Jerusalem Connection

11/04/2016

Hevra, help our friend Moshe Avraham (Max Gibson) travel to join his sister, she has to undergo a serious operation...anyone who donates gets a "donation" from Above...https://www.youcaring.com/mosheh-ben-avraham-and-chanah-rachel-leake-553355

As we know, Chanah Rachel (Annie) is scheduled to undergo surgery on Pesach. Her amazing San Diego community has undertaken to do so much for her and her family. Now we'd like to give her a very special gift of support - her brother Mosheh! Mosheh is blessed to live in the Holy Land, but wants to...

26/01/2016

Some up to date information: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Rabbi-claims-Jewish-Agency-barred-him-from-teaching-Torah-at-Ulpan-Etzion-442767

Chabad rabbi Sterne believes that he has been frozen out by the facility’s management.

11/11/2015

This is the only week of the year that we spend with the second of our forefathers, Isaac ("Yitzhak" in Hebrew), so let's make the best of it. What's the most important thing to know about Yitzhak? Probably that he was modest. You don't see that he actually did much in this weekly Torah portion (Toldot). In fact, about the only action that Yitzhak took was to dig wells. That kind of deceptive surface appearance is what characterized all of Yitzhak's life. In actual fact, his apparent inactivity masked a huge amount of hidden and concealed achievement. For example, it was Yitzhak who established prayer as an important activity for Jews. The first thing that his fiancé (Rivka) ever saw him do was pray, as she traveled to Canaan in order to meet him. And in honor of his prayers and of the three wells that he dug, the holy Temples were built and will be built in the future. There are generations, such as that of Yitzhak's father Abraham, that are characterized by action and major historical events. They are usually followed by a quieter generation, one that provides the relative silence and stability that is necessary to incorporate and integrate the new lights and illumination ushered in by the previous generation. But that does not mean that nothing is happening. In fact, Yitzhak established the second principle of Judaism. The first is to love and reach out to fellow Jews (this came from Abraham). Yitzhak modeled something new in his generation; how to "be an example." He was so holy that he became charismatic in a quiet way. People were drawn to him because of his inner light; it wasn't necessary for him to reach out to others. And even without a lot of activity, he became very successful. It was not necessary for him to reach out; the leaders of his generation came to him. Such was the generation of Yitzhak, and thus he bequeathed to all Jews the secret of, "Go quietly, and carry a big stick." The behavior of all of our forefathers is a sign and indication how we ourselves should act. Yitzhak taught us that great deeds should be masked by simple appearances and actions. Since it was Yitzhak who established prayer as a major Jewish principle, you might be interested in our weekly Tefila Tip, that is posted on our website, at www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly. And if that is not sufficient and you would like to delve more into the subject of Jewish prayer and meditation, try www.jewishspiritualbooks.com Finally, for a taste of Jewish life in the holy land and especially in J-town, check out www.chabadjerusalem.org

02/11/2015

Tefila Tip #36
So, how do we go about the search for spiritual sources of the physical world? One way is to take note of most of the verses of pesukei dezimra. The majority of the verses speak of creation and describe the wonder that King David experienced as he observed and meditated upon creation. Notice how King David, author of the Psalms which constitute pesukei dezimra, developed love and fear of God. He was very aware of God's creative power and the harmony of creation, and he felt that God was present not only as the Creator, but as the maintainer, guide and director of the entire universe. The more we train ourselves to find God in creation and in the physical world, the more we are capable of developing love and fear of Him. This is what we do during pesukei dezimra. Our tendency, especially early in the morning, is to "run through" these prayers without giving them much thought, but the reality is that they contain the secret of constant and ongoing renewal of creation that is an important ingredient in love and fear of God. It is recommended to take time every day to cultivate this sense of wonder and amazement, as well as awe of God in light of His creation. It is an awkward exercise at first, but the more effort that we put into it, the better results we attain, over time. To begin with, we are simply in awe of Godly power and supremely impressed with the harmony with which He endowed the creation. But slowly, we begin to recognize that the same power that was invested in creation is also embedded in creation. God didn't merely create, He continues to create. He is not only the exalted Creator who created from the universe from afar. He is also the creative force within creation – transcendent and immanent Godliness. He re-creates at every instant, rendering the universe absolutely nullified to Him and to His will. All of this, and more is part of pesukei dezimra.
For more, check out our website at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com, as well as www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly

An Array of Jewish Spiritual Books

28/10/2015

Tefila Tip #35
Like clockwork, the rain came down in Israel. Just over a week ago, on the seventh day of the Jewish month of Heshvan when we begin to mention rain in our prayers, is when the rain came down. And we're getting a nice dose of it this week as well. Of course, the latest Muslim mayhem and murder has put its own damper on affairs, but life is rapidly returning to normal. To put positive spin on a sad situation, compare the latest sad events with the "second intifada" that occurred during 2000-2002. I have been asked by several people if the current round of violence is just as bad. The current situation bears no comparison whatsoever with the situation fifteen years ago, in which bombs were exploding on buses, in restaurants and in cafes. That should make none of us feel better, given that an eighth Israeli citizen succumbed to his wounds today. Nevertheless, faced with the level of anti-semitism and maniacal hatred that governs much of the Muslim world these days, Israel should be congratulated on its well developed ability to withstand the onslaught. Having said that, we need to always remember to place emphasis on the positive. Jews were put here in this world for a reason, and it wasn't to worry about terrorism. It is in order to bring light and illumination to a world in much need of repair. We can do that by delving into the words of Torah and tefila, learning and praying with all our heart.
Here is one way of doing that. Go to our site, at www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly and you will find a "tefila tip" that zeroes in on a different section of prayers every week. You will find it uplifting and informative. But, if that only whets your appetite and you want more, check out our site, www.jewishspiritualbooks.com. It's got something for everyone on the topic of Jewish meditation and prayer. Finally, if all you want is a taste of life in Jtown (Jerusalem), check out www.chabadjerusalem.org It doesn't get better than this…

There are many ways to rest and relax but the best way to

17/08/2015

Tefila Tip #34
Okay, it's time to get serious. We just entered the month of Elul, final month of the Jewish calendar. In exactly one month, we will celebrate the Jewish New Year, on Rosh Hashana. So, it's time to get serious. Lots of ways to become serious according to the Jewish sages. Perhaps the most important is by becoming introspective, looking inside to find items to regret from our past, and making positive resolutions for the future. That's called teshuva, or "return to the path" in Hebrew. One Chasidic Master, R' Zusia of Anipol, used precisely that approach. He took the word teshuva and broke it down into its components by finding a verse from Scripture to match each letter. The first letter of teshuva is a "tav," and the corresponding verse is – Tamim ti'heye im HaShem Elokecha – "Be complete with the One above." The word for "complete" – tamim – actually has a few meanings. One is simply "unblemished." We become "unblemished" when we regret the negativity from our past, and uproot it. Another meaning of tamim is "complete." We become complete when we resolve to improve our behavior in the future. The third meaning of tamim is more subtle. It applies to one who is totally complete with his lot in life and works on himself to bring Godliness into his life. In other words, he is not only one with himself, but he works on being one with God as well. Perhaps that is a good way to start off the month of Ellul, when "I am for my Beloved, and He for me" (an acrostic of Ellul). This is our opportunity to introspect, do teshuva, and return to the path of Oneness with the One above…
For this week's Tefila Tip, go to www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly For a more in depth treatment of Jewish meditation and prayer, go to www.jewishspiritualbooks.com And for a taste of J-life in Jtown, check out www.chabadjerusalem.org

