20 Ways to Increase Your Happiness in the Months of Adar and Nissan on March 1, 2021 By Yehudit Garmaise and 22 Yiddish Expressions About Telling the Truth By Professor Richard Zuckerman and Menachem Posner and What Does the name Kaplan Mean? By Menachem Posner and The Structure of the Soul By Menachem Feldman

View in browser 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. Love Yehuda Lave Join my blog by sending me an email to YehudaLave@gmail.com The Three Musketeers at the Kotel The Structure of the Soul By Menachem Feldman The second half of the book of Exodus presents a dramatic shift from the first half of the book. Until this point, G‑d was the active member in the relationship with the Jewish people. G‑d brought the Ten Plagues, liberated the Jews from Egypt, split the sea, spoke the Ten Commandments and dictated Jewish civil law, while the Jews were passive recipients of all that G‑d was doing. Finally, in the second half of the book, the Jewish people were called upon to take the initiative and build a home for G‑d. The sages teach that the commandment to construct a home for G‑d includes the The detailed descriptions of the Temple have a spiritual equivalence directive to construct a figurative home for G‑d within every person. From this perspective, the detailed descriptions of the Temple and its furniture, which comprise almost five portions in the Torah, have a spiritual equivalence within ourselves. The Sanctuary was built of three components. The walls were made of ten-cubit-tall wooden beams, the beams were supported by silver sockets, and the roof was composed of coverings made of wool and animal skins. To build the figurative Temple within ourselves, we need to find the beams, coverings and sockets within our soul and dedicate them to the service of G‑d. The Kabbalists explain that the ten-cubit beams represent the ten faculties, three intellectual and seven emotional, within every human soul. The foundation of the entire structure was the silver sockets into which the beams were inserted. The spiritual equivalent of the sockets, the foundation of the soul's structure, is the capacity to be committed and devoted to someone or something. The curtains that served as the roof of the Tabernacle, covering the entire structure, represent a person's will and capacity for pleasure, referred to by the Kabbalists as the "encompassing powers of the soul." Will and pleasure affect and inspire all of the faculties. The sages teach us that "a person should always study where his heart desires," because the encompassing power of will triggers and awakens the specific power of understanding. Understanding that the Temple is a symbol for the human soul explains the commandment that the Jewish people donate the materials necessary to construct the Sanctuary. In this week's Parshah, the Torah tells us that each individual donated both to the construction of the walls and to the covering of the Sanctuary in the amount they chose, according to their heart's desire: The L‑rd spoke to Moses saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering."1 Yet there was another form of donation, specifically designated for the silver sockets, where everybody was required to donate an equal amount: This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel. . . . The rich shall give no more, and the poor shall give no less than half a shekel.2 There were two forms of donations, one with an equal, set amount for each We are all equal in our capacity to devote ourselves to G‑dperson to donate, and another that was open-ended, each person donating according to his heart's desire. There are aspects where all are equal, and other aspects where each person is unique and has a distinctive contribution to make. When it comes to the specific faculties of the soul—intelligence, emotion, wisdom, kindness, willpower—each of us is unique. Thus the contribution to create the structure is individualized. Yet the foundation of the structure, the foundation of the relationship with G‑d, the power of devotion and commitment, is the same for everyone. We all are equal in our capacity to devote ourselves to G‑d, yet the nature of our devotion and relationship is based on our own specific personality and is therefore unique to each individual.3 Footnotes 1. Exodus 25:1–2. 2. Ibid. 30:13–15. 