5.28.2009

חג שבועות שמח

I want to wish everyone a Gut Yontiv. We should all be zocheh to have a meaningful Shavuos- it should be one of great inspiration, learning, joy, and Torah. Here is a letter that was written by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, which I thought was interesting.
Chag Sameach!

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Excerpts from a letter


By the Grace of G-d
Rosh Chodesh Sivan, 5724 [1964]
Brooklyn, NY


...It is worthy of note that the festival of Shavuoth has no independent date of its own, like any other festival, since no month or day is specified in the Torah as the time of its celebration, but only that it is the "Fiftieth Day" of the counting of the Omer; the counting which we begin on the second day of Pesach, on the day after the liberation from Egyptian bondage.

In this way the Torah emphasizes that the festival of Shavuoth is the goal of the festival of Pesach; that the Season of the Giving of Our Torah is the culmination of the Season of Our Freedom -- that the true and complete freedom, both for the individual as well as for the community, and both materially and spiritually, can be attained only through the acceptance of the Torah.

We live in a time and in a country where, notwithstanding external "freedom", the society in general, and the young generation in particular, are still largely "enslaved," and at a loss how to free themselves from the shackles of spiritual and mental confusion. The only hope that Jewish children should not be swept with this stream lies in a Torah education, where the golden chain of the Torah from Sinai is maintained; the Torah in all its sanctity, the Torah of Truth which must always remain intact, and cannot be subject to compromise or concession



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Nutso Preacher - DC H St and 8th

I was away from NY for about a week. Went to Univ. of Maryland to see some friends, and EVERYONE was grabbing my beard. I think it was the end of finals, so everyone was out having a good time, and as I was walking down Knox to Princeton, about 20 people yanked on my beard. Face was VERY sore haha

I also went to visit the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, NC, and chilled with a good friend in Fredricksburg, VA. I had the feeling that I was the first Jew many of the locals had ever seen in their lives....

I took the Eastern Travel bus from DC to NY, and as I was waiting, this guy was standing nearby on the corner of H St and 8th Ave. Jesus this, Jesus that. I'll cut off my foot for you, so you don't go to hell...A lot of rubbish, but really really entertaining. Enjoy!

5.17.2009

Why the Plague?

It's the 38th day of the Omer, and the plague that killed 24,000 of R'Akiba's students ended 5 days ago.

I was discussing the whole situation with my roommate, because it's very perplexing that Rabbi Akiba's students would treat each other so poorly when their Rebbe was the vanguard of preaching Ahavas Chinam. How was this possible?

So, he told me that the Lubavitcher Rebbe once said that each of Rabbi Akiba's students interpreted their Rebbe's teachings the way they saw fit. Meaning, Yankel treated Moshe the way he THOUGHT he should treat him, and Yaakov treated Simcha in accordance to what he thought was appropriate.

When we interact with another human being in such a way that we THINK we know what's best for him, we will usually end up causing more harm than good . We are merely looking into this person's life from the outside without having a single clue as to what is really best for him.

So, I said that it only makes sense that the famous adage of "love your neighbor as yourself" was stated as the NEW standard once the plague was over. I don't know if this is written somewhere, and if it is tell me please.

Now, when we understand that we must love another human being as we love ourselves we relate to that person on a totally different level. Before we behave or say something to another human being we must first pause and consider whether or not we would be offended if such things were said to us. When we consider Rabbi Akiba's adage we no longer stand on the outside and assume what's best for another, but rather we stand in the shoes of our neighbor and know what will insult or harm him, because we are positive that it will insult us!

We should all have the zchus to speak to others in a way that serves only to teach and encourage shmiras HaTorah and the adherence to derech eretz-a lashon that's free from lashon hara. This will certainly encourage Ahavas Chinam and expedite Mashiach's arrival.

5.15.2009

1ST Video on YouTube!

More To Come! It's gonna be insane!!

Wow...I have such a bad sinus headache right now. And, Abnormal Psychology final tomorrow before I go to Brooklyn. So, time for bed!

5.13.2009

Beautiful Washington Heights





When I first moved to Washington Heights three years ago I had NO idea how I was going to manage- let alone New York altogether. I was coming straight from the homey, cozy Greensboro, NC, where I was practically living in Gan Eden.

Between the smell of rotting garbage, graffiti, and Hispanic music blasting until 4AM in the streets, I really didn't think I was going to make it. I didn't even know how I was going to survive in YU, because I had never lived in such a dense, frum community. But that's for another time.

Anyway, Washington Heights has become my home, and I have grown to love it. Many would consider it to be the armpit of Manhattan, but I like to think of it as the sweet spot.

If you have ever been to the Heights, you certainly know about Ft. Tryon Park. It stands above the Hudson River nOn 191st and Ft. Washington, and is BEAUTIFUL. The day that I found Ft. Tryon park was the day the Heights became a million times more tolerable.



Just today I went and found a remote spot and did some intense hisbodedus. It was incredible. After which I learned a little from Torah Daled in LM. Good stuff. If you live in the NY area and you HAVEN'T been to Ft. Tryon Park - you gotta go. It blows Central Park out of the water.

We should all be zocheh to see the sechel she'yesh bekol davar....even on St. Nick...

Yosef Karduner: Likutei Moharan I:6 - "Tzarich Lihyot Baki"

Amazing...

Trip to the Ohel




I must say that one of the most incredible things happened to me last week.

My friend Danielle and I decided that it might be nice to go and visit the kever of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt"l. She has been there a number of times, usually when she comes back to Manhattan after a Shabbos somewhere in the Five Towns with one of her Stern friends, but this was my first time going, and I was freakin PUMPED- especially for the cookies they have there.

So, we took the E Train all the way to the last stop in Queens, which is Jamaica Center. Straight up- the sketchiest ride of my life, and an hour and a half. Once you pass the stop at Forest Hills-71st St, every other stop is straight out of a horror movie. The dim lights in every subway station were flickering, they were almost completely empty, and it was hella sketch! Then, once we got off the subway we hopped onto the Q84, which was humorous to say the least.

We were the only white folk on the bus, which was packed! Not that I have a problem with that, but we were sitting in the back, and I felt that like I was in a 1960's bus in Birmingham, but sort of topsy turvied if you get my drift... There was a lovely woman, though, who helped us find our stop.

Anyway, the highlight was that once I was at the kever I said my kpitl of tehillim, כ"ב, and then I proceeded to daven for my family, etc etc... Now, what's amazing is that I began to daven with intense Kavanah that I should be able to learn Likutei Moharan properly, understand it's concepts, and apply them to my avodas Hashem. Once I did that, I re-opened Tehillim at random, and I opened it to kpitl קי"ט, 119! Ok, what's so great about that? Well, the first passuk is: אשרי תמימי דרך ההולכים בתורת ה- Happy are those whose way is perfect, who walk with the Torah of God. This just happens to be the first line of Likutei Moharan! Nutso, huh?

Even though I thought it was sort of strange to daven for proficiency in Breslov Chassidus at the Lubavitcher Rebbe's kever,I guess Rebbeinu Nachman and The Chabad Rebbe must be pals.