During the month if Teves, three fast days are observed in commemoration of the three calamities that befell Israel on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of the month.
On the 8th, the Torah was translated to Greek by the decree of King Ptolemy.
On the 9th, there occurred the death if Ezea the Scribe and Nechemia, who faithfully led Israel during the return from Babylonian captivity.
On the 10th, Nebuchadnetzar, King of Babylonia, laid siege to Yerushalayim. He beleaguered the city for three years till its walls were breached on the 9th of Tammuz during the third year of the siege.
The fast days if the 8th, and the 9th are called "fast days of the righteous". On these days, only individuals fast, whereas the fast of the 10th is a public fast for the entire community.
Reb Nosson z"l, was Rabeinu's top student, the apple of Rebbe Nachmans holy eye. The moon to Rabeinu's being the sun. The Scribe, the one we have to thank for writing down Rabeinu's teachings and also writing plenty of his own, based on Rabeinu's teachings. The following are some quotes from the Abridged Likutey Mohoran (available @ www.breslov.org) written by Reb Nosson at Rabeinu's behest.
Lesson 14:15-16
15 - The words of prayers rectify strife and bring about "overall peace", or peace in all of the worlds.
16- A person should accustom himself to pray for everything he lacks - be it livelihood or children or if he has a sick person in his house, God forbid, and he seeks a cure. in all of these cases, a persons primary strategy should be solely to pray to God. A person should believe in God, that the Holy One, blessed be He, is good for everything - be it healing, livelihood and everything else - and the essence of a persons efforts in obtaining what he needs should be directed toward the Holy One, blessed be He. One should not chase after all kinds of stratagems, since most of them are totally ineffective; and even for the fraction that are effective, a person either doesn't know about them or is unable to find them. But calling out to Hashem, is good and effective fir everything in the world, and is always available, since God is always available.
From Through Fire and Water ( also available from www.breslov.org)
Pg 552 - He knew the the Rebbe had the power to kindle a fire within every Jew, making it possible for him to throw off the shackles of inadequacy and reaffirm his commitment to God. Fir Reb Nosson, Rebbe Nachman's teachings were life. It taught a way of life through which one could attain that which endures forever - Torah and prayer - through rock solid faith in God, learning to ignore distractions and obstacles (both those within and those on the outside), contenting oneself with a little progress here, a little here, a little there, looking for the good, pressing on stubbornly, always being positive and joyous.
"Vayichi Yackov…" "And Yackov lived…". What does it mean to live? I saw an article about a school that challenged it's students to go offline for a week, no internet, no cellphones, etc... In order to encourage face to face communication. We'll get back to that in a minute.
Pg 546 -
Reb Nosson z"l passed away on Friday afternoon, the 10th of Teves, 5605, December 20th, 1844, moments after the Shabbos candles were lit. He was 64 years and eleven months old. He was attached to God until the very end. His whole mission was to show that man can always return to God, regardless of anything that he may have done, no matter how much he may have sinned. This was the mission Rebbe Nacnsn held out to him a few days after their first meeting.
Pg 554 -
Reb Nosson z"l once explained why he called his biographical portrait of Rebbe Nachman "Chayey Moharan - The Life of Rebbe Nachman", while the work in which he described the events in his own life was called "Yemey Mohoranat - The Days of Reb Noson". Reb Nosson said that the Rebbe was truly alive: he was constantly climbing to ever higher levels of perception of the Torah, which is the essence of life. @But in my case", continued Reb Nosson, "the only vitality I have comes from what I draw from the holy Rebbe: he is my life and length of days…For this reason "Days" is a more fitting title for the account if what I went through.
Pg 547 -
Reb Nosson passed away just before Shabbos. Those were the days before the invention of the telegraph, and it was impossible to transmit news of his death until after Shabbos. Even so, that Friday night Rab Naftali, who was in Uman, already knew that Reb Nosson z"l was no longer. When asked how he knew, Reb Naftali answered: "I had a dream in which I saw Reb Nosson running. I asked "Reb Nosson, where are you running?" "Me?" he said. "Straight to the Rebbe"!
May we learn, even if little by little, to "Live" life to it's fullest ignoring all the distractions and all of the maybe not so great things that we have done and may still do. May the merit of Reb Nosson and of course of Rabeinu, Rebbe Nachman, shine down on us in these dark times and help us find the good points both within us and within all of those around us. May we merit to once again have leaders like Ezra and Nechemia who can help us restore the walls of Yerushalayim and finally build the Third and Final Beis Hamikdash!!! Speedily!!! In our days!!! Amen!!!!
Have an easy and meaningful fast,
Etan
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A good word from The Mash! don't forget to support Neve Tzion!
