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| I saw this photo in National Geographic on Nov 16, 2008 at my barber shop. Photo from here. |
Note: This photo has been sitting in my email since November of 2008.
The Baal Shem Tov and the frozen lake
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Author Archives: Neil Harris
First impressions of Artscroll’s "STEP BY STEP"
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I just received a copy of the new Artscroll book STEP BY STEP compiled by Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, Rav of Shaarey Tefilah in Lawrence, NY.
The sefer is a very user-friendly program for middos development that is devided into 52 weeks. Each middah has a chapter written by “noted educators, rabbanim, and rebbetzins, who each examine one specific trait. Every week brings us a new middah, and each middah is divided into a daily reading.” (From Artscroll’s website)
Even though the sefer is almost 600 pages, the way it’s divided up makes it easy to use. Unlike a number of daily and weekly study seforim, this one isn’t dated per week, therefore, you can start learning it whenever you’d like to. While it’s really to big to schlep in your tallis and tefillin bag on a daily basis, the daily readings are short enough that anyone can find time to read them once a day and not spend more than 5 minutes doing so. I happen to like the fact that it deals with many overlooked middos and that each middah is written by a different author, so you get a variey of writing styles and quoted sources.
For me, the fact that chapter 27 (Chassidus/Piety) was written by Rav Moshe Weinberger, it’s a massive bonus. Rav Moshe Weinberger, for example, cites Messilas Yesharim, Michtav M’Eliyahu, Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, and weaves in several beautiful stories from both the Chassidshe and Litvishe worlds.
This compiliaton by Rabbi Dovid Weinberger is a welcome edition to my own daily learning and Tikun HaMiddos.
Thanks to the friend that sent this my way.
Adapting to your target audience
Those who know me are aware that I really like the game Jenga. This past Shabbos my wife told me that Hasbro is now selling Jenga in a “travel” container, which is oval shaped. I am guess it was just too frustrating for those ages 6 and up. I know my kids really dislike having to put Jenga away and I usually end up doing it. Also, the plastic “guide” that come with it easily brakes. Changing packaging cost serious money and isn’t a decision that comes with ease. Just like everyone remembers the dessert at the end of a fantastic meal, Jenga players from around the world must have complained about their final memories of a fantastic Jenga game being the difficulty in putting those 54 genuine hardwood blocks away.
I am not in chinuch, but I have friends who are and I have children who I’m paying tuition in order for them to receive their chinuch. I have often observed that the most influential teachers are the ones that are open to the ideas that the way children learn has changed over the years and not everyone fits into a particular mode. I’ve seen “fresh out of the starting gate” teachers use innovative ways to get kids to learn and I’ve seen “legends” in chinuch who have been teaching for 50 years take their time-honored techniques and adapt them for a generation who has trouble focusing, sitting, and communicating.
The main point of playing Jenga is actually playing, not putting it away. Sometimes you can keep the ikar the same, but repackage it in a way that’s leaves a better memory.
Chizuk and support for those affected by Sandy tonight in Chicago
Tonight, at Cong K.I.N.S. starting at 8pm hear from Rav Avraham Chaim Levin, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Chicago), Rav Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Av Beis Din of the cRc and the Rosh Beis Din of the RCA, Rabbi Hershel Billet, Rav of the Young Israel of Woodmere, and Rabbi Yechiel Kalish, Trustee of Achiezer and Agudath Israel’s National Director of Government Affairs.
A live webcast can be seen here.
Like a smokeless fire…
On my drive home one day last week, I was listening a podcast about Tefillah and heard the following quote:
There should always be a fire, but you shouldn’t be able to see the smoke. – Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk
I almost had to stop the car. What a powerful saying. It is referring to our avodah (in this case davening) and how we have sustain a certain level of passion and enthusiasm, yet, in true Kotzker style, we shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves.
Schukeling during daving is fine, as I tell my son, but it’s not the main avodah of davening. Wanting to be a role model for our families (and ourselves) and not drawing too much attention to oneself is a fine line line. Most people who are really humble don’t draw attention to themselves, yet they make an impact. That’s is what the Kotzker is saying. Just because there’s a fire, you don’t have to see the smoke.
Free shiur from Rav Weinberger on lessons from the Super Storm
I just got an email from RavMosheWeinberger.com about a shiur that is available for free downloading. The shiur discusses lessons learned during and after “Sandy”.
It’s available here.
