ASAP
THE REMEDY FOR EVERYTHING
Ever wonder about the abbreviation ASAP?
Generally we think of it in terms of hurry and stress in our lives. Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal with those rough days along the way.
There’s work to do, deadlines to meet;
You’ve got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry
ASAP- Always Say A Prayer
In the midst of family chaos,
Quality time is rare.
Do your best;
Let Hashem to the rest
ASAP- Always Say A Prayer
It may seem like you worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather
ASAP- Always Say A Prayer
Hashem knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And he’ll respond to all your needs
ASAP- Always Say A Prayer
Let's remember that tefillah is not just about davening to Hashem when you have your siddur open in front of you. You can talk to Hashem in any language, at any time of day - He is always available and listening to you! So this poem is really great and on target because you can Always Say A Prayer - at any time, night or day because Hashem is there to listen!! How cool is that?!
Just tell Hashem what is on your mind, speak to Him the way you speak to your friend, talk to Him at any time, on your way to school/work/shopping...wherever you are, Hashem is listening to you at every moment! So why not take advantage and speak to Him from your heart?! Tell Him what you are thinking and most of all, don't forget to say, "Thank you Hashem" for all the great things He does for you!!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
My Brother's Yartzeit Part 3 - After the Yartzeit
Last Friday, we went to my brother's kever to daven and say tehillim. When I went to the cemetery, so many thoughts that came to my mind. One of the things I thought about this time (and probably every time I went to his kever) is that after a person dies, all that matters is who they are, who they became and what they did with the time they had in this world. Nothing else matters!! Not money, not looks, not brains, not personality, not the job they had...unless they used the gifts Hashem gave them to help others! When I looked at my brother's matzeiva, I read the beautiful things that it says about him and I reminded myself that these are the things that really matters in life. It is important for each of us to remind ourselves that the only things that go with a person after they die is the good things they did!!
This past shabbos, my family got together for my brother's yartzeit. We ate the shabbos meals together and spoke about the many different memories we have of my brother. We laughed about the cute things he did and thought about the special things he did.
Here are some more stories...
Once, my cousin, who was in Bais Yaakov seminary at the time, was walking down the street and it started to rain. She did not have an umbrella on her and continued walking when suddenly, she realized that she was not getting wet anymore, even though it was still raining outside. She looked up and she saw my brother, Shalom, holding an umbrella above her head without saying a word. You see, this was his girl cousin and he was chassidish so he wouldn't have a whole conversation with her in middle of the street! But he knew from his many sisters what it means to a girl when it's raining outside and their hair gets wet and frizzy!! So in his own quiet way, he did what he knew he should do - and continued to walk my cousin all the way to her destination - without saying one word!
We remembered the time when my sister, Baila, was babysitting and forgot her CPR book and really needed it to do some studying for the next day. No problem! Shalom biked over with it in no time! But not only that, he knew that Baila likes those Smackin' Good potato knishes. So he warmed one up in the microwave and brought it over to her along with her CPR book.
When he was younger, he used to bike over to my married sister's house on erev shabbos and bring over homemade challah, kugel, fish and all the other goodies my mother set up...My older sister commented that he was always dressed and ready for shabbos when he came to drop off the food. That means that he never had to rush into shabbos...let's try to follow in his ways!!
It's really not possible to put all 15+ years of my brother's life down on paper. I just gave you a little glimpse of the greatness of this quiet, unassuming boy. And there are some things he did that we will never know about. That's just the way he was. He did whatever he could in the quietest way possible. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself. He didn’t want people to praise him for all the good he did. But I am sure that in the next world, the world of truth, my brother is getting all the praises showered upon him. He is getting unlimited reward for the everlasting impact he left on his family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances.
And remember, my brother cannot do ONE mitzvah now! We are the only ones who can do mitzvos for him and that way his neshama can soar higher and higher. If you take one thing upon yourself, even for one day, l'ilui nishmas my brother, it will give me and my family tremendous nechama.
Please feel free to pass this message on to anyone who will gain and be inspired from all the incredible, yet small things my brother did. He truly used every minute to the fullest by filling each moment with mitzvos which are eternal! He knew and understood that the only thing that goes with a person after leaving this world is Torah and mitzvos.
Now he is smiling and he is happy to be able to get schar for all the mitzvos he did in this world! He is so close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and is next to the shechina in the olam ha'emes! He is the lucky one!
But I wouldn’t call any of us unlucky because we still have a chance to grab each moment and use it to the fullest and do mitzvos to build a beautiful olam haba for ourselves! Fortunate is the one who takes advantage of their time in this world and uses their time to connect to Hashem and get closer to Him!
One last thought…this is what I was thinking when I went to the kosel for the first time, about 2 ½ weeks after my brother was niftar. (Yeah, I went to seminary while I was still in the shloshim…life is NOT meant to be easy!!)
I was standing at the site of the Bais Hamikdosh and crying and bawling my eyes out and I thought to myself,
If this is how much I miss my brother and it's been only two weeks, could you imagine how much Hashem misses us?! It's been soo many years, so many generations, and yet we still didn’t come back! Of course, Hashem has no concept of time and He is l'malah min hazman, but in our terms, the way we could understand it, so many years have passed already! Isn't it time to come back to Hashem?! I miss my brother like CRAZY and it is such a short amount of time so could you imagine how much Hashem misses us and wants us back?!
I learned from this that a person doesn’t know how much time he has left to live. Therefore, we must use every minute we have to improve and become better. It also showed me how much we should appreciate our family and people who are close to us because no one ever knows when their last moment will be.
My bracha to each of you is that you should be zoche to live your life to its fullest and come closer to Hashem in a new and deeper way every day of your life. May we all be zoche to come back to Hashem and meet in Yerushalyim with the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh, AMEN!
This past shabbos, my family got together for my brother's yartzeit. We ate the shabbos meals together and spoke about the many different memories we have of my brother. We laughed about the cute things he did and thought about the special things he did.
Here are some more stories...
Once, my cousin, who was in Bais Yaakov seminary at the time, was walking down the street and it started to rain. She did not have an umbrella on her and continued walking when suddenly, she realized that she was not getting wet anymore, even though it was still raining outside. She looked up and she saw my brother, Shalom, holding an umbrella above her head without saying a word. You see, this was his girl cousin and he was chassidish so he wouldn't have a whole conversation with her in middle of the street! But he knew from his many sisters what it means to a girl when it's raining outside and their hair gets wet and frizzy!! So in his own quiet way, he did what he knew he should do - and continued to walk my cousin all the way to her destination - without saying one word!
We remembered the time when my sister, Baila, was babysitting and forgot her CPR book and really needed it to do some studying for the next day. No problem! Shalom biked over with it in no time! But not only that, he knew that Baila likes those Smackin' Good potato knishes. So he warmed one up in the microwave and brought it over to her along with her CPR book.
When he was younger, he used to bike over to my married sister's house on erev shabbos and bring over homemade challah, kugel, fish and all the other goodies my mother set up...My older sister commented that he was always dressed and ready for shabbos when he came to drop off the food. That means that he never had to rush into shabbos...let's try to follow in his ways!!
