A Mother's Prayer

All she wished was to have a righteous and pious son. 

Yet, the odds were neatly and firmly stacked against her.

Nature ruled that she would be barren; the Torah ruled הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים, a person's righteousness cannot be destined from Above - a pious lifestyle cannot be foretold.

Thus, the odds of Chana's wish coming true were zero - it could not happen. Not by means of nature nor by the rules of the Torah.

This was reality.

Yet, Chana did not settle with this reality.

She fought to create a new one.

Who's counting?

I was expecting an important piece of mail for a few weeks, and was anxiously awaiting its arrival.

This Shabbos, I was right behind the front door when the mail fell through the mail-slot. One envelope fell onto another. I could not tell if the piece I was looking for had arrived, but another important looking envelope lay on top of the pile. It was from my mortgage bank...

I am set up for paperless billing, and e-notifications, so my heart raced. My bank only writes to me when there is a problem.

I worried that my last payment did not go through. That would mean the check bounced and there would be a fee from the mortgage bank and my regular bank.

Or was it something else?

I had recently renewed the fire insurance policy, and my broker ensured me that all was in order. Was there a lapse? Did the policy expire? 

Cruise Control

When Dovid was escaping the wrath of King Shaul, his friend Yonasan advised him to hide out in the field and await his report on whether and when it would be safe to return home. 

Yonasan devised a plan with which to secretly convey this information to Dovid.

Yonasan told Dovid: "My servant and I will go out to the fields where you are hiding. I will shoot arrows and tell my servant to fetch them. Listen closely to what I tell him: If I tell my servant 'the arrows are close to you', then you will know that it is safe to return home... 

ואם כה אומר לעלם 'הנה החיצים ממך והלאה' - לך, כי שילחך ה

"But if I tell him 'the arrows are further away', then go, for Hashem has sent you..."
(Shmuel I, 20:22)

Yonasan did not tell Dovid, "Go, because my father is still upset with you." He told him, "Go, for Hashem has sent you."

Who's Calling?

ויקרא אל משה וידבר ה' אליו

At first, it does not say who called Moshe. Yet, Moshe does not falter or ask “who is speaking to me?”

This is immediately followed by וידבר ה' אליו.

There are times when we wonder: Why is this happening? Who is doing this? Things may reach a point where the Alef is small – we do not feel the presence of Hashem in the challenge. Things seem as if וַיִקֶר - Vayiker - they are happening by chance, without a plan, C”V.

But then we remember that the Alef is always there.

No matter how small His presence may seem, He is there. We need only to wait for Him to finish the verse, and we will see that He was there all along. 

May Hashem bless us with only revealed good. And when we are faced with challenges, may Hashem bless us to have true Bitachon, and that we merit seeing the revealed positive outcome of every situation.

Color War

Based on the Ma'amar להבין ענין חושן ואיפוד תשכ"ו.

The Ephod was woven with special threads, each one spun with a blend of different colors and materials. As well, unlike a regular apron, it was worn on the back of the Kohen Gadol, rather than on the front.

This uniquely varied blend of colors and materials, represents the wide-ranging and often conflicting character traits inborn within our psyches; the unique-to-each-individual's own blend of Midos, both good and bad. 

The Avodah of a Jew is to sort through these "colors", cultivate the good Midos, and transform the bad ones. 

Don't Be Content

Reading the news is so sad, painful and frightening. When I was a teenager, news affected me in a selfish way. It scared me personally, and indeed it certainly still does. But as I've "grown up", I've noticed that compassion has started to play a bigger role. As a teenager, it was, "How does this affect me." Now it's more like, "Oy, that's so terrible. Please, Hashem, end the suffering." I've started to understand the tiniest tip of the iceberg of Wanting Moshiach. I say the tip, because I am sure my desire for Moshiach is lacking much.

Cymbal of Hope

In honor of Chof Beis Shevat, Yahrtzeit of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushkah A"H

“Miriam took a tambourine, and all the women came out after her with tambourines.” (Shemos, 15:20)

It is understandable that Miriam, a Prophetess, foresaw the redemption, and prepared for herself a tambourine with which to celebrate. Yet, from where did the other women have tambourines?

