HaRav Arush on Rosh Hashanah

Some notes from Harav’s Wed shiurim on Rosh Hashanah you might appreciate: Erev Rosh Hashanah is ONLY for teshuva and tefilla. Do everything on Tuesday so that starting netz on the last day, you can focus on the tachlis (purpose) – ruchnius! Go through the Table of Contents of Sefer Hamiddot and do teshuva on every midda – Hashem will help you focus on the ones most important for you. Men can go through the Table of Contents of the Shulchan Aruch as well. Do teshuva on every aspect of your day and how it was, versus how it should be - (his examples are for men but apply to women) – how was Shachris, Mincha, Maariv? How was my kavana? How was my hitbodedut? Did I do minimum 1 hr every day? etc etc – AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

Remember that this last week of the year – each day corrects that day of the entire year, so this week corrects for the entire year! Even if you couldn’t make the year what you wanted, MAKE THIS WEEK THE WAY YOU WANT IT.

 

Then for the 10 days of Teshuva – all the books are open before Hashem and Hashem writes based on your ratzon – will/desire. Spend every single minute, not just fixed prayer times, telling Hashem what you want! Hashem, write me in the book of – emuna shleima, ratzon d’kedusha b’shleimut, tefilla b’kavana, shaa hitbodedut yom yom, adding to kedusha and daat every moment of every day, saying todah with your whole heart, etc. etc. You can do this before Rosh Hashanah too, but especially starting on Rosh Hashanah itself through the 10 days, all the time!!!

 

Remember that these days are incredible chesed. You get to clean the table, to start over, to get a new din for the year, a new opportunity. If you’re doing daily hitbodedut it’s even easier since you are cleaning your table every day. Make the most of it!

 

Don’t forget – until this moment, rak todah – only say thank you. To pray on something is a lack of emuna, because then you think Hashem should have done it differently and that is heresy! You have to cancel your will to Hashem’s will. Just say thank you and all the salvations will come to you, because now you are expressing emuna shleima, complete emuna. Whatever happened was for the best. Remember that “good” is getting closer to Hashem and “bad” is going farther away. You want money, but if not having money is bringing you closer to Hashem, then it’s good! Say thank you! Until this moment you didn’t have the vessels for whatever, but now you say thank you, and you strengthen your emuna, and you request for the future, and now you have vessels – and now Hashem can give it to you! Remember Hashem is all merciful, He WANTS to give it to you, you don’t need to convince Him, you just need to have the vessels so it will be good for you in truth.

 

And for the future – ratzonot. Even a person lost is sadness and despair, express your will for the future. OK so I want happiness, and I'm not happy. Thank you Hashem I'm not happy. Please Hashem, from this moment on, make me happy! From this moment on, give me emuna shleima! Enable me to say thank you with my whole heart! Etc etc. It brings all the salvations immediately AND it gives a person incredible koach, energy and strength.

 

Every minute should be filled with either todah, or ratzonot!

 

Shana tova u’metukah!!!

Anti-Semitism wrap up for the day

Let's do an anti-Semitism (AKA Kill the Jews) wrap up just from skimming today's news, with some best of excerpts:

 

Holland: http://www.mpaths.com/2014/08/muslims-attacking-jews-in-amsterdam.html  - "Death to the Jews, Netanyahu is the devil , don't buy from the Jews, boycott all Israeli products." Now you know what divestment is REALLY all about! (don't forget to check out the story of how the Muslims tried to kill Jewish kids while the police watched and did nothing -RT)

 

LA: http://www.jewishjournal.com/hollywood/article/a_hate_incident_against_elon_gold - We all know too well, that “Free Palestine” means free Palestine from every Jew. As they chant “Free Palestine, from the river to the sea.” That doesn’t mean they want a two state solution, they want Hitler’s final solution and a Jew-free middle east. (two states don't fit between the river and the sea, that's all of Israel BTW -RT)

 

Australia: http://www.jewishjournal.com/world/article/israeli_rabbi_attacked_visiting_mall_in_australia  - “The wider community needs to know that Jews around the world are being affected because they are Jews,” Mayer said.

