Where Hashem’s Shechinah resides

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During an Avos U’banim (father and son) learning program on Shabbos I had a discussion with my son (entering 3rd grade) and one of his friends (entering 5th grade) about behavior and kavod (honor) that we need to have while in a shul or beis midresh.

I quoted the Gemora in Megillah 29a that states the since the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) Hashem’s Shechinah (Presense) which use to reside in the the Beis HaMikdash, now on a certain level resides in a beis haknesses (shul) and beis hamidrash (study hall).

My son’s friend piped up, “I thought that Hashem is everywhere?”
My son then quickly quoted the famous Uncle Moishy lines, “Hashem is here, Hashem is there…Hashem is truly everywhere.”

They brought up a good point. I submitted to the following analogy to hopefully explain this concept:

We know that the sun give us light all over the section of the Earth that it shines upon. However if you were to take a magnifying glass and put a leave under it, with some careful focusing you can focus part of the sun’s light and burn a leaf (this was a favorite activity of mine when I was younger). By doing this we are not taking away any of the light that’s being shined by the sun. So to, as I explained to my son and his friend, when we say that Hashem’s Shechinah resides in both shuls and batei midrashim, it doesn’t mean that Hashem is only in these places and not everywhere else. The Shechina itself is only being re-focused in certain locations. That focusing of doesn’t take away from Hashem being everywhere.

The power of Ratzon…

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… or the great escape.

Friday morning my wife and I woke up to our 21 month old uber-daughter yelling, “Out! Out!”. We then heard a thump, some crying and a door open. I got out of bed and when into the hallway to find our daughter out and about.
I found our two older children playing and asked them, “Did you take your sister out of the crib?”
They both answered in the negative.

I looked at our toddler and said, “Did (insert name of brother here) take you out of the crib?”

She said, “No.”

“Did (insert name of sister here) take you out of the crib?”

Again, “No.”

“Who took you out of the crib?”

She looked at me, raised her right hand up in the air, as if she was in a classroom, and answered, “Me.”

Rav Dessler teaches that ratzon, desire, is the root of all action and that Hashem will help fullfill ones’ ratzon. He gives the example of a a thief who wants to steal something will, with effort, acquire the desired object. Of course, our desire, as Rav Dessler write in Michtav M’ Eliyahu, to grow in closenss to Hashem or work on Middos perfection will also be assisted by Hashem.

In this case, my daughter simply wanted out of her crib. My wife’s desire, latter that morning was for me to lower the mattress in the crib. No more suprise escapes…for now!

Tinok ben Aviva home this past Shabbos

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Received via email…

“Chasdei Hashem Yisbarach. With endless gratitude to HaKB”H for His endless rachamim, we would like to inform all of you chashuv mispallelim that Tinok ben Aviva has, after close to six months post birth, finally arrived at his home in the heart of Sha’arei Chessed on Erev Shabbos Kodesh, parshas Chukas.”

Around the Shabbos Table-from the Salant Foundation

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From the Salant Foundation’s email list:
AROUND THE SHABBOS TABLE\CHUKOS

As the People of Israel traveled through the desert on their way to the Land of Israel, they came to the border of Edom, who were the descendents Eisev. Moshe asked the leaders of Edom permission for his people to pass through Edom because it was the most direct route to Israel. Moshe explained that his people “will not pass through field or vineyard.” Meaning, that they will circumvent the residential areas, so that their passing will not cause any damage.

The leaders of Edom refused Moshe’s request and amassed troops at the borders. Israel could have defeated Edom, just as they defeated the more powerful kingdoms of Og and Sichon. However, Moshe elected to withdraw and took a circuitous route around Edom.

What was the rationale of Moshe’s decision? Why did he feel it was more important to yield to Edom, than to take lead millions of people on a longer, more dangerous route?

Moreover, there were several compelling reasons for Moshe to go through Edom. Firstly, Moshe had permission from HaShem to bring Am Yisrael through Edom. Secondly, Edom refused even though they heard the great miracles that HaShem had performed for Israel. Lastly, their stubborn refusal and aggressive response revealed that had were openly hostile to Am Yisrael. Since Edom were descendents of Eisev, they were “family” of Am Yisael.

Therefore, Moshe decided that family peace should be preserved under all circumstances.

Family relationships are a special gift from HaShem. Therefore, we should endeavor to preserve and protect our family relationships, as much as possible. As a result, HaShem will bless us with peace – the supreme element for quality living.

