan that was completely shattered-from a huge tree that fell right on top of it. It wasn't a new model. I thought about the family whose car that must belong to. I thought about their pain, how hard it might be for them to replace their car. Maybe they were struggling and this was the last thing they needed...how would they get their children to school? How would they get to work? Forget about waiting on line for gas. They didn't even have a car!
What about all those who lost homes due to flooding and who will have to pay to redo all or parts of their homes? The amount of damage, the pictures I've seen...they moved me to tears. It didn't hit me until I saw Hamodia's Supplement, Waves of Wrath, Waves of Chessed. Pictures of seforim floating around in feet and feet of water, the beautiful aron kodesh knocked over...and the men and boys who continued learning and giving shiurim in the dark, by candlelight or flashlight. All of this made me cry.
We do not understand.
I do not understand.
I do not claim to have reasons. I do not claim to know why this happened. Who am I to pinpoint and say that it happened because of one specific aveirah I am guilty of, or one specific mitzvah I am not performing properly?
R' Fishel Schachter gave a very powerful speech about this. He spoke about how when something of such catastrophic proportions occurs, people try to give reasons and tell other people what it is that they need to change and do better.
He repeated a story that took place one summer. There was an accident that affected a certain family in Camp Ohr Shraga. After it happened, one rav got up and said that the accident happened because of bittul torah and proceeded to give a fiery speech about the importance of Torah learning and the danger of wasting time when one was meant to be learning.
After he concluded his speech, R' Yakov Kaminetzky stood up and said to the rav (in yiddish): Are you a navi? Are you a ba'al ruach hakodesh? Shamefully, the rav answered no to both of those questions.
R' Yakov continued, "So then how could you say that this happened because of bittul torah?? If it's true that this is why the tragedy occurred, then yes, everyone should work on strengthening themselves in the way they learn and the amount of time they spend learning. But if it is not true, since we do not know the cheshbonos of Hashem, you have to go back to the family who was affected by this tragedy and ask them for mechillah, for forgiveness...for speaking ona'as devorim, for causing pain with the words you said! Because they will be thinking, If only people would have learned better, if only people would not have wasted an extra minute...this would never have happened. And THAT is a very dangerous way of thinking and causes tremendous hurt and guilt to the family involved."
And then R' Yakov gave his own passionate speech about bittul torah. R' Yakov, who knew what it meant not to waste a minute of learning, who learned while wearing his boots and would fall asleep before he had the energy to take them off, he gave a speech about the importance of utilizing every moment to learn.
That is a gadol.
We do not know why things happen. None of us are great enough or big enough to give reasons. We can take personal messages from the events that happened-and we should. We should look inside our hearts and see what we need to change, on a personal level. But we cannot go around making broad statements saying exactly why this happened. We simply do not know.
It's when things are tough and we do not understand...that is when we need to work on strengthening our emunah. On knowing that no matter what happens, there is a reason for it. And even though we do not know why, there is a reason, there is a Creator. He is my G-d. I trust Him completely, especially when I do not understand. Especially when I am confused. Especially when life doesn't go the way I want it.
Hashem knows. Hashem runs my life.
It's easy to say. It's easy to talk about when things go smoothly. Now it's time to put it into practice. To internalize this trust, to work on it, to strengthen it, to make my emunah rock-solid, super strong.
It's easy to say.
I have been thinking about this ever since my last post about Hurricane Sandy. I wrote: Trees got thrown down just a few inches away from houses and cars. I saw with my own eyes the precision of the fall...how every inch is calculated. Another inch-and that car would have been smashed. Another inch-and that house would have had major damage. This showed me how every little detail is calculated, every inch, every moment of our lives. The same One who made the tree fall directly in front of that house and an inch away from that car, is watching over me every moment. The details of my life are calculated; Hashem works with precision and care.
Yes, all of that is true. But what about the trees that fell down and did cause destruction? As I was driving on the day I wrote that post, I passed a minivan that was completely shattered-from a huge tree that fell right on top of it. It wasn't a new model. I thought about the family whose car that must belong to. I thought about their pain, how hard it might be for them to replace their car. Maybe they were struggling and this was the last thing they needed...how would they get their children to school? How would they get to work? Forget about waiting on line for gas. They didn't even have a car!
What about all those who lost homes due to flooding and who will have to pay to redo all or parts of their homes? The amount of damage, the pictures I've seen...they moved me to tears. It didn't hit me until I saw Hamodia's Supplement, Waves of Wrath, Waves of Chessed. Pictures of seforim floating around in feet and feet of water, the beautiful aron kodesh knocked over...and the men and boys who continued learning and giving shiurim in the dark, by candlelight or flashlight. All of this made me cry.
We do not understand.
I do not understand.
I do not claim to have reasons. I do not claim to know why this happened. Who am I to pinpoint and say that it happened because of one specific aveirah I am guilty of, or one specific mitzvah I am not performing properly?
R' Fishel Schachter gave a very powerful speech about this. He spoke about how when something of such catastrophic proportions occurs, people try to give reasons and tell other people what it is that they need to change and do better.
He repeated a story that took place one summer. There was an accident that affected a certain family in Camp Ohr Shraga. After it happened, one rav got up and said that the accident happened because of bittul torah and proceeded to give a fiery speech about the importance of Torah learning and the danger of wasting time when one was meant to be learning.
After he concluded his speech, R' Yakov Kaminetzky stood up and said to the rav (in yiddish): Are you a navi? Are you a ba'al ruach hakodesh? Shamefully, the rav answered no to both of those questions.
R' Yakov continued, "So then how could you say that this happened because of bittul torah?? If it's true that this is why the tragedy occurred, then yes, everyone should work on strengthening themselves in the way they learn and the amount of time they spend learning. But if it is not true, since we do not know the cheshbonos of Hashem, you have to go back to the family who was affected by this tragedy and ask them for mechillah, for forgiveness...for speaking ona'as devorim, for causing pain with the words you said! Because they will be thinking, If only people would have learned better, if only people would not have wasted an extra minute...this would never have happened. And THAT is a very dangerous way of thinking and causes tremendous hurt and guilt to the family involved."
And then R' Yakov gave his own passionate speech about bittul torah. R' Yakov, who knew what it meant not to waste a minute of learning, who learned while wearing his boots and would fall asleep before he had the energy to take them off, he gave a speech about the importance of utilizing every moment to learn.
That is a gadol.
We do not know why things happen. None of us are great enough or big enough to give reasons. We can take personal messages from the events that happened-and we should. We should look inside our hearts and see what we need to change, on a personal level. But we cannot go around making broad statements saying exactly why this happened. We simply do not know.
It's when things are tough and we do not understand...that is when we need to work on strengthening our emunah. On knowing that no matter what happens, there is a reason for it. And even though we do not know why, there is a reason, there is a Creator. He is my G-d. I trust Him completely, especially when I do not understand. Especially when I am confused. Especially when life doesn't go the way I want it.
Hashem knows. Hashem runs my life.
It's easy to say. It's easy to talk about when things go smoothly. Now it's time to put it into practice. To internalize this trust, to work on it, to strengthen it, to make my emunah rock-solid, super strong.
It's easy to say.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
I JUST HEARD AN OUTSTANDING MESSAGE WITH ABOUT THE HURICANE MUST READ!!!!
I JUST HEARD ON A HOT LINE FROM REB. KALMINOVITCH AN OUTSTANDING DREAM THAT A BIG TZADDIK HAD THIS YEAR!!! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THIS STORY FROM HER PLS CALL 1718 906 6451 AND PRESS THE NUMBER FOR THE HURRICANE AND YOU WILL HEAR CHANA TOBY AND THEN REB. KALMINOVITCH ITS UNREAL TO HEAR THIS IS 100% TRUE!!!
