Can you believe that two months have passed already? The few weeks after camp always seem almost surreal. It's so hard to believe that only a mere two months ago we were together. I hope that each and every one of you has had an absolutely fantastic time so far, and that you are continuing on your upward journey.
I always find the days right after yuntif a bit disconserting as we were on a spiritual high that has suddenly left us. I just wanted to share a thought or two with you in hopes of starting off the rest of the year with some inspiration.
For those of you who came to art this summer [and no hard feelings to those who didn’t ;-)] you will know that the two most common lines are as follows:
"I hate art. I can't do it."
"Cyou do it for me? PLEEEAAASE?!?!?!"
One by one.
1. I hate art… I cant do it. Let's analyze that for a second, bear with me. Do you really hate art? Or do you hate the fact that you might not feel successful in the creative process? And why don’t you feel successful? Is it because you really aren't successful, or is it perhaps because society tells you that to be a good artist you have to paint and draw a certain way? Why can't a stick figure be a beautiful expression of your innermost emotions?
Meaning, its so important to be careful with our words. How often do we come out of a class saying "my teacher HATES me!" ? Do you honestly think she hates you? Probably not. Our words have tremendous power and we would be wise to use them wisely.
2. You hate art and you can't do it. [sigh] how often did we hear that being repeated again and again? And how often did those same girls walk away with beautiful projects. What happened? You hate art…yet you come back. You can't do it…yet you have stunning art to show. Each and every one of you has crazy potential. There will be times in life where you think 'Hashem. I hate this. I can't do it." It's uncomfortable and I don't think I can handle this test that you sent me. And you know what? With a little push, or a big shove, you will be able to accomplish so much. You will come away from a potentially frustrating situation with a beautiful art project to show for yourself.
And perhaps the most important…
3. "Can you do it for me?!" And the answer was always – I can help you, but I can't do it for you. That's life. You can have people to help you, advisors who care, parents who love you, teachers who are incredibly inspiring…but they can't live your life for you! At the end of the day, it is all up to you. You're life is in your own hands. But it's more than that. As Rabbi Shippel says "Your Judaism should never be based on anyone but YOU and HASHEM!" it is a private relationship, and while its fantastic to take advice and ideas from other people… sof kol sof [at the end of everything] only YOU can do it for you!!
And finally… you can find inspiration anywhere. If you can be inspired by the kvetches that came out of the art room, you can be inspired by anything! I challenge you to go out and find inspiration in the most random place – and share it with someone!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Tmobile Tfillos
Shalom Shalom!
Summer is upon us. The sun is shining, the ice cream trucks are out, and everyone’s outside. In this fun filled time of the year when all we can think about is tanning and going biking, it’s a pretty good time for a shot of inspiration.
My phone broke a few weeks ago. Not only was it absolutely not working, it ceased to function during the exact week that I needed it desperately. Not in the “I neeeeeeeeeeed my phone or I cant survive” sense, but I was coordinating a bunch of stuff and I really needed to be in contact with a lot of different people. So I went into the phone store, found the lady behind the counter and begged her “PLEASE!! Fix my phone!!” Being that this is her job, she smiled and asked for the culprit. I handed it over. She opened it. She closed it. She opened it again. “Ma’am, I don’t see any problem with your phone, it is working just fine.” I was shocked! I was ecstatic! I took the phone from her and saw with my own two eyes that it was working. Amazing.
After I had gone outside and walked down the block I realized that I had to make a phone call. I pulled out my now healthy phone, opened it up to make a call….and voila! It’s broken again. No problem. I go back to the store, walk in and hand my phone to the lady. I said, it’s still broken! She opened it, closed it, opened it again and said “Ma’am. I still don’t see a problem. There’s nothing wrong with your phone.” I checked it in the store, and she was right, it was working just fine. So, I make my way out of the store, and am down the block again when I open my phone again. And yes, it was no longer working. As I walked back into the store, I saw the ladies eyes open wide as she probably contemplated calling the cops on the crazy lady whose walking in with a healthy phone. Regardless, I tried to explain that it was working inside their store, but as soon as I left the store, it went beserk. There was no talking to this lady, she didn’t understand. I went outside pretty bummed out that I would have to buy a new phone or something.
As I was walking down that same street I was thinking about the strange occurrence of events. It just didn’t make sense that my phone works in the store and not outside of it. I went through the possibilities of what it could have been. Barring any other worldy creatures with four heads and one eye, I figured there HAS to be a rational reason.
And then of course, it hit me.
I forgot to daven for it!
Silly me.
Clearly, Hashem created my cell phone, Hashem broke my cell phone, and Hashem could FIX my cell phone! Of course! So I sat and I davened, and I davened, and I davened. I left my phone alone for a few minutes, and when I opened it up it was working again!
I was just talking with a good friend about how hashgacha pratis [Divine intervention] play out in our every day lives. She was mostly convinced that Hashem put a plan into the world, and while He is involved, He isn’t involved on an intricate detailed level. There is nature in the world, and the process of nature takes over. She was saying something very smart that is spoken about extensively in the sifrei kedoshim.
BUT. The Chovos Halevavos says that Hashem gives strength to whatever we put our trust into. Meaning that if you work for someone, and you put your trust into your employer then your livelihood will be based upon that person’s moods. But if you put your trust in Hashem then your employer becomes a shaliach for Hashems funds to funnel through. In the same vein, if you put your trust into the natural world, then your ability to move around in the world is dependant on the rules of nature. But if you put your trust in Hashem then nature is just the shaliach to help you serve Him better. So that if you are stuck in traffic but you MUST get somewhere, you can simply say to Hashem “Hi. You’re my Father and my Traffic Director, would you mind getting me there on time?” And if the answer is yes, then you will absolutely get there on time.
So what happened with my phone?
I truly believe that Hashem broke it in order to hear my tefillos. But I forgot to daven. So He created such a bizarre situation where my phone worked in the store, broke a block away continuously. It was just so weird that it forced me to recognize that what was needed at that moment was tefillah. And when a person puts their trust in Hashem, and not the sales people, all it takes is a little prayer for Hashem, our Mechanic, to fix a phone.
Hashem should bless us with the clarity to always see Him, put our trust in Him, and recognize that He only wants good from us.
Have a great day!
Summer is upon us. The sun is shining, the ice cream trucks are out, and everyone’s outside. In this fun filled time of the year when all we can think about is tanning and going biking, it’s a pretty good time for a shot of inspiration.
