Real Success-Purim 2020

Purim is here, we feel it in the air,

It is a time of festivities as we are aware,

So as I like to do year after year

I’ll explain a deeper message and with you I will share.

On Purim we dress up in costumes and masks,

We hide our true selves for people to guess and ask,

It's part of the fun but there's something more,

There's a deeper aspect here that we can explore.

When we cover our faces on the outside,

We are allowing the external to hide,

And then we can focus on what's in our souls,

The inner part of us that it's special and whole.

The world we live in measures success,

By what can be seen by the eyes and how it's expressed,

A big house, lots of money or letters after one's name,

Are some things that show someone "made it" in this fake game.

But the Torah tells us true success is seen by,

The struggles we overcome that are hidden from the public eye

Changing our habits and improving our character traits,

Like overcoming negativity, laziness or anger make us truly great.

These internal successes don't get awards and aren't seen,

But that's exactly what counts in the greater scheme,

So on Purim we hide our face behind the mask,

As we challenge ourselves with this most difficult task.

Of focusing on fixing what's inside our hearts,

This day of Purim is the best time to start,

Because by removing the emphasis from success seen by all,

We can overcome internal struggles every time we fall.

Let's remember that the Torah values our efforts when we try,

And with Hashem's help we'll be able to soar and fly!

Let's all remove our masks and zoom in on what's inside,

And may we be proud of the perfected character we will find!

So c'mon, let's celebrate our internal successes that are true and real, 

So deep, inner happiness we will be able to feel! 

A Freilichen Purim!

Instant Insight Purim Poem

A Purim Instant Insights by Rabbi Feigenbaum

Since after Shabbos it will be Purim day,
A Dvar Torah on the Megilla is appropriate to say.
I know everyone likes it under two minutes for no one has time,
But please bear with me as we offer this Vort in rhyme.

It’s not my thought – though it is an aynfal,
I saw it in the sefer of Rav Galinsky zatzal.
It’s on Megilas Esther, Perek Vav Posuk Yud Beis,
Let me read it to you, so you know what the text says.

After leading Mordechai through the streets, poor Haman embarrassed to the core,
It was avel v’chafoi rosh that he entered through home door.
Avel means mourning, and chafoi rosh means garbage on his head,
The famous Medrash here teaches us what’s really being said.

As any school child knows, Haman’s daughter looked out the window with glee,
And took a pail of garbage to throw on the big loser she did see.
For it must be her father high up there on the horse,
And the poor fellow who is leading – oh that must be that rasha Mordechai of course!

So with a l’sheim yichud and great kavanah she picked up the pail,
Aimed it very carefully so this great mitzvah would not fail.
Down went that garbage - a perfect hit, a bullseye!
But then she looked a little closer and she gave out a sigh.

“Oh no what a mistake! It can’t be! That was not the plan!
I garbaged the head of my father – I hit the wrong man!”
But when garbage is thrown, it cannot magically come back up and rise,
So she jumped out of the window, and that was her demise.

Thus Haman was an avel, mourning for the daughter he’ll never again see,
And came home with garbage on his head, and now must leave for the Queen’s party.
Asks Rav Galinsky – this Medrash is entertaining,
But Chazal only teach us information if there’s some lesson we’ll be gaining.

Says Rav Galinsky – there is a lesson here for every member of our nation,
Like Haman’s daughter, we also judge others without sufficient information.
Oh we assume we know it all, we’ve heard, we read, we did see,
It’s right there on that blog, it was my best friend who told me!

Well, before you take that garbage and on another person’s head you do dump,
You better check it out carefully, or you might be the one who must jump.
Learn from Haman’s daughter – things are not always what they appear to be,
Dan l’kaf zechus your fellow Yid – don’t be so quick to judge what you see.

And just because someone has a blog, or knows how to post comments on the net,
Does not mean that by reading them, Olam Haba you will get.
Garbage that is thrown on another, makes a mess and makes a smell,
And cannot be taken back, and causes the one who threw it to end up in…. well --

 Like Haman’s daughter, who came to a sad and swift end.
But there is a way that sinas chinam in Klall Yisrael we can mend,
We can create achdus – we can all agree to disagree,
And just talk about the issues, and not about the others personality.

So if you have this great urge to forward, to post and to send,
Maybe pass on this poem – and sinas chinam we can end!

