TODAY (and Tomorrow) IS ROSH HODESH ELOUL!!!!
Adapted by an article from Bet HaDerekh:
Rosh Hodesh Eloul / ראש חדש אלול
"The King is in the Field – HaMelekh Ba'Sadeh" – This month, HaShem is most approachable than any other time of the year!
The month of Eloul is a time of Teshouvah in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Hodesh Eloul is a particularly propitious time for repentance. This mood of repentance builds through the month of Eloul to the period of Selihot, to Rosh Hashanah, and finally to Yom Kippur. The name of the month (spelled Alef-Lamed-Vav-Lamed) is said to be an acronym of "Ani Le'dodi Ve'dodi Li," "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to Me," a pasouk from Shir HaShirim 6:3, where the Beloved is HaShem and the "I" is the Jewish people. In Aramaic (the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted), the word "Eloul" means "search," which is appropriate, because this is a time of year when we search our hearts.
Hodesh Eloul is the time that Moshe Rabbenou spent on Har Sinai preparing the second set of Louhot (tablets) after the incident of the golden calf. He ascended on Rosh Hodesh Eloul and descended on the 10th of Tishrei, at the end of Yom Kippur, when Teshouvah was complete. Likewise, we also begin our Teshouvah now, and daven that by Yom Kippur, our Teshouvah will be complete.
May this be a Hodesh of Teshouvah Shelemah, of Berakhah and of closeness to HaKadosh Barukh Hu. Remember, HaShem, our King, is in the field among us, He is most accessible to us now. Take advantage of this time to call out to Him, to daven more intensely, to speak with Him, to develop a deeper relationship with Him. May HaShem answer all our Tefillot leTova u'leBerakhah! Hodesh ELOUL Tov uMevorakh!!!!
3 Elul 5773
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Parashat Shoftim- Clear Your Fear My Dear
You are about to get a crash course in Physics 101. Here we go. In physics, there are different ways to measure energy. There is kinetic energy which measures energy based on physical movement of an object; and then there’s potential energy which is ‘stored’ energy. This energy isn’t put into action….yet. It’s a reserve that could be tapped into when more energy is needed and accrues based on an objects’ location and position in relation to others. When the object is moved due to work, it gives off some of this stored energy.
Okay, enough nerd talk. Let’s get to the real deal.
Hodesh Elul has just begun, and based on my conversations with others, I think the generally feeling going around is a certain anxiety and fear that Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are coming up so soon. Suddenly, we realize that we have only 40 days to make up for our past year in order to ensure a better one next year.
What exactly are we fearing though? There are different types of fear.
Not-good fear: My goodness, I messed up so badly this year, I won’t ever be able to make up for it now. I’m so scared of being punished! There’s no hope left….
Good Fear: Wow I have 40 days to make the best of this. I’m going to try my best to take advantage of these days. There is so much potential to improve! I only fear that I won’t be doing enough!
It comes down to this: Is your fear taking you down or building you up? That’s the difference.
During Hodesh Elul, everything comes into perspective and we realize we could have done so much more this past year. We fear that we haven’t taken advantage and will miss out because of this, Has ve’Shalom. We have the potential to experience tremendous abundance next year based on these next few weeks, and so we are afraid we might mess up. Yet, we must exploit every moment of these 40 days in order to reach our full potential for the upcoming year and hopefully, for our entire lives.
In Parashat Shoftim, we have a specific Missvah that when we go out to war, we are not allowed to cut down the fruit trees in the area. Why? The Torah HaKedoshah tells us, ‘Ki HaAdam Ess HaSadeh’- because the tree of the field is akin to a person. These trees bear fruit, they have potential- we are forbidden to destroy them. The Torah tells us that we are very much like these trees. Just like these trees have tremendous potential, we do too-and it is completely forbidden to devastate that potential.
Right after the Torah HaKedoshah gives us the privilege to keep this Missvah, it continues on to another Missvah of Eglah Aroufah. In a case where an unidentified body is found between two cities, the councilmen and Kohanim of both cities must meet, summon a baby calf which specifically has never worked in its life, and break its neck declaring that neither side was responsible for this person’s death.
What is all this violence about? What does a cow have to do with anything? What did the poor calf do??
Those who witness the calf being murdered feel the remorse of a life lost prematurely. They feel regret upon a cow who had the potential to work but was never able to- this is why they must choose a baby calf who has never worked in its life. The same way the calf’s potential is gone, so is the potential of this unidentified person- the murderer disrupted the entire cycle of his life. His potential was snatched from him entirely. But how come they chose a calf specifically? Couldn’t they choose a small bird at least or something of the sort? What’s the connection?
The word for ‘calf’ in Lashon Kodesh is ‘Egel’- that is why it’s called ‘Eglah Aroufah’. Egel implies ‘ma’agal’ (the letters are the same in Hebrew)- which means round, a cycle. When they break the calf’s neck, they are breaking the ma’agal, they are breaking its’ cycle of life; they are shattering its potential completely. And this is devastating.
In the same section, the Torah speaks about those who are exempt from going out to fight in battle. Among them is the person who planted a vineyard and has not begun to benefit from it, whoever has built a house and not dedicated it, and whoever has betrothed a woman and not taken her. The people who have not fulfilled their potential are fully exempt from war in order to go finish off what they started, because there is nothing worse than unfulfilled potential. HaShem tells them, You have more to give? I have a reason to keep you here. I understand that you started something so beautiful and I don’t want to interrupt. I want to give you the opportunity to finish it through. Don’t worry, you don’t have to fight, it’s on Me. You just go back home and thrive.
