Get to Heaven Keep the Seven

Everybody wants spirituality. To be a good person means to walk in G-d's ways. How does that translate to reality? The only guidebook to spirituality that has stood the test of time is the Hebrew Bible. The Bible says that the Jews will be a light onto the nations. But if you are not a born Jew, you have to convert, which is not so easy!! If you do convert, it is a lot of work to be a Jew (three times a day prayer, keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath).

This blog will show you how to be Jewish without the work!!

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Jerry Lewis on religion and family and Happy Purim in Jerusalem and Shabbat Shalom

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Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Happy Shushan Purim my friends.It is Purim in Jerusalem. This is a piece of original Torah that you won't get any place else that I just came to realize this week. In the Magalia it says: The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

These words should sound familiar, not just in the Magalia they are in the Havdolah prayer. Before reciting the hagafen blessing, it is customary to lift the cup of wine in the right hand and recite a selection of joyous verses from Isaiah and Psalms. These uplifting verses bring an upbeat atmosphere to the new week. Also included is the verse from the Book of Esther: "For the Jews there was light, happiness, joy and honor" — to which we add: "so be it for us!" The one reciting the havdalah traditionally pauses when reaching this verse, allowing everyone to say it in unison before he repeats it and then continues.

We learn that at Matan Torah (The giving of the written Torah) the Jews said Nasah Vinasahma (we will do and hear), but this was only for the written Torah. There is a Midrash that says that G-d put the Sanai moutain over them like a barrel and said either accept the Torah or die. Hence it was considered a forced acceptance. The Oral Torah was not accepted until Purim when the Jews said they would accept the Oral Torah as well and it was then not coerced.

So what is the connection to Havdolah to Purim. On Friday night when we make the Kiddush on wine we remember the 10 commandments (of which Shabbat is one) which is the written Torah and accept the written Torah and keep Shabbat. On Saturday night we make Havdolah on wine and by saying these words from the Magalia, we sympbolically accept the written Torah for the balance of the week until it is Shabbat again and we do the process again. Shabbat comes every week and we do this symbolic acceptace of the Written Torah and Oral Torah each week with Friday night Kiddush and Saturday Havdolah. This is one of the many reasons it says that Shabbat is equal to the whole Torah and only Shomer Shabat Jews (those that keep the principals of the Shabbat) are acceptable as wittnesses and for purposes of trusting them for their Kashrut so that you can eat at their house.

This year with Shabbat on Friday in Jerusalem, we will hear the words of the Magila on Friday and then make Kiddush on Friday night so we get a double header of acceptance and rememberance of the acceptance of the Torah.

 

Shabbat Shalom and Purim Samach

Yehuda at the Purim reading last night

Yehuda at the Purim reading last night after a little wine

Jerry Lewis on religion and family

He passed away August 20, 2017

Jerry Lewis talks about religion and inter-faith marriage and family in his 1965 interview with David Susskind.

Our Protection from Amalek


RABBI ELI MANSOUR
Visit DailyHalacha,com, DailyGemara.com, MishnaBerura.com, LearnTorah.com
Our Protection from Amalek

On Shabbat Zachor, we read the final three verses in Parashat Ki-Teseh which command us to remember the unprovoked attack launched against our ancestors when they left Egypt by the nation of Amalek. This attack occurred in a place called Refidim, and the Sages teach us that this location was so named because while Beneh Yisrael were there, "Rafu Yedehem Min Ha'Torah"– they became lax in their engagement in Torah study. It was on account of this laxity, we are taught, that G-d brought upon us the vicious attack of Amalek.

In commanding us to remember this incident, G-d instructs, "Remember what Amalek did to you." Despite the fact that this unfortunate incident was our own doing, a result of our failure to properly devote ourselves to Torah, G-d nevertheless describes the war as something brought upon us by Amalek, rather than something we brought upon ourselves. One Rabbi compared this to a king who had a close friend whom he trusted and regarded very highly. The friend, however, proved unworthy of this trust, and one night tried to break into the palace. The guard dogs immediately began to bark loudly, chasing the man away. The king heard about the incident, and summoned his friend to the palace.

"I'm really sorry about those dogs," he said. "It's terrible the way they frightened you. They should never have done that."

Although it was obviously the man's fault that the dogs attacked him, the king, out of his unconditional love for his friend, focused on the dogs' aggressiveness rather than the friend's grave breach of trust.

Similarly, Amalek's assault Beneh Yisrael was because of our "breach," due to our failure to properly devote ourselves to Torah. Yet, in speaking about this incident G-d begins by focusing not on our failure, but on the brutality of Amalek. This expresses just how much G-d loves and cares for His people, how even in our times of failure He wishes for our wellbeing and looks angrily upon those who oppress us.

In the next verse, however, G-d indeed draws our attention to the cause of Amalek's attack. He describes how at the time of this attack Beneh Yisrael were "tired and weary, and not G-d-fearing." Rashi explains the phrase "and not G-d-fearing" as referring to Amalek, but according to the Or Ha'haim, it refers to Beneh Yisrael's condition at that time. Because they were "tired and weary"– lax and apathetic toward Torah study – their Yir'at Shamaim declined. Torah study is what keeps us alert and sensitive to our religious duties, and thus when our devotion to learning is lacking, so is our overall devotion to G-d. And when this happens, we become vulnerable to "Amalek," to the many adversaries that threaten us and seek to perpetrate evil against us.

This is the fundamental message of Shabbat Zachor – the importance of Torah learning as our source of protection against Amalek and our other foes. As long as we remain committed and dedicated to Torah study, our enemies are powerless against us. As we recite at the Seder, "Ve'hi She'ameda La'abotenu"– it, the Torah, is what has stood in protection of our people throughout the generations.

