And What Does That Teach YOU?

"You who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by ... Teach your children well" (CSN&Y)

Torah marks the spot

We often feel that when we sit down to learn, we are simply absorbing knowledge and understanding.
This is certainly true.
Yet, Torah study should do more than that. It must do more than that.
Perhaps, the difference lies in our perception of what we accomplish by learning.

The Kotzker Rebbe, tz"l, once asked a fellow, "So, what have you learned?"
The man replied, "I learned all of Shas!"
"But what has Shas taught you?" the Kotzker Rebbe questioned in return.

Torah is not merely measured by the material we amass.
It is our guide.
Our roadmap in life.
Our code to live by.
It must teach us how to conduct ourselves in every facet and stage in life.
So, the next time you sit down to learn, don't just study it - let it teach and guide you!
It isn't just a book - it is the secret of life!

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please give me the knowledge to use the Torah as my guide at my side!"

You Be the Judge

"The road of life is rocking, and you may stumble too. So while you talk about me, someone else is judging you" (BM)

Judge, but judge wisely

We always know best. Ask anyone. Everyone always thinks that they know best.
But do we? Are we always right? Must we be always right?
In Judaism, we are taught that we truly don't know everything. In fact, there's a whole lot we don't know.
But that's not just about the world in general. It's also about people.
We have a rule: Dan l'Kaf Z'chus, judge on the side of merit.
There are always two sides to every story. If we can recognize that, then we would clearly realize that we don't know everything.
Far from it.

There was one particular fellow who was very close to HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit"a, one of the very greatest and most important Torah luminaries of our time, along with his father-in-law, the most sought after authority in Eretz Yisroel today, HaRav Sholom Eliyashiv, shlit"a. There was one thing about this man that Rav Chaim wanted to change - the fact that he was a smoker. One day, when the man came to speak with Rav Chaim, he was greeted with a request, "Since you respect what I say, I'd like to ask you one thing: stop smoking."
If the Gadol ha'Dor says something, you do it! And thus, the fellow immediately stopped smoking.
Soon thereafter, the fellow was a guest at a wedding, and found himself speaking to a friend who smoked. The friend turned to him and asked him to hold his cigarette while he used the bathroom. As he stood there holding the cigarette, Rav Chaim, who just happened to also be at the wedding, passed at a distance and nodded.
The fellow's heart dropped. "Maybe Rav Chaim will think poorly of me since he saw me with a cigarette! He'll think that I didn't keep my word!"
Fearful at the horrible thought, the man approached Rav Chaim and asked him what he thought had happened.
Rav Chaim said matter-of-factly, "I figured that you were just holding the cigarette for someone else!"

What may seem simple to a great tzaddik takes the rest of us time and energy to achieve. However, if we try to be a bit more creative and understanding, we, too, can arrive at the same conclusion.

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please give me the patience and wisdom to judge everyone with merit today!"

Holy Bananas!

"Cause I gotta have faith, faith, faith" (GM)

Stop monkeying around - time to
find your faith!

Perhaps the oldest debate in history is that of the true religion. Throughout time, the world's religions have offered their proof to the validity and supremacy of their faiths as they try to earn the right to boast the ultimate prize. Although there are numerous clear arguments that solidify Judasim in this regard, there is one that we just read about in this past week's parsha, Behar - the mitzvah of Sh'mitta. Not only does it prove the primacy of Judaism, yet it also shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Torah was written by Hashem.
The proof is as clear as day. Who in their right mind would promise that if a farmer were to leave his fields fallow for an entire year, then he will experience a mass surplus that will be sufficient to feed him and his family for the duration of that 6th year (the year prior to Sh'mitta), the 7th Sh'mitta year, and the 8th year (which is the year after Sh'mitta, and when the fields are worked to produce crops for the following year)? No human being would be bold enough to make such a claim, that is unless the Torah was not authored by a human after all.
Do you question Hashem's promise? Well, perhaps the following story, which took place three years ago during the last Sh'mitta year, will ease your mind.

Rabbi Shmuel Bloom of Agudath Israel of America is a busy man involved in important matters concerning Klal Yisroel. Why would he, then, spend a considerable amount of hours traveling to look at bananas during his recent trip to Eretz Yisroel?

