by R. Nissan Mindel
It was the first day of Sukkot, and all the congregants in the shul (synagogue) of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk were in a festive mood. One could feel the "Yom-Tov" spirit in the atmosphere.

As Rabbi Elimelech stood at the lectern and began reciting Hallel, all eyes turned upon him. There was something unusual in his manner this Sukkot. Why did he stop so suddenly in the middle of his swaying as he held the etrog and lulav in his hands to sniff the air? And why did he not go through the Service in his usual leisurely manner? It was evident that something was on his mind, something rather exciting by the look on his radiant countenance.

The minute the davening (praying) was over, Rabbi Elimelech hurried to where his brother Rabbi Zusha (who had come to spend the festival with him) was standing, and said to him eagerly: "Come and help me find the etrog which is permeating the whole shul with the fragrance of the Garden of Eden!"

And so together they went from person to person until they reached the far corner of the shul where a quiet looking individual was standing, obviously engrossed in his own thoughts.

"This is the one," called out Rabbi Elimelech delightedly. "Please, dear friend, tell me who are you and where you obtained this wonderful etrog?"

The man, looking somewhat startled and bewildered at this unexpected question, replied rather slowly, carefully choosing his words:

"With all due respect to you, Rabbi, it is quite a story. Do you wish to sit down and listen to it all?"

"Most certainly I do," answered Rabbi Elimelech emphatically, "I am sure it will be a story worth hearing!"

"My name," began the quiet-looking man, "is Uri, and I come from Strelisk. I have always regarded taking the "four kinds" on Sukkot as one of my favorite mitzvot, and so, although I am a poor man and could normally not afford to buy an etrog according to my desire, my young wife, who agrees with me as to its importance, helps me by hiring herself out as cook. Thus she is independent of any financial help from me, and I can use my own earnings for spiritual matters. I am employed as melamed (teacher) in the village of Yanev, which is not far from my native town. One half of my earnings I use for our needs and with the other half I buy an etrog in Lemberg. But in order not to spend any money on the journey I usually go on foot.

"This year, during the Ten Days of Repentance, I was making my way on foot as usual, with fifty gulden in my purse with which to buy an etrog, when on the road to Lemberg I passed through a forest and stopped at a wayside inn to have a rest. It was time for 'minchah' so I stood in a corner and davened minchah.

"I was in the middle of my prayers when I heard a terrible sound of moaning and groaning, as of one in great anguish. I hurriedly finished my davening so that I could find out what was the trouble, and if I could help in any way.

"As I turned towards the man who was in obvious distress, I beheld a most unusual and rough looking person, dressed in peasant garb with a whip in his hands, pouring out his troubles to the inn-keeper at the bar.

"From the somewhat confused story, between his sobs, I managed to gather that the man with the whip was a poor Jew who earned his living as a baal agallah (owner of a horse and cart for carting purposes). He had a wife and several children and he barely managed to earn enough to make ends meet. And now, a terrible calamity had be fallen him. His horse, without which he could do nothing, had suddenly collapsed in the forest not far from the inn, and just lay there unable to get up.

"I could not bear to see the man's despair and tried to encourage him, by telling him that he must not forget that there is a G-d above us who could help him in his trouble, however serious it seemed to him.

" 'I'll sell you another horse for fifty gulden, although I assure you he is worth at least eighty, but just to help you out in your difficulty!' " The inn-keeper was saying to the wagon driver.

" 'I haven't even fifty cents, and he tells me I can buy a horse for fifty gulden!' the man said bitterly.

"I felt I could not keep the money I had with me for an etrog when here was a man in such desperate plight that his very life and that of his family depended upon his getting a horse. So I said to the inn-keeper:

"'Tell me what is the lowest price you would take for your horse?'

"The inn-keeper turned to me in surprise. If you pay me on the spot, I will take forty-five gulden, but absolutely not a cent less. I am selling my horse at a loss as it is!'

"I immediately took out my purse and banded him forty-five gulden, the wagon driver looking on, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets in astonishment. He was just speechless with relief, and his joy was absolutely indescribable.

"'Now you see that the Almighty can help you, even when the situation appears to you to be entirely hopeless!' I said to him as he hurried off with the innkeeper to harness the newly-bought horse to his forsaken cart tied to the stricken horse in the forest.

"As soon as they went off, I hurriedly got my few things together and disappeared, as I did not want to be embarrassed by the thanks of the grateful wagon driver.

"I eventually reached Lemberg with the remaining five gulden in my pocket, and naturally had to content myself with buying a very ordinary looking but kosher etrog. Usually my etrog is the best in Yanev, and everyone used to come and make a blessing over it , but this year I was ashamed to return home with such a poor-looking specimen, so my wife agreed that I could come here to Lizensk, where nobody knew me."

"But my dear Rabbi Uri," cried out Rabbi Elimelech, now that the former had finished his story, "Yours is indeed an exceptional etrog. Now I realize why your etrog has the fragrance of the Garden of Eden in its perfume! Let me tell you the sequel to your story."