My phone broke a few weeks ago. Not only was it absolutely not working, it ceased to function during the exact week that I needed it desperately. Not in the “I neeeeeeeeeeed my phone or I cant survive” sense, but I was coordinating a bunch of stuff and I really needed to be in contact with a lot of different people. So I went into the phone store, found the lady behind the counter and begged her “PLEASE!! Fix my phone!!” Being that this is her job, she smiled and asked for the culprit. I handed it over. She opened it. She closed it. She opened it again. “Ma’am, I don’t see any problem with your phone, it is working just fine.” I was shocked! I was ecstatic! I took the phone from her and saw with my own two eyes that it was working. Amazing.
After I had gone outside and walked down the block I realized that I had to make a phone call. I pulled out my now healthy phone, opened it up to make a call….and voila! It’s broken again. No problem. I go back to the store, walk in and hand my phone to the lady. I said, it’s still broken! She opened it, closed it, opened it again and said “Ma’am. I still don’t see a problem. There’s nothing wrong with your phone.” I checked it in the store, and she was right, it was working just fine. So, I make my way out of the store, and am down the block again when I open my phone again. And yes, it was no longer working. As I walked back into the store, I saw the ladies eyes open wide as she probably contemplated calling the cops on the crazy lady whose walking in with a healthy phone. Regardless, I tried to explain that it was working inside their store, but as soon as I left the store, it went beserk. There was no talking to this lady, she didn’t understand. I went outside pretty bummed out that I would have to buy a new phone or something.
As I was walking down that same street I was thinking about the strange occurrence of events. It just didn’t make sense that my phone works in the store and not outside of it. I went through the possibilities of what it could have been. Barring any other worldy creatures with four heads and one eye, I figured there HAS to be a rational reason.
And then of course, it hit me.
I forgot to daven for it!
Silly me.
Clearly, Hashem created my cell phone, Hashem broke my cell phone, and Hashem could FIX my cell phone! Of course! So I sat and I davened, and I davened, and I davened. I left my phone alone for a few minutes, and when I opened it up it was working again!
I was just talking with a good friend about how hashgacha pratis [Divine intervention] play out in our every day lives. She was mostly convinced that Hashem put a plan into the world, and while He is involved, He isn’t involved on an intricate detailed level. There is nature in the world, and the process of nature takes over. She was saying something very smart that is spoken about extensively in the sifrei kedoshim.
BUT. The Chovos Halevavos says that Hashem gives strength to whatever we put our trust into. Meaning that if you work for someone, and you put your trust into your employer then your livelihood will be based upon that person’s moods. But if you put your trust in Hashem then your employer becomes a shaliach for Hashems funds to funnel through. In the same vein, if you put your trust into the natural world, then your ability to move around in the world is dependant on the rules of nature. But if you put your trust in Hashem then nature is just the shaliach to help you serve Him better. So that if you are stuck in traffic but you MUST get somewhere, you can simply say to Hashem “Hi. You’re my Father and my Traffic Director, would you mind getting me there on time?” And if the answer is yes, then you will absolutely get there on time.
So what happened with my phone?
I truly believe that Hashem broke it in order to hear my tefillos. But I forgot to daven. So He created such a bizarre situation where my phone worked in the store, broke a block away continuously. It was just so weird that it forced me to recognize that what was needed at that moment was tefillah. And when a person puts their trust in Hashem, and not the sales people, all it takes is a little prayer for Hashem, our Mechanic, to fix a phone.
Hashem should bless us with the clarity to always see Him, put our trust in Him, and recognize that He only wants good from us.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Feed the birds…! [tuppins a bag?!]
Shalom to one and all
My guess is that most of you are in the middle of vacation. Hope you’re having a blast and staying out of trouble!
This week is…. Shabbos Shira!
What does that mean? If you go to shul this week you will find that at some point in the middle of Torah reading, everyone stands up and the chazzan recites ‘Az Yashir’ the song which was recited as the Jews crossed the Yam Suf [Red Sea].
Some of you might have also noticed that there are some Jews throwing bread out for the birds today, Friday before Shabbos Shira. What’s up with THAT?!
Great question.
When the Jews were in the desert, Hashem sent them mann, a special holy substance that replaced food for their 40 years of wandering. There were many unique qualities about the mann, one in particular was that it fell double on Friday so that nothing had to fall on Shabbos. There were two instigators among the Jews who wanted to cause trouble, and they took their double portions of mann on that first Friday and spread it out over the field. Shabbos morning they wanted to wake everyone up saying “Come!! Look outside!! Moshe doesn’t know what he is talking about and the mann fell on Shabbos!” But the birds went and ate up all the mann at night so that there would not be a chillul Hashem.
And so, out of appreciation to the birds, we feed the birds on the Friday of Shabbos Shira.
Now. Those birds in the desert are long dead. The birds that are outside my house in New York are probably a different breed altogether and in no way related to the birds of the desert. Not only that, what do the birds of back then have to do with us right now?!
Rabbi Wallerstein gave a beautiful answer.
The bread crumbs that we will throw out today in 2008 are NOT for the birds… it is to teach us hakaras hatov. And if Hashem wants us to show gratitude to a bird that we have no connection to, they don’t know the difference and don’t care if they get food from you or from the garbage can…. HOW MUCH MORE do we have to give thanks to the people who are there for us all the time! How much more so do we have to show appreciation to G-d, who wakes us up every morning, gives us sight, lets us move, we’re healthy, we have family, we have friends, school, food, vacation…we’re alive!
Gratitude is one of the foundations of all other middos. When you thank someone, you put yourself aside and are totally focused on them. We acknowledge that we are not all powerful, and other people have done something for us that we couldn’t have done ourselves. It is a lesson in humility, and learning to be appreciative.
I heard a wonderful quote from Rabbi Heller, “Gratitude is the recognition that live owes me nothing, and all the good that I have is a gift!”
Wow.
So today, go take a piece of bread, break it up into crumbs and throw it out to the birds. Then go and call up someone who did something great for you. Write a letter to your parents. Thank a friend, a teacher. Go daven mincha. Make a beracha and mean it. Have some gratitude and in the merit of all the ‘thank you’s may we be able to bring a Korban Hoda’ah [sacrificial offering of thanks] in the Bais Hamikdash very soon!Shabbat Shalom!
p.s. The title is from Mary Poppins… apologies for the outdated reference
My guess is that most of you are in the middle of vacation. Hope you’re having a blast and staying out of trouble!
This week is…. Shabbos Shira!
What does that mean? If you go to shul this week you will find that at some point in the middle of Torah reading, everyone stands up and the chazzan recites ‘Az Yashir’ the song which was recited as the Jews crossed the Yam Suf [Red Sea].
Some of you might have also noticed that there are some Jews throwing bread out for the birds today, Friday before Shabbos Shira. What’s up with THAT?!
Great question.
