Do we realize how blessed we are?
I'm packing up to go away for yom tov. There is so much to do, it's kind of overwhelming. I make a list and start going through it one thing at a time. As I pack, I look at the clothing I am taking and my heart fills with gratitude to Hashem.
Look at all these colors! I have so many choices of tops, sweaters, the perfect color shell...it's such a gift!
I start packing up my children. Baruch Hashem, they have plenty of clothing. I am so grateful. Little girls are so much fun to dress. My daughter has way too much to wear; I may not have to do any laundry while we are gone.
Is that normal?
I think back to just a few generations ago. How many dresses did a little girl own? One? If someone was a little more wealthy, maybe they had a second dress? I don't know. But they certainly couldn't compete with my daughter's wardrobe.
Hashem has given us so much good.
Look at our choices of clothing-colors, textures and a perfect, comfortable fit. We can buy a shell that matches to the top with such precision, it is truly amazing.
Do we realize how blessed we are?
I go into the tights store and decide to buy my daughter a pair of cute bobby socks. So many choices! And they make such pretty ones these days. My daughter will be a princess this yom tov. The woman shows me another few choices. I decide to take just one pair. How many socks does a little two-year old need anyway? How much am I spoiling my little girl? She already has so much. Does she need even more?
I think about the bounty our generation has been blessed with while I admire the pretty bows, flowers and headbands in the store.
Yes, we are truly blessed.
We only need to open our eyes and we will see...just how much good Hashem has showered upon us. It's easy to miss it...but sometimes it stares you right in the face.
May you be able to notice the good things you've been blessed with and may Hashem continue to shower you with loads of goodness and extra bracha!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Night of Questions
I am standing in the kitchen having a discussion with my son while I work. We are talking about the makkos, and my ever so curious boy has a lot of questions. He really wants to understand.
We go through the makkos one by one and I try my best to describe each of them to him.
I get up to makkas arov, that of the wild animals.
My son has a lot of questions.
"Why did the animals hurt the mitzriyim?" he wants to know.
I give a simple explanation.
"They were so mean to the yidden. The mitzriyim made them work really hard and they hurt them. So Hashem punished them. Are we allowed to hurt? Nooo. We have to be nice to other kinderlach."
I am feeling proud of myself for sticking that little lesson into our conversation.
But my son has his own take on it.
"Hashem is so mean." he tells me.
I stand there open-mouthed for a minute and I just want to pinch my son's cute cheeks.
I try to explain it to him a little more. I explain how Hashem punishes anyone who hurts the yidden and how hard the mitzriyim made the yidden work. How they hit them and the yidden used to cry.
I describe the different animals and what they did to hurt the mitzriyim. How some animals kicked with their feet and how the elephants hit with their trunks.
My son is so "there"; it seems like he is living the story along with those back in mitzrayim.
And then he says, "Mommy, who punished the animals?"
He realizes that no one gets away scot-free. And if the animals hurt the mitzriyim as a punishment for hurting the yidden, then the next step is that the animals must get punished too.
I am done. My mind is racing. I love the way this little kid thinks.
And I wonder...when do WE stop thinking and asking? When do our minds stop questioning and just accept everything we are told?
And more importantly...why?
Why don't we continue to ask?
In Judaism, not only aren't we afraid of questions, but questions are encouraged. We are supposed to ask, inquire, delve, learn and hopefully come out with a deeper understanding and feel more satisfied inside.
On Pesach night, parents do so many unusual things.
Why?
Kidei sheyishalu...so that the little children should ask.
But it's not only the little ones who should be asking.
All of us, no matter our age, should be encouraged to open our minds and our hearts and ask those questions that have be bothering us for some time. And if the Seder night is not the right time for it, save it for another time, but don't forget about it.
So hold on to this message...and never stop asking.
Because the more we ask, the more chances we have for answers. And answers add so much depth and meaning to our lives.
The Seder night is a night of questions. It's a time to think and a time to ask.
May you be able to achieve clarity amidst confusion, depth when you are searching for meaning and may you always find the right people to ask your questions to. And most of all...may you be able to get answers that satisfy you and make you feel like you can keep asking. There is so much growth you can attain when you ask and you learn!
We go through the makkos one by one and I try my best to describe each of them to him.
I get up to makkas arov, that of the wild animals.
My son has a lot of questions.
"Why did the animals hurt the mitzriyim?" he wants to know.
I give a simple explanation.
"They were so mean to the yidden. The mitzriyim made them work really hard and they hurt them. So Hashem punished them. Are we allowed to hurt? Nooo. We have to be nice to other kinderlach."
I am feeling proud of myself for sticking that little lesson into our conversation.
But my son has his own take on it.
"Hashem is so mean." he tells me.
I stand there open-mouthed for a minute and I just want to pinch my son's cute cheeks.
I try to explain it to him a little more. I explain how Hashem punishes anyone who hurts the yidden and how hard the mitzriyim made the yidden work. How they hit them and the yidden used to cry.
I describe the different animals and what they did to hurt the mitzriyim. How some animals kicked with their feet and how the elephants hit with their trunks.
My son is so "there"; it seems like he is living the story along with those back in mitzrayim.
And then he says, "Mommy, who punished the animals?"
He realizes that no one gets away scot-free. And if the animals hurt the mitzriyim as a punishment for hurting the yidden, then the next step is that the animals must get punished too.
I am done. My mind is racing. I love the way this little kid thinks.
And I wonder...when do WE stop thinking and asking? When do our minds stop questioning and just accept everything we are told?
And more importantly...why?
Why don't we continue to ask?
