Chesed of gevurah

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Day three - Tiferet shebchesed

https://www.facebook.com/rebyossi/posts/10151953443210870

Day two -gevurah shebchesed

https://www.facebook.com/rebyossi/posts/10151951319765870:2

Day one- Chesed she- bechesed

http://rebyossi.tumblr.com/post/83011304944/day-one-chesed-she-bechesed-april-17-2014-day

Mindfulness or playfulness ?

Irony of ironies. The emerging Chassidic movement spearheaded by the baal Shem Tov, concentrates All of its energy on the tzaddik. The holy man. A bridge between man and g-d. The alter rebbe, the first rebbe of chabad comes along and refocuses the movement away from the tzaddik,back to man. Not even extraordinary men. Average people like you and I. People who struggle daily to feel connected to Hashem. He knows that each day brings turbulence in its wake and gently reassures us that this is ok. The Alter rebbe,a spiritual coach truly in touch with reality acknowledges that our go to setting is our human awareness. Nevertheless he assures us that our Neshama G-dly consciousness is our truest most authentic self. Behaving in tandem with that truer reality is easier said than done however. The alter rebbe teaches us about some powerful strategies, tools that prove invaluable in best managing this duality. One of the most important ones in one word. Daas. Not to be confused with Richard Alpert,a Jew who embraced Hinduism and renamed himself Ram Daas! The sadness/irony of that is that he based his best selling book "be here now" on Hindu teachings, when his new Hindu name means exactly that in Hebrew. Mindfulness! The alter rebbe teaches that us to think about our life choices and their consequences. Constantly. Mindfulness for the alter rebbe includes developing discipline. It means we don't simply obey our every desire. We train ourselves to analyze why we want this. We train ourselves to ask the desire for ID ! May I see your ID please ? Are you self hatred masquarading as self love? Are you a behavior that is a manifestion of my higher self or lower self? Are you about my ego and to be ignored or an action that is a necessary step in filling my Life's mission and purpose? Are you a behavior that ties me to a sadness in my past or are you an action that leads me to a joyous future? Are you an action that is narcissistic and selfish or are you a pleasure that is holy and pure? These are all Daas questions. Sometimes they can be exhausting! That's why we have Purim. It's a reminder that being Jewish must also be about striking the right balance between continued emotional growth and celebrating ourselves exactly as we are! We must be cautious not to sacrifice our playfulness on the altar of our mindfulness. So on Purim we say to ourselves " I love you just the way you are "! Purim is a time out from the critical but often grueling practice of daas - mindfulness On Purim we are told to get to a state of Ad Delo Yada . On one level that means we become tipsy enough to confuse Haman and Mordechai I think there might be a deeper suggestion here. Purim unlike Chanukah is not about the struggle for light and spirituality. . Yaddah is daas Yaddah is mindfulness . Purim we are all about vanahapochu, experiencing opposites. It's about putting the struggle on hold for just one day. On Purim we say LO YADA- no daas !!!!!!! A brief (responsible) harmless shift from the ongoing struggle of mindfulness to a letting go state of mindlessness. Happy Purim !!! Rabbi Yossi

The fast of Rashi

I woke up early this morning,before the fast began and shared a pre dawn cup of coffee with one of my daughters. It felt like I was cheating the fast. I don't care. I'm not fasting for Hashem or for Esther today in any case. Today my fast is the fast of Rashi. I know I'm not alone in this. There are many whose lives end tragically. before their time. I can't possibly mourn them all. This one is family though. Shushan is Alpharetta Georgia. The lofty soul of A fellow Shlucha Rashi minkowitz,only thirty seven years old has been snatched from us,leaving eight children and a beloved rabbi husband engulfed in a modern day Purim catastrophe. This strikes deeply and viscerally for our entire community. Hirshi, As you continue to plunge even deeper into the unimaginable abyss of your grief,please know that you will not grieve alone. Though the full weight of this loss will be yours to bear for the rest of your life,know that you will not have to bear it alone. I pray that you will find the strength to carry on despite the gaping void, for your children's sake,but know that your loss has left a collective void in our communal hearts as well. Today there are not thousands of chabad houses all over the world. there is only one, in Alpharetta Georgia. Today we are all the Shluchim to Alpharetta. There is but one Shlichus today. There is one mitzvah for all of us. Holding you and your loved ones in our collective embrace of love and consolation. Know that today you and your children are being held in the arms, minds and souls of every single Shliach and shlucha in the world. Though the challenges and unique difficulties of leading the life of a Shliach far outweigh the material perks, they are no match for the intangible spiritual benefits. The tidal wave of love and support that will carry you and your family through this nightmarish storm is perhaps the benefit that stands out the most. Though we are not the same age and not close friends we are brothers,and your pain is my pain. I'm will no longer fight the tears. I know you are crying and I'm sitting here in my office crying with you. Dear G-d; Please shine your light on this family. Please heal them. Please give them strength. "Umacha Hashem es dimah may al kol panim" " May Hashem in his mercy wipe away the tears from every face"

Vayikra files #3 clearing the air on animal sacrifice

We don't offer animal sacrifices anymore because the temple was destroyed. That's the answer we ve always been given. I ve always accepted this answer but never fully understood it until now. I ll try to explain. Spiritual leaders often make the mistake of taking personal responsibility for g-ds image. I decided a long time ago that my job can be stressful enough as it is and that if g-d wanted me as his personal publicist he would need to ask me himself. Till that happens though I don't feel the need to apologize for him anymore. No more " ahhhh they could stone people, but did they ever actually do it?" Or "yes g-d killed all those people but you can't compare our culture to ancient times, he would never do that in today's day and age "! The one that I m most relieved not to have to apologize for Is for the sacrifices. No more " well he allowed them to offer animal sacrifices because that was the culture they were familiar with,but today we've evolved and the way we commune with g-d has evolved as well.......etc etc etc......no need for the barbaric savagery of animal sacrifices". The reason I'm thrilled at my decision not to offer that particular spin job is because I simply don't buy it. It makes absolutely no sense to me on a number of levels. Let's take a look at what the animal sacrifices actually looked like. The ritualized spiritual aspect of the korbanot, began with a families pilgrimage with their livestock to the holy temple in jerusalem. Before going into The holy temple one would be required to immerse in a mikvah ritual pool.Following that the families would approach the kohen and offer the animal up on the altar, accompanied by prayer and meditation. Those present who witnessed the death of the animal were reminded of the precarious nature of life and filled with a renewed sense of gratitude for the gift of their human life. Then most of the time they would partake of that same meat together with the priests by eating a celebratory feast in the temple courtyard. This was the barbaric ritual that we are so embarrassed of ?? Most of the korbanot were actually eaten,so it was killing for food! Something wrong with that ? There was no possibility for mistreating the animals as the slaughtering took place right in front of the animal owners eyes!! The results of this visceral experience inspired all those present to live higher.To appreciate the gifts of life with more mindfulness. In trying to tie a ribbon around g-d and make him look prettier to the world,and make ourselves feel more progressive, we ve lost sight of his most relevant message yet. The taking of the animal life(humanely) was a reminder of our obligation to preserve, exalt, protect, and cherish human life at all cost. The destruction of the temple was nothing less than an assault on this value. By destroying the temple and ending the ritual slaughter of animals,society was now free to commence the slaughter of people. This might explain why even after the temple was destroyed we Jews are still targeted. We will always be the priests of the temple. We will always bear the message of the sanctity of human life. A message that makes it uncomfortable and inconvenient to murder. This explains the most illogical and puzzling mystery of all. The nation of Israel is surrounded by nations that till today are guilty of mass murder,genocide,raping of women,executions,oppression of minorities, police brutality,slavery,shooting of journalists,torture of innocents ....etc And yet the world points it's finger at the Jews! Why ! Simple..... we still make them uncomfortable with murder. We still stand for the preciousness and sanctity of life. The modern assault on Israel and the Jewish state has never been anything less than a continuation of the Destruction of the temple and it's key message of celebrating and cherishing human existence. They thought that by destroying the temple and ending animal sacrifice they would be able to kill and kill and kill with impunity! Once the Jews stopped the sacrifices in the temple we sadly became the worlds sacrifice. Butchered tortured and sacrificed over and over again. In Spain we were burned so that the world could keep killing. In Poland we were butchered so that the world could keep killing. In Germany we were tortured so that the world could keep killing. Until now. The miracle of the modern state of Israel is that we can continue to remind the world about its duty to preserve life and by being able to defend ourselves we can preserve ours as well! A "civilized world" where people spend millions on saving the whales but ignore the starving children of Africa,could use the reminder of the animal sacrifices. A "civilized world" where people care more about endangered species then endangered people,could use the reminder of the animal sacrifices A "civilized world" where the mercenaries of PETA,who moonlight as "Israel Apartheid" protesters in slow season- petition against the slaughtering of chickens but ignore the slaughter of hundreds of thousands in Darfur,could use the message of the animal sacrifices. Is it no wonder that aside from the priority of besmirching Israel's reputation in the UN and the world,the top priority for European lawmakers is now what ? That's right banning Jews from performing the one remaining practice leftover from the times of the temple; Shechita - kosher slaughtering. So why don't we have animal sacrifices ? Because a world where animal life is more sacred than human life is not ready for a Bais hamikdosh. Its also a world that needs the light of a Bais hamikdosh now more than ever before. From this perspective Vayikrah is not the least relevant book of the Torah- it's the most relevant. 

    Early Shabbat shalom 

  

    Rabbi Yossi 

The anatomy of a disagreement

I had a conversation recently with a very close liberal minded friend who is an outspoken and passionate advocate of every left wing position in Israel. This person came to me recently as their Rabbi very heartbroken. "My politics on Isreal are Alienating me from many of my family members and almost all of my close friends"! 

"What should I do?

My response was as follows. I pointed out that when every single thing you say about Israel is harsh criticism, then you start to sound more like an enemy than a friend.

This individual after much soul searching came back to me and conceded the following. "I started to listen to myself and found that in defending my view on Israel,I got so passionately caught up in my position that I lost my own voice and found myself often almost robotically repeating slogans from people who truly hate Isreal and wish openly for its destruction. 

"How did I get to this place"?

The marginalization that this person felt was not just as a result of the one dimensionality of the views themselves. It was more in the almost cult like militant tone in which the view was being conveyed.

 This is a widespread  issue. The "love" that some people profess for Israel Is being crushed beneath layers of strident-harsh language,and a complete and utter lack of balance.

The fact of the matter is no one has ever been able to accuse people on the right of not being loyal. Wrong on some issues ? Yes ! Misguided on some others? Perhaps. Questions about loyalty ? 

Never !

I challenge you to find me a person on the right who suffers from a case of being confused with an enemy of the state.

If the left wing finds itself at a disadvantage in this argument they have one of two options.They can be bothered by this and endeavor to change this perception and image.Or they can choose to dismiss the criticism and further Alienate themselves.

If  the left wing positions sound eerily familiar to the positions of some of our enemies than the onus is on them even more so to work diligently to distinguish themselves from them! 

Not doing so has " I don't care written all over it". 