Please check it out!
Rabbi Lau speaking in Chicago
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| Click image for ticket information |
ב”ה
BUCHENWALD EXPOSED
AN EVENING WITH ISRAEL’S FORMER CHIEF RABBI
ISRAEL MEIR LAU
Sunday, December 2, 2012 | 7:00 PM
EVENT IS ALMOST SOLD OUT!!!
LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE TICKETS.
Niles North High School auditorium
9800 North Lawler Street, Skokie
A RIVETING DRAMA OF TORMENT, SURVIVAL AND RENEWAL.
Rabbi Lau will share his personal experience as a child in the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp and how he rebuilt his life to become chief rabbi of Israel.
~~~~~~
LIMITED SEATING
TICKETS $25 at the door (IF AVAILABLE) / ADVANCE online $18
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
https://www.jlichicago.com/index.php?option=com_form&form_id=4&Itemid=6&loc=events@learnchicago.com
For more info, group and student tickets, call: 312-445-0770
SPONSORSHIP: $250
(includes private reception & tour of Illinois Holocaust Museum with Rabbi Lau)
A project of Jewish Learning Institute of Metropolitan Chicago
Co-sponsored by: Illinois Holocaust Museum and Walder Education Pavillion
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Rabbi Israel Meir Lau is a widely respected international dignitary, gifted orator, celebrated author, Holocaust survivor and inspiration. He was the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel from 1993 to 2003, and is currently the chairman of Yad Vashem and chief rabbi of Tel Aviv.
3rd yahrtzeit of my dad a"h
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| Note I wrote that was saved by my dad a”h |
Tonight, the 16th of MarCheshvon, is the 3rd yarhzeit of my dad, Albert Lyon Harris, Avraham ben Zorach. My brother made arrangements to be in town and we went to ma’ariv so that we could say kaddish together.
Of course, seeing my dad’s brother and sister with their spouses at our son’s bar mitzvah recently has brought up the natural feelings of loss, even before the yahrzeit. Not having my in-laws or my father present for our simcha was hard. However, the loss of a loved one in this world does help crystallize the feeling of loss the I now experience during Tisha B’av, the day of national mourning for the loss of the holy temple, the Beis Hamikdash. It also puts more feeling behind the 12th Ani Ma’amim which affirms our believe in the revival of the dead in the time of Moshiach.
The note above was something that my father saved, for some reason. My bar mitzvah was December 3, 1983. Later in the month we must have gone out for Chinese food and I wrote this note. I guess I gave it to my dad. About six years ago, he had purchased a Hebrew/English gemara Pesachim on eBay and sent it to me. Sitting between the pages was the note about the Chinese food. He got a tremendous kick out of the fact that before I kept Kosher I hated Chinese food, yet I now love it. His foresight to keep this note and send it to me is a reminder that he remembered the little things about me when I was growing up (that I had forgotten about) and figured that eventually I would change my tune and taste buds. We should all see our loved ones for who they are and for who they may become.
A line in the sand of the separate beach
There’s been tons of chatter about the Mishpacha issue dealing with baalei teshuva. I read it and wrote the editors. Beyond BT as made arrangements to actually post the responses. You can read what they have posted, so far, here.
Fitting in or being reminded that you don’t fit in is a universal feeling. As a BT, I’ll admit, it’s an issue. I think, however, that the focus on not fitting in becomes more of an issue than if we really fit in or not. In 2007 I wrote something for BeyondBT titled “Are we to obsessed with integration?”
We live in an era when baalei teshuva have first, second, and even third generation frum from birth branches in their family trees. BTs are now shul rabbis, rebbes, teachers, kollel members, and principals within the frum community.
6th yartzeit of my father-in-law a"h
The 12th of Cheshvon (Sunday) was the 6th yartzeit of my father-in-law, Dan ben Aharon haLevi. Thanks to the quick thinking of my sister-in-law, my son has been wearing his Zaidy’s tefillin for over a month (of course, making a bracha on them for the first time on the 2nd of Cheshvon). The fact and zechus (merit) that he owns and uses his Zaidy’s tefillin leaves both my wife and a I speechless sometimes. My son said it best, when he recently told my wife that everytime he kisses the tefillin it is his way of saying, “Thank you” to Zaidy.
Our sages teach that we’ll soon see the revival of the dead and they will, in fact, return shalayim, completely whole and healthy. It really can’t happen soon enough.