HaShem takes care of those who strive for more. These aren’t people who are afraid of war- they are people who are afraid of losing out on all the good that they could possibly have. The same feeling that we are supposed to be having this time of the year. These people don’t fear what is, they fear what could be but is not.
These 40 days, there will be times where you might feel afraid. Don’t let it be the type of fear that will restrict you. This fear should propel you forward. You have so much potential inside you! This is the best time of the year to tap inside and unleash it. There is nothing greater than fulfilling your entire potential in this world. Take advantage of every moment you have these next few weeks to help work on yourself, improve, and to become closer to HaKadosh Barukh Hu. There is no better time!
Be’Ezrat HaShem, May we identify our potential in life and fulfill it. May this be the start to a sincere and heartfelt Teshuvah Shelemah and may this be a tremendously productive Hodesh Elul. May we walk into Rosh HaShanah confident that we did our utmost best and that HaShem will shower us with wonderful Berakhot in return!
Wishing everyone a fulfilling Shabbat Shalom uMevorakh!
6 Elul 5773
With HaShem's help, we will begin the Halakhot for Hodesh Elul and Rosh HaShanah. The Halakhot are adapted from those provided by the Sephardic Institute under HaRav Moshe Shamah. May this be a Hodesh of sincere Teshuvah and closeness to HaKadosh Barukh Hu.
Halakhot of Rosh Hashanah
I. Selihot
Beginning the day after Rosh Hodesh Elul (the month before Rosh Hashanah), and concluding the day before Yom Kippur, selihot are recited early each weekday morning before Shaharit. These are special prayers designed to facilitate Teshuvah (repentance). It is inappropriate to arrive at the annual Day of Judgment, as the first day of the new year is called, without having prepared beforehand
7 Elul 5773
II. General Laws and Customs
1. Since Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the year (and commemorates HaShem's creation of the world), it also is the Day of Judgment of humans. One's thoughts should focus on the Creator, acknowledging His kingship and His desire that we strive to improve ourselves spiritually and endeavor to make the world a better place for all in accordance with His will. We must be serious about these matters and not engage in lightheaded behavior. It is necessary to dress modestly.
8 Elul 5773
2. Although Rosh HaShana is the Day of Judgment, we are to express our confidence that the Almighty will accept our prayers and repentance and inscribe us for a year of life. Thus, it is prohibited to fast on Rosh Hashanah and the Missvah of Simhat Yom Tov (happiness of the holiday) applies just as on the three festivals; there should be a festive meal both at night and in the day.
10 Elul 5773
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Parashat Ki Tesseh-Don't BE Right, MAKE IT RIGHT
You’re driving down the road and you have the green light. The right of way is completely yours. All of a sudden from the periphery of your eye you sense a teenage driver speeding in from the right and he is about to pass through the red light on the road he’s on. Do you continue driving?
Of course not!
But why not? The right of way is yours completely! You did everything correctly! You obeyed the law to the fullest extent, you had your seatbelt fastened and checked your mirrors and drove under thirty miles an hour and had your license and registration neatly set in your glove compartment. You did it all! If you did everything correctly, don’t you at least deserve the right to continue driving down the road without anybody slowing you down?
However, if you did continue driving, you would get hit (has ve’Shalom). It’s true that you got your way, but did it really help you?
Sometimes, getting our right of way can work against us. Just because we are right, it does not necessarily mean that we have to exercise that right.
Parashat Ki Tesseh is laden with 74 precious Missvot. Many of these Missvot revolve around investing our individual right for a greater cause. For instance, if someone finds an object that is lost, it is human nature to want to take this object for one’s own self, however, the Torah HaKedoshah gives us specific instructions on how to return the lost object. In fact, there was even a place in Yerushalayim where anyone who lost an object or anyone who found an object would go to, and people would identify their object and restitutions were made. Mi Ke’Amekha Yisrael? Who is like your nation, HaShem? Only Yehoudim would do such a thing! Anyone else could rightfully keep the lost item, ‘finders keepers’ as they say—but even if we have this ‘right’, we are ready to give it up in order to do above what the secular law dictates.
HaShem tells us, if you are working in your fellow’s vineyard or olive grove, you are permitted to eat as many grapes or olives as your heart desires. However, you are forbidden from filling up your own vessel with this produce and take them home to eat later. It is true that we have the right to eat all of these delicious grapes and olives—HaShem tells us Help yourselves! However it does not mean we have to exercise this right, that is why it is forbidden to take these goods ‘to go’.
Another Missvah we find in this Parashah is the Missvah not to charge another Jew interest. In America, business owners can do as they please to exploit the customer. As long as a client is willing to pay, the businessman can charge him as he wishes—he has all the right to. However, the Torah HaKedoshah is so sensitive and understanding to both the client and the clerk. It’s true that technically one can charge another anything he likes, but just because he can doesn’t mean that he should. We see that a person has the right to charge interest—this is why we can charge goyim, but we also see that we cannot take advantage of this right—this is why we are forbidden from charging other Yehoudim interest. We Yehoudim have a special code of conduct that trandscends personal, selfish motives.
Another more dramatic account in the Parashah where we see the insight of not taking advantage of our rights is by Ben Sorer uMoreh, a wayward and rebellious son. The Torah HaKedoshah tells us that if a couple has son who meets certain (highly specific) qualifications of being a rebellious son, they have the right to justly kill him by stoning him to death. The Torah allows it! It is even a Missvah to do! However, just because parents have this right, does it mean they should go ahead and exercise it as they wish? Absoluetly not!! Which parent in their right mind do such a thing? It is for this reason the Talmud reveals to us, such a case never happened in history--ever. All these parents understand that just because they have this right, it doesn’t mean they should take advantage of it only to vindicate themselves. Just because they could kill their son who, it’s true he acted up, does it still ever mean that they should??