Sometimes we need to weigh the benefits of being right over the value of losing our solidarity with one another.

Sadly these groups are failing at that. If at the end of these arguments we have so distanced ourselves from one another,we will end up with the catastrophe of having Eretz Yisroel without Am Yisroel .

One of the saddest forms of child abuse are from parents who incessantly criticize their children in the name of love.What usually gives it away is the complete absence of any positive reinforcement and praise.

I often see these this same syndromes with the critics of Isreal. 

Try this experiment. Comb through their Facebook pages looking for a praise of the country,it's government,or the army. 

Get back to me if you find something I'll be pleasantly surprised,but I'm not counting on it.

Also there is the loyalty factor. Imagine being in a family where there is an ongoing fight with the neighbor.

The neighbor might be right sometimes and the family member can point that out and still not compromise their family bond.

However, if what comes across is a constant identifying with the grievances of the other family-then familial credibility is at stake and the loving threads of family solidarity start to slowly unravel.

Now please don't be so quick to hurl self righteous slogans at me.My point here is not a judgment on your opinion, or your right to have one for that matter. 

The issues are not always the issue!

When an opinion is hurled,and it seems more like the lobbing of a grenade than an honest and compassionate exchange of ideas-this itself becomes a bigger issue than even the biggest issue.

The way you choose to come across often times says far more about you than whatever it is you are trying to say.

If the way you are conveying your point makes it seem to someone that you have switched sides,then try and hear that with honestly and not defensively.

Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about.

At Aipac I had the honor of hearing from the head of the labor party, Mr Isaac Herzog. He radiated with a soft charm,deep intelligence,and real humility. He had a twinkle in his eye and a wry grin on his face throughout his talk.He came across as soft spoken and clever,never shouting once or even raising his voice.Most important however was how he was brimming with an obvious love for his people and for his country. 

I found myself drinking in his every word,trusting him.My defense was totally down.

I was particularly taken with the brotherly banter between him and his staunch opponent Naftali  Bennet. Their easy conversation despite their sharp differences was in a spirit of  camaraderie,with not a shred of hostility on display.

While I certainly did not agree with many of the things he said I never questioned his loyalty or his love of Israel the way I instantly do when I read the self loathing editorials of some of Israel's leading newspapers,that are dripping with animosity contempt and bitterness.

Though these two members of Knesset are very much on the opposite sides of the issues there was never a doubt as to whether they were on the same side!

They behaved like brothers in a family.

I realized then that here is a model that some of my liberal friends should study.

A person who was secure enough intellectually not needing to shout his position.

Not needing to resort to name calling, hostility and the use of the arrogant vocabulary of certainty.

To all my dear liberal friends.The way to celebrate diversity of opinion for starters is to show respect for a differing opinion,and show love to the one expressing the opinion ,as you would to your brother or sister.

Also try mixing it up by saying some nice things about Isreal once in a while,I'm sure if you try hard enough you ll find something.

Show us your love in ways other than criticism.

Try losing the edginess.Show a drop of humility.Try saying something nice about an Israeli soldier,who puts his life on the line daily for the safety of the state.

Don't make it your lifes mission to Facebook post and tweet every single derogatory and critical piece you can find on Isreal.

Also don't leave it to your right wing friends to always defend Israel.

Surprise us!

There are people out there who openly hate us and pray daily for our annihilation.

Stop denying and ignoring that.

Call them out. 

Do so Publicly.  

Do so often! 

Try and use the same amount of energy in praise as you do in criticism!

A pro Israel group that never or rarely defends Israel  leaves itself open to a huge question mark.

Make a statement against Iran regarding the intercepted Arms shipment. Something. Anything !

Also please Show a drop of respect for Israeli politicians and leaders  who actually live in Israel.

They live there.They fought there.Too many of them died there.

Bibi Netanyahu and Naftali Bennet put their lives on the line for their country!

Did you ?

Folks This is Derech Eretz 101.

While you re at it you might want to take a little break from your non stop demonizing of every one and everything that you disagree with.

If you would do this, I can promise you one thing.

You will  actually find people listening to what you have to say,and not getting caught up in how you say it. 

I certainly would!

With love for all my friends 

Rabbi Yossi 

Vayikra files #2 Shabbat Shalom!

