A Simple Noahide

This is something I learnt during my die-trying seeking for conversion  to Judaism. There is a beauty in Judaism that it does not require you  to be Jewish in living a righteous life. Indeed you are always  encouraged to be what your Designer wants you to be. Every single  human has his or her own purpose in this world. You can reach your full capacity of being good, either you're an  Americans, Chinese, Indonesians or Botswanians.

Judaism believe humanity as the son of Noah, who survived the flood  catastrophy, are together bound into certain universal codes which serves as the guidance to living righteously, and eventually being saved and inherits the next world (or you may call it heaven or paradise). That is the origin of the term 'Noahides'. Some people never exercise a full conversion to Judaism and opt to be a Noahide.

The Noahidism itself is not a religion per se, it acts more like moral codes that universally bounds us, humanity, no matter what religion we adhere to. These universal codes teach that whatever beliefs you hold to, you can sit down together and agree on these seven basic things: to acknowledge one God as a single God alone and only (my emphasis on monotheism), to respect God, to respect your fellow human being, to respect the properties of others, to respect the sanctification of marriage, to treat every living creatures wisely, and to establish the court of justice. Theoritically you can remain and keep practising your faith while agreeing on these universal codes, however practically you may need to adjust certain aspects of your beliefs, like for example, the idea that no one saves unless believing in the way you do.

Among the existing religions today, Islam and Unitarian Christianity are the most compatible to Noahides. Christians in general might stumble on how they comprehend Trinity. Other religion like Hinduism is somewhat problematic that some people think it is one form of paganism that survives to this date. But this religion may have twice encyclopedic morality laws than yours. While it believes in pantheon of gods, Hinduism acknowledge the idea of one single utmost spiritual Being, although it is abstract and impersonificated. Another Eastern religion that may be problematic is Buddhism. It really does not have near equivalency of how we usually define God. In Buddhism you have Nirvana, the highest reality, but you don't have God. Alternatively, you now have The Buddha, the master, the enlightened one, but after all he's not the God himself. As I am not the expert of this area, I will leave this alone. People interested in Noahides should learn it from Torah scholars, the rabbis, who keep this teaching alive for thousands years.

My journey in seeking conversion seem having ended. I may have hard times explaining people, especially to my children about my religion. But overall, I am happy being a Noahide, keeping a good faith, in the way my Designer wants me to be, that is, being good.

Ari Ben Noah

The fifth volumes of the Shulkhan Arukh

The legal code known as Shulkhan Arukh, compiled by the great Sephardic rabbi Joseph Karo in the mid-1500s, is still the standard legal code of Judaism. When rabbis, particularly if they are Orthodox, are asked to rule on a question of Jewish law, the first volume they consult generally is the Shulkhan Arukh.

The Shulkhan Arukh is divided into four volumes: Orakh Hayyim, Yoreh Deah, Even Hazer, and Khoshen Mishpat.

A popular Jewish folktale tells of a young student who came to a prominent rabbi to be tested for ordination. The rabbi's first question was "Name the five volumes of the Shulkhan Arukh."

The student, thinking that the rabbi had made a slip of the tongue, named the four volumes, but the rabbi asked him to name the fifth.

"There is o fifth volume." the student said.

"There is indeed," the rabbi said. "Common sense is the fifth volume, and if you don't have it, all your rulings will be of no use, even if you know the other four volumes by heart".

Source: Jewish Literacy, R. Telushkin.

Congregation of Jacob

One of the most famous verses in Parshat Vezot Habracha is the verse "Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe". It is a verse that every child knows!

The Torah that Moses commanded us is the heritage of the Congregation of Jacob" (Deut. 33:4)

"Our Rabbis taught, when a child begins to speak, his father must teach him Torah and Keriat Shema. What is Torah? Rav Hamnuna says: Torah Tziva lanu Moshe Morasha Kehillat Yaakov" (Talmud Sukka 42a)

A heritage means that the Torah is the property of generations before and after, as Rabbi Mordechai Gifter explained, it is incumbent upon the heirs to preserve it intact.

Rambam teaches that since the verse is using the phrase "Congregation of Jacob", and not "Children of Israel" as in the previous verses, it conveys a meaning that the Torah is the heritage not merely of those born of Jewish parents, but it is shared by every soul that joins the Jewish nations and accepts the Torah.

Highs, Lows, and Depression

Highs and Lows During the Conversion Process

The conversion journey is made up of highs and lows. Can't find a rabbi - low. Find a rabbi - high. Rabbi gets busy, misses meetings, doesn't return calls, and doesn’t return emails - low. You find a mentoring family(ies) - high. You feel that your practice is increasing and you know what you are doing - high. You learn more and take on more and realize you know nothing - low. You take a break from increased observance learning for 1 day to several years - low. You get re-energized and begin learning and adding practices - high. Your rabbi says you are ready for a biet din - high. You start thinking about the beit din - freak out, I'm not good enough, I don't know enough, etc. - low. You go in front of the beit din and pass - high (real big high). 2 days to 6 months later - you have this major downer low for no apparent reason - its because your focus has changed and just like planning a wedding afterwards there is a "what do I do with myself" and "what are my goals" - low. Once you realize that is a normal part of the process - lows and highs become based on normal life stuff (marriage, kids, illness, death (g-d forbid), etc.). And every now and then I've heard this from people who I'm in awe of as converts that converted like 20+ years ago - you'll feel like a fraud that's going to be found out -low. People come to you for assistance with their journey (BT and pre-convert) - high.

I wish someone had told me the above - I'd have been more prepared. My advice (wish I'd really done all of this) is to create a personal statement (this I did and have posted to the file section) tracking my progress by date - and continued to do it post-conversion (this I didn't do) - but I think this would have helped me when I have those down moments/feeling like a fraud.