In Judaism, not only aren't we afraid of questions, but questions are encouraged. We are supposed to ask, inquire, delve, learn and hopefully come out with a deeper understanding and feel more satisfied inside.
On Pesach night, parents do so many unusual things.
Why?
Kidei sheyishalu...so that the little children should ask.
But it's not only the little ones who should be asking.
All of us, no matter our age, should be encouraged to open our minds and our hearts and ask those questions that have be bothering us for some time. And if the Seder night is not the right time for it, save it for another time, but don't forget about it.
So hold on to this message...and never stop asking.
Because the more we ask, the more chances we have for answers. And answers add so much depth and meaning to our lives.
The Seder night is a night of questions. It's a time to think and a time to ask.
May you be able to achieve clarity amidst confusion, depth when you are searching for meaning and may you always find the right people to ask your questions to. And most of all...may you be able to get answers that satisfy you and make you feel like you can keep asking. There is so much growth you can attain when you ask and you learn!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Always There
I remember learning about the concept of object permanence in child psychology. It's fascinating to see how babies and children develop and mature in their understanding of abstract ideas.
Why do babies love the game peek-a-boo?
It's because when they see something, they know it's there. But when they do not see it, their little brains cannot register that the object or person is still right there. They think it's gone. So peek-a-boo is like a mini magic show to little babies! Now you see me, now you don't. Now you're here and a moment later you're not! How did you do that? Kids love it!
As children mature, they can understand this concept on a little bit of a deeper level. They learn that just because they cannot see the something, that does not mean it isn't there. If they don't see the treat they want, that doesn't mean it's not around. And they'll go looking in all the best hiding places until they find the spot where their mommy hid it.
But there's still another level.
Ever since my son got his Purim mask, we have been playing this game together. He puts on the mask and starts looking for his real nose. He gets such a kick out of it every time because when he looks into the mirror, he sees a green nose. Then he lifts the mask and says, "Uhhh! Here's my real nose!" And he giggles and laughs because he finds it so funny.
While we are living in this earth, we also go through different stages of maturing in our understanding of the concept of object permanence. Except, it's not an object that we are relating to, it's Hashem. And as we grow and change, we begin to realize that just because we cannot see Hashem, that doesn't mean He isn't there. To the contrary, Hashem is always here, but we don't always see or feel Him by our side.
As we go through different challenges in our lives, we may fluctuate between feeling this idea on both ends of the spectrum.
Some days, we may feel so connected and so close-we feel Hashem right at our side, even though things may be hard for us. We feel Hashem making the little things easier for us, small things go right and it makes us feel like we can deal with the bigger things. This gives us the strength we need to carry on, to continue going.
Then there will be days when we feel so distant, so alone. Things get hard, almost too hard. It can be a combination of many little things or one big test that makes us feel so lost. When small stresses pile up on top of big things we are dealing with, those little things become so much bigger and so much harder. This is when it's easy to feel like Hashem has left us.
But a Jew must remember that no matter what they are going through, no matter what is going on in their life, Hashem is always there.
You may not see Him. There may be times when you are in too much pain to feel Him by your side.
But always remember that He is there. At all times.
Why do babies love the game peek-a-boo?
It's because when they see something, they know it's there. But when they do not see it, their little brains cannot register that the object or person is still right there. They think it's gone. So peek-a-boo is like a mini magic show to little babies! Now you see me, now you don't. Now you're here and a moment later you're not! How did you do that? Kids love it!
As children mature, they can understand this concept on a little bit of a deeper level. They learn that just because they cannot see the something, that does not mean it isn't there. If they don't see the treat they want, that doesn't mean it's not around. And they'll go looking in all the best hiding places until they find the spot where their mommy hid it.
But there's still another level.
Ever since my son got his Purim mask, we have been playing this game together. He puts on the mask and starts looking for his real nose. He gets such a kick out of it every time because when he looks into the mirror, he sees a green nose. Then he lifts the mask and says, "Uhhh! Here's my real nose!" And he giggles and laughs because he finds it so funny.
While we are living in this earth, we also go through different stages of maturing in our understanding of the concept of object permanence. Except, it's not an object that we are relating to, it's Hashem. And as we grow and change, we begin to realize that just because we cannot see Hashem, that doesn't mean He isn't there. To the contrary, Hashem is always here, but we don't always see or feel Him by our side.
As we go through different challenges in our lives, we may fluctuate between feeling this idea on both ends of the spectrum.
Some days, we may feel so connected and so close-we feel Hashem right at our side, even though things may be hard for us. We feel Hashem making the little things easier for us, small things go right and it makes us feel like we can deal with the bigger things. This gives us the strength we need to carry on, to continue going.
Then there will be days when we feel so distant, so alone. Things get hard, almost too hard. It can be a combination of many little things or one big test that makes us feel so lost. When small stresses pile up on top of big things we are dealing with, those little things become so much bigger and so much harder. This is when it's easy to feel like Hashem has left us.
But a Jew must remember that no matter what they are going through, no matter what is going on in their life, Hashem is always there.
You may not see Him. There may be times when you are in too much pain to feel Him by your side.
But always remember that He is there. At all times.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
While You Clean
This is something that makes me feel like I love having a part in our special nation.
I'm walking down my block and I see someone vacuuming their car for Pesach. Coming from the loudspeakers is a speech...on...it doesn't even matter what.
Mi K'amcha Yisroel! What a Kiddush Hashem. To see someone exercising their spiritual muscles while exerting their physical muscles and cleaning for Pesach.
I just love that idea-of using the time while cleaning for some mental stimulation and spiritual growth.
What do you do while you clean for Pesach?