Often times the Jewish People will be described as the people of the book. A more apt description however might be the "people of the word." The opening phrase of the book of Leviticus is Vayikra -"and Hashem called out to Moses." If you take a peek into the actual Torah scroll you will notice the mini Aleph at the end of the word vayikra. Those of you who have watched the Italian job as many times as I have understand the beauty and mystique of the Mini Cooper. What is the meaning of the "Mini Aleph"? Let's take a closer look at the word vayikra. If you took the aleph away completely it would spell a different word entirely- vayikar, the root of that word being Yakar, a term of endearment or preciousness used even in today's modern Hebrew. The fact that the text uses the word vayikra but minimizes the aleph allowing us to also see the word vayikar, is suggestive of a multidimensional approach to the complex divine-human relationship. In order to better know how to reach up to G-d we need to understand how G-d chooses to reach down to us. The linguistic tension is subtle but significant and is really an opportunity to explore a more fundamental question. A question whose rightful place is in this third book of the Torah whose main theme is offerings/korbanot. The hebrew root of korbanot is karov-closeness. This entire book of Torah is precisely that - an exploration of the Jewish notion of closeness to Hashem. What is the driving force in our connection to g-d ? The two different words represent two opposite approaches. Is it vayikra or vayikar ? Are we driven in our spiritual lives by a sense of duty, hearing a call, or rather by our passion and spiritual love of G-d? Do we do our Judaism because we don't want to be the weak link in an unbroken chain - acting as responsible vayikra Jews, or rather because we are spiritually passionate, Hashem lovers -passionate fiery vayikar Jews? This is not merely a religious question. Its an important life question. What drives us to succeed in our lives and careers etc.? Is it a sense of "I gotta do what I gotta do" to make ends meet, so I can put food on the table and support my family? Or am I actually passionately engaged in my work because it brings me a sense of fulfillment? Is it more important to do all the "right " things as a spouse and parent, or should the focus be on experiencing the beauty and personal fulfillment to be found through those relationships ? Am I Vayikra Jew - submitting to a higher call, or am I vayikar Jew hearing an inner call? The reading of the word is vayikrah.This suggests that the bedrock of our most important commitments to our family,our community and our faith must be our sense of obligation and answering a call from above, from a place that is greater than us. We heed this call with the response of naase, we will do- and only then venishma- we will listen". In doing so we are surrendering ourselves to a higher power and making it our business to get the job done,wether we are in the mood for it or not. Then there is the flip side of the coin. Looking at the word and seeing the small aleph is an invitation to see an alternative meaning. To see the word vayikar without the aleph is to drift inward and take the time to truly see and experience the beauty,depth, and spirituality of all that we do,to feel its preciousness how "yakar" it is and be moved and stirred to a sublime sense of loftiness. What is the correct path? The answer to all this can be found in the structure of the small aleph itself.The vav in the center is man. The two yuds represent two different approaches. A sense of obligation on one hand and a sense of passion on the other. Both are necessary. We can't just live life going through the motions without an accompanying inner spiritual feeling toward whatever it is we are doing! We will eventually just run out of gas and stall. At the same time we cannot always be waiting till we we feel moved to do something and only then fulfill our obligations. The show must go on even when we are not "feeling it",and not "on"! The whole letter together symbolizes the need for balance and well rounded ness in the way we live our lives. We must feel the fire within. We must also perform our roles. The small aleph reminds us strive for fiery performances ! The Kabbalah suggests that the small aleph here represents our divine soul. The mini-inner wisdom voice that all too often gets drowned in the loud noise and commotion of our outer lives. Like the Mini Cooper our mini aleph voice navigates us through the tightness we often feel in the narrow space between doing good and feeling good, and awakens us to the treasure filled wide spaces of life where we can learn to be right AND feel right! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May we be filled this Shabbat with the blessing of small ALEPH awareness As we offer our deepest selves upward towards G-d ! We do so by adorning the simple vav of our existence with meaningfullness -through affixing the dual yuds of duty AND devotion !! Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Yossi

Jewish Spirituality and the book of Vayikrah

For me the conversation on Jewish spirituality begins in earnest in the book of Vayikra.Adam mikem kee yakreev" if one amongst you brings an offering to G-d.....". The Hebrew word for offering" yakreev "derives from the word karov - to draw close.Though the Jewish format of worship would evolve over the years from actual sacrifices during the temple era,to today where personal Prayer replaces the sacrificial offerings,the real breakthrough of the notion of an individual spiritual prayer is rooted in this weeks portion. If genesis is about the origins of the world,and our Patriarchs and matriarchs,and exodus about a newly minted Jewish nation receiving Torah,then vayikrah is about all of those things coalescing into the actual practice of Judaism. It's the place where the Jewish nation commenced the daily routines that would become the heart and soul of Jewish life. If Creation, redemption and revelation, were the way in which g-d gradually offered himself to us; then it is through the medium of the Korbanot (sacrifices) that we began to reciprocate and offer ourselves back up to hashem. The opening verse vayikrah hashem el moshe- and g-d called out to Moshe",was actually a summons to prayer and an initiation into an existence filled with daily moments of soulfulness. This week of vayikrah we too hear the call of spiritual renewal and are given the opportunity to offer ourselves up into a rejuvenated prayerful relationship with g-d.

Jerusalem -"You can check out but you can never leave"

Last week this time Layah and I were in Israel,walking through the Machane Yehuda "shuk" open marketplace. The vendors with their fresh challah,the chassid with the six overfilled plastic bags digging into his fingers,the elderly woman with her wobbly two wheeled cart,the screaming out of the different wares,the jostling mass of human energy,the smell of fresh chocolate babka,pulls one into Shabbat,regardless of whatever else is happening in ones life.This is only Erev Shabbat. The magic of Shabbat in jerusalem can only be described as a journey to the heart of Shabbat itself, upwards into the womb of our souls.As the holy lights are kindled,we get entirely "checked into" Shabbat. Swaying and singing in the balmy Jerusalem twilight ,eyes closed,we lose ourselves in ecstatic prayer.

As Shabbat approaches here in Boston I am upbeat.Tonight @6 is the Friday project.The vibe of our spiritual singing community brings me right back to Jerusalem!

The Eagles said it best

"..Last thing I remember, I wasRunning for the doorI had to find the passage backTo the place I was before"Relax, " said the night man,"We are programmed to receive.You can check-out any time you like,But you can never leave! "

Shabbat Shalom

Yossi

Ki Tisa - what really counts ...?

This weeks portion opens with the command to perform the census of the Jewish people in the desert.Jewish people have always been uneasy with counting our own numbers.This "count phobia"might have actually originated from this weeks portion where they collected coins from the people and counted those instead of the people.This continues to the present day when we say"not 1 not 2" to see if there is a minyan in Shul-also,good luck trying to get my bubbi to tell you how many grandchildren and great grandchildren she has!

Given this Jewish unease with counting its surprising that g-d keeps asking for the census.Whats the deal-do we count people or not? Also-what ever happened to G-d being "all knowing"- and why then the need to count at all?