3. Likkutei Sichot, Terumah, vol. 1. By Menachem Feldman Rabbi Menachem Feldman serves as the director of the Lifelong Learning department at the Chabad Lubavitch Center in Greenwich, Connecticut. What Does the name Kaplan Mean? By Menachem Posner Kaplan is a fairly common name among Ashkenazi Jews. And until last week I had no idea what it meant, although I had noticed that it is particularly common among Kohanim, members of the priestly clan, who trace their lineage back to Aaron the High Priest, brother of Moses. Meeting two (apparently unrelated) Kaplans side by side in the synagogue, and noting that both of them were indeed Kohanim, I realized that it was time to do a bit of research. It turns out that the origin of Kaplan lies in the Latin word cappella (literally "cape"), which also gave us the English words chaplain and chapel. Since Kohen literally means "priest," it makes sense for them to receive the rough Latin equivalent for their family name. It thus joins Cohen, Katz, Kagan, Azulai and other names denoting that the bearer is of Kohen lineage. It is important to note that many Kaplans, including most Chabad.org authors with that name, are not Kohanim. How did this come to be? A couple of possibilities: It may be that they were never Kohanim in the first place, perhaps having received that name because they were rabbinic leaders or otherwise viewed as "priestly." They may have inherited the originally Kohen-related last name through the female line, while the priestly status is conferred exclusively through the male side. People often assumed false last names in order to avoid conscription into the Czarist army or to cross borders, and the new last names stuck even after they were no longer needed. Sometimes the name was adopted relatively recently and does not reflect any historical status of the family. A case in point would be Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, whose Turkish born grandparents changed their name from Carmona in order to fit into a mostly Ashkenazic Jewish community in New York. Note that if a Kaplan you know is a Kohen, it is a mitzvah to accord him with respect. This includes not asking him to fetch something or otherwise perform demeaning work for you. On the ritual side, he is honored with leading the Grace After Meals and receives the first Aliyah during Torah reading. Some mitzvahs unique to male Kohanim, even nowadays, include conferring the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim), staying away from corpses (and cemeteries), and not marrying a convertess, a divorcee or others (read why here). By Menachem Posner Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff editor at Chabad.org, the world's largest Jewish informational website. He has been writing, researching, and editing for Chabad.org since 2006, when he received his rabbinic degree from Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch. He resides in Chicago, Ill., with his family. 22 Yiddish Expressions About Telling the Truth By Professor Richard Zuckerman and Menachem Posner Truth is a prized quality in Judaism, to the point that Talmud calls it is G‑d's own signature.1 The Hebrew, and by extension Yiddish, word for truth is emes. Comprising the three Hebrew letters א-מ-ת, it is a composite of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (aleph), the middle letter (mem) and the final letter (tav). Take a look at the three letters of אמת, and you will see that they each have two feet, providing a sturdy basis upon which to stand. Conversely, the word for untruth, sheker, looks like this: שקר, with each letter precariously perched upon a single leg, ready to topple over. In light of the important place that truth has in our tradition, we present you with a collection of Yiddish expressions about telling the truth and avoiding falsehood. The best lie is the truth Der bester lign iz der emes דער בעסטער ליגן איז דער אמת When struggling with whether or not to tell the truth, it is important to remember that coming clean, while initially painful, will be much better in the long run. A liar needs a good memory A ligner muz hobn a gutn zikorn א ליגנער מוז האָבן א גוטן זכּרון A lie which seems innocent can sometimes create a web of untruths and fantasies that becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Would his word be a bridge, people would be afraid to cross Ven zayn vort volt geven a brik, volt men meyre gehat aribertsugeyn ווען זיין וואָרט וואָלט געווען א בריק וואָלט מען מורא געהאַט אַריבערצוגיין The worth of a person's word is directly tied to how truthful they are. Unfortunately, once a person has lost trust once or twice, their word becomes a shaky bridge which no one trusts. Truth floats like oil over water Der emes shvimt aruf vi beyml afn vaser דער אמת שווימט אַרוף ווי בוימל אַפן וואַסער A person may think that he has buried the truth under a carefully constructed lie, but it is merely a matter of time before the truth will surface. In business, there are no buddies In handlshaft iz nito keyn brudershaft אין האַנדלשאַפט איז ניטאָ קיין ברודערשאַפט The unfortunate reality is that even those who are otherwise decent, kind and honest, sometimes become ruthless and crooked when money is involved. The honest way is the hard way Erlekh iz shverlekh ערלעך איז שווערלעך This little rhyme expresses the fact that it is not always easy to take the moral high road. According to the eye with which you look at someone, is the face he has Mit vos far a eygn m'kukt eynem on, aza ponim hot er מיט וואָס פאַר אַ אויגן מ'קוקט איינעם אָן אַזא פּנים האָט ער Truth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, it pays