10/08/2015

Tefila Tip #33

A lot of people wonder what should be happening when they meditate on Jewish topics, such as the ones we discuss in this blog. Such they experience excitement, or elevation, or some form of spirituality? There is no question that meditation should uplift us to higher levels of spiritual experience. But by its very nature, the experience is subjective and difficult to describe. Moreover, it is difficult to talk about for a couple of reasons. One, it is difficult to know if the experience is "real." That is, while the meditator knows for sure that "something" happened, he may question whether his experience was an actual visitation of spirituality, or perhaps it was just a heightened experience of intellectual understanding – because that is also part of the process. A second reason is, if the experience was indeed real, the meditator may be afraid that by talking about it, he will not be able to repeat the experience. By its nature, spirituality is subtle and fleeting, and the very act of applying words to something that is essentially beyond words, may make the experience impossible to repeat. So, the experienced meditator is loath to speak about what he experiences during meditation.

And that brings us to the subject of this week's discussion. Chasidut tells us that revealed Godliness descends to us as a mere ray and reflection of a much greater and infinite light Above. The reason is simple – we are not capable of detecting or withstanding any more than the ray and reflection which descends to create and enliven the world. For even that revelation, we must work hard, refining ourselves and meditating at length. During prayers, this difficult to achieve level of revelation is called "revelation of God's name." Think about it – a name has no substance. One cannot point to or form or weigh a name. All the same, a "name" it indicates essence – it points to the very heart of whatever it is applied to. Most people, even when asleep, will respond to their name being called repeatedly – because even though the name lacks substance, it penetrates to the very essence of who we are. For that reason, it is an apt simile for Godly revelation during prayers. Whenever our prayers refer to God's name, we know that they refer tot the Godly ray and reflection with which He created the world, and of which He wants us to become aware. Toward the end of the prayer, Baruch She'amar, we say yachid hei haolamim melech – "The singular One, vitality of all the worlds, is One." Think of it this way: A King does not leave his palace in order to rule his kingdom. He sends edicts – written or verbal commands that messengers carry to every corner of his kingdom. God as well does not rule the universe by appearing in every part of the universe (though He is certainly present). Instead, He reigns by proxy, so to speak, via His Name, or ray/reflection of creative light throughout creation. His Name is merely a ray or reflection of Whom He is, but it is enough to run the universe. That is what we look for during our prayers. "The singular One, vitality of all worlds, is One." The ray and reflection from Him that enlivens the entire universe, is all One. No matter which ray we detect or which reflection bounces off of us, it is all One, part of the greater light that shines upon us from Above.

For more, go to www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly For more in-depth study of Jewish meditative prayer, go to www.jewishspiritualbooks.com Finally, for a glimpse of Jewish life in J-town, try www.chabadjerusalem.org