I'm walking down my block and I see someone vacuuming their car for Pesach. Coming from the loudspeakers is a speech...on...it doesn't even matter what.
Mi K'amcha Yisroel! What a Kiddush Hashem. To see someone exercising their spiritual muscles while exerting their physical muscles and cleaning for Pesach.
I just love that idea-of using the time while cleaning for some mental stimulation and spiritual growth.
What do you do while you clean for Pesach?
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Dear Precious Neshama
Dear Precious Neshama,
So many people are mourning your loss. People who didn't know your family, and who surely didn't get to know you in the short time you spent here on this earth.
But your story is touching so many.
You are proof, once again, of how much we humans cannot understand.
Your short life is one big mystery...in our little minds.
One big question mark.
One big question.
A question that cannot be answered.
Why?
Why so much pain?
Why were you put into this world for such a short amount of time...only to return to shamayim without doing, without accomplishing?
There is no one to sit shiva for you. No one to mourn your loss.
So instead, all of us are mourning.
All of us are crying.
All of us are in pain.
But you, you have accomplished whatever you were put here to do. You didn't need as much time as the rest of us. You had to take a measured amount of breaths in this world...and then you were ready to ascend to the next world.
You are so pure, shining little soul.
You are so completely clean, precious neshama.
You are so holy.
You were encased in holiness in those few months that your mother carried you, spending all your time learning with a malach...all you would have to know.
What did you learn in there, little neshama?
What did the malach teach you?
What did you need to learn if you were going to be taken so soon after your body entered this world?
So many questions.
I certainly don't have answers.
Little neshama, now you are in a lofty place. You are together with your parents, together with your mother, together with your father...and together with our tatte in himmel, the only Father each of us can call our own.
You are so close to kedusha. You are in a place of clarity.
You understand everything we wish we can understand.
Precious, shining neshama, can you please have a little conversation with your Father, with my Father, with Our Father?
Can you please ask Him to put an end to our pain? An end to our suffering?
Can you please ask Him to replace our tears of sorrow, of anguish and of despair...with tears of joy, of happiness and of hope?
We've been hoping for so long. We've been waiting for too long.
Don't you think it's time?
Precious neshama, I know you can hear me. Please...I wish I can hear your answer.
So many people are mourning your loss. People who didn't know your family, and who surely didn't get to know you in the short time you spent here on this earth.
But your story is touching so many.
You are proof, once again, of how much we humans cannot understand.
Your short life is one big mystery...in our little minds.
One big question mark.
One big question.
A question that cannot be answered.
Why?
Why so much pain?
Why were you put into this world for such a short amount of time...only to return to shamayim without doing, without accomplishing?
There is no one to sit shiva for you. No one to mourn your loss.
So instead, all of us are mourning.
All of us are crying.
All of us are in pain.
But you, you have accomplished whatever you were put here to do. You didn't need as much time as the rest of us. You had to take a measured amount of breaths in this world...and then you were ready to ascend to the next world.
You are so pure, shining little soul.
You are so completely clean, precious neshama.
You are so holy.
You were encased in holiness in those few months that your mother carried you, spending all your time learning with a malach...all you would have to know.
What did you learn in there, little neshama?
What did the malach teach you?
What did you need to learn if you were going to be taken so soon after your body entered this world?
So many questions.
I certainly don't have answers.
Little neshama, now you are in a lofty place. You are together with your parents, together with your mother, together with your father...and together with our tatte in himmel, the only Father each of us can call our own.
You are so close to kedusha. You are in a place of clarity.
You understand everything we wish we can understand.
Precious, shining neshama, can you please have a little conversation with your Father, with my Father, with Our Father?
Can you please ask Him to put an end to our pain? An end to our suffering?
Can you please ask Him to replace our tears of sorrow, of anguish and of despair...with tears of joy, of happiness and of hope?
We've been hoping for so long. We've been waiting for too long.
Don't you think it's time?
Precious neshama, I know you can hear me. Please...I wish I can hear your answer.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Dear Precious Newborn
Dear Precious Newborn,
I heard what happened and my heart is breaking for you.
You came into this world without parents-they were killed while you survived. The day of your birth, your birthday, will always be the yartzheit of your parents, of the parents you will never be lucky enough to know.
You will never feel the warmth of a mothers kiss on your cheek. You will never be able to run into your mother's loving arms when you fall and hurt yourself.
You will never be able to be comforted with the simple, innocent cry of "Mommy"...because there will be no one to answer that call.
And you will never have a father to do homework with you, to share special moments with, to sing songs to you or to tell you funny stories.
I don't know your parents. I never did.
And...neither will you.
I heard their story, I heard your story, and connected to your pain.
You will be raised by others. Others who will love you and take care of you...and treasure you.
If there is one thing I can tell you, precious little newborn, one message that I can give over to you, it would be this.
So many of our great people grew up without parents and they became great despite...or because of, their circumstances. They struggled, they fought and they achieved.
Hashem is on your side. Hashem will be with you, little neshama. Hashem put you in this world at the precise moment that He desired...and He chose to take your parents away from you at the very same moment.
We don't understand why.
We can't understand why.
But we do know...that there is a reason.
There is a plan.
And you are a part in it.
Just like your birth was so clearly a miracle, Hashem's hand in your life, your parents death was also a manifestation of Hashem's hand in your life.
Hashem gives...
Hashem gave you life.
Hashem takes...
Hashem took your parents' life.
Yehi sheim Hashem mevorach.
May you be able to see Hashem's hand in your life...always.
May you be able to feel Hashem by your side when you call out "Tatty"...because He is your only Father. The only Father you have.
I heard what happened and my heart is breaking for you.