to look charitably upon others, even if it means glossing over some of their shortcomings. As a result, the person's behavior will actually reflect the kind eye trained upon them. A fool fools a fool A nar nart a nar אַ נאַר נאַרט אַ נאַר A fool attempts to fool others around him, but wise people generally see through the untruths, leaving only the fools fooled. The thief's hat is on fire Afn ganev brent dos hitl אַפן גנב ברענט דאָס היטל The story behind the expression: A robbery occurred but everyone denied knowledge of the affair. A wise man shouted, "The thief's hat is burning!" and watched to see who would lift their hand to check for flames on their head. This expression has come to denote someone who denies wrongdoing, but whose own words or actions show otherwise. Promising and loving both don't cost any money Tsuzogn un lib hobn kost nit keyn gelt צוזאָגן און ליב האָבן קאָסט ניט קיין געלט A promise is only worth as much as the integrity of the person making the promise. Unfortunately, rash expressions of love may not portend long-term commitment. Truth has all the finest qualities, but it's shy Der emes hot aleh mailes ober er iz a shemvediker דער אמת האָט אַלע מעלות אָבער ער איז א שעמעוודיקער If you were to ascribe human attributes to Truth, you know who he'd be: That painfully shy friend who is wise, kind and caring, but no one takes the time to get to know. The mirror tells the truth Der shpigl zogt ois der emes דער שפּיגל זאָגט אויס דעם אמת We can embellish, airbrush and hide, but there comes a moment when we find ourselves staring truth in the face. G‑d likes the truth Got hot lib dem emes גאָט האָט ליב דעם אמת It's not always easy or popular to tell the truth, but we can take comfort and inspiration from the knowledge that truth is prized by G‑d Himself. Truth does not die but he subsides like a pauper Der emes shtarbt nit, ober er lebt vi an oriman דער אמת שטאַרבט ניט אָבער ער לעבט ווי אַן אָרימאַן The truth is eternal and can never disappear, but that doesn't mean that anyone necessarily pays it attention. One mustn't tell a lie, but neither must one tell the truth Keyn lign tor men nit zogn, nor dem emes darf eykh nit zogn קיין ליגן טאָר מען ניט זאָגן נאָר דעם אמת דאַרף מען אויך ניט זאָגן There are times when making truth known can do more harm than good. Everyone loves the truth, but not everyone tells the truth Yederer hot lib dem emes, ober nit yeder zogt em יעדערער האָט ליב דעם אמת אָבער ניט יעדערער זאָגט עם Reading this list we can all appreciate the importance and virtuousness of truth, yet when it comes to practice, how many of us slip up from time to time…? Where there is truth, there is success Vu emes, dort is hatslokhe וואו אמת, דאָרט איז הצלחה Truth will lead to success. Eat bread and salt, and don't forget the truth Zalts un breyt zolstu esn un dem emes nit fargesn זאַלץ און ברויט זאָלסטו עסען און דעם אמת ניט פאַרגעסן This rhyme was surely inspired by the sages' teaching that the "way of Torah" includes subsisting on the simple staples of bread and salt. The truth is in the prayer book Der emes iz in siddur דער אמת איז אין סידור The simple Jew of yesteryear may not have been learned enough to open a Talmud, or even a Chumash (Five Books of Moses). But he or she instinctively knew that G‑d was available to him or her through heartfelt prayer, and that the truth of all existence is couched in our traditions. The truth is the greatest swindle Der emes iz der grester shvindl דער אמת איז דער גרעסטער שווינדל Often that which is peddled as "truth" turns out to be a pack of lies. Children and fools are sure to tell the truth Kinder un naronim zogn dem emes קינדער און נאַראָנים זאָגן דעם אמת For better or for worse, we are conditioned to repress truth and smooth over differences. At times, it takes a child to say what everyone else is thinking. A half-truth is a complete lie A halber emes iz a gantser lign א האַלבער אמת איז א גאַנצער ליגן Even if not telling a technical lie, when picking and choosing what to say, one can end up misleading and lying. Footnotes 1. Shabbat 55b. By Professor Richard Zuckerman and Menachem Posner Professor Richard (Rakhmil) Zuckerman is a Yiddish linguist and journalist; for many years he taught Yiddish, French, and Russian at Brooklyn College. Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff editor at Chabad.org, the world's largest Jewish informational website. He has been writing, researching, and editing for Chabad.org since 2006, when he received his rabbinic degree from Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch. He resides in Chicago, Ill., with his family. Art by Rivka Korf Studio, a Miami-based art design studio run by Rivka Korf, a coffee lover and mother. Rivka uses her expertise and creativity to run a team that creates masterful compositions and illustrations for corporate and large nonprofit organizations. 