It's really not possible to put all 15+ years of my brother's life down on paper. I just gave you a little glimpse of the greatness of this quiet, unassuming boy. And there are some things he did that we will never know about. That's just the way he was. He did whatever he could in the quietest way possible. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself. He didn’t want people to praise him for all the good he did. But I am sure that in the next world, the world of truth, my brother is getting all the praises showered upon him. He is getting unlimited reward for the everlasting impact he left on his family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances.
And remember, my brother cannot do ONE mitzvah now! We are the only ones who can do mitzvos for him and that way his neshama can soar higher and higher. If you take one thing upon yourself, even for one day, l'ilui nishmas my brother, it will give me and my family tremendous nechama.
Please feel free to pass this message on to anyone who will gain and be inspired from all the incredible, yet small things my brother did. He truly used every minute to the fullest by filling each moment with mitzvos which are eternal! He knew and understood that the only thing that goes with a person after leaving this world is Torah and mitzvos.
Now he is smiling and he is happy to be able to get schar for all the mitzvos he did in this world! He is so close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and is next to the shechina in the olam ha'emes! He is the lucky one!
But I wouldn’t call any of us unlucky because we still have a chance to grab each moment and use it to the fullest and do mitzvos to build a beautiful olam haba for ourselves! Fortunate is the one who takes advantage of their time in this world and uses their time to connect to Hashem and get closer to Him!
One last thought…this is what I was thinking when I went to the kosel for the first time, about 2 ½ weeks after my brother was niftar. (Yeah, I went to seminary while I was still in the shloshim…life is NOT meant to be easy!!)
I was standing at the site of the Bais Hamikdosh and crying and bawling my eyes out and I thought to myself,
If this is how much I miss my brother and it's been only two weeks, could you imagine how much Hashem misses us?! It's been soo many years, so many generations, and yet we still didn’t come back! Of course, Hashem has no concept of time and He is l'malah min hazman, but in our terms, the way we could understand it, so many years have passed already! Isn't it time to come back to Hashem?! I miss my brother like CRAZY and it is such a short amount of time so could you imagine how much Hashem misses us and wants us back?!
I learned from this that a person doesn’t know how much time he has left to live. Therefore, we must use every minute we have to improve and become better. It also showed me how much we should appreciate our family and people who are close to us because no one ever knows when their last moment will be.
My bracha to each of you is that you should be zoche to live your life to its fullest and come closer to Hashem in a new and deeper way every day of your life. May we all be zoche to come back to Hashem and meet in Yerushalyim with the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh, AMEN!
A Special Mazel Tov!
I just wanted to share some gr8 news with all of u!!
Last Friday, August 7th was my brother Shalom's yartzeit and my older brother('s wife) gave birth to a baby BOY!!
The bris was today and the baby's name is SHALOM BARUCH!!!!! It's the same name as my baby, Shalom - after my brother and Baruch was added...it's just amazing that they had a boy on Shalom's yartzeit!!
It is such a nechama for my family that the baby was born on the yartzeit and he has Shalom's name! We feel like Hashem is hugging us and telling us - I know this was hard for you but I am here with you all along!! I am comforting you through all the difficult times...
May we be zoche to the ultimate nechama soon!!
Last Friday, August 7th was my brother Shalom's yartzeit and my older brother('s wife) gave birth to a baby BOY!!
The bris was today and the baby's name is SHALOM BARUCH!!!!! It's the same name as my baby, Shalom - after my brother and Baruch was added...it's just amazing that they had a boy on Shalom's yartzeit!!
It is such a nechama for my family that the baby was born on the yartzeit and he has Shalom's name! We feel like Hashem is hugging us and telling us - I know this was hard for you but I am here with you all along!! I am comforting you through all the difficult times...
May we be zoche to the ultimate nechama soon!!
Labels:
Baby,
Shalom a"h,
Yartzheit
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A Letter - L'ilui Nishmas Shalom a"h
This is a letter I received after my brother's yartziet.
I was so touched that someone took the message so close to their heart and I think this letter is a lesson for all.
Dear Devoiry,
About 3-4 years ago shortly after your brother Shalom ben Chaim Nosson was niftar,your sister, Chaya Sara, came to speak to to us about him and the many things that we can learn. One story that really struck a cord in my heart was when she told us about the countless times he did chessed and favours quietly. Like the time on shabbos nachamu when someone discovered him cleaning up the dining room. ever since that shmooze which really inspired me, i've been trying to go out of my way to help people. I just finished two years of seminary where i found countless of oppertunities to do chessed. there were so many times when i found the dining room an absolute wreck at a very early hour in the morning, and i just wanted to go to bed, but i found myself saying 15-20 minutes of chessed, i could do it like your brother. there were so many incidents like a messy class-room, food left out, making s/0's bed for them, visiting s/o, and i kept saying to myself if Shalom was able to do it so can I.
I continue to travel along this road 3-4 yrs later. and i'd like to say thank you. as i starting giving the more i gave the better person i became, the more i wanted to give, the more i wanted to help, to be there for people. I learnt so much and i would never be who i am today without that special polishing that was inspired by your brother a"h. poeple often ask me what inspired you to be like this, to help others, to give so freely, and i would like to tell you that a large portion of it lies in the messages i heard from Chaya Sara that day about the chessed that your brother Shalom did. very often i found myself repeating the stories i heard to other people, when they ask me those question, and the response has always been the same, lets try to emulate!
I know that when a person is called up to shamyim, it's never easy for thier family left down here.But i'd like to let you know that your brother left a legacy, somthing for all of us to follow,and for that i'd like to say Thank You. I hope this email provides some nechama to you and your family.
im yirtzah hashem we should only hear simchos,
and be zocheh to a proper nechama very very soon!
I was so touched that someone took the message so close to their heart and I think this letter is a lesson for all.
Dear Devoiry,
About 3-4 years ago shortly after your brother Shalom ben Chaim Nosson was niftar,your sister, Chaya Sara, came to speak to to us about him and the many things that we can learn. One story that really struck a cord in my heart was when she told us about the countless times he did chessed and favours quietly. Like the time on shabbos nachamu when someone discovered him cleaning up the dining room. ever since that shmooze which really inspired me, i've been trying to go out of my way to help people. I just finished two years of seminary where i found countless of oppertunities to do chessed. there were so many times when i found the dining room an absolute wreck at a very early hour in the morning, and i just wanted to go to bed, but i found myself saying 15-20 minutes of chessed, i could do it like your brother. there were so many incidents like a messy class-room, food left out, making s/0's bed for them, visiting s/o, and i kept saying to myself if Shalom was able to do it so can I.
I continue to travel along this road 3-4 yrs later. and i'd like to say thank you. as i starting giving the more i gave the better person i became, the more i wanted to give, the more i wanted to help, to be there for people. I learnt so much and i would never be who i am today without that special polishing that was inspired by your brother a"h. poeple often ask me what inspired you to be like this, to help others, to give so freely, and i would like to tell you that a large portion of it lies in the messages i heard from Chaya Sara that day about the chessed that your brother Shalom did. very often i found myself repeating the stories i heard to other people, when they ask me those question, and the response has always been the same, lets try to emulate!
I know that when a person is called up to shamyim, it's never easy for thier family left down here.But i'd like to let you know that your brother left a legacy, somthing for all of us to follow,and for that i'd like to say Thank You. I hope this email provides some nechama to you and your family.
im yirtzah hashem we should only hear simchos,
and be zocheh to a proper nechama very very soon!