Post Conversion Highs and Lows

Many of us right after the conversion feel a high - some just a little one and others a major one. Then days/weeks/months afterwards we feel a down - usually in proportion to the level of the high. The higher you are the harder the down is. I've only known a few converts that did not go through this (and there is nothing wrong with not having the high/down cycle).

Converting is even more intensive than getting married. You spend years studying, proving yourself, focusing your energy on the goal - converting. And then you reach the goal. What do you do now? You have time that you never used to have how do you fill it? Then there are the doubts that can creep in and make one wonder "am I really a Jew" and "I feel like a pretender".

My only advice is to watch out for these thoughts. When you hit the down know that it is normal. Pick a mitzvah to "refine" your practice of. Try to find a "study buddy" and create a chavrusa to study with weekly, if you can not find anyone local contact Partners in Torah (http://www.partnersintorah.org/ ) and get a study buddy. Keep reminding yourself that the beit din would not have converted you if they did not feel you were ready. Make use of your support system that hopefully you developed during your conversion process.

Depression

Depression is pretty common during conversion. At different points we find ourselves focusing on what we have not learned yet or what we are not doing yet. This is one of the reasons I doing the personal statement and to keep a running list of what mitzvah you are taking on with the date next to it and checking it monthly to update it with "am now keeping" or "did not go as hoped and have these questions so have backed off on it and am now trying to do x". I also recommend keeping a list of the books you read. Again, check this list monthly to update it. If you have good jewish friends that have been with you through your process have them look at your personal statement, specifically the section on what mitzvot you have taken on/are taking on and see if they find things that you forgot.

When you get depressed pull out your list of what you've taken on and read to remind yourself that you do have forward movement and to give yourself credit for what you have accomplished.

I also found that I got depressed when either I had taken on too much too quickly or when I had been stagnate with no forward practice for too long. So look at what is going on when you feel these moments of depression. Look at what you have accomplished. Write a list of what you still want to learn/take on and set priorities and maybe dates for forward action. If the depression is coming on because you took too much on too quickly, take a step back, and stop whatever the last mitzvah was you took on, and stay steady for a few weeks/month, then pick a different mitzvah than the one you were stressing over.

One of the reasons I stress for someone to have a rabbi is that the structured study with a rabbi does help in maintaining a more even keel. It also gives you someone you can take those lists too for advice on what to do next.

You also need to develop a network of friends that can support you during this time. When you start feeling depression over this get together with them. Let their warmth surround you. And if possible get them to talk with you about what you have accomplished and what you are stressing over. It sometimes also helps to be in therapy while going through conversion as conversion is very stressful and a therapist can help you learn stress relieving techniques.

Going through the "study guide" or the list of things the Sydney beit din requires will give you an idea of what you know and what you may still need to learn. You can find all of these documents in the conversion folder within the files section (http://tinyurl.com/bhyxp ). Many people find that they know more than they realize when they are in a depression. And that they know less than they think when they are riding one of the "highs".

-Malka Esther
http://lennhoff.com/jewish_links.htm

REBBE NACHMAN ON CONVERTS TO JUDAISM

Compassion for Humanity in the Jewish Tradition

The greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, is primarily revealed when the non-Jewish nations, too, come to know that there is a Divine Authority. As the Zohar states: When the idolatrous priest Jethro decided to serve God and declared, "Now I know that God is greater than all powers," the Divine name was glorified and exalted from every aspect (Zohar II, Yisro, 69a, citing Exodus 18:11) (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan I, 10:1).

*

"And Jethro the Priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, His people…" (Exodus 18:1). Because he was the father-in-law of Moses, he heard and converted. For everything Moses worked to accomplish, during his life and now, after his death, was only to make converts [and bring all humanity back to God] (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan 1:215).

*

Through converts (geirim) and penitents (baalei teshuvah), the Oneness of God is revealed through the very multiplicity of creation. Since they, too, come forth in order to become incorporated into His absolute Oneness, this is most precious to God. Therefore, the Torah stresses that one should love and encourage the proselyte. Similarly, our Sages greatly praised the spiritual levels attained by penitents, who, after having distanced themselves, strive to return to God (Rabbi Noson Sternhartz, Likutei Halachos, Prika Ute'ina, 4:3).

*

"Peace, peace, to the far and the near" (Isaiah 57:19). Converts and penitents often feel the pain of their distance from holiness, due to their past sins and the extent to which they have not yet purified their bodies. Nevertheless, they must also realize how close they really are to God - just as they are right now - for God's love and mercy is limitless. When they grasp this, they can truly draw close to God. These two seemingly opposite perceptions are implied by the verse, "Peace, peace to the far and the near."

This principle is also reflected by the tradition that when a non-Jew comes to convert, he is initially discouraged (Yevamos 47a). This is a consequence of his distance from holiness. However, the entire purpose of this initial discouragement is only to strengthen his resolve and draw him closer. For if after everything, he says, "I know that I am unworthy," that is, he recognizes his distance from holiness, then he is immediately accepted (Rabbi Noson Sternhartz, Likutei Halachos, Shilu'ach HaKan 5:17).

*

In the Ultimate Future, speech will be perfected. Even the non-Jewish nations will use their power of speech to call out to God, as it is written, "For then I will convert the nations to a pure speech, that they shall all call upon the name of God" (Zephaniah 3:9). Thus, speech will be perfected.

At present, speech is lacking and incomplete, for the whole world is not using the power of speech to call out to God. However, in the Ultimate Future, they will all use the power of speech to call out to God, even the non-Jewish nations. Then speech will be perfected. This is the aspect of "a pure speech," since everyone will use speech to call out to God (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan I, 66:3)

YAD L'GERIM - HELPING CONVERTS TO JUDAISM

Man does not live by bread alone

Parshat Ekev introduced us to the popular phrase "Man does not live by bread alone" (8:3). However, end of that verse is far less famous, although the second part contains the true message. It reads, "Rather, by everything that emanates from the mouth of G-d does man live." If the point is that G-d's emanations are the source of our lives, why use bread as the subject, when bread only becomes edible through the toils of man? Wouldn't fruits be a better example of G-d's influence on the world?