You came into this world without parents-they were killed while you survived. The day of your birth, your birthday, will always be the yartzheit of your parents, of the parents you will never be lucky enough to know.
You will never feel the warmth of a mothers kiss on your cheek. You will never be able to run into your mother's loving arms when you fall and hurt yourself.
You will never be able to be comforted with the simple, innocent cry of "Mommy"...because there will be no one to answer that call.
And you will never have a father to do homework with you, to share special moments with, to sing songs to you or to tell you funny stories.
I don't know your parents. I never did.
And...neither will you.
I heard their story, I heard your story, and connected to your pain.
You will be raised by others. Others who will love you and take care of you...and treasure you.
If there is one thing I can tell you, precious little newborn, one message that I can give over to you, it would be this.
So many of our great people grew up without parents and they became great despite...or because of, their circumstances. They struggled, they fought and they achieved.
Hashem is on your side. Hashem will be with you, little neshama. Hashem put you in this world at the precise moment that He desired...and He chose to take your parents away from you at the very same moment.
We don't understand why.
We can't understand why.
But we do know...that there is a reason.
There is a plan.
And you are a part in it.
Just like your birth was so clearly a miracle, Hashem's hand in your life, your parents death was also a manifestation of Hashem's hand in your life.
Hashem gives...
Hashem gave you life.
Hashem takes...
Hashem took your parents' life.
Yehi sheim Hashem mevorach.
May you be able to see Hashem's hand in your life...always.
May you be able to feel Hashem by your side when you call out "Tatty"...because He is your only Father. The only Father you have.
Labels:
Father
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Purim-It's in the Name
The name of Purim expresses the essence of this special day.
At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing more random than casting lots-putting a pile of papers in a hat, mixing them together and taking out one piece. It's easy to say that the outcome of this selection is totally random and that the one whose name was chosen must have come out by chance.
However, we see from the Torah that the opposite is true-a goral is the ultimate expression of Hashem's instruction and explicit direction to us. It is as if Hashem is talking directly to His people.
When it came time to distribute the land of Eretz Yisroel to the shvatim, it was done by means of casting lots. Each shevet had his own preference of where they wanted to be situated (for example, near the water). One of the shevatim got up and said, I want this to be done with Hashem's announcement. And what was Hashem's announcement? Through a goral-by casting lots and letting Hashem do the talking for them.
The same is true with the two goats on Yom Kippur. One was Se'ir LaHashem-as a korban to Hashem and the other was sent la'azazel,it was thrown down a mountain and stoned as a kapparah for Klal Yisroel. How did they know which goat would be used for what part of the avoda? Through a goral-by Hashem expressing it directly to them.
We find the same in sefer yehoshua. When there was one man who took from the spoils of a war, Yehoshua did a goral to see who the guilty party was. When it revealed that it was Achan, he complained by saying that someone's name had to be chosen, but that didn't prove that he was the guilty one! Yehoshua said "sim na kavod laHashem elokei yisroel". Yes, you have a point but let's face the facts, a goral is the word of Hashem revealed to us!
We see from all of this that the expression of Hashem amidst the teva is specifically through a goral.
This is the essence of Purim-named because of the pur, because of the goral.What seems like natural or random is really an expression of Hashem's will.
By reading the megillah on Purim and seeing Hashem so clearly through the details of this seemingly regular story, we can develop a deeper connection to Him-by looking out for and noticing Him in the natural everyday events that happen to us. He is right here with us, and we can come to this realization specifically on Purim-by internalizing the message of the megillah within our hearts!
R' Shimshon Pincus zt"l continues with the following incredible thought.
On Purim a person can come to a point of being so drunk that he says Baruch Haman and Arur Mordechai.
What does this mean?
After a person reads the megillah, they see how Hashem is so there, so revealed within this ordinary story. They see how involved He was in every part of it and they can even see how the things that seemed like they were not good-like Esther's entrance into the king's palace-were really for the good. This is what saved the entire Jewish Nation.
And so...they can then say Baruch Haman. Haman represents the bad, the negative, the things that we thought were so painful and hard. A person can say-everything that seemed bad, really was good. Hashem, I now see you so clearly and I can now KNOW that whatever you do is for the good, even the things that don't seem so good.
So what does Arur Mordechai mean?
When a person davens for something and they feel that they need something more, they will go to a tzaddik and ask him to pray on his behalf. They feel that their own zechusim may not be enough to tip the scales but when someone greater than them is in the picture...they feel more confident in those tefillos making some change for them.
But on Purim, what do we say? We say Arur Mordechai. We don't need the tzaddikim to daven for us today! Purim is such a special day of connection to Hashem that we don't need anyone else-we break all the barriers that separate us from Hashem and He listens directly to us!
Today, Ta'anis Esther, many people take out their tehillims and say Perek Chaf Beis that starts with Keili keili lama azavtani. As we approach this special time of connection to Hashem, when He listens directly to us, to our cry of pain when things are hard and to our expression of thanks when things are good, let us internalize these messages and come into Purim--the day of the pur, the goral that is an expression of Hashem's hashgacha pratis towards us--on the lookout for Him...in the megillah and in our own lives!
At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing more random than casting lots-putting a pile of papers in a hat, mixing them together and taking out one piece. It's easy to say that the outcome of this selection is totally random and that the one whose name was chosen must have come out by chance.
However, we see from the Torah that the opposite is true-a goral is the ultimate expression of Hashem's instruction and explicit direction to us. It is as if Hashem is talking directly to His people.
When it came time to distribute the land of Eretz Yisroel to the shvatim, it was done by means of casting lots. Each shevet had his own preference of where they wanted to be situated (for example, near the water). One of the shevatim got up and said, I want this to be done with Hashem's announcement. And what was Hashem's announcement? Through a goral-by casting lots and letting Hashem do the talking for them.
