Monthly Archives: May 2011

After 5 hours (last one in the rain) I biked a total of 52.5 miles and raised over $2200 for Chai Lifeline. Now I need to dry off.
Thanks to all my sponsors.

Last post before Bike The Drive

Biked for an hour last night and I’m ready for the big ride.
My brother plans on driving in from Brooklyn to be at the ride and cheer me on, which is awesome.  So far, I’ve raised over $2100 for Chai Lifeline and I’m so thankful that such a wide range of people sponsored me.  From long time friends, to bloggers I’ve become friends with, to relatives, to a non-Jew from high school, and even my shul…it’s a wild group.

My wife and kids have been encouraging me and I’m begining to feel somewhat “more active”.  The sadness of not being able to share this success with my in-laws a”h and my father a”h is somewhat offset by knowing that the money raised is,mamash, going towards children and their families that needed it.

I’m pretty excited to get back on Lake Shore Drive again and hoping for excellent weather.
Training weekly for this has been tough, but worth it.  It’s also given me a fixed time to prepare and think about my “Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh” chabura that I started a few months ago.  Indeed, time well spent.

My first three hours biking will be used for listening to shiurim in zechus of a Refuah Shelayima for Revuen ben Tova ChayaZev Meir ben Yael Sarra, Rivkah Zelda bat Sarah and Miriam bas chana Yael; also as a merit for 2 couples who want children. In addition, it will be l’zecher nishmas:
Rivkah bas Chaim Yosef
Dan HaLevi bas Aharon
Avraham ben Zorach
Efraim ben Shlomo
Rebbetzin Zlata Geisinksky
Chaya bas Tuvyeh Leib
Eliezer Baruch Chaim

This year’s playlist is:

Pirkei Avos (1)- Why Begin with Olam Habah? Rav Moshe Weinberger
Pirkey Avos (2) – The Kiss Of Har Sinai – Rav Moshe Weinberger
Pirkei Avos (3) Humility – The Only Prerequisite Rav Moshe Weinberger
Pirkei Avos (4) Patience With Others, With Hahsem And With Ourselves Rav Moshe Weinberger
Hashem Melech- Yosef Karduner
Hallelu- Rockiah
Ki Lo Yitosh- Rockiah
Va-Yivan Uziyah- Piamenta
L’Shana Habaah- Piamenta
Anachnu Maaminim Medley- Piamenta
Dreams of my Redemption- Piamenta
Hafachta- The Diaspora Yeshiva Band
Cracow Nigun- Reb Shlomo Carlebach
V’li Yeruholayim- Yitzhak Halevi Band
Pischu Li- Yitzhak Halevi Band
In the Merit Of…- Pitom
Flash Gordon Theme- Queen
All Those People Know- Bob Mould
Chartered Trips- Husker Du
Sorrow- Bad Religion

Thanks to all of you who have be so kind to sponsor me.

If you haven’t sponsored me, there’s till time:

IF YOU HAVE EVER ENJOYED READING THIS BLOG…

Hi.  My name is Neil and I have a blog, which you are now reading.  If you have read any of my posts over the last five years and they have made you think, laugh, smile, give up using the web, look up something, or try to be a better person, then please consider helping me as I bike 45 miles on May 29th.

I will, for the fourth year in a row, be joining dozens of Chai Cyclists in Chicago´s Bike the Drive, a thirty-mile rally on Lake Shore Drive, to raise money for Chai Lifeline, a wonderful organization dedicated to helping very sick children and their families.

Chai Lifeline provides year-round emotional, social, and financial support to more than 3,000 children and their families every year. In our area, Chai Lifeline Midwest offers access to two-dozen free programs and services that touch each member of the family, helping them to live full and happy lives despite the presence of illness.

Last year, with your help, I was able to raise a record amount of money for Chai Lifeline.  I biked a total of 45 miles on Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago within 4 hours, which was personal record for me. I dedicated my biking to my father, Al Harris, of blessed memory, who had died that year of Leukemia. While it was great being able to celebrate with my wife, children, and by brother (who came to town to join us), the real victory was for those helped by Chai Lifeline by your donations.  I cannot tell you how much it meant to me and my entire family from across the country.

I have been training during the past few months indoors and I am currently training on the streets of Chicago and Skokie biking in the evenings and getting ready for the big ride. I will admit, this year, I have another goal besides raising funds to help Chai Lifeline. This year I am hoping that my bike training will not only get me in ready for the ride, but will also help me get into better physical shape for life.