Labels:
Chessed,
Letter,
Shalom a"h
Thursday, August 6, 2009
My brother's Yartzeit - tomorrow, Friday, August 7th
I sent around this email and I'm adding it to the blog so your comments can be added to my list. Read on...
Hi,
Tomorrow, Friday, August 7th is my brother, Shalom's yartzeit.
I have a small favor to ask each of you.
A yartzeit is a special day. It is a day for us to remind ourselves that no one is here forever and we should take advantage of our time and use it to the fullest.
I'm asking if each of you can please comment on this blog with ONE THING that you will do l'ilui nishmas my brother. It can be a one time thing (like reading something on shabbos that will bring you a step closer to Hashem, saying extra tehillim, saying asher yatzar with extra kavanna, giving someone a compliment today...) or it can be something you want to try to continue to do (like giving tzeddaka every day, improving in one area...).
I want to try to compile a list of all the things people are doing l'ilui nishmas my brother and then show it to my family. I'm sure it will bring a tremendous nechama to my mother and the rest of my family.
His name is Shalom ben Chaim Nosson - so please, if you can say his name once when you are doing whatever it is u choose to do for his neshama to go higher. Remember, he cannot to even ONE mitzvah now!! We can make his neshama reach great heights by doing something for him!!
Thank you!
I'll start with mine first - I will try, to say "Thank You Hashem" for something specific while I kiss the mezuzah.
Now it's your turn to add a mitzvah to the list!
Hi,
Tomorrow, Friday, August 7th is my brother, Shalom's yartzeit.
I have a small favor to ask each of you.
A yartzeit is a special day. It is a day for us to remind ourselves that no one is here forever and we should take advantage of our time and use it to the fullest.
I'm asking if each of you can please comment on this blog with ONE THING that you will do l'ilui nishmas my brother. It can be a one time thing (like reading something on shabbos that will bring you a step closer to Hashem, saying extra tehillim, saying asher yatzar with extra kavanna, giving someone a compliment today...) or it can be something you want to try to continue to do (like giving tzeddaka every day, improving in one area...).
I want to try to compile a list of all the things people are doing l'ilui nishmas my brother and then show it to my family. I'm sure it will bring a tremendous nechama to my mother and the rest of my family.
His name is Shalom ben Chaim Nosson - so please, if you can say his name once when you are doing whatever it is u choose to do for his neshama to go higher. Remember, he cannot to even ONE mitzvah now!! We can make his neshama reach great heights by doing something for him!!
Thank you!
I'll start with mine first - I will try, to say "Thank You Hashem" for something specific while I kiss the mezuzah.
Now it's your turn to add a mitzvah to the list!
Labels:
Mitzvah,
Shalom a"h,
Yartzheit
My Brother's Yartzheit Part 2 About Shalom a"h
My brother was niftar just two and a half weeks before his 16th birthday. In these short years, he accomplished so much. Let me tell you a few of the things that we got to hear about him-some we had known from before and some we only got to hear after he was niftar.
First of all, I want you to know that my brother was not a wild boy who was just climbing the tree to act up. He was very careful with what he did at all times.
In fact, my neighbor told us that even as a little boy, Shalom a"h was extremely gentle. When her son was born, Shalom was still young (about 1 ½ years old) and he would sit near my neighbor and just look at him and rock him in the infant seat. He would stare at him and watch him gently, never once pulling out his pacifier or shaking the infant seat.
Also, he always wore a helmet whenever he rode his bike (even when no one was watching). He always used his bike to help and so we called it the “mitzvah bike.” Whenever we needed something to be done, Shalom would always offer to do it because it was “no big deal.” When his bike was stolen we made sure to get him a new one right away because he always used his bike for mitzvos.
After his bar mitzvah, he even put together an “invention” of his own to be able to keep his hat in the basket of his bike while riding with a helmet on his head. He opened up the inside of his hat box, cut open the middle circle and used duct tape to keep it on his basket. This way, whenever he was going to do favors for other people, which is primarily what he used his bike for, he wore his helmet while riding the bike and then would be able to go into the stores/houses with his hat on.
My brother was also very careful to always kiss the mezuzah. Even when he was much younger, he was careful with his special mitzvah. He used to like to go to sleep in my mother's bed and then someone would "transfer" him by walking him into his own bed while he was half asleep. Even while he was being walked into his own bed, he would ALWAYS stretch out his hand and kiss the mezuzah! Imagine! He was half asleep and he still kissed the mezuzah! Do we remember to kiss the mezuzah when we are fully awake?! It's just a quick way of saying, "Hashem, I love you. Thank you for always watching over me and protecting me at all times!" (and if you have an extra minute, you can also think about what is written inside each mezuzah…Shema…V'ahavta…V'haya…schar v'onesh…but that's a very high level…let's start with small things!)
Shalom really and truly cared about each one of Hashem's creations. One day, he came home with a swollen hand. When we asked him what had happened, he said, "Oh! Nothing! I was just riding my bike and a bird flew in front of me so I didn’t want to hurt the bird. I quickly pressed on my brakes and missed the bird by an inch and I fell off my bike. But I'm fine! As long as I didn’t hurt the bird!"
After my mother insisted that he go for x-rays (and Shalom insisting that he was fine…), we found out that he broke his arm!
He broke his hand so as not to harm the bird physically…let us make sure not to break other people's hearts and hurt them emotionally – that's much worse!
While he was in camp, he did a lot of amazing and unusual things (unusual for someone his age) – it was the last summer of his life and he really used every minute to the fullest.
He would wake up every morning at 6:30 and go to the mikvah. (My older brother says he can almost say he is sure that Shalom a"h never missed a day in the mikvah since his bar mitzvah! And that is not easy to do!) Then, he would learn with his chavrusa for ½ hour before davening.
We also found out that he would say tikkun chatzos before he went to sleep every night.
One night, while he was in camp, a friend of his saw him saying Shema slowly and carefully. He asked him, "Why are you saying Shema so slowly? Aren't you tired after such a long day??!!”
To which my brother replied, "I might be tired but a yid never knows when his last Shema will be. I make sure to say Shema with kavana every night because I never know when it will be my last time to say it!"
Imagine if we were to perform each mitzvah and daven each tefillah as if it were the last one! What a difference it would make in our avodas Hashem if we kept this thought in our mind, even once a day!
I just heard a great quote for this –
"Live each day as if it were the last because one day you are going to be right!"
Shalom was always looking to help others. While he was in camp, he overheard a boy saying that he forgot to take special staples for his staple gun to camp. (They are not the regular type of staples you could pick up in any store, it's a certain brand and we "happen" to have them in our house because we use them when we decorate the succah.) Anyway, my brother called up our house and asked me if I could please send a few things to him in camp and he gave me a small list… (a na nach yarmulke…for fun at night/plays and a few other stuff…) One of the things he asked for was these staples for the staple gun. We sent them with the next package and he gave them to the boy who had mentioned it in passing…as if it was NO BIG DEAL and so NORMAL to do this "tiny" favor!