06/08/2015

Tefila Tip #32
In previous Tefila Tips, we discussed how spirituality descends to us from Above. It comes down by way of "hairs," or contracted paths of descent that are mere rays and reflections of the original Godliness at their source. On our limited level of existence, we are not capable of more than a contracted level of Godly revelation. The concept of "hairs" implies that Godliness descends to us from its source (the "head") while remaining attached to its source. Upon descent, it bears little or no relationship to its origin. Just as the hairs are a mere ray and reflection of the brains in our head, so these "hairs" of descending Godliness bring down a very contracted form of spirituality to our level of experience.
In Kaballah, there is a concept called the "thirteen strands of the beard," that also correspond to the "thirteen attributes of mercy." The hairs of the beard descend from the head over the heart, and therefore they represent mercy. Anytime that we use our intellect to direct or to overcome our emotions, we incur mercy. In our heart, we may not fell like extending mercy, for example, to a poor person who asks for our help. However, when we reason to ourselves that the person really deserves our assistance and then we give him a coin, we are exercising mercy. Similarly, when we reason that if we were in his position, we would certainly also ask for help, and as a result we extend that help, we are also exercising mercy. This is the purpose of the "thirteen strands of the beard" that descend from the head over the heart, corresponding to the "thirteen attributes of mercy."
The "thirteen strands of the beard" are also called makifim – or "transcendent lights" – that descend from an incomprehensibly high place down to our low plane of physical existence. In a human setting, it is always true that the giver is on a "higher" more exalted plane than the recipient, and therefore his assistance is an act of transcendent mercy. The greatest distance that can exist between two entities is the one between God and His creation, and therefore the greatest incidence of mercy is that which occur between God and man or God and His creation. When we mention the word Baruch in our prayer, Baruch She'amar, thirteen times, each time we bring successive layers of Godliness down to our world. But, this is only the external manifestation. In addition, each strand of the beard contains within it the infinite light of God, so that "packaged" within the limited descent from Above comes infinite spirituality as well. In this manner, our prayer Baruch She'amar bridges the gap between the highest levels of spirituality, and our physical world.
If you feel overwhelmed with this meditation, that requires focus on all of thirteen vastly different spiritual levels as we recite Baruch She'amar, there is another meditation that requires focus on "only" ten levels – the levels of the ten sephirot. If, instead of meditating on all thirteen times that we mention Baruch, we focus instead on the section of the prayer from Baruch Hu (the 2nd Baruch) through Baruch Shemo (the eleventh Baruch), we have a meditation that spans the ten sephirot from chochma down to malchut (or from Keter to Malchut if one prefers to leave out da'at). This meditation "makes sense" because the first time we say Baruch is a general introduction that includes all subsequent levels, while the last two times are about bringing the spiritual influx into the physical world. So, if we focus on the other ten times that the prayer mentions Baruch, then our meditation spans all ten sephirot. And, since the sephirot are intermediaries between God's infinite light, and His creation, our meditation does span the entire chain of spiritual creation, though not in as much detail as in the previous meditation. Nevertheless, it is easier to focus upon the ten sephirot of Atzilut rather than on all of seder histalshelut (the "entire chain of creation").

30/07/2015

Tefila Tip #31
We're now approaching very intriguing "holiday," probably the least known holiday on the Jewish calendar. It's called Tu b'Av, or simply the fifteenth day of Av. What makes it a holiday? It is unlike the rest of the holidays of the year, that have positive content. On Pesach, we celebrate the Exodus, on Shavuot, the giving of the Torah, and on Succot, the harvest and attendant "species" of vegetation. What's strange is that Tu b'Av does not celebrate any positive event or content, and yet the sages say that it is comparable to the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. How could the holiday be holy if it does not have any content of its own? Here are the items that are associated with Tu b'Av: During the generation of the desert, the Jews stopped dying on Tu b'Av of the final (40th) year. Upon entering Israel, the first generation was forbidden to marry among tribes other than their own. But the decree was rescinded on Tu b'Av of the following generation. In later years, the tribe of Benjamin was excommunicated for misbehaving, but on Tu b'Av of a later generation, they were again permitted to intermarry with the other Jewish tribes. At the end of King Solomon's reign, when the kingdom of Israel split off from Judah, an evil king placed idols on the road to Jerusalem to prevent pilgrims from making the trek to the Temple. But on Tu b'Av many generations later, a righteous king of Israel had them removed. After the destruction of the second Temple, the Romans slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Jews without permitting them to be buried, but on Tub Av fifteen years later, the Romans permitted the Jews to bury their dead. What do all these events have in common? They are not events of positive content – they are events that commemorate the end or conclusion of negative content. This is characteristic of decrees and holidays that come from the rabbis, rather than from the Torah. Those from the Torah contain positive content; those from the rabbis are about protection and relief from negativity. But, there is one more thing that happened on every Tu b'Av that stands out from the rest. Tu b'Av was also the day of "breaking the axe." All the wood used for burning the sacrifices in the Temple had to be brought by Tu b'Av, so that it would arrive to the Temple dry and ready for kindling. Therefore, on Tu b'Av the sages used to symbolically break the axe used for cutting the wood, to indicate that the task was finished for that year. Here, we have a positive act, distinct from all the previous events that merely celebrated an end to negativity. With this symbolic act of breaking the axe, we celebrated the successful supply of all the necessary wood for the holy Temple. Food for thought: Tune in next week for some possible explanation!
For this week's Tefila Tip, tune into www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly If you would like to delve deeper, check out our suite of spiritual books at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com. Finally, for a taste of Jewish life in Jerusalem, check out our site, www.chabadjerusalem.org