The incident where this concept is most prevelant in in the case of Eshet Yafat To’ar. When a Jewish man goes to war and sees a beautiful woman from the enemy’s side, surprisingly, HaKadosh Barukh Hu allows him to take her as a wife—but only if he follows proper protocol first. She must shave her head and grow her nails and sit at home as a mourner for 30 days, and only after this process, if the Jewish man still wants her as a wife, she is permissible to him.
Umm, HaShem? This doesn’t sound too Jewish to me. What’s going on here, how would You allow such a thing?
The truth is, this is the most Jewish concept there is. HaKadosh Barukh Hu in His infinite wisdom understands the nature of man. HaShem knows that if He forbids this, man would still go ahead and take her as a wife, thus being involved in a tremendous averah, transgression. Since He doesnt want us to trangress has ve’Shalom, HaShem gives us the option that if we want to do such a thing, we should at least do it the right way and not be held accountable for it. We technically have the right to take this Eshet Yafat To’ar.
However, the Torah HaKedoshah warns us, just because you have this right, it does not mean you have to exercise this right. The section in the Torah proceeding right after the section of Eshet Yafat To’ar is that of Ben Sorer uMoreh, a rebellious son, who is ultimately stoned to death. Ouch. How would such a son come about? Rashi explains that any man who takes an Eshet Yafat To’ar as a wife will ultimately have such a son who will rebel to this extent. Just because a man has the right to take a beautiful captive in war, it does not mean that he should exercise this right. Even though the law allows it, we must go above and beyond the law.
The word for going above and beyond the law is called ‘Hesed’. There is Sedakah, which is obligatory by law, and the next level above this is considered to be Hesed. By not giving in to the basic law and passing over our rights in order to attain a greater positive cause, we are, in effect, doing Hesed.
We are now in the midst of Hodesh Elul at full force. This is s time where we should be working on ourselves more and more each day. Although Sedakah is one of the antidotes to bring about Teshuvah, it is also worthwile for us to engage in this kind of Hesed in order to advance our Teshuvah. Starting this Hodesh, anytime we might feel that we have the right of way, let us stop to consider if exercising this right will be beneficial to us and everyone around us. If has ve’Shalom you feel an argument coming, EVEN IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE COMPLETELY RIGHT, let it go. Someone took your parking spot? Let it go. Your sister borrowed your sweater without asking? I know you’re right, but let it go. Exercising your right won’t help you here, but loosening your ego and humbling yourself will.
Let’s try to make things right instead of trying to be right.
Be’Ezrat HaShem may we be massliah in mending broken relationships and maintaining the ones we have now. May we focus on working things out with others instead of just being preoccupied with our own personal rights and desires. Just as we are prepared to overlook other people’s ‘faults’, in this zekhout , may HaKadosh Barukh Hu overlook our faults. May we make the best of our Hodesh Elul and elevate ourselves above and beyond what we are destined to be!
Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom uMevorakh! Kol Tuv!
12 Elul 5773
3. It is preferable not to sleep during the day of Rosh HaShanah, but rather to study Torah.
(If one finds himself in a situation where he cannot concentrate on studying Torah and is idling away his time in gossip, etc., it is preferable to sleep.)
13 Elul 5773
Parashat Nissavim reassures us, the Torah HaKedoshah is not floating somewhere in the cosmos nor is it trapped between the stratospheres of the sky. My dear friends, our Torah is not hovering in the heavens; it is within our own personal reach. We don't need angels to bring it down for us. I pray HaKadosh Barukh Hu grant us all that extra koah boost we need in order to grasp and to internalize the Kedushah of the Torah and all its teachings. May this renewed commitment to HaKadosh Barukh Hu escort us into the New Year with tremendous Berakhah, Simhah and Hasslahah!
BH today is the Hiloula of the Ben Ish Hai, daven in his zekhout!!
GET READY FOR ROSH HASHANAH AND YOM KIPPOUR!!
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III. Prayers/Tefillot
1. The amidah of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur emphasizes the Kingship of HaShem and includes additions reflecting the vision of a world in harmony and peace fulfilling His will.
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ELUL IS HERE....
Maximize your TESHOUVAH.
MidrESHET Hayil presents a highly interactive three day workshop designed to help you develop a better connection to yourself and HaShem unlike anything you have ever experienced before. We will be using a combination of lectures, music and guided mediation in order to unleash the power of our Neshamot and consciousness in order to attain genuine Tefillah and Teshouvah in time for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippour.
On 8.26. to 8.28.
REWIND
RELAX
RENEW
RETURN.
14 Elul 5773
Please message me if you are interested in joining the Teshouvah Seminar/Workshop next week. To accommodate those starting school next Wednesday, it might be a two day seminar on Monday and Tuesday.
3. Torah and Haftarah Readings: On the first day the Torah reading begins with HaShem's remembering Sarah (with childbirth). A portion about Rosh Hashanah is read from a second Sefer Torah. The haftarah is about HaShem's remembering Hannah (with childbirth).
4. The Torah reading on the second day of Rosh HaShanah is about HaShem’s test of Avraham with Akedat Yiss’hak. The portion read from the second Sefer Torah is the same as the first day. The haftarah, from the prophet Yirmiah, is about HaShem's remembering, and love for, Yisrael.
15 Elul 5773
Registration is open for next weeks ELOUL TESHOUVAH SEMINAR, message me back to sign up :) kol tuv!
