Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor | | | They praise God for His kindness and relate His wonders to other people (Psalms 107:8). This verse is repeated four times in this chapter, emphasizing the obligation people have to express their gratitude to God for His kindnesses. Human beings have the capacity for complaining about their distress as well as being thankful for benevolence. Unfortunately, in many people these traits are not balanced, and the capacity to complain may outweigh that of being grateful. There is a story about a mother who was walking along the seashore with her son. Unexpectedly, a huge wave descended upon them and carried the child out to sea. The distraught mother began begging to God: "Please, God, save my child! Give me back my little son!" Shortly afterwards, another huge wave deposited the child, unharmed, right at her feet. The mother embraced the child, and turning her eyes toward heaven, exclaimed, "Thank You, God. Thank You, thank You forever." A moment later, she looked at her child, then turned her eyes to heaven once again and asked: "Where is the hat he was wearing?" Many humorous stories have a kernel of truth. How often do we forget kindnesses and focus instead on annoyances, even when the disparity between them is in the magnitude of the saving of a child versus the loss of a hat. We just read the Parsha about Joseph becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt. Joseph focused on the kindess of G-d even during his suffering.
Today I shall ...
... try to bear in mind the many great kindnesses that God has done for me, and ignore the relatively insignificant displeasures in my life.
Love Yehuda Lave | | Mayor lights the Chanukah Candles on Zot Chanukah with Yehuda Lave In an event entitled Bridge of Gold, Chanukah Candles are lit in many cities around the world and the Mayor lights with Yehuda Lave at Yeshurun Synagouge with a program based on the following: Tonight, at a gathering in Yerusahalayim, dozens of other "pairs of Shul's" at the Yeshurun Synagogue on King George Street beginning at 5:30 pm, at a special candle lighting in celebration of the 8th night of Chanukah.
The event is speonsored by Gesher Shel Zahav, (Bridge of Gold), an international organization founded by Attorney Yehuda Zaretsky.
In 1991, the Zaretsky's were victims of a scud missile attack on their home in Ramat Gan. It was an event that inspired Yehuda's resolve to create an organization whose mission is to promote unity among Jewish communities across the globe and foster appreciation for the brave men and women who serve in the IDF and risk their lives so that we can live in peace.
Gesher Shel Zahav is the product of Yehuda's dream and aspirations and tonight's program will feature entertainment by the Israel Police Orchestra; by reknowned Klezmer musician, Bernie Marenbach; by famed composer, Ovadia Hammama and by Chazzan Moshe Zaretsky. In addition, the event pays tribute to the Lone Soldiers of the IDF and will feature a video link to the communities abroad from which the lone soldiers hail.
All of us are invited to what promises to be an uplifting and memorable event. | | Tomb of the Baal Shem Tov - Medzhybizh (Mezibush) Yosef Shidler and Mendel Mish of CJ Studios recently traveled to Ukraine and filmed this holy Jewish site Orthodox Judaism is the most traditional and, in many respects, the most conservative and observant of Jewish denominations; and no group is more closely identified with Orthodox Judaism than the Hasidic Jews. Although not the only Orthodox group, the Hasidim have most strongly preserved the traditions of classical Eastern European Judaism, from religious practices to customs to the manners of dress for which they are famous. The Hasidic movement was founded by the Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, more affectionately known as Ba'al