Purim Poem-A Mashal

Here is the Purim Poem I wrote to go along with my mishloach manos this year.

It's finally here-this exciting day,
Purim with all its simcha has come our way
How can we make the most of this time?
It can be explained with a mashal in this little rhyme.

There once was a man who saved the king,
And as a reward he was allowed to take anything,
By spending a day in the king's house full of treasures,
The riches he'd amass would sustain him forever.
But to distract him from filling his sacks with gold,
The king found out what the man loved most and was promptly told,
Music was his passion, so it was played throughout the day,
And it worked, the man spent his time listening to the musicians play,
Instead of collecting diamonds, rubies and precious stones,
And he left the king's palace with nary a piece of value to call his own.

The nimshal is clear: whenever we can achieve something great,
The satan works hard to distract us, he doesn't wait.
So on purim he keeps us focused on costumes and themes,
To make sure we forget the miraculous story and the lesson that it brings:
That in the zechus of the tefillos and the teshuva that we did,
Hashem spared us from destruction, each and every yid,
And the Jews of Shushan merited an incredible salvation,
And Purim became a day of joy and celebration.

Let's not fall for the Satan's trap and focus instead on what we can attain,
"כל הפושט יד נותנים לו," we have so much we can gain!
Just like we give tzeddakah without checking if the "pauper" is real or a fake,
Hashem doesn't check if we deserve good, it's in our hands to take,
Advantage of the opportunity to ask without holding back,
We are in the King's ultimate treasure house for a day-let's fill up our sack!
Because on Purim we have the power to achieve our own salvation,
For ourselves, our families and the entire Jewish Nation.

May we be able to utilitze this day that is saturated with power,
With tefillos from our hearts so brachos onto us Hashem will shower!
And let's remember to daven and bag for this galus to end,
When Moshiach ben David, Hashem will finally send!

Elul-A Message

Someone sent this to me and I wanted to pass on this beautiful message.

There is a fellow who owns a jewelry store in Israel. One day a nine year old girl walked into the store and said, “I am here to buy a bracelet.” She looked through the glass cases and pointed to a bracelet that was $3,000. The man behind the counter asked her, “You want to buy that bracelet?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Wow, you have very good taste. Who do you want to buy it for?”

“For my older sister.”

“Oh that is so nice!” the storekeeper replied. “Why do you want to buy your older sister this bracelet?”

“Because I don’t have a mother or father,” the little girl said, “and my older sister takes care of us. So we want to buy her a present, and I’m willing to pay for it.” She pulled out of her pocket a whole bunch of coins that totaled just under eight shekels, a little less than two dollars.

The fellow says, “Wow! That’s exactly what the bracelet costs!” While wrapping up the bracelet he said to the girl, “You write a card to your sister while I wrap the bracelet.” He finished wrapping the bracelet, wiped away his tears, and handed the little girl the bracelet.

A few hours later the older sister entered the store. “I’m terribly embarrassed,” she said. “My sister should not have come here. She shouldn’t have taken it without paying.”

“What are you talking about?” the storekeeper asked.

“What do you mean? This bracelet costs thousands of dollars. My little sister doesn’t have thousands of dollars – she doesn’t even have ten dollars! Obviously she didn’t pay for it.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong,” the storekeeper replied. “She paid me in full. She paid seven shekel, eighty agurot, and a broken heart. I want to tell you something. I am a widower. I lost my wife a number of years ago. People come into my store every single day. They come in and buy expensive pieces of jewelry, and all these people can afford it. When your sister walked in, for the first time in so very long since my wife had died, I once again felt what love means.”

He gave her the bracelet and wished her well.

During the High Holy Days, we come to the Almighty and we want to buy something very expensive. We want to buy life. But we cannot afford it. We don’t have enough money to pay for it. We don’t have the merits. So we come to the Almighty and we empty out our pockets, giving him whatever merits we have plus promises for the future. I’ll pick up the phone and call someone who is lonely, I will learn an extra five minutes of Torah, I will be kind and I will be scrupulous about not speaking lashon hara (gossip) for one hour a day.

The Almighty says, “You don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve felt what love means.” He sees how much we love Him and how much we yearn to improve, and He says, “You know what? You have touched my heart. Here it is, paid in full.”

(The story was told over by Rabbi Go’el Elkarif who said he heard it from the person to whom it happened.)

Waiting

I'm waiting for the train to come. It's cold out. I look at the people around me. Every few seconds, I see a couple of faces lean forward and take a peek.

They're checking to see if the train is a station away. Some may be hoping for a bit of relief from the cold, others may be in a rush to get to their destination. So they keep leaning forward, they keep looking.

Does checking for the train make it come any faster?

Of course not.

And the real ba'alei emunah may not even bother looking, knowing that the train will come when it is meant to come and they will arrive at their destination at the exact moment that Hashem wills it, and not a moment before.

But what about those who keep checking?

They are human. And they are looking for a way out of the cold, a relief from the waiting and hope to move on, to a better place.

Aren't many of us like that?

We're waiting, wishing and hoping to get to a better place.

I look around again. Some people are so busy with their phones, they don't mind the wait. Some are reading, perhaps a book or the newspaper. A rare few are coupled in pairs of twos or threes talking two each other, smiling and laughing.

What do we do while we wait?

Do we distract ourselves? Do we build relationships? Enrich lives? Make an impact on others? Learn? Grow? Connect?

There are many things in life we have to wait for. There are times the wait feels cold, harsh and almost unbearable. We look ahead, wish we can get a little peek into the future, just so we can know, so we can be sure, that our yeshuah will come.

No one can give promises. We don't know what the future will bring. But while we wait, we should try our utmost to live in the moment and take pleasure in the little things so we don't feel the frustration of waiting. We can try to learn, grow, connect, be inspired and be an inspiration to others. We can take the situation we are in and use it to grow, becoming better and stronger.

And all the while, we should daven to Hashem, never forgetting that He is the source of all salvation. Just like we may get frustrated with Him when things don't go our way, we should remember to turn to Him and ask Him to make things better, to make us better, to shorten the wait and to bring the yeshuah...And give us strength to pull through until we get there.

May you be able to become better and stronger while you wait, remain connected to Hashem, and be able to help other people pull through when they are the one looking and hoping for a salvation!

Yes, It's True!

By now, I think most (or all) of you have heard the very exciting news. But I can't let this go unpublished so I am finally sitting down to write the long awaited Mazel Tov post.

Yes, it's true! My older sister, Chaya Sara, is engaged!!

We davened, did every segulah in the book (literally!) and the time finally came.

So many thoughts come to my mind as I write this. I want to share some of them with you.

The simcha that this simcha has generated throughout our family and friends is unbelievable. The sheer joy, the excitement, the tears...the reaction of every person who found out...it was surreal. I personally have never cried tears of happiness before in my life, but when I picked up my phone to answer that "Is it really true?" question from someone who is very close to Chaya Sara, I was brought to tears. To tears of joy. The person on the other side said, "Ohmygosh, Chaya Sara bas Charna Raizel, I just took challah and said her name last night!" It touched me so deeply. So many people have been davening and doing things as a zechus for her, so many people never gave up on my sister. So many people knew that this day would come. They didn't stop davening. They didn't stop hoping. And now we can all share in this wondrous simcha together. Yes, it is true!

I got that question more than once the day she got engaged. "Is it true? Is Chaya Sara really engaged?!" My phone didn't stop ringing, beeping and buzzing. I almost felt like the kallah myself! It was incredible to feel the joy that everyone else felt, to share the excitement everyone had for my sister.

This simcha teaches us on the most personal level how every single tefillah a person davens is stored by Hashem. No tefillah ever goes to waste. If Hashem doesn't answer a prayer now, He may save that prayer for later. But every single tear a person sheds, every request he makes, every single cry he utters...every prayer that escapes his lips...is saved by Hashem.

And the Torah proves this to us.

In Parshas Vayeira, before Hashem destroyed Sedom, the passuk says, "hamechaseh ani me'Avraham asher ani oseh? V'Avraham hayo yihiyeh legoy gadol"-Hashem asked, "Can I hide from Avraham the fact that I will destroy Sedom?" And Avraham will surely be a great nation.

What is the connection between these two pesukim?

The Dubno Maggid explains this with a mashal.

An old man walked into a suit store and before he purchased a suit, he had the salesman measure him to make sure the suit would fit him perfectly. Another young man walked into the same store and without trying on anything, selected a few suits that he was going to buy. The old man walked over to the young man and asked, "I don't understand. How could you buy so many suits without trying them on to make sure they would fit? Isn't this an incredible waste of money?"
The young man answered, "I am still young. I am still growing. Whatever doesn't fit me now will fit me later. And if it will not fit me later, in the future, it will be good for my children. So no, my money is not going to waste. All these suits will be put to good use."

Now, I don't suggest that todays teenagers go shopping like this young man. Perhaps he wasn't concerned about the changing styles and the suits he was purchasing. But the nimshal of this story is clear.

Hashem knew before He told Avraham that He was going to destroy Sedom that Avraham's first reaction would be---Tefillah, he would daven. Hashem also knew that the tefillos Avraham would daven would not be answered for Sedom would be destroyed. So did these tefillos go to waste? What happened to all the bakashos Avraham made? And if Hashem didn't answer him, what was the point in telling him that He was about to destroy Sedom?

We see from here that every single tefillah a person davens is treasured and saved by Hashem. No tefillah goes to waste. Ever. Avraham davened for Sedom to be saved and Hashem took those special tefillos and saved them for his children...for the times when WE would need them.

This is the connection between the two pesukim. Hashem said, I cannot hide from Avraham that I am about to destroy Sedom. Avraham will surely be a great nation and the tefillos he davened for Sedom will be saved for his children. Just like the young man in the mashal who bought a lot of suits knew his money would be put to good use...because although some of the clothing he bought might not fit him, they would be saved for his children, Hashem knew that the tefillos Avraham davened would be put to good use, they would be saved for his children...for us.

And in my family, we lived to see this come true. All the tefillos, all the tears, all the bakashos, all the zechusim, davening at kevorim, at the candles on Friday night, from a siddur or from our hearts...every single tefillah we davened for Chaya Sara to find her zivug was treasured and saved by Hashem...and our tefillah was finally answered.

Hashem, thank you from the bottom of our collective hearts for letting all of us see and experience this awesome day. May the tefillos we davened for Chaya Sara and her chosson continue to enable them to live a beautiful and happy life, filled with peace, love, connection and may they build a warm and loving family together.

Yes, it is true!

Mazel Tov!!

The Fox and The Vineyard

I posted this before and want to share the message with you once again.

We are now in the month of Elul. This is a very important time in the hebrew calendar, a time of closeness and connection to Hashem. Think about how lucky you are to have an opportunity to come back to your Loving Father! He gives you so many chances to come close to Him and show Him that you really want to do the right thing-by thinking about what you have done and how you want to become better.

There's an amazing mashal I want to share with you.