His name was Shalom, kishmo kein hu; he was always trying to make peace. At the shivah, many boys came and told us stories about how he had lifted their spirits. And they all said that when Shalom was around, there was a certain "geshmak" in the atmosphere. He always made everything so exciting and fun, even the boring hikes or activities.
That reminds me, the boys once went on a hike and one boy stepped on a beehive and got terribly bitten. Shalom lifted the boy up and carried him ALL THE WAY back to camp!
My little brother, Yitzy, was in camp for first half and came home for the second half of the summer. He told us that Shalom came to his bunkhouse and helped him pack up the night before he left. He gave him all the time he needed and advice as well. (He had a siddur that was a little torn so Shalom told Yitzy to leave it for the kids who come second half…) That was the last time he got to see Shalom…
The shabbos before he was niftar was Shabbos Nachamu…which he spent in Skolya Bungalow Colony, with the Skolya rebbe and many other Chassidim. They had a very nice shabbos and on motzei shabbos, all the men danced until the wee hours of the morning. After the dancing was over, everyone left except for one boy. My brother stayed in the bais medrash, put all the seforim away and neatly arranged the tables and chairs so the shul would be ready for the men to learn the next morning.
The next day, Sunday, was Visiting Day. Really, that year Visiting Day came out on Tisha B'av so some camps moved it back one week and some pushed it forward. His camp, Stolin, pushed it forward one week. Meaning, Visiting Day was about a week and a half before the boys were scheduled to come home from camp. Since his camp is very far out and not near any other camp, we did what many families did. We said to ourselves, "Why should we shlep all the way?! We'll see him in another week anyway!"
Or so we thought.
But my sister, brother-in-law and niece were in the country for Shabbos Nachamu and so was my older brother. So, the four of them took Shalom out for pizza on Visiting Sunday.
While they were there, my sister insisted on taking pictures so finally, my brother-in-law went to the car to get the camera!
And because of them, we have a whole bunch of beautiful pictures of my brother a day before he was niftar. He was happy and smiling and this gave us such a nechama! We were so comforted when we saw how he spent his last summer in camp and that he was REALLY happy!
On Monday morning, the last day of his life, he was very tired. He had been up really late on Motzei Shabbos Nachamu and again on Sunday night, after Visiting Day. Shalom asked his rebbe if he can please stand during learning because he was afraid he would fall asleep if he was sitting. He stood the entire time, leaning on his shtender and learning with an extra "bren," his rebbe said.
Read part 3 here.
First of all, I want you to know that my brother was not a wild boy who was just climbing the tree to act up. He was very careful with what he did at all times.
In fact, my neighbor told us that even as a little boy, Shalom a"h was extremely gentle. When her son was born, Shalom was still young (about 1 ½ years old) and he would sit near my neighbor and just look at him and rock him in the infant seat. He would stare at him and watch him gently, never once pulling out his pacifier or shaking the infant seat.
Also, he always wore a helmet whenever he rode his bike (even when no one was watching). He always used his bike to help and so we called it the “mitzvah bike.” Whenever we needed something to be done, Shalom would always offer to do it because it was “no big deal.” When his bike was stolen we made sure to get him a new one right away because he always used his bike for mitzvos.
After his bar mitzvah, he even put together an “invention” of his own to be able to keep his hat in the basket of his bike while riding with a helmet on his head. He opened up the inside of his hat box, cut open the middle circle and used duct tape to keep it on his basket. This way, whenever he was going to do favors for other people, which is primarily what he used his bike for, he wore his helmet while riding the bike and then would be able to go into the stores/houses with his hat on.
My brother was also very careful to always kiss the mezuzah. Even when he was much younger, he was careful with his special mitzvah. He used to like to go to sleep in my mother's bed and then someone would "transfer" him by walking him into his own bed while he was half asleep. Even while he was being walked into his own bed, he would ALWAYS stretch out his hand and kiss the mezuzah! Imagine! He was half asleep and he still kissed the mezuzah! Do we remember to kiss the mezuzah when we are fully awake?! It's just a quick way of saying, "Hashem, I love you. Thank you for always watching over me and protecting me at all times!" (and if you have an extra minute, you can also think about what is written inside each mezuzah…Shema…V'ahavta…V'haya…schar v'onesh…but that's a very high level…let's start with small things!)
Shalom really and truly cared about each one of Hashem's creations. One day, he came home with a swollen hand. When we asked him what had happened, he said, "Oh! Nothing! I was just riding my bike and a bird flew in front of me so I didn’t want to hurt the bird. I quickly pressed on my brakes and missed the bird by an inch and I fell off my bike. But I'm fine! As long as I didn’t hurt the bird!"
After my mother insisted that he go for x-rays (and Shalom insisting that he was fine…), we found out that he broke his arm!
He broke his hand so as not to harm the bird physically…let us make sure not to break other people's hearts and hurt them emotionally – that's much worse!
While he was in camp, he did a lot of amazing and unusual things (unusual for someone his age) – it was the last summer of his life and he really used every minute to the fullest.
He would wake up every morning at 6:30 and go to the mikvah. (My older brother says he can almost say he is sure that Shalom a"h never missed a day in the mikvah since his bar mitzvah! And that is not easy to do!) Then, he would learn with his chavrusa for ½ hour before davening.
We also found out that he would say tikkun chatzos before he went to sleep every night.
One night, while he was in camp, a friend of his saw him saying Shema slowly and carefully. He asked him, "Why are you saying Shema so slowly? Aren't you tired after such a long day??!!”
To which my brother replied, "I might be tired but a yid never knows when his last Shema will be. I make sure to say Shema with kavana every night because I never know when it will be my last time to say it!"
Imagine if we were to perform each mitzvah and daven each tefillah as if it were the last one! What a difference it would make in our avodas Hashem if we kept this thought in our mind, even once a day!
I just heard a great quote for this –
"Live each day as if it were the last because one day you are going to be right!"
Shalom was always looking to help others. While he was in camp, he overheard a boy saying that he forgot to take special staples for his staple gun to camp. (They are not the regular type of staples you could pick up in any store, it's a certain brand and we "happen" to have them in our house because we use them when we decorate the succah.) Anyway, my brother called up our house and asked me if I could please send a few things to him in camp and he gave me a small list… (a na nach yarmulke…for fun at night/plays and a few other stuff…) One of the things he asked for was these staples for the staple gun. We sent them with the next package and he gave them to the boy who had mentioned it in passing…as if it was NO BIG DEAL and so NORMAL to do this "tiny" favor!
His name was Shalom, kishmo kein hu; he was always trying to make peace. At the shivah, many boys came and told us stories about how he had lifted their spirits. And they all said that when Shalom was around, there was a certain "geshmak" in the atmosphere. He always made everything so exciting and fun, even the boring hikes or activities.
That reminds me, the boys once went on a hike and one boy stepped on a beehive and got terribly bitten. Shalom lifted the boy up and carried him ALL THE WAY back to camp!
My little brother, Yitzy, was in camp for first half and came home for the second half of the summer. He told us that Shalom came to his bunkhouse and helped him pack up the night before he left. He gave him all the time he needed and advice as well. (He had a siddur that was a little torn so Shalom told Yitzy to leave it for the kids who come second half…) That was the last time he got to see Shalom…
The shabbos before he was niftar was Shabbos Nachamu…which he spent in Skolya Bungalow Colony, with the Skolya rebbe and many other Chassidim. They had a very nice shabbos and on motzei shabbos, all the men danced until the wee hours of the morning. After the dancing was over, everyone left except for one boy. My brother stayed in the bais medrash, put all the seforim away and neatly arranged the tables and chairs so the shul would be ready for the men to learn the next morning.
The next day, Sunday, was Visiting Day. Really, that year Visiting Day came out on Tisha B'av so some camps moved it back one week and some pushed it forward. His camp, Stolin, pushed it forward one week. Meaning, Visiting Day was about a week and a half before the boys were scheduled to come home from camp. Since his camp is very far out and not near any other camp, we did what many families did. We said to ourselves, "Why should we shlep all the way?! We'll see him in another week anyway!"
Or so we thought.
But my sister, brother-in-law and niece were in the country for Shabbos Nachamu and so was my older brother. So, the four of them took Shalom out for pizza on Visiting Sunday.
While they were there, my sister insisted on taking pictures so finally, my brother-in-law went to the car to get the camera!
And because of them, we have a whole bunch of beautiful pictures of my brother a day before he was niftar. He was happy and smiling and this gave us such a nechama! We were so comforted when we saw how he spent his last summer in camp and that he was REALLY happy!
On Monday morning, the last day of his life, he was very tired. He had been up really late on Motzei Shabbos Nachamu and again on Sunday night, after Visiting Day. Shalom asked his rebbe if he can please stand during learning because he was afraid he would fall asleep if he was sitting. He stood the entire time, leaning on his shtender and learning with an extra "bren," his rebbe said.
Read part 3 here.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
My Brother's Yartzheit Part 1 - The Story
I'm just prefacing this by saying that any inspiration and growth you get from the next few posts should be a zechus, l'ilui nishmas my brother, Shalom ben Chaim Nosson.
Before I tell you the story, I want to share a thought I heard from Rabbi Jonathan Rietti. He is quite a famous speaker and I think this has a very powerful message.
When someone has a tzarah, it is natural for them to ask, “Why?!”
In lashon haKodesh, there are two ways to say “why.” One is מדוע and one is למה. The first one, מדוע, comes from , דע, to know and understand. A person who asks this type of why wants to know all the details of the story, like how the person was niftar, what did the doctors do, how did he fall, what time did it happen and all sorts of questions that don't accomplish anything. These questions just keep him lingering in the past. But the second why, למה, comes from ל מה, (Li’mah) “to what?,” which means the following: Yes it’s true that Hashem just gave me a hard test but what is this bringing me to in the future? What did I change because of this nisayon? TO WHAT am I bringing myself to now that I heard about or went through this tzarah? This kind of why is a productive question which causes a person to look into the future and make real changes in their life, whether in middos, tefillah or anything else.So when you hear about or go through a nisayon, you may ask מדוע and try to find out the details of the story, but make sure you are also asking למה and you are thinking ahead and making changes in your avodas Hashem by becoming a better person!
Now, here are the details of the story...
My younger brother, Shalom, who was 15 years old at the time, (it was 2 weeks before his 16th birthday) was climbing a tree in Camp Stolin on a regular Monday afternoon. This was the tree all the kids had climbed many times to see the view of the lake. The boys were sitting on different branches when, after 10 minutes, the branch my brother had been sitting on cracked and he fell down.As soon as he fell, my brother got up and said to the boys around him, “Don’t worry! I’m fine,” and he started to walk while being supported by two boys.Now here’s one amazing part. My brother a”h was always doing chessed for other people. When he fell down, his friend who was still up in the tree was sooo shocked, he was ready to jump…to his death. But when he saw that my brother was still alive and okay and walking around, he gathered the inner strength to climb down from the tree and remain alive!! So even right before his death, my brother was doing another chessed, saving his own friend’s life!Another scary thing…right before the branch cracked, my brother and his friend were sitting up on the tree talking about nifla’os haborei, and my brother said, “Look at Hashem’s beautiful world...and look at how the clouds are moving so quickly. It’s amazing how things change from one minute to the next.” Those were the last words he said before the branch cracked and he fell down from the tree.
It was obvious that this was meant to be. There is no way to think otherwise! It was as if my brother was specifically chosen as the one Hashem wanted back, next to him in the next world!When the EMT in the camp heard what happened, he quickly got his equipment and told the boys to make sure my brother does not walk-it could be dangerous for his back and spine because if there is a spinal injury, the most important thing is NOT to move the patient so he shouldn’t chas v’shalom become paralyzed for life. After a few minutes, the EMT started performing CPR on my brother because he lost consciousness and wasn’t awake anymore.Before he lost consciousness, my brother asked the EMT, “Do you think I’m gonna make it?” (meaning:do you think I’ll survive?) Of course, the EMT answered, “Yes,” because what else should he have said?! By the way, we found out afterwards that this part of the story was not true…you see how people make things up! The EMT told us specifically that my brother never said that!! People like to spice up the story…so don’t believe everything you hear!!
My brother was brought to the hospital’s Emergency Room and the doctor saw he was not going to make it. One of his rabbeim from camp tried to get into his room to be able to stay with him. The doctors didn’t let until he insisted that he was a “representative of the family” They couldn’t refuse and let him in. Then the doctor told him, “It’s his last minutes, say your prayers.” So his rebbe said vidui and Shema with him. He wasn't totally awake but he was opening and closing his eyes so obviously he heard everything. Who knows what thoughts of teshuva were going through his mind at that point! After he got to hear those special tefillos being said, my brother’s pure neshama left his body and was reunited with HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
It is very interesting that the year before he was niftar, my brother had wanted to go to Eretz Yisroel with the Skolya Rebbe a little after Lag Ba’omer. The rebbe’s son was having upsherin and my brother wanted to go very badly. (He was a Skolya chossid. Not to be confused with Stolin - the yeshiva he went to and the camp he was in.) His yeshiva wasn’t very keen on the idea and said the only way he would be able to go was if he went from Wednesday until Shabbos. He would miss very little yeshiva and would only get to spend 4 days in Eretz Yisroel. We told my brother, “Neh! Don’t go now! You’ll go when you are older, with your wife…for a much longer amount of time! It’s not worth it to go for only four days…you’ll go when u grow up, for 10 days or 2 weeks or something!”
But my brother insisted on going.
We asked the rebbe and he said my brother should go, gave him a bracha and said that this trip would be very good for him and for his ruchniyus.
So when my brother went, one of the places they went to was the mikveh ari. He went into the mikveh (which is very cold) and it is a known thing that anyone who goes into the mikveh ari will not die without doing teshuva first.
And my brother was niftar only after his rebbe said vidui and Shema with him!!! AMAZING!!
I just want you all to know that when someone loses someone close to them, it helps them remember to stay focused on the important things in life and on the things that really matter. I realized that life is so short and we must use every minute we have to do mitzvos and get closer to Hashem. Every person thinks they will live until one hundred and twenty (it is my bracha to you that you should live past that because moshiach will come so we will live forever) but remember to think every day that this is my last day to make Hashem proud and then you will really use your time wisely!