22/07/2015

Tefila Tip #30
When the going gets tough, the tough get going – that's our motto for this period on the Jewish calendar.…Here's the irony: There is a persistent stereotype of Jews as weak and pliant people. Yet, the Jewish sages say otherwise: We are "the boldest of all people." On the other hand, we learn from our forefather, Yaakov, how to deal with enemies. He was given three instructions as he was about to meet his twin brother and nemesis, Esau. He was told to prepare gifts to appease his brother, to prepare for war with him, and to pray. Aside from the war preparations, where is the boldness? The sages said that we are the boldest, but appeasement and praying are not exactly bold activities.
We're in the three weeks right now, leading up to the mournful day of Tisha b'Av which commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples and the exile of the Jews. Also, on this particular day (the fifth of Av), the greatest of all kaballists, the Ari z'l, passed away. What is the significance of his passing during the most intense period of Jewish national mourning? Just as the secrets of the Torah (of which the Ari z'l was a master), reveal the infinite majesty and illumination of the Torah, so the mourning of this period masks a very genuine and infinite joy. On the surface, we are in mourning. But, underneath the sad veneer of Tisha b'Av, lurks a genuine and infinite joy over the upcoming arrival of the Jewish messianic age. Just as the secrets of the Torah mask the infinite light contained within the Torah, so Tisha b'Av masks the infinite happiness of the messianic age. It is no "coincidence" that Tisha b'Av also happens to be the day on which meshiach, the Jewish messiah, will be born. In fact, the connection runs deep – the Ari z'l was informed from Above that it is the spreading of his teachings of the secrets of the Torah that will herald the advent of the messianic age.
So, during these nine days and particularly on this fifth day of Av, is the time to express outward mourning, but at the same time, to experience inner joy and happiness about the upcoming messianic age. The same is true overall of the Jewish people. On the outside, we may appear weak and pliant. It may look like all that we can do is appease and pray. But let the powers that be know…do not disturb a crouching lion. We prefer to appease and pray – after all, that is our "profession" (praying). But when provoked, the lion is the boldest of all creatures. It would not be wise to provoke the lion.
For this week's Tefila Tip (practical advice on what to meditate during prayers), go to www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly. For something deeper and more scholarly, check out www.jewishspiritualbooks.com. And finally for a taste of life in Jerusalem, check out www.chabadjerusalem.org!

