Shema Yisrael

Another awesome short film by Charlie Harary...

Taking the Time to Breathe

In this week's parsha, Parshat Shemot, Jewish slavery in Egypt begins. Strangely enough, as the work load increases there's no mention of the Jews complaining under the hard labor or crying out to Hashem. That is... until the day of the King of Egypt's death. Well, doesn't that seem like a strange time to cry? If anything, wouldn't they be excited by the death of the very king who was enslaving them? Now that he's dead, they can have hope that a new king might lift the strict work regimen and bring new policies!
Some commentaries explain the sudden Jewish cries by saying exactly that -- that it was after the death of the old king, and thus at the start of the new king's reign that they started crying. They were crying because it turned out that the new king was just as harsh as the old one. Before the death of the old king, the Jews looked forward to a light at the end of the tunnel, but now that the old one died and the new one was just as bad, all hope was lost. Time to turn to Hashem.
But I actually want to focus on a different approach -- that of the Netziv (Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin in the mid 1800's).
He strengthen's our original question by saying that the Jewish people especially shouldn't have been crying on the day of the king's death. This is because all of Egypt was mourning his death, and it was a day off for the entire country. In other words, the Jews wouldn't have been working on that day! So why in the world is their one day off from work the day when they suddenly started crying?!
The Netziv explains the situation with a profound idea.
You know that feeling of being so incredibly busy that you have no time to think, and then finally Shabbos arrives, you get to put your life on hold, and you can finally give yourself a chance to breathe?
Well that's essentially what happened to the Jews. They were worked so hard while the old Pharaoh gradually brought them into slavery, that they never had a real opportunity to pause and think about the seriousness of the situation they were in. It was only on the day that the Pharaoh died, when they weren't working, that they had time to reflect on their awful situation, recognize it's gravity, and call out to Hashem for help.
Let's reflect this story back to us.
We spend our whole lives running and running and running in circles with all the things we have to get done, but do we ever give ourselves a moment to breathe? To think? To add meaning to our day? To thank God for the gifts He's given us? We're so busy with the tasks that fill up our daily routine that we don't get to reflect on (hopefully) the AWESOMENESS of our lives!
What if the busy-ness of life is stopping us from doing something as crucial for our well-being as asking for Hashem's help was for the Jews enslaved in Egypt?
Before we get lost in our school work once again, let's finish up our winter vacations by taking a step out of our routine. Close your eyes, reflect on the greatness of life, and breathe!

Hey Everyone! Happy Chanuka!

First Off, I am sooooo excited to be submitting on the blog! This is such an awesome website. I saw two things recently that I thought I would share with everyone. One of them is the comic strip, just because it's hilarious.




























Aside from that, I saw a very cool article about the neurological response to prayer that Elisha Karan sent me and I found it very profound. 
It points to the idea that the brain uses the same parts during prayer as it does in the experience of friendship communication. 

In other words, prayer is actually deepening your 'relationship' with G-d quite literally. To see more on this.. here is the link to the article. It's really interesting: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/this-is-how-your-brain-reacts-during-intense-prayer/

Anywho, Happy Chanuka! If anyone has thoughts on it, I'd love to hear from you guys.

Post by, Rabbi Gershie Meisel

Ki Va Moed - The Time Has Come

The following was written by a friend of mine who is in Israel for the year. I found it to be incredibly inspiring, and thought it might have the same effect on you.



As we all know it is not an uncommon phenomenon for Israel to be met by threats and danger by her vicious enemies. In an expression of concern we find ourselves perusing news channels, papers and websites for information and facts about the situation. Whilst facts are important, people are more so and it is for this reason that I am writi

ng this.

Being in Israel at this time is nothing short of a privilege. Whilst the threats are immanent and the people weary; there is an undeniable spirit of resilience and unity that presides, one that no journalist or report will ever capture. The sirens drone and rockets fly, yet I have found myself truly memorized by the morale of the people, pressed to find someone void of courage, hope and faith. I am not for one moment trying to negate the great danger and tragedy of the situation that faces Am Yisrael here in Israel, but rather wish to try and demonstrate the true heroism of our people, for whom this is but normal. Ironically all too many “out of towners” have said they feel safer here than they ever have in Chutz La Aretz, the answer, as to why is quite simple. In Israel fellow Jews, not hostile strangers, surrounds us. Media stations do not try and vilify the IDF, but rather send out the names of the wounded so people can daven for them. Jews do not feel vulnerable, but united, empowered as a people in our land. Perhaps the most reassuring of all is the people’s faith. Named operation “Amud Anan” by secular army officials, after the pillar of smoke that guided Bnei Yisrael out of Mizrayim in the Torah, it is impossible to think that Hashem is not with His people at this dire time. On the contrary, we join together and sing… “Atah Takum, T'rachem Tsiyon, ki et l'chenanah ki va moed.” “Rise up, comfort Zion, because it is time to be gracious to her, because her time has come!”

The time has indeed come. The time has come for Am Yisrael to defend itself. The time has come to end the ongoing terrorism that plagues our people. The time has come for Am Yisrael to live in peace.
Ki Va Moed.

How can I do something?

Throughout the past few days, we have been hearing about the tough situation that has been going on in Israel. We have all been going through many emotions. One of them being distance. I feel that this is a very present emotion for myself and many others. We all feel for our brothers and sisters in Israel, but we are at a loss of what to do.  I came across something that looks to me like an amazing opportunity.

On this site, you can fill out a very simple form about yourself, and in return you get a name of a solider or resident who is in need of your help. This is your special partner. You can do anything you want, in his merit, to help him through this time. Acts of kindness, learning, davening, saying brachos etc... are all acceptable!

By having this one name become a part of you- I think that we will all be able to feel a little bit closer, and hopefully with HaShem's help we will be able to accomplish GREAT things! 

Here is the link:
http://www.shmiraproject.com/SignUp.aspx

Prayer for Israeli Soldiers - Remy Kaskel

Please pray for the Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza right now.


מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלהