אַשְׂכִּילָה בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים
Although I am not leaving for vacation until next Thursday, I have decided to begin my blogging vacation today.
If you choose not to do something positive because what other people will say, haven't you admitted that they now have a certain power over you?
One who reads the Megillah backwards has not fulfilled his obligation. (Talmud - Megillah 2:1) One who reads backwards refers to those who treat our yearly festivals like old-fashioned relics, cumbersome observances whose time has long passed. Such a person has not fulfilled his obligation, for this wrongful attitude prevents him from experiencing the deep riches contained within the festivals.
My two year old daughter and I were looking through a Zoobooks magazine on Tuesday night and came across an illustration of some game poachers armed with rifles in a jeep chasing a cheetah. Out of curiosity I pointed to the picture of the rifle and asked my daughter what it was. She stumbled over an answer and finally just looked at the picture unable to say anything. She had never seen anything like this before and this word was not in her vocabulary.
One of the biggest obstacles in the search for truth is other people, especially those who make fun of religion with 'sophisticated' jokes. They are under the spell of philosophical speculation and other current ideas. The damage they cause is quite obvious. They have the power to corrupt people completely, G-d forbid. What is even more insidious is the sharp wit of people who give the appearance of being respectable and well meaning, but who have a way of turning all kinds of religious matters into a joke. Many people are deterred from true religion because of this. At least where the blatant mockery of the philosophers is concerned most people have the sense to be wary and keep away, knowing as they do that philosophy has the power to deprive you of both worlds, this one and the next, and to throw you down into the lowest pit of hell, G-d forbid. But the 'wit and wisdom' of those who give the impression of being decent and religious can be more dangerous because their words possess a certain aura of truth. Travel the path of purity and you will walk in trust. Keep well away from this crowd and pay no attention to their humor and wise ideas. Walk with simplicity and purity along the ancient path of our forefathers.
Unfortunately I do not have a lot of new Purim related material to share. I am still trying to scratch the surface and get a better understanding of this holiday myself.
Whoever supports a machlokes (controversy) is blotted out, and no memory of him remains.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by a glance of the eye. - from the Yom Kippur prayers
Looking at forbidden things leads to sin. The eyes see and the heart desires. ...Even innocent gazing causes sin; it turns your heart to trivialities and confuses your thoughts, making it difficult to concentrate on your prayers. By nature, a person cannot look at anything without thinking about it. ...When you dull the vision of the soul, you erect a barrier between yourself and G-d and become incapable of perceiving higher truths.
Who is it? Uncle Moishy of course!
The arm tefillin represent physical action while the head tefillin represent the intellect. By putting on the arm tefillin first we are reconfirming our complete faith and commitment to Torah. When we accepted the Torah on Sinai - we first said that we would fulfill the Torah then we would listen to what it involves and try to understand its meaning. So too by tefillin, we bind them upon our arm as a sign that we fulfill the mitzvah simply because we were commanded to, then we place the tefillin upon the seat of our intellect - to say that even though we may not (yet) fathom their meaning nevertheless, we place our complete trust in Hashem.
If a person enjoys tearing down ideas, the resulting question becomes, "What idea of value do you have to replace the one you tore down?"
The words of the wise are heard when spoken softly, more than the shout of a ruler of fools.
In siman beis of Likutey Moharan, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches that the main weapon of a Jew is prayer.
Peace does not mean yielding. Peace gained through easy surrender will not endure. The only true peace is the one that results from lengthy battle and negotiation. All points of the dispute must be clarified before the truth can be reached. It will be difficult, but peace achieved though this method will have permanence.
In his March 14 posting, Rabbi Yehoshua Karsh wrote, "I have also proven over and over, that I am willing to sacrifice layers of experience for the sake of comfort." His posting insightfully analyzes the role of "comfort" in American society and the struggle between gashmius and ruchnius.
It is man’s nature to be drawn after the character and actions of his friends and companions, and to act like the people of his country.