A completely secular farmer whose produce is bananas decided that he would undertake to keep Sh’mitta this time around. He approached the Keren ha’Shvi’is for assistance and they stipulated that he would be registered in their program if he would also undertake to be personally Shomer Shabbos throughout Sh’mitta. He agreed. Keren ha’Shvi’is undertook to cover his farming expenses in return for which all the produce would become the property of Otzar Beis Din and would be distributed in full accordance with halacha.

Israel has suffered a significant cold spell over the past 2 to 3 weeks.

Bananas don’t like cold. Cold doesn’t like bananas. Needless to say, they don’t get along. When bananas are still growing and get hit with frost, they turn brown and become rock-solid hard.

The hero of our story, the banana farmer, knew he was in deep trouble when the relentless cold hadn’t let up for over a week. He lived a distance from his orchard and hadn’t yet seen the damage with his own eyes. He began to receive calls from his neighbor farmers, who have orchards bordering his, complaining bitterly that their entire banana crop had been destroyed by the frost.

He decided it was time to inspect the damage up close, no matter how painful it may be.

He drove up close to T’verya to inspect his orchard, as well as those of his neighboring farmers. As he passed from one orchard to another, he was overwhelmed by the damage. Not a single fruit had survived, no tree was spared. His neighbors took quite a beating. All the bananas were brown, hard as a rock. He could only imagine how bad his trees must have gotten it.

Yet when he finally got to his orchard, he was awestruck! ALL of his bananas were yellow and green. It’s as if his orchard was not part of this parcel of land. His orchard bordered those of his neighbors, but not a single tree of his was struck by the frost. It’s as if a protective wall kept the damage away. At first he thought he was imagining it, and as he rushed from one section of his orchard to another, the realization that more than the farmer keeps the Sh’mitta, the Sh’mitta keeps the farmer hit home.

He immediately called his contacts at Keren ha’Shvi’is and yelled into the phone, “Karah Nes! Karah Nes!”

A miraculous modern-day manifestation of “v’Tzivisi es ha’brocho!" There is no way to explain this other than that ha’Kodosh Boruch Hu keeps His promises. He says keep Sh’mitta, and I’ll take care of you. He sure does!

Keren Ha’Shvi’is reports that farmers that until now refused to keep Sh’mitta, have been turning to the Keren following the losses suffered as a result of the frost, they are now ready to commit to Sh’mitta observance.

And so, Rabbi Bloom took the time to travel all the way to T’verya and back to witness this awe-inspiring phenomenon. During the previous Sh’mitta (2000-2001) Agudath Israel of America provided over $1,000,000 to Keren ha’Shvi’is. It plans to do even more this time around.

Need any more proof than that?

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, I believe in You and Your holy Torah! It is all true!"

Tune It Up

"Well, we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feelin' alright." (BJ)

Open a new chapter
in the life of a Jew

In order to grow a tree, you first need to plant the seeds.
We never know when a small act on our part could be just the right seeds that will ultimately cause a towering tree to sprout. With this in mind, we must learn to always calculate our words and actions. As the Chazon Ish (Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, tz"l, 1878-1953) used to remark, "Before speaking, one must think of the goal he is trying to achieve through his words."
Indeed, even the shortest remark can have the most powerful or most devastating effect. The smallest action can be a catalyst to either tremendous growth or a disastrous decline.

Before starting a new Kollel, its founder went to ask the great Rav Menachem Man Shach, tz"l (1899-2001) for advice about where to open it. Rav Shach instructed him to open the Kollel in a rather conspicuous location.
Rav Shach, in his immense wisdom, reasoned, "After all, if the lights in the Kollel are on at night and people hear the sound of Torah study, they may come in and be influenced to advance their Jewish observance!"
One day, the director of a liberal organization, a man in his seventies, walked into the Kollel. He requested a regular, steady chavrusa and subsequently made great strides in his religious observance. The Rosh Kollel, more than a bit curious, asked him what had triggered his new found interest.
"Back in 1948," the man began, "I was part of a unit that attacked an Arab police academy. The first two attempts resulted in many casualties for our unit. Before the third assault, one of the religious fighters suggested learning some Mishnayos for the success of the mission. He read the Mishnayos out loud in a beautiful melody for about fifteen minutes. We then attacked, and the academy was successfully overtaken. For over fifty years, I have been longing to hear that melody again. The other night, when I was passing this building, I heard that sweet melody once more. I knew that I had to come inside. I knew what I had to do."