5. Mousaf: The Mousaf prayer of Rosh Hashanah includes three special sections reflecting the essence of the day. Each section comprises ten verses from Tanakh and concludes with a Berakhah. The first section focuses on HaShem's kingship 'Malkhiot'; the second on His remembrances for judgment 'Zikhronot'; the third on the significance of the shofar 'Shofarot'.
16 Elul 5773
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IV. Shofar
1. It is a Torah commandment to hear the shofar blasts on the day of Rosh Hashanah. The shofar is associated with the coronation of a king and helps us focus on the importance of recognizing and accepting HaShem as our king.
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Parashat Ki Tavo-Heads or Tails?
BH this Devar Torah will require a bit more concentration than usual. Prepare yourself, and Enjoy!
‘HaShem will make you the head, not the tail; you will always be at the top and never at the bottom — if only you obey and faithfully observe the commandments [of HaShem your G-d that I enjoin upon you this day]’ (Sefer Devarim, Parashat Ki Tavo, 28:13).
Hmmm, this Pasouk from Parashat Ki Tavo sounds familiar. Don’t we say something like this on Rosh HaShanah?
We sure do!
In its simple meaning, HaKadosh Barukh Hu gives us the secret to attaining a good year, to being the ‘head’, on top, and not the ‘tail’. All we have to do is obey and observe HaShem’s beautiful Missvot. That sounds great, but what is the connection? Why would HaShem specifically make us the head of something and not its tail? Couldn’t HaShem just say ‘I will bless you with all that is good’? What are the mechanisms at work that actually make this happen? What is actually happening ‘behind the scenes’ when we follow the Torah and Missvot?
The Ben Ish Hai brings up the view of the Neshamah as something drawn from a place in Shamayim that is even higher than where the Malakhim, angels, live. When a person does an averah, transgression, it is considered as an object that has fallen from Shamayim and became lost. It is a Halakhah of Hashavat Avedah, that when an object is lost, the person closest to it must return it to its rightful owner and to its rightful place. Therefore, when a person’s Neshamah is lost (because they sinned) from its rightful place, Shamayim, HaShem is the One that is closest to it and must ‘return it’ to its rightful owner, in its rightful place.
We see here that the Neshamah here is being returned from a lower place to a higher one. So far, we’re getting the concept of being ‘on top’ rather than ‘on bottom’.
Let’s continue.
Rabbi Yosef Haim points out that Benei Yisrael are known by the two names, Yaakov (as in Beit Yaakov) and Yisrael (as in Benei Yisrael)—they both are two names to the same person (Yaakov Avinu is known as both ‘Yaakov’ and ‘Yisrael’). Yisrael – the special name given to Ya’akov by HaShem – is considered the greater of the two (afterall, he ‘earns’ this name after passing a tremendous nisayon, test). The Ben Ish Hai uses the midrashic method of breaking down words in order to reveal to us what really happens when we do a Missvah and how this makes us ‘on top’ and not ‘the bottom’.
We’re going to need to pay close attention here.
Both names – Yaakov and Yisrael — start with the letter yud:
י עקב
י שראל
In the name Yaakov, the word ‘Akev’ (heel) is left. It looks like this: י +עקב
Yisrael is made up of yud and the remaining letters spell ‘le’rosh’ (to [become] a head – the very same word used in the Pasouk we started off with). It looks like this: י +לראש
The yud of Yaakov stands for the yud at the end of the HaShem’s name pronounced A-donai. This version of HaShem’s name according to Kabbalah represents the lowest of the sefirot, the manifestation of Hashem’s kingdom, present in the earthly world. The bottom, the heel.
The yud of Yisrael represents the yud in the beginning of Hashem’s most sacred name, Yud-Heh-Vav- and Heh. This form of HaShem’s name represents the highest of the sefirot, that of Crown that is absolutely beyond anything earthly—the top, the head.
So when we do a Missvah, we are actually rectifying ‘Yaakov’ to ‘Yisrael’—we literally move from the ‘heels’ of the spiritual world to its ‘head’. By doing so, we actually also bring together and unify both of HaShem’s names A-donai (represented by Yaakov) and Yud-Heh-Vav- and Heh(represented by Yisrael) into one.
Want me to prove it?
Let’s look at the Pasouk again ‘You will always be at the top [למעלה] and never at the bottom [למטה]’ – The difference in the gematriya, the numerical value, of these two (and therefore the distance between them) is as follows:
‘at the top’ למעלה 175
and
‘at the bottom’ למטה 84
This equals
The numerical value of the two names of HaShem, A-donai and Yud-Heh-
Every time you do a Missvah, you are literally bring together the two names of Hashem. You change yourself from a simple Yaakov, ‘at the bottom’, which has a gematriya of 84 and add the combined numerical value of HaShem’s names—the amount you need to ‘travel’ from high to low –which is 91. This gives us a total of 175, and turns the person performing the Missvah into Yisrael, למעלה, “at the top”—which as we calculated before, has a gematriya of 175. Absolutely AMAZING.
Too much math? No problem. What Hakham Yosef Haiim wants to explain is that our Neshamot have the potential to be at a place even higher than the Malakhim. We really could be there. The thing is that sometimes we get a bit ‘lost’. But the best part of all is that HaShem Himself is the One that must return our Neshamot to its rightful place, to a place in Shamayim even higher than the angels. If we existed below the angels, they would be the ones closest to the lost Neshamot and would have to do the returning. How lucky we are that HaShem is the one to do this for us, since He does this with such compassion. HaShem doesn’t say ‘That Neshamah sinned, it is not deserving of being returned!’ Rather, HaShem facilitates this Neshama’s Teshuvah and says ‘I will return this Neshamah and allow it to do Teshuvah and live!’ We should know that when we are lost and want to ‘return’, when we so sincerely want to do Teshuvah, HASHEM HIMSELF IS THE ONE WHO HELPS US. Don’t ever give up.