"When the wagon driver whom you saved thought about his unexpected good fortune, he decided that you must have been none other than the Prophet Elijah whom the Almighty had sent down to earth in the form of a man, in order to help him in his desperation. Having come to this conclusion the happy wagon driver looked for a way of expressing his gratitude to the Almighty, but the poor man knew not a Hebrew word, nor could he say any prayers. He racked his simple brain for the best way of thanksgiving.

"Suddenly his face lit up. He took his whip and lashed it into the air with all his might, crying out with all his being: 'Dear Father in Heaven, I love you very much! What can I do to convince you of my love for you? Let me crack my whip for you as a sign that I love you!' Saying which, the wagon driver cracked his whip into the air three times.

"On the eve of Yom Kippur, the Almighty up above was seated on His 'Seat of judgment,' listening to the first prayers of the Day of Atonement.

"Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, who was acting as the Counsel for Defense on behalf of his fellow Jews, was pushing a wagon full of Jewish mitzvot to the Gates of Heaven, when Satan appeared and obstructed his path with piles of Jewish sins, so that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak just got stuck there. My brother Rabbi Zusha and I added our strength to help him move his wagon forward, but all in vain; even our combined efforts proved fruitless.

"Suddenly there came the sound of the cracking of a whip which rent the air, causing a blinding ray of light to appear, lighting up the whole universe, right up to the very heavens! There we saw the angels and all the righteous seated in a circle, singing G-d’s praise. On hearing the wagon driver's words as he cracked his whip in ecstasy, they responded: 'Happy is the King who is thus praised!'

"All at once, the Angel Michael appeared, leading a horse, followed by the wagon driver with whip in hand.

"The Angel Michael harnessed this horse to the wagon of mitzvot, and the wagon driver cracked his whip. Suddenly the wagon gave a lurch forward, flattening the piles of sins that had been obstructing the way, and drove it smoothly and easily right up to the Throne of Honor. There the King of Kings received it most graciously and, rising from the Seat of judgment, went over and seated Himself on the Seat of Mercy. A happy New Year was assured."

"And now dear Rabbi Uri" concluded Rabbi Elimelech, "you see that all this came about through your noble action. Go home, and be a leader in Israel! For you have proved your worthiness, and you shall carry with you the approval of the Heavenly Court. But before you go, permit me to hold this wonderful etrog of yours, and praise G-d with it."
from Chabad.org
 
The Test 09/30/2009
 
Once the Baal Shem Tov sat with his disciples for the festive meal of Rosh Chodesh, and his face was serious. The disciples knew from previous occasions things that would put their Rebbe in a more joyous mood, and they tried, but with no success.

Then, a certain village-dwelling Jew entered, named Reb Dovid. Immediately upon his entry the Baal Shem Tov was full of joy--he treated him warmly, gave him a place to sit, and also gave him a piece of his "hamotzi" (bread).

This matter caused the disciples to have questioning thoughts--the whole Holy Society were not able to rouse joy, and only a villager was able to do so?!

The Baal Shem Tov sensed their questions, and sent Reb Dovid off to do something, and when he left he said to them:

This Reb Dovid works hard, by the sweat of his brow, for every penny he earns. During the year he saves a penny at a time to buy an etrog for Sukkot, until he assembles the sum and travels to the city and buys an extremely fine one, and he has great joy from it. Since he is poor, and his wife is of bitter spirit, it angered her considerably that he does not care about the condition of his household, since he spends money on an etrog and rejoices over it. In her bitterness she broke the pitom (tip) of the etrog (rendering it possul, unfit for use).

Now, besides the money that he spent on the etrog, there were many obstacles to bringing it, water to cross, bad roads, so that it all added up to much hard effort. Yet, when he saw what his wife had done he was not angry, but said: "It appears that I am not worthy of such an etrog. Truly, does a simple Jew like me deserve such a fine etrog?!"

"From the time of the Akeidah (the 'Binding of Isaac')," concluded the Baal Shem Tov, "there was not such a test of character, and therefore I treated him so warmly."

(Sefer Hasichot 5696, p. 148) from Chabad.org

 
 
A new video from NCSY on Aish.com
 
 
When I was young, I had a dog. He was a Miniature Schnauzer, who never grew higher than 18 inches off the ground. One day I took him to the park and removed his leash to give him some long desired running room. No sooner was the leash off my dog than he ran like the wind away from me, across the huge park.