20 Ways to Increase Your Happiness in the Months of Adar and Nisson By Yehudit Garmaise When Adar comes, we increase in joy, Mishenichnas Adar marbim b'simcha, but exactly how? We have laws for the month of Av to help us mourn the destruction of the Temple, but how can we become happier in Adar? On Purim day, we increase our happiness by reading Megillat Esther and learning about G‑d's hidden miracles, giving gifts to the poor and to our friends. We create a celebratory atmosphere with costumes, festive meals, festive drinks, singing and dancing. But what about the rest of the month of Adar? We all need to work to create a joyous atmosphere in our homes and in our lives. But before we can create the right atmospheres, we often have to adjust our attitudes. Joy breaks down all negative decrees, so happiness is crucial not just for Adar but for every month. The Baal Shem Tov teaches that when we create joy in our lives, we arouse G‑d's joy, who sees that we are living properly, which causes Him to open up the channels of even more blessing, which make us even happier! Here are 20 ideas for increasing your joy this Adar! C'mon, get happy! 1. Live, dance and celebrate as if you have everything you need and want. Joy is not only the result of being in a good situation. When we feel we lack something, a sure way not to get the things we want is to focus on the lack and to complain or blame others. We may find it difficult to feel joyful, but by making the effort to live as if our prayers have been answered, we can help ensure that prayers will be answered. Think good, and it will be good! 2. Know your mission. Value yourself, your talents, strengths and skills, just as G‑d does. The Baal Shem Tov taught, "You should realize that everything depends on you: With your every mitzvah, the universe resonates in blissful harmony that heals and nurtures." Imagine your power! 3. Remember G‑d follows us like a shadow. "G‑d is your shadow at your right hand" (Psalms, 121). The Baal Shem Tov explains that just as our shadows follow all of the movements of our bodies, so, too, G‑d responds to us and echoes our emotional state. This means that the way we present ourselves to G‑d elicits similar responses from Him. When G‑d sees that we are living joyfully, He responds with goodness and blessing. 4. Start your day positively and gratefully. Say the "Modeh Ani" morning prayer even before getting out of bed. This will start your day by taking the focus off of yourself and right onto your gratitude to G‑d for waking you up, returning your soul to you and for creating our beautiful world. Ask G‑d to help you feel joyous throughout your day. As you wash and get dressed for the day, remind yourself that G‑d wants you to be joyful. Before you even see anyone else, remind yourself to remain cheerful. 5. Speak cheerfully. Practice speaking respectfully and cheerfully to others, and watch your whole day change for the better! People will reflect back your courtesy and good cheer. Pirkei Avot, Ethics of Our Fathers, tells us to greet everyone with a pleasant face. We should especially exercise our pleasant faces in our own homes! 6. Increase your sense of awareness and appreciation. Feel grateful for what you hear, feel, see, smell and feel. Do you love the comfort of your bed? Do you hear the relaxing sounds of rain falling or the comforting sounds of the trees' leaves rustling as the wind blows? Can you see G‑d's breathtaking, colorful sunrise or sunset? Do you look forward to your first warm cup of tea or coffee? Nurture those moments and feel grateful for life's "small" treasures. Note that it's great to be alive. 7. Enjoy community. Celebrate your friends' and family's birthdays (and know when they are). Get together with friends on Shabbat, for learning or for coffee. Value the spiritual benefits of gathering together. When a group of Jews convenes, it creates a joyful atmosphere, both for the people in the group, and also for G‑d. Make sure to create special joy for Shabbat, holidays, homecomings, birthdays and anniversaries. Collect special decorations, make favorite foods, bake a cake, play holiday-specific music, buy flowers to grace your table. Do whatever it takes to create an environment of joy, peace and contentment. 8. Dress the part. Most people feel better about themselves and about their day when they are wearing clothing, styles and fabrics that makes them feel good (and also aren't ripped, damaged or dirty). Make work or boring errands more fun by dressing up and taking your role as a daughter or son of G‑d seriously. 