13/07/2015

Tefila Tip #29
With my weekly communications, I like to pass on items of interest. And occasionally, I just like to comment on whatever happens to be on my mind. This happens to be one of those weeks. I've been thinking about a book that came out some thirty years ago, in 1984. It was called "From Time Immemorial," by Joan Peters (who just passed away this January). It exhaustively documents her thesis, which is that the land of Israel was more or less "empty" at the time when the Jews arrived, between 1898 and 1948, and it was the arrival of the Jews that attracted Arab labor to the holy Land. Therefore, Ms Peters claimed that much of the local Arab population could not be considered indigenous. The book immediately encountered fierce criticism from hard left anti-Zionist forces, who panned Ms. Peter's scholarship and called the book a hoax. I don't know who is correct in this argument, although Ms. Peter's documentation and footnotes are thorough and voluminous. I would be happy to hear from anyone who can shed light on the controversy. My own "take" is that whether or not a significant portion of people living in Israel were indigenous is immaterial, given that the country was more or less uninhabited. It was a barren, uncultivated land, for the most part, and the total number of both Jews and Arabs hardly warranted delineating between those who were indigenous and those who were not. Which brings me to the second, more abstract portion of my current thinking. There is an interesting dichotomy in Chasidic thought between "inhabited land" and "un-inhabited land." Roughly speaking, "inhabited land" is our conscious awareness, the thoughts and feelings of which we are aware. "Uninhabited land," on the other hand, is the subconscious and unconscious aspects of our psyche, of which we tend to be unaware. Our conscious awareness of thoughts and feelings falls into the category of tikun ("rectification" - the world of channeled and settled thoughts and feelings, associated with the world of Atzilut). Our unconscious is associated with the un-channeled and wild energy of Tohu (the world of "chaos" that preceded Tikun). Our job is two-fold: One, to channel the unbridled energy of Tohu and to bring it down to Tikun, where it can be channeled and "used." And two, to increase our own spiritual awareness and elevate it to the status of tohu, so that the unbridled energy that is present in Tohu becomes part of our conscious awareness. In other words, to create "inhabited land" out of "uninhabited land." So, apparently the subject of Ms. Peter's book mentioned above, has antecedents in Chasidic literature – specifically in the Chasidut of Chabad.
If you'd like to find out more about this subject, have a look at this week's Tefila Tip, at www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly If you'd really like to delve deeply into the topic, check out our suite of spiritual books at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com And finally if what interests you is the inhabited world of Jerusalem, check out www.chabadjerusalem.org

01/07/2015

Tefila Tip #28
I wrote about it already, but I have to say something about it again today. Yesterday was the thirteenth day of Tammuz, a day that is celebrated by the Chabad Chasidic community as the day of "release and freedom" of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, R' Yoseph Yitzhak Schneerson ztz'l. Sentenced to death by the Soviet regime in 1927 for the "heinous" crime of spreading Jewish teachings (Torah), he walked down the wrong hall in a notorious prison and managed to save himself from capital punishment. Talk about the "hand of God." Had he walked down the intended hall, rather than sitting down to rest, he would not have survived. But that's what guides a tzadik, a "man of righteousness," and no one should be surprised that such a leader and man of faith should have "angels" watching over him. Or, that as a man of God, he knew where to go and where not to go in that evil place. It is worthwhile to note that it was none other than the president of the United States at that time, Mr. Herbert Hoover, who put pressure on the Soviet government to release the rebbe, resulting in his ultimate departure from Russia. But, what inspired me to write once more about the previous Rebbe, is something else. Recently, I learned that the word Baruch, meaning "blessed," has two meanings. Either it means "blessed" in the active sense, as one who is able to extend blessings and success to others, or it means "blessed" in the passive sense, describing one who possesses talents and abilities and is therefore "blessed" from Above. An example is a young tree or sapling (a tzadik, or "righteous man" is likened to a tree). Its "head" may be bent into the ground, and it will produce a new tree or sapling. In that case, it is "blessed" in the active sense since it passes on its success and blessings to a new tree. But, it is also blessed in the passive sense, since if it did not possess those positive traits and blessings, it would not be able to pass them on. The same applies to the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe. He was a "tree" that was both blessed and he blessed others. And he was a tree that was transplanted three times in his life. The first time was when his father passed away in 1920 and he took over the leadership of Chabad. The second time was in 1927 when, after attaining freedom from incarceration, he transplanted to Warsaw. And the third and final time was when he escaped the clutches of the N***s and moved to New York in 1940. Each move was a story of epic transplantation and transformation. Each move required the Rebbe to start his life anew and re-estabish himself and his dynasty in a new environment. He led a heroic life, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, but in each new "life" that he lived, he was both blessed and he managed to pass on his blessings to others. That is something to live for.
For more on "Baruch" and to see our latest "tefila tip," go to www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly. And if you want to delve into things much deeper, go to www.jewishspiritualbooks.com and see our suite of Jewish spiritual books for your perusal. Finally, for a taste of Jewish life in J-town, go to our site at www.chabadjerusalem.org