It is known that when Hashem gave the malach hamaves his job, he didn’t want to do it. He said, “I don’t want a job that will make people look down at me.” So Hashem told him, “Don’t worry. Every time you do your job, whenever you take someone’s life away, people wont even realize that it was you who did it.” And that’s why whenever a person is niftar, we find someone or something to blame. We blame the doctors, the illness, the driver who was driving too fast, and in this case, the tree. But we are forgetting who was really behind it! Hashem wanted my brother back and his time was up so there’s nothing we could have done to stop it!! Hashem has his plans and when he picks flowers for his garden, he always picks the most beautiful roses. My brother was a beautiful rose and Hashem wanted him to be part of his garden in gan eden.
When my family found out about it, it was a HUGE shock for all of us. It was a real test from Hashem…which I hope we passed. Actually, we never really passed it because it isn’t over yet. We have to live with it every day and still accept Hashem’s ratzon even when it is hard for us and we start being overcome with emotions of missing him…and now that his fourth yartzeit is coming up, it’s another test for us to smile and continue accepting it because this was the best thing for all of us. Because through this tzarah, we can now understand and give chizuk to other people who went through similar things, such as losing family members and we definitely became closer to Hashem from it as well. Isn’t that one of the main purposes of all pain and yissurim in this world??
Read Part 2 here.
Before I tell you the story, I want to share a thought I heard from Rabbi Jonathan Rietti. He is quite a famous speaker and I think this has a very powerful message.
When someone has a tzarah, it is natural for them to ask, “Why?!”
In lashon haKodesh, there are two ways to say “why.” One is מדוע and one is למה. The first one, מדוע, comes from , דע, to know and understand. A person who asks this type of why wants to know all the details of the story, like how the person was niftar, what did the doctors do, how did he fall, what time did it happen and all sorts of questions that don't accomplish anything. These questions just keep him lingering in the past. But the second why, למה, comes from ל מה, (Li’mah) “to what?,” which means the following: Yes it’s true that Hashem just gave me a hard test but what is this bringing me to in the future? What did I change because of this nisayon? TO WHAT am I bringing myself to now that I heard about or went through this tzarah? This kind of why is a productive question which causes a person to look into the future and make real changes in their life, whether in middos, tefillah or anything else.So when you hear about or go through a nisayon, you may ask מדוע and try to find out the details of the story, but make sure you are also asking למה and you are thinking ahead and making changes in your avodas Hashem by becoming a better person!
Now, here are the details of the story...
My younger brother, Shalom, who was 15 years old at the time, (it was 2 weeks before his 16th birthday) was climbing a tree in Camp Stolin on a regular Monday afternoon. This was the tree all the kids had climbed many times to see the view of the lake. The boys were sitting on different branches when, after 10 minutes, the branch my brother had been sitting on cracked and he fell down.As soon as he fell, my brother got up and said to the boys around him, “Don’t worry! I’m fine,” and he started to walk while being supported by two boys.Now here’s one amazing part. My brother a”h was always doing chessed for other people. When he fell down, his friend who was still up in the tree was sooo shocked, he was ready to jump…to his death. But when he saw that my brother was still alive and okay and walking around, he gathered the inner strength to climb down from the tree and remain alive!! So even right before his death, my brother was doing another chessed, saving his own friend’s life!Another scary thing…right before the branch cracked, my brother and his friend were sitting up on the tree talking about nifla’os haborei, and my brother said, “Look at Hashem’s beautiful world...and look at how the clouds are moving so quickly. It’s amazing how things change from one minute to the next.” Those were the last words he said before the branch cracked and he fell down from the tree.
It was obvious that this was meant to be. There is no way to think otherwise! It was as if my brother was specifically chosen as the one Hashem wanted back, next to him in the next world!When the EMT in the camp heard what happened, he quickly got his equipment and told the boys to make sure my brother does not walk-it could be dangerous for his back and spine because if there is a spinal injury, the most important thing is NOT to move the patient so he shouldn’t chas v’shalom become paralyzed for life. After a few minutes, the EMT started performing CPR on my brother because he lost consciousness and wasn’t awake anymore.Before he lost consciousness, my brother asked the EMT, “Do you think I’m gonna make it?” (meaning:do you think I’ll survive?) Of course, the EMT answered, “Yes,” because what else should he have said?! By the way, we found out afterwards that this part of the story was not true…you see how people make things up! The EMT told us specifically that my brother never said that!! People like to spice up the story…so don’t believe everything you hear!!
My brother was brought to the hospital’s Emergency Room and the doctor saw he was not going to make it. One of his rabbeim from camp tried to get into his room to be able to stay with him. The doctors didn’t let until he insisted that he was a “representative of the family” They couldn’t refuse and let him in. Then the doctor told him, “It’s his last minutes, say your prayers.” So his rebbe said vidui and Shema with him. He wasn't totally awake but he was opening and closing his eyes so obviously he heard everything. Who knows what thoughts of teshuva were going through his mind at that point! After he got to hear those special tefillos being said, my brother’s pure neshama left his body and was reunited with HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
It is very interesting that the year before he was niftar, my brother had wanted to go to Eretz Yisroel with the Skolya Rebbe a little after Lag Ba’omer. The rebbe’s son was having upsherin and my brother wanted to go very badly. (He was a Skolya chossid. Not to be confused with Stolin - the yeshiva he went to and the camp he was in.) His yeshiva wasn’t very keen on the idea and said the only way he would be able to go was if he went from Wednesday until Shabbos. He would miss very little yeshiva and would only get to spend 4 days in Eretz Yisroel. We told my brother, “Neh! Don’t go now! You’ll go when you are older, with your wife…for a much longer amount of time! It’s not worth it to go for only four days…you’ll go when u grow up, for 10 days or 2 weeks or something!”
But my brother insisted on going.
We asked the rebbe and he said my brother should go, gave him a bracha and said that this trip would be very good for him and for his ruchniyus.
So when my brother went, one of the places they went to was the mikveh ari. He went into the mikveh (which is very cold) and it is a known thing that anyone who goes into the mikveh ari will not die without doing teshuva first.
And my brother was niftar only after his rebbe said vidui and Shema with him!!! AMAZING!!
I just want you all to know that when someone loses someone close to them, it helps them remember to stay focused on the important things in life and on the things that really matter. I realized that life is so short and we must use every minute we have to do mitzvos and get closer to Hashem. Every person thinks they will live until one hundred and twenty (it is my bracha to you that you should live past that because moshiach will come so we will live forever) but remember to think every day that this is my last day to make Hashem proud and then you will really use your time wisely!
It is known that when Hashem gave the malach hamaves his job, he didn’t want to do it. He said, “I don’t want a job that will make people look down at me.” So Hashem told him, “Don’t worry. Every time you do your job, whenever you take someone’s life away, people wont even realize that it was you who did it.” And that’s why whenever a person is niftar, we find someone or something to blame. We blame the doctors, the illness, the driver who was driving too fast, and in this case, the tree. But we are forgetting who was really behind it! Hashem wanted my brother back and his time was up so there’s nothing we could have done to stop it!! Hashem has his plans and when he picks flowers for his garden, he always picks the most beautiful roses. My brother was a beautiful rose and Hashem wanted him to be part of his garden in gan eden.