When the Jews were in the desert, Hashem sent them mann, a special holy substance that replaced food for their 40 years of wandering. There were many unique qualities about the mann, one in particular was that it fell double on Friday so that nothing had to fall on Shabbos. There were two instigators among the Jews who wanted to cause trouble, and they took their double portions of mann on that first Friday and spread it out over the field. Shabbos morning they wanted to wake everyone up saying “Come!! Look outside!! Moshe doesn’t know what he is talking about and the mann fell on Shabbos!” But the birds went and ate up all the mann at night so that there would not be a chillul Hashem.
And so, out of appreciation to the birds, we feed the birds on the Friday of Shabbos Shira.
Now. Those birds in the desert are long dead. The birds that are outside my house in New York are probably a different breed altogether and in no way related to the birds of the desert. Not only that, what do the birds of back then have to do with us right now?!
Rabbi Wallerstein gave a beautiful answer.
The bread crumbs that we will throw out today in 2008 are NOT for the birds… it is to teach us hakaras hatov. And if Hashem wants us to show gratitude to a bird that we have no connection to, they don’t know the difference and don’t care if they get food from you or from the garbage can…. HOW MUCH MORE do we have to give thanks to the people who are there for us all the time! How much more so do we have to show appreciation to G-d, who wakes us up every morning, gives us sight, lets us move, we’re healthy, we have family, we have friends, school, food, vacation…we’re alive!
Gratitude is one of the foundations of all other middos. When you thank someone, you put yourself aside and are totally focused on them. We acknowledge that we are not all powerful, and other people have done something for us that we couldn’t have done ourselves. It is a lesson in humility, and learning to be appreciative.
I heard a wonderful quote from Rabbi Heller, “Gratitude is the recognition that live owes me nothing, and all the good that I have is a gift!”
Wow.
So today, go take a piece of bread, break it up into crumbs and throw it out to the birds. Then go and call up someone who did something great for you. Write a letter to your parents. Thank a friend, a teacher. Go daven mincha. Make a beracha and mean it. Have some gratitude and in the merit of all the ‘thank you’s may we be able to bring a Korban Hoda’ah [sacrificial offering of thanks] in the Bais Hamikdash very soon!Shabbat Shalom!
p.s. The title is from Mary Poppins… apologies for the outdated reference
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Fast Inspiration [pun intended! :-)]
Hey guys. I hope you are having an easy and meaningful fast.
A fast day can sometimes lose its meaning. We’re hungry, we have half a day of school, and sometime veg out in front of the TV.
I just want to share a small bit of inspiration to try and raise our fast. Rabbi Noach Weinberg says that a fast day is a time of reckoning, a time to correct a previous mistake. Usually a mistake that is found in Jewish History.
When we learn the history of this fast it doesn’t seem too spectacular. What is it that we are correcting?
The fast of Asara B’tevet [10th of tevet] is in remembrance of the siege that was placed around Yerushalayim. That means the army came around Yerushalayim and placed guards at all the entrances. No one could leave or enter. But it was relatively peaceful. There was no fighting, no blood spilled, nobody died.
So why are we fasting? And what is the lesson that we, in 2007 can learn from this?
Rabbi Weinberg tells us that it was a wake up call for the Jews. They SHOULD have woken up and fixed their flaws. They should have started to work on themselves. But they ignored it. The result of that is history. Our holy Bais Hamikdash was destroyed. G-d sent us into exile. Etc.
The message is pretty clear. Asara B'tevet is about hearing that wake up call and doing something about it! Today has the spiritual power of change in it. A fast day is a reflective day and a day for change. Let’s take the message of Asara B’tevet and do something positive with it.
Take on something small that will last. If we take on one small thing every fast day, we will have accumulated a whole lot of ‘small’ acts by the end of the year.
It's always frustrating to try and figure out what ONE thing to do. Here's a list of suggestions of what you can take on. Don’t do all of it!! J
Hashem should bless us with the will power to change. May you always find comfort outside of your comfort zone, because that is where true growth occurs.
I will give someone a big smile
I will make a conscious effort to kiss the mezuzah and remember that it represents Hashem’s constant protection of me and my family
I will go outside in the afternoon and take pictures of things that inspire me. I will hang them up in a place that I will always see [my room, locker, planner etc]
I will write a thank you letter
I will sit down for 10 minutes and write all the things that I am grateful for
I will picture myself by next Rosh Hashana. Where do I want to be? What do I want to look like? What would I like to be different or stay the same? And what am I going to do to get there?
I will daven mincha
I will sign up for a chesed organization near me. There are plenty of them on the internet, and there is always a need for volunteers.
I will bentch from a bentcher once a day
I will be careful about saying my Amen’s – remembering that these are a huge source of protection.
I will take on a half hour to not speak lashon hara
I will download a shiur onto my ipod and listen to it on the way to school [www.simpletoremember.com ]
I will remember to make a beracha achrona.
I will contact a nursing home and ask if there are any lonely people who would appreciate a penpal. I will write a letter once a week.
I will leave a post it for my parents just to say hi and tell them that I love them.
I will say “I love you Hashem!” and mean it.
In a moment that I am about to complain – I will remember that everything happens for a reason, and put on a big smile instead.
I will save something special for Shabbos.
I will wash my hands generously in the morning, remembering that this helps to ward off depression and get rid of the tumah that is on my hands.
I will use my talent in order to give back to Hashem.
I will ask myself ‘is what I am about to do going to make Hashem proud?’ if it is, then I will do it with joy and if it isn’t I will stop.
I will look for inspiration and pass it on to others
I will hang up an asher yatzar card outside of the bathroom and say it with the proper intentions.
I will clean my room for Shabbos. Thus honoring Shabbos and my parents.
I will wake up in the morning and say ‘modeh ani’ with a joyful smile instead of my usual groaning ‘I don’t want to get out of bed yet’
I will learn about one part of davening and really try to concentrate on it.
I will make it a point to pray for other people first.
I will learn something about the parsha weekly.
I will make sure that I learn a piece of Torah at least once a day
I will try hard not to exaggerate a story
I will not watch anything inappropriate on TV for 2 weeks. I will be honest in my assessment of what is actually inappropriate.
I will place post-its around my room to remind me of how much Hashem loves me.
I will try not to go to sleep angry at any person, or with any person angry at me.
I will learn how to say “I’m sorry” and mean it
I will say “Likavod Shabbos Kodesh” before I eat on Shabbos
I will make enough bread to take challah with a bracha at least once a month
I will say krias shema al hamittah before I go to sleep at night
I will make sure to eat shaleshudos on Shabbos
I will make it my business to eat melaveh malkah after Shabbos
I will be mindful of modesty in the way that I act when I am outside
I will be careful to not make sarcastic remarks that might hurt someone
I will try to look at everyone with an ayin tovah – finding the good in everyone
I will use my time wisely and not waste hours on doing nothing. Relaxing is fine, but wasting time is not.
I will set a goal and reach it.
I will bake challah once a week and daven hard for Klal yisroel because I know that the time of kneading dough is the most important time to daven.
I will not make fun of any teacher or student for a week. At all.
I will try something new
I will buy food for a homeless person
I will make a phone call to someone who could really use it once a week
I will eat something once a day in order to make a bracha. [and not the opposite – make a bracha in order to eat]
I will picture what it will be like when Moshiach comes, and yearn for it every day.
I will pick a mitzvah that I have been lax in. I will read and learn about it so that I can perform it properly.
I will have a positive self-talk because I am made in the image of G-d.
I will study hard for my tests knowing that good grades will eventually help me support my future family.
I will choose one difficult situation and look for the best in it ALWAYS.
I will thank Hashem for everything He has given me, close my door and DANCE for Him!
With love
A fast day can sometimes lose its meaning. We’re hungry, we have half a day of school, and sometime veg out in front of the TV.
I just want to share a small bit of inspiration to try and raise our fast. Rabbi Noach Weinberg says that a fast day is a time of reckoning, a time to correct a previous mistake. Usually a mistake that is found in Jewish History.
When we learn the history of this fast it doesn’t seem too spectacular. What is it that we are correcting?
The fast of Asara B’tevet [10th of tevet] is in remembrance of the siege that was placed around Yerushalayim. That means the army came around Yerushalayim and placed guards at all the entrances. No one could leave or enter. But it was relatively peaceful. There was no fighting, no blood spilled, nobody died.
So why are we fasting? And what is the lesson that we, in 2007 can learn from this?
Rabbi Weinberg tells us that it was a wake up call for the Jews. They SHOULD have woken up and fixed their flaws. They should have started to work on themselves. But they ignored it. The result of that is history. Our holy Bais Hamikdash was destroyed. G-d sent us into exile. Etc.
The message is pretty clear. Asara B'tevet is about hearing that wake up call and doing something about it! Today has the spiritual power of change in it. A fast day is a reflective day and a day for change. Let’s take the message of Asara B’tevet and do something positive with it.
Take on something small that will last. If we take on one small thing every fast day, we will have accumulated a whole lot of ‘small’ acts by the end of the year.
It's always frustrating to try and figure out what ONE thing to do. Here's a list of suggestions of what you can take on. Don’t do all of it!! J
Hashem should bless us with the will power to change. May you always find comfort outside of your comfort zone, because that is where true growth occurs.
I will give someone a big smile
I will make a conscious effort to kiss the mezuzah and remember that it represents Hashem’s constant protection of me and my family
I will go outside in the afternoon and take pictures of things that inspire me. I will hang them up in a place that I will always see [my room, locker, planner etc]
I will write a thank you letter
I will sit down for 10 minutes and write all the things that I am grateful for
I will picture myself by next Rosh Hashana. Where do I want to be? What do I want to look like? What would I like to be different or stay the same? And what am I going to do to get there?
I will daven mincha
I will sign up for a chesed organization near me. There are plenty of them on the internet, and there is always a need for volunteers.
I will bentch from a bentcher once a day
I will be careful about saying my Amen’s – remembering that these are a huge source of protection.
I will take on a half hour to not speak lashon hara
I will download a shiur onto my ipod and listen to it on the way to school [www.simpletoremember.com ]
I will remember to make a beracha achrona.
I will contact a nursing home and ask if there are any lonely people who would appreciate a penpal. I will write a letter once a week.
I will leave a post it for my parents just to say hi and tell them that I love them.
I will say “I love you Hashem!” and mean it.
In a moment that I am about to complain – I will remember that everything happens for a reason, and put on a big smile instead.
I will save something special for Shabbos.
I will wash my hands generously in the morning, remembering that this helps to ward off depression and get rid of the tumah that is on my hands.
I will use my talent in order to give back to Hashem.
I will ask myself ‘is what I am about to do going to make Hashem proud?’ if it is, then I will do it with joy and if it isn’t I will stop.
I will look for inspiration and pass it on to others
I will hang up an asher yatzar card outside of the bathroom and say it with the proper intentions.
I will clean my room for Shabbos. Thus honoring Shabbos and my parents.
I will wake up in the morning and say ‘modeh ani’ with a joyful smile instead of my usual groaning ‘I don’t want to get out of bed yet’
I will learn about one part of davening and really try to concentrate on it.
I will make it a point to pray for other people first.
I will learn something about the parsha weekly.
I will make sure that I learn a piece of Torah at least once a day
I will try hard not to exaggerate a story
I will not watch anything inappropriate on TV for 2 weeks. I will be honest in my assessment of what is actually inappropriate.
I will place post-its around my room to remind me of how much Hashem loves me.
I will try not to go to sleep angry at any person, or with any person angry at me.
I will learn how to say “I’m sorry” and mean it
I will say “Likavod Shabbos Kodesh” before I eat on Shabbos
I will make enough bread to take challah with a bracha at least once a month
I will say krias shema al hamittah before I go to sleep at night
I will make sure to eat shaleshudos on Shabbos
I will make it my business to eat melaveh malkah after Shabbos
I will be mindful of modesty in the way that I act when I am outside
I will be careful to not make sarcastic remarks that might hurt someone
I will try to look at everyone with an ayin tovah – finding the good in everyone
I will use my time wisely and not waste hours on doing nothing. Relaxing is fine, but wasting time is not.
I will set a goal and reach it.
I will bake challah once a week and daven hard for Klal yisroel because I know that the time of kneading dough is the most important time to daven.
I will not make fun of any teacher or student for a week. At all.
I will try something new
I will buy food for a homeless person
I will make a phone call to someone who could really use it once a week
I will eat something once a day in order to make a bracha. [and not the opposite – make a bracha in order to eat]
I will picture what it will be like when Moshiach comes, and yearn for it every day.
I will pick a mitzvah that I have been lax in. I will read and learn about it so that I can perform it properly.
I will have a positive self-talk because I am made in the image of G-d.
I will study hard for my tests knowing that good grades will eventually help me support my future family.
I will choose one difficult situation and look for the best in it ALWAYS.
I will thank Hashem for everything He has given me, close my door and DANCE for Him!
With love
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
NYC inspiration
It’s winter here in NYC. Its cold and everyone is bundled. You’re lucky if you can see a persons’ face because everything else is so covered.
A drastic change from what this city looked like a mere few months ago.
The place: New York City streets
The time: Summer
The temperature: REALLY hot
I was walking down the street one day in the summer and I looked around. People were practically wearing bikinis. They were barely dressed. I couldn’t stand to look at people who didn’t have enough self respect and decency to cover their bodies, so I stopped looking at the people. I started looking at the billboards. WHOA! That was a mistake! The billboards were just as revealing, if not more. They plastered the most intimate of thoughts and acts all over. I was bombarded with things that I never wanted to see. Garbage words, images and messages.