A fox passed a vineyard full of delicious grapes and wanted to eat some of them. However, there was a fence enclosing the vineyard that blocked him from going in. He did notice that there was a small hole in the fence and if he would fast for three days, he would be able to squeeze in and eat the grapes. So that is what he did.

After three days, the fox was skinny enough to make his way through the hole. He feasted and enjoyed all the grapes in the vineyard and when he was ready to leave he realized that he would not be able to get out because he ate too much and gained too much weight! So once again, he fasted for three days and only then was he able to get out of the vineyard.

The fox then realized that he did not gain anything from the vineyard because he left the same way he had gone in. We have to ask ourselves the same question-will we leave the world the same way we went in or will we have things that have true value to take along with us. Elul is a time to ask ourselves these questions - what are we taking with us into the new year? What mitzvos and good deeds do we have to show for ourselves?

Each one of us is put into this world and there are so many temptations and things that look exciting - but we have to remember that we are in this world for a purpose, not just for the materialism and we need to focus on the things that last.

This past shabbos, I heard a continuation of this mashal.
There was a smart fox who watched what the first fox had done and said to himself, "I will not be a fool like this one." And here is what he did. After fasting three days so he could get through the hole in the fence, he ate and enjoyed the grapes. In the meantime, he threw a whole bunch of grapes over the fence so that when he gets out of the vineyard, he will have more grapes to eat. So even though he had to fast to get out, he thought ahead and saved for the future.

The woman who I heard this mashal from gave an interesting twist on the nimshal.
Elul is coming. It's a hard month but it is a very rich month. There is so much to gain from what comes after it-the yomim nora'im, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Succos. Some people are like the first fox and they leave the yomim tovim the same way they came in. The day after yom tov you wouldn't even know that they experienced such awesome days. However, if you want to be like the smart fox, you need to throw the grapes over the fence, you need to prepare properly and think ahead so that you will come out of these days enriched and a better person.

Elul is a very big month. There is so much to gain and so much to achieve. Now that we are entering such a crucial time in our calendar, it is up to us to use our time well and take advantage of the closeness we have with Hashem.

Let's think ahead so that we use each day to the fullest so that when we come out of Elul, we can say that we didn't just eat the grapes but we saved some for later - so that we can take the inspiration we get from Elul and the yomim tovim that come after it and come out a truly changed and better person!

In Style

I posted this once before and wanted to share it with you once again.

There are many challenges when it comes to dressing properly. I recently read this mashal and thought it would help those who are having a hard time choosing the right things to wear. I'm curious to hear what you think about this since it's a very touchy topic and sometimes girls are not given the proper hashkafos and direction about this special mitzvah of tznius.

Did you ever see little kids looking at their parents albums? They'll all be saying the same thing. Oh my! Look at those hairstyles, look at those clothes...That's SO odd! How could you ever wear such styles?

It's all in whose looking at it.

So now, try to picture the celestial judges looking at you in the album. Realize that those short skirts really don't look so cute anymore! The things that are so in style and trendy down here on this world are viewed in a whole different light in the next world!!

Does this change your perspective in any way? Do you think this thought can help you dress properly in the future?

A Pot of Murky Waters

Question of the Week:

I never used to work on myself. I didn't think I had to. I am a nice guy and always was. Only recently have I gotten involved in Judaism and become more introspective and spiritual. But a weird thing has happened. I don't think I am as nice as I used to be. I have discovered a temper I never knew I had. And I feel more tempted to do immoral things than ever before. This really started since I'm coming to shul more and learning more about my religion. Does this make sense? Shouldn't becoming more observant make me better not worse?

Answer:

There's good news and bad news. The bad news is, you were never a completely nice guy. No one is. The good news is, now you can do something about it. You can learn how by observing a pot on the fire.

Fill a pot with water from the tap and examine it. Does the water look clean? Of course it does, it is straight from the tap. Then put the pot on a fire, and watch it boil. Observe that as the water gets hotter, impurities start to float to the top. Sediment and dirt and all kinds of contaminants suddenly seem to appear from nowhere.

Of course they were there before, but they were so mixed in with the water that you didn't notice them. The water only looked clean. When put on a fire, the heat separates out the impurities and brings them to the surface. What seemed to be just an innocent pot of water turns out to be a mix of good stuff and not so good stuff.

Your personality is that pot of water. We can all look at ourselves and say, "I am a pretty good guy. I don't hurt anyone, I am not mean or cruel." For most of us, if we are not mass-murderers we think we are fine.

In truth, we all have darker sides to ourselves. We have weaknesses of character, bad attitudes and inappropriate urges that lurk beneath the surface. As long as we don't shake ourselves up, these impurities remain anonymous, blending in with our general identity. We are not so bad, and not so good.

It is only when we start to self-examine, when we probe into our inner workings and try to improve ourselves, only then do all the hidden gremlins start to emerge. When the fire of your soul starts to burn with spiritual passion, the ugliness that hid in the recesses of your heart appears in full force.

This is great. Because only when the impurities float to the surface can they be identified, isolated and removed. While the pot remained a mixture of pure water and sediment, there is no way to get rid of the dregs without losing the water. But once the heat separates out the two, it is easy to skim off the surface residue and the water is clear.

So the choice is yours. Live a life of mediocrity, a lukewarm pot of water that seems all nice but is really just mixed up. Or let the fire of your soul expose your inner weaknesses, so you can face them and boil them away.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Moss

You Can Fight Back!

To my star pupil,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely, and with great admiration I remain,

Your Yetzer Hara

The Fox and The Vineyard

I posted it last year and want to share the message with you once again.

Tonight is Rosh Chodesh Elul. We are about to enter a very important time in the hebrew calendar, a time of closeness and connection to Hashem. Think about how lucky you are to have an opportunity to come back to your Loving Father! He gives you so many chances to come close to Him and show Him that you really want to do the right thing-by thinking about what you have done and how you want to become better.

There's an amazing mashal I want to share with you.

A fox passed a vineyard full of delicious grapes and wanted to eat some of them. However, there was a fence enclosing the vineyard that blocked him from going in. He did notice that there was a small hole in the fence and if he would fast for three days, he would be able to squeeze in and eat the grapes. So that is what he did.

After three days, the fox was skinny enough to make his way through the hole. He feasted and enjoyed all the grapes in the vineyard and when he was ready to leave he realized that he would not be able to get out because he ate too much and gained too much weight! So once again, he fasted for three days and only then was he able to get out of the vineyard.

The fox then realized that he did not gain anything from the vineyard because he left the same way he had gone in. We have to ask ourselves the same question-will we leave the world the same way we went in or will we have things that have true value to take along with us. Elul is a time to ask ourselves these questions - what are we taking with us into the new year? What mitzvos and good deeds do we have to show for ourselves?

Each one of us is put into this world and there are so many temptations and things that look exciting - but we have to remember that we are in this world for a purpose, not just for the materialism and we need to focus on the things that last.

This past shabbos, I heard a continuation of this mashal.

There was a smart fox who watched what the first fox had done and said to himself, "I will not be a fool like this one." And here is what he did. After fasting three days so he could get through the hole in the fence, he ate and enjoyed the grapes. In the meantime, he threw a whole bunch of grapes over the fence so that when he gets out of the vineyard, he will have more grapes to eat. So even though he had to fast to get out, he thought ahead and saved for the future.

The woman who I heard this mashal from gave an interesting twist on the nimshal.

Elul is coming. It's a hard month but it is a very rich month. There is so much to gain from what comes after it-the yomim nora'im, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Succos. Some people are like the first fox and they leave the yomim tovim the same way they came in. The day after yom tov you wouldn't even know that they experienced such awesome days. However, if you want to be like the smart fox, you need to throw the grapes over the fence, you need to prepare properly and think ahead so that you will come out of these days enriched and a better person.

Elul is a very big month. There is so much to gain and so much to achieve. Now that we are entering such a crucial time in our calendar, it is up to us to use our time well and take advantage of the closeness we have with Hashem.

Let's think ahead so that we use each day to the fullest so that when we come out of Elul, we can say that we didn't just eat the grapes but we saved some for later - so that we can take the inspiration we get from Elul and the yomim tovim that come after it and come out a truly changed and better person!

Happy for Others

How is it possible to be happy for someone else when they experience a joyous time in their lives and you are left waiting and watching?

Such a situation comes up all the time - when someone gets a job and you are still looking for one, when someone gets into a school/seminary/college that you wanted to get into, when a friend gets engaged before you - it's a challenge many of us experience on some level.

It boils down to learning how to deal with disappointment on your end while at the same time being happy, really happy for your friend's good fortune.

The first thing to remind yourself, although you know this in your sleep, is that Hashem runs the world and He knows what is best for you. He does everything not just for a reason, but for a good reason! You don't know why He decided that it's best for your friend to get into that school, to get that job or to get that guy - all before you but He knows why it's best!

There's a mashal you may have heard about a tapestry - when someone is sewing it, if you look from the bottom, it looks like a big mess and you can't see or understand the beauty of the big picture. All you'll see are knots and a mixture of colorful strings hanging around. However, if you sit up on top, you'll get to see a beautiful picture with details you never would have imagined when looking from below.

I think the nimshal is pretty clear. When we are down here on this world, we don't understand the seemingly unclear, messy threads that are hanging from up above. But after 120 years, when I person goes up there, they can see with 100% clarity the beauty in the tapestry Hashem has sown!

Another thing to keep in mind is that someone else's good fortune will not in any way take away from the good you are going to have when your time comes. You will get to experience that joy and happiness when Hashem decides the time is right for you. Everyone has their time and everyone has their yeshuah that is going to come for them!

The job your friend got is perfect for her and even if you think you could have gotten it or would have gotten accepted if not for her, it's not true! If you would have gotten that job, it may not have worked out best for you - the traveling, the coworkers, the environment, your relationship with the boss, your schedule or whatever else it may be. Hashem has His plans and He has a reason why He made it that she got the job and not you. But this does not take away from your good and your chance - you will get something that's good for you! Just keep davening!!

That school/college/seminary was obviously not meant to work out for you because had you gone there, you would not be the person you are a few years later. You may have learned things differently or come out with different hashkafos had you gone there. You wouldn't have made the friends you have today had you gone there - because Hashem put you in this specific place (whether it's a school/college or seminary) so that you could get to know people who you can form relationships with that will be a benefit for you.

That guy your friend got engaged to is perfect for her. Even if it seems like he has some of the qualities you are looking for (which makes sense because friends tend to be similar so they may be looking for similar guys), he is her guy! There are little details and nuances of his personality and background that will make it work for the two of them to get married and it just wouldn't work out for you. Iy"h they will make a great couple together! Hashem has someone in mind for you and her simcha, her joy will not in any way take away from the joy you will experience when you get yours! In fact, it may be multiplied because of the things you have gone through to get to that point! When you wait for something and you finally get it, it's so much more precious and you appreciate it so much more!

Were you ever jealous of someone else's glasses prescription? Why not?