This is why HaShem says He will place us ‘on top’—on top of the angels. So that HaShem Himself can be directly involved in the process of our return to Him. We have about ten more days until Rosh HaShanah. This is a time when we must be involved in intense Teshuvah, yet we can become very discouraged even thinking about this responsibility. In Parashat Ki Tavo, HaShem Himself is assuring us that He will help us every step of the way. All we have to do is get started! Yalla! You have every capability to shoot your Neshamah up all the way to the highest levels of Shamayim. Don’t let anything get in the way.
Look at the tremendous impact that every single Missvah has—the ‘big’ and ‘smaller’ ones alike. Won’t we think twice now on passing a precious Missvah up? You have a chance to make a Berakhah? Do it. Extra Sedaka to give? Give more. Bikur Holim? Hakhnasat Kallah? Lend a helping hand? Say a Perek of Tehillim? Don’t pass these opportunities up-they change worlds, each and every one of them.
Be’Ezrat HaShem, May we all be the ‘head’ on top, and not the ‘heel’ on bottom. May we understand the value of each Missvah, and in this pursuit, strengthen our Avodat HaShem. May this direct us on the proper path in preparation for Rosh HaShanah and may we all be inscribed for a wonderful and fulfilled year ahead of us!
Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom uMevorakh!
Based on the teachings of the Ben Ish Hai, Hakham Yosef Haiim, whose Hiloula is the week!
17 Elul 5773
We all owe a big Hakarat haTov (recognition of kindness) to a dear friend of mine who inspired me to start theMidrESHET Hayil daily email, please let's all daven for Batsheva bat Rachel to find her highest zivoug hagoun beKarov! May HaShem bless her with the best!!
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Ki Tavo
In New York
Hadlakat Nerot 7:23pm
Mossai Shabbat 8:23pm
Rabbenou Tam 8:52pm
Shabbat Shalom uMevorakh!
2. Women are not obligated to hear the shofar as it is a positive missvah governed by time. Nevertheless, they fulfill a missvah if they hear it.
Children who have reached the age of understanding should be brought to synagogue to hear the shofar but only if they do not disturb others.
19 Elul 5773
LAST CALL! BH TESHOUVAH SEMINAR THIS MONDAY AND TUESDAY!8:45am-12pm AT 429 MIDDLE NECK RD. MESSAGE ME TO REGISTER :)
4. The complete Missvah of Shofar comprises one hundred individual blasts. (It is customary to blow a 101st blast, a Teru`ah Gedolah, before Aleinu.) The listener must have the intent to fulfill his obligation of the Missvah of shofar through listening to the person who is blowing the shofar.
20 Elul 5773
PLEASE daven, learn, give Sedakah, for the instant and lasting Refouah Shelemah of my Grandfather, Yehezkel ben Morvarid. Todah Rabbah :)
The Rosh HaShanah Seder-by Menachem Posner
'On both nights of Rosh Hashanah, a number of foods are eaten to symbolize our prayers and hopes for a sweet new year. Many of these foods were specifically chosen because their Hebrew names are related to other Hebrew words that convey our wishes for the coming year. An accompanying prayer is recited, expressing our wishes inherent in these words and foods. [We] recite each prayer while holding the particular food in the right hand, immediately before it is eaten.
Foods at the Rosh Hashanah Seder:
- Dates
- Small light colored beans
- Leeks
- Beets
- Gourd
- Pomegranate
- Apple (cooked in sugar) and honey
- Head of a ram (or a fish)
21 Elul 5773
BH if there is enough interest, MidrESHET Hayil Seminary will be holding EVENING CLASSES this upcoming semester starting in October iy''H. If you would be interested in registering, please message me asap in order to make the proper calculations. Todah Rabbah!
After reciting kiddush, washing, and doing HaMossi, the following foods are eaten:
תמרים
Dates. Related to the word תם—to end.
Take a date and recite:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ
Blessed are You, HaShem our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.
After eating the date, take another one and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּתַּמּוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ וְשׂוֹנְאֵינוּ וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that there come an end to our enemies, haters and those who wish evil upon us.
22 Elul 5773-24 Elul
PLEASE please keep davening for my Grandfather, Yehezkel ben Morvarid to have an immediate and lasting Refuah Shelemah. BH our Tefillot are so powerful. Todah Rabbah :)
רוביא—לוביא
Small beans. Related to the words, רב—many, and לב—heart.
(The following blessing over vegetables is only recited if one has not recited the blessing over bread:)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Blessed are You, HaShem our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
Take some white beans and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּרְבּוּ זָכִיּוֹתֵינוּ וּתְלַבְּבֵנוּ
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that our merits shall increase and that You hearten us.
כרתי
Leek. Related to the word כרת—to cut.
Take a leek and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּכָּרְתוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ וְשׂוֹנְאֵינוּ וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that our enemies, haters, and those who wish evil upon us shall be cut down.