If you cant look at the people or the billboards, where are you supposed to look? Quite simply… UP! And I discovered the most beautiful buildings. The architecture in the city is stunning. I’m an art fanatic and the designs are just breathtaking.
There’s a great lesson in this.
When you look around you and all you see is garbage, and everywhere you turn you are surrounded by shmutz..simply look UP! Look to the Heavens and see how wondrous Hashem really is. Look at His architecture of the world, see the beauty.
When things get ‘garbagey’ in life, don’t focus on the negative…there’s so much good that is yet to be discovered in your life!
Hashem should bless us with the clarity and the focus to be able to turn away from the garbage and find the gorgeous.
A drastic change from what this city looked like a mere few months ago.
The place: New York City streets
The time: Summer
The temperature: REALLY hot
I was walking down the street one day in the summer and I looked around. People were practically wearing bikinis. They were barely dressed. I couldn’t stand to look at people who didn’t have enough self respect and decency to cover their bodies, so I stopped looking at the people. I started looking at the billboards. WHOA! That was a mistake! The billboards were just as revealing, if not more. They plastered the most intimate of thoughts and acts all over. I was bombarded with things that I never wanted to see. Garbage words, images and messages.
If you cant look at the people or the billboards, where are you supposed to look? Quite simply… UP! And I discovered the most beautiful buildings. The architecture in the city is stunning. I’m an art fanatic and the designs are just breathtaking.
There’s a great lesson in this.
When you look around you and all you see is garbage, and everywhere you turn you are surrounded by shmutz..simply look UP! Look to the Heavens and see how wondrous Hashem really is. Look at His architecture of the world, see the beauty.
When things get ‘garbagey’ in life, don’t focus on the negative…there’s so much good that is yet to be discovered in your life!
Hashem should bless us with the clarity and the focus to be able to turn away from the garbage and find the gorgeous.
Monday, December 10, 2007
See something? Say something!
You know, we find inspiration in the most interesting places. I go to school in the city and need to take the subway once in a while. There is an advertising campaign that has been going on for a while where they are trying to keep the subways, buses and trains even safer. Their motto is “If you see something, say something!”. It’s everywhere. Whenever you are traveling on any public transportation, you will bombarded with “If you see something, say something” messages. [Which of course is better than most of the things we are bombarded with J].
With this in mind, we come to my walk. I was walking to school the other day when I found myself in a CVS buying a yogurt for someone. I knew that this person wouldn’t have access to any spoons, so I asked the lady behind the desk - “Hey, do you have spoons?” She said, ‘well, no. But you know what? You should write to the company! Tell them that you think they should have spoons! Honey bunch, if you see something wrong in the world… DO SOMETHING about it!”
As I was walking away, the subway message reverberated in my mind. “If you see something…SAY something!” Don’t just let the world go on as it is, complaining that nothing is right… if you see something that needs to be fixed, well go ahead and fix it!
We’re at the point in life where we don’t have our own families, our own homes, a mortgage and bills to pay. At the same time, we DO have homework, tests, part time jobs, friends and parents, driving lessons, SAT prep…etc. In some ways it is much busier to be a teenager than it is to be a mother. But amidst all the craziness in life it is up to US to look around at the world and do something. It is exactly because we don’t have ‘adult stuff’ to deal with that we are able to be idealistic enough to make a positive change in the world. It is exactly because we’re not adults that the adults in the world will listen.
But of course, if you don’t SEE anything wrong you can’t exactly fix it now can you? Sometimes it’s hard to look outside of ourselves and our own issues to focus out and give to others. That might be the hardest part of volunteering – recognizing that there is a need for your abilities. Every one has SOMETHING that they are great at. Some are good public speakers, some are great with animals, others rock at numbers, someone else is great at music, another is a great magician, another has a soft touch. Whatever your something is, find someone who needs your help and get out and DO IT!
One more thing. You might be reading this and thinking “That’s a great thought, but I just don’t have TIME to do anything like that. I have too much stuff in my life to commit to a big organization, I can’t do it.” And if you would say that I would tell you that you don’t need to be part of something big to be doing something great. There. I said it. You don’t need to be part of something big to do something great. Got that? If you look around at gym class and see that some nebby kid is being picked on… go stick up for her! Go out of your way to be friends with her. Help the janitor put the chairs away at the end of the day. Do the dishes without anyone asking you. Help your elderly neighbor take out the garbage.
If it were up to me, I would change that motto. Instead of “if you see something say something.” Maybe we could change it to “If you see something, DO something!”
Hashem should bless us with the ability to always SEE what is going on around us, tune in, and be able to give in the best way possible. May we merit to be able to change the world a little bit at a time.
With this in mind, we come to my walk. I was walking to school the other day when I found myself in a CVS buying a yogurt for someone. I knew that this person wouldn’t have access to any spoons, so I asked the lady behind the desk - “Hey, do you have spoons?” She said, ‘well, no. But you know what? You should write to the company! Tell them that you think they should have spoons! Honey bunch, if you see something wrong in the world… DO SOMETHING about it!”
As I was walking away, the subway message reverberated in my mind. “If you see something…SAY something!” Don’t just let the world go on as it is, complaining that nothing is right… if you see something that needs to be fixed, well go ahead and fix it!
We’re at the point in life where we don’t have our own families, our own homes, a mortgage and bills to pay. At the same time, we DO have homework, tests, part time jobs, friends and parents, driving lessons, SAT prep…etc. In some ways it is much busier to be a teenager than it is to be a mother. But amidst all the craziness in life it is up to US to look around at the world and do something. It is exactly because we don’t have ‘adult stuff’ to deal with that we are able to be idealistic enough to make a positive change in the world. It is exactly because we’re not adults that the adults in the world will listen.
But of course, if you don’t SEE anything wrong you can’t exactly fix it now can you? Sometimes it’s hard to look outside of ourselves and our own issues to focus out and give to others. That might be the hardest part of volunteering – recognizing that there is a need for your abilities. Every one has SOMETHING that they are great at. Some are good public speakers, some are great with animals, others rock at numbers, someone else is great at music, another is a great magician, another has a soft touch. Whatever your something is, find someone who needs your help and get out and DO IT!
One more thing. You might be reading this and thinking “That’s a great thought, but I just don’t have TIME to do anything like that. I have too much stuff in my life to commit to a big organization, I can’t do it.” And if you would say that I would tell you that you don’t need to be part of something big to be doing something great. There. I said it. You don’t need to be part of something big to do something great. Got that? If you look around at gym class and see that some nebby kid is being picked on… go stick up for her! Go out of your way to be friends with her. Help the janitor put the chairs away at the end of the day. Do the dishes without anyone asking you. Help your elderly neighbor take out the garbage.