 

Chicago: http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/society/jewish_world/chicagos_summer_of_hate.aspx?id=26518&language=english - They also bullied a Jewish classmate, telling him to “get into an oven and put on striped pajamas.” Several of the bullies were given only a one-day in-school suspension.

 

Every day I feel like I’m screaming into thin air – wake up and get out! To quote one of the articles:

Yes, Israel has been under attack. But throughout the world’s long bloody history of war, it’s only the Jewish Land of Israel that could miraculously absorb thousands of deadly missiles with extremely few casualties.

Could the same thing be said for communities outside of Israel?

 

It's time for Aliya - the sooner the better.

 

I couldn’t have said it better myself. In Israel Hashem is the Guardian. Everywhere else – just look at the police doing nothing. Who would you prefer watching over you? They both have proven track records over history – one does a great job, the other at some point or another, even joins in killing Jews. Hmmmm. That took me a long time.

 

Remember that one fine day before WWII, passports ready no longer helped. The ones who survived got out while the goyim were only (mostly) talking. Generally, once they come out in the open about what the intend to do, the generally then attempt to do it.

How about CH"L Summer of Hate?

B'H

 

WOW - I knew it was bad in Chicago. I didn't realize that it was THAT BAD. Wake up, my friends, please. It's true that bombs are raining down on us here. But here we have incredible miracles protecting us. Thousands of missiles and unimaginably, not hundreds, not tens, not thousands, not hundreds of deaths. We certainly mourn each martyr who surely was a sacrifice to save many more. But it is still incredibly safer to live here than anywhere else, where open miracles are not happening. Where virulent, open anti-Semitism (that sounds so nice, so PC, hey I'm not a Semite - much nicer than the little boy told to get into striped pajamas and hop in an oven or the Hitlerwasright hashtag) is becoming more and more commonplace. I'm very, very afraid. History shows that once the goyim come out and start telling the Jews what they intend to do, generally, they attempt to do it. GET OUTTA THERE WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!
Remember one fine day just before WWII broke out...it was too late already. And even a passport didn't help. The ones who survived got out now, while the goyim were only (mostly) talking. They didn't care what they left behind, they were refugees and they cared most of all about living...
Living in Israel is paradise, if only you recognize that the Baal Habayit (Master of the House) is Hashem and strengthen your emuna. Adjustments must be made, but I'll take them any day than having to live under conditions like in Chi town!!!

Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is death! That proverbial ostrich – guess what, it gets killed. Wake up calls are meant to wake us up, to the truth, whatever the ramifications of that truth might be. Reality might bite – but if you deal with it, you only get bit once.

 

http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/society/jewish_world/chicagos_summer_of_hate.aspx?id=26518&language=english

For those in CH"L

Rabbi Lazer Brody Lazer Brody back in Operation Cast Lead said - rockets don't fall on Israel and the Jews outside the land sit on their laurels. If the Jews in the land suffer, the Jews outside the land must also suffer, albeit by other means.

This is part of what it means to be part of am Yisrael, which is really one nation and like one body.

So what is happening...anti-Semitic everything all over the world. Calgary, Toronto, Montreal...Chicago...France is on fire literally...Sweden...Germany...there is much more...

Now, where would you rather be?

In the land, Hashem is working incredible miracles (THANK YOU HASHEM) and despite incredible attempts by Hamas, everyone is OK. There are sirens, people are scared, but we are united and protected by Shomer Yisrael.

Outside the land, there are not such revealed miracles. There are goyim protesting, rioting and drawing swastikas and worse, everywhere - whether you currently see it or not. And if this conflict continues in Israel, Hashem have mercy, you will see the goyim around the world continue to go more anti-Zionist aka anti-Semitic and it will become even more dangerous to be a Jew. Already those in France who just made aliyah say - better to be in a bomb shelter than afraid to walk out on the street!