(Menachem Posner, Chabad.org)
BS''D
יא. כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לֹא נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא:
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יב. לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ
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The Hafess Hayim (who's Hiloula/Yahrzeit it was this week) once encountered an affluent man wearing a beautiful fur coat whose fur he's never seen before. Curious, he walks up to the man and asks him 'I see your fur coat must be of a rare skin, I've never seen anything like it. It must be so warm! May I ask where you acquired such a thing from?' The man answers, 'To be honest, it's not even so warm. Something this valuable is made in a land far away overseas, not everyone can get their hands on a beauty like this, and therefore it's considered a true treasure to have. I only wear it for its prestige.'
Our Torah HaKedoshah is a true beauty, it's a treasure-- except unlike the man's coat which was only attainable from somewhere far away, and only by an elite few, our special Torah can be accessed by anyone and from any place despite its infinite value. HaShem wants us to know, the Torah HaKedoshah is within our reach.
In Parashat Nissavim, Moshe Rabbenu affirms to Benei Yisrael, the Torah is not an intangible force that exists in the Heavens; it is right here! In our hands! The missvot are all in our grasp. We are given the capability and the potential to attain every level the Torah offers to us. We just have to seize it. And look! It is not concealed and it isn't even far away as the pasouk says. It literally exists among us.
HaKadosh Barukh Hu reaffirms this in the Parashah:
HaKadosh Barukh Hu reaffirms this in the Parashah:
14. Rather,[this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.
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יד. כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּ
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Sometimes, for a college course, I need to access original manuscripts and articles from founding and leading Psychologists in order to strengthen my paper's argument, since they have much authority in the field. If I can use what these Psychologists have to say as my references, then I'm golden. The thing is, it can become very difficult to seize these books sometimes. I would need to see if the book is even available, locate the book, order it to be sent to me, wait a few days for it to circulate and be sent, and then I can finally pick it up. Now the real work begins. Once I do have the book in my hands, it is even more difficult to understand sometimes than the acquisition process. Most of these books have been written in the early 1900's by extremely brilliant authors…. in old English. HaShem Yerahem. Sometimes information found has been disproved or become irrelevant, and I wonder to myself why in the world im stuck here reading this. I rather be davening.
But think about it, isn't it just phenomenal that the Torah was written, not 100 years, but 3,000 years ago and it still makes sense to us? The words of the Torah HaKedoshah are pure Emet, Truth, and have not been disproven. Its content is still completely relevant. Amazing isn't it? And you know what the best part is? There's one sitting right on your shelf (or you probably even have a Torah App on your iphone). You don't have to climb to the Heavens to get a copy.
Moshe Rabbenu warns us not to throw our responsibilities onto another to say 'the Torah is an esoteric and mysterious text that I will never understand. Who can I find to teach it to me, and who even says I will understand its' deep hidden secrets? There is nobody to simplify it for me. I'm not on that level'. Moshe Rabbenun warns us that this attitude is not correct. Especially with the wealth of resources available today, we can all be involved, we can all learn more, we can all do more Missvot. There are no excuses.
Yet we all have an excuse. So think about it. What must be stopping you? Is it your job? Your friends? Your honor? Are you embarrassed? Just remember, THE RELATIONSHIP THAT MATTERS MOST IN THIS WORLD IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HAKADOSH BARUKH HU. All else is secondary. Just focus on doing what is important, what is right, what matters. It is better to look like a fool your ENTIRE life in front of others (but be doing the right thing) than to look like a fool in front of HaShem Yitbarakh for even one moment. We must realize, absolutely everything in our lives comes from HaShem, not from the people that surround us. Do it for Him, there is absolutely no reason not to. HaShem is the Source for all and to Him we must turn. To Him we must be committed.
Let's talk about HaShem and commitment. There are two ways to view our existence in regards to HaKadosh Barukh Hu. Either HaShem exists or He doesn't, right? There are no other possibilities, there is no half deity here. And we know the former is true and that the concept that HaShem exists is more true than it is false. And if He exists, it is one hundred percent (HaShem can't exist only seventy five percent). So we can agree here that HaKadosh Barukh Hu definitely exists. Now, if we know that HaShem FULLY exists, then why is our commitment to Him only PARTIAL? We just rationally proved and agreed that HaKadosh Barukh Hu exists (youdid read this far). Where is my full commitment to Him?
I understand there is a fear of failure here and this may lead us to give up before we even try, and that is completely normal. Just know, if you truly want it and show the effort, HaShem will make it possible for you. Just take the first step. I have personally encountered this Mercy of HaShem Yitbarakh many times. It is said, Pit'hu li petah ke'hudo shel mahat, ve'Ani eftah lakhem pit'ho shel ulam. Open for Me even the smallest hole like that of a needle, and then HaKadosh Barukh Hu will take care of the rest and open for us a large opening like that of a great hall. It just takes a little bit of sincere effort; we don't have to take on the world at once. The greatest part though that it is all available to us.
You have a shiur your can go to, watch, listen to? That's a great way to start. There are also myriads of Sefarim that we can read, including translations of Halakhah books, in order to improve ourselves and our Avodat HaShem. Pick a Missvah and pick a Middah ('character trait') and make it your own.
Just make the commitment-- it's easier and more accessible than you think. It is the Shabbat before Rosh HaShanah. Now is the time.
Parashat Nissavim reassures us, the Torah HaKedoshah is not floating somewhere in the cosmos nor is it trapped between the stratospheres of the sky. My dear friends, our Torah is not hovering in the heavens; it is within our own personal reach. We don't need angels to bring it down for us. I pray HaKadosh Barukh Hu grant us all that extra koah boost we need in order to grasp and to internalize the Kedushah of the Torah and all its teachings. May this renewed commitment to HaKadosh Barukh Hu escort us into the New Year with tremendous Berakhah, Simhah and Hasslahah!