If we would only know that we have the ability to make such a monumental change in the life of a fellow Jew, we would never pass up the opportunity to share a kind word with someone else.
A kind deed.
Or even just a warm smile.

Say to yourself ten times today:
"I will try to make every encounter today a positive one!"

Research In Motions

"In the morning when I rise, You are the first thing on my mind ... You've got me feeling emotions, higher than the Heavens Above." (MC)

What are you
serving up today?

The great Chassidic masters often explain that there are three aspects of each mitzvah - the verbal, the physical, and the mental. If we were to take the mitzvah of tzitzis, for instance, we say a brocho on it first, place it on our bodies, and think in our minds that we are fulfilling a mitzvah from the Torah by doing so. They discuss how doing a mitzvah without thought is incomplete. By simply doing an action without thinking what is being done and why, they describe, is like a body without a soul.

Imagine you once have the opportunity to visit the palace of a king. After being escorted through heavy security, down magnificent hallways and through many wings of the palace, you are led into the grand dining hall where the king is sitting, awaiting his meal to be served. At that moment, the doors leading to the royal kitchen open, and several waiters rush out. As you look closely, you notice something extremely peculiar. Although the waiters are dressed in the finest uniforms, toting silky white napkins on their arms, and carrying the most expensive china - there is absolutely no food being brought out! The dishes they are carrying are completely empty! As they scurry around the table, gently placing the elegant plates, bowls, flatware, and stemware before the king, they open the large main dish cover, and serve him ... nothing!
You're starring in disbelief as they go through the motions, appearing as if they are accomplishing something! But you're not alone. You gaze at the king who is sitting at the head of the stunning table. He watches the waiters follow through the actions of serving him his meal, but patiently waits for the actual food! After standing there in amazement for a few minutes, you turn to one of the guards who is standing nearby, and inquire in a whisper, "What is going on here?"
The guard smiles and responds, "Oh, don't worry - this happens every day!"
You bluntly reply, "But what will the king eat? They're not serving him anything!"
"Don't be alarmed," the guard says. "In a few more moments, there will be another shift of waiters that will do the same things this group did - but they will serve food also!"

Each day - three times a day - we have the distinct honor of approaching the King of Kings in tefillah. Hashem, who thoroughly enjoys hearing our words, eagerly awaits to listen to everything we have to say. Yet, each day, there are people who go through the motions of davening without anything of value being said - or sometimes nothing said at all! They sit and then stand. They stand and then sit. They open the siddur, turn the pages, and sway away with the rest of the crowd. They step backwards and then forwards. Forwards and then backwards. Perhaps, in the interim, a few thoughtless words are uttered. Perhaps even a sentence or two.
Yet, many say nothing at all.
They just go through the motions.
Just the body without the soul.
So where does Hashem's pride and "pleasure" come from?
Those who daven with meaning.
With soul.
Therefore, we must ask ourselves, "What am I waiting for? Am I serving my purpose?"
Let us all learn to serve Hashem with our emotion, not just our motion.

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please give me the strength and ability to serve You well today!"

A King WITH a Crown

"You're all that I have and you're all that I need"

You can restore the King's crown!

The crown is a king's greatest pride. His greatest treasure. He may own treasuries filled with jewels and money, yet, even if he were to lose them all, his crown is what gives him his power. His crown is the symbol of his might and majesty. His crown makes him the king.
When the Aron Kodesh is opened, the Sefer Torah is respectfully removed. As it is taken to the bimah, we stand to honor it. Some rush to give it a loving kiss. Although adorned with a beautiful silver crown, we know full well that the crown gives honor to the Torah, rather than the reverse.

