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!!

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Here are the new regulations-the lockdown is over! All we need is Love-Sweet Love and Why Is a Minyan Needed for Kaddish? By Yehuda Shurpin and The Sixth Millennium and the Age of Moshiach and John Denver & Plácido Domingo in Studio - Perhaps Love (1981)

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Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money,  and spiritual engagement. Now also a Blogger on the Times of Israel. Look for my column

Love Yehuda Lave

All we need is Love-Sweet Love

Kedoshim contains the great love command of

the Torah. "Love your neighbor as

yourself. I am the Lord" (Lev. 19:18). Rabbi Akiva

called this "the great principle of the Torah.

 

Many civilizations contain variants of this command and call it the Golden Rule: "Do unto others, as you would have them do to you," or in the negative form attributed to Hillel (sometimes called the Silver Rule), "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary; go and learn.

 

 Oppose this with what the rest of the world calls the "Golden Rule". He who has the gold makes the rule!!

 

But this is a rule of reciprocity, not love. We observe it because bad things will happen to us if we don't.

Judaism was the first civilization to put love at the heart of morality. 

 

Nowhere else in all of the bible are we commanded to love our neighbor. And only in one other place (Deut.

10:19) are we commanded to love the stranger. (The

Sages famously said that the Torah commands us

thirty-six times to love the stranger, but that is not quite

accurate. Thirty-four of those commands have to do

with not oppressing or afflicting the stranger and

making sure that he or she has the same legal rights as

the native-born. These are commands of justice rather

than love.

 

Almost every ethical system ever devised has sought to reduce the moral life to a single principle or perspective. Some connect it to reason, others to emotion, yet others to

consequences: do whatever creates the greatest

happiness for the greatest number.

 

A moral society will succeed; an immoral

or amoral one will fail. That is the key prophetic insight.

G-d did not make the demand that people

love one another. That was beyond their remit. Society

requires justice, not love.

 

 Good people love God, family, friends, and virtue. 

 

"Beloved is man," said Rabbi Akiva, "because he

was created in [God's] image.

 

Every human being is made in the image and likeness

of God. God made each of us in love. Therefore, if we

seek to imitate God – "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy" – we too must love humanity, and not in the abstract but in the concrete form of the neighbor and the stranger. The ethic of holiness is based on the

The vision of creation-as-God's-work-of-love. This vision

sees all human beings – ourselves, our neighbor and

the stranger – as in the image of God, and that is why

we are to love our neighbor and the stranger as

ourselves.



Ideas, that help explain how the world works

I STARTED INVESTING IN STOCK RECENTLY: CHICKEN, BEEF, AND VEGETABLE SOMEDAY I HOPE TO BE A BOULLIONAIRE.

In honor of Earth Day, which happened earlier this week, a Native American proverb to consider:
"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children."
Source: A Seat at the Table: Huston Smith in Conversation with Native Americans on Religious Freedom

2020 IS A UNIQUE LEAP YEAR. JANUARY 31 DAYS FEBRUARY 28 DAYS MARCH 300 DAYS APRIL 5 YEARS

The way things are going, by the time we phase back, 90% of all Blondes will disappear and everyone will know how to fold a fitted sheet.--Nanci M.

Here are the new regulations-the lockdown is almost over!

Israel's new corona regulations:

You may go anywhere. There is no longer a restriction to stay within 100 meters of your home

Minyanim remain restricted to up to 19 people in open spaces. 

Synagogues are staying closed 

No bonfires on Lag B'Omer, Meron will be shut to visitors, No lockdown. 

Visiting grandparents and first-degree relatives is allowed but without any hugging, kissing, or touching and while maintaining two meters between people and wearing masks.

Social gatherings of people are limited to up to 20 people

Sports activities remain limited to individuals or pairs, including competitive sports and water sports for individuals. 

It is forbidden to socialize or spend time on the beach. 

Today, malls and markets will be permitted to open under restrictions, including that of only 1 customer for every 20 meters and 2 meters between people, marking places for where to wait in line, limiting two people in an elevator and maintaining hygiene and disinfection protocols. 

No seating will be allowed for eating in the mall or market and the local authorities are prohibited from allowing people who do not wear a mask to enter markets. 
Gyms and studios will be allowed to reopen

Some schools resumed on Sunday and Monday. 
All grades will resume school by the end of this month 

Treatment between a patient and therapist is permitted without a mask on condition that there is at least 3 meters of distance between them.