It's because this is something they need to be able to see better and if you wore their glasses, not only wouldn't it help you see more clearly, it may even cause you to bump into things because it's too strong or too weak for you. Your friend's glasses are made to fit her eyes so that when she puts them on in the morning, she can see with 20/20 vision. You don't need her glasses to see well! So of course there's no purpose in wanting them!

If only we were able to view life with such crystal clear vision, viewing other people's joys in true jealous-free lenses, the world would be a much happier place. May you always be able to feel real joy when you hear about other people's simchos and good fortune and may each of you be able to experience your own yeshuah soon!

And one more thing - don't stop davening! Thank Hashem for the goodness He bestowed upon your friends and keep asking Him to give you that which you have been davening for all this time!

Answers to our Tefillos

I wrote this a while ago and wanted to post it again for those who may not have read it and for those who want to reread it since we can always use a reminder...

We are now living in very difficult times. We all need personal yeshuos and refuos and it’s hard when we daven so hard and don’t see an answer.
First of all, we need to keep reminding ourselves who is in charge. No matter what situation we are in, we must keep remembering that no matter what, Hashem is in charge, He is running the show, He knows what is best for us and He can do anything at any time!! He can perform miracles - right in front of our eyes!
Just like He is the one who makes a person sick, He is the only one who can heal, not the doctors or anyone in the hospitals - only Hashem! He is the one who brings about every single shidduch, every single yeshuah and He runs the world!! And never underestimate the power of our tefillos.

Sometimes we daven for something and we don't see immediate results. In fact, this is not something that happens sometimes, it happens all the time! We daven and daven and beg and cry and we say to Hashem, "why?" or "when will you finally answer my tefillos?”
We expect that when we daven for something, since our tefillos are so powerful and pierce the heavens, we should get answered right away!
But this doesn't happen. It doesn't work that way.
R' Shimshon Pincus gives an amazing, down-to-earth mashal to explain this.
After you eat something very fattening, do you run to the mirror and say, "Ohmygosh! I gained weight!!"??
No! It doesn't work that way! It takes time!!!
Just like the second you eat, you will not see the extra pounds showing up when you look at your reflection in the mirror, you will not see immediate results as soon as you are done davening for someone or something - it takes time!!

When you daven for someone, your tefillah never goes to waste - if you don't see an answer, many times it's just that Hashem is saving the tefillah for another time when you least expect it, or didn't even deserve it, or didn't even daven for something - and then the yeshuah just "comes" and you wonder - "what did I do to deserve that?" It's because Hashem took out the tefillos that you davened that long time ago and uses it for a time when you need it most!!

Here’s a story I know personally that shows this point. When I was in elementary school, a girl in my grade had a family member that got sick with cancer. Everyone davened so hard for this girl’s sister. She was still young (just 19 years old) and had a whole life ahead of her. The family, the school, everyone was davening. And then…she passed away. It was so sad!

A few years later, Chaya Sara was walking with this girl’s sister (let’s name her Rivka, just for the story) and as they were crossing the street, a car turned in and hit Rivka. Her body went flying up and then fell down on the street with a thud. It was a very scary moment. Chaya Sara was totally fine, the car didn’t touch her, but the girl she was walking with was lying on the ground. Hatzalah was called and Rivka was brought to the hospital.

When her parents heard that their daughter was in a car accident, they thought, “We cannot lose another one!! Hashem, how much more do you think we can handle?! Please, please, do something to save us from any more pain!!”

Well, there was a real miracle. Rivka was brought to the emergency room and emerged without a scratch! She was totally fine!

Ask Chaya Sara if you want to know if this story really happened! She was there, walking with this girl when the accident happened!

So you see that sometimes, we may not see an answer to our tefillos right away, but Hashem saves those tefillos for when we least expect it and for when we need it most! The tefillos that everyone davened for Rivka’s sister were saved for her and she experienced a miracle!!

Let’s keep reminding ourselves that Hashem can do anything to anyone at anytime - He holds the power to heal, bring simcha and joy into our lives and He gives each person the strength they need to go thru life’s many difficult challenges.

You may want to read the comments on the original post - and for additional details of the story from Chaya Sara.

The Next World

The following question was emailed to me and I'm posting it here with permission from the one who asked.

Q: Is there a proof in the torah for techiyat hameisim and olam habah? Or is that the blind faith type of thing?

A: Everything in this world is a mirror or a mashal to the next world. There is something to learn from each thing that goes on in Olam Hazeh - this world that we can parallel to Olam Habah - the next world.

To answer your question, I want to tell you about a song called "Conversation in the Womb" which is based on a mashal (and I think a medrash or gemara but I'm not 100% sure the exact source) which shows that there is another world beyond the world we live in.

This conversation is between two unborn children (twins) in the womb of their mother. One is a pessimist and the other is an optimist. One believes that after living in the mother's womb, he will die and his life will be over. The other believes that there is a life, a beautiful, sunny, happy life beyond the life he knows right now. The first paragraph starts with the pessimist and the second switches to the optimist and so forth. Here are the words to the song:

My dear brother
Look around and tell me what your eyes behold
Don't deny that you see
It's only you and me
Our existence,
It is empty,
It is cold
Our existence,
It is empty,
It is cold

But dear brother
You must have faith that we are not the only ones
For in the distance there's a place
Where we'll stand up tall and straight
I believe there is a world to come
Yes, I believe that there is a world to come

My dear brother
Don't be blind,
Don't be stubborn,
Don't be set.
Imagination it's all right
But it won't light up the night
What you see is exactly what you get
Oh what you see is exactly what you get

But dear brother
You will surely find when all is said and done
That the future it will show
There is so much we don't know
Oh I believe that there is a world to come
Yes I believe that there is a world to come.