If it were up to me, I would change that motto. Instead of “if you see something say something.” Maybe we could change it to “If you see something, DO something!”
Hashem should bless us with the ability to always SEE what is going on around us, tune in, and be able to give in the best way possible. May we merit to be able to change the world a little bit at a time.
G-ds candid camera
Scenario number one: you walk into Macy’s one day determined to buy something nice for yuntif. After two hours of shopping you finally choose a great outfit that looks stunning and whose price is even more stunning. You wait on a long line and finally get to the cashier. She rings you up and suddenly as you are paying someone takes their cart and rams it into the back of your knees. You go stumbling. You get up angry as anything and yell “You jerk! What’d you do that for?! Do you know who I AM?! Do YOU know who I AMMM?!?!” you are really upset as you stalk out of the store. When you walk out you see that there are huge crowds of people laughing. Confused, you see a distinguished looking man come over to you and say “Smile! You’re on candid camera!” Turns out you were set up and all these people were watching.
Scenario number two: you walk into Macy’s one day determined to buy something nice for yuntif. After two hours of shopping you finally choose a great outfit that looks stunning and whose price is even more stunning. You wait on a long line and finally get to the cashier. She rings you up and suddenly as you are paying someone takes their cart and rams it into the back of your knees. You go stumbling. You are on the verge of anger as tears course down your cheeks. You are about to lose it when you catch a glimpse of this persons face. You take a deep breath and smiling you ask “Is everything ok?” You buy your outfit and walk out peacefully and with a smile. As you walk out you see that there are huge crowds of people laughing. Confused, you see a distinguished looking man come over to you and say “Smile! You’re on candid camera!” Turns out you were set up and all these people were watching.
Now. You have hundreds of strangers watching your reaction. Which response will be better? Which are you going to be embarrassed by? Clearly you would rather stalk out angry as anything. Just kidding. OF COURSE you will be thrilled that you didn’t lose it at that moment. Because anger feels great in the moment, but not afterwards. When a person is angry his words can really sting. So often we say things in anger that we didn’t really mean, or didn’t want the other person to know. What if every time we were about to lose it we remembered that we are being video taped?
Last time I checked though there were no camera crews following me into the kitchen and into class, there is nobody telling me that I’m on candid camera or YouTube. Nope. There’s none of that. Except for one thing. G-d is videoing us. He’s watching each moment and step just waiting for us to choose right. No matter what we choose we will have to face our very own ‘Candid Cameras’.
As we approach Rosh Hashana, a line from a song we sang in camp plays in my head over and over. “Did you make the day or lose it, was it well or sorely spent”. How are we going to answer? Is our video of our lives going to make the ‘top ten’ rating of the season? Do we deserve to have another season running? Are we going to win the Emmy award for what we did? How do we measure up?
. There’s one more thing. So many times we are handed really tough situations in life. Hashem knows what He is doing and He wants to SEE you grow! He wants to watch you rise to the challenge and respond well. So when you are faced with a sticky, bad, hard, tough situation – Look up to Heaven and think “Smile! You’re on G-ds candid camera!” Because Hashem knows that you have the capability to choose well and is waiting to capture an Emmy award winning moment!
Everyone always takes on really big things for the beginning of the year that don’t really follow through. Don’t take on a big mama. Take on something really small but really meaningful. Do something that shows Hashem “I’m trying!” because in the end, that is all He wants.
You should all have a wonderfully inspirational Rosh Hashana, a meaningful tefillah , and may we all be deserving of many “Heavenly awards”
Scenario number two: you walk into Macy’s one day determined to buy something nice for yuntif. After two hours of shopping you finally choose a great outfit that looks stunning and whose price is even more stunning. You wait on a long line and finally get to the cashier. She rings you up and suddenly as you are paying someone takes their cart and rams it into the back of your knees. You go stumbling. You are on the verge of anger as tears course down your cheeks. You are about to lose it when you catch a glimpse of this persons face. You take a deep breath and smiling you ask “Is everything ok?” You buy your outfit and walk out peacefully and with a smile. As you walk out you see that there are huge crowds of people laughing. Confused, you see a distinguished looking man come over to you and say “Smile! You’re on candid camera!” Turns out you were set up and all these people were watching.
Now. You have hundreds of strangers watching your reaction. Which response will be better? Which are you going to be embarrassed by? Clearly you would rather stalk out angry as anything. Just kidding. OF COURSE you will be thrilled that you didn’t lose it at that moment. Because anger feels great in the moment, but not afterwards. When a person is angry his words can really sting. So often we say things in anger that we didn’t really mean, or didn’t want the other person to know. What if every time we were about to lose it we remembered that we are being video taped?
Last time I checked though there were no camera crews following me into the kitchen and into class, there is nobody telling me that I’m on candid camera or YouTube. Nope. There’s none of that. Except for one thing. G-d is videoing us. He’s watching each moment and step just waiting for us to choose right. No matter what we choose we will have to face our very own ‘Candid Cameras’.
As we approach Rosh Hashana, a line from a song we sang in camp plays in my head over and over. “Did you make the day or lose it, was it well or sorely spent”. How are we going to answer? Is our video of our lives going to make the ‘top ten’ rating of the season? Do we deserve to have another season running? Are we going to win the Emmy award for what we did? How do we measure up?
. There’s one more thing. So many times we are handed really tough situations in life. Hashem knows what He is doing and He wants to SEE you grow! He wants to watch you rise to the challenge and respond well. So when you are faced with a sticky, bad, hard, tough situation – Look up to Heaven and think “Smile! You’re on G-ds candid camera!” Because Hashem knows that you have the capability to choose well and is waiting to capture an Emmy award winning moment!
Everyone always takes on really big things for the beginning of the year that don’t really follow through. Don’t take on a big mama. Take on something really small but really meaningful. Do something that shows Hashem “I’m trying!” because in the end, that is all He wants.
You should all have a wonderfully inspirational Rosh Hashana, a meaningful tefillah , and may we all be deserving of many “Heavenly awards”
White Sox game
It's a bit dated... from August to SEG girls :-)
I hope you’re enjoying your august wherever you might be, it sounds like everyone is having an all around good time.
We’ve been home from SEG for what? Two weeks? In a way it feels like its been two months and in a way it feels like its been two hours. I was trying to think of something brilliantly inspirational to write that would give you that feeling of being back on SEG, something that I saw in my day that was so inspiring it moved me to tears and repentance.
And I thought….and I thought.
I couldn’t come up with a single thing. Not one thing! And I was thinking “Come on Skolnick, you can do better than this…you have NOTHING?!?!” Sadly enough, I had nothing to write, no inspiration to share, no words of wisdom, insight, beauty… nothing.
