Thanks for Sharing

Have you ever walked outside and heard blaring music coming from a car driving down the street?

Whenever that happened while I was out, I'd say to whoever I was with, "Thanks for sharing!" The music coming out of those cars weren't usually songs I'd want to listen to while having a massage. They were songs I'd choose to listen to while doing exercise. Or maybe I'd rather not listen to those songs at all... :-)

For a while, it was hard for me to understand why someone would do that. Why do they have to drive down the street and "share the wealth" with people who never asked for it? Why couldn't they just enjoy the music in their own car and not have to make so much noise?

Until I had that incredible urge.

I was driving down the street listening to a song that I absolutely love. A song that empowers me, that moves me, that pushes me to want to do more, to do my best no matter what is going on. It's a fast song, it has a great beat, and the words are just plain awesome.

And so...I did it. I rolled down my windows and turned the volume up to the max. 

Why? Why did I do that?

It's because...I had something that felt so incredible to me...and I wanted to share that with everyone around me. This song did something to me. It moved me. It inspired me. It talked to me. And I wanted everyone else to feel it too. I wanted them to hear the words, to feel what I was feeling. I wanted them to feel the power of the song so they could be touched the same way the music touched me.

All this got me thinking...

You know, we as Jews have something so incredible. We have the most awesome gift ever. Hashem gave us the Torah. It is a part of who we are, it helps us learn how to be more sensitive and caring to others. It turns us into better people.

Do we ever feel like we really want to share it with others?

When we feel a positive emotion that is so overpowering, we have this tremendous urge to share it with others. It's like when someone is in "simcha mode". When they get engaged, have a baby, marry off a child...or when a very close relative gets engaged, has a baby or gets married...the emotions inside of us are so strong, we just want to share it. We want all our friends and neighbors to know who got engaged to who, who had a baby and if it was a boy or a girl, who got married...all the exciting details of the simcha that make us feel so happy. All we feel like doing is sharing that incredible joy with others.

So...what about our Judaism? Are we as passionate about what we have that we feel this same urge to give over to others and share the wealth?

This year, before Shavuos, take the time to think about it. Think about the things inside you. The things you care deeply about. And if you are passionate about Torah and mitzvos and you have thoughts and ideas you want to share with someone who is not as fortunate as you are, who doesn't have the same Torah background as you have, sign up for a program that will give you the opportunity to share your wealth.

You can sign up to learn with someone on the phone once a week with Partners in Torah. You can learn with someone in person, one on one. And if you don't feel you have that inside you, you can host a kiruv training seminar in your house as a way to help others learn more about kiruv. Or, you may choose to donate some of your ma’aser money to any of the organizations who are involved in kiruv. Oorah also has many ways of getting involved.

Whatever you choose, just realize that you have been given a unique treasure. You own it...and it is a part of you. And if you felt passionate enough about it, you'd also feel like you want to do whatever you can to share it with others. 

Do what it takes to share the wealth. 

It will enrich your life in so many ways.

My Struggles-A Poem

A friend of mine, Rivka, sent the following poem entitled My Struggles to me and gave me permission to share it with you.

I'm shy
Yet I try
I question why
Then I cry

I'm beated
I get heated
I'm unneeded
I'm defeated

I'm oppressed
I regressed
I'm stressed
I'm depressed

I try once more
Although its a bore
I feel sore
My spirit tore

I pay no heed
I plant the seed
I want to succeed
Hashem is in the lead 

I took a message from it. When things get hard, when you feel overwhelmed, it's okay question. It's okay to cry. It's okay to feel.

Sometimes in life, a person feels beaten and knocked down. It gets tough. They keep trying and it feels too hard. 

The way to win, the way to get past it...is to plant that seed. To try to take little steps.To do what you can...and then leave the rest up to Hashem.

We want to succeed. We want to "make it big" in this life of ours. We need to remember Who is leading our lives and turn to Him when it feels like it's too much. We need to do ours, take the steps we can to make positive changes in our lives...and then step back and remind ourselves that Hashem is running our lives. 

Let's hope we see the fruits of our labor in our personal lives. Let's hope we see Hashem answering our call, hearing our prayers, helping us through once we did ours.

May we all merit to see personal yeshuos in our lives and in the lives of those around us!