Chai, mean “life”, and I have seen that that the work, love, care, and support that Chai Lifeline gives is truly a lifeline for many people. They provide so much for so many people. And now, together, we can both help them. The word “mitzvah” is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “to connect”. By sponsoring me for Bike the Drive, you are making an unbreakable connection by directly helping so many children and their families.

I have the best trainers in the world working with me…my wife and three kids. I know in the past I’ve had your support and I’m hoping you will sponsor me once again.
My objective is to raise $3,500.00 by race day and I hope you will help me reach this goal. All donations are 100% tax deductible. If your company has a matching gift program, your gift may be doubled or tripled.

Thank you for supporting me, and in doing so, helping children and their families cope with the diagnosis, treatment and aftermath of serious pediatric illness. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested in supporting Chai Lifeline.

To find out how you can help sponsor me (in any amount, no matter how small or how big), please click here:
http://tiny.cc/chailifeline

Thank you for reading,
Neil

Rav Moshe Weinberger on davening and a relationship with Hashem

“If you don’t know about God, if you don’t care about God, if you don’t feel anything for God, so then the most uncomfortable place in the world to be is shul [synagogue].  Unless the guy next to you is interesting.  And that’s why you’ll find people who are normally very shy and reserved outside of shul and all of the sudden in shul it’s like Johnny Carson or Jay Leno.  He’s got so much to say and so much to talk about.  There’s an old song that I remember from one of my earlier gilgulim, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with”.  You know that song?  Really the Rabbono Shel Olam is the one that we love.  People don’t know. They are not hearing about the Rabbono Shel Olam, they are not hearing what our bubbies and zaidies took for granted: a personal relationship that they. had and an ongoing dialogue with the Creator of the world.”

(I found this transcribed quote in a “posting ideas” folder. Sadly, I forget which shiur it was from.)
Sent via Blackberry by AT&T

Drasha in honor of Chicago Hatzalah

Drasha for Hatzalah Chicago – by Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky, Ph.D.
by Hatzalah Chicago on Monday, May 9, 2011 at 8:37pm
On April 3, 2011, Hatzalah Chicago had a beautiful dinner to congratulate its first EMT-B graduating class and to honor the wives of Hatzalah graduates for their unyielding support.

Rabbi Matanky graced us with his presence and delivered a most moving drasha for Hatzalah Chicago:

I was thinking of beginning my brief remarks this evening with a story from Hatzola – one of the amazing but absolutely true accounts that have appeared in the press or on the internet – those selfless acts of compassion, daring deeds of rescue and split-second decisions that have saved countless lives.

I really was thinking of beginning that way… but then I realized that knowing so many of you – the best Hatazola stories are yet to be told – because Hatzalah of Chicago is yet to begin saving lives and creating those stories.
And so this evening – instead – I’ve decided to share with you a story that is more than 150 years old – a story of the terrible cholera epidemic which claimed the lives of hundreds of Jews in Vilna and the response of one of our greatest Torah luminaries – someone that Reb Chaim described as having the stature of a ראשון – the great Reb Yisrael Lipkin, or as we know him – Reb Yisrael Salanter, זצ”ל

The year was 1848, and not unlike our modern day organizers of Hatzalah, when Reb Yisrael saw the medical emergency of his time, he jumped into action, renting a hospital with hundreds of beds, enlisting the aid of volunteer doctors and organizing dozens of “yeshiva yungerleit” to serve the needs of those afflicted with that terrible disease.

Under his direction, people worked day and night – the doctors administering medical care, and the “yungerleit” supporting all of the other needs of the patients – whether chopping wood for fuel, lighting fires, or anything else, regardless if it was a weekday or Shabbos.

One Friday night, among those stricken was the grandson of one of the “g’virim” of Vilna, Reb Yosef Chalfan. And… as these “yungerleit” had done for so many others – they cared for him, doing melacha on Shabbos – until he was out of mortal danger.

Soon afterwards, the grandfather appeared before Reb Yisrael, grateful for saving his grandson’s life – but humbly and respectfully suggesting that perhaps… the “yungerleit” did a little too much, that maybe others – who weren’t the creme de la creme of the yeshiva community – should have been called upon to work on Shabbos.