I heard Rabbi Shmuel Greenberg and saw Rav Hirsch explain that bread is used as the subject because it exemplifies the toils of man, and that the message here is that even when you toil for the bread you eat, don't forget that Hashem (G-d) has toiled for everything that we have, and His goal is not just to sustain us, but to help us live physically AND spiritually. Man should not only seek physical nourishment from the work of his hands, but should seek spiritual nourishment from the word of his G-d.

Jeff Seidel
Worldwide Jewish Network

Bring vitality into the performance of the mitzvot

When Rebbetzin Rivkah (wife of Rabbi Shmuel, the fourth Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe) was eighteen, she fell ill and the physician ordered her to eat immediately upon awakening. She, however, did not wish to eat before praying, so she woke up even earlier and prayed—so that she could eat breakfast at the time she had been used to waking up beforehand. Understandably, her new schedule, with now reduced sleep time, did not cause her health condition to improve...

When her father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek (Rabbi Menachem Mendel, third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe) learned of his daughter-in-law's behavior, he said to her:

"A Jew must be healthy and strong. Regarding mitzvot, the Torah says: 'Live in them,' meaning, one should bring vitality into the performance of the mitzvot. To be able to infuse mitzvot with vitality, one must be strong and joyful."

He concluded: "You should not be without food. Better to eat for the sake of praying than to pray for the sake of eating..."

Source: Hayom Yom 10 Sh'vat

Time of Divine Favor

The Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner, of blessed memory, is quoted in his Pachad Yitzchak (in the section on the night of Hoshana Rabbah):

The Jewish people are accustomed to turn to Sefer Tehillim, the Book of Psalms, during times of distress and sorrow. Therefore, people think that prayer and the saying of Tehillim are essentially the same thing. This is not so. Tehillim are zemirot, songs of praise. more than a prayer. The difference between them is that while prayer should be recited at a time of Divine favor, the saying of Tehillim has the power to create a time of Divine favor, an Eit Ratzon. In prayer, the content has to be tailored to the need, while in Tehillim, the saying of any part creates an Eit Ratzon. And when there is a condition of Eit Ratzon, troubles depart.

Source: The Foreword in Tehillim Eit Ratzon, Feldheim Publishers

Kaddish with Oprah

By Simcha Jacobovici

The phone rang in my New York hotel room. It was 1995, and I was saying Kaddish for my late father, of blessed memory, Joseph Jacobovici. I live in Toronto, but I'm a filmmaker so I move around.

During my eleven months of saying Kaddish, I ended up in various minyans from San Francisco to Halifax. Once, I extended a stopover in Detroit and rushed to the basement of an old synagogue, where I was greeted by nine octogenarians as if I were the Messiah himself. But the phone call in New York was the start of what turned out to be perhaps the most interesting Kaddish experience of them all.

Whenever I had to explain this, people never quite got it. I had just finished a documentary film called "The Selling of Innocents." The film won an Emmy, attracting the attention of Oprah Winfrey, the American icon and celebrated TV host. The producer at the other end of the telephone line asked if I could fly to Chicago and appear with my fellow producers on the Oprah show the day after next.

I was taken aback. This was the Oprah show. The big time. Great publicity for the film, and a great promotional opportunity for me and my company.

"I'd love to do it," I said, "but I don't think I can."

"Why not?" the producer asked, her voice betraying her surprise. Nobody says "too busy" to the Oprah show.

"I have a problem," I answered.

The producer's voice, Lisa was her name, became steely-- all business. "What's the problem?" she asked.

"It's complicated."

"Try me," she said.

I began the process of explaining, to a non-Jewish television producer from Chicago, the Jewish ritual of Kaddish.

Whenever I had to explain this, people never quite got it. I would tell them that I need a minyan, and they would drive me to an empty synagogue... It never quite worked out. But this was Oprah.

So I gave it a try.

The rest unfolded like a military operation "I'm Jewish. My father passed away. In our religion it's incumbent upon me, three times a day, to say a certain prayer, a glorification of G‑d's Name, really. It's called Mourner's Kaddish. To do this, I need to be in a 'Jewish quorum.' It's called a minyan... So I can't miss this ritual. If I come to Chicago, I would have to attend morning services prior to being on Oprah."

"No problem," she said. "You need a minyan to say Kaddish. Ten Jewish men. For morning services. I'll arrange it."

"It's not so simple," I said. "You may find a synagogue, but it might not have a minyan in the morning. Or the Jewish community may send you to a synagogue that's open... which wouldn't do the trick for me."

Lisa tried to be patient. "I'll fax your flight information to your hotel. You will be met in Chicago by a limo. The driver will have the minyan information. You will say Kaddish for your father."

The rest unfolded like a military operation. The next day the ticket came. I arrived in Chicago. Then the limo came. The driver took me to a hotel and said, "I'll be here at 6:30 a.m. Your minyan begins at 7 a.m. I'll pick you up at 8 a.m. You'll be at the Oprah show by 8:30 a.m."

The hotel room was beautiful. I slept like a baby. At 6:30 in the morning, I came down and stepped into my limo. There was a newspaper on the seat.

I could get used to this, I thought.

The driver pulled up in front of a downtown office building and told me that there was a Chabad Lubavitch minyan on one of the upper floors.

When I got there, the rabbi looked at me and said, "So you're the guy saying Kaddish. I was warned by the Oprah show that I'd better have a minyan."

We smiled at each other. I was really impressed with Lisa and Oprah. And I felt that my father was surely amused. After prayers, my driver took me to the Oprah show. I was met by Lisa, a black woman in her thirties. She got straight to the point.

"You had a minyan?"

"Yes, thank you," I said.

"Was it proper? Did you say Kaddish?"

"Absolutely. Couldn't be better," I answered.