I was delighted to see him enjoy his freedom, until a massive dog, about four times his size, casually strolled across the same park. I expected my dog to put his tail between his legs and high-tail it back to me. However, instead, he ran right for the big dog, which could have consumed my dog for breakfast.   In astonishment, I watched my dog first sniff noses with the big dog, and then if you can believe it, stand up and put his paws on the big dog's head. I don't remember what I thought then, but, it was probably along the lines of, "Okay, what kind of dog would I like to get next?" because, I thought this dog would make cat food out of my mine.   Instead, though, this big brute of dog, having no patience for a Miniature Schnauzer's antics, simply flung his big head down and up, and, it was enough to toss my dog on his side for a roll in the grass. As my dog recovered himself and prepared for a new run at this dog, I frantically called for my dog and chased after him with my leash. I didn't catch him, but it was enough to force him in a different direction, away from the bigger dog.   Now, some twenty-five years later, I wonder if that story is, in fact, a good analogy for the Jewish people, who seem to have more self-confidence than is good for us. We seem to have no problem having more belief in the incomplete, and often mistaken, philosophies of man, than in the possibility that G-d is REALLY there, and, that His Torah is REALLY true.   Is it stiff-neckedness?   Take on G-d? Is it chutzpah?   When all He has to do His shake His head, so to speak, and send us flying in all directions? Is it sheer stupidity?   Imagine the following dialogue:   Angry Secular Person (ASP): I hate religious Jews!   Rabbi: Wow, that's a strong statement! Why do you feel so strongly?   ASP: Because, they're always imposing their ways on others, and, they think that anyone who is not as religious as them is not as Jewish as them!   Rabbi: That's not quite accurate. They will be the first to tell you that anyone born from a Jewish mother is as "Jewish" as the next person who is born from a Jewish mother, or, who has converted according to halachah, for that matter. I think what you mean is that they consider a person who does not practice Torah "less observant."   ASP: Whatever! It still amounts to the same thing They look down on others, and, they want every Jew to be like them and, they make a big deal and interfere politically if we're not. They're holding us back from being like the rest of the world in this modern era!   Rabbi: Do you think for one second that they would do any of that if they didn't believe that Torah applies to ALL Jews, and that until ALL Jews uphold Torah, redemption for the world cannot come?   ASP: I don't care! They can believe in whatever fantasies they want, but they can't impose their dreams on people like me! What right have they to impose their values on me?!   Rabbi: Because, they believe it's what G-D wants   ASP: What do they know about G-d? I'm not even sure He exists, and, even if He does exist, I can't believe that He thinks too highly of people who can't even integrate into society. I mean, what value can there be in people who sit around learning all day and dress in black!   Rabbi: I see. So, you think that modern man has all the answers is the wisest man has ever been, and knows what's best for the future of the world?   ASP: Well, not all of the answers But look at what we've accomplished with technology! We may not have ALL the answers, but, a lot of them far more than people who keep their hands stuck in ancient texts and still believe in myths.   Rabbi: You mean, G-d giving the Torah at Mt. Sinai? You believe that it is only a myth?   ASP: What else can it be, if not a myth?   Rabbi: It can be TRUE. Why do you insist that it is a myth?   ASP: Because, there is no archeological evidence to support the claim   Rabbi: Yet. There is no archeological evidence YET. And, even that is not necessarily true. Anyhow, what is lacking archeologically can be made up for from other areas of thought. Would you like to discuss some of those?   ASP: Yea, well, if they're right, how come so few people follow their ways?   Rabbi: What do you mean? The world's biggest religions are based upon the Torah being true, and, even the American Constitution is based upon many Torah ideas.   ASP: Well, what about the Holocaust?   Rabbi: There is an answer for that as well. The answers existed in the Torah and its commentaries long before the Holocaust ever occurred. I can't tell you why the Holocaust happened when it did and where it did, and why this person died while this person survived. But, the general rules that govern this universe and our history are laid down in detail. We know a little about the cause-and-effect relationship in history. You want to learn what we know and understand it?   ASP: So, what's wrong with technology?   Rabbi: What do you mean?   ASP: Why can't Orthodox Jews use technology, and get involved in the business world?   Rabbi: Well, many do. But think about it for a moment. Imagine for a second that G-d is really there, and, He really gave the Torah. Let's say the Torah contains the axioms of creation, and, that G-d has told us that He values its study above and beyond anything else. Let's even say that the learning of it in detail is so exhilarating, even more than a good novel that you can't put it down   ASP: I learned a little bit of the Bible I didn't find it exciting at all!   Rabbi: Did you learn the Jewish version? Did you learn it with Rashi, and the Ramban   ASP: Who?   Rabbi: Famous Torah commentators. Did you ever learn Talmud with Rishonim? Did you ever taste the sweetness of Kabbalah? Did you even meditate on the profundity of the words of the Zohar?   ASP: Ah, well, of course not. It's not for me I have a wife and family to support I have to be a responsible member of society   Rabbi: Of course you do. The Torah says so. And, the Torah tells you how to do it. You know, societies come and go. What was right in one secular society becomes wrong in the next. Torah is timeless. It is the undercurrent to history, it runs through history, and, it rises above it. Could it be that those people whose backwardness you hate are just living in a different realm, sailing the undertow of history? Could they know something you have yet to learn, and, because you have yet to learn it, you have difficulty relating to their way of life?   ASP: I find that hard to believe.   Rabbi: I also did, until I stumbled into Torah Judaism myself.   ASP: You were once like me?   Rabbi: Not only was I once secular, but, I was an ANGRY secular person like you, espousing the same gripe against the Orthodox community. I'm even a Harvard graduate in business administration.   ASP: I don't believe you. No one walks away from a future like that.   Rabbi: Unless they see something more important to believe in a higher value to pursue.   ASP: I still find it hard to believe that so few people who seem to know so little about this world can be so right, with so little evidence to support their point of view And, if we're all wrong, then, why doesn't G-d say something already?   Rabbi: Funny you should ask. Both your questions are answered in one verse from the Torah. In Parashas Nitzavim, the posuk said: G-d, your G-d, will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your descendants, so you may love G-d, your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, in order that you may live. (Devarim 30:6). Now, the Hebrew for the words, "your heart and the heart" is: es levavecha v'es l'vav. The Torah commentator, the Ba'al HaTurim, points out that, if you take the first letter of these four words, they spell the word "Elul," the name of the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah. This, says the Ba'al HaTurim, is an allusion to the need to begin saying Selichos (special prayers and liturgy designed to prepare us for the atmosphere of the Aseres Yemai Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance) early in the morning from Rosh Chodesh Elul on, as the Sephardim indeed do (Ashkenazim begin the week before Rosh Hashanah only). You see, there is something, be it psychological, be it emotion, be it spiritual, that is blocking our clarity of vision. If we take Torah seriously, and look once again in the direction of G-d, and humble ourselves a little bit, then, Torah begins to make more sense to us. This is what the verse, "The corruption: it is not His; the blemish is His children a crooked and twisted generation." (Devarim 32:5), means. The explanations are all there, well, at least for the most part. We have to stop making assumptions, and start pursuing truth.   Secular Person: It sounds good in theory. But, there are people harder to reach than me How are you going to get to THEM?   Rabbi: The Ba'al HaTurim answers that question too. He adds that "es levavecha v'es" has total numerical value of that which is equal to "this is (the period of) the days of Moshiach, in Hebrew, of course   SP: You really believe all that stuff?   Rabbi: I really believe all that "stuff." You want to find out why?   Some answer yes, but most answer no, and, as the Ba'al HaTurim points out, it may take Moshiach to tip the scales in the opposite direction. Fortunate is the one with an ear for teshuvah.     (Author, lecturer, and scholar Rabbi Pinchas Winston is the director of ThirtySix.org)
from breslov.co.il
 