The same is true with the two goats on Yom Kippur. One was Se'ir LaHashem-as a korban to Hashem and the other was sent la'azazel,it was thrown down a mountain and stoned as a kapparah for Klal Yisroel. How did they know which goat would be used for what part of the avoda? Through a goral-by Hashem expressing it directly to them.
We find the same in sefer yehoshua. When there was one man who took from the spoils of a war, Yehoshua did a goral to see who the guilty party was. When it revealed that it was Achan, he complained by saying that someone's name had to be chosen, but that didn't prove that he was the guilty one! Yehoshua said "sim na kavod laHashem elokei yisroel". Yes, you have a point but let's face the facts, a goral is the word of Hashem revealed to us!
We see from all of this that the expression of Hashem amidst the teva is specifically through a goral.
This is the essence of Purim-named because of the pur, because of the goral.What seems like natural or random is really an expression of Hashem's will.
By reading the megillah on Purim and seeing Hashem so clearly through the details of this seemingly regular story, we can develop a deeper connection to Him-by looking out for and noticing Him in the natural everyday events that happen to us. He is right here with us, and we can come to this realization specifically on Purim-by internalizing the message of the megillah within our hearts!
R' Shimshon Pincus zt"l continues with the following incredible thought.
On Purim a person can come to a point of being so drunk that he says Baruch Haman and Arur Mordechai.
What does this mean?
After a person reads the megillah, they see how Hashem is so there, so revealed within this ordinary story. They see how involved He was in every part of it and they can even see how the things that seemed like they were not good-like Esther's entrance into the king's palace-were really for the good. This is what saved the entire Jewish Nation.
And so...they can then say Baruch Haman. Haman represents the bad, the negative, the things that we thought were so painful and hard. A person can say-everything that seemed bad, really was good. Hashem, I now see you so clearly and I can now KNOW that whatever you do is for the good, even the things that don't seem so good.
So what does Arur Mordechai mean?
When a person davens for something and they feel that they need something more, they will go to a tzaddik and ask him to pray on his behalf. They feel that their own zechusim may not be enough to tip the scales but when someone greater than them is in the picture...they feel more confident in those tefillos making some change for them.
But on Purim, what do we say? We say Arur Mordechai. We don't need the tzaddikim to daven for us today! Purim is such a special day of connection to Hashem that we don't need anyone else-we break all the barriers that separate us from Hashem and He listens directly to us!
Today, Ta'anis Esther, many people take out their tehillims and say Perek Chaf Beis that starts with Keili keili lama azavtani. As we approach this special time of connection to Hashem, when He listens directly to us, to our cry of pain when things are hard and to our expression of thanks when things are good, let us internalize these messages and come into Purim--the day of the pur, the goral that is an expression of Hashem's hashgacha pratis towards us--on the lookout for Him...in the megillah and in our own lives!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Purim-Finding Hashem
When you listen to a speech, the speaker may never know how his words impacted you. When you read a book or article, the author may never know how his writing touched you. However, R' Shimshon Pincus zt"l can see exactly how his powerful and inspiring words gave me such a tremendous amount of chizuk. I don't need to track him down, try to find a phone number or email address to thank him and let him know how his seforim are changing my perspective, are changing me. He can see it himself from his lofty place in the olam ha'emes. And that gives me great comfort.
I want to share some of the inspiration I gained from his words with you.
One point we emphasize on Purim is v'nahapoch hu. This concept requires some understanding and clarification.
There are two ways to relate to the things we have.
Imagine you are a guest at someone's home. You come in to the kitchen and you see a plate with ten slices of delicious looking cake. You can look at this in two ways.
Either you can think, the host set up the cake on the tray and it happens to be that one slice is for me to take.
Or you can think, wow...this host loves me so much! Look at how he set up all these slices of cake for me! Really, he meant to give me a personal gift-delicious cake to eat. He could have just put one slice on the tray...because that would be enough for me to eat. But he put another nine slices so that it should be pleasant and comfortable for me and I shouldn't feel like I'm lacking anything!
Every moment that a person is alive, he receives an incredible gift-fresh air. And with that air a person is able to breathe from minute to minute. How does a person view this? How should a person view this?
Either a person can say, look Hashem gives everyone air so that they can breathe and it happens to be that He gives me air too.
Or...a person can say, look at how much Hashem loves me! He gives me this air personally, specifically for me. But just so that I should feel like I'm not lacking anything, He gives air to everyone else around me...
This is how Hashem hides Himself within nature, within our world. Everything He gives you is an expression of the love He has for you.
Imagine you go to the grocery store to pick up a bottle of milk. When you get to the refrigerator section, you see 500 bottles of milk on the shelf.
Either you can think, there is enough milk in this store for me and all the people in my neighborhood who need milk to drink.
Or...you can think, wow, Hashem wants me to have everything I need. So instead of me finding just the one bottle of milk that I need for my family, there are another 499 bottles of milk in the refigerator...just so I should feel like I'm not lacking anything! Hashem is hiding Himself in the teva of this world. He hides Himself among the rest of the bottles of milk on the shelf. But really, that one bottle of milk is a personal gift from Hashem to me.
A person can find Hashem in every single thing that happens, in every single moment of His life. Hashem hides himself in nature. But...He's really there. We just have to learn to look out for Him and notice all the good that He gives us...in the regular, daily things that we experience.
The word megillah comes from the lashon of l'galos, to reveal. All the other yomim tovim are meant to help us rise above nature to a more elevated, lofty level. We do this through the mitzvos of the day-shofar on Rosh Hashana, matzah on Pesach...