HARAV POSEK FROM BORO PARK HAD A DREAM ABOUT THE GEDOLEI YISROEL THAT WERE JUST NIFTAR THIS YEAR!THE GEDOLEI YISROEL WERE BY THE BES DIN SHEL MAALA AND WERE BEGGING HASHEM TO PLEASE LOOK AT HOW MUCH WE HAVE WORKED ON OURSELVES AND HOW MUCH WE AS KLAL YISROEL HAVE GROWN THIS YEAR!! THEY WERE SAYING THAT LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE GOT RID OF THE TUMA IN THEIR HOMES AND HOW MUCH WE REALLY WANT TO BE CONNECTED TO HASHEM! THEY WERE BEGGING AND BEGGING HASHEM TO PLS END THIS GALUS AND BRING MASHIACH.SUDDENLY A LOUD VOICE WAS HEARD AND THEY STARTED SAYING DO BNEI YISROEL REALLY WANT HASHEM'S NAME TO BE KNOWN AND FULL OF KEDUSHA IN THE WORLD!!! WHAT ABOUT HOW PEOPLE ARE ACTING ESP. IN SHUL TALKING DURING KEDUSHA AND NOT GIVING KAVOD TO THE SHUL, DO THEY REALLY WANT IT!! AND THEN THEY DECIDED TO COME UP WITH A CONCLUSION THAT THIS YEAR TAF SHIN AYIN GIMMEL IS A BIG EIS RATZON AND MASHIACH IS REALLY ABLE TO COME AND HASHEM WANTS TO BRING HIM THERE IS JUST ONE MORE POINT!!HASHEM WILL TEST US THIS YEAR IN A HUGE WAY TO SEE IF WE REALLY WANT MASHIACH, IF WE ARE DOING THINGS FOR THE KAVOD OF SHAMAYIM OR FOR THE KAVOD OF OURSELVES!!!!THIS YEAR COULD BE THE GEULA AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
THIS TZADDIK WOKE UP IN A SWEAT HE WAS SOOO SHOOKEN UP COULDNT BELIEVE WHAT HE HEARD AND SAW.. HE WAS SHAKING FROM REAL FEAR!! CAN WE IMAGINE THAT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE UP TO!!!! MASHIACH IS AT THE DOORSTEP AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS THE POWER TO SHOW HASHEM I JUST WANT TO DO MITZVOS FOR YOU TO BRING KAVOD TO YOUR NAME AND THEN WE WILL HASTEN THIS GEULA!!! WE NEED EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU WHO READS THIS TO SHARE THIS OUTSTANDING DREAM TO OTHERS AND WAKE UP THE WORLD TO REALIZE THAT ALL WE NEED IS A DESIRE TO SHOW HASHEM THAT WE REALLY WANT THIS GALUS TO END!!! IMAGINE THE SOUND OF THE SHOFAR AND YOU BEING HERE TO WITNESS THIS DAY ITS BEYOND IMAGINATION THAT WE COULD BE ALIVE TO REALLY EXPERIENCE THIS DAY!!!!!!!!! PLS HELP US!!!!
REB. KALMINOVITCH ALSO SAID THAT WHEN SUCH A RAIN FALLS LIKE SOOOO STRONG ITS A SIGN THAT HASHEM WANTS US TO CHANGE SO THAT WE COULD BE ZOCHE TO REALIZE THAT THE GEULA IS SOOOOO CLOSE!!! ITS IN YOUR HANDS!!! WAKE UP AND SEE HOW CAN I DO A MITZVA AND REALIZE THAT I JUST WANT TO BRING KAVOD TO HASHEM'S NAME!!
LETS ALL TAKE THIS LESSON TO OUR HEARTS AND REALIZE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO WAKE UP AND SHAKE OURSELVES BACK INTO REALITY!!!
WATING TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST READ!:)
THANK YOU SO MUCH MISS SAMUEL AND MRS. KLEIN FROM SHALSHELES FOR SHARING THIS WITH ME:)
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Hurricane Sandy
Someone submitted the following question anonymously. Please could you write about the hurricane what message can we take from it... it was only one day and then everything back to normal!?!
There are many lessons and messages that we can take from the hurricane and all that happened in the last few days-the excitement and preparation leading up to it, the time spent indoors to ensure full protection from the storm, and the aftermath…living without electricity and waiting for the power to be restored.
I got the following text message this morning: Hashem is powerful and we are powerless.
When we are hit by a “natural” disaster, it gives us a chance to stop and think. To realize WHO really is in control of every aspect of our lives.
Yes, we are the ones who go through the motions of our day-to-day lives, accomplishing and getting things done. But when we are blessed with that clarity the moment we lose power, we realize Who is the one who has the power and who is really powerless.
I am reminded of a poem/song I once posted, If Hashem Were To Go On Strike. It's taken from a tape, The Iron Butterfly, by Suki and Ding. I will post it here again because the message is so on target.
It’s just a good thing that Hashem above has never gone on strike,
Because He wasn’t treated for or for the things he didn’t like.
And if He had just once sat down and said, “That’s it, I’m through,
I’ve had enough of those on earth so this is what I’ll do:
I’ll give my orders to the sun, cut off your heat supply,
And to the clouds, give no more rain and run those oceans dry.”
And just to make it tough and to put the pressure on,
He’d cut off all the oxygen ‘til every breath is gone.