TODAY: Strive to make peace with all of your family members. To subscribe (free) to eMussar send email to salant@netvision.net.il or visit our website www.salantfoundation.org
Please share eMussar with a family member or friend.
eMussar” Copyright © 2008 by Rabbi Zvi Miller and the Salant Foundation

Mishpacha article about Rav Hirsch

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Dr. Yitzhok Levine has posted the Mishpacha Magazine article about Rav Hirsch’s 200th birthday. It was written by Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfuter and give a great history of Rav Hirsh’s life, struggles, and accompliments to Klal Yisrael (inlcuding a connection to both the beginning of the Agudath Israel and the Beis Yaakov movment). This was easily one of my favorite quotes for the article:

It is noteworthy that Rav Shimon Schwab related that the Imrei Emes once told him that “the Tzaddik of Frankfurt [Rav Hirsch] was a leibidege mussar sefer [a living morality text].”
The article is an easy read and is available here, thanks to Dr. Levine (who gave me permission to post the link).

Sundays Spark of Mussar

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Rabbi Yisrael Salanter

On the Torah’s statement that a wife was created as “ezer kenegdo”, a helpmate against him,” the Talmud explains, “If he is worthy, she is a helpmate. If he is not worthy, she is against him.” R’ Yisrael added, “This applies to every minute of a person’s life. Whenever I improve myself, my wife becomes better too.”

From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik

Connections and reality

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First, this quote from the translation of Da Es Atzmecha by R Schwartz:

We identify with the material, and think we do Hashem a favor: “Thursday night I have a class I attend, and with that, I fulfill my responsibility to study Torah for the week.” This is the opposite of the reality. I have not met anyone who eats a piece of cake Thursday night and says, “I fulfilled my responsibility to eat for the week.” Why? Because he’s hungry! You don’t think about fulfilling your obligation. If the stomach is empty, you need to eat! If we would feel spiritual hunger the way we feel bodily hunger, we would solve the whole problem of life. The problem of life is the identification with the material. People think they have specific problems. One has this problem, another has a different problem. This is all true, but underlying it all is a root problem; namely, that we have the wrong sense of reality.

We’ve been dealing with DSL issues all week. I’ve been on the phone and off the phone for several hours all week. Tonight I was dealing with tech support for about an hour, just to get an internet connection so I could check email and, now, post. All this time and effort just to go online. As I reflect, it’s sort of silly. I did, however, recall the above quote that I read over Shavuos and realized that I am lacking in the efforts to maintain strong ‘connections’ in other areas of my life. For example, understanding Tefillah (prayer). While on hold, I decided that I can easily put as much effort into understanding Tefillah and having a stronger connection to Hashem, as I can to getting my DSL connection. We have several great seforim (books) on Tefillah.

I am not one to wave a flag and shout, “Hey! Look at me and what I’m doing!”, but I write this now only to make a concrete commitment to start spending at least an hour a week looking into what I’m actually saying when I daven (pray). In this way I hope to fullfill part of my obligation.

The ‘other’ blog

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The ‘other’ blog is the one that I haven’t posted anything on since April of 2007. The basis for this ‘other blog’ has been floating in my head for over ten years. I have for the last twenty years (yeah writing that make me feel really old) read The Nineteen Letters by Rav Hirsch every summer. Now, with Hashem’s help, I’m attempting to blog about this sefer.
If interested, please feel free to read more here.

Have a great Shabbos Kodesh!

Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum coming to Chicago

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As sent to me by Ruby Harris:

CHICAGO AZAMRA HOST COMMITTEE PRESENTS PERSONAL & GLOBAL HEALING

Reb Avraham in Chicago 11-18 June

Please come!!! Tell your friends!!! Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum, Director of the Jerusalem-based Azamra Institute, is a world-renowned teacher on Kabbalah, Chassidut, Healing and Environment, author of over twenty-five books, a former BBC radio producer and an accomplished musician.

Saturday June 14 at Ezras Israel 7001 N California Ave (corner of Lunt) (773) 764-8320: Talk on weekly parshah at 12:00 p.m. after Mechitza Minyan services; Class for Women at 4:00 p.m. THE SECRET OF THE MENORA

Saturday Night June 14 at 10:00 p.m. Musical Café at Young Israel of West Rogers Park 2706 W Touhy,773-743-4900 with Reb Avraham and Ruby Harris. Suggested Donation: $10. Pizza available MUSICAL CAFE MELAVEH MALKA

Sunday June 15, 11:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. at Cook County Forest Preserve, Morton Grove with Ruby Harris and Reb Avraham. Books, autographs, concerts, food and fun GREATER CHICAGO JEWISH FOLK ARTS FESTIVAL

Sunday June 15 at 8:15 p.m. at home of Dr. Julian Ungar 3100 west North Shore (Parkside Estates Complex: Enter from Pratt ADVANCED CLASS ON TEACHINGS OF RABBI NACHMAN 7) Monday June 16 at 8:00 p.m. at Adas Yehuda V’Shoshana (Aysh) 2548 Jasper Court, Sarah Potash Circle, Northbrook IL Phone: (847) 509-9204 PROPHETIC BLUEPRINT FOR THE COMING AGE: EZEKIEL’S ROADMAP

For more information call Peter (312) 841 0001 or Julian (219) 588 8000 or email chicagopeter@gmail.com or jyungar@yahoo.com