Hearing this, and fearing that such an attitude could jeopardize his entire life-saving campaign, Reb Yisrael uncharacteristically attacked this “g’vir” – accusing him in the strongest of language of challenging his halachic knowledge, his judgement and his ability to lead.

In fact, Reb Yisrael’s verbal attack was so powerful –  that R’ Yosef Chalfan immediately removed his shoes, sat on the ground as if he was sitting shiva, and begged Reb Yisrael for forgiveness.

Tonight, nearly 162 years later we have gathered to honor and to celebrate – the very same mitzvah that Reb Yisrael defended so fiercely – a mitzvah that according to the חתם סופר is greater than שבת and greater than building even the Beit HaMikdash – or in his words –  עדיף מן ?הכל – greater than everything; and therefore it’s a mitzvah that WE – the frum members of our community should be proud to fulfill with our best and brightest…

Tonight we have the זכות to honor and celebrate the מצוה of SAVING LIVES – NOT when it’s convenient, but when it’s needed – 24/7 – on weekdays and on שבת and on יום טוב.

And on behalf of the rabbonim of the community I want each and every one of you to know – that when in a few months from now, Hatzalah actively begins it’s efforts – we are behind you every step of the way.

And therefore, while I pray that no one is ever sticken ill – if they are, and if I have the zechus to see one of you driving to respond to an emergency ON Shabbos – I and all of the rest of the רבני העיר will be cheering you on, proud that we have frum people who understand what הקב”ה truly wants from us.

Which is to be “partners” in His world, to recognize that true and lasting kedusha emanates, not from passive acquiesence – but active involvement.

For as Rav Soloveitchik, זצ”ל taught, Har Sinai, the site of the most sacred and exalted event of all time, is today bereft of any קדושה. While the most sacred site in the world is הר הבית. Why? Because at Sinai, G-d reached out us. While at Har HaBayit, WE reached out to הקב”ה – we because partners with the Divine.

And that’s the reason your work on behalf of Hatzalah is a true מלאכת הקודש, because you are partnering with הקב”ה.

Which is something that Reb Matisyahu Solomon, once taught – a lesson about the prayer of אבינו מלכינו.

Asked the mashgiach of Lakewood, what are we really asking for when we say – Avinu Malkeinu – our father our king, זכרינו לזכויות – remember us for merit?

Are we asking Him to give us credit for things we didn’t do – to give us merit that is undeserved!?

Obviously not. Rather, what זכרינו לזכויות means is that we are asking הקב”ה to give us the ability to DO great things – to give us the opportunity that not everyone has… to achieve זכויות.

And that’s what we are celebrating tonight – we are celebrating the MEN who will be given the זכות to save lives – and thereby are partnering with God. And we are celebrating their wives, who have not only stepped in so that their husbands could study, but are now ready to allow their husbands to sometimes leave them – on a moments notice – leave them and their families – for the sake of others and thereby THEY are partnering with God; and we are celebrating all those who have taught these men and who have organized this sacred effort – all the while creating זכויות –  – and thereby partnering with God and building the merit of our community – לשם ולתפארת – according to halacha and with the support and the gratitude of our community.

And so, on behalf of an entire community, and in the name of the rabbonim who have the honor to offer some assistance, I thank all of you – and I look forward to those stories of miracles and wonders, of lives that will be saved and lives that will be rescued.

May הקב”ה bless you with limitless זכויות, with boundless commitment and with the guidance to lead, serve and save.

Sent via Blackberry by AT&T

If you have ever read this blog and gotten something out of it…

… then please read this.  I need your help.

In a few weeks, I will join dozens of Chai Cyclists in Chicago´s Bike the Drive, a thirty-mile rally on Lake Shore Drive, to raise money for Chai Lifeline, a wonderful organization dedicated to helping very sick children and their families.
Chai Lifeline provides year-round emotional, social, and financial support to more than 3,000 children and their families every year. In our area, Chai Lifeline Midwest offers access to two-dozen free programs and services that touch each member of the family, helping them to live full and happy lives despite the presence of illness.
My objective is to raise $3,500.00 by race day and I hope you will help me reach this goal. All donations are 100% tax deductible. If your company has a matching gift program, your gift may be doubled or tripled.
Thank you for supporting me, and in doing so, helping children and their families cope with the diagnosis, treatment and aftermath of serious pediatric illness. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested in supporting Chai Lifeline.

To contribute, please click here.
Your contribution is greatly appreciated.