Do you know that Hashem would be justified if fairness were the game,
For no one has been more abused or treated with disdain.
And yet Hashem has carried on supplying you and me,
With all the favors in His world and everything for free.
No more would flowers bud in spring and food just wouldn’t grow,
And summer turn to winter, Hashem can do it all, you know.
He could make the daytime pitch black so we’d see our way no more,
There’s just so much Hashem can do to even up the score!
Men say they want a better deal and so on strike they go,
But what a deal we’ve given Hashem to whom everything we owe?
We don’t care who we hurt or harm to gain the things we like,
But what a mess we’d all be in if Hashem were to go on strike!!
So here we have it-Hashem "pushed a button" and the whole world went crazy. People ran around stocking up on water, canned goods, bread, candles, flashlights...you name it. How could we live for a few days without power?
People are left without access to the internet. Ask yourself this question. Who is part of your social circle? Does it extend past your Facebook friends and those you talk to through email and text? How much face to face contact do you have with the people who are important to you-beyond your immediate family?
In preparation for the hurricane, someone on the radio mentioned that this will give families a chance to reconnect with each other. When the power goes out and the batteries on all the electronic devices start to die, siblings and parents can actually talk to each other. There's no distraction of laptops and computers, iPhones and Tablets and any other electronic devices. Devices that instead of connecting us, disconnect us from those who are important and close to us.
Trees got thrown down just a few inches away from houses and cars. I saw with my own eyes the precision of the fall...how every inch is calculated. Another inch-and that car would have been smashed. Another inch-and that house would have had major damage. This showed me how every little detail is calculated, every inch, every moment of our lives. The same One who made the tree fall directly in front of that house and an inch away from that car, is watching over me every moment. The details of my life are calculated; Hashem works with precision and care.
Many people are still in the dark. They are illuminating their homes with candles instead of electric lights. The effects of the hurricane are far from over. It will still take another few days for power to be restored. The impact and the message of Hurricane Sandy may stay with them for a little longer than it stays with you. The choice is yours.
How long do you want to remember this hurricane for? How long will these messages stay with you?
There are many lessons and messages that we can take from the hurricane and all that happened in the last few days-the excitement and preparation leading up to it, the time spent indoors to ensure full protection from the storm, and the aftermath…living without electricity and waiting for the power to be restored.
I got the following text message this morning: Hashem is powerful and we are powerless.
When we are hit by a “natural” disaster, it gives us a chance to stop and think. To realize WHO really is in control of every aspect of our lives.
Yes, we are the ones who go through the motions of our day-to-day lives, accomplishing and getting things done. But when we are blessed with that clarity the moment we lose power, we realize Who is the one who has the power and who is really powerless.
I am reminded of a poem/song I once posted, If Hashem Were To Go On Strike. It's taken from a tape, The Iron Butterfly, by Suki and Ding. I will post it here again because the message is so on target.
It’s just a good thing that Hashem above has never gone on strike,
Because He wasn’t treated for or for the things he didn’t like.
And if He had just once sat down and said, “That’s it, I’m through,
I’ve had enough of those on earth so this is what I’ll do:
I’ll give my orders to the sun, cut off your heat supply,
And to the clouds, give no more rain and run those oceans dry.”
And just to make it tough and to put the pressure on,
He’d cut off all the oxygen ‘til every breath is gone.
Do you know that Hashem would be justified if fairness were the game,
For no one has been more abused or treated with disdain.
And yet Hashem has carried on supplying you and me,
With all the favors in His world and everything for free.
No more would flowers bud in spring and food just wouldn’t grow,
And summer turn to winter, Hashem can do it all, you know.
He could make the daytime pitch black so we’d see our way no more,
There’s just so much Hashem can do to even up the score!
Men say they want a better deal and so on strike they go,
But what a deal we’ve given Hashem to whom everything we owe?
We don’t care who we hurt or harm to gain the things we like,
But what a mess we’d all be in if Hashem were to go on strike!!
So here we have it-Hashem "pushed a button" and the whole world went crazy. People ran around stocking up on water, canned goods, bread, candles, flashlights...you name it. How could we live for a few days without power?
People are left without access to the internet. Ask yourself this question. Who is part of your social circle? Does it extend past your Facebook friends and those you talk to through email and text? How much face to face contact do you have with the people who are important to you-beyond your immediate family?