Trampoline

Keep on moving
Keep on going
Keep the pace
No matter what
Sometimes you feel tired
Sometimes you feel drained
But you have to keep going
That is what they say
Don't stop
Don't drop
You can hop
If you must
If you can't
Keep jumping
But keep pumping
Heart thumping
Even if your bumping
Feeling lost.

This is Life
You can't stop
Ever.
Even if
You feel a drop
Don't stop
Keep going
Because...
There is a purpose
A reason 
For
The drop
When you go down
When you fall
Just know
That your fall
Can be the reason for
Your biggest jump
You'll move up
And get to places
You never could have gotten to
Without that fall
Not at all
You may have stayed
In a nice, cozy place
With a smile on your face
Moving at a steady pace
But...
Now that you fell
Only you can tell
How much you will swell
Inside
How much higher you can reach
How much you will be able to teach
Others
About Life
Because of your Life.
Because of how you changed
From your fall
It's precisely because
You fell that low
It's precisely because
Now you know
How far you can go
And how much you can do
Become a better you
Those challenges,
Those falls,
Those valleys
Will help you reach
Will help you climb
Mountains
Until you reach
Your summit
Your high point.

It's like...
A trampoline
You need to bounce down
In order to rise up
That much higher.
The stronger your bounce
The deeper your fall,
The higher you jump
The further you go.
If you take a little walk
Around the trampoline
You won't reach great heights
No, you'll stay where you are.
The ones who leap
The ones who are brave
Who let themselves bounce
Who are aware of their falls
Will be the ones
Who will get high
Only because
They went down so deep
Only because
They fell that low.
The fall is the cause
It's what makes them
It's what enables them
To jump so high.

Sefira is the time
When we are meant to grow
When we are meant to go
Higher
Every day
Klal Yisroel rose
To a very high level
By falling
By stumbling
By landing
So low
And then climbing
Ever so slowly
Inching their way up
To the top of the mountain.
It's because they were in mitzrayim
It's because they were so low
That they were able to go
That they were able to grow
That they were able to reach
Such high heights.
They fell
And...
They climbed
They were at the bottom
At the very rock bottom
Of the spiritual staircase
But they did it
They persevered
They rose
They climbed
Day by day
Slowly
Slowly
Slowly
Until they were ready
To receive the greatest gift
The Torah.
The gift that teaches
How to be the best person
How to climb
How to achieve
How to improve
How to live
Life.

Life...
Is about
Rising when we fall
But we must fall
In order to rise
It may come as a surprise
But those who fall
Can become even greater
Than those who never fell.
Those who are tested
Those who go through challenges
And come out of them
Stronger
Better
Ready to move on
Ready to keep climbing
Ready to help others climb
They are 
Champions
Of this Life.

So keep on jumping
Keep on pumping
Keep on going
Keep on rolling
Keep on hopping
But no, no stopping
And if you fall
When you fall
Don't despair
Just remember
You'll get better
You'll improve
You will not lose
And it will be worth it
Worth the fall
Worth the sweat
Worth the tears
Worth the years
Of work
Because one day
You will look back
Look back and see
How that fall
Brought you so much higher.
And that
That is the purpose
Of Life.

Night of Questions

I posted this last year and wanted to share it with you again.

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!

Purim-Unmasked

I am sending this poem along with my Mishloach Manos this year. 

Purim is here, a day full of fun
With costumes and smiles for everyone
This year the kids got to make their own choice
We let them express their own inner voice
Often the costumes we choose reflect what's inside
Although all year we may choose to hide
Our inner essence is revealed on this Purim day
By the things we dress up as-it’s as if we say
This is what I want, who I wish I could be
For my little ones it's a giraffe, a policeman and a kallah so pretty
But even adults, we sometimes wear masks
Throughout the year when we go about our daily tasks
We act as if, we pretend and we go on with our day
Even though we wish we were different, we wish we could change
Purim is a day when that mask can be removed
When we can look at ourselves and see how we want to improve
This day can be the beginning of a better you
Just like the Jews in Shushan who were keemu v'kiblu
They accepted the Torah with love in their hearts
And now you can do the same-it is in your power to start
To become the person you always wished you could be
So that next year, when you look back, you'll be proud of what you see
V'nahapoch hu-the miracle wasn't just the physical one
That the decree was revoked and over their enemies the Jews won
There was also a spiritual turnover-inside each and every Jew
They connected to the mitzvos with an excitement that was new
You can harness the power of this day and use it to change something
Becoming better as a person and growing closer to the King of Kings
So that this day will be more than Mishloach Manos giving
It will be used to enhance the way you are living.
So whether the mask you wear is revealing or concealing
May you be able to make those changes, for it is the best feeling
To look in the mirror and be proud of who you became
Knowing that from now on you will never be the same
By using this day to become a new and better you
May you be able to experience an internal v'nahapoch hu! 