Shem Tov, in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. While there are many different Hasidic groups, virtually all of them look upon Ba'al Shem Tov as their common founder. His gravesite, along with other locations associated with his life, has become an important pilgrimage destination for Hasidic Jews around the world. History Israel ben Eliezer was one of the most important and influential Jews in the later history of the Diaspora. He was born in 1698 in Okopy in the Ukraine, and according to tradition maintained by some of his adherents, he was a descendent of the Davidian royal line. From his childhood to the early years of his marriage, ben Eliezer preferred the outdoor life away from the cities and other traditional Jewish centers of existence. His different views of nature, the universe and God grew out of this period and would have a profound effect on his later ideas and philosophies. Ben Eliezer became respected in the local Jewish communities for his wisdom and fairness, and was often called upon to adjudicate legal disputes. Although a learned man, he voluntarily spent much of his life as a manual laborer, from digging in clay pits to working as a kosher butcher to running a tavern. In his spare time he developed a keen knowledge of the regional flora and was known for developing medicinal remedies. For his skill as a healer, his charitable acts and the general respect he commanded, he was awarded the title of Ba'al Shem, which means 'Master of the Name' (of God). When he reached his forties, Israel ben Eliezer, called Ba'al Shem Tov by his contemporaries, had developed a loyal band of disciples. Settling down in the village of Medzhybizh, he established a school to pass on his ideas to others. His teachings focused strongly on the primary importance of prayer rather than on mastery of the Talmud, which often put him at odds with the traditional rabbinical establisment. By his later years, the Jewish community had begun to divide into two major groups: the Hasidim and the Talmudists. However, although they disagreed on many things, it is important to note that the schism of the two groups did not lead to the kind of virulent antagonism that often plagued other religions such as Christianity and Islam. In fact, the two groups usually cooperated in greater matters of common interest. By the time of his death, Ba'al Shem Tov was the most important Jewish personality in Eastern Europe. Although he personally wrote very little, his teachings were passed on orally to his disciples, and these teachings would become the foundation of Hasidic Judaism. The movement split under a number of different leaders soon after Baal Shem Tov's death, but all recognized and honored him as their spiritual founder. The town of Medzhybizh has since become a veritable shrine of Baal Shem Tove-related sites, and thousands of Hasidic Jews from around the world visit every year. Visiting The town of Medzhybizh is steeped in Hasidic history and sites. There are several Jewish cemeteries in Medzhybizh, the most important one being the Old Jewish Cemetery. It is here that the gravesite of Baal Shem Tov can be found, along with a number of other graves of early Hassidic leaders and adherents. Another large Jewish cemetery outside of town is actually a mass grave of three-thousand Jews who were massacred by the Nazis during World War II. A stone monument marks the site. Medzhybizh was also home to Baal Shem Tov's school. The original structure was completely destroyed by the Nazis, but a replica has been built using old plans and photos as a guide. The new building is now part of a museum with exhibits on the life of Baal Shem Tov and the early history of Hasidic Judaism. Finally, there is an old well just outside of the city. According to tradition, it was built by Baal Shem Tov himself. The town of Medzhybizh is somewhat