In preparation for the hurricane, someone on the radio mentioned that this will give families a chance to reconnect with each other. When the power goes out and the batteries on all the electronic devices start to die, siblings and parents can actually talk to each other. There's no distraction of laptops and computers, iPhones and Tablets and any other electronic devices. Devices that instead of connecting us, disconnect us from those who are important and close to us.
Trees got thrown down just a few inches away from houses and cars. I saw with my own eyes the precision of the fall...how every inch is calculated. Another inch-and that car would have been smashed. Another inch-and that house would have had major damage. This showed me how every little detail is calculated, every inch, every moment of our lives. The same One who made the tree fall directly in front of that house and an inch away from that car, is watching over me every moment. The details of my life are calculated; Hashem works with precision and care.
Many people are still in the dark. They are illuminating their homes with candles instead of electric lights. The effects of the hurricane are far from over. It will still take another few days for power to be restored. The impact and the message of Hurricane Sandy may stay with them for a little longer than it stays with you. The choice is yours.
How long do you want to remember this hurricane for? How long will these messages stay with you?
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Seeing the Good
My last post brought up some discussion and I wanted to share some thoughts of the back and forth with you.
Someone wanted to know how to reach that level of emunah-of knowing with such certainty that everything Hashem does is for the good. It’s something that takes a lot of work…a lifetime of work.
One thing I feel that has helped me get to that point (and I’m still working at it!) is to think back to different things that have happened in my life and that I’ve been through in my life and notice the good that came out of it.
There were things that were obviously good-from the beginning, like the schools I went to and the people I got to know while I was there. There are things like my year in seminary and I can truly say that my experiences there shaped me, molded me, changed me and helped me be the person I am today.
But then there are the less obvious things. Difficult things I would never have chosen to experience. I can look back at those things and know that there is good that came out of it. I am a different person because of those challenging times. There is no way I could be the person I am today if I haven’t gone through those things. I would never have asked for them but I can actually see some element of good that came out as a result of those experiences. They were painful for me, but I am a different me because of them.
Sometimes, I can actually see something intrinsically good that came as a result of the difficult times. Not just the person I am or became. Not just the changes inside me. There are things that happened that may not have happened had I not gone through the pain. There were difficult times that were catalysts for good changes in my life and the life of my family. Thinking about those things reinforces the belief that each thing that happens, every single thing Hashem puts me through, is for the good.
Looking back at the things that happened in my life, the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult, the comfortable and the uncomfortable, I can know with certainty that every single thing Hashem does is for the good. Sometimes I am blessed to see it and other times I cannot see. But recognizing the good that came out of the things I am aware of makes this knowledge enter the very fiber of my being and know it…really know it so deep inside me…that no matter what, whether I see it or I don’t, it is for the good.
But…with all this knowledge, do I think one day I will be able to thank Hashem for the difficult things I had to go through?
I don’t know. I just don’t know. I think it may be a madreiga of tzaddikim to be able to thank Hashem for the tough things they experienced. And that might be because they know with such clarity that every single thing is good, and even if it was hard, there were good things that came from it. Things like growth in their emunah, a deeper connection to Hashem or whatever other things THEY changed as a person. Maybe they have a deeper vision, a better understanding, or a rock solid emunah that I’m working to get.
But for me, whatever knowledge I do have doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a hard thing to go through. If I had a choice, maybe I’d play my life differently-so it’s a good thing I don’t have a choice! I know these things are good for me but am I thankful for the pain?
Yes, I know it’s for the good, and just working on that knowledge and internalizing it will take time…but being able to be thankful for it is another step…a step for greater people than me…and mayyybe one day I’ll reach that level. But for now, I’m allowing myself to be a human being. :-)
I do not ask for pain but when I am thrown into a difficult situation, I will do my best to climb...as slowly as I need to...and never stop climbing.
Someone wanted to know how to reach that level of emunah-of knowing with such certainty that everything Hashem does is for the good. It’s something that takes a lot of work…a lifetime of work.
One thing I feel that has helped me get to that point (and I’m still working at it!) is to think back to different things that have happened in my life and that I’ve been through in my life and notice the good that came out of it.
There were things that were obviously good-from the beginning, like the schools I went to and the people I got to know while I was there. There are things like my year in seminary and I can truly say that my experiences there shaped me, molded me, changed me and helped me be the person I am today.
But then there are the less obvious things. Difficult things I would never have chosen to experience. I can look back at those things and know that there is good that came out of it. I am a different person because of those challenging times. There is no way I could be the person I am today if I haven’t gone through those things. I would never have asked for them but I can actually see some element of good that came out as a result of those experiences. They were painful for me, but I am a different me because of them.