A Freilechen Purim!

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Purim Poem-Lottery

Here's my Purim Poem for this year. Enjoy the message!

Purim is here, a day of happiness and fun for all,

We dress up in costumes whether big or small.

Yet there is a deeper message in this special day,

About connecting to Hashem in a truly meaningful way.

The name פורים comes from פור, which means raffle or lottery,

And that is a random selection, that’s what it seems to be.

But the תורה tells us that a raffle is an expression

Of what Hashem wants to tell us, it’s His specific instruction.

The two goats on יום כיפור as well as dividing ארץ ישרא-ל among the tribes,

Were done byגורל  to see what were Hashem’s true vibes!

And whenיונה  was in the boat that was twisting and turning,

Lots were cast to see who was at fault for all that churning.

So the message we can take is that things that seem random,

Are all part of the bigger picture of details working in tandem!

And on Purim we are supposed to look for Hashem in everyday things,

And appreciate the many gifts we have from the King of all kings.

When we go shopping and there is more than enough at the store,

We should know that Hashem set aside one for us and there’s extra, there’s more!

It’s only when there’s just one left of the very thing we need,

That we take the time to thank Him, oh yes indeed.

We learn this from when רבקה metיצחק  for the very first time,

And if we look closely, we’ll see the תורה records a very curious line.

ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה –The walk was in גן עדן, a very holy place,

And then ותפל מעל הגמל-Rivka fell off the camel and covered her face.

The reason she fell was because she saw him walking-yes-upside down,

His feet were in the air and his hands were on the ground!

Why was he walking in such an unusual way?

Because He represented finding Hashem in the earthly, regular and everyday.

So on Purim, it’s thisונהפוך הוא , an unusual way to connect,

We thank Hashem for the “random” bounty with which we are blessed!

He hides Himself in the plenty so it takes effort to notice and see,

That the things He gives us are a gift for each of us individually!

This is the message from the name פורים which means lottery,

That nothing is random, it’s just that Hashem is hidden, we cannot see

And on this day we should look out and try to find Him in the regular things

So we can connect with gratitude and happiness to the King of all kings!

A Freilichen Purim!

Taanis Esther

Many people say perek chaf bais, 22, today. As she approached Achashveirosh after 3 days of fasting, Esther said these words, "Keili keili lama azavtani." She turned to Hashem when she felt abandoned and asked, "Hashem...why did you leave me?" Instead of turning away from Hashem, she turned TO Him.

When you feel abandoned or hurt by someone you used to be close to, instead of turning away from them, turn to them. Speak to them. Try to understand why they are acting this way. Maybe there's something going on inside of them that will explain their behavior. Opening up a dialogue gives you the opportunity to fix the relationship and restore peace.

May we be able to maintain peaceful relationships always!

Hamantashen and Triangles

I know Purim has passed and our minds are busy with Pesach and the preparations that go along with it. Yet I still want to share one inspiring message while the taste of the sweetness of Purim still lingers.

On Purim, we eat hamantashen.

Why?

Look at the shape of this cookie. It is shaped like a triangle-the same shape as one of the nekudos, a סגל. We see this root word in one of the names given to the Jewish People. We are called the עם סגולה. 

What is the significance to all this?

If you look at the סגל, you will notice that any way you turn it, it will keep its shape. The same is true of the hamantash and triangle. It doesn’t change its shape when you twist it, twirl it or flip it.

The same is true of every Jewish person. No matter what a person does, no matter which way they turn, they will always remain a part of the עם סגולה. There is nothing a person can do-no sin, no act, no thought and no belief that can change the fact that they are a part of the Chosen Nation, the עם סגולה. 

So no matter which way life takes you, remember this. Remember this on all the twists and turns of life. Remember this forever.

You will always be a part of our Chosen Nation.

That is the secret behind the hamantash.

And that is what bothered Haman so much about us to the point that he wanted to kill us. We are an עם מפוזר ומפורד בין העמים. We are scattered, far-flung and widespread and yet at the same time, ודתיהם שונות-we have different customs. We don’t do what the goyim do. We are different.

How?

Because we are an עם סגולה. And by always remembering that we are part of the Chosen Nation, we can keep our identity strong no matter which direction life takes us.

May we always be able to keep our identity strong and remain proud of who we are.

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!