She looked at me with that look that star surgeons have when they come out of the operating room. Or maybe it's the look that battle commanders have when coming back from a military operation. It's a look that says, "Nothing is too complicated."

I was on Oprah. She was very professional. I had my five minutes of fame. But all I can remember of that day is the Kaddish.

Judaism for Gentiles?

As provoking as before, my Facebook friend, Asher Meza posted another new video calling gentiles to convert to Judaism. Some people are getting disturbed by the title. Judaism for what ? Historically we are never a missionary religion. We don't seek converts. What the text sources does he use to support this ?

I think if I could help clarifying things, certainly what Asher means "gentiles" here is not literally gentiles. In this video, he is showing that he is very aware there are many people who are interested in Judaism but are not in the right situation to start the conversion process immediately (e.g. living too far from Jewish community). They are the gentiles he is talking about. The Sages of the Talmud call someone who is considering conversion a "Ger sheba l'his'gayer" - "a convert who comes to convert", not a "goy sheba l'his'gayer" - not a "gentile who comes to convert". So what does it mean ? It means a true convert is already Jewish from the beginning. They are Jewish souls who got lost somewhere along the way.

So if you reject being just a good Noahide, if you think you are one of those potential true converts, while you are working to improve your situation, until you become able to complete the conversion, you got stuck in the so-called "Transitional Judaism". Here are some the do's and the dont's when you are practising it.

- You can keep laws of kashrut (eating kosher).

- You can observe Shabbat but you have to violate at least one ruling (e.g. light the candle after halachic time). According to many sources, when the Talmud teaches that an Akum (heathen - but sometimes could be nachri - non-Jew, and changed by censors) who rests is liable to the death penalty, that is referring to resting from sunrise to sunrise on any day, unlike the Jewish sabbath which begins at sundown Friday and ends 72 minutes after sundown Saturday.

- You can put mezuzot in your house. Rambam states this explicitly in chapter 10 of Hilkhoth Melakhim in the Mishne Torah. Some say you should do it without the blessing. When you're fully convert, you put it on again, this time with the blessing.

- You have to keep the laws of Tzniut (dressing modestly).

- You can wear kippah, but please be careful, when you wear it, people might think you are a Jew when you're not, especially if you are still eating cheese burger. In such case, you would desecreate G-d's name (Chillul Hashem).

- You can wear tzitzit but it would be better to consult with your local Orthodox rabbi first.

- You have to perform Tzedakah as much as possible.

- You can start praying using siddurim.

- Use your time to learn and experience all that you can about Judaism. Learning Hebrew is also highly recommended.

You can find Asher Meza in his website BeJewish.org

A Prayer For Every Need

A PRAYER FOR EVERY NEED

Following is a list of Psalms which are recited on special occasions:

To find a mate (Shidduch)	32, 38, 70, 71, 72, 82, 121, 124
On the day of a wedding	The entire Sefer Tehillin should be recited
For healthy childbirth	4, 5, 8, 20, 35, 57, 93, 108, 142
On the day of a Bris (circumcision)	12
For recovery from illness	6, 13, 20, 22, 23, 30, 32, 38, 41, 51, 86, 88, 91, 102, 103, 121, 130, 142, 143
For livelihood	23, 34, 36, 62, 65, 67, 85, 67, 85, 104, 121, 136, 144, 145
For peace	46, 91
For success	22, 38, 112, 121, 144
For thanksgiving	9, 21, 57, 95, 100, 116, 138
For divine guidance	139
For repentance	51, 90
For help in troublesome times	20, 38, 85, 86, 102, 130, 142
Prayer recited when traveling	91
Psalm of thanksgiving for a miracle	18
Psalm of thanksgiving upon being rescued	124
In a house of mourning	49
At a gravesite or on Yahrzeit	16, 17, 33, 72, 91, 104, 130
At the dedication of a monument	1
Prayer before meal	24
Prayer before bentching	Weekdays 137 on Shabbos 126
On day of Bar Mitzva	2
Prayer at the Western Wall	2, 6, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38, 42, 43, 44, 48, 65, 66, 84, 85, 87, 91, 122, 128, 129, 130, 132, 133, 134
Tikkun Haklali	16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150

The main point is when you say Tehillim with the proper intentions, namely to understand the simple meaning of the words, it is granted that your prayers will reach the highest heights of heaven. No matter how low you may feel never give up. God always listens to your prayers so stay strong and its never late to return to him.

Source: 

TehillimOnline.com

Tikkun Haklali

Why Logic Is Not Enough To Find G-d

"The heart which involves the desire of the soul, i.e. the will, is a very important sensibility. Binah by itself is not enough, if emotion is not joined with it. There must be a unity of brain and heart, a harmony of intelligence and emotion.

…Human beings who think that they can come to know G-d through research, philosophy and intellectual insight, are mistaken. “The teachings of his G-d are in his heart” (Psalms 37:31) There is no more suitable insight to attain the divine than through the heart. When a person purifies his traits, he will find the Divinity in his heart

…“From there you will seek G-d, your Lord, and if you pursue Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him.” (Deut.4:29) 

Reb Simcha Bunim explained it this way:

“All the efforts to know G-d which comes only through wisdom and research will not reach the desired objective because those efforts do not flow from this other special source. Thus it is written ‘From there,’ i.e. from another place. ‘From there you will seek G-d, your Lord…’ A person may twist and turn to seek G-d through research and study but he loses his way because he is seeking ‘from there’. Suddenly a ‘finding’ appears upon his path in front of him, ‘a ray of light’, a wondrous light, which breaks through all his darkness, ‘and you will find’. Why? ‘Because you pursue Him with all your heart’; one needs to pursue G-d with all ‘your heart’.”