Sometimes, I can actually see something intrinsically good that came as a result of the difficult times. Not just the person I am or became. Not just the changes inside me. There are things that happened that may not have happened had I not gone through the pain. There were difficult times that were catalysts for good changes in my life and the life of my family. Thinking about those things reinforces the belief that each thing that happens, every single thing Hashem puts me through, is for the good.
Looking back at the things that happened in my life, the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult, the comfortable and the uncomfortable, I can know with certainty that every single thing Hashem does is for the good. Sometimes I am blessed to see it and other times I cannot see. But recognizing the good that came out of the things I am aware of makes this knowledge enter the very fiber of my being and know it…really know it so deep inside me…that no matter what, whether I see it or I don’t, it is for the good.
But…with all this knowledge, do I think one day I will be able to thank Hashem for the difficult things I had to go through?
I don’t know. I just don’t know. I think it may be a madreiga of tzaddikim to be able to thank Hashem for the tough things they experienced. And that might be because they know with such clarity that every single thing is good, and even if it was hard, there were good things that came from it. Things like growth in their emunah, a deeper connection to Hashem or whatever other things THEY changed as a person. Maybe they have a deeper vision, a better understanding, or a rock solid emunah that I’m working to get.
But for me, whatever knowledge I do have doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a hard thing to go through. If I had a choice, maybe I’d play my life differently-so it’s a good thing I don’t have a choice! I know these things are good for me but am I thankful for the pain?
Yes, I know it’s for the good, and just working on that knowledge and internalizing it will take time…but being able to be thankful for it is another step…a step for greater people than me…and mayyybe one day I’ll reach that level. But for now, I’m allowing myself to be a human being. :-)
I do not ask for pain but when I am thrown into a difficult situation, I will do my best to climb...as slowly as I need to...and never stop climbing.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
A Broken Heart
There’s a famous quote from the Kotzker Rebbe, “There is nothing more whole than a broken heart”. I’ve been trying to understand this for a while but after all the things I searched and read about, I realized that the answer to my question lies deep inside me, inside my soul. And I wanted to share my thoughts with you.
There are times in our lives when our hearts are broken, shattered into pieces. We don’t know where to turn, how to move on, how we will ever continue.
Can a broken heart truly be whole? Complete? What does this mean?
When someone’s heart is broken, it gives them a chance to reflect, to really think, to really cry, to try to really understand. But in truth, we are not given the brains, we are not given the clarity, the understanding, to be able to know why. Why this happened. Why we had to go through this.
So…we turn towards heaven. Towards Hashem. In our tears, in our pain, in our anguish. Hashem, we say, why?? Why did this have to happen? Why do we have to go through something so intensely painful?
And this is where the process of completion begins.
It’s a process. A process of working on and strengthening our emunah in Hashem. That every single thing that happens is for the good. We may not see it right now. We may not be able to fathom it when we are in such intense pain but it is the ultimate truth.
Hashem is running the world. Hashem is running our world. The teeny little world we live in…surrounded by our friends and family, which includes our many hurts, our aches and our pains. And every thing that happens in our own little world is for the good.
Sometimes we are blessed to get a small glimpse into the good, a small ray of light, an opening for the potential for something better to come out of the pain we are going through. Other times, we only see darkness, we feel so broken, we do not know how we will go on…and we simply do not understand.
But…it is for the good.
It takes work. It takes a lot to internalize that message. That no matter what is going on in our lives, there is a purpose for it. That there is a reason for all the pain we are put through in this world. And not only is there a reason, there is a good reason. The pain is there for something good. Something good will come out of this.
My heart may be broken but I am working on my emunah. On making myself so complete and so whole in my trust and belief in Hashem. On coming out so much stronger. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able say it was worth the pain, worth the hurt, worth the fact that my heart has been shattered into so many pieces but…I wasn’t given a choice.
And once I am where I am, I will work on picking up the pieces of my broken heart and using the pain to make my heart more complete...more complete in my trust in Hashem, that every single thing He does, whether I understand it or not-is for the good.
There is nothing more whole than a broken heart. I am slowly learning that.
There are times in our lives when our hearts are broken, shattered into pieces. We don’t know where to turn, how to move on, how we will ever continue.
Can a broken heart truly be whole? Complete? What does this mean?