Craving 09/22/2009
 
by R
In the non-kosher deli section, my father taught me that "If it feels good, do it" is a lie.

I've had a craving for a turkey and cheddar cheese sandwich for about 20 years now, if not more. There is a clear image imprinted in my mind of the first one I saw, that beautifully stacked sandwich in the deli section of our local grocery store.

A curious redhead no older than four, I was wandering through the endless aisles, soaking in the variety of unfamiliar cereals, sauces and things I had never even heard of before. The special excitement that was usually saved for the end of the supermarket adventure was the seafood section where I would watch the live lobsters rove around their huge tank, climbing the walls and clamping their claws. Growing up in an observant Jewish home, for me this section was like a thrilling trip to the aquarium, even though I knew that these creatures were meant to be eaten by other shoppers.

I stared at the masterpiece, fantasizing about what this combination must taste like. One day I meandered over to the deli section, and there I saw it, the layers of white turkey, yellow cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, stacked between two pieces of thick white bread. Hands and nose pasted against the glass, I stared at the masterpiece, fantasizing about what this combination must taste like. I was a huge fan of turkey and cheddar cheese, but in a kosher home the two had never rendezvoused, not even for a little get-together on the counter.

I have no idea how long I stood at that delicatessen window before I felt my father join me at my side. He kneeled down beside me, his bearded cheek so close to mine. Staring in the direction of my fixed gaze, he whispered, "Looks really delicious, doesn't it?"

My eyes still locked, I nodded slowly. It really did look delicious.

"You know you are the luckiest little girl in this whole store," my father said to me softly.

What could he mean? I looked at him, requesting an explanation.

"You see, all the little girls in this whole supermarket can come and buy this sandwich and eat it if they want to. But you're special, you're different. God made you a Jewish girl that keeps kosher, which means you can never ever eat that sandwich. But God knows you want to eat it, and He is so proud of you for deciding not to let yourself."

I chewed on my fathers words for a bit, feeling his sky blue eyes caressing me. I asked him if God was not angry that I wanted something that was not kosher. Wasn't I supposed to be disgusted by non-kosher food?

My father smiled and took my hand. "There is something I want to show you."

He led me away from the frigid meat department back in to the warmth of the parallel aisles of shelved foods. We stopped in front of a giant, two-foot tall bag of orange colored popcorn. My father pointed to it and said, "I really, really want to taste that popcorn." Today it is quite easy to find products like this with kosher supervision symbols, but 20 years ago, especially in the small upstate New York town where we lived, snacks like this were obviously not kosher. My father told me that his craving was this popcorn. It was challenging for him to walk by it every time he came to do the shopping, but he felt strong knowing that a bag of popcorn could never mean more to him than his dedication to God's Will for him to eat only kosher foods.

"You see, on one hand it feels really hard because you think you would very much like to taste that sandwich, but on the other hand you can feel really happy and proud that you are choosing not to. The more you want to do something that you know you shouldn't, the happier God is that you didn't do it and the more reward he gives you."

The ride home was a quiet one, my father and I both driving through the roads of the mind and imagination. The new lesson I learned that day needed to find its place in my world.