Entrance to nature reserves, heritage sites, and national parks, as well as zoos and safaris, is now permitted. 

Hotels and guest houses are open, but may not use common areas

May 10 
All kindergartens will open

May 11
weddings will be permitted with up to 50 people in attendance but dancing and physical contact will be forbidden. 
Funerals will be permitted with up to 50 people in attendance 

May 17
gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed

Sports activities for up to 20 people will be permitted, but physical contact will be forbidden.

May 31
gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed. 

Amusement parks and swimming pools will open.

June 14
Cancellation on the limitation of the number of people allowed at gatherings. 
Daycare centers will open 
Informal education facilities will open
Higher educational institutions will resume classes. 

Sport and entertainment facilities including movie theatres, concerts, restaurants, and coffee shops will be allowed to open gradually in stages until mid-June and under restrictions.

Museums and galleries may reopen on 17 May under restrictions. 

The government will publicize exact guidelines and restrictions pertaining to parks, pools, libraries, museums and sport facilities. 

The government is formulating a plan regarding international flights regarding which flights and from which destinations will be permitted to enter the country based on the level of infections in various countries.

All of this is on condition that people follow the guidelines and there is no marked increase in the number of infections, of those seriously ill and the rate of infection does not reach the point in which it doubles every ten days. 

Why Is a Minyan Needed for Kaddish? By Yehuda Shurpin

In this new era of COVID-19, when virtually all synagogues are closed and almost no one is able to pray with a minyan (quorum of 10 men), many are tempted to say the Kaddish (which is chanted in honor of loved ones who have passed on) even while alone. Why can't this be done?

The Importance of Kaddish

Before we get to the minyan aspect, let's talk a bit about Kaddish.

I cannot overstate the importance and merit there is in both saying Kaddish and listening attentively and responding appropriately when it is said by another. This holds true for both for the Kaddeshim said by the chazzan (prayer leader) and the mourners.

In addition to bringing merit to the living, reciting Mourner's Kaddish does wonders for the souls of the deceased. It not only helps them as they face judgment in heaven and eases their passage to the World to Come, but also allows them to continue on to even higher spiritual planes (which is why it is said every year on the anniversary of passing).

Kaddish=Public Declaration of G‑d's Holiness

The underlying theme of the Kaddish prayer is the glorification, magnification and sanctification of G‑d.

As you can read in Why Are 10 Men Needed for a Minyan?, anything that is a davar shebikedushah, a declaration of G‑d's holiness such as Kaddish, Barechu or Kedushah, requires at least a minyan present.1

In fact, if you look at the very text of Kaddish, you can see that it is structured to be said in the presence of others. For example: "In your lifetime and in your days and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon, and say, Amen." Thus, much of it doesn't make much sense if it is recited alone.

Furthermore, one of the very reasons why Kaddish is considered such a merit for the departed is because the one who chants it leads the entire group in prayer.

What to Do When Kaddish Is Impossible

The greatest merit for the deceased is when one of their own sons recites the Kaddish. The next best option is to arrange for a close relative (e.g., son-in-law) or sibling to recite it (on condition that their own parents are no longer alive).2

If this isn't feasible, then one can arrange for anyone who no longer has parents living to recite the Kaddish. In this case, it is preferable to pay for its recitation, rather than have the person do it as a favor. This way (a) the person saying it is considered even more of an emissary (bringing more merit to the deceased), and (b) there is greater assurance that it will in fact be recited. This is especially true when the payment for Kaddish recitation supports an orphan, the poor or a needy Torah scholar.3

In this vein, Chabad.org has partnered with Colel Chabad (the oldest continuously operating charity of its kind in Israel) to offer the recitation of Kaddish for the 11 months after the passing and/or annually on the anniversary of passing.

Arrange Kaddish for a loved one.

In the Era of Coronavirus

Due to the extraordinary situation in which we now find ourselves, Chabad.org has arranged a special (free) service in which Kaddish is said in a safe and government-approved environment for all those who cannot do it themselves.

Even More Important than Kaddish

When the vast majority of us are precluded from saying Kaddish as usual, it's normal to feel distressed. Keep in mind that although saying Kaddish and leading the prayer services are a source of merit for the departed, it is even more important for the deceased that their children and descendants follow the path of righteousness they modeled.