Since the Egyptians must have had one or two tambourines with which to celebrate at their family festivals, etc. - and we know that the Jewish People took along the riches of the land when they left Egypt - we can answer that, along with all the other things, the Jews took the Egyptians’ tambourines.

Nevertheless, while many women would have had an Egyptian tambourine among their possessions, it is unlikely that all of the Jewish women had tambourines with them, yet, the Possuk says “…All the women came out... with tambourines” ?

Where did all the tambourines come from?

Wine of Hope

After revealing his identity to his brothers, Yosef instructed them to travel back to Eretz Yisroel and bring his father to Mitzrayim. Along with provisions for the way, Yosef sent a lavish gift to his father, along with - Rashi specifies - he sent aged wine.

The Rebbe teaches us that while the gift in general was a show of respect for his father, the aged wine had a double significance: it was an enhancement on the Mitzvah of Kibud Av Va'em, as aged wine is especially appreciated by older people. As well, the aged wine served as a special message for Yakov.

Our sages teach us that for the duration of Yosef's separation, the brothers did not drink wine. This was not a form of Teshuva, rather a form of mourning. 

In Hot Pursuit

“Please let water be taken to wash your feet, and recline in the shade of the tree. Let me take for you some bread…”

Once they accepted his invitation, Avraham served the three angels a meal fit for a king, replete with the choicest meat, fatty cream, fresh bread and milk.

Our Chachomim learn from this that a Tzadik says little and does much. Hence, Avraham’s offer for “a little bread” was, in the end, much, much more.

The question is raised: For a Tzadik who spoke little and did much, why did Avraham elaborate so much in the beginning of his invitation. “Please let water be taken, so that you can wash your feet, and rest under the tree.” Surely, a short, “Please come wash your feet and rest” would have sufficed.

Three Jews, One Truth

A Chossid once consulted with his Rebbe, “I heard that it’s a good segulah for Parnasa to say Parshas Hamon (the portion of the Torah that describes the Jews’ eating the Mon in the desert).”

His Rebbe answered: “True, it is. But only if it is said before eight o’clock in the morning. After eight o’clock, you need to go out and work…”

***

Parnasa comes from Hashem. And, Hashem tells us what we need to do in order to receive it: וברכך בכל אשר תעשה. Parnasa will come in that which you do. Meaning, Hashem is commanding us to make a vessel in nature, a conduit through which His blessings will reach us.

The Hidden Mitzvah

The Chofetz Chaim once traveled with a Talmid in a taxi cab. After paying the driver, the Chofetz Chaim pointed out to the Talmid that he just did a Mitzah.

“What Mitzvah?” the Talmid asked, “He provided a service, so I had to pay him!”

The Chofetz Chaim explained:
You just fulfilled the Mitzvah of ביומו תתן שכרו, to pay a day-laborer on the day he did the work for you.

Rabbi Chananya Ben Akashia said:
רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצוות
Hashem wanted to give us opportunities to be meritorious (or, to refine us), therefore He gave us many Mitzvos. (Makos 23b)

A Blessing for Life

There is a custom among Zanz-Klausenberg Chassidim that the Rebbe throws apples to his followers, and it is said that the one who catches one is blessed with immense riches for the coming year.

Understandably, the large crowd of Chassidim who push to get an apple creates a potentially dangerous situation.

One year, the son of the Divrei Chaim of Zanz asked his father to abolish this custom. After refusing to uproot a custom that was kept for so many years, the son asked that the Rebbe at least announce that whoever will push, will receive ten years of poverty R”L instead of a blessing for riches. Again, the Rebbe refused. “The Chassidim come to be for Brochos, and I will give them the opposite?”

Of Seeds and Saplings - Part 1

The farmer's son was returning from the market with the crate of chickens his father had entrusted to him, when all of a sudden the box fell and broke open. Chickens scurried off in different directions, but the determined boy walked all over the neighborhood, scooping up the wayward birds and returned them to the repaired crate.

Hoping he had found them all, the boy returned home...

"Pa, the chickens got loose," the boy confessed sadly, "but I managed to find all twelve of them."