This is a craving I've learned to love. It's been 20 years and I still have an intense craving to taste white turkey roll and cheddar cheese together. This is not like my other cravings that come and go, or that annoy me if I can't satisfy them. This is a craving I've learned to love and revel in with glowing pride. I fantasize not of eating the sandwich, but of arriving in the World to Come and seeing the thousands of turkey and cheese sandwiches that had been created in my mind and never been eaten. Every single one of them will be counted and weighed and I know that I will receive abundant reward for each and every one.

We live in a world that tells us "If it feels good, do it." Listen to your stomach, your urges, your impulses. One day in the cold deli section of a grocery store, my father taught me that we don't have to be afraid to face our desires head on and to realize how much we gain by never acquiring them. We can use our impulses to grow by overcoming them.



This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/sp/so/59601317.html
 
 
by Rabbi Chanan Gordon


People with big souls, on some deep mystical level, know when their work here is done and when they are about to return their souls to their Maker.

About one week before my mother, of blessed memory, suddenly contracted a rare but fatal illness, she called me. "What are the exact words a person is supposed to say before they die?"

We spoke at length, laughed together, and in her brilliant and seamless manner, she then began to review with me some of the life tools that she felt I would need to successfully combat the vicissitudes in life and actualize greatness.

Here are the five tools for living my mother taught me.

Life Lesson #1: "Life is tough, but you're tougher."

My mom was a renowned psychologist, whose counsel was sought by many great people all over the world. She subscribed to the premise of Dr. Victor Frankel (as outlined in "Man's Search for Meaning") whose life thesis can best be summed up in the mantra, "If there is a 'Why,' there will always be a 'How.'"

As long as one knows that there is a purpose to being in this world and that every life challenge is custom designed, then one can find in oneself the inner fortitude to bear the unbearable.

As my mom would say, "Tough times don't last, tough people do!"

Life Lesson #2: "When the going gets tough, the tough get growing."

When the curve balls arrive in life, my mom explained that psychologically we embrace one of three responses: Fight, Flight or Freeze.

The only option that is proactive and ensures growth is to Fight. Learn from the turtle, my mom would say, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

Life Lesson #3: "Count your blessings."

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. One of the most important life lessons my mom imparted is that "life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain."

Life Lesson #4: "We are sent to this world to achieve greatness, not merely to survive."

My mom would always remind us that the Almighty gives each and every precious Jewish soul a unique gift and mission.

Don't get to the end of your life, my mom would say, and find that you lived just the length of it; live the width as well. Dig deep, discover what that unique talent is and then go out and 'knock it out the park.'

Life Lesson #5: "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation."

My mom directed us to work on becoming a person of sterling character. As she explained, "Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

She had a beautiful Yiddish saying, loosely translated to mean, "Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read."

Following my mom's passing, as I sat through the painful mourning period of Shivah where multitudes of people shared stories of how my mom touched them or 'saved their life' in one form or another, it hit me like a ton of bricks: I had lived in the midst of a spiritual giant, a spiritual giant that I had the merit to call "mom."

I pray that I will have the insight and strength to perpetuate my mom's huge legacy. She certainly gave me all the tools, now the baton is in my hands...

from Aish.com


 
 
by Yaakov Astor
Deep down, what do you truly desire?

Three years ago a new self-help fad swept the world. Offering nothing less than everything from unimaginable wealth to happiness and finding one’s soul mate, the people behind the fad claimed they had discovered a very old “secret” that had been carefully guarded and handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, across many cultures. Presenting this secret to the masses for the first time, they called their film documentary and accompanying book, “The Secret.”

And they made a mint.

After one gets past the glitter, the underlying core of the “secret” is a powerful idea expressed in the Talmud that has special relevance to Rosh Hashana.

The operative dynamic behind “the secret” is a concept called the “Law of Attraction”:

Everything that’s coming into your life you are attracting into your life. And it’s attracted to you by virtue of the images you’re holding in your mind. It’s what you’re thinking. You become what you think about most, but you also attract what you think about most....

Long ago, the rabbis of the Talmud said: “The way a person wishes to go is the way he will be led” (Makkos 10b). If a person really wants to do something -- for good or bad -- all the elements of the world surrounding him will help him go in that direction. The universe will conspire to help him achieve his burning desire.

What we truly want is where we are going to be led. What we want – really want -- is where we are going to be led.

The Wise of Heart

A verse in the Bible reads, “To those who are wise of heart I have given wisdom” (Exodus 31:6). If you are only given wisdom after you have a wise heart, how do you get a wise heart in the first place? It’s a catch-22.

The answer is that the hallmark of a person who is “wise of heart” is that they have a burning desire for wisdom. If they have the desire, then the wisdom will come.

The emphasis in the verse is the word heart: If the heart desires it then the wisdom will come. What you want has to be not just an intellectual understanding, but something that is pounding inside of your heart. If your heart is numb, you do not act. You only act when you truly desire it.

First Thing in the Morning

The great 18th century sage the Vilna Gaon suggested using this technique first thing in the morning. There is a special intensity about early morning thoughts -- those moments of reverie while in our beds even before fully awakening.