When the great Ponovezher Rov (Rav Yosef Kahaneman, tz"l, 1888-1969) was 18 years old, he was drafted into the Russian army. Yet, in order to try to save him from what was sure to be a doomed fate, the rov of his town went into the shul, removed the crown from atop the Sefer Torah, and pawned it. He then took the money and bribed the Russian officials to release the Ponovezher Rov from service.
That Shabbos, when it was time to open the Aron Kodesh for K'riyas ha'Torah, the people in shul were surprised and alarmed when they saw the crown missing.
"The crown has been stolen! It's been stolen!" they all cried.
"No, it hasn't," the rov patiently replied. "I simply took the little crown and in exchange I am giving you a big crown!"

Indeed, it is the Torah, not silver, that is our true prize, yet it is the great Torah scholars that are our King's crown and ultimate pride. If we stand in honor of the Torah, then surely we must stand for those who embody it!

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, I love Your Torah ... and those who study it!"

What a World, What a World

"We are OUR world ... we are the ones who make a brighter day ... there's a choice we're making." (MJ)

Where is your stairway to Heaven?

As we know, it is an age-old custom to study Pirkei Avos between Pesach and Shavuos for many reasons. Yet, the general idea is to learn and internalize its invaluable lessons in order to improve our character. In the period prior to Kabolas ha'Torah, we try to elevate and purify ourselves so that we may once again receive the Torah on Shavuos with completeness.
The opening line that introduces it all states, "All Jews have a portion in the World to Come." Perhaps one of the most famous questions in all of Judaism stems from this seemingly broad statement - is this really true? Does every Jew, regardless of his deeds, earn a portion in Olam ha'Bo? Is even an evil sinner granted such a reward for his infractions?

One of the grandsons of the Chidushei ha'Rim (Rav Yitzchok Meir Rottenberg, the 1st Gerrer Rebbe, tz"l) asked this very question to his saintly grandfather. The Chidushei ha'Rim offered him an answer with a parable:
There was once a simple and uneducated wagon driver that was on the road when he suddenly heard the sound of a person groan in pain. It was in the dark and bitter cold days of winter and the ground was difficult to maneuver, yet he managed to stop short and descended his wagon. After he desperately tried to track down the source of the groans, he found a Jew hunched over on the ground and near death.
The wagon driver quickly dragged the dying man into his wagon, changed him into dry clothing, and gave him a bit of wine to warm his body and bring back some of his energy. Slowly, the man regained his strength and was driven back to his hometown.
"Does it not state that a person who saves the life of a Jew it is considered as though he sustained an entire world?" asked the Chidushei ha'Rim to his grandson.
At that very moment, a defense angel in Heaven approached Hashem, and asked Him to take away the life of the wagon driver at once! He reasoned that if he were to remain alive, he was bound to continue in his sinful ways and lose the reward he earned through this incredible act of kindness. Yet, if he were to die at that moment, he would retain his reward.
In flew a prosecuting angel to disagree. "A person cannot be taken before his time!" he argued. "He must remain alive to face his challenges, win or lose!"
After much debate, the decision that they arrived at was to ask the wagon driver himself as to his own fate. When he was approached with both arguments, the wagon driver chose to die and immediately earn his reward. Thus, he sat down to compose his last will and testament, called upon the Chevra Kadisha, and before the day came to an end, the wagon driver passed away from this world.
When he arrived in the World of Truth, he was greeted by a group of angels. They related to him that he had earned a great reward, and that he could choose anything he desired in the World to Come. Without pause, the wagon driver, having prepared for this moment, replied, "I want a new wagon. It should be constructed by the greatest and most famous carpenter. Also, the wheels should be made of fine gold. And as for the horses that will lead the wagon -  I wish to have four of the strongest and most handsome horses available. The road ahead of me should always be straight and level, without any obstacles in my way. This is what I want more than anything else!"
The Chidushei ha'Rim turned to his grandson, and said, "My dear grandson! It is true. Everyone will receive a portion in the World to Come. However, what type of world will it be? Each person's World to Come will be exactly like his world he created here!"

What in the world do you want?

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please give me guidance to choose the right path in life!"