A Kabbalah way of looking at this might suggest something else at play here.For me the key is always in the words.The Hebrew word for count,(שאו) here in our text also mean to lift up.

The Divine values of this fledgling nation are being established right from the get go.

In order to count in G-ds eyes we must first count in one another's eyes.

How do we count in one another's eyes?The Jewish answer is quite clear. שאו את ראש....if you see a person who's head is down,then you must a find a way to uplift them and remind them that they too count and were put here by G-d for a purpose that only they can achieve.The mere act of graciously acknowledging another persons presence is sometimes all it takes to pull them out of their existential loneliness.Joining together in a Shul for prayer is often more about a validation of self than a discovery of G-d.Seen this way,the census is less about knowing numbers,and more about us growing closer and fostering a sense of community amongst ourselves.


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I was present last week at a meeting between The Ruderman family foundation and the leaders of the worldwide Chabad movement,discussing a major initiative on inclusion for Jewish people with disabilities in our communities.

Subsequent to that meeting the following realization hit me like a ton of bricks! My friend Jay Ruderman and his family have singlehandedly transformed the entire approach toward our Jewish brothers and sisters with disabilities.They have done so by boldly blazing the path of inclusion for Jewish people with disabilities-rather than segregation.

We as a community must step onto this path as well.We can no longer stand on the sidelines.We must join them.We must remember that we are incomplete without counting and including,without lifting up every single member of Klall Yisroel!

Thank you for helping us dig out and rediscover our Jewish soul,for reminding us that the minyan of our people is Incomplete if it does not include all our people.

Thank you for reopening our hearts,and reminding us about the things in life that really count!

Yossi

Minefield-ness or Mindfulness?

Jewish mysticism reminds us that the spiritual energy of the weekly Torah portion is "live", and through study and meditation we can dip into that power.Being immersed in Torah throughout the week is similar to dipping in an actual Mikvah- an experience that leaves one feeling purified and spiritually reinvigorated.

Beshalach-freedom energy can continue to flow through us as it flowed through our people in last weeks recounting of the Exodus." 

Though the Jews were finally freed from Egypt and no longer slaves to Pharaoh,they still had to deal with the residual effects of so many years of Slavery.The Kabbalah teaches that their  encounter with Amalek in this weeks portion,symbolized the Egypt-slavery "PTSD"they would struggle with throughout the forty years of wandering.The quiet comfort of the wilderness (מדבר) helped set the right tone.Only here in this "biblical" Ellis Island "could they begin to untie the "kotzer ruach"(Shortness of breath-spirit) knots,and step onto the path leading to emotional freedom.

This week we too must ask ourselves this question. "Is there more minefield-ness than mindfulness in my life"?

In this way we can begin to confront our Amalek behavior patterns.We too must carve out wilderness moments of solitude,and begin the process of untying our own inner knots.

A suggestion.The prayer of Ana bekoach composed by Rebbi Nechunia Ben Hakana is perfect here.Learn it and meditate with it this week.The prayer contains forty two words,corresponding to the forty two letters of G-ds name.By calling upon the unpronounceable name of G-d we  draw from its strength."....please,with the strength of your right hand untie our tangles..."

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In Last weeks Torah we Read how Am Yisroel ( the Jewish nation) burst into spontaneous song in response to the miraculous splitting of the sea.While Hashems feat  is indeed spectacular,reading how an entire people reclaimed their humanity by remembering how to sing is the real take home point for me! 

This week we read how a broken people,uplifted by that very song,limped faithfully to the edge of Sinai.Though physically weakened they nevertheless glowed with a newfound soulfulness as  they proclaimed "we will do and we will listen" and embraced their Torah destiny.

The message for us is clear.Often we catch ourselves asking "am I free enough spiritually to truly integrate Torah consciousness into my daily life"?

The answer.We are never fully prepared,however if we can dig deep enough to sing a nigun (Jewish melody) modern day Shira -song by the sea- then we have  re-ruached enough to pony up to the edge of Sinai and bring more Torah and Mitzvot into our daily lives.

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It's going to be an awesome weekend at the Chabad community Shul. We read the Ten Commandments on Shabbat morning.

We prepare ourselves spiritually to receive Torah,the night before with our own North Shore  version of the Shira- singing together as a community at THE FRIDAY PROJECT!!!

I hope you can join us !