If your first thought in the morning is connecting to what you want -- what you really want -- you will get up with energy. You'll be focused and won't get sidetracked by distractions. And things will happen. A practical solution will come to mind. People will call and say yes. Doors will open.

So what's important to you? Which way is your arrow pointed? What did you get up this morning thinking? What was your first desire in the day?

Whatever is truly in your heart, the day will conspire to help you achieve it.

Sometimes life sends you a situation to test the strength of your resolve. For example, if you have decided that you are not going to get angry today you may nevertheless find yourself in a clear anger-producing situation. If you pass the test you will be much stronger for it and much better equipped to handle situations like it in the future. It is like a rocket leaving the atmosphere: it struggles mightily against gravity, but then reaches the point where it finally breaks into space and the resistance is over.

The beginning of anything is the burning desire to do it.

You are what you want

The yardstick of who we are is what we want. What do you want? Do you become excited when it comes to doing something unhealthy and unholy? Are you eager and anxious to do something healthy and good? What you want is a measuring rod of who you are.

Dig down to the root of what you really want. You have a golden opportunity right now, and every morning, every day, to rethink what you want. If you take time, even a few minutes, to think about what you want, it can help you dig down to the root of what you really want. And from there everything can begin to flow.

Although this opportunity exists every day, on Rosh Hashana this question is the focal point. Rosh Hashana is the day to infuse the whole year with want we want. If we’ve been wanting the wrong things, we can affect of global change in our beings on Rosh Hashana by truly yearning for the right things.

On Rosh Hashana you are setting the direction of the upcoming year. Following through on what we want is what the rest of the year is about. Rosh Hashana is about wanting the right things, because what we want -- really want -- is where we will be led.

The Conflicted Heart

But there are many times when we don't seem to have the things we want. Since where I am is clearly not where I want to be, how can it be that we are led to where we want to be?

First, an inventory check is required. Perhaps they have more than they think, including the very thing they want, but just do not realize it.

At other times, the desire does not come to fruition because God does not want it to come about for whatever reason. There are circumstances beyond our control, for our own good.

Yet, at other times, there is a middle situation -- where the person has been given the power in his hands to change his situation. That is the person who harbors conflicting desires. He truly wants one thing, but at the same time has a desire that conflicts with it. The second desire may be unconscious, but it creates an ambivalence that reduces his focus, energy and ability to follow through.

For instance, a person may say he has a desire to make money but at the same time he has a little voice telling him that “money is the root of all evil.” A battle takes place in his heart every time he goes out to conquer the world financially. He starts out with tremendous energy, and then obstacles get in the way. Suddenly “money is the root of all evil” echoes in his head, whether he consciously hears it or not. "Why I am wasting my time?" he tells himself. So he gives up.

The same conflict may exist in spiritual matters: he wants to do good but he thinks that do-gooders are naïve, foolish or not “cool.” Or at the same time he wants to be good he has a lust for doing something not good. And even if he wins the battle, the cost can zap him of energy needed to make a real breakthrough.

A verse in Psalms says: “A pure heart – create within me, God” (51:12). The heart is equivalent to what you want. We were born to want what is good. However, as we go on in life we can lose touch with this natural instinct. When we pray to God to “purify our hearts” we are asking Him to “purify our desires.”

The purer the desire of the heart, the more likely the person will succeed. The more intense the yearning is, the greater the chance for achievement.

If your heart isn't really in it, chances are it will not last. A person is led in the direction of his desire – only when he deep down truly wants it. If a person has things that are holding him back it could be a sign that, to some degree, he does not want it badly enough.

What can such a person do?

First Steps

There are no simple answers, but the starting point is the belief in the power of small steps. One success leads to another success. And that success leads to another success. Eventually, a critical mass of successes is created and out of nowhere a breakthrough happens.

A slight improvement in direction means that you are not static. The worst thing is to stay in one place. The definition of being alive is to change, to move. Even slight changes should not be dismissed. To the contrary, focus on slight changes. Those are the ones that will create momentum in the right direction.

Even a lifetime of desire for the wrong things can be reversed with that one small first step.

The Art of Wanting

The more a person has a unity of purpose, the more he summons up powers he did not even know he had. It starts once you determine that you are going to make it happen, when there is a total agreement in the human being that this is where I have to be pointed.

The key is the intensity of the wanting. Like any art you have to work at it. This is what it takes to transform your true want -- your initial will -- into tangible manifestations in the world.

The Hebrew word for “will” is 'ratzon,' from the root 'ratz,' to “run.” Just as physical strength and stamina are dependent upon the intensity of one’s workout regime, the strength of the ratzon is dependent upon its intensity.

A laser beam is light that is concentrated. Imagine a very sunny day. Now imagine you have a magnifying glass on that very sunny day and focus the light on a single spot. You can make a fire. It is the same light that is shining all around, however now the magnifying glass is focusing it.

The difference between success and failure is often the ability to concentrate, to focus all of one’s attention on a single goal. Focus is more important than raw intelligence. Single-mindedness can propel a person with a lesser mind to greater achievements than a person with a greater mind who is not as focused. A fast-working mind is not necessarily a focused mind.