My dear brother
Where have you gone?
Is this the moment I have known?
I can faintly hear the cry
My dear brother must have died
It's all over now forever I'm alone
It's all over now forever I'm alone

But dear brother
Please don't mourn me when my life has just begun
For what you hear are sounds of joy
"Congratulations it's a boy"
Oh i believe that there is a world to come
Yes i believe that there is a world to come
Cuz what you hear are sounds of joy
"Congratulations it's a boy"
Soon you'll be here with me in this world to come
Soon you'll be here with me in this world to come.

So you see that birth is a mashal to the life we live. We only know the reality of our existence in this world and can't imagine anything different. But a time will come when we will live in Olam Habah and it will be a whole new incredible experience.

Hashem created the world and everything in it - there's a purpose and reason for our existence. He did so much to give us such a beautiful world. Do you think it's for nothing? That after this world where we work so hard, live full lives, do mitzvos, help others, connect to Hashem, learn Torah - and then what?!

The next world is the place where we will be rewarded for all the good we have done while we were alive in this world.

It says in Pirkei Avos (4:21), “HaOlam hazeh domeh li’prozdor bifei haOlam Habah; Haskein atzmacha baprozdor, k’dei she’tikaneis la’trakilin” - This world is but a hallway before the Next World; Prepare yourself in the corridor, in order to enter properly into the ballroom. Which means that this world is a place to prepare and get ready for the big event - the big party, the main place where all good things will happen! Let's use our time wisely!

Also, I recommend reading Beyond a Reasonable Doubt by Rabbi Shmuel Waldman. You sound like someone who is a thinker and who wants to know and understand more, which is so important! It's great to ask questions and feels so good when you get your answers. This book talks about many fundamentals of yiddishkeit and it will explain and answer many questions you may have. It is an excellent book that will give you the knowledge you want and help you understand things on a deeper level.

Cheese Blintz Forgeries

Someone sent this email to me - I think the message is great! Many people don't feel inspired by Judaism. Read on to see how this Rabbi answers the question.

Question of the Week:

Judaism doesn't do it for me. To be honest I don't understand what you see in it. I've been there done that, and it's not for me. What do you say to people like me who simply are not inspired by Judaism?

Answer:
You remind me of the story of the poor man's cheese blintzes.

A poor man was once walking the streets, feeling hungry, when he was struck by a delicious aroma. From out of the kitchen window of a huge mansion wafted the smells of a rich man's breakfast. Looking through the window, he watched carefully as the cook mixed the ingredients and prepared a pile of cheese blintzes. He had never seen or smelled anything so appetizing in his life.

He ran home and told his wife, "We must have some cheese blintzes for breakfast. They are delicious. Can you make me some? All we need is French pancake mix, milk and eggs, some butter to fry them in and cheese for the filling."

"Certainly my dear husband," the kind woman replied. "I will whip up the best cheese blintzes anyone ever tasted."

But when she looked into her pantry for the ingredients, she was greeted by empty shelves. An industrious and resourceful woman, she wasn't phased. "We will have to be a bit creative," she thought to herself. "I haven't got any French pancake mix, but a little potato flour should be just as good. We are a little low on milk. I'll just use water. Eggs.... I don't have any eggs, but I can throw in a few potatoes. We certainly can't afford butter for frying, but I have some old oil that I used last week, I am sure it can be used again. And cheese costs a fortune these days. We will have to settle for some mashed potatoes instead of cheese, that will be close enough."

In no time the delicious breakfast was ready, a pile of home made cheese blintzes. The good wife brought them before her excited and grateful husband, who eagerly bit into the first cheese blintz he had ever tasted in his life. After chewing for a while on the first blintz, his face turned from eager anticipation to bitter disappointment.

"I have to be honest," he said, "I don't really get what those rich people see in cheese blintzes. They really are nothing special...."

The Judaism you have tasted is about as authentic as those cheese blintzes. You may think you have been exposed to the Jewish way of life. After all, you sat through a year of bar mitzvah classes, crept into the back row of a synagogue on Yom Kippur every a year and even spent three months on a kibbutz in Israel when you were 19.

This is all very nice. But these are not the ingredients for a true Jewish experience.

If you have never racked your brain over a page of Talmud; if your soul has never been touched by the deeper meanings of the Torah; if you have never felt the embrace of a warm and spiritually committed community; if you have never experienced the peace and holiness of keeping a Shabbos fully and correctly, then you have never had a taste of real Judaism.

Enough of the cheap imitations. Go eat a genuine cheese blintz.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

To subscribe to emails such as these, send an email to rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au

Mistakes

The following two questions were submitted anonymously using the form on the right.

Q: How is a person supposed to deal with embarrassment with a mistake that person makes but cant stop and is constantly getting embarrassed by what they did every time that person mentions it or brings it up?

A: I'll repeat it the way I remember hearing from someone I look up to and respect. People tend to think that mistakes are a bad thing. But that's not true. Mistakes are only bad if you don't learn from them. Mistakes are actually good - if you take a lesson from whatever you did and use it to change or grow in the future or to make sure that specific situation doesn't happen again.

For example, if you were trying to bake a cake while you were on the phone with a friend and you skipped out one ingredient, you may not be happy with the results of that cake because your forgot to put in the sugar (!) but this was a mistake that you will make sure not to repeat. If you learn from this experience and decide not to talk on the phone again when you are baking because it disturbs your concentration and then your cake wont come out good, then that mistake is a good thing! You took a lesson from it and from now on, your cakes will come out delicious because you will be able to focus on what you are doing without getting distracted!