But Purim is different.
On Purim we learn that Hashem is right here with us, within the teva. If we take notice, we can see that Hashem is really there-hiding in nature itself. When we internalize this message, we can strengthen our connection to Hashem and increase the love we have for Him, realizing how much He does for us and how involved He is in every detail of our personal lives-all because He loves us!
We can take this message from Megillas Esther.
In the beginning of the megillah, we read about Achashveirosh and how he sat on his new throne in Shushan, the new capital. Why did He set up his kingdom in Shushan if the kings before him were established in Bavel?
Achashveirosh wanted to sit on the throne of Shlomo Hamelech. It was beautiful, majestic and had animals on each step that would lift Shlomo up to the next step. However, any king before him who tried to sit on it got hurt from the animals. So he had carpenters make one for him that was exactly like the throne of Shlomo Hamelech. But once it was completed, it was too heavy to move anywhere. So Achashveirosh decided to move his entire capital over to Shushan, the place where his throne was. Who moves his entire kingdom, all his ministers and advisors just like that? And why did he do this? Because Mordechai Hatzaddik lived in Shushan. So Hashem made Achashveirosh move everything around just so that one tzaddik should be able to say in his place. This is but one example of how Hashem and His hashgacha is revealed through the story outlined in the megillah.
This is also why Hashem's name is not mentioned once in the megillah. If Hashem's name was spelled out, it would be removing Him from teva and saying how He performed a miracle above nature. However, by Hashem being "hidden" in every step of the Purim story, we learn to look out for him in this seemingly "regular" story. In the story that doesn't mention him. And we can take this message to heart. We must realize that Hashem is with us at every point. He is here with us-in the natural, in the regular, in the routine.
The message of v'nahapoch hu is that everything you see in the teva, everything that seems like it is natural really is not. Each of these things are an expression of Hashem's love for us! Yes, it may seem like nature, but if you look just a teeny bit deeper, you can find Hashem in the regular things that happen. The air you breathe from is a personal gift from Hashem. He is pumping blood through your veins and through your body every second of the day-because He wants you in His world.
And this is why R' Akiva was able to laugh when all the others cried. He was able to find Hashem in the places where they couldn't. He was able to see the upside-down. How things weren't the way they seemed. He was able to explain with clarity when the others were confused. And that's how he was able to comfort them. By seeing things with an eye that looks out for the v'nahapoch hu. He was able to turns those things around and explain that Hashem really IS here with us.
And this is what v'nahapoch hu means.
May you be able to realize what precious gifts you are given from Hashem, because He loves you and because He wants you to FEEL His love for you personally. May you be able to internalize the messages of the megillah by seeing how just like Hashem is revealed through the regular happenings in the Purim story, He can be revealed to you in your own life. You just have to look out for him.
I want to share some of the inspiration I gained from his words with you.
One point we emphasize on Purim is v'nahapoch hu. This concept requires some understanding and clarification.
Rabban Gamliel, R' Elazar ben Azarya and R' Yehoshua came into Rome and started to cry when they heard the loud, happy voices of the Romans there. R' Akiva's response to that was...laughter.
They asked R' Akiva, "How could you laugh?"
"Why are you crying?"
"The goyim who are ovdei avoda zara, idol worshippers, are sitting comfortably while our beis hamikdosh was destroyed! How could we NOT cry?"
Said R' Akiva, "Im kein l'macheesav, kal vachomer l'osei retzono, if this is what happens to those who anger Hashem, how much more will the reward be for those who do His will!"
In another instance, they were walking together and when they reached Har Habayis, they saw a fox coming out of the place of the Kodesh Hakadashim. They began crying and once again, R' Akiva started to laugh.
A similar exchange followed.
"How could you laugh at such a sight?"
"Why are you crying?"
"The same place that it says v'hazor hakareiv yumas, if a stranger approaches it he must be put to death, is now free with roaming fox...just like it says al har tzion sheshameim shualim hilchu ba-the fox will walk on the desolation of the mountain of tzion. How could we NOT cry?
R' Akiva said, "For this reason I laugh. If Hashem fulfilled the prophecies of punishment and destruction, I am confident that He will also fulfill the prophecies of reward and ultimate geulah."
To which they replied, "Akiva, nichamtanu, you have comforted us."
There are two ways to relate to the things we have.
Imagine you are a guest at someone's home. You come in to the kitchen and you see a plate with ten slices of delicious looking cake. You can look at this in two ways.
Either you can think, the host set up the cake on the tray and it happens to be that one slice is for me to take.
Or you can think, wow...this host loves me so much! Look at how he set up all these slices of cake for me! Really, he meant to give me a personal gift-delicious cake to eat. He could have just put one slice on the tray...because that would be enough for me to eat. But he put another nine slices so that it should be pleasant and comfortable for me and I shouldn't feel like I'm lacking anything!
Every moment that a person is alive, he receives an incredible gift-fresh air. And with that air a person is able to breathe from minute to minute. How does a person view this? How should a person view this?
Either a person can say, look Hashem gives everyone air so that they can breathe and it happens to be that He gives me air too.
Or...a person can say, look at how much Hashem loves me! He gives me this air personally, specifically for me. But just so that I should feel like I'm not lacking anything, He gives air to everyone else around me...
This is how Hashem hides Himself within nature, within our world. Everything He gives you is an expression of the love He has for you.
Imagine you go to the grocery store to pick up a bottle of milk. When you get to the refrigerator section, you see 500 bottles of milk on the shelf.
Either you can think, there is enough milk in this store for me and all the people in my neighborhood who need milk to drink.