Purim Poem-Costumes

Here is the poem I sent along with my mishloach manos this year. 
Enjoy!

Why do we dress up on פורים, is a question I was asked,
And so I set out to find a deeper answer, I was ready for this task,
After some research I found in R’ Binyomin Eisenberger’s name,
(בשם אומרו I quote him just as מרדכי did the same)
Going all the way back to יוסף הצדיק who was focused on how he did appear,
Fixing his hair, beautifying his eyes, the contrast is unclear.
How could he have been a צדיק if he was busy with the outside?
It’s because his inner holiness he did not show-his greatness he did hide.
His colorful coat, the כסונת פסים was clothing that concealed,
All he had inside of him, to the public this was not revealed.
Like his mother רחל who had the מידה of שתיקה-secrecy,
Who didn’t reveal to יעקב that lavan would switch לאה with trickery,
This מידה was passed down to רחל’s children, first Yosef and later אסתר too,
Who kept her identity hidden and didn’t reveal that she was a Jew.
She lived in a secular environment, yet she remained pure,
It may not have been obvious on the outside but of this we are sure.
She wasn’t fooled when she stood with fear before אחשורוש the king
She knew Who really had the power, it was the King of Kings.
She davened to Hashem, begging and pleading on behalf of her nation,
She knew He was the only One to rely on for their salvation.
This shows she stayed connected on the inside even in the palace far from home,
Just as her ancestor יוסף who educated his children in מצרים where they had grown.
They kept their קדושה  intact, no matter in which גלות they were found,
And our job as Jews is to follow them, to their legacy we are bound.
So on פורים we dress up, our costumes serve to hide,
Its’ purpose is to cover up whatever is going on inside.
So how does what is hidden become visible for all to see?
It’s another מצוה of the day that reveals with clarity,
נכנס יין יצא סוד it’s the wine that brings out our core
Our essence comes to light when we are not in full control anymore.
But there must be something of value inside for it to be brought out,
When we cultivate our נשמה, we can see without a doubt,
That what’s inside is beautiful, it’s holy and it’s real,
We hide ourselves in clothing and our inner selves reveal.
That’s the purpose of drinking on this day so great,
We want to expose what’s real and true, what we appreciate.
So as you enjoy your פורים with costumes, drinks and fun  
Remember it’s what’s inside that counts once the day is done.
May you be able to be like our ancestors who in גלות stayed so strong,
Until the day when all of us will sing the ultimate song.
May the day come when Hashem will finally hear our call,
And then His hidden essence will be revealed to one and all!

א פרייליכען פורים!

Please note, if you found this poem and would like to share it with others or use it for yourself, I would appreciate if you can email me or leave a comment to let me know.

Hamantashen

On Purim, we eat hamantashen.

Why?

Look at the shape of this cookie. It is shaped like a triangle-the same shape as one of the nekudos, a סגל. We see this root word in one of the names given to the Jewish People. We are called the עם סגולה. 

What is the significance to all this?

If you look at the סגל, you will notice that any way you turn it, it will keep its shape. The same is true of the hamantash and triangle. It doesn’t change its shape when you twist it, twirl it or flip it.

The same is true of every Jewish person. No matter what a person does, no matter which way they turn, they will always remain a part of the עם סגולה.  There is nothing a person can do-no sin, no act, no thought and no belief that can change the fact that they are a part of the Chosen Nation, the עם סגולה. 

So no matter which way life takes you, remember this. Remember this on all the twists and turns of life. Remember this forever.

You will always be a part of our Chosen Nation.

That is the secret behind the hamantash.

And that is what bothered Haman so much about us to the point that he wanted to kill us. We are anעם מפוזר ומפורד בין העמים. We are scattered, far-flung and widespread and yet at the same time, ודתיהם שונות -we have different customs. We don’t do what the goyim do. We are different.

How?

Because we are an עם סגולה. And by always remembering that we are part of the Chosen Nation, we can keep our identity strong no matter which direction life takes us.

May you be able to stay strong and stay true to the Nation you belong to throughout all the twists and turns of life.

Happy Purim!

Purim Poem

Here is the poem I sent along with my mishloach manos this year. Enjoy!