Shabbat Shalom 

Rabbi Yossi

Shiru Lashem

What is our spiritual energy all about now?Where do we go and what soul savings do we dip into in order to experience something sacred,especially now that we're situated in post Chanukah winter mode.We awaken to darkness,and after a brief daylight hiatus are quickly reengulfed in darkness.The physical lights that we kindle in our homes,must also be accompanied by a spiritual light that needs to be kindled in our souls.The good news is that our faith is replete with multitudes of mitzvah mechanisms that act as switches that turn on those Neshama lights.The challenge for us of course is that when we turn on the lights in our homes we as physical beings can immediately appreciate and utilize that light.We can even adjust it if it seems too bright and dim it to where it's comfortable and beneficial. Benefitting from spiritual light however is far more complex.We know it shines in us somehow in a subconscious way,in our depths,but it seems like the divine awareness that we draw down is far too bright and powerful an energy to actually fit into our human Awareness without the proverbial being "blinded by its light"!What is the dimmer switch in our souls that modulates and conducts that light in us to the point where we are able to experience and even feel it ? In our Jewish spiritual soul language this would be our struggle to have the light of our higher ruach and Neshama filter down in to our lower nefesh,human consciousness.In Kabbalistic terms we see this same struggle played out on a cosmic scale.The Lurianic creation narrative vividly describes what almost seems like the frustratingly unsuccessful G-dly attempt to squeeze the sublime infinite lights of the world of tohu,into the narrow confines of the world of tikkun.One solution might be found in one of our most heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting biblical narratives.Following the dramatic and emotionally taut reuniting of Joseph and the brothers, the family is faced with the question of how to break the news to the elderly patriarch Jacob,in a subtle and gradual enough manner so as not to overload him emotionally and send him into a potentially life threatening Shock.Knowing full well his love for the beautiful singing of his granddaughter, serach the daughter of his son Asher they got her to convey the news in lyrical form,"my uncle yosef is alive he is a ruler in mitsrayim "set to a beautiful tune that she sung for him.Through joy and song she was able to convey a powerful truth in a gentle and loving way.The tunes of our people,wether it be the David Melech Yisroel,or the bim-bam/Shabbat shalom of our little children,the hauntingly beautiful middle eastern Sephardic prayer tunes,the songs of Shlomo Carlebach ,or the soulful nigunnim melodies of the Chassidim and their rebbes,are the conductors through which we can carry our highest most soulful consciousness into our regular human Awareness selves.This is not an abstract idea it's really quite true.We are brimming with a lofty soulfulness that swirls around eagerly just beneath our consciousness waiting for a heartfelt song to bear it upwards into our conscious minds and hearts.The Friday project singing community at the Chabad community Shul is my spiritual energy right now and I know many of you feel the same.Thanks to those of you who have joined in this remarkable journey and look forward to singing and davening together again real soon.Yossi

It's snowing in Jerusalem!

Today is the tenth of tevet,when we recall the day that the siege of jerusalem began,a sad day on the Jewish calendar.Its also Erev Shabbat.It seems strange to be fasting now.Just concluded Mincha afternoon prayes including the special prayer for fast days called  anaynu,which means "answer us ".It's ironic that in the words of that prayer we beseech g-d "al tastir panecha meemeni" don't hide your face from me" and yet in just two hours we will be ushering in the Shabbat,proclaiming the exact opposite penai Shabbat nekabla 

"The face of the holy queen we will receive". Hiddeness followed by redemption and revelation,all experienced in the course of a frigid winter Friday afternoon.Competing spiritual energies gevurah-hiddeness and Chesed-benevolence swirl around us,as we scurry about finalizing our last minute Shabbat preparations!The message of the prophet ISAIAH that we've just read in the Mincha haftorah is jubilant and fills us with hope,"For as the rain or snow drops from heaven and returns not there,but soaks the earth and makes it bring forth vegetation,so is the word that issues from my mouth"

It's amazing to me that it's snowing in Jerusalem as we read this prophecy!Bring on Shabbat,and let the good times roll !:)

Shabbat shalom 

Yossi 

Vayechi -Lchaim!!

The portion of Genesis that is read this week opens with the words vayechi yaakov,and Yaakov lived.The truth is though,just from knowing his “story lines”,it seems more like a Robinson Crusoe,survival narrative than a life story! The ongoing turbulence in his life ranging from the complexity of his marriage(s),his relationship with his parents,hatred from his sibling,the guilt associated with his deception,to Lavans betrayals,and finally the heartbreaking loss of Rachel the love of his life,coupled with the disappearance of Joseph the first child he had with her, must have tested his faith and pushed him to the brink emotionally. Here we are presented with the classic case of a man on the edge,hardly the Siddharta spiritual journey style narrative we might expect from the finale of the first section of our holiest book! The truth is however,that the intentional empahsis on his narrative, juxtaposed as it is to the book of Shemot,which tells his childrens story, poignantly captures the essence of the Jewish experience,and the powerful envelope pushing legacy that jacob left to his children. Yaakov was aware that the seeming hiatus from a life frequently in crisis mode in lush egyptian suburbia,was temporary,and that the dark clouds of his childrens slavery loomed perilously on the horizon.His life is a reminder to them,to be fully aware of the true purpose of life.We are put here in this world not just to survive our difficulties,and then be content that we can exist,but rather to transcend our challenges and still figure out how to lead a life that matters! Jacob did not lead a charmed existence,but he had an amazing life because he raised the family that would become the Jewish people,forever associated with him till today,hence our name still remains” The children of Israel “! So Yaakov did do more than survive. He was teaching us that to be Jewish is to lead a vayechi driven life.In fact the Kabbalistic look at the hebrew spelling of the word chayim,leads us to this same realization.It has two yuds in the middle,which spells the name of G-d!This is a profound teaching.Jacobs prayer for his children of course,is the same as ours for our children,namely that they never feel even one moment of pain or sorrow in their lives.Our stopping at nothing to ensure they they have a happy and safe existence however is not where our role as parents and teachers end,but rather precisely where our most critical role must begin,enroute to instilling in them the value of leading meaningful lives. It significant that after all the years of slavery, instead of Moses leading the jewish people to a lush middle eastern vacation spot,some well earned R and R and some fun in the sun,he leads them instead through the desert to the foot of the mountain to hear the sacred voice from on high pressing them into service,from slavery to the freedom of living a higher G-d centered life,not only a transition from slavery to the comfort of freedom. Lchaim to Health,happiness,prosperity,and the chance to lead meaningful and g-d centered lives! Yossi