Or...you can think, wow, Hashem wants me to have everything I need. So instead of me finding just the one bottle of milk that I need for my family, there are another 499 bottles of milk in the refigerator...just so I should feel like I'm not lacking anything! Hashem is hiding Himself in the teva of this world. He hides Himself among the rest of the bottles of milk on the shelf. But really, that one bottle of milk is a personal gift from Hashem to me.
A person can find Hashem in every single thing that happens, in every single moment of His life. Hashem hides himself in nature. But...He's really there. We just have to learn to look out for Him and notice all the good that He gives us...in the regular, daily things that we experience.
The word megillah comes from the lashon of l'galos, to reveal. All the other yomim tovim are meant to help us rise above nature to a more elevated, lofty level. We do this through the mitzvos of the day-shofar on Rosh Hashana, matzah on Pesach...
But Purim is different.
On Purim we learn that Hashem is right here with us, within the teva. If we take notice, we can see that Hashem is really there-hiding in nature itself. When we internalize this message, we can strengthen our connection to Hashem and increase the love we have for Him, realizing how much He does for us and how involved He is in every detail of our personal lives-all because He loves us!
We can take this message from Megillas Esther.
In the beginning of the megillah, we read about Achashveirosh and how he sat on his new throne in Shushan, the new capital. Why did He set up his kingdom in Shushan if the kings before him were established in Bavel?
Achashveirosh wanted to sit on the throne of Shlomo Hamelech. It was beautiful, majestic and had animals on each step that would lift Shlomo up to the next step. However, any king before him who tried to sit on it got hurt from the animals. So he had carpenters make one for him that was exactly like the throne of Shlomo Hamelech. But once it was completed, it was too heavy to move anywhere. So Achashveirosh decided to move his entire capital over to Shushan, the place where his throne was. Who moves his entire kingdom, all his ministers and advisors just like that? And why did he do this? Because Mordechai Hatzaddik lived in Shushan. So Hashem made Achashveirosh move everything around just so that one tzaddik should be able to say in his place. This is but one example of how Hashem and His hashgacha is revealed through the story outlined in the megillah.
This is also why Hashem's name is not mentioned once in the megillah. If Hashem's name was spelled out, it would be removing Him from teva and saying how He performed a miracle above nature. However, by Hashem being "hidden" in every step of the Purim story, we learn to look out for him in this seemingly "regular" story. In the story that doesn't mention him. And we can take this message to heart. We must realize that Hashem is with us at every point. He is here with us-in the natural, in the regular, in the routine.
The message of v'nahapoch hu is that everything you see in the teva, everything that seems like it is natural really is not. Each of these things are an expression of Hashem's love for us! Yes, it may seem like nature, but if you look just a teeny bit deeper, you can find Hashem in the regular things that happen. The air you breathe from is a personal gift from Hashem. He is pumping blood through your veins and through your body every second of the day-because He wants you in His world.
And this is why R' Akiva was able to laugh when all the others cried. He was able to find Hashem in the places where they couldn't. He was able to see the upside-down. How things weren't the way they seemed. He was able to explain with clarity when the others were confused. And that's how he was able to comfort them. By seeing things with an eye that looks out for the v'nahapoch hu. He was able to turns those things around and explain that Hashem really IS here with us.
And this is what v'nahapoch hu means.
May you be able to realize what precious gifts you are given from Hashem, because He loves you and because He wants you to FEEL His love for you personally. May you be able to internalize the messages of the megillah by seeing how just like Hashem is revealed through the regular happenings in the Purim story, He can be revealed to you in your own life. You just have to look out for him.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Rosh Chodesh Adar
Today is Rosh Chodesh Adar.
It is the first day of the month when we increase the happiness and joy we feel in our hearts. It is a month where our nation experienced a miracle and we go into the month hoping for personal miracles in our own lives and the lives of those around us.
We can learn many lessons this month, if we just delve into some of the details of the story of Purim. We see so clearly the incredible power of sincere tefillah-how at a time of uncertainty and despair, Mordechai gathered the little children together and they poured out their hearts to the Only One who could help them...and they merited to see the yeshuah in a way they never would have imagined.
We see how the ways of Hashem are mysterious and there is so much we cannot understand...until we take a step back and look at the whole picture.
The story of Purim took nine years to play out. Of course it's easy for us to see the Yad Hashem in all of it! We are reading the whole book, the whole megillah, so when we read the part of Esther HaMalka being chosen as the new queen, it all makes sense to us. We know how it will end...we know how she was the catalyst, the one to bring the ultimate yeshuah in the Purim story to all of Klal Yisroel. But did she know it? Did she have any idea why she was the one chosen, of all the beautiful women and girls, to be the one to marry Achashveirosh?
This was the refuah lifnei hamakah.This was Hashem's way of setting up the positive outcome of the Purim story. Esther entering the palace of Achashveirosh as his new queen seemed like the most terrible thing that could have happened to her. Yet, this turned out to be a great bracha-because through her, so much good came to the entire nation. It was only because she was the queen that she was able to save the Jews from Haman's evil plans.
Hashem wanted to bring Klal Yisroel to do teshuva for their sins. And this is how they got the message-so strongly and so clearly. They united in tefillah, pouring out their hearts and praying for their lives to be spared...somehow. And Hashem brought about the miracle of Purim.
The message of refuah lifnei hamakah-of the good being set up before the strong blow has many dimensions. From the Purim story we see that it is not always that simple. It wasn't clear-at all-that Esther's entrance to the king's palace and subsequent position as queen was the refuah. In fact, it seemed that this was the greatest makah, the greatest blow that ever could have happened! But that was not the case. The exact thing that looked like it was so terrible, so unimaginable...so clearly bad...the very thing that seemed like it was the worst thing that could have happened...was the catalyst for Klal Yisroel's yeshuah!