Purim is here, a day full of fun
A day of happiness for everyone
The megillah is read for all to hear
Then gifts to the poor and goodies to share
There is so much meaning to the mitzvos we do on this day
It’s about finding Hashem in nature in a deeper way
Everything we have is like a personal gift from Hashem
From our health to our family and everything between them
It’s sometimes hard to notice that it’s special for you
When everyone around you has the same gifts too
So on Purim when the megillah is read
Hashem is migaleh, He is revealed from beginning to end
Even though His name is not mentioned at all
We can find Him when we see Haman’s downfall
Just like Esther didn’t understand why she had to be married to the king
It was only later when she saved the Jewish Nation that she understood everything
So too in our own lives, we may not always see Hashem’s hand
But we must internalize this emunah that He has a good plan
So after reading the megillah, our hearts overflow
With love for Hakadosh Baruch Hu for now we know
That whatever may appear to be bad in our eyes
Is really for the good, Hashem is just disguised
Now we want to give back to Hashem but how can we
Give anything to the King of all kings who created you and me?
Instead we give His children two types of gifts on this day
Matanos Li’evyonim is filling their needs and it’s as if we say
Hashem, I’m taking care of your children and since I am your child too
Please continue to take care of me, giving me all I need from you
Then Mishloach Manos-we give to people who don’t need anything
It is an expression of our relationship and closeness it does bring
So too Hashem gives each of us things we need because we lack
But He gives us so many extras, more than just the clothing on our backs
This shows that He loves us because we are His children so dear
He takes care of us and gives us so much bounty, every day every year
So on this Purim day, let’s realize that we show our appreciation
To Hashem for all the good by giving gifts to His Chosen Nation
And may this Purim be the year
When the “whys” of our life all disappear
And all is revealed and it’s finally clear!

A Freilichen Purim!

(If you are looking for a Purim poem and came across this one and want to use it, please email me or leave a comment here. Thank you!)

Davening For Others

Although Purim is over, we can continue to take messages from this special time throughout the month of Adar...and beyond. I want to share one powerful lesson right from Megillas Esther with you.

Before Queen Esther went to face Achashveirosh, she told Mordechai she would be fasting and asked him to have the Jews fast and daven too. She had not been called by the king in 30 days and feared for her life. If he would not stick out his royal scepter in favor of his queen, she'd be put to death. It was terrifying.

At the same time, the Jews also had the threat of death hanging over their heads. As per Haman's decree, all Jews were to be killed on the fourteenth day of Adar. One reason for this terrible gezaira was because the Jews ate at the party of Achashveirosh. To be mechaper for this aveirah of eating and drinking, the Jews did not eat or drink for three days and nights. They were allowed to do other things that are forbidden on some fasts, like smearing creams and lotions because that was not part of their original sin. When they fasted and davened, they did teshuva and returned to Hashem with all their hearts, accepting the Torah upon themselves with love.

It is interesting that when Esther sent the message to Mordechai to have everyone fast, the words used are, "tzumu alay"-fast for me. Why did she say "for me"? 

We know, "hamispalel b'ad chaveiro..." if someone davens for someone else and they need the same thing, they are answered first. Why? How does this work?

In shamayim, they are so used to hearing people daven for things they need. When someone davens for another person, it makes a huge impact Up There.

When you daven for a friend, it's because you are in pain that they are having it hard. When Hashem sees that u care so much about someone else, to the extent that their pain becomes yours, that you take the time to daven for them, He looks at you and says, what about what YOU are going thru? I'm going to give you, the one davening, a yeshuah. 

Esther's message to the Mordechai was, if the Jews daven for me that I shouldn't die when I go to Achashveirosh and they are supposed to die, Hashem will save them from the decree of death! By focusing on Esther's pain and fears when they too are experiencing pain and don't know if they will live or die, Hashem will look down at them and remove the terrible gezaira from all of them.

Why do we daven for others? Because we want to have our own tefillos answered or because we genuinely care?

Why do we give tzeddakah? So that we should get the shidduch/job/yeshuah we're waiting for within a specified amount of time or because we want to become givers?

We (should) daven for others because we really care about what they are going through. We (should) give tzeddakah because we want to become more sensitive and more giving to others...not so we can get the yeshuah we are waiting for within a certain time frame.

May we be able to do good things for the right reasons, davening for others and watching those tefillos (and our own) get answered, becoming more sensitive and caring human beings.

Isn't that what life's about?