The Kabbalah of Havdallah

Was talking to my surfing devotee nephew from Laguna Beach over Shabbat,and he told me about the first time he ever went snowboarding,and how quickly he caught on to it.He said,"whats the big deal dude that thing is actually connected to your feet"!I was scheduled to lead a havdalah service later that night and was asked to do a teaching on its spiritual meaning.This is what I shared.On Shabbat we are gifted with an extra soul Neshama yesayrah,for twenty fours hours we need only to lift up our spiritual antennae to pick up on this higher awareness and frequency thats ours for the taking,perhaps this perk is G-ds way of showing us his appreciation for being part of the frequent daveners and mitzvahs program,as well as a nice way of saying "thanks for staying part of the light unto the nations global initiative,despite all the thousands of years of persecution you've endured.Throughout Shabbat we are surfing, gifted with a higher awareness,therefore our ability to be emotionally "balanced" is sharper allowing us to be fearlessly grounded and present in the moment,without requiring any supplemental connectedness.Once the Shabbat grace is over however,that light ceases to burn for us as brightly and we are responsible to be the architects of our own spiritual destinies, necessitating an active self grounding that relies heavily on our mindset and us connecting ourselves to our spiritual inner core,utilizing the mitzvahs and prayers that we perform during the week as bindings that fasten us tightly to our higher selves,and help us live our real lives,and steer us away from living shallow substitute lives.This is a spiritual path that requires discipline and mindfulness in fostering a weekday homegrown connectedness.Havdalah is where we make this leap,and transition from being recipients of grace from without to being responsible to foster that from within.We ve just read the dramatic and heart wrenching story of Joseph and his interaction with Judah and his younger brother Benjamin.Jewish mysticism helps us understand that these stories are our stories as well.There is a profound teaching in Kabbalah that helps us personalize this story.Joseph hides his precious goblet in the bag of his baby brother Benjamin. According to mysticism the Cup here refers to the higher awareness of Joseph,and the concealment in the the Bag of Benjamin refers to the hiding of the shechina,the divine presence.This cosmic hiddeness came about as a result of the brothers heinous fratricidal act of selling Joseph,as well as Judah's mistreatment of Tamar.This act of hiding was also symbolic of a struggle within Joseph ,his struggling with the pain of the past.Seeing his brothers moved him deeply,yet also brought back a latent,unresolved resentment.His hiding the cup is an almost Freudian symbol of his suppressing his natural feelings of love and choosing to remain immobilized, rooted in his pain and hurt.The turning point is when it says Vayigash Aylav Yehuda.Judah approaches Joseph. What happens here is more than just describing the physical proximity of the two of them.Its Judah in a burst of pure love approaching his brother existentially,and opening his heart wide,he beams true powerful brotherly love.He proclaims," I know I wounded you deeply and I would understand if you can never forgive me again, but please know that I was acting from my lower self,My life was weekday consciousness and I was surfing when I should have been snowboarding,I wasn't functioning with the required sense of balance".The Kabbalah continues to hear his anguish and pain in the next words. Judah says "Bi adoni ,please my master,but the words of his plea,can also be read as follows.Bi adoni ,meaning ; bi,within me now is a newfound sense of ,adona -i! The Hebrew word master can also be read as the name of g-d. He continues,"I've made changes in my life and have chosen to live in my upper light self,at a level of ruach-spirit and even higher to the level of Neshama pulling myself up from living purely from my lowest nefesh consciousness" I've made Havdalah"!. "I realize that one needs to be proactive in pursuing a higher and deeper life experience and I ve done a big teshuvah,feeling more grounded In this improved,more holistic higher version of my self"." He then continues," The damage may be done and I'm painfully aware that certain betrayals run too deeply to fully rehabilitate a healthy sense of trust!I may never fully be redeemed for the physic damage that I've inflicted so many years ago." He acknowledges this," My spiritual transformation may be good for me,but it may not be enough to undo the hurt and heal your pain Joseph, he says,I know I can t turn back the clock,but at the very least I must face this courageously and honorably"." Please give me a shot to reconcile and bring this family back together."!At that point Joseph's resistance finally breaks down and he screams out in a primal existential cry "I AM JOSEPH"! His brother Judah's transformation,lifts him out of his nefesh consciousness up to his place of ruach and Neshama. From that vantage point he transcends all hurt,and risesto an emotional place of innocence and love,and in a final cathartic moment lets go of the excruciating pain,his haunted and damaged self,freed from the tyranny of his victimhood narrative, leaping beyond his haunted self,he too does his havdalah and fastens his psyche to a better and more stable emotional place.Together they both withdrew the goblet out of concealment.Here is something truly amazing.The words of the havdalah are in perfect harmony with this weeks portion.In the havdalah we say "Koss yeshuos essah u veshaym hashem Ekrah""Lift up your cup of salvation and call upon hashems name". The adjustments that they made must be the same adjustment that we make every sat night. The cup of Joseph is our cup as well. We need to choose; do we conceal ,and surrender the light that we might shine,an allow it to remain imprisoned to the darkness of the past? Or instead would we rather be free of our darkness,and stand in our light,courageously raising up the cup of salvation and choosing to live higher, holier,and happier!The picture below is of the Menorah that my dear sister Perel and brother in law,Rabbi Meilech ,the Chabad "lamplighters" -Shluchim in picturesque Laguna Beach put up yearly at the beach there,I think that image really says it all!