- R. Simcha Bunim of Pshischa – His life and teachings (pg. 84-87)

Source: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=37905542320&topic=36537

In The Innermost Place of Torah There is Silence

Lesson from weekly Torah reading: Parashat Shemini (Lev 9:1-11-47)

By Rabbi Victor Reinstein of Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue

In the very middle of the Torah is a silent space between two words in which can be heard the “still small voice” of God. In parashat Sh’mini is the very middle of the Torah for both words and letters. Ancient scribes lovingly counted each word and each letter of Torah. The word for scribe in Hebrew is sofer, whose root, in fact, means, “to count.” The exact middle of the Torah is not a word, but the space between two words. It is the space that comes between the last word of the first half of the Torah and the first word of the second half of the Torah. These two words are darosh darash, each formed of the same letters of the root meaning “to seek, or to search.” Moses searched for the goat of the sin offering and became angry with Aaron because he and his surviving sons had not eaten the offering as they were supposed to as part of their rite of atonement on behalf of Israel. They did not eat it because they were in mourning for the other two sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, struck down suddenly for offering “strange fire” before God. The grieving father had already stood before Moses and received words of cold comfort that sought to justify the tragedy. Of Aaron’s quiet dignity in his lack of response to his brother, the Torah says, vayidom Aharon, “and Aaron was silent.”

In the Torah’s innermost silence, Aaron’s silence echoes. Moses learned from that silence and came to search not only for the goat, but for understanding in his own heart, announcing to the entire people through the midrashic voice of the rabbis, “I have erred regarding the law, and my brother Aaron came and taught me.” Indeed, in the humility that allows for such admission is Moses’ greatness. The two words that frame the silence in the middle of the Torah, darosh darash, “and you shall search ever so carefully,” beckon us to enter that silence and to search and to listen.

From these words that give form to the Torah’s place of silence, we learn that in a search for truth and understanding we need look to both sides, to past and to future. The Hebrew for truth, Emet, is itself formed of the first middle and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Looking forward from the very first letter, aleph, we see the letters bet, gimmel, daled which form the word, beged, clothing, but with the simple shift of a vowel form boged, deceit. So too, standing at the very last letter of the alphabet, tav, and looking back, we see the letters kuf, resh, shin, which can form kesher – connection, or sheker – lie.

The search for truth begins in silence and humility, in the strength to recognize and acknowledge our own shortcomings and mistakes, as Moses did. No one has a monopoly on truth. When woven of the golden threads of silence, spun from the Torah’s innermost place, the garb of truth rests upon us all, joining us together beneath her wing, as a tallis.

Source: http://www.neharshalom.org/divre_torah_innermost_place_of_torah.html

The 10 Most Amazing Jewish Thoughts

10. Man thinks, God laughs

An old Yiddish proverb says, "Men tracht un Got lacht." Freely translated, it means "the best way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans." Like many Yiddish proverbs, it has its funny side, but there's an edge to it. It recognizes that the universe is still in many ways impenetrable. We can chart the structure of the genome; we can chart the courses of the stars; but we can't come close to mapping out the future. We make our plans; we strategize and build and set up structures of meaning, and then life comes along and blows a hole in them.

One of the things I like about this proverb is its essential humility about the way the world works. Distilled in its words is the wisdom of a people used to the vicissitudes of life; they know that its twists and turns are unpredictable and you should never be surprised when things turn out differently than you thought they would. There's also an essential humility about God. Nobody can read God's mind, the proverb suggests. Nobody really has a handle on what God's plan is. Best not to get too carried away with your own sense of importance. You're not as smart as you think you are, and eventually the universe will prove that to you.

9. Prayer, Doctors and Rabbi Salanter

Doctors recently conducted an unusual experiment:

In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications.

Researchers emphasized that their work can't address whether G-d exists or answers prayers made on another's behalf. The study can only look for an effect from prayers offered as part of the research, they said.

The doctors seem to have made two mistakes:

1. They confused prayer with magic. Prayer is a request--and 'no' is also an answer.

2. They are not familiar with Rabbi Yisroel Salanter--

The story is told about Rabbi Salanter that he was at an inn he frequented. He noticed that unlike previously, the innkeeper was serving treif. He asked the innkeeper why. 

The innkeeper responded that a guest had come in and say he could prove that G-d did not exist--the guest took a piece of treif meat and said that if he eats it and G-d strikes him down dead, that proves that He exists; if however the guest could eat the treif with impunity, that would prove that G-d did not exist.

The guest ate the treif, and nothing happened--and the innkeeper said he had concluded that G-d did not exist and there was no reason not to serve treif.

As he was speaking, innkeeper's daughter ran into the room telling him that she had just received a certificat in recognition of her achievements as a pianist. Rabbi Salanter called the girl over, saying that a certificate was nice, but he would like for her to prove to him how good she was.

The girl refused, saying that the certificate was proof of her expertise and she did not have to prove anything to anybody. She had already established her abilities and it was unfair to require her to demonstrate her expertise for just anyone who asks.

Rabbi Salanter replied to the innkeeper that his daughter was right--and G-d could well answer him the same way. After He redeemed us from slavery, split the sea for us, performed countless miracles for us day in and day out, is it necessary for G-d to prove Himself for every ignoramus like that guest who wanted to eat treif?

So too, G-d does not need to prove Himself, or anything, to the doctors for their study. As Jews, we know that--unlike doctors-- G-d still makes housecalls.

8. Getting There

One day, a visitor arrived at the home of Rabbi DovBer, the Maggid of Mezeritch. The visitor was an old friend of Rabbi DovBer's, who had studied with him in their youth. With great interest he observed the behavior of his former study-partner, who had since become a follower of the founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, and had assumed the leadership of the Chassidic community upon the latter's passing.

The visitor was particularly struck by the amount of time that the Chassidic master devoted to his prayers. He himself was no stranger to reflective prayer: when he and Rabbi DovBer had studied together, they had pored over the mystical teachings of the Kabbalists and would pray with the prescribed meditations, or kavanot, outlined in the writings of Kabbalah. But never in his experience had prayer warranted such long hours.

"I don't understand," he said to Rabbi DovBer, "I, too, pray with all the kavanot of the mystics. But still, my prayers do not take nearly as much time as yours do."

Rabbi DovBer's visitor was a dedicated scholar. His wife ran the family business so that he could devote all his time to Torah study. Only once a year was he forced to break from his studies for a few weeks: his wife would give him a list of the merchandise she needed and he would travel to the fair in Leipzig to wheel and deal.

"Listen," said Rabbi DovBer to his visitor, "I have an idea for you. Why must you waste precious weeks of study every year? This year, sit at home. Envision the journey to Leipzig in your mind's eye: picture every station along the way, every crossroads, every wayside inn. Then, imagine that you are at the fair, making your rounds at the booths. Call to mind the merchants that you deal with, reinvent the usual haggling and bargaining that follows. Now, load your imaginary purchases upon your imaginary cart and make the return journey. The entire operation should not take more than a couple of hours and then you can return to your beloved books!"

"That is all fine and well," replied Rabbi DovBer's friend, "but there remains one slight problem: I need the merchandise."

"The same is true with prayer and its kavanot," said Rabbi DovBer. "To envision a particular attribute of G-d in its prescribed section of the prayers, or to refer to a certain nuance of emotion in your heart at a particular passage, is all fine and well. But you see, I need the merchandise...."

7.  When it's good to be a heretic

"Everything in God's creation has a purpose," a Hasidic rebbe once told his followers.

"In that case," asked a disciple, "what is the purpose of apikorsus [heresy], of denying that God exists ?"

"Apikorsus is indeed purposeful," the rebbe replied. "For when you are confronted by another who is in need, you should imagine that there is no God to help, but that you alone can meet the man's needs."

6. Partner in Creation

A famous passage in the Midrash Tanchuma relates a debate between Rabi Akiba and Tinneus Rufus, the Roman governor. 

Rufus decided to summon Akiba - a rabbi known for his wisdom - less to learn from him than to outwit him and prove the superiority of his own values.

"Akiba," challenged the Roman, "whose deeds are finer? God's or those of flesh-and-blood humans?"

Tinneius Rufus assumed the rabbi would say that God's deeds are finer. But, sensing the gambit, Rabbi Akiba replied, "The deeds of humans are finer."

"Behold the heavens and the earth!" Tinneius Rufus countered. "Can man create the likes of them?" 

"Don't speak to me of things over which we have no control," Akiba responded. "Speak rather in terms of a human scale."

"Well then, why are you circumcised?" Tinneius Rufus asked the rabbi.

"I knew this was really what you wanted to know," said Akiba. "Hence my previous response: that human deeds are finer than God's."

Rabbi Akiba brought Tinneius Rufus wheat stalks and cakes, flax and fine linen. "The wheat and the flax are God's handiwork," he said, "and the cakes and the linen are man's. Are not the cakes and the linen, the finished product, finer than the plain stalks, the raw material? Even you, Tinneius Rufus, cannot miss the clear analogy: We are born incomplete and perfect ourselves through following God's law."

"But if God had intended man to be circumcised," Tinneius Rufus argued, "why wasn't Adam created circumcised? Why doesn't every newborn male emerge from the womb that way?"

"You see," Akiba explained, "everything created during the six days of creation needs perfecting [tikkun]: Mustard needs sweetening, wheat needs grinding, and even man needs perfecting. This 'perfection' or purification is achieved not according to our whims but by following divinely ordained commandments."

5. Simple Prayer

This is a classical Chassidic story. One Yom Kippur, the Baal Shem Tov (founder of Chasidism) was praying together with his students in a small Polish village. Through his spiritual vision, the Baal Shem Tov had detected that harsh heavenly judgments had been decreed against the Jewish people, and he and his students were trying with all the sincerity they could muster to cry out to G-d and implore Him to rescind these decrees and grant the Jews a year of blessing.

This deep feeling took hold of all the inhabitants of the village and everyone opened his heart in deepfelt prayer.

Among the inhabitants of the village was a simple shepherd boy. He did not know how to read; indeed, he could barely read the letters of the alef-beit, the Hebrew alphabet. As the intensity of feeling in the synagogue began to mount, he decided that he also wanted to pray. But he did not know how. He could not read the words of the prayer book or mimic the prayers of the other congregants. He opened the prayer book to the first page and began to recite the letters: alef, beit, gimmel... reading the entire alphabet. He then called out to G-d: "This is all I can do. G-d, You know how the prayers should be pronounced. Please, arrange the letters in the proper way."

This simple, genuine prayer resounded powerfully within the Heavenly court. G-d rescinded all the harsh decrees and granted the Jews blessing and good fortune.

4. How to tie your shoes

Some people thinks this must be the craziest thing in the whole Code of Jewish law. According to the Shulchan Aruch, you are supposed to put your right shoe on before the left shoe, and then you have to tie the left shoelace before the right shoelace. And when taking them off  it's the opposite: untie the right then the left, take off the left then the right. And a lefty does it all the other way around.

This custom is based on the belief that we have to balance our internal forces as part of our constant struggle to spiritual perfection. The shape of the human body reflects the contours of the human soul. Our body has two sides, right and left, because the soul has two distinct powers. On the one hand there is the power to give, be outward and expressive; on the other hand is the power to hold back, be inward and restrained. These are the two sides of the soul, the side of kindness and the side of discipline, that correspond to the two sides of the body, the right side and the left.

Both powers are essential. The secret to a healthy life and successful relationships is knowing how to balance these two forces -- when to be assertive and when to submit; when to be strict and when to be lenient; when to let yourself go and when to just say no. 

The following story is of Rabbi Leib ben Sarah who learned this from his master, Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezeritch. 

Rabbi Leib explained to his disciples that he did not undertake the long and hazardous journey to Mezeritch merely to hear his master's sermon on the Torah. "Instead, I went to watch him tie his shoes", said Rabbi Leib.

"Tie his shoes?" the puzzled student repeated. "Rabbi, I do not understand."

"The wisdom of the Maggid," Rabbi Leib explained, "lay not only in his insights and interpretations of the Torah but in the many ways by which he expressed that understanding through every little thing he did. His every gesture, his every word, his every bearing articulated his love for God and man. And so it must be for us all. The Torah encompasses all. To the man of God, therefore, knowing how to tie your shoes is a great accomplishment."

3. My children have defeated Me

Several astonishing rabbinic accounts describe for us how God surrendered Himself in certain halakhic matters to the authority of the Sages of Israel. The most well known story – and also the most amazing – relates to the oven of Aknai. Rabbi Eliezer and the Sages disagreed about a certain type of oven, whether or not it can contract ritual impurity:

It was taught in a Baraita: On that day, Rabbi Eliezer used all the arguments in the world, but they did not accept them from him. 

He said to them: "If the Halakha is in accordance with me, let this carob tree prove it." The carob tree was uprooted from its place one hundred cubits, and some say four hundred cubits. They said to him: "One does not bring proof from a carob tree." 

He then said to them: "If the Halakha is in accordance with me, let the channel of water prove it." The channel of water turned backward. They said to him: "One does not bring proof from a channel of water." 

He then said to them: "If the Halakha is in accordance with me, let the walls of the House of Study prove it." The walls of the House of Study leaned to fall. Rabbi Yehoshua rebuked [the walls], saying: "If the Sages argue with one another about the Halakha, what affair is it of yours?" They did not fall, out of respect for Rabbi Yehoshua; but they did not straighten, out of respect for Rabbi Eliezer. 

[Rabbi Eliezer] then said to them: "If the Halakha is in accordance with me, let it be proved from Heaven." A heavenly voice went forth and said: "Why are you disputing with Rabbi Eliezer, for the Halakha is in accordance with him everywhere?" Rabbi Yehoshua rose to his feet and said: "It is not in Heaven." What does "it is not in Heaven" mean? Rabbi Yirmiya said: That the Torah was already given on Mount Sinai, and we do not pay attention to a heavenly voice, for You already wrote in the Torah at Mount Sinai: "After the majority to incline." (Bava Metzia 59b)

What does mainstream Judaism think of the myth of the Oven of Aknai? The Soncino edition of the Talmud, the traditional English language source, describes the response of the sages to God's voice in the story as a "remarkable assertion of the independence of human reasoning". The recent Schottenstein edition of the Talmud suggests that God's intervention at Aknai was simply God's test of the determination of the sages to hold their position even against God himself. In other words, the rejection of God's attempt to intervene at Aknai is celebrated in modern Judaism as a kind of declaration of Man's Independence.

That independence is the humanist message of the Aknai story. For at Aknai, Man–human reason and power–become the measure of all things. The sages have come to their decision by argument, although their arguments are not supported by nature or by God. Trees, streams, walls and the voice of Heaven oppose their position. Nevertheless, the sages insist that they are right and by virtue of their numbers, they prevail.

R. Nathan met [the prophet] Elijah and asked him, "What did the Holy One do at that moment?" Elijah: "He laughed [with joy], saying, 'My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me.'"

2. God's prayer

Remarkably, the tradition addresses the notion that it is not only we who pray. We can read in the Talmud (Berachot 7a):  "R. Yochanan said in the name of R. Yose, 'How do we know that the Holy One, Blessed be He, says prayers? Because it is written (Isaiah 56:7), 'I will bring them to My holy mountain and I will gladden them in My house of prayer.' It does not say the house of 'their prayer,' but beit tefillati, lit. 'the house of My prayer'; therefore we see that the Holy One, Blessed be He, says prayers.' "

 

The Gemara asks, "What does He pray?' R. Zutra b. Tobi said in the name of Rab, 'May it be My will that My mercy suppress My anger and that My mercy prevail over My other attributes, so that I deal with My children according to the attribute of mercy and, on their behalf, go 'lifnim mishurat ha'din - stopping short of the limit of strict justice, namely, mercifully, beyond the letter of the law' [in forgiving them their transgressions].' "

1. Trial of God

The Jewish people has suffered numerous persecution throughout history, yet their faith remains unshakeable. The following story is the ultimate proof.

At the young age of fifteen, Elie Wiesel lived in a horrible place called Auschwitz. In his memoirs about this “hell on earth,” Wiesel tells a fascinating story about a Talmud teacher who befriended the young Elie, took him to his barracks, and told him that he would witness one of the greatest trials in all of world history: The Trial of God. Three rabbis, all prisoners in Auschwitz and witnesses to the daily death machine of the Nazis, decided that it was time to place God on trial.

They formed a rabbinic court (Bet Din), and conducted the trial completely in accordance with Halakha (Jewish Law). They gathered evidence against God, building a strong case against the “Holy One Blessed Be He.” The trial lasted several days, with the judges giving all those who wished a chance to speak their minds. Witnesses were heard, painful personal testimonies were given, and in the end, young Elie remarked in amazement how none of the witnesses even remotely defended God.

It was time to issue a ruling, and the rabbinic court pronounced a unanimous verdict: “The Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth – guilty of crimes against creation, against humanity and against His own Chosen People of Israel.” Soon after this painful judgment was pronounced, followed by a reaction from the people that Wiesel describes as an “infinity of silence,” the rabbi presiding over the rabbinic court looked up to the sky, saw that the sun had set, and that the darkness of night was upon the world. This rabbi, who had just indicted God and pronounced Him guilty of crimes, looked towards the silenced crowd and said “Come, my friends, it is time to pray the evening prayer.”

Compiled from various sources

The Prayer Before Prayer

All of this time, only until now I  have come to realize that "prayer before prayer" is one of major features in Jewish prayer. So I googled around and found this beautiful story.

A STORY IS TOLD of a Hasidic Rebbe who was known to begin his morning prayers long after most others had already finished them. Since it was well-known that he was up at dawn, someone once asked him what he was about in the hours before he said his morning prayers. He answered, “I am praying that I may be able to pray.”

The great Tzaddik, Reb Elimelekh of Lizhensk also had such a practice and even composed a special “prayer before prayer” to be recited before every service. This prayer is as important today---if not more important---than it was even in Reb Elimelekh’s own day, for most of us do not enter into the period of prayer with the awesome awareness, “I am about to pray.” Thus, we have translated this wonderful prayer with the hope that, every once in a while, someone might pray this prayer with deep feeling, even if they do not pray anything else, and thereby, place themselves in the awesome Presence of G-d. 

   

The Ba’al Shem Tov once said, “It is impossible to pray with kavanah [focus] without support. Therefore, you must ask G-d for help”.  Perhaps this is the meaning of “Prepare to meet your G-d, O Yisra’el” (Amos 4:12).

PART TWO

Our sages spent years creating the perfect prayer. The accumulated wisdom of the 120 Men of the Great Assembly brought to fruition the blessings that temporarily replace the daily sacrifices offered in the Holy Temple. The power of holiness invested in them inspired them to create a series of prayers that include all the possible words man can utter to G-d. The final product, the Shemone Esrei, is recited trice daily by millions of Jewish people for the past 2000 years. We ask G-d for health, for wisdom, for sustenance, for peace, for finding oneself. But are we saying it right? Is there a guarantee that it is going to work? Will we be humbled by the G-dly words?

We truly don’t have control over the outcome of our actions. Inasmuch as we prepare a speech, a song or a presentation, the impact it will have on people is up to G-d. No matter how perfect our prayers are, they are limited to what a human can accomplish. And humans can’t control outcomes. So before I pray I read a verse of Psalms, to introduce G-d to my prayer. Before I read the holy blessings of the Shemone Esrei I ask G-d to speak through me. I ask G-d to take whatever it is that I am uttering and do with it what He wants. I humble myself by reminding my heart and my brain that I am standing before G-d, and must put my ego and my expectations aside.

"My L-rd, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise"- Psalms 51:17

Source:

The story and prayer is taken from Reb Zalman Legacy Project

The eye-opening teaching in Part Two is of Chabad.org

Donald Duck and Neighbor Jones

In 1943, Carl Barks created another fictional character for Walt Disney as Donald Duck's next door neighbor. The character is simply name Neighbor Jones. He is portrayed as being quarrelsome and truculent. The yard between their respective homes often becomes a battlefield. If you read Donald Duck comics in your childhood, you surely remember this character among Uncle Scrooge, Daisy Duck, Chip and Dale. Now let’s imagine this fictional story.

After some series of fight, Donald Duck agreed to retreat several feet from his backyard in exchange for peace. But it turned out that Neighbor Jones did not respect the peace agreement. He does not want several feet of retreat, he want Donald Duck to leave from his house so he can take everything. He even sought to kill Donald Duck’s very existence so his fans can no longer see him in any comics. Instead of peace, Neighbor Jones has been throwing more rocks to his backyard ever since and now with capability to reach deeper inside his residence. Donald Duck warned his Neighbor Jones many times that his conduct was unacceptable. But Neighbor Jones didn’t listen. Instead he made many tunnels so he can smuggle more rocks. Neighbor Jones keep throwing in any directions. Sometimes the rocks hits the windows, sometimes it misses, but in many times it hurts his beloved nephews, Huey Dewey and Louie.

If you were Donald Duck, what would you do ?

Yetzer HaRa: not that bad after all

Torah teaches us about the dual nature of human. In Genesis 2:7, we read that G-d formed (vayyitzer) man. The spelling of this word is unusual: it uses two consecutive Yods instead of the one you would expect. The rabbis inferred that these Yods stand for the word "yetzer," which means inclination, and the existence of two Yods here indicates that humanity was formed with two inclinations: the good inclination (Yetzer Hatov) and the evil inclination (Yetzer Hara).

Yetzer Hatov is the moral conscience, the inner voice that reminds us of G-d's law when we consider doing something that is forbidden. Yetzer Hara, on the other hand, it's not evil by itself. It is a primitive appetite that drives our selfish nature, the desire to satisfy personal needs (food, shelter, sex, etc.) without regard for the moral consequences of fulfilling those desires.

They are sometimes personified as "angel", one is a good angel and the other a bad angel. In Psalms 90:11 where it is written "For He will instruct His angels in your behalf, to guard you in all your ways", the word angel is plural indicating that at least there are two angels. Some rabbis also identified the Yetzer Hara and Satan are one and the same. However, this must be understood as meaning that the angels are merely personification of our own internal forces. Thus, the idea that "the devil made me do it" is not in line with Judaism.

The Yetzer Hara is not a bad thing. It was created by G-d, and all things created by G-d are good. The Talmud notes that without the Yetzer Hara, man would not build a house, marry a wife, beget children or conduct business affairs. But the Yetzer Hara can lead to wrongdoing when it is not controlled by the Yetzer Hatov. There is nothing inherently wrong with hunger, but it can lead you to steal food. There is nothing inherently wrong with sexual desire, but it can lead you to commit rape, adultery, incest or other sexual perversion.

We need our Yetzer Hara, our evil inclination.  The goal is to control these internal forces and use them to serve G-d.  As Rashi taught on the Sh'ma, "Serve G-d with both of your inclinations."

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the Ramchal) in his work "The Way of G-d" describes the role of the Yetzer Hara is man's quest for perfection.

"Man is the creature created for the purpose of being drawn close to G-d. He is placed between perfection and deficiency, with the power to earn perfection. Man must earn this perfection, however, through his own free will... Man's inclinations are therefore balanced between good (Yetzer HaTov) and evil (Yetzer HaRa), and he is not compelled toward either of them. He has the power of choice and is able to choose either side knowingly and willingly..."

That is the heart of the Jewish understanding of free will. Without Yetzer Hara, the free will cannot really work.