Rashi zt"l whose yahrtzeit is today says in his commentary on the Torah that the pit Yosef's brothers threw him into was empty of water, meaning it had snakes and scorpions. What kind of yeshua is that - so instead of the brothers killing him, a snake or scorpion will? Except they don't! He is taken out alive to be sold to the Ishmaelim. How is that??? He again comments, as David Hamelech writes in Tehillim - better to be in the hands of Hashem than to be in the hands of other people.

Again, with that in mind, where would you rather be - here in Israel in the hands of Hashem, where HaRav Arush says we are completely protected, this is all a big kaparah and for the purpose of mass teshuva...or outside the land, in the hands of the goyim whose hands are already filled with blood, without outright miracles to protect you???

 

Rain in Iyar is bracha

This is amazing. Do you remember it rained in Iyar this year? Look what HaShem gave us with this geshme bracha!

Miracles to and via Badatz Mashgihim
Badatz Mashgihim needed to find wheat fields whose wheat was not invalid for Shemura Matza and due to the rain around Shavuot time, many wheat fields were invalid.  These Mashgihim were forced to go to fields far away - close to Kibbutz Sufa with other G-d-fearing Jews with tractors to harvest the wheat.  During their work, there were many rocket attacks.  Miraculously, no Mashgihim were hurt doing their holy work.  When they found out later about the tunnel infiltration by terrorists that happened in the area, and that the IDF spotted them and thwarted their plan, the Mashgihim knew what had occurred.  The terrorists' plan was to hide in the very tall wheat that was near the opening of the tunnel, but to their surprise, the tall wheat was gone - it was cut a few days earlier by these people cutting wheat for next year's Matza.  And in fact, one of the farmers in the area called up the Mashgihim and based the entire miracle on the merit of cutting wheat for Matza for Pesah.  ושמרתם את המצות has a whole new meaning now.

 

HaRav Arush on Moshiach

B'H

Rabbi Arush spoke about Moshiach in his shiur last Wednesday that I attended. The following is an outline of his words, translated from the Hebrew.

First he mentioned that many people have been asking about Moshiach coming. He was very funny about it, actually, imitating them: “What’s with Moshiach coming? Why hasn’t he come yet? Things are so hard!” He said yes, things are very hard…but we do not want Moshiach now! We do not understand what Moshiach coming is. He said that part of his avodat Hashem right now, is that he is connected to Moshiach every time he prays, literally in everything he does, he is connected to Moshiach…but Klal Yisrael is not ready for this.

Then he mentioned a story he heard from Rabbi Dovid Stern shlita, and confirmed by another person who was there at the time, that happened to Rabbi Yehuda Zev Leibovitz zt”l. Rabbi Arush said one day, a group of tzaddikim nistarim (hidden righteous men) came to Rabbi Leibovitz, and he knew what they wanted – to agree to let Moshiach come. He said to Aaron his helper – “Tell me, what he in the Holocaust?” Aaron said no. “And was he in the Holocaust?” Again, no. And for all the tzaddikim the answer was the same. Then Rabbi Leibovitz said: “Well I was in the Holocaust and far be it from me to agree to let one Jew suffer because of my decision!”

Then Rabbi Arush mentioned that if Rabbi Leibovitz had agreed, Moshiach would have revealed himself right then. But he did not agree, because Am Yisrael was not ready, and still is not ready. And then he said very strongly, looking right at the people listening to him: “Have you done true teshuva today? Are you doing a real cheshbon nefesh every day? Are you doing hitbodedut every day – one hour is just the minimum! How can you receive the face of Moshiach???”

It was very strong and very clear…we don’t want Moshiach until all of Klal Yisrael can say “yes” to that question. Because once Moshiach comes a person cannot move up levels…wherever they are, that is where they stay. And if you can't stand to see the face of Moshiach... “We do not want another Shoah!!!”