The first thing you need to do is see if you can take a practical lesson from whatever happened and make sure you can do something to be more careful in the future.

If a friend or family member keeps reminding you about the incident and that makes you embarrassed, try to talk it over with her. Tell her straight out: it makes me uncomfortable when you constantly bring up that mistake I made. I know I should have been more careful and I botched up the cake and we didn't have dessert for shabbos but next time I will make sure I am not distracted by other things and then it will work out perfectly!

It is very important to be able to communicate openly about how you feel about certain things to those who are close to you so that they do not hurt your feelings by reminding you about past mistakes.

I know the example I gave is a petty one but I hope you can apply it to the mistake you made and work it out in a way that makes both you and the one who reminds you about it happy at the end of the conversation.

If the mistake you made is something wrong morally, ethically or is a bad deed - an aveira, you need to go one step further. You will need to do teshuva - verbalize the aveira, sincerely feel bad about what you did, and take upon yourself to work on that action so that you don't do it again. Chaya Sara wrote a great post a while back called how to do teshuva.

And don't think teshuva is only for Elul, it can and should be done as close as possible to the time the aveira was done - this way you are showing Hashem that you really feel bad about what you did and you sincerely want to change for the better! And then when Elul comes around, you'll have less things to fix!

* * *

Q: How should we react when we find out that a parent made big mistakes?

A: Know that parents are also human beings. All people make mistakes. It says that there is no such thing as a person who never erred or who never sinned (I'm not sure about the exact wording but it's something like Ein tzaddik ba'aretz asher ya'aseh tov v'lo yecheteh.)
Your parents are normal - and just like everyone else in the world they made a mistake.

Depending on what happened next and the effect of their mistake, you may want to find a way to speak to them respectfully about it or get someone to be a go-between to help find a way to fix it.

I don't know what you mean by big mistakes so I can't say much more.

The only thing I have to add is that whatever the thing is that your parent did that looks wrong in your eyes should not diminish your respect for them. You may not know their full thought process behind what they did, they may have expected different results based on the decision they made, but know that parents always want to do whatever is best for their children - and THAT is enough of a reason to continue to love and respect them.
Their emotions may get in the way of their decisions, they may have done something you view as wrong but you cannot know everything they were thinking when they did whatever they did.

Continue appreciating all the good things your parents do for you and most importantly, remember that they are human beings too and you cannot expect perfection from anyone.

I hope this helps both of you. I would really appreciate if the person/people who asked these two questions would comment and let me know if this helped you and if you still have any thoughts or questions about what I wrote.

Leaving Mitzraim - Beyond Logic

A very special someone went to a shiur by Rebbetzin Fink and highlighted two important and inspiring thoughts to share with all of you.

Do you ever wonder why 80 percent of Bnei Yisrael didn't want to go out of Mitzraim?
How many of us think that we would belong to the 20 percent that left Mitzraim? Don't we all think we would?

The Rambam says: What was so hard about leaving Mitzraim? It's like trying to convince an unborn baby to come into the world. Try to have a dialogue with an unborn baby. You say- "Come out into the world, You'll be able to do so many mitzvos and ma'asim tovim. There is so much you can do!" So the baby says "What's it gonna be like?" And you say " As soon as you come into this world, your lungs will be inflated and you will come out of the water." So the baby says "I would love to come into the world and do many mitzvos, but you are not realistic! You have to be reasonable! For me to survive, My lungs have to be completely deflated and I have to be submerged in water. So how do you expect me come out?" So you say " I know! The way you are now, this is what you need, but as soon as you come out to the world, things will be different! Whatever is fatal to you inside of the mother is vital to you outside the mother and vise versa!" So would anyone of YOU be convinced by such a logical argument???

Well, that's how much Bitachon it took for Klall Yisrael to be convinced to leave Mitzraim. They thought- realistically what will we live on?? So the answer would be, "Don't worry, if you follow HK"BH, You won't have to worry about those things." So 80 percent were very realistic.

The Torah is given to people who are unrealistic, because Torah is lemalah miderech hatevah. Klall Yisrael had in them the potential to live like that but it only emerged once they came out of Mitzraim. That's when the potential would be actualized! Yitzias Mitzraim-was to take them out to be their own independent self! When they were in Mitzraim, they were not independent!

To another person, it doesn't make sense to do certain things, to believe in Hashem and to trust Him! Certain aspects of bitachon are where the logic ends and the heart kicks in. We do not only follow Hashem when it makes sense to us, but also when we don't understand how things will work out, where the money will come from, where the shidduch will come from, how we will get a job, how we will make peace between two angry parties, where will that persons refuah come from when s/he is so sick...but when a person trusts in Hashem they KNOW that He can make things happen even if it looks like there is no hope! It does not make logical sense for certain things to happen but a person who has full, true emunah knows that Hashem is our loving Father and He can do anything!!

Another point about Pesach that I heard is that when you look at the Halochos of the Seder, there is a basic theme that runs through the whole seder, and that is that we have to be K'bnei Meluchim- you have to act like you are children of the king!

All people in general, are slaves to their desires. What is a melech? Who can consider themself a king?
A king is someone who knows how to control their desires.That is really a king! Not just to sit like a king, dress like a king, and having a table set for a king, but it is being able to have control over the 3 basic areas in your life.

The word MELECH stands for: 1. MEM stands for: Moach- (mind) 2. LAMED stands for: Lev- (heart) 3. CHAF stands for: Kavaid (Tayva-desire)
Having control over these 3 things, makes the person into a melech! But that is only if you put the Mem first. Because if you put the Mem last, that makes up KLUM- which means nothing! The idea of the lel seder is to be able to actualize the potential of being a melech- having the Moach first, and having that mind control the lev and the kavaid -to have control over your thoughts, feelings and physical desires.