Wishing everybody a wonderful Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorakh! Kol Tuv!
25 Elul 5773
Remember to do Hatarat Nedarim (Anullment of Vows) befpre Rosh HaShanah. There will be one being done at Torah Ohr tonight at 11:00pm followed by Rabbi Schachter and inspirational Selihot. See you there!
סלקא
Beets. Related to the word סלק—to depart.
Take a beet and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּסְתַּלְּקוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ וְשׂוֹנְאֵינוּ וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that our enemies, haters and those who wish evil upon us shall depart.
(Chabad.org)
26 Elul 5773
GAIN A BIG BIG ZEKHOUT BEFORE ROSH HASHANAH!! BH beli neder my brother will be running a marathon to raise money for HASC, an organization that helps children with special needs. Please help him reach his goal of $3,000. Visit teamhasc.com, click donate and write in the name Eliot Samimi and the proper donate form will pop up. Every dollar counts. Remember Sedakah helps annul all evil decrees in time for Rosh HaShanah!
קרא
Gourd. Related to the word קרע—to rip apart, and also קרא—to announce.
Take a gourd and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתִּקְרַע רוֹעַ גְּזַר דִּינֵנוּ, וְיִקָּרְאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ זָכִיּוֹתֵינוּ
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that the evil of our verdicts be ripped, and that our merits be announced before you.
רימון
Pomegranate.
Take the pomegranate and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁנִּהְיֶה מְלֵאִים מִצְוֹת כָּרִמּוֹן
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that we be filled with Missvot like a pomegranate [is filled with seeds].
תפוח בדבש
Apple and Honey.
Dip an apple in honey – some have the custom of using an apple cooked with sugar – and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה כַּדְּבָשׁ
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that You renew for us a year good and sweet like honey.
ראש כבש
Ram's Head (or the head of another kosher animal or fish).
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁנִּהְיֶה לְרֹאשׁ וְלֹא לְזָנָב
May it be Your will, HaShem our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that we be a head and not a tail.
(The following is added only over the head of a ram:
וְתִזְכֹּר לָנוּ עֲקֵדָתוֹ וְאֵילוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ בֶּן אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עַלֵיהֶם הַשָּׁלוֹם
…And You shall remember for us the binding and the ram of our forefather Yiss'hak, the son
of our forefather Avraham, peace be onto them.)
(Chabad.org)
28 Elul 5773
Tizku leShanim Rabot Ne'imot veTovot,
Although I wish I could do this face to face, I would like to personally ask a sincere mehillah (forgiveness) from each and every special person that is part of the MidrESHET Hayil group. I deeply apologize if I have ever hurt, offended or embarrassed anyone, or if I have done anything else that would warrant a mehillah, whether it was intentional or unintentional. I hope that you could forgive me. BH I am mohelet (forgiving) everyone in advance. I wish upon each and every one of you a Shanah Tovah uMevorekhet full of Shalom, Berakhah ve'Simhah! May HaKadosh Barukh Hu bless us with all that is good and may our belovedMidrESHET Hayil group continue to grow more and more! You are all very dear to me. Kol Tuv Nashim Sadkaniot!!
Here is a letter I wrote to HaKadosh Barukh Hu in anticipation for Rosh HaShanah. It is my hope that by reading it, one will acquire the proper mindset necessary for these upcoming holy and precious days. May HaShem grant us all a wonderful year filled with Berakhah, Simhah, spiritual growth and closeness to Him, Amen!
Riboni Shel Olam, today I stand in immense trepidation before You, wondering if this is a day of joy and elation or one of solemnity and seriousness. Today is 5774 years since You have created the world and declared Your Sovereignty over it. Today is the day You will consider whether we will make it to witness the 5775th year from Creation. Today, we pass in front of You one by one as herds of sheep, waiting to be judged for the forthcoming year. Am I not to be afraid?
Yet, today we declare You as our King.
Today we will commit ourselves once again to conform with Divine Sovereignty, that Your Will will become our will. We submit to You, HaShem. We accept your Kingship fully. As it says 'Make that His will should be your will, so that He should make your will to be as His will. Nullify your will before His will, so that He should nullify the will of others before your will'. HaKadosh Barukh Hu, I acknowledge that this world runs under Your Sovereignty alone. Everything that has happened in the past year was Your Will and Your Will only. In the same vain, what this upcoming year will yield is also Your Will and Your Will only. I accept your decrees with a full and content heart, knowing that you want the best for your beloved subjects. For this I rejoice.
A king of flesh and blood is coronated by a single, trusted subject, but You HaShem, You are coronated by the entire Kelal Yisrael; the pauper and the prince alike. Today, we all place a crown on Your Head. Today we all declare You our King. And just as each one of us is a partner in your Coronation as King, You reciprocate this relationship, being involved in our lives completely, supervising even the smallest creatures to the greatest of Sadikim. From the breeze that ruffles the grass, to each drop of rain that falls from the Heavens, each fruit that ripens on its time and each flower that germinates, to the beasts of the fields and the birds of the sky, to each and every member of Kelal Yisrael, You oversee us all; We declare You our Beloved King.
We sound the Shofar to declare your Coronation. The Shofar blasts are akin to the reverberations of trumpets blown when a king is cornoated. One hundred and one times do we declare You as King this way. One hundred and one moments we have to focus on Your Kingship. One hundred and one wake up calls to do Teshuvah. We have one hundred and one opportunities to take upon ourselves Ol Malkhut Shamayim, the responsibility of being your subjects and yielding to Your Sovereignty.