Particularly in our day and age, when enemies of the Jewish people pose such a grave threat to our existence both in Israel and around the world, we must heed the reminder of "Zachor," the warning of "Rafu Yedehem Min Ha'Torah." When we are "tired and weary," when we do not approach Torah study with the vigor and intensity it demands, then we become vulnerable, as we lose our single most important source of protection and defense.

Liberals And Conservatives Are Unhappy For Different Reasons by Dennis Prager

One of the most important differences between the right and the left – one that greatly helps to explain their differences – is the difference between unhappy liberals and unhappy conservatives.

Unhappy conservatives generally believe they are unhappy because life is inherently difficult and tragic, and because they have made some unwise decisions in life.

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But unhappy liberals generally believe they are unhappy because they have been persecuted.

Ask unhappy leftists why they are unhappy and they are likely to respond that they are oppressed. This is the primary response given by unhappy leftist women, blacks, Latinos, and gays.

For example, the more left-wing the woman, the more she will attribute her unhappiness to American society's "patriarchy," "sexism" and "misogyny." She therefore considers herself oppressed – and believing one is oppressed makes happiness all but impossible.

Likewise, the more left-wing a black person is, the more he or she will attribute his or her unhappiness to racism. And how is a black person living in a racist white country supposed to be happy?

If you have ever spent time with black conservatives, one of the first things you will notice is that they have a much happier disposition than left-wing blacks. I receive many calls to my radio show from black listeners. I almost always know immediately whether they are on the right or the left solely by their tone of voice. The cheerful black caller is almost always a conservative.

The left cultivates unhappiness by cultivating anger. It does this for the same reason wine growers cultivate grapes: No grapes, no wine; no anger, no left (and no Democratic Party). And angry people are not happy people.

Last week in Atlanta, I spoke for about 40 minutes to six randomly chosen black students from a local black college (for the upcoming film "No Safe Spaces" that Adam Carolla and I are making). Each one said he is oppressed. When I told them I didn't think blacks in America are oppressed, I sensed they had never actually been told that by anyone. It was akin to telling physics students that gravity doesn't exist. And when I added that I don't think women are oppressed either, they were equally shocked.

Ask yourself this question: Is a black child likely to grow up happy if he is told by his parents, his teachers, his political leaders, and all his media that society largely hates him?

Of course not.

Raising a black child to regard America as racist and oppressive all but guarantees an unhappy black adult.

Let me offer a counterexample. My father, an Orthodox Jew, wrote his college senior thesis on the subject of anti-Semitism in America. In it he described quotas on Jews in college admissions, Jews prohibited from joining from country clubs, Jews prohibited from law firms, etc.

In other words, my father fully acknowledged the existence of anti-Semitism in the United States. Yet he raised my brother and me in an America-loving home and told us that he believed American Jews are the luckiest Jews in history because they are American.

I therefore never knew what it was like to walk around thinking most of the people I met hated me. That alone contributed to my happiness.

Leftism makes one other major contribution to leftists' unhappiness: It promotes ingratitude. In my book on happiness (Happiness Is a Serious Problem) and my talks on happiness, I emphasize the central importance of gratitude to happiness. Without it, one cannot be happy. There isn't one ungrateful happy person on earth. Yet ingratitude toward America is central to the left's worldview, further reinforcing the unhappiness of its adherents.

Unhappy Americans on the right blame the problems inherent to life, and they blame themselves. Unhappy Americans on the left blame America.

That alone goes far in explaining the unbridgeable differences between right and left.


AS HEARD FROM RABBI AVIGDOR MILLER Z'TL
"Remember that which Amalek did to you on the way when you went forth from Egypt." (Devarim 25:17)

After the downfall of Egypt, the Israelites felt secure and became somewhat self-reliant. This great generation certainly did not forget their Father and King, yet a minute degree of trust in Hashem's help was subtracted from their minds. Therefore Amalek came to refresh their Awareness of the need for Hashem's constant help. This is therefore one purpose of our many enemies, to remind us always to call for help from Hashem and to become more aware of Him.

We see this principle clearly in the Purim epic. Picture the scene: two wine drinkers are reclining on festive couches. One says, 'sell to me all the Jews in your empire for destruction,' and the other replies, 'they are yours for the asking'. And Ahashverosh
removes his ring of royal authority from his finger and hands it to Haman the sworn enemy of the Jews.

Suddenly the Jews saw doom staring in their face.

Now the Jewish nation arose, under the leadership of Mordechai, in a mighty effort of the spirit, never before equaled. On this the Talmud asserts: "The removal of the ring was greater (accomplished more) than 48 prophets & 7 prophetesses" (Megilah 14A). Whatever the prophets (including Moshe) achieved, it was less than that which Haman (from Amalek) accomplished. Resulting in, "They accepted again the Torah in the days of Ahashverosh" (Shabbat 88A).

And this time it was without any reservations, done with full free will & with joy & love for Hashem.Because they knew they were doomed, they fasted for three days, all due to the guidance of the Torah leaders, Mordechai & Esther.

Thus they achieved a complete repentance in a national experience never even remotely equaled in the history of Mankind.

And then, suddenly, there is Haman hanging and also his ten sons, neatly in a row!!

But Israel has an alternative. If we cry out in gratitude always to Hashem, we do not need any harassment
from the nations; for calling to Hashem out of grateful happiness gains even more favor from Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom & Happy Purim From your friend Yehuda Lave

See you Sunday, Shabbat Shalom and Purim Samach

Love Yehuda Lave

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

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