So we all want to be like a melech and the more we act like a melech, the more we show that Hashem is Melech!

Purim-Pierce the Heavens!!

Purim is a huge day of tefillah. It says about Purim kol haposhet yad nosnim lo, whoever extends their hand is given to. This phrase is used to express how careful we should be when someone asks us for tzeddakah on Purim day but it is also reminding us all how powerful this day is for our tefillos to be answered.

If you ask, Hashem will hear. And if you think He didn't answer you last year, don't be mistaken. Your tefillos are going somewhere.

I heard a mashal that compares it to a freezer. Sometimes, the time is not right for that specific tefillah to be answered. So Hashem saves the tefillah - he puts it in the freezer and then when the time IS right (and only Hashem knows when that is), He will take it out and "defrost" it for you and your yeshuah will come!!

I have a request to make from all the readers of this blog. My sister, Chaya Sara, coauthor of this blog is b"h 30 years old. It's a bracha that she is alive, happy and accomplishing so much with her life. B"h she helps many teens at risk, she speaks to parents and teens alike, helping them along this bumpy road we all called life. She inspires everyone wherever she goes. She speaks for school functions at Shabbatons, Chagigas and other gatherings.

She is still waiting to get married. My heart goes out for her and wishes so strongly for her to find her other half.

Do you want to be part of this mitzvah? I want to organize something on Purim day - so that we can utilize the power of this day to pierce the heavens and beg Hashem for her to experience her own personal miracle of Purim.

I want to try to have the entire tehillim completed on the day of Purim by all the readers of this blog - as a zechus for her. There are a lot of followers and people who read this in google reader so I'm hoping that I can organize it between all the readers of this blog.

Do you want to join? Leave a comment or send me an email at inspirationalinformation1 [at] gmail [dot] com letting me know how many perakim you are able to say (and if you have a preference of a specific few perakim) and I will let you know which ones to say.

If you want to have her in mind in your daily tefillos, her name is Chaya Sara bas Charna Raizel.

Thank you!

In Style

There are many challenges when it comes to dressing properly. I recently read this mashal and thought it would help those who are having a hard time choosing the right things to wear. I'm curious to hear what you think about this since it's a very touchy topic and sometimes girls are not given the proper hashkafos and direction about this special mitzvah of tznius.

Did you ever see little kids looking at their parents albums? They'll all be saying the same thing. Oh my! Look at those hairstyles, look at those clothes...That's SO odd! How could you ever wear such styles?

It's all in whose looking at it.

So now, try to picture the celestial judges looking at you in the album. Realize that those short skirts really don't look so cute anymore! The things that are so in style and trendy down here on this world are viewed in a whole different light in the next world!!

Does this change your perspective in any way? Do you think this thought can help you dress properly in the future?

Two Messengers - A Mashal

The Chofetz Chaim provides an astonishing mashal which we can and must each learn from.

A man of great wealth sent two different representatives to purchase precious stones for him to a far away land. To one, he gave 1,000 gold coins, and to the other he gave 100 gold coins. Both were sizable sums, but the greater amount was entrusted with the more responsible sh’liach.

The representatives went on their way together, proud of their assignment and determined to do well. Their spark and ambition began to give way towards their own personal needs, and they realized that they could ‘live a little’ by spending just a little bit of the money with which they had been entrusted. After all, they would be certainly be able to easily make up the money spent with some wise purchases at the end of their destination and they needed to take care of themselves today.

It wasn’t very long before the 1,000 gold coins became 200 in the hands of the first agent, and the 100 dwindled to 40 in the hands of the other. Both began to get a bit nervous, and their jitters suddenly exploded into a reciprocal ranting.

The more entrusted one yelled: “How can you compare yourself to me?! You have only 40 gold coins to your entire name and I have five times as much!!"

To which the lesser agent responded: “What an incredible fool you are! What are you boasting about! Those 200 gold coins are not yours, you are only a sh’liach who has been entrusted with the money to bring back gems. In fact, you are much, much poorer than me, for I spent 60 coins of our sender’s money but you squandered and owe him a whopping 800!! You are going to have a lot more of explaining to do! I don’t envy at all the shame and disgrace that you will face and the heavy price you are going to have to pay for your enormous derogation of responsibility!”

---

The nimshal is stark and clear. We here in this world are all sh’luchim, agents of Hashem from the higher worlds, entrusted with a mission to rectify and cleanse our souls - each in accordance with the level of wisdom and responsibility which Hashem has placed within us.

It would be ridiculous for a person to consider himself superior to his friend, or in any matter be haughty - for his wisdom, wealth or talent is not his - but was given to him for a special and dedicated purpose - his unique and singular mission in life.

A person must exercise great care to fulfill that mission with that which he has been equipped - for if one acts responsibly, it is truly a real and attainable goal. Along the route, one must be especially careful not to allow himself to be sidetracked with the wiles and guile of the Yetzer Hora-allowing this indulgence after that desire, this hankering after that immoderation - none of which disappear after ‘their use’ but instead continuously pile up into what can mount into an embarrassing and unexplainable heap and mess.

One must most certainly appreciate the hours that he has each day for Torah and Tefillah and not allow them to be squandered, unaccounted for, or spent away rather than serving their purpose. Each day, and the precious hours that it is comprised of, can go far in taking those gold coins one has received and fulfilling their entrusted mission - practically, meaningfully and successfully!

What an important message!

Taken from a recent Hakhel post.