When my family found out about it, it was a HUGE shock for all of us. It was a real test from Hashem…which I hope we passed. Actually, we never really passed it because it isn’t over yet. We have to live with it every day and still accept Hashem’s ratzon even when it is hard for us and we start being overcome with emotions of missing him…and now that his fourth yartzeit is coming up, it’s another test for us to smile and continue accepting it because this was the best thing for all of us. Because through this tzarah, we can now understand and give chizuk to other people who went through similar things, such as losing family members and we definitely became closer to Hashem from it as well. Isn’t that one of the main purposes of all pain and yissurim in this world??
Read Part 2 here.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Do You Really Want Moshiach?
I am writing this post in response to a comment by Miri, on my post, "The Nine Days."
For those of you who did not read the comment, here it is:
My teacher told me that when moshiach comes we won't be happy- we'll be terrified! Only tzadikim will be able to greet moshiach with joy. I am not a tzadik by any means and now I don't want moshiach any more. Help!
I want to point out something that you may not have heard before.
I'm sure we all know and heard that the times before Moshiach comes will be terribly painful. We see this for ourselves. There is pain and suffering all over. I don't have to go into detail to describe each thing but each person does not have to look too far to notice that every family is touched in some way by these terrible times. Illness, death, financial problems, shalom bayis, trying to keep our children on the proper derech, there is no one person, no one family that is immune to the obvious chevlei moshiach.
When a person looks around at all the terrible things going on, it is easy to question and say to Hashem, "Why?!" and to turn away. But those who do not turn away from Hashem despite all the craziness going on around us, those who continue to cling to Hashem with faith, will be praised and admired when moshiach finally comes. They will be told, "After all you saw around you, you still remained faithful to Hashem and still kept His mitzvos?!?! Wow!! Look how special you are!!"
So the first thing I want you to know, Miri, is that if you are still holding on closely to Hashem, then you can consider yourself extra special and yes, you will be able to greet moshiach with joy!! You ar soo precious to Hashem for still remaining close to Him and just for that alone, you have enough of a reason to be sure that you will greet moshiach with joy.
We just came out of a tisha b'av. We (hopefully) cried and mourned and begged Hashem for moshiach. So why do we really want moshiach that badly?
What will happen when moshiach comes that makes us want him to come already???
Firstly, we know that the bais hamikdosh will be rebuilt in all its splendor and glory. There will be a closeness to Hashem like you have never felt before. If you have ever been to the Kosel, try to imagine the feeling you felt when you standed there in awe...now multiply that feeling again and again and you still might not be able to imagine the feeling of closeness we will get to experience once moshiach arrives!
There will be an end to all the pain and suffering! That means, no more crazy stories making the headlines, no more tradgedies, only good things will be happening!!
There will be answers to all of our questions! We will be able to understand why all the things that we perceived as terrible happened and how they really were the best that ever could have taken place!
There will be an end to all our confusion. No more wondering, "why..."
There will exist a clarity in the world like never before. The goyim will respect us and look to us with admiration and yes, jealousy. They will praise us and praise Hashem for all that He did and continues to do.
Techiyas Hameisim.
I think you all know that this one has a special place in my heart.
Almost four years ago, my younger brother, Shalom, was niftar. (His yartzheit is coming up and I will be writing a few posts about that soon iy"h.) Can you imagine my joy and excitement when we finally get to meet once again?!Can you imagine the amazing feeling each and every one of us will experience when we get to see those people who left the world?!
I know that I want moshiach badly.
What about you?
I'm sure there are other reasons you wait for moshiach - what are they?
For those of you who did not read the comment, here it is:
My teacher told me that when moshiach comes we won't be happy- we'll be terrified! Only tzadikim will be able to greet moshiach with joy. I am not a tzadik by any means and now I don't want moshiach any more. Help!
I want to point out something that you may not have heard before.
I'm sure we all know and heard that the times before Moshiach comes will be terribly painful. We see this for ourselves. There is pain and suffering all over. I don't have to go into detail to describe each thing but each person does not have to look too far to notice that every family is touched in some way by these terrible times. Illness, death, financial problems, shalom bayis, trying to keep our children on the proper derech, there is no one person, no one family that is immune to the obvious chevlei moshiach.
When a person looks around at all the terrible things going on, it is easy to question and say to Hashem, "Why?!" and to turn away. But those who do not turn away from Hashem despite all the craziness going on around us, those who continue to cling to Hashem with faith, will be praised and admired when moshiach finally comes. They will be told, "After all you saw around you, you still remained faithful to Hashem and still kept His mitzvos?!?! Wow!! Look how special you are!!"
So the first thing I want you to know, Miri, is that if you are still holding on closely to Hashem, then you can consider yourself extra special and yes, you will be able to greet moshiach with joy!! You ar soo precious to Hashem for still remaining close to Him and just for that alone, you have enough of a reason to be sure that you will greet moshiach with joy.
We just came out of a tisha b'av. We (hopefully) cried and mourned and begged Hashem for moshiach. So why do we really want moshiach that badly?
What will happen when moshiach comes that makes us want him to come already???
Firstly, we know that the bais hamikdosh will be rebuilt in all its splendor and glory. There will be a closeness to Hashem like you have never felt before. If you have ever been to the Kosel, try to imagine the feeling you felt when you standed there in awe...now multiply that feeling again and again and you still might not be able to imagine the feeling of closeness we will get to experience once moshiach arrives!
There will be an end to all the pain and suffering! That means, no more crazy stories making the headlines, no more tradgedies, only good things will be happening!!
There will be answers to all of our questions! We will be able to understand why all the things that we perceived as terrible happened and how they really were the best that ever could have taken place!
There will be an end to all our confusion. No more wondering, "why..."
There will exist a clarity in the world like never before. The goyim will respect us and look to us with admiration and yes, jealousy. They will praise us and praise Hashem for all that He did and continues to do.
Techiyas Hameisim.
I think you all know that this one has a special place in my heart.
Almost four years ago, my younger brother, Shalom, was niftar. (His yartzheit is coming up and I will be writing a few posts about that soon iy"h.) Can you imagine my joy and excitement when we finally get to meet once again?!Can you imagine the amazing feeling each and every one of us will experience when we get to see those people who left the world?!
I know that I want moshiach badly.
What about you?
I'm sure there are other reasons you wait for moshiach - what are they?
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Bringing Hashem Into Your Everyday Life
How can we bring Hashem into our daily lives?
We know Hashem exists and that He does soo soo much for us, more than we can ever imagine, but how can we try to bring Him into our lives more than before?
Here is what I think a really simple way: try to notice the little things Hashem does for you. If you think about it for even a minute, you will notice that Hashem gives you an unlimited amount of bracha on a regular day of your life! If you woke up this morning, that counts as loads of brachos in one because if you woke up, that means you are breathing and what does it take to breathe? Your blood has to rush through your body in the most incredible way so that you can inhale and exhale properly!
Do you have two eyes that see all the colors in the rainbow? Consider yourself super lucky!! Can you put a price tag on eyes that can see? Close your eyes for a moment and imagine trying to go through one hour of your day with your eyes closed...think about it for a minute...do you know how lucky you are to be able to see?!!!
So thank Hashem for that!!!
Can you walk?
Can you talk?
I once read somewhere that included in the bracha of "ata chonen l'adam da'as" is the fact that you can remember your own name! And that you remember where you live and how to get to school/work/the grocery or wherever you need to get to! Who ever thought of thanking Hashem for that?! I mean, of course I remember my name! But no! We have to remember to thank Hashem for every little detail of our lives because it's all from HIM!!