Thanksgivukkah

B'H

Thank G-d that Thanksgiving and Chanukah will not coincide again for something like 80,000 years, because I have HAD IT with “Thanksgivingkuh” or whatever people are trying to call it.

I admit that it probably makes a lot of sense for people living in the US, but once you move out of goy-land (as my husband calls it) and live in a Jewish country, filled with Jews, and Jewish customs, and even these “secular” holidays don’t exist, you see that there is no such thing as “secular” – there is “Jewish” and there is “other.” The other category has better and worse – the more idolatry the worse it is – but all of it is non-Jewish, and no matter how much you try to find some “Jewish values” in it (again, some things easier than others) you eventually see that still, there is Jewish and other and no in between.

And mixing them just makes me sick. You want to celebrate US secular Thanksgiving? I can't stop you.
But the whole point of Chanukah is recognizing that the wisdom of the nations is DARKNESS compared to the wisdom of the Torah, which is the wisdom of G-d Himself. So please do not put something secular/non-Jewish with something Jewish during the time SPECIFICALLY when we are supposed to delineate between the two! Uch.

That being said it is sorta ironic, since in place of Thanksgiving turkey, I usually make turkey on Shabbos Chanukah. Chanukah is a time for “hodu v’hallel” – thanking and praising Hashem. Hodu also means turkey in Hebrew. And I do not plan on making turkey this year because I have no energy to make anything, let alone a turkey! (btw finding a whole bird here, except in meat places that cater to Americans, is also next to impossible). If I am lucky I will make stuffed chicken. Maybe.

2 Major Shifts in Anti-Semitism in the US

B'H

These two items, pointed out in the article below, are so terrifying, and so overtly anti-Semitic and frightening, that I had to forward them on…

http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/society/current_affairs/prime_time_jihad.aspx?id=23927&language=english

Main points:

1.      Rolling through the streets of San Francisco and Chicago recently were city buses with the words “My Jihad” plastered on the side. It showed photos of young, attractive people next to such headlines as “My Jihad is to build friendships across the aisle. What’s yours?” and “My Jihad is to stay fit despite my busy schedule. What’s yours?”
But when I first saw photos of the buses with the headline “My Jihad,” I immediately thought of its direct German translation:
“Mein Kamph.”

2.      To bring its pro-jihad propaganda to prime time America, Al Jazeera bought Al Gore’s Current TV cable network for a reported $100 million. What’s almost more alarming is why Al gore sold his Current TV network to Al Jazeera:
 
In a written announcement of the sale, Current TV CEO Joel Hyatt wrote that he and Al Gore chose to sell Current TV to Al Jazeera, because “Al Jazeera was founded with the same goals we had for Current: To give voice to those whose voices are not typically heard; to speak truth to power; to provide independent and diverse points of view; and to tell the important stories that no one else is telling. Al Jazeera, like Current, believes that facts and truth lead to a better understanding of the world around us."

Please forgive me if I'm wrong, but if these 2 facts are indeed correct, anti-Semitism in the US just went from being quietly undercover, to completely overt – albeit perhaps trying to fake like it is something else. But it is now there, in the spotlight, on buses and a major TV channel in the US!!!

Winning the War

As it was with the first redemption, so it will be with the final redemption. Again, prayer is in exile. Again, we must not only start praying - we must pray that all of Israel joins us. Then, Hashem will again hear our prayers and redeem us, speedily and in our days, with tremendous mercy, AMEN!
Click here to read the entire article.

Red Alert from R' Moshe Shternbuch

B'H

This is copied from: http://www.shiratdevorah.blogspot.co.il/2012/11/red-alert-to-klall-yisroel-in-name-of.html

Here is another tzaddik of Klal Yisrael also trying to wake us up, trying to help us realize that the key right now is strengthening our emuna!!!