Wanting is the basis of who we are and what we are most responsible for. It all starts there. And Rosh Hashana is the day, more than any other day, to hone your craft, to work on the art of wanting.

Many of the ideas in this article are based on a series of lectures by Rabbi Noach Orlowek.



This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/h/hh/gar/57642657.html
 
 
This inspiring video is from Aish.com
 
 
by Azriel Hirsh Friedman A practical system to prepare for Rosh Hashana.

Ever dig and find a natural spring? You have to break through hard ground, move away all the rocks and -- after great work -- the thirsty ground becomes damp. Dig deeper and you uncover a beautiful underground stream that washes away everything in its path.

 

This is the way we prepare for Rosh Hashana. The earth and rocks are the obstacles -- bad habits, unrealistic planning, incorrect beliefs, negative character traits -- that keep us from feeling truly alive. This is the time of year to tap into our deepest yearning to live, in order to stand before the Creator on Rosh Hashana and ask for another year of life.

Here are 6 Steps to help us break through to that overflowing spring -- and fulfill our dreams this year.

Step #1 – What Are Your Inner Strengths?

Below, write 6 experiences in your life where you felt great about yourself. Next to each experience, write the emotion you felt. Next to the emotion, list two strengths you used to accomplish that experience.

Here are two samples:

Experience

Feeling

Strengths Used

Collected 25,000 signatures on a petition

exhilaration

organization, creativity

Consoled my friend who was mourning

hope

sensitivity, compassion



Now fill in the chart yourself:

 

Experience

Feeling

Strengths Used

1

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

6

 

 

 



Look over your feelings. Do you see a common theme?

Review the strengths you listed above. Pause to appreciate those strengths with which you were blessed. If other situations where you used these strengths come to mind, write those down as well.

Step #2 - Identify Your Dreams

Our lives are cluttered with dreams that have died, left abandoned as life swept us on. All our dreams -- even the silly ones -- contain a point of our deepest yearning to unabashedly invest our heart and soul into life.

Below, list 10 dreams or life ideals that you believe in.

We are complex people, so remember to check all the different parts of yourself for their dreams as well -- i.e. "you" as a friend, a parent, a Jew, a member of society, a pleasure seeker, a giver, etc.)

 

 

Dream / Life Ideal

SAMPLE

To have a really great marriage.

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

 

6

 

7

 

8

 

9

 

10

 

 

Now look at this list and ask: Why have so many of my dreams gone unfulfilled?

Step #3 – Misconceptions

You may believe in God, but are you aware that God believes in you?

Appreciate that God created you with a unique set of talents (see your own list above) and placed before you endless opportunities to use and refine them. He invested those strengths inside of you, and believes in your ability to actualize your deepest dreams of what life could be.

Below are some challenges and misconceptions that hold us back. As you read each one, take a look inside yourself to see how they may apply to you.

Mistake #1: We think we are supposed to be perfect; therefore we mistakenly hide our flaws.

Truth #1: God created us with flaws. God also gave us the strengths to overcome those challenges. This is a vital part of our task to perfect our world. As long as we hide from our flaws, we are in denial. Only by accepting that they are part of us and loving ourselves despite them, can we begin to change and grow. By giving ourselves some patience and understanding, we are emulating the One above, allowing Him to have mercy on us to allow us to grow. Our strengths also give us encouragement in the face of the flaws we cannot change. They allow us to carry them gracefully, and enable others to see us in a more positive light.

Mistake #2: We try to be someone else. We identify with people we admire and actually think we can become them. This is destructive because in the process, we begin to reject parts of ourselves. It causes us to abandon issues that are vital to our unique purpose in the world. If they don't matter to you, then to whom should they matter? If you don't make your dreams come true, who will?

Truth #2: Your job in the world can only be achieved if you are passionate about "you." First you have to get to know and like yourself, and that takes patience. You can learn and be inspired by others -- but your question should not be, "How can I be like him?" Rather, you should ask, "How can I use my own strengths, as passionately as that person uses his?" Little by little you will see that by being "you," you're able to accomplish things you never dreamed the limits of your nature would allow.

Mistake #3: I will change automatically.

Truth #3: Automatically, you will remain stuck in the same rut. None of your life ideals will ever become realized. Life will push you along, burying your dreams and hopes of who you could have been; and the only person to blame is the person who never made the decision to consciously change. "I'll change it tomorrow" means "I will never change." A decision to work on yourself has to begin now.

Any businessperson plans, researches, and schedules in order to achieve profitable goals. As long as we regard our own goals as a waste of time, we cannot change. We have given up on ourselves. The importance of anything in your life is reflected by two questions:

 

  1. Did I set aside time to do it / learn about it / think about it?  

     

  2. Am I willing to set aside time for this on a regular basis?
 

Mistake #4: I know I could fail, so why try?