These one hundred and one permutations of cries will allow me to refocus on how I can improve myself in preparation for the upcoming year. I will conjure the moments I regret not taking advantage of the Torah and Missvot to help me do so. I will strike up the moments I compromised commitment for comfort and prayer for pleasure. I will commit to deal with others more lovingly and with more patience. I will realign my Emounah and Bitahon as well as take on a steadfast commitment to Torah and Missvot. From now on I will operate with utmost Ahavat and Yira'at HaShem.
HaShem, consider my newfound dedication to You and pardon my past wrongdoings. Just as when a new king is coronated, he grants amnesty to all his subjects, overlooking their wrongdoings, so too, when we Coronate You as King once again, we are certain that You will grant us amnesty, pardon our sins, and help us start anew. In this way, today we can rejoice. In this way, we can truly say 'Yismehu beMalkhutekha', 'We will rejoice in Your Kingship', with heartfelt meaning.
If that is not enough, if I have no merit of my own to evoke, please HaShem do this for Your sake. On Rosh HaShanah we are called to a din Torah, a court of Jewish law, where You are the plaintiff and we are the defendants. The halakhah tells us that if a poor person and a wealthy person appear at a din Torah, they both must be perceived by the judge as having equal stature. If the wealthy person is dressed in elegant attire, the judge may look at him more favorably than the poor person dressed in rags. Therefore, the wealthy man either has to purchase a similar prestigious garb for the poor person, or must dress rags similar to the poor person so that a fair ruling can be made. HaShem, we are dressed in rags, we are clothed in our sins and You, in Your Purity and Holiness, are not fitting to wear such clothing. Therefore, please share with us your clothing of purity, which can only be vested if our sins our forgiven. Allow us to don your pristine garb.
HaKadosh Barukh Hu, I call out to You in a heartfelt Tefillah. May You accept our sincere Teshuvah in turn for a wonderful year ahead of us. May this be a year of Berakhah for all of Kelal Yisrael. May You always judge us favorably and with immense Rahamim, Mercy. May You inscribe and seal us in Sefer Hayim Tovim, the Book of Good Life, so that we may continue to propagate the beauty of Your Torah in this world. May we continue to elevate ourselves higher and higher with Your Divine assistance and grow spiritually each and every day. May we always become a better person than we were the day before. May we be successful in our Avodat Middot and cultivate ourselves into more refined, patient and forgiving beings. May we gain clarity to Your Truths and thereby become even closer to You. Please help us increase our Emounah and Bitahon in You, and to always have the proper Ahavat HaShem and Yira'at Shamayim. May we be zokhim to feel Your Shekhinah at every moment.
HaShem, May there be Shalom Bayit in every single Jewish Home and may Your Shekhinah always rest there. May all of us, Your children, be in a constant state of Simhah. Please grant us all Menouhat Nefesh and Yishouv Daat- free us from our distress and worries, comfort us, protect us. May You grant all of us health and vigor to serve You better and may all the holim have a Refuah Shelemah beKarov. May all the singles find their zivoug hagoun beKarov with ease, clarity and happiness and may they be zokhim to build a Bayit Kadosh veNe'eman beYisrael. May all the childless be blessed with an abundance of healthy and righteous children. May all those off the Derekh please come back rightfully. May You also bless each and every one of us with Parnassah Tovah beShefa so that we can increase our Sedakah and Torah learning. May we only have Bessorot Tovot to share this year and every year after. MAY THIS BE THE YEAR THAT WE WILL WITNESS THE COMING OF MASHIAH BEN DAVID, AMEN!
HaShem, I want to thank You for all you have blessed us with thus far. May You keep and add to these Berakhot and may we always be appreciative of them. Thank You HaShem. I love You very much.
Wishing everyone a Shanah Tovah uMevorekhet!
Information and inspiration based on the works of Rabbi Avraham J. Twerski, M.D.
29 Elul 5773
TONIGHT IS ROSH HASHANAH!!!!
(please refer below for very important information about the upcoming days)
Tizku LeShanim Rabbot Neimot veTovot
ROSH HASHANAH 5774Hadlakat Nerot in New YorkTonight 7:03pmTomorrow night AFTER 7:20pmShabbat Kodesh Parashat HaazinuHadlakat Nerot 7:00pmMossai Shabbat Kodesh 7:59pmRabbenou Tam 8:29pm
Sunday Tsom Gedaliah,
in NY the fast begins at 5:05am
and ends at 7:57pm.
If you wish to wake up early to eat before the fast you must make a verbal declaration the night before that you wish to do so, otherwise the fast begins when you go to sleep.
*PLEASE NOTE: SINCE WE CANNOT PREPARE ON ONE DAY OF YOM TOV FOR THE NEXT, IN ORDER TO COOK ON FRIDAY YOM TOV FOR SHABBAT KODESH, ONE MUST DO EROUV TAVSHILIN BEFOREHAND ON EREV YOM TOV. PLEASE REMEMBER TO DO SO! (more information can be found here) THE TEXT CAN BE FOUND HERE*
**Prayers: During Aseret Yemei Teshouvah (The days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippour) a person should pray more carefully than usual. Six insertions and substitutions are made in the Amidah/Shemoneh Esrei as found in all Siddurim. Pay special attention to these changes. The two most important ones are 'HaMelekh HaKadosh' instead of 'HaE-l HaKadosh' and 'HaMelekh HaMishpat' instead of 'Melekh Ohev Sedakah uMishpat' which If forgotten, the Tefillah must be repeated.
Wishing everyone the best year yet filled with all that is good! May we all be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Good Life!
כתיבה וחתימה טובה! שנה טובה ומבורכת!!!
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