The Jewish people are witnessing miracles in Israel. The missiles fired at us have the power to level buildings, yet miracles are taking place and we were spared from mass destruction. Even the most secular newspapers report that there is no way to explain these events according to natural law.

While the word "miracle" has been liberally splashed around by the media, neither the secular nor the religious press grasped the vital message of the hour. The situation arouses an urgent and critical obligation for each Jew to ask himself: "Why is Hashem performing these miracles for us? How should I be conducting myself in these extraordinary times?

If we do not deal with these questions immediately, this current security crisis could – Chas Veshalom – escalate into the most dangerous period in Jewish history. Hashem performs miracles for the Jewish people so that we will become more aware of His Presence in our lives. In recent days, He has made perfectly clear that He alone wields power in the world and that no missile can harm so much as a hair on the head of a Jew without His consent. Every rocket has an address that He predetermines, though the terrorists may believe that they can aim at a particular target.

Miracles are Hashem's alarm bells, "a red alert" that we must wake up and become truly conscious of Hashem's hashgachah in our daily lives. If we ignore these messages and conclude that miracles are just a natural part of living in Israel, the tables w could – Chas Veshalom – quickly turn.

We could – Chas Veshalom – in fact be handed over to natural law, and the missiles inexplicably could – Chas Veshalom – begin to hit their targets with greater frequency. And that means that the lives of our fellow Jews – our brothers and sisters living in Israel – could – Chas Veshalom – be in mortal danger.

We must learn this lesson from the story of the meraglim (spies). When they returned from Eretz Yisrael they claimed this land was a place where miracles were apparent on a daily basis, and therefore an extremely high spiritual level would be demanded of those who dwelled there. There was no way that Klal Yisrael as a nation could maintain such a level, and therefore the spies, who were all Gedolei Yisrael, ruled that the people should not enter the land.

The opinion of the meraglim was brought before the Sanhedrin, and they concurred with their ruling. It may seem, on the surface, that their reasoning was sound, and logic dictated that it was unwise to enter Eretz Yisrael. Yet we see from the grave punishment incurred by that generation that they could not have been further from the truth. What was the mistake in their reasoning?

The answer is simple. If Hashem told us to enter Eretz Yisrael, He obviously knew that we would ascend to the spiritual level necessary for a nation that sees miracles on a daily basis. For this reason, the claim of the meraglim was heresy, and we suffer from its bitter consequences to this very day.

In more recent times, Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg once told Rav Sternbuch about a meeting of secular non-Jewish and Jewish professors to discuss the authorship of the Torah. Their conclusion was that while the Torah was far too complex to be man-made, they were not ready to attribute it to a Divine source that they knew nothing about. Like the meraglim, they perceived the significance of the Divine influence, but refused to follow through by accepting the full import of this conclusion.

During the current military operation, we are facing the very same challenge. Hashem is sending us a message that we must make real changes in our lives and raise our level of consciousness of His Presence, to the point where we are worthy of such supernatural treatment. If we rise to the occasion and raise our level of emunah as a result of these miracles, then we will pass the nisayon (test), and it is very likely that Moshiach will arrive shortly.

Chazal offer us practical advice in this area, and write that reciting a hundred brachos every day and saying Amen yehei Shmei Rabba has the power to annul decrees. Reciting Tehillim is important, but we need to make sure that our tefilah is also said with the proper kavanah. Everyone should take upon themselves to do something small to raise their level of emunah.

We must consider ourselves warned by the lessons of our history: If Hashem shows us miracles and we do not respond by strengthening our emunah, His mercy could – Chas Veshalom – turn to fury and we are handed over to the forces of natural law. We dare not speak about what this could could – Chas Veshalom– lead to, but we all understand the ruthless nature and implacable hatred of the enemy we face.

Now is the time, while Hasehm continues to shower His miracles upon us, to recognize His hand in our lives on a national and individual level, to turn to Him in tefilah and teshuvah, and eagerly watch the redemption unfold before our eyes.