(Rambam)
This past weekend we had dinner at the home of a family who has four young children, one of whom is severely autistic. I cannot even imagine the dedication and selflessness that it takes to care for this child. It completely humbles me. Seeing this child was a lesson for me to remember that no matter how difficult I think my problems are, there are always others with problems that will make mine pale in comparison.
We have to come to the realization that cynicism is bad, that it's destructive, that it's pernicious and that it destroys. We have to come to the realization that uncontrolled habitual cynicism leads people to the belief that nothing in this world is anything, that cynicism is a slippery slope that will plunge you into the abyss. No one should even have the temerity to pride himself on being a big cynic, as though it were a badge of honor.
Toddlers are known for their constant demands. After getting what they demand, it is not long before they demand something else. The cycle of need and demand is never ending. From juice to pretzels to a toy, no matter what they have there is always something else that they need immediately.
If a person is where his thoughts are, have cellular phones prevented us from being where we are?
Every Jew learning Torah must strive to reach for the hidden, the secret, within it. Whether he is learning the text on a simple scholarly level or studying the arcane meaning, he must always try to reach for the mystery, which is the light of G-d in that Torah.
The fact that you have a question doesn't necessarily invalidate what you are learning. It only means that at the present your mind cannot yet understand, and a deeper understanding will come at a later time. We cannot expect to understand everything immediately. Some things may take years or even decades.
Outwardly the deliberate person and the lazy person are very much alike, their actions are slow and often delayed. The deliberate person delays, first considering the best course of action. The lazy person does not take the trouble to consider, but simply procrastinates until there is nothing to do but to act.
My wife is known by others for her kindness, patience, selflessness, and easy-going manner. She is so highly regarded by others that I am known by many people as "Dina's" husband. Despite getting very little time to herself away from our children she always puts on a good face when she is out in public. She makes raising two small children appear to be easier than it actually is. People have confided in me that other stay-at-home moms wish they were more like her. My wife in her humility doesn't understand why.
Unsolicited advice - everyone likes giving it, but no one likes receiving it.
Whenever possible use the soft approach. People can be sensitive, easily embarrassed, easily hurt. Consider their feelings at all times. Say things as nicely as possible. Choose your words carefully. Speak privately whenever possible. Do not raise your voice unless absolutely necessary. Be soft. Everyone will be anxious to hear what you have to say.
While I have learned some Breslover seforim in the past, I have never tried to learn Likutey Moharan due to its difficulty. I recently finished learning Likutey Etzos [also known as Kitzur Likutey Moharan] and now with the brocha of Rabbi Brody, am going to attempt to slowly start learning Likutey Moharan. Before I begin, I am going to finish these two books on Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.
"Man's origin is dust and his end is unto dust. He earns his bread at the risk of his life..." - from the Machzor
There once was a shoe merchant very much absorbed in his business. The Alter Rebbe said to him, "This is strange, I have seen people put their feet into shoes, but this is the first time I have seen anyone put his entire head into shoes!"
v'hamaskil yavin...
Please G-d, have mercy upon me that I should not live a life of futility. May I always reflect upon myself, "What am I doing in this world?"
Can you translate this sentence spoken by my two year old daughter?
Living in an urban area there is always a constant hum of white noise in the background. We are bombarded by stimuli on a daily basis.
It is far easier to physically take the Jews out of golus than it is to remove the inner golus from within every Jew.
After my wife put my daughter to bed last night, I walked by and peeked into her room. My daughter looked up and saw me and said, "Gimme a kiss Daddy".
One who reads the words of prayer with great devotion may come to see the lights within the letters, even though one does not understand the meaning of the words one speaks. Such prayer has great power; mistakes in reading are of no importance.
As I wait patiently for a sofer to write the parshios for my new tefillin, I am currently reading this very informative book that gives me a better appreciation for all the halachos involved:
It is amazing what happens when you alter your daily schedule by just a few minutes.