"Well, you did real good, son," the farmer beamed. "I sent you home with seven."

***

We Daven to Hashem that we merit seeing the results of our Avodah. Sometimes Hashem blesses us with results that surpass our expectations. Other times, we need a strong Emunah and Bitachon to stay committed...

Dollars, Change and Sense

A business owner once asked a group of professionals: “What do you get when you add 100 + 100?”

The statistician said, “If you disregard a negligible percentage of odd cases, in most instances it would equal 200”

The economist answered: “It would depend on whether the value of the second 100 depreciated by the time the equation is factored…”

The engineer answered: “200, if you can ascertain they will hold together...”

The accountant looked around and whispered: “What do you need it to be?”

A tremendous part of Emunah and Bitachon is being able to distinguish between that which is in our hands to change and that which is not. Without this insight, one is liable to squander opportunities for making real change in an area that he can affect, while wasting his time and energy trying to change that which he cannot.

... and the results are in!

A man once observed two workers on the street in front of his house. One was digging a hole in the ground, and the other was filling it up. The men kept repeating this puzzling procedure every couple of yards.

“What are you doing, wasting your time like that?” the man asked.

“We were hired by the Parks Commission to plant trees along this street,” answered the first worker.

“So where are the trees?!” the man exclaimed.

“Oh, we are a team of three,” the second worker answered. “The third guy, the tree planter, is not here today. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do our jobs…”

Flawed to Perfection

We all give our best in parenting. We learn, we try, we fall... but we never give up. 

After all, they are our children...

Yet, at times, parents feel that their physical, emotional, or spiritual limitations hinder their ability to raise and nurture their children properly. In fact, some parents may not even be around (figuratively, or G-d forbid, literally) to be a continued, hands-on partner in their child’s Chinuch…

Are these children then doomed to fail? Do these children lose out? Will these children become “damaged”?

FREE! Heading Towards Happiness

Chaya Hinda Allen is giving a free class on Positive Thinking on Monday, May 4th at 2pm EST. Eliminate fear, worry and guilt, and experience real inner peace...

My Personal Exodus This Year

I worked, I planned, I hoped, I anticipated.

I was looking forward to a wonderful Seder. And indeed, we had a wonderful Seder, albeit in a very different way than I ever imagined. We had worked extra hard during the days leading up to Pesach, so it was quite calm BH on Erev Pesach, however, I was feeling a migraine gradually setting in. By the time the Seder began, it was in full force.

To appreciate my Exodus, I need to share with you how I would have reacted to such a situation in the past. I would have been angry, disillusioned and self-judging. “What’s the point of all the hard work if I can’t even enjoy the pinnacle of it all?” or, “Why does this ‘always’ happen?” or, “It’s my fault… I worked too hard and brought this upon myself. I always overdo it.” And so forth.

But this night was different…

Recommended

I am recommending an excellent class, "Positive Pesach," given by Mrs. Chaya Hinda Allen, of jpthink.com. Chaya Hinda focuses on using the power of our imagination to tap into Bitachon. Using our Bitachon, we open ourselves up to unbelievable possibilities. In this class, Chaya Hinda applies these principles towards a positive Pesach experience.

I have obtained permission to share the first 30 minutes of the class for free to my readers. Click here to download. 

Click here to buy the complete recording from Jpthink.com for only $10.

What a Chutzpah!

As I was tidying up after Shabbos, I picked up my son’s Hachayol magazine and caught sight of the back page: The Gemara prophesizes, “In the generation before Moshiach, children will totally disregard the authority of their parents”; The Rebbe says that this time has already come, and that this trait can be utilized for Avodas Hashem – children turning the hearts of their parents toward Hashem (asking them to improve in their commitment to Torah and Mitzvos).

Upon further reflection, I realized that my children actually turn my heart toward Hashem in another way. When they challenge my authority and I remain centered around my purpose to serve Hashem, I will respond from a place of, "These are Hashem's children. What can I be doing better?" rather than, "Spoiled kids!"

This humbling introspection compels me to reevaluate my parenting skills and ultimately, my relationship with Hashem...