On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Rav Yisrael Salanter would instruct each member of the family how to behave. He would warn them against getting angry and against idle conversation, for they were all in grave danger. Their carefulness was to last at least through the morning when the judgement is strictest.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm
Someone once left a coin on the window sill in Beis HaTalmud, and it remained there for many yearss. No one touched it.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
“Run, run, run as fast you can!
You can’t catch me,
I’m The Gingerbread Man!”
Recently while returning a copy of the Gingerbread Man to the library I skimmed through the book. It had been years since I had heard/read the story. I, at first, felt bad for the the Gingerbread Man. He wants to live a life of freedom, like other human beings. He makes a great escape and after a furious chase he eventually ends up being eaten by a fox.
Maybe its just a feeling of being out of sorts lately or the excitement/responsibilty of Elul, but I can see myself (at times) as a Gingerbread Man…of sorts. What I mean is that the Gingerbread Man makes the mistake of thinking that he is meant for something greater than his potential. He tries to fight the natural outcome of being a Gingerbread Man. Despite some couragous antics and thinking that a fox will save him, his destity or Divine Providence is to be eaten. His nature, that of being a cookie to be enjoyed with a bracha before and after, is the sole purpose of his existance.
There are times that I’ve gotten trapped into the reverse mentality of the Gingerbread Man. While he, in his crispy-on-the-outside-and-soft-on-the-inside-greatness doesn’t realize that to go beyond the limits of his potential is futile, I can count the times that I have limited my own potenial own based on what I think that I cannot achieve. When I think about what I could have done at several key points in my life I know that the only thing that stopped me was…me.
As an aside, it’s interesting that the story of the Gingerbread Man, passed down from generation to generation is still the story of a Gingerbread Man. Perhaps women have a better self view of their potenial and roles in life than we men do. I know that my wife married me because she saw my potential, not the warped view of Gingerbread Man, who saw what he wasn’t instead of what he was.
Rabbi Heshy Kleinman, author of the Books PRAYING WITH FIRE (vols 1 and 2) will be in Chicago this coming week.
These shiurim are in conjunction with the Chicago Community Wide Tefillah Initiative.
Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, The Alter of Kelm
A visitor forget his cane in Beis HaTalmud (the Alter’s yeshiva in Kelm). When he returned for another visit thirteeen later, having lone since despaired of recoving the cane, he found it hanging in the same spot where he had left it.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm
R’ Simcha Zissel also instituted a five-minute seder, for which the students were required to come in specially. Its purpose was to accustom them to value time and concentrate their thoughts quickly.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
Baruch Pelta was kind enough to post this article from the Yated on Rav Wolbe’s view of TIDE.
Well worth the click of your mouse!!
Dixie Yid, who has probably done more in promoting the works of R Itamar Schartz (online) than anyone else, has posted details about the author’s tour in the US. Please feel free to read the details here.
The works of Rav Schwartz are profound, accessable, and truly are tools in helping a Jews connect to Hashem. Several English translations of his writings are available here. Personally, I’ve grown by both his seforim and Rav Weinberger’s shiurim based on Rav Schwartz’s seforim.
Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm
When they wash before meals, it was customary of every student in Kelm, after he had washed his hands, to fill the cup with water for the next one.
From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik
