Thursday, September 16, 2010

Koos Koos Tuesday-

Someone I know had reason to be in Dimona recently.
If you don't know what is in Dimona,look it up.

Met at the front guard booth- "Atah Miragel Americai? Are you an American Spy?"

'No. I, ah, I'm not an American spy."

"Are you sure? Cause you look like an American Spy."

'I'm not an American spy. If I was an American spy, I wouldn't know that today is kooskoos day.'

Wide eyes. "That's right! Today is koos koss day! Aich Yadaata-- How did you know?"

Nods towards the complex. 'I've been inside before.'

"OK. You're not a spy, if you were a spy you wouldn't know about koos koos tuesday." Looks at partner. "He knows about koos koos tuesday!"

'I've been here before - a few times. The first time was a short while after I made Aliya and we had lunch (koos koos) and then walked to the makolet and had artikim. Was the first time I had that flavor.'

"Thats right! The Makolet." Turns to partner, "He knows the makolet! First koos koos, then artikim!' Back to guy. "What flavor?"

'Guess'

"Tut?"

'No'

"Kivi? Petel?"

'no, no'

"Ah! Passiflora~ Passionfruit!"

"Yup"

"Of course! Passiflora, ken ken. Israeli's love passiflora!"

'Yeah... OK, so can I come inside the booth I just need to -'

"No. No coming inside the booth- Sorry, not allowed."

'Ok, I'll work outside. I just need to plug this in-'

'No, sorry, can't use the electricity.'

Later, through the guard booth window- after about an hour of chit chat...

'Hey, so have you had coffee yet today?'

"Ah, no"

The door opens, revealing a small stockpile of loaded automatic weapons, "Come in, come in, have coffee." Smiles- Inside the booth- "Are you from Jerusalem?... you look like you're from Jerusalem..."

'No. Bet Shemesh.'

"Ah, Sheinfeld, You're from Sheinfeld!"

'Nope'

"Nofei Aviv!"

'Ah, no....'

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Support for the Effects of Thought on Reality

My friend sent me this- and hadn't even seen the previous posts- Awesome-


ROSH HASHANA 5771: POSITIVE THINKING

Rav Zvi Leshem


One of the most famous aggadot regarding Rosh Hashana tells of the three books in which everyone is inscribed for the coming year, the righteous, the wicked, and those in the middle, whose inscription is pushed off until Yom Kippur.[1][1] This idea, reflected in our prayers, such as Avinu Malkenu, in which we repeatedly mention this idea of inscription, is a powerful motif in the holiday atmosphere and in our popular imagination.

The Baal Shem Tov[2][2] has a remarkable understanding of this concept; all of the thoughts that come into one's head on Rosh Hashana – they are the inscribing, whether for good or for bad (G-d forbid) and if one has negative thoughts he must sweeten them and do battle with the yetzer hara that purposely sends us these thoughts….

This outstanding chidush, that we essentially determine our fate for the coming year by the nature of our thoughts on Rosh Hashana, is based upon the well known idea[3][3] that Rosh Hashana, as the "head" of the year, sends out spiritual nerve impulses through the coming year, just as the brain controls the rest of the body. Just as a baby's entire genetic makeup is determined at the moment of conception, so too Rosh Hashana, known as harat hayom, the day of the conception of the year[4][4] determines the makeup of the coming year. What the Besht adds to this is that all of this is in our hands; in fact it is in our heads![5][5] This understanding of Rosh Hashana has very far-reaching consequences for our observance on this holy day. The most important thing is to be careful to be in a good and positive state of mind the entire day. We must be even more careful than usual not to allow anything to make us upset or angry, and not to get annoyed about all kinds of little things that may come up at shul or at home. As we have seen, the yetzer hara works overtime on Rosh Hashana to provide us with all kinds of reasons to get annoyed or into a bad mood. Perhaps the chazzan wasn't to our liking or the davening was too fast or too slow. Maybe the food wasn't prepared exactly as I like it, or someone forgot to arrange something at home the way it should be. It was too hot outside or the air conditioner in shul was too cold. My neighbor at shul distracted me by talking or my child had trouble sitting still. Perhaps I am just angry and frustrated about my own inability to progress spiritually as I desire or a little bit resentful towards HaShem about some perceived unfairness.

Are these the thoughts that we want to determine the coming year? Certainly not! We must make a strong effort not to think like this, and if we find these ideas creeping into our heads, to "sweeten" them by trying to find the good in these issues, or by gently distracting ourselves from them to get ourselves back into a positive frame of mind. Of course if we do have negative thoughts we certainly shouldn't get upset about it, that will only compound the problem. We need to do everything in our power to make ourselves happy, to bring joy to our family and friends on this holy day. I heard from the Rebbe of Komarno, Rav Eliezer Zvi Safrin shlit"a, that this is also the reason for the simanim, the special foods we eat at the evening meal. We aren't engaging in a magical ceremony, we are simply eating sweet foods and foods whose names have positive connotations, in order to help strengthen our positive mood![6][6]

As we go into this Rosh Hashana may we merit to internalize this transformative teaching of the holy Baal Shem Tov and to actualize it throughout the two days of Yuntef. We will thus, with HaShem's help, inscribe ourselves in the Book of Life, for a year of happiness, health, livelihood, warm relationships and closeness with HaShem.


Shana Tova u'Metuka!


[1][1] Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashana 16b. In Chassidut we find that the final judgment is not until Hoshana Raba or even Chanuka!

[2][2] Baal Shem Tov al haTora, Rosh Hashana – Yom Kippur, 45. My Rebbe, HaRav HaGaon David Halivni shlit"a, told me that "we write the check and HaKadosh Baruch Hu signs it". Rav Yitzchak Meir Morgenstern shlit"a brings this idea in the name of the Maggid of Mezeritch in his commentary to Lekutai Moharan 211, p. 4, to explain the Chassidic custom spending Rosh Hashana with one's Rebbe. Being in the presence of a Zaddik will help one to purify his thoughts and to have only positive ones during the holiday.

[3][3] This is discussed by Rebbe Natan of Nemirov in Lekutai Halachot, Orla, 4:18.

[4][4] Rav Zaddok in the name of the Ari. Pri Zaddik, Rosh Hashana 7.

[5][5] This is related to the Besht's overall stress on the importance of machshava, thought, and its ability to redefine and to determine reality, especially in the context of prayer, as expressed in his famous quote; in the place where a person thinks, the entire person is found. For an example, see Baal Shem Tov al haTora, Noach, Amud HaTefila 56, Mekor Maim Chaim 31.

[6][6] The Rebbe even added that the "New Year's Eve" celebrations of the Gentiles, despite their frivolous nature, are based upon the same basic idea; that it is crucial to begin the year in a positive happy mood and that this will have a positive impact upon the entire year.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Of Complaints and Doing Something About It

It is very easy- and gets easier every day- to complain about the things around me. The neighbor that installs his air conditioner above my front door looking ugly, making noise and driping water onto my landing; the drivers that whip around stopped school buses as my kids are trying to cross; the morons that stop in the middle of the road to chat with a friend blocking the entire lane; the degenerates that break the bottles they got drunk from all across the children's park.. you see, its easy.

And I can rage about the schools, the shops, the government, my Aunt the mesurevet get and the insanity of having to beg to be released from a marriage to someone you hate, and more.

It was during one such rant to the one friend I can trust not to judge me or my community and who knows how much I love this country, that I was struck by something. I asked her what the hell we can do to fix all the injustice, inconsideration and general messed-upness of the world when we spend our days full up with kids, work, life, kids, house, life... & becoming depressed at our inability to change anything. It was as I said, "Don't tell me we just have to do our part," that it hit me.

What if-- just what if-- our actualization of something (i.e. justice, kindness) affects the global measure of that something.

Meaning: Lets say that the more that people practice being just- whether in the home, at work, in business, with the kids etc., the more that middah is brought into the world and begins to affect how things happen here.

That would mean that in fact, the things I do even in my own home: returning what I borrowed, judging my kids favorably, giving my husband a break, not criticizing when I can, etc. would have an affect on those things on a global level that derive from the same source. Perhaps, if I increase my consideration for others, those universal scales would tip and rain down some global consideration.

This, I am sure, sounds very hokey to some of you. But, the older I get, the more I realize that God placed universal laws, truths and rules into Creation and gave humans the means to affect our world. Here I spoke about the power of thought and prayer and its affect on our world. Now, I am becoming more convinced that God, being a good God, would not have placed us in a world where we could only watch in horror the things going on with no chance at affecting change.

It cannot be that we sit and wait for a better future from our four walls and despair of making any difference. It is too depressing, too nonsensical- too UnJewish. We are told that the world was created for us, for us to care for and guard. It only makes sense that we were given that ability.

Would that we knew it...

We are taught that Mitzva Gorem Mitzva A mitzva causes a mitzva. I was always taught that the phrase means that doing a mitzva brings an opportunity for another one and the next becomes even easier to do- of course the inverse is true as well, sinning the second time is much easier than the intial fall...

What if the concept goes deeper? What if as stated earlier- the DOING causes the next opportunity to do by virtue of the door- gateway- energy channel- however you want to see it- being widened?

Would this change the way you behaved? The way you approach life and love and people? Would this make it easier to do the 'right' things? Harder to do the wrong?

Would it give you incentive to do right by allowing you to feel that you are changing the make-up of global middot? That eventually our actions COULD in fact collectively cause a huge positive shift, a near eutopian existence? What if the effect was exponential? What if a few positive changes at the same time made huge leaps in global charity, kindness and compassion? What if it could reduce bigotry, injustice and cruelty?

I spoke with someone else about this after my friend and I went back to the demands of the day. This someone (a he)was not convinced. He said that in the end, its up to God and we can only do our part without the expectation of changing anything. I threw the nearest object at his head.

Then, I said, "NO" that is exactly the wrong way to look at it. Thinking that you cannot change anything and that your actions don't matter outside of your own circles is what causes apathy, judgement,depression and disillusion.

So. Now I must act out the changes I want to see in the world. NOT because being nice to my neighbor will cause Achmadoodeehead to be nice to Israel- I am not a miracle worker people. But because I hope that my acts of justice, kindness, consideration, etc will add to the global tea cup of these traits and the drops that that spill over and into our world down here.

Better than sitting and waiting for a miracle... Shanna Tova to all of us!