Then it hit me smack between my eyes [I still have a bruise]:
I had nothing inspirational to write because I wasn’t LOOKING for it! I didn’t have my ‘G-d glasses’ on so I wasn’t finding Him. I knew that as soon as I would be on the look out I would find inspiration everywhere.
Guess what? That’s what happened.
I was in Chicago for a week on vacation with friends, and what is a vacation in Chicago if it does not include a baseball game? Unfortunately the Cubs were out of town so we went to a White Sox game instead. The game was awesome! [forgive my terribly small amount of baseball knowledge... an occupational haazard of being in the art room too much :)] We had fourth row behind third base and we could see everything. But what amazed me most of all was the excitement and enthusiasm that was coming from this crowd of people. Every time one of the WhiteSox players would hit a ball the crowd went wild! They cheered for every base, every hit, and every point. They were thrilled! But it was totally dwarfed by the energy and exhilaration that the crowd had when one of those balls was going to be a home run. Imagine the scene. The bases are loaded, one player steps up, smashes the ball; you hear the ball and bat collide with each other, and the ball goes flying… flying so high in fact that you’re sure it will never come back down. The crowd is out of their seats screaming, cheering THRILLED! And then… the other team catches the ball. It didn’t go as far as we thought. They were so disappointed. But then, a little while later, it happens again. The ball is going …going…going… you’re SURE this time, the crowd is even MORE excited than before! And no. the other team catches the ball…again. Now the crowd is disappointed and angry. And in about one second they are back to cheering on for their team. Drinkin a little l’chaim [read: beer] and having a good time. For the third time this evening, the ball is going so high, so fast. The crowd is even MORE excited than before, more charged… they cant contain themselves anymore, some people are on the bleachers, everyone is watching waiting and CHEERING… and then… the ball goes over! They struck a homerun! The fans are out of control! Music starts to blast and there are fireworks that shoot up from behind the stadium. It was amazing in every sense of the word.
There were two beautiful things I came away with [which was good since the White Sox lost that game pretty badly]. The first was how the White Sox fans cheered EVERY time a player hit a ball. The second was how each time that ball was on its way to making it a home run hit, the crowd went wild. The fact that the first few times their player got out didn’t deter the excitement, in fact it fueled it. And each time their team was so close to getting that hit…they went wild. When they were disappointed, it only lasted a small amount of time until they were right back cheering for their team again. And the excitement, pride and thrill when that ball went all the way and all of those players went home… it was palpable.
That is what is going on up with G-d when we do something good. Hashem is up there cheering with all His angels for every ball that we hit, even if we strike out in the end. We each have countless fans who are standing on their bleachers cheering for that homerun of ours. When we put in a little bit of effort we are rewarded with great amounts in return. You woke up one morning and smiled at your parents instead of giving them a scowl… there are thousands of fans cheering you on! You stopped yourself from saying a really juicy piece of gossip and you have malachim dancing for you! And they cheer, waiting with bated breath to see if you will pass your test of patience…and you are doing so so so so well that they almost cant handle the excitement…and you don’t pass. You blew up at your little sister. So your fans way up in Heaven are a little disappointed, but they keep on cheering you on regardless. And when you DO finally pass that test…and you sit down and help your little sister with her math homework… your Father in Heaven and all of the angles are cheering you on, there is music blasting, fireworks booming and the excitement is tangible. And its all because YOU did something great.
Hashem should bless you with the clarity to see those ‘angels in the bleachers’ who are cheering you on every step of the way!
Have a great week
I hope you’re enjoying your august wherever you might be, it sounds like everyone is having an all around good time.
We’ve been home from SEG for what? Two weeks? In a way it feels like its been two months and in a way it feels like its been two hours. I was trying to think of something brilliantly inspirational to write that would give you that feeling of being back on SEG, something that I saw in my day that was so inspiring it moved me to tears and repentance.
And I thought….and I thought.
I couldn’t come up with a single thing. Not one thing! And I was thinking “Come on Skolnick, you can do better than this…you have NOTHING?!?!” Sadly enough, I had nothing to write, no inspiration to share, no words of wisdom, insight, beauty… nothing.
Then it hit me smack between my eyes [I still have a bruise]:
I had nothing inspirational to write because I wasn’t LOOKING for it! I didn’t have my ‘G-d glasses’ on so I wasn’t finding Him. I knew that as soon as I would be on the look out I would find inspiration everywhere.
Guess what? That’s what happened.
I was in Chicago for a week on vacation with friends, and what is a vacation in Chicago if it does not include a baseball game? Unfortunately the Cubs were out of town so we went to a White Sox game instead. The game was awesome! [forgive my terribly small amount of baseball knowledge... an occupational haazard of being in the art room too much :)] We had fourth row behind third base and we could see everything. But what amazed me most of all was the excitement and enthusiasm that was coming from this crowd of people. Every time one of the WhiteSox players would hit a ball the crowd went wild! They cheered for every base, every hit, and every point. They were thrilled! But it was totally dwarfed by the energy and exhilaration that the crowd had when one of those balls was going to be a home run. Imagine the scene. The bases are loaded, one player steps up, smashes the ball; you hear the ball and bat collide with each other, and the ball goes flying… flying so high in fact that you’re sure it will never come back down. The crowd is out of their seats screaming, cheering THRILLED! And then… the other team catches the ball. It didn’t go as far as we thought. They were so disappointed. But then, a little while later, it happens again. The ball is going …going…going… you’re SURE this time, the crowd is even MORE excited than before! And no. the other team catches the ball…again. Now the crowd is disappointed and angry. And in about one second they are back to cheering on for their team. Drinkin a little l’chaim [read: beer] and having a good time. For the third time this evening, the ball is going so high, so fast. The crowd is even MORE excited than before, more charged… they cant contain themselves anymore, some people are on the bleachers, everyone is watching waiting and CHEERING… and then… the ball goes over! They struck a homerun! The fans are out of control! Music starts to blast and there are fireworks that shoot up from behind the stadium. It was amazing in every sense of the word.
There were two beautiful things I came away with [which was good since the White Sox lost that game pretty badly]. The first was how the White Sox fans cheered EVERY time a player hit a ball. The second was how each time that ball was on its way to making it a home run hit, the crowd went wild. The fact that the first few times their player got out didn’t deter the excitement, in fact it fueled it. And each time their team was so close to getting that hit…they went wild. When they were disappointed, it only lasted a small amount of time until they were right back cheering for their team again. And the excitement, pride and thrill when that ball went all the way and all of those players went home… it was palpable.