out-of-the-way in western Ukraine, approximately a hundred and twenty-five miles southwest of Kiev. Subscribe to Shiezoli Email List: http://eepurl.com/c-HCUr YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/shiezoli Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiezoli Google +: https://plus.google.com/+shiezoli Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShieHD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShiezoliCategory | | רושלים 1918 Jerusalem Jerusalem 1918 Exposure of Jacob Gross. A rare amateur film presents the daily life of the Old City, the Western Wall, the market and Jaffa Street. Damascus Gate on its hens and holy places for Jews: David's Tomb, Rachel's Tomb, the Shiloah Spring and Yad Avshalom. The music from the desert spirit of Nachtshe Heiman was adapted to the original silent film, courtesy of the film and edited by Jacob Gross. The film was found by a Jewish family in Amsterdam and it is unclear whether the father of the family collected the footage or photographed it himself in order to encourage Jewish tourism to Jerusalem after the British conquest. Some of the photographs may have been taken at the end of the Ottoman era. The film shows the new shops on Jaffa Street: Shlomo Cohen and his sons and AY. To know the dust. The film was obtained by Meir Barak, worked and uploaded to the network by Jacob Gross author of Jerusalem 1918. Those interested in purchasing a copy can contact POB 909 Givatayim 53108 | | Ka Echsof - Shloime Daskal, Zemiros, Shulem Saal | יה אכסוף - שלומי דסקל, זמירות, שלום סאאל Lately, it seems that no matter where you go, or what background you're from, Jews from all over the world are singing "Ko Echsof." This inspirational song was written by known Tzaddik Reb Ahron Karliner ZT"L, and has quickly become one of the most sung Zemiros on Friday nights. Something about this particular Nigun penetrates ones soul, the more you sing it, the more you feel it. This Hartzig song and arrangement was presented by Yoily Polatseck of the Zemiros Group, as a gift to Shalom Vegh of the 5 Towns, a close friend of his, at a special occasion to honor his Siyum Hashas. Guided by Yoily, the group's founder and musical director, Ko Echsof which is the Zemer of today is now being paired with the Zemiros who know Zemiros better than anyone. The harmonious voices of Zemiros Group paired with the arrangement by Yoily will have you hitting the replay button hours after you have seen this video. The lead vocal is performed by one of the most popular and sought after vocalists today, Shloime Daskal. Joining Shloime's powerful and dynamic voice is the quickly rising wonder child Shulem Saal, who's sweet innocent voice will leave you at a loss for words. Shulem, is part of the widely popular Shir V'shevach Boys Choir, under the leadership of Chaim Meir Fliegman. So please enjoy Ko Echsof as you have never heard it before and share this amazing video with the world. A Shalom Vegh & Zemiros Group Production Credits: Sung by: Shloime Daskal Choir: Zemiros Group Child Soloist: Shulem Saal Event: Shalom Vegh Siyum Hashas Choir: Yoily Polatseck - Arranger/Leader Yoely Friedrich Berl Karpen Toivy Friedman Music: Arranged & Conducted by Nochi Krohn - Courtesy of Krohma Music Sound: Black Arrow Productions Engineer: Ruli Ezrachi Post Production: Yoily Polatseck Mix: Nochi Krohn Video: Motty Engel Editing: Yoily Polatseck Producer: Yoily Polatseck Follow Us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZemirosGroup Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zemirosgroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zemirosgroup/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheZemirosGroup Bookings: The Zemiros Group 845.372.6688 Info@ZemirosGroup.com לאחרונה, נראה כי לא משנה לאן אתה הולך, או מאיזה רקע אתה בא, יהודים מכל רחבי העולם ומכל גווני הקשת שרים את הזמר הידוע: "יה אכסוף". שיר מעורר השראה זה נכתב על ידי הרה"ק ר' אהרן מקרלין זצוק"ל זי"ע, ובמהירות נהיה אחד מהזמירות הפופולרים ביותר המושר בליל שבת קודש. משהו בניגון מסוים זה חודר עמוק לנשמה, ככל שאתה שר את זה יותר, אתה מרגיש את זה יותר. הביצוע הזה מוגש על ידי יואלי פאלאטשעק ממקהלת זמירות, כמתנה לידידו הקרוב "שלום וועג" הגר בניו יארק, כתשורה מיוחדת לכבוד סיום הש"ס שלו. בהדרכתו של יואלי - מייסדו ומנהלו המוזיקלי של המקהלה, הזמר "קה אכסוף" מושר על ידי מקהלת "זמירות", המכיר את אומנות הזמירות טוב יותר מכל אחד אחר. הקולות ההרמוניים של מקהלת "זמירות" יחד עם עיבודו המוזיקלי של יואלי, יגרום לך ללחוץ על לחצן ה"חזור" שוב ושוב שעות אחרי שראית את הוידיאו הזה. אל הקליפ המיוחד הזה מצטרף אחד הסולנים הפופולריים והמוצלחים ביותר כיום - שלומי דסקל, אשר מפורסם בקולו החזק, הנעים והדינמי. יחד עם הכוכב העולה, ילד הפלא "שלום סאאל". קולו המתוק והתמים ישאיר אותך ללא מילים. שלום, הוא חלק ממקהלת "שיר ושבח", בהדרכתו של חיים מאיר פליגמן. ללא ספק אתם תהנו מהשיר "קה אכסוף" כפי שמעולם לא נהנתם. קרדיט: סולן: שלומי דסקל מקהלה: זמירות ילד הפלא: שלום סאאל אירוע: שלום וועג סיום הש״ס חברי המקהלה: יואלי פאלאטשעק יואל פרידריך בערל קארפען טובי׳ פריעדמאן מוזיקה: עיבוד וניצוח: נוחי קראהן סאונד: בלאק ארו הפקות (החץ השחור) מהנדס הקלטה שידור חי: רולי אזרחי גמר הפקה: יואלי פאלאטשעק מיקס: נוחי קראהן וידאו: מוטי ענגל עריכה: יואלי פאלאטשעק מפיק: יואלי פאלאטשעק יָהּ אֶכְסֹף נֹעַם שַׁבָּת הַמַּתְאֶמֶּת וּמִתְאַחֶדֶת בִּסְגֻלָּתֶךָ מְשֹׁךְ נֹעַם יִרְאָתֶךָ לְעַם מְבַקְשֵׁי רְצוֹנֶךָ קַדְּשֵׁם בִּקְדֻשַׁת הַשַׁבָּת הַמִּתְאַחֶדֶת בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ פְּתַח לָהֶם נֹעַם וְרָצוֹן לִפְתּוֹחַ שַׁעֲרֵי רְצוֹנֶךָ יָהּ אֶכְסוֹף... הָיָה הֹוֶה שְׁמוֹר שׁוֹמְרֵי וּמְצַפִּים שַׁבָּת קָדְשֶׁךָ כְּמוֹ אַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם כֵּן נַפְשָׁם תַּעֲרֹג לְקַבֵּל נֹעַם שַׁבָּת הַמִּתְאַחֶדֶת בְּשֵׁם קָדְשֶׁךָ הַצֵּל מְאַחֲרֵי לִפְרשׁ מִן הַשַׁבָּת לְבִלְתִּי תִּהְיֶה סָגוּר מֵהֶם שִׁשָּה יָמִים הַמְקַבְּלִים קְדֻשָׁה מִשַׁבָּת קָדְשֶׁךָ וְטַהֵר לִבָּם בֶּאֱמֶת וּבֶאֱמוּנָה לְעָבְדֶּךָ יָהּ אֶכְסוֹף... וְיִהְיוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ מִתְגּוֹלְלִים עַל עַם קָדְשֶׁךָ לְהַשְׁקוֹת צְמֵאֵי חַסְדֶּךָ מִנָּהָר הַיּוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְעַטֵּר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתִפְאֶרֶת הַמְפָאֲרִים אוֹתְךָ עַל יְדֵי שַׁבָּת קָדְשֶׁךָ כָּל שִׁשָׁה יָמִים לְהַנְחִילָם נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב בְּחִירֶךָ יָהּ אֶכְסוֹף... הַשַׁבָּת נוֹעַם הַנְּשָׁמוֹת וְהַשְׁבִיעִי עֹנֶג הָרוּחוֹת וְעֵדֶן הַנְּפָשׁוֹת לְהִתְעַדֵּן בְּאַהֲבָתֶךָ וּבְיִרְאָתֶךָ שַׁבָּת קֹדֶשׁ נַפְשִׁי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָתֶךָ שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ נַפְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ יֶחֱסָיוּן יִרְוְיֻן מִדֶּשֶׁן בֵּיתֶךָ יָהּ אֶכְסוֹף...CategoryMusic | | Kahane on the Parsha Parshat VaYishlach KILLING INNOCENT CIVILIANS Shimon and Levi's annihilation of Shechem sheds light on a subject of particular relevance to us: collective punishment. For here is Shimon and Levi, in response to a crime that was more sexually motivated than nationally motivated, wiping out an entire city because of the act of one individual. You can't get much more collective than that! At this juncture, we will not respond to the modern falsifiers of Torah who condemn the act. The fact is that an examination of the episode of Parshat VaYishlach will reveal that Jacob does not censure his children for moral reasons, but for practical ones. "You have brought trouble on me," he tells Shimon and Levi, "to make me odious among the inhabitants of the land...and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves against me and slay me, and I and my household will be destroyed" (Genesis 34:30). The fact is, not one Torah commentator condemns the act. The annihilation of Shechem was the pride of the tribe of Shimon, which