Are you able to read and understand this post? That's another reason to thank Hashem!
There are soo many different things that go smoothly in our daily lives and we should try to thank Hashem each time. This way, He will want to continue to give us things to thank Him for. Because if we acknowledge that Hashem is doing all these amazing things for us, He will want to continue to give us things to thank Him for!! He wont have to give us painful moments to help us remember that He exists because we already turned to Him in the good times!!
What other things can you think of?
What else can we thank Hashem for?
Our family...
Our friends...
The beautiful weather...
What about all the delicious foods we have?
You walk into the supermarket and just look at the shelves lined with soo many choices of foods. Hashem is soo good to us! He gives us soo much bounty! There are soo many things to choose from, different brands of the same item...different variations and flavors of all kinds of snacks, drinks and ice creams!! This is all because Hashem loves us and wants us to enjoy the world He gave us and then remember to THANK HIM!! That's all He asks of us - remember me and thank me for the good things I give you!! It's that simple!!
So give it a try today!
Thank Hashem for the good things He gives you!
The more you notice the little things Hashem gives you, the more He will become part of your daily life!
If any of you have any other ideas of things to thank Hashem for (I'm sure I left out tonzzzz because we can never thank Hashem enough!), please post them here so that we can all grow to be more thankful to Hashem!!
We know Hashem exists and that He does soo soo much for us, more than we can ever imagine, but how can we try to bring Him into our lives more than before?
Here is what I think a really simple way: try to notice the little things Hashem does for you. If you think about it for even a minute, you will notice that Hashem gives you an unlimited amount of bracha on a regular day of your life! If you woke up this morning, that counts as loads of brachos in one because if you woke up, that means you are breathing and what does it take to breathe? Your blood has to rush through your body in the most incredible way so that you can inhale and exhale properly!
Do you have two eyes that see all the colors in the rainbow? Consider yourself super lucky!! Can you put a price tag on eyes that can see? Close your eyes for a moment and imagine trying to go through one hour of your day with your eyes closed...think about it for a minute...do you know how lucky you are to be able to see?!!!
So thank Hashem for that!!!
Can you walk?
Can you talk?
I once read somewhere that included in the bracha of "ata chonen l'adam da'as" is the fact that you can remember your own name! And that you remember where you live and how to get to school/work/the grocery or wherever you need to get to! Who ever thought of thanking Hashem for that?! I mean, of course I remember my name! But no! We have to remember to thank Hashem for every little detail of our lives because it's all from HIM!!
Are you able to read and understand this post? That's another reason to thank Hashem!
There are soo many different things that go smoothly in our daily lives and we should try to thank Hashem each time. This way, He will want to continue to give us things to thank Him for. Because if we acknowledge that Hashem is doing all these amazing things for us, He will want to continue to give us things to thank Him for!! He wont have to give us painful moments to help us remember that He exists because we already turned to Him in the good times!!
What other things can you think of?
What else can we thank Hashem for?
Our family...
Our friends...
The beautiful weather...
What about all the delicious foods we have?
You walk into the supermarket and just look at the shelves lined with soo many choices of foods. Hashem is soo good to us! He gives us soo much bounty! There are soo many things to choose from, different brands of the same item...different variations and flavors of all kinds of snacks, drinks and ice creams!! This is all because Hashem loves us and wants us to enjoy the world He gave us and then remember to THANK HIM!! That's all He asks of us - remember me and thank me for the good things I give you!! It's that simple!!
So give it a try today!
Thank Hashem for the good things He gives you!
The more you notice the little things Hashem gives you, the more He will become part of your daily life!
If any of you have any other ideas of things to thank Hashem for (I'm sure I left out tonzzzz because we can never thank Hashem enough!), please post them here so that we can all grow to be more thankful to Hashem!!
Labels:
Appreciation,
Life
Friday, July 24, 2009
Shabbos Chazon & Parshas Devorim
This is taken from the Hineini weekly email on the parsha, by Rabbi Osher Jungreis.
Shabbos Chazon
The Shabbos preceding Tisha B’Av is called Shabbos Chazon. It draws it’s name from the first word of the haftorah which contains Yeshaya's rebuke of the Jewish people: “I raised and nurtured children, but they betrayed me. An ox knows its keeper, a donkey the hand that feeds it, but Israel does not know - My people do not perceive.” But the prophet also shows us the way to return to Hashem and to start a new life: “Cleanse yourselves, purify yourselves...desist from doing evil...learn to do good, seek justice....”Is it possible for a person to really cleanse himself and start life anew?And here too, the prophet assures us, “Let us reason together. If your sins be red as scarlet, I will make them white as snow” is Hashem's promise to us. In these prophecies we can discover the unconditional, eternal love of our Heavenly Father. Even as He instructs His prophet to admonish us, to rebuke us for our betrayal, in the same breath He also shows us how to return to Him, and He assures us of His total forgiveness. How can any of us resist such an offer? Let this Shabbos Chazon, which ushers in Tisha B’Av, the most tragic day in the Jewish calendar year, the day when all our sins were visited upon us; the day when both Temples were destroyed and Jerusalem was razed; the day when all the major calamities that befell us throughout the centuries occurred – let that day once again become a Yom Tov” in which we are reunited with Hashem and rediscover our Divine calling. Perhaps it is because of this that this saddest Shabbos in our calendar year is called Shabbos Chazon which means “The Sabbath of Vision”, for even in the midst of our darkness, our vision of Jerusalem and our Temple rebuilt is never lost.
Parshas Devorim
This week, we commence the fifth Book of the Torah - Devarim. This fifth Book is also called Mishna Torah - A Review of the Torah. Prior to his death, Moshe Rabbenu reviews the entire Torah and admonishes the nation. We learn from Moshe, the master teacher, how to rebuke without alienating and offending.We live in a culture that is not accepting of criticism. “People just don’t want to hear it.” The motto is “mind your own business, don’t interfere”, so parents have refrained from voicing their concerns. There is no one to tell it as it is, and the damage is evident everywhere. Moshe teaches us that if you truly love someone, then admonishment is “a must”, but the words have to be couched in love. This teaching may be seen throughout our rabbinic literature which instructs those who would criticize to “push away with the left hand and simultaneously draw near with the right.” But perhaps what is most telling is that even as Moshe recounts the names of all the places where the Jewish people angered Hashem during their forty years of sojourning, he demonstrated to them the extent of Hashem's great love, for despite their rebelliousness, the Almighty always forgave them and the people flourished.“Hashem your G-d has multiplied you and behold, you are like the stars of heaven in abundance." (Devarim, 1:10)
Herein lies another lesson - we should never feel that, because of our sins, we have so distanced ourselves from Hashem that we can no longer come back to Him. Hashem is our loving compassionate Father, and is waiting for all of us to return to Him. Nevertheless, we dare not abuse this love. Never should we rationalize that it’s okay to sin, because He will forgive us. Nor should we feel that we are doomed because of past mistakes. If our repentance is sincere, Hashem will always embrace us and we will merit seeing our Temple in Jerusalem rebuilt in our own days. “He who mourns for Jerusalem will be there to rejoice in her.”
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