Feel free to share this message with others. If you do pass on this poem, I'd appreciate if you left a comment or sent me an email. Thank you.

A freilichen Purim!

Nine Years

Nine years

Nine long years

Until she understood

Why

Until she was able to see

Why

Esther

Simple

Good

Pure

Esther

Was taken 

By force

To 

The king's palace

Of course

I will not be

Chosen

She thought

Of course

I'll go

Right back

Home

But

Surprise of surprises

She was

Chosen

Why?

She didn't understand 

Why?

Why would

A girl so good

A girl so pure

Be chosen for

This task

Did she ask?

Did she question?

Or did she accept

Without questions?

Was her faith

Also simple

Pure

And good

Just like she was?

She lived in the King's palace

For nine years

Nine long years

She didn't know why

She had to live with him

For so many years

She couldn't know why

Couldn't make sense

Of the senseless

So whether she questioned

Or accepted

Without questions

Whether her faith was super strong

Or she felt weak and uncertain at times

One thing remains.

Inside her heart

She didn't understand.

But when she was the one

To save the Jewish Nation

To bring about

The salvation

That's when

She was able to understand

Why

Why she was chosen

Why she had to live

In the King's palace

For so many years.

The confusion

The uncertainty

Turned into

Clarity

It was all crystal clear!

It all made sense!

There were no more questions.

Hashem had a plan

And now

She was able to

Understand.

We live our lives

And many times

We have questions.

We don't understand 

Why

Why things happen

Why we have to go through

Certain challenges

Why we have to live with

Certain things

Why we have to experience 

Tough stuff.

Sometimes

We get a glimpse

A peek

Into why

Sometimes

We can

Understand

Just a little bit

Of why

We see change

We see events

We see things

That could not have happened

Had we not

Gone through

Lived with

Experienced

Certain things

And sometimes

Sometimes

We just can't make sense of it

Sometimes

It just doesn't make sense

And we ask

(Or we think)

Why?

Why??

WHY??

We sigh

We cry

We try

To understand

And we can't

Understand

Hashem's plan

And we get frustrated 

But we must remember

That there IS a plan

There IS a reason

For every single thing

We go through

Every day

Every month

Every year.

Nine years

Is what it took

For Esther 

Queen Esther

To understand

The plan.

It may take us

Nine years

It may take more

And

We may never

Understand

While we are alive

But we must strive

To internalize

This emunah

This faith

That there is a reason

Even when we don't see it

Even when we can't get it

Hashem does

Hashem knows

Why

We have this exact

Life.

And

It is for 

Our ultimate benefit

Our ultimate good

Yes we should

Try 

To internalize

This

Message.

My bracha 

To you is

That you should be blessed with

Strength to pull through

When you can't understand

The power to believe

Really believe

When things don't make sense

The ability to connect

To daven

To seek out

To question

To come closer to

Hashem

When you feel

Confused

Alone

Unsure

Afraid

Just like Esther did

When she was

Confused

Alone

Unsure

And so terribly afraid

When the fate of

The entire Jewish People

Was in her hands

When she stood before the King

And directed her heart

To the King of Kings

With the words

Keili Keili 

Lama azavtani

She asked

She questioned

She expressed 

Her pain

To the Only One

Who has the answers.

May you be able to connect

In the same profound way

And may you be able to see

To know

To really understand

The reason for

Your experiences

I don't know 

How long it will take

But Esther

She waited 

Nine years

May you be able to persevere

Pull through

Your challenges

Your life

And come out

Stronger

As a person

As a Jew

Stronger

In your belief

That the King of Kings

Knows

What He is doing

And may you

Be able to look back

In Nine years

From now

(Or less)

With clarity

Crystal clear clarity

Understanding

Knowing

And believing

Why.

And if you still don't understand

And you still don't know

May you still believe

May you still be strong

In Nine years from now.