had a depiction of the city illustrated on its flag in the desert! (Bamidbar Rabba 2:7). All the commentators see the act as one of great mesirut nefesh. The only point of contention among them is why it was permitted. The Rambam, for instance, writes that the gentiles of Shechem were guilty of not observing the seven Noahide Laws- one of which requires setting up a court system to try criminals. Since the people of Shechem did not try Shechem ben Chamor for his crime, they deserved the death penalty. The Maharal differs. He writes that it was impossible for the people of Shechem to place their prince, whom they feared, on trial and hence were not liable for failing to do so. If so, why were Shimon and Levi permitted to annihilate Shechem's entire male population? The Maharal answers: "Since the [Shechem] Canaanites and the Children of Israel were both nations...Shimon and Levi were permitted to fight them- like any nation which goes to battle against another nation, which the Torah permits. And though the Torah requires that 'when you draw near to a city to wage battle, you should make its people an offer of peace' (Deuteronomy 20:10), doing so is only necessary if the city did not harm Israel. But in this case, where the combatant DID harm Israel, committing an abominable immoral act, unprovoked, it was permissible for Shimon and Levi to take revenge on Shechem. Even though only one person sinned, he was part of a collective." The Maharal concludes: "And such is the case in every war of a similar nature. For example, [G-d told Moses,] 'Take vengeance against the Midianites.' Even though many Midianites did nothing wrong, it makes no difference because they were all from the same nation that harmed Israel and therefore Israel was allowed to wage war against it. And the same is true of all of [Israel's] wars." Darka Shel Torah Rabbi Binyamin Kahane HY"D | | Yehuda the Artist Thanksgiving 2018 in Tel Aviv NBN (Nefesh b Nefesh) has a paint night in Tel Aviv and I take the free train there | | Aerial View: Baal Shem Tov's Shul - Medzhybizh (Mezibush) The Baal Shem Tov Synagogue is a small shul in the western Ukrainian town of Medzhybizh (Mezibush) where Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer (1698-1760), the founder of Chassidism, would daven. The Baal Shem Tov, as he was known, settled in the town in his later years, though even then he continued to make many journeys to spread his Kabbalistic teachings that touched the entire Jewish nation, scholarly and unlearned alike. As his fame grew, many came to Mezibush to hear his teachings and to be inspired, and many more came to receive his blessings and advice, noted the scholar Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet. Those seeking his help were not only Jews, but also gentiles who heard about this miracle-working saint. In recently discovered civil archives and tax records of Mezhibush, the Baal Shem Tov is mentioned in records dating back to 1742, identified as "Baal Shem Doktor," living in a tax-exempt house of the community, Rabbi Schochet noted. The exterior of the shul and Beis Medrash was pictured in 1915. The original shul no longer exists, having been destroyed by the Nazis during the Second World War. An exact replica was rebuilt in its location by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Gabbai and his organization Agudas Ohalei Tzadikim. Its original details have been painstakingly restored. Yosef Shidler and Mendel Mish of CJ Studios recently traveled to Ukraine to filmed the holy Jewish sites. In part 4 presented on COLlive.com, they show the Baal Shem Tov's restored Shul.Category | | See you tomorrow Enjoy this final day of Channukah called Zot Channukuh. I am going to a party in Ashkelon to celebrate with friends and learn some more Torah. Love Yehuda Lave | | | |
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