The Zohar says that just as a son honors his parents with food, drink and clothing during their lifetimes, he must honor them even more after they pass away! If he walks a bad path, he brings them disgrace. But if he walks a righteous path, he honors them in This World and in the World to Come. When this happens, G‑d has mercy on the deceased and seats them in a place of prominence.4

So in our current situation, mourners are encouraged to add in good deeds and Torah study (especially Mishnayot) in the merit of their loved ones. And when one can influence others to do the same, it has an even more powerful impact and merit for the deceased.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe wrote a number of telling letters to a Jewish activist and educator who often traveled in order to strengthen Jewish education and would need to miss the recital of Kaddish from time to time. In one such letter, the Rebbe writes:

I already wrote to you about this situation a number of times. It is simple that the satisfaction and elevation of the soul cannot come at the expense of a decrease in Torah and mitzvahs. And after all, Jewish education is the foundation for this, and the merit of the public is dependent upon this (much more than Kaddish). From this it is understood that you should not decrease in your efforts for Jewish education, and on the contrary, you should add in it.

And in order that you should not miss (as much as possible) in what was discussed, there is room, in addition to you saying Kaddish when possible, to hire someone else to recite it . . .5

On the flip side, if possible, a person should endeavor to recite Kaddish himself rather than have someone else do it, as it is more meritorious if the descendants themselves recite it.6

May we merit the day when there will be no more death and we will once again be reunited with our loved ones, with the coming of the Moshiach and the resurrection of the dead!

Footnotes 1.

Talmud, Megillah 23b. To explain the derivation of the concept in the Talmud: Elsewhere it is written, הבדלו מתוך העדה—"Separate yourselves from amidst the congregation" (Numbers 16:21). Noting that the same word (תוך) appears in both verses, a verbal association transmitted by tradition [i.e., a gezeirah shavah] postulates that just as the latter verse speaks about a congregation (עדה), so, too, does the former verse speak about a congregation. And a congregation comprises no fewer than ten people, as it is written, עד מתי לעדה הרעה הזאת — "How long will this evil congregation persist?" (Numbers 14:27). This verse refers to the spies, who numbered twelve; subtract two for Yehoshua and Calev (who were righteous), and ten remain.

2.

See Nitei Gavriel, Hilchot Aveilut, vol. 2, ch. 49, regarding the parameters for when and for whom Kaddish is recited. There are some more complicated situations and a rabbi should be consulted.

3.

See Bet Yosef, Yoreh Deiah 403; Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 132:2; and Machatzit Hashekel ad loc.

4.

See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 26:21, citing the Zohar.

5.

Igrot Kodesh, vol. 19, p. 291; see also Igrot Kodesh, vol. 19, p. 272.

6.

The Rebbe himself writes about this at some length to one who wrote about hiring someone else to recite Kaddish; see More Le'dor Navuch, vol. 3, p. 106. Of course, this is not related to hiring an additional Kaddish-sayer as a backup in case the mourners accidentally forget to say it.

By Yehuda Shurpin

John Denver & Plácido Domingo in Studio - Perhaps Love (1981)

This video features the 1981 recording of the song "Perhaps Love", sung by John Denver & Plácido Domingo. John wrote the song in early 1981 and recorded a solo acoustic version for his 1982 album Seasons of the Heart. In 1988, John Denver and Plácido Domingo performed the song live together for the first time at a joint concert. You can find a video of the live performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPG5x...

The Sixth Millennium and the Age of Moshiach

If we map time, will we see where it's leading us? By Tzvi Freeman

 

The history of the world, the Talmud tells us, comprises six eras of one thousand years each. In his commentary on Genesis, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides) describes a unique theme for each millennium, corresponding to the themes of the six days in which the world was created. By this account, we entered the sixth and final day of history with the year 5001 by the Jewish calendar—corresponding to autumn of the year 1240 on the Gregorian calendar.

For the rest of the good article, which is good but long please go to

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2057885/jewish/The-Sixth-Millennium-and-the-Age-of-Moshiach.htm#utm_medium=email&utm_source=1_chabad.org_magazine_en&utm_campaign=en&utm_content=content

George Formby - 'It's in the Air'

In the Forties, stars went off to entertain the troops and one of the best-loved performers of them all was George Formby. Here is 'Our George' somewhere with the troops in the Forties.

See you tomorrow bli neder --We need Moshach Now

Love Yehuda Lave

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

PO Box 7335, Rehavia Jerusalem 9107202

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