May this month be one in which you are able to see the yad Hashem clearly in your life and where you FEEL Him meitzitz min hacharakim, peeking through the cracks of the blinds of your windows. May you experience your own v'nahapoch Hu...where things change for the good in a way that is so totally upside down...from despair to hope, from sadness to happiness, from pain to comfort and joy and simcha!
May this month be a truly happy one for you and all those close to you!
It is the first day of the month when we increase the happiness and joy we feel in our hearts. It is a month where our nation experienced a miracle and we go into the month hoping for personal miracles in our own lives and the lives of those around us.
We can learn many lessons this month, if we just delve into some of the details of the story of Purim. We see so clearly the incredible power of sincere tefillah-how at a time of uncertainty and despair, Mordechai gathered the little children together and they poured out their hearts to the Only One who could help them...and they merited to see the yeshuah in a way they never would have imagined.
We see how the ways of Hashem are mysterious and there is so much we cannot understand...until we take a step back and look at the whole picture.
The story of Purim took nine years to play out. Of course it's easy for us to see the Yad Hashem in all of it! We are reading the whole book, the whole megillah, so when we read the part of Esther HaMalka being chosen as the new queen, it all makes sense to us. We know how it will end...we know how she was the catalyst, the one to bring the ultimate yeshuah in the Purim story to all of Klal Yisroel. But did she know it? Did she have any idea why she was the one chosen, of all the beautiful women and girls, to be the one to marry Achashveirosh?
This was the refuah lifnei hamakah.This was Hashem's way of setting up the positive outcome of the Purim story. Esther entering the palace of Achashveirosh as his new queen seemed like the most terrible thing that could have happened to her. Yet, this turned out to be a great bracha-because through her, so much good came to the entire nation. It was only because she was the queen that she was able to save the Jews from Haman's evil plans.
Hashem wanted to bring Klal Yisroel to do teshuva for their sins. And this is how they got the message-so strongly and so clearly. They united in tefillah, pouring out their hearts and praying for their lives to be spared...somehow. And Hashem brought about the miracle of Purim.
The message of refuah lifnei hamakah-of the good being set up before the strong blow has many dimensions. From the Purim story we see that it is not always that simple. It wasn't clear-at all-that Esther's entrance to the king's palace and subsequent position as queen was the refuah. In fact, it seemed that this was the greatest makah, the greatest blow that ever could have happened! But that was not the case. The exact thing that looked like it was so terrible, so unimaginable...so clearly bad...the very thing that seemed like it was the worst thing that could have happened...was the catalyst for Klal Yisroel's yeshuah!
May this month be one in which you are able to see the yad Hashem clearly in your life and where you FEEL Him meitzitz min hacharakim, peeking through the cracks of the blinds of your windows. May you experience your own v'nahapoch Hu...where things change for the good in a way that is so totally upside down...from despair to hope, from sadness to happiness, from pain to comfort and joy and simcha!
May this month be a truly happy one for you and all those close to you!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Why?
Someone sent me a text message last night asking the following:
“Why are you frum?”
I wasn’t sure if this was a trick question or if she was seriously asking me this. But she wasn’t joking around.
I’m not going to give you my own answer here (maybe I’ll save that for another post…maybe not :) ) but I want to pose that question to you.
Did you ever think about why you are frum?
In this weeks parsha, Parshas Yisro, the entire Jewish Nation stood at Har Sinai and received the Torah. K’ish Echad B’lev Echad-like one man with one heart. Each and every person wanted to receive the Torah, wanted to be a part of our special nation.
Are you keeping the Torah because it is what you want?
My son came home with a project yesterday. It showed Hillel laying on the roof of a beis medrash with shimmering pieces of snow. He told me all about it, how Hillel wanted to learn Torah but he didn’t have money to pay so he climbed onto the roof of the beis medrash so he could listen to everyone learning Torah…and it was so cold and there was snow…
It got me thinking.
Why?
What was it about the teachings of the Torah that someone would lay on the roof of a building to listen to others learning? And stay there no matter how cold it got?
Do you know?
What does the Torah mean to you?
What does being frum mean to you?
This shabbos, think about those questions. See if you can come up with some answers.
Have a wonderful and uplifting shabbos!
“Why are you frum?”
I wasn’t sure if this was a trick question or if she was seriously asking me this. But she wasn’t joking around.
I’m not going to give you my own answer here (maybe I’ll save that for another post…maybe not :) ) but I want to pose that question to you.
Did you ever think about why you are frum?
In this weeks parsha, Parshas Yisro, the entire Jewish Nation stood at Har Sinai and received the Torah. K’ish Echad B’lev Echad-like one man with one heart. Each and every person wanted to receive the Torah, wanted to be a part of our special nation.
Are you keeping the Torah because it is what you want?
* * *
My son came home with a project yesterday. It showed Hillel laying on the roof of a beis medrash with shimmering pieces of snow. He told me all about it, how Hillel wanted to learn Torah but he didn’t have money to pay so he climbed onto the roof of the beis medrash so he could listen to everyone learning Torah…and it was so cold and there was snow…
It got me thinking.
Why?
What was it about the teachings of the Torah that someone would lay on the roof of a building to listen to others learning? And stay there no matter how cold it got?
Do you know?
What does the Torah mean to you?
What does being frum mean to you?
This shabbos, think about those questions. See if you can come up with some answers.
Have a wonderful and uplifting shabbos!
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