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I was bothered or more correctly, stimulated by a question while davening last Shabbos. We all know the importance of saying ‘ashrei’ three times a day and that the Talmud in Brachos 4b promises us that we are World to Come material if we do so daily. Being an observant Jew, you have certainly noticed that of the entire alphabet only the verse beginning with a ‘nun’ is omitted. That same Gemora tells us that it is omitted because Dovid Hamelech did not want to use the verse, “she has fallen and will not get up” (the Prophet Amos is telling us that there will be no further kings or leadership from the ten tribes until the redemption.) However, the Talmud notes, Dovid in his Ruach Hakodesh hinted to this in the very next verse for the letter ‘somech’ that “Hashem lifts up all those who fall and supports them.”
Excuse my audacity but is this a game? We omit a passuk that speaks of falling but immediately return to the concept of failure and stumbling with the very next passuk. Of course, you know the answer but it is worthwhile to focus and internalize the message.
We omit the verse. But we don’t deny the existence and almost inevitability of failures. The message is… just don’t focus on the failure, don’t dwell on the stumbling. That is why we omit the verse. Know and believe that if you struggle to pick yourself up, Hashem is going to assist you. That should be the way we relate to our shortcomings and inadequacies.
The walls of Yerushalayim during the First Beis Hamikdash were breached on Asara B’Teves (tomorrow). We mourn the loss of the Bais Hamikdash. We mourn the loss of the almost tangible presence of Hashem, the loss of the one place in which sanctity and purity prevailed. But at the same time we know that the hope of redemption, that the very seed of the geulah is this caring for and being involved with our people’s loss. “They who mourn the loss of the Bais Hamikdash will be worthy to witness its rebuilding.”
Have an easy and meaningful fast and a great Shabbos.
Regards,
Mash
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I was bothered or more correctly, stimulated by a question while davening last Shabbos. We all know the importance of saying ‘ashrei’ three times a day and that the Talmud in Brachos 4b promises us that we are World to Come material if we do so daily. Being an observant Jew, you have certainly noticed that of the entire alphabet only the verse beginning with a ‘nun’ is omitted. That same Gemora tells us that it is omitted because Dovid Hamelech did not want to use the verse, “she has fallen and will not get up” (the Prophet Amos is telling us that there will be no further kings or leadership from the ten tribes until the redemption.) However, the Talmud notes, Dovid in his Ruach Hakodesh hinted to this in the very next verse for the letter ‘somech’ that “Hashem lifts up all those who fall and supports them.”
Excuse my audacity but is this a game? We omit a passuk that speaks of falling but immediately return to the concept of failure and stumbling with the very next passuk. Of course, you know the answer but it is worthwhile to focus and internalize the message.
We omit the verse. But we don’t deny the existence and almost inevitability of failures. The message is… just don’t focus on the failure, don’t dwell on the stumbling. That is why we omit the verse. Know and believe that if you struggle to pick yourself up, Hashem is going to assist you. That should be the way we relate to our shortcomings and inadequacies.
The walls of Yerushalayim during the First Beis Hamikdash were breached on Asara B’Teves (tomorrow). We mourn the loss of the Bais Hamikdash. We mourn the loss of the almost tangible presence of Hashem, the loss of the one place in which sanctity and purity prevailed. But at the same time we know that the hope of redemption, that the very seed of the geulah is this caring for and being involved with our people’s loss. “They who mourn the loss of the Bais Hamikdash will be worthy to witness its rebuilding.”
Have an easy and meaningful fast and a great Shabbos.
Regards,
Mash
Neveh Zion Student raffle 2011
WIN $100,000!
Neveh Zion
POB 91
Kiryat Yearim
Telzstone
ISRAEL
90840
Tel: 011 972 2 534 1297/1813
American Line: 718 689 1887
Fax: 011 972 2 534 1439
Email: nevehzion@barak.net.il
Website: www.nevehzion.org
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ok no I figured it out :)
So I haven't had a computer for forever already and it took me a while to figure out how to blog on my IPod which is to be my computer until I get my hands on a MacBook. So what to talk about is the question?????? I guess something spiritual since that's the point of this blog. I will no longer invite special guest bloggers since no one ever took me up on that. Ok so consider this the reintroduction and the next post we'll get back to business. Till next time…
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The Power of Words
The pasuk says "Vanity of vanities, said Koheles, vanity of vanities, everything is vanity" (Koheles 1:2) The Zohar comments that since the word hevel (vanity) also means breath, it can be read "...everything is breath!" In other words, everything depends upon the breath of our mouths, on the way we use the power of speech. Our words of prayer and Torah study have an immense effect on the way God runs the universe. Words of holiness can bring repair and healing to the entire world; words of unholiness can bring ruin and destruction.
Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk once said that it caused him great anguish to see the thousands of "castles of impurity" that were constructed every day in the spiritual worlds as a result of the sins of the wicked. His only consolation, he said, was that towards the end of each day, his student, the Seer of Lublin, would stand up for the afternoon prayers, and with his words of prayer he would demolish all of the structures of impurity that had been built during the day. Everything depends on our words. With them, we can build castles of impurity, or we could tear them down and build towers of holiness.