That is what is going on up with G-d when we do something good. Hashem is up there cheering with all His angels for every ball that we hit, even if we strike out in the end. We each have countless fans who are standing on their bleachers cheering for that homerun of ours. When we put in a little bit of effort we are rewarded with great amounts in return. You woke up one morning and smiled at your parents instead of giving them a scowl… there are thousands of fans cheering you on! You stopped yourself from saying a really juicy piece of gossip and you have malachim dancing for you! And they cheer, waiting with bated breath to see if you will pass your test of patience…and you are doing so so so so well that they almost cant handle the excitement…and you don’t pass. You blew up at your little sister. So your fans way up in Heaven are a little disappointed, but they keep on cheering you on regardless. And when you DO finally pass that test…and you sit down and help your little sister with her math homework… your Father in Heaven and all of the angles are cheering you on, there is music blasting, fireworks booming and the excitement is tangible. And its all because YOU did something great.
Hashem should bless you with the clarity to see those ‘angels in the bleachers’ who are cheering you on every step of the way!
Have a great week
Facebooking G-d
So I finally gave in... after much thought and deliberation [about a minute] I caved in and got facebook. Apologies to those of you who as of yet are not inducted into this cult, but there is a wonderfully refreshing lesson that we can learn. As I was getting comfortable with the way it works and learning all the ins and outs, I discovered a wondrous phenomena. Friends that I have not spoken to in years were 'friending' me and we started to talk again. People I have not seen and would not have thought to call were suddenly back on my radar of those I care about, and suddenly we were all reconnected back again. I made a mistake. I accidentally hit 'reject' for a friend request. O BOY did I get in trouble! Someone else explained to me that once someone 'friends' you, it is not accepted to reject them. If someone wants to be your friend – you better believe that you are going to have them as a friend. One morning I woke up and I had a message that I had been poked. 'scuse me?! Who in the world is poking me?! When once again, I was enlightened into the world where a poke means 'hey! I'm thinking about you!'. Lovely. And as I sat and idly looked through ridiculous groups [“I cheated at heads up 7 up” and “you know you grew up in the 90s when...] it hit me – thankfully not between the eyes this time. THIS is what it means to have a relationship with Hashem.
We each have our very own spiritual facebook account. Yes thats right. A spiritual facebook. It is up to us to 'friend' G-d and say 'hey! I want a relationship with you!' and according to the rules of the game, He can't reject us. Better yet.. He doesn't want to! Even if we have been away for years we always have the opportunity to come back to Him. And once in a while G-d 'pokes' us and lets us know that He is thinking about us.
We are in Elul – a month where G-d is waiting for our prayers. He is waiting anxiously for us to 'friend' Him and acknowledge His poke.
What is it exactly that we are going to post on G-ds wall? Well. Anything actually. I heard a wondrous comparison from a teacher a few years back. Do you remember Tuvia from Fiddler on the Roof? He sings the song “If I were a rich man...” many times during the movie this poor fiddler asks G-d for anything and everything. He talks to G-d all the time about everything that happens during his day. This is how we should talk to G-d. Our tefillos are not just about wish lists and requests. Its about building up a relationship with the King of the universe... our very own Father.
May we merit to 'friend' G-d and have Him accept us, and this Elul may we be blessed with a trusting relationship with Hashem.
Have a great day!
We each have our very own spiritual facebook account. Yes thats right. A spiritual facebook. It is up to us to 'friend' G-d and say 'hey! I want a relationship with you!' and according to the rules of the game, He can't reject us. Better yet.. He doesn't want to! Even if we have been away for years we always have the opportunity to come back to Him. And once in a while G-d 'pokes' us and lets us know that He is thinking about us.
We are in Elul – a month where G-d is waiting for our prayers. He is waiting anxiously for us to 'friend' Him and acknowledge His poke.
What is it exactly that we are going to post on G-ds wall? Well. Anything actually. I heard a wondrous comparison from a teacher a few years back. Do you remember Tuvia from Fiddler on the Roof? He sings the song “If I were a rich man...” many times during the movie this poor fiddler asks G-d for anything and everything. He talks to G-d all the time about everything that happens during his day. This is how we should talk to G-d. Our tefillos are not just about wish lists and requests. Its about building up a relationship with the King of the universe... our very own Father.
May we merit to 'friend' G-d and have Him accept us, and this Elul may we be blessed with a trusting relationship with Hashem.
Have a great day!
Chanukah Torah..
One small Chanukah thought.Chanukah is a really fun holiday. Really fun. You get together with your family, get gifts, light the menorah [for those pyro's out there this is SUPER fun ;-)] eat really oily food...and of course... play draidel.
But this holiday is not only dripping with oil, it is also dripping with spirituality.
What? Where's the spirituality in gifts and draidels?I can't really tell you that your new ipod is totally spiritual, but i CAN tell you somethign cool about the draidel.
Go into the living room and take one. Look at the way it is set up. If you spin it normally, you are taking the little stick on the top and spinning it - right? Why is this? Look at that little stick. It looks like the letter YUD. Which is representative of G-ds name. What we are celebrating on Chanukah is G-d's miraculous intervention in our lives. What we are celebrating with the draidle is G-ds regular intervention in our lives. That YUD [G-d] is the one who 'spins' out how our daily lives will go. He is in control of everything. And whether your day is a "Gimmel" day, and you get everything you wanted, or a "Shin" sort of day and you have to give up something dear to you. Whether it is hard or easy...Hashem is in charge of everything that happens.
We know that G-d runs everything that happens in this world. Whether it is winning the lottery or being diagnosed with a serious illness. He is not only in charge of handing out fates, but in changing them as well. Which means that Hashem can send someone an illness, and just as quickly take it away - no matter what the doctors say. He sends us tough things so that we will turn to Him and ask Him to fix them.
But this holiday is not only dripping with oil, it is also dripping with spirituality.
What? Where's the spirituality in gifts and draidels?I can't really tell you that your new ipod is totally spiritual, but i CAN tell you somethign cool about the draidel.
Go into the living room and take one. Look at the way it is set up. If you spin it normally, you are taking the little stick on the top and spinning it - right? Why is this? Look at that little stick. It looks like the letter YUD. Which is representative of G-ds name. What we are celebrating on Chanukah is G-d's miraculous intervention in our lives. What we are celebrating with the draidle is G-ds regular intervention in our lives. That YUD [G-d] is the one who 'spins' out how our daily lives will go. He is in control of everything. And whether your day is a "Gimmel" day, and you get everything you wanted, or a "Shin" sort of day and you have to give up something dear to you. Whether it is hard or easy...Hashem is in charge of everything that happens.
We know that G-d runs everything that happens in this world. Whether it is winning the lottery or being diagnosed with a serious illness. He is not only in charge of handing out fates, but in changing them as well. Which means that Hashem can send someone an illness, and just as quickly take it away - no matter what the doctors say. He sends us tough things so that we will turn to Him and ask Him to fix them.
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