9. Take care of yourself by properly eating, sleeping and exercising. Eat slowly, sit down and don't eat meals on the run or in the car. Out of convenience, parents will sometimes eat their children's leftovers. Instead, prepare what you actually want to eat for your meals and try to make those meals happen in a nice way, on a plate. Take care of yourself by making healthy, nurturing food (it doesn't need to be difficult to prepare!), by going to sleep early so you'll get enough rest, and by exercising. Set a goal to walk 10,000 steps a day or dance, sign up for a yoga class, take a walk or jog around the block, go for a swim, start weightlifting—just do anything that gets you moving almost every day. 10. Adjust your attitude. When faced with unexpected inconveniences, train yourself to see the hidden benefits. The Shela haKadosh notes that when the letters of arbeh, the destructive plague of locusts, are rearranged, we see the word, harbeh, or "bounty." In everything in life, we can see arbeh, a destructive plague that has come to ruin everything and to sap our energy and resources, or, we can see harbeh, the bounty, the beautiful crop. Retrain your brain to see bounty. 11. Keep a Jewish book handy in your purse, on your phone, on your Kindle. Make it a habit to read an inspiring Jewish book about faith, Jewish history, biographies of great inspiring people, or uplifting quotes or words of Torah. Pull out your book in waiting rooms, at carpool, before bed or at long checkout lines, and anytime you need to sit down and relax for a little bit. When you are stressed or feel you are going "negative," say a positive verse from the prayers or the Torah. Here are some examples: "Serve G‑d with joy," "In lush meadows He lays me down/Beside tranquil waters He leads me," "My G‑d, the soul You placed within me is pure." Find lines you love and write them on Post-its or memorize them. 12. Do something every day just to make you happy. We need to make the time to engage in self-care daily. Do you feel happier when you listen to music, bake, go to a great Torah class every week? Do you feel happier when you eat green vegetables, get your hair or nails done, or take a weekly painting or art class? Make time for creativity by making your own greeting cards, inventing new muffin recipes or painting something beautiful. Every day, do one thing on your happiness list. 13. Breathe, stay cool and remain observational when you feel attacked. If someone is behaving rudely or aggressively, keep unwanted thoughts at bay by taking your inner self and moving her to the role of a cool and impartial observer of that thought. This will help you train yourself to simply notice someone else's aggression without escalating emotions. Then you can access holy, helpful and positive lines or images that you have saved for these stressful moments. Each time you calmly redirect your thinking, you get stronger, more positive, and less negative and anxious. 14. Eschew whiners. Or minimize contact with them. Spend time with positive, upbeat people. When your kids complain, tell them that instead of complaining , we can do something about it with action by redirecting our thoughts and words, or even by staying silent. Show them how you do this. 15. Train yourself to look for positive metaphors in the world. Ask yourself what gift might G‑d might be giving you in each inconvenient or upsetting circumstance. What could He be showing you or teaching you? Rain could be bringing blessing. Winds could be bringing change, comfort, excitement. Use your sense of humor. "G‑d wants the best for me/us." Repeat throughout the day. You can also have handy thoughts that help you feel G‑d is always with you. Maybe you like the feeling that G‑d is giving you a warm blanket and calming you, or standing over you watching your positive reactions. 16. Don't blame or shame but apologize and move on. When things go wrong, never blame or shame yourself or anyone else. Stuff happens. We are all trying our best. Have that ideal as a "family code." When you make a mistake, simply and sincerely apologize, and quickly move on. If someone made a mistake, listen to his or her apology and move on. If the person doesn't apologize, just move on; not everyone is an apologizer. 17. Reinforce positive action of other people in your life. When you see something positive being done, let the person know you noticed, especially children. Watch them shine and do it more often. 18. Doing acts of kindness is the secret of happiness. Think of something you are good at and like to do, and volunteer to do it for someone or for a group. Also, try to carry change or small bills with you, and give charity to whomever asks. You'll get back even more happiness than you give. 19. Share at dinner highlights and stories that happened that day. Jot down notes so you remember a funny thing someone said or something that happened so you can tell your family. And eat together. That's one of the most important gifts you can give your children. 20. Imagine you can. "Open your eyes to see only the good in every person, the positive in every circumstance, and the opportunity in every challenge." — The Rebbe Imagine ... and then try to open your eyes to see only the good! By Yehudit Garmaise See you tomorrow bli neder We need Moshiach now! Love Yehuda Lave Yehuda Lave, Spirtiual Advisor and Counselor Jerusalem, Jerusalem  Israel 972-585043210 YehudaLave@gmail.com You received this email because you signed up on our website or made a purchase from us. Unsubscribe