When someone’s heart is broken, it gives them a chance to reflect, to really think, to really cry, to try to really understand. But in truth, we are not given the brains, we are not given the clarity, the understanding, to be able to know why. Why this happened. Why we had to go through this.
So…we turn towards heaven. Towards Hashem. In our tears, in our pain, in our anguish. Hashem, we say, why?? Why did this have to happen? Why do we have to go through something so intensely painful?
And this is where the process of completion begins.
It’s a process. A process of working on and strengthening our emunah in Hashem. That every single thing that happens is for the good. We may not see it right now. We may not be able to fathom it when we are in such intense pain but it is the ultimate truth.
Hashem is running the world. Hashem is running our world. The teeny little world we live in…surrounded by our friends and family, which includes our many hurts, our aches and our pains. And every thing that happens in our own little world is for the good.
Sometimes we are blessed to get a small glimpse into the good, a small ray of light, an opening for the potential for something better to come out of the pain we are going through. Other times, we only see darkness, we feel so broken, we do not know how we will go on…and we simply do not understand.
But…it is for the good.
It takes work. It takes a lot to internalize that message. That no matter what is going on in our lives, there is a purpose for it. That there is a reason for all the pain we are put through in this world. And not only is there a reason, there is a good reason. The pain is there for something good. Something good will come out of this.
My heart may be broken but I am working on my emunah. On making myself so complete and so whole in my trust and belief in Hashem. On coming out so much stronger. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able say it was worth the pain, worth the hurt, worth the fact that my heart has been shattered into so many pieces but…I wasn’t given a choice.
And once I am where I am, I will work on picking up the pieces of my broken heart and using the pain to make my heart more complete...more complete in my trust in Hashem, that every single thing He does, whether I understand it or not-is for the good.
There is nothing more whole than a broken heart. I am slowly learning that.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Teshuva-R' Miller
QUESTION:
If a person is still continuing to do aveiros, is there any sense in doing teshuva?
ANSWER:
Absolutely! And he should ask Hakadosh Baruch Hu for help that he should stop. I'll explain that. When a person does an aveiro and he's happy with it, then it's a much greater sin. If a person does an aveiro, but he is ashamed and he's sorry that he's doing it, it's subtracted from his punishment. Yes, even though he still does it.
The Chofetz Chaim, zichrono l'ivrocha, wrote a sefer for Jewish soldiers. In those days when they were drafted into the Russian army they had to eat treifa foods. So he said, “If you must eat treifa food then don't suck the juice out of the bones.” Which means, don't show that you enjoy it. You're only eating it to save your life from starving. And so when a person does a chet, a sin, even a big chet, a mechalel shabbos, but he's sorry he was mechalel shabbos, it's already a madreiga. To be sorry is a madreiga, you have achieved something. Of course it's not teshuva sheleima, very far from it, but it's a very big thing. Haoseh aveiro umisbayeish bo, he's ashamed, it's a very big thing.
And therefore it pays even for sinners to ask Hashem to forgive them. Only they should add, “…and please Hashem help me that I should make a real perfect teshuva.”
To subscribe to weekly emails with questions and answers from R' Avigdor Miller zt"l, click here.
If a person is still continuing to do aveiros, is there any sense in doing teshuva?
ANSWER:
Absolutely! And he should ask Hakadosh Baruch Hu for help that he should stop. I'll explain that. When a person does an aveiro and he's happy with it, then it's a much greater sin. If a person does an aveiro, but he is ashamed and he's sorry that he's doing it, it's subtracted from his punishment. Yes, even though he still does it.
The Chofetz Chaim, zichrono l'ivrocha, wrote a sefer for Jewish soldiers. In those days when they were drafted into the Russian army they had to eat treifa foods. So he said, “If you must eat treifa food then don't suck the juice out of the bones.” Which means, don't show that you enjoy it. You're only eating it to save your life from starving. And so when a person does a chet, a sin, even a big chet, a mechalel shabbos, but he's sorry he was mechalel shabbos, it's already a madreiga. To be sorry is a madreiga, you have achieved something. Of course it's not teshuva sheleima, very far from it, but it's a very big thing. Haoseh aveiro umisbayeish bo, he's ashamed, it's a very big thing.
And therefore it pays even for sinners to ask Hashem to forgive them. Only they should add, “…and please Hashem help me that I should make a real perfect teshuva.”
To subscribe to weekly emails with questions and answers from R' Avigdor Miller zt"l, click here.
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