With much love and blessings of Shavua Tov

Yossi

Chanukah lights and the Ner Tamid

So we are getting close to the end of Chanukah and preparing to experience the lights in all of their glory,all eight kindled,reflecting the Beit Hillel approach of intensifying in kedushah-sacred energy maalin bakodesh-by lighting additional lights every night,unlike the view of Beit Shammai that we light the full menorah on the first night and decrease every night to where we would only have one lone candle on the last night. One of the most endearing principles in the world of Talmud and the development of jewish law is that even if an opinion of one of the sages is not accepted as Halacha-jewish law,it is still an integral part of Torah “aylu va aylu divrei elokim chaim "Both views are the words of the living G-d”.Its more than merely acknowledging dissenting opinion out of respect,it's the opposite,it's recognizing that everyone of these opinions are indeed g-dly truths that vibrate in differing degrees of intensity throughout many different realms,the one that we accept as Halacha simply pulsates more intensely in our immediate physical realm. In keeping with that principle I would suggest we take a closer look at the opinion of Beit Shammai ,as it certainly is saying something important to us here. Beit Hillel is the hero of Chanukah for pushing for building up to more light in the present(short term).Beit Shammai on the other hand with much less glamour is thinking long term here,giving voice to a common spiritual dilemma. “What do we do when we get the “ninth night blues” ?The menorah was kindled in its entirety yesterday and the next night there is nothing! What can we do to prevent a feeling of existential emptiness in the aftermath of an uplifting spiritual experience? I hear this often from people after they return home from an inspiring trip to Israel,or after a moving high holiday experience. The Bet Shammai School of thought responds to this with some important spiritual coaching.The miracle of Chanukah must continue in us year round.The take home point of even the idea of lighting one candle on the last night, even if we don't actually do that is a confidence booster in our spiritual quest,the knowledge that even without the props and hoopla ,even when we are not all lit up, my mind remembers the steps to the sacred dance of my Neshama.This gives me the motivation to do so on the ninth and tenth night as well,when we are entirely out of the feel good Chanukah light zone. The depth of his position is the secret to leading a stable and fulfilling spiritual existence.His opinion reminds us that the lovely rhythms of daily jewish life provide us with a rich menu of one candle spiritual moments that are ours for the taking,wether its five or ten minutes in the morning wrapped in tallit or teffilin,in solitude with G-d,at peace with our lives and the world,or entering into a mindfulness space by reciting a Bracha-blessing over the food prior to eating,(and no you do not need to be orthodox to recite blessings on food,or wrap teffillin daily)or even carving out a few moments of Torah study during a busy day. So if Bet Hillel seems to be focusing on just the candles of this festival ,Bet Shammai might be looking beyond to the candles of the soul that we must keep burning year round ,the way we can also be the ner tamid (the eternal light in the temple that always remained lit!) Aylu vaylu ,We need both approaches to foster a spiritually rich,yet stable jewish experience,in order to internalize an experience of sacredness elokim ,in a manner that is truly Chaim-alive,and relevant. True we need to stock up on as many “Bet Hillel-Big ticket jewish experiences as we can,including but not limited to birthright trips to Israel, jewish overnight camps,and meaningful Jewish holiday experiences, so that we can hoard them and pull them out Bet Shammai style,on an ordinary day allowing us to be continuously nourished by “one candle-mini jewish moments” for our “years of famine” real time daily lives. With much love and Light Yossi http://www.gotjudaica.com/ProductImages/small/jeii-mnoo2.jpg

The Kabbalah of eight !

In Jewish thought the number seven symbolizes the routine cycles of our lives and the patterns that we follow on a regular basis both good and bad.We base this on the seven day-creation cycle which is built in and ongoing. The number eight on the other hand symbolizes the interrupting of habit and a venturing beyond the shelter of our neat and familiar comfort zones. In the language of Kabbalah Seven refers to the seven emotional powers or Sefirot-pre packaged into the human Soul.All of our routine behavior patterns are fashioned and stem in some form from these seven characteristics. When we talk about reaching for the number eight in Kabbalah this symbolizes reaching one step above the seven emotional soul powers into the higher realms of the contemplative world,the world of Bina,or understanding.This is also why circumcision is performed on the eight day,gifting the newly arrived soul with the future ability to live higher and deeper. This is the miracle of Chanukah as well and the Kabbalistic significance of the eight days. On Chanukah we are in eight day mode,Hasmoneans searching for pure oil-new life paradigms that have been sealed off from us,little high priests discovering new frontiers of experience that have been buried for us! Tonight we might ask ourselves where are the areas of my life where I've become immobilized in seven day syndrome of being? As we light the candle tonight we might imagine fearlessly wrestling ourselves free of those patterns,igniting eight day consciousness,reaching upwards beyond ordinary awareness to imagining and realizing new and better ways of being in the world!

Two Types of Light

Tonight instead of lighting Chanukah candles AND Shabbat candles,why couldnt we just combine them somehow ? The truth is that there is a unique dynamic at play tonight,there are two sets of lights being deployed into the world,each unique and neccesary. The Shabbat candles represent the light that G-d wired into the world for Shabbat from the very begining of creation.As with the electricity that gets pre wired into our homes,all we need to do to benefit is to flick the switch,so too the aura of Shabbat is steady,predicatable,and available to us weekly and the Shabbat candles act as the switch that releases the sacred Shabbat glow into our homes. The Chanukah candles are an entirely different story.They represent the way in which we discover and bring new and original lights into the world.True we are drawing from the same source,but the wiring is new.This represents the spiritual awareness that is borne from the unique sets of circumstances of each of our lives,and the way our personal experiences lead us to a higher consciousness. The Torah is set up this way as well. The written Torah-Scriptures is the light that Hashem wired into the world. Torah She baal Be-The oral Torah on the other hand represents the light that we are able to spinoff of that,and though divinely inspired, still borne entirely from our human endeavors and spiritual creativity,which is what we are reffering to when we say” Torah Lo bashamayim hee, Torah is not developed in heaven. Tonight as we light the Chanukah lights and the Shabbat lights we celebrate both the light that we have been given,and the light we needed to discover on our own. Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukah Yo