Truth #4: Failure is the building block of success. Even with a promise of success from God, Moses failed miserably when he first tried to take the Jews from Egypt. To get out of the place you are stuck, you will unquestionably fail. More than once. Don't worry. It's often just God's way of testing how much you believe in your own dreams, helping you to clarify, re-evaluate and perfect them. We are judged only on our effort and never on our success. Jewish success is to be able to know for yourself: "I am doing everything in my power to put in my most sincere effort to succeed."

The next time you are frustrated, say:

 

  • "I welcome the frustration, because it is God's sign of confidence that I can grow."  

     

  • "Please, God, help me overcome this."
 

Step #4 - Personal Blocks

Now let's talk about all those nasty rocks that get in our way of digging down to the flowing spring. On the road to any meaningful goal, we will inevitably encounter frustrations and challenges. Very often, the frustration appears in the place where we most desire to grow. For example, someone who desperately wants to fall in love may be blocking their own chances to meet their soul mate. By recognizing the challenge, we can confront it head-on, and remove the obstacle. Let it flow!

•  List below four frustrating things in your life right now.

•  Note in what way God may be sending this to help you.

 

Frustration/Challenge

God may be sending this to help me…

SAMPLE

I was fired from my job.

Now I have time to travel. This may help me overcome my fear of change, and ultimately lead me to a much better job.

1

 

 

2

 

 

3

 

 

4

 

 



Step #5 - Dreams Do Come True

Go back to your "dream list" that you created in Step-2.

•  Choose your most three important dreams, and list them in order of importance to you.

•  Under each dream, write three steps that you will need to accomplish each dream, in the order that you would need to do them.

•  Next to each step, write how many months/years it will take, and how much time each week it will take.

•  After each, write a summary statement.

 

My Dream

Three Steps to Accomplish

How much time it will take:

Summary Statement

SAMPLE

Find my
soul mate

1) Set aside time to figure out who I am, so I know what type of spouse I want.
2) Review mistakes I have made in the past, and learn wisdom about how to be the best spouse.
3) Network with friends and family, to locate my soul mate.

1) 20 min/day for
3 months
2) 30 min/day for
3 months
3) 20 min/day for
3 months

If I do this, within a year I will have done all I can to help God bring me my soul mate.

Dream #1

 

 

 

 

Dream #2  

 

 

 

 

Dream #3  

 

 

 



Choose a friend or mentor who knows you well and has good judgment. Read to them your steps and ask if they are realistic. If not, adjust accordingly.

Step #6 – The Rosh Hashana Letter

Rosh Hashana is when we stand before God and present our plan for the year. The day before Rosh Hashana, write a letter to God that includes:

•  The dreams of who you want to be.

•  Thank Him for the gifts He has given you, and tell Him how you plan to use to them effectively to pursue your dreams.

•  Ask Him for help in using your strengths and overcoming your frustrations.

•  End with a statement of your trust in Him -- that He desires your success, that He has been helping you, and that He will continue to do so.

If you go through these 6 Steps, you can feel confident that you have made an honest effort, and with great joy you can stand before God on Rosh Hashana to ask for another year of life.

 



This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/h/hh/rh/48966906.html
 
 
Anyone who has any learning background is a student of Rashi.  Rashi's commentaries are part and parcel of both Chumash and Gemara and no one can budge without them.  The irony is that they are so basic we do fathom how rich, deep, and complex Rashi's commentary really is.  There are two stories I'd like to share with you, and whether fact or legend they both illustrate this point.

It is told that the Arizal, the father of modern day Kabala, once decided to write a Kabalistic Peirush on Chumash.  After completing this task in a dream, he was told that it is very good but too long and needs to be cut down.  So he went back and made it more concise.   Once he again he had the same dream.  This phenomenon repeated itself time and time again until his commentary was cut down to its barest bones.  At that point he had a dream and was told to go look in Rashi.  After all the editing, his commentary turned out to be the exact words of Rashi.

Another story is about Rebbi who was teaching his talmidim gemara with Rashi.  He read a Rashi and lamented that this was one of the three Rashi's in Shas that he did not understand.  Later that night he had a dream where Rashi appeared to him and taught him the three Rashi's he did not know.  The next day he woke up beaming with pride and told his talmidim of his dream as he explained the Rashi.  He rejoiced knowing that now he knows all the Rashi's in Shas.  The next night Rashi appeared to him in a dream and told him, "Fool do not be so haughty.  Now you actually only really know three Rashi's in all of Shas!"

Whether these stories are true or not is irrelevant.  Rashi's words reach the depth of human understanding in explaining the holy words of Hashem and Chazal.  Every Gadol laboriously toiled over his every word and phrase, with hundreds of seforim dedicated to trying to get to the bottom of their meaning.  The Pnei Yehoshua's grandfather wrote a Sefer called Maginei Shlomo, defending Rashi from Tosfos.  Upon his death he told his talmidim to make way for Rashi who has come to lead him to his place in Gan Eden in appreciation for him saving, "The lion from the cubs".

Today is the Yahrtzeit of Klal Yisroel's Rebbi.  On this day we fervently pray that Hashem will give us the wisdom and understanding to appreciate and peer deeper in the meaning of our great Rebbi's holy words.
from Revach.net