Even our share in the World to Come depends on what we do with our words. According to the sefer, Arvei Nachal, if a person wants to know whether or not he has a place in the World to Come, he should examine the way he uses his mouth. If his mouth is always filled with words of holiness, with words of Torah and prayer, with nice words for his fellow man, and if his mouth is always free from unholy words, from gossip, slander, and idle conversation, then he can be sure that he has a place in the World to come. According to the way he uses his speech in this world, so will he be in the World to Come! Rabbi Yackov Meir Shechter A Scent of Eden
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Law of God; Man's Natural State
The following are some amazing words from Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in Igros Tzafun.
In the midst of a world which is full of God's glory, among the many creations of God's hands, among this vast assembly of servants of God, what is Man?
If all beings, large and small alike, are the creations of God, who perform their assigned tasks in their designated places in the framework intended for them and with the capabilities with wich they were endowed entirely in accordance with God's laws, and all these creations take only in order to be able to give, how can man then imagine that he was born solely in order to take, to be a receiver? How can he dream that his raison d'etre is to indulge in whatever physical delights come his way or else abstain and suffer? Does it make sense that there should be no ultimate purpose to life, no task to fulfill? Can it be that he was born merely to wallow in the sensual and fritter away his existence?
You too, human being, must submit to that Law to which all the forces of nature hearken, those without intelligence and will, You, however, must submit to it out of clear cognizance and your own volition.
Man is neither god nor servant to his universe, but rather a brother creature, a fellow servant of God who submits to His dictates together with them all. His is the right of primogeniture - he is the firstborn according to the nature of the scope of his task. The entire world was entrusted to him, and it is his obligation to oversee and support it according to God's will. It is his privilege to be able to fill and conquer the world, but this privilege is of Divine origin, for it is God Who has bestowed His power upon man. From this privilege however stems his responsibility to take for himself only that which was permitted to him and to utilize his possessions solely in accordance with Divine will, for ultimately, all his blessings emanate from the Lord.
Consequently, "good" is to be considered only that which is intended to accord with the will of God and the laws which He established for all creatures, and "bad" that which is in opposition to His desire. A person cannot possibly categorize something as good or bad according to what pleases or displeases him, whether his inclinations find them pleasant or not, depending on the dictates of his heart and not in accordance with Divine will. Man's mission in life is not the satisfaction of his desires, self aggrandizement, or submission to the dictates of his heart. It is incumbent upon him to uplift the entire world, including the demands of his physical nature and inclination, according to the desire of God, and to perceive them only as a means of achieving his task upon this earth.
However, with the gift of free choice he also acquires the capacity to stray from the path. It is incumbent upon man that he submit, of his own volition, to that very law to which all of creation adheres of necessity. Herein lies his mission in Life.
In the midst of a world which is full of God's glory, among the many creations of God's hands, among this vast assembly of servants of God, what is Man?
If all beings, large and small alike, are the creations of God, who perform their assigned tasks in their designated places in the framework intended for them and with the capabilities with wich they were endowed entirely in accordance with God's laws, and all these creations take only in order to be able to give, how can man then imagine that he was born solely in order to take, to be a receiver? How can he dream that his raison d'etre is to indulge in whatever physical delights come his way or else abstain and suffer? Does it make sense that there should be no ultimate purpose to life, no task to fulfill? Can it be that he was born merely to wallow in the sensual and fritter away his existence?
You too, human being, must submit to that Law to which all the forces of nature hearken, those without intelligence and will, You, however, must submit to it out of clear cognizance and your own volition.
Man is neither god nor servant to his universe, but rather a brother creature, a fellow servant of God who submits to His dictates together with them all. His is the right of primogeniture - he is the firstborn according to the nature of the scope of his task. The entire world was entrusted to him, and it is his obligation to oversee and support it according to God's will. It is his privilege to be able to fill and conquer the world, but this privilege is of Divine origin, for it is God Who has bestowed His power upon man. From this privilege however stems his responsibility to take for himself only that which was permitted to him and to utilize his possessions solely in accordance with Divine will, for ultimately, all his blessings emanate from the Lord.
Consequently, "good" is to be considered only that which is intended to accord with the will of God and the laws which He established for all creatures, and "bad" that which is in opposition to His desire. A person cannot possibly categorize something as good or bad according to what pleases or displeases him, whether his inclinations find them pleasant or not, depending on the dictates of his heart and not in accordance with Divine will. Man's mission in life is not the satisfaction of his desires, self aggrandizement, or submission to the dictates of his heart. It is incumbent upon him to uplift the entire world, including the demands of his physical nature and inclination, according to the desire of God, and to perceive them only as a means of achieving his task upon this earth.
However, with the gift of free choice he also acquires the capacity to stray from the path. It is incumbent upon man that he submit, of his own volition, to that very law to which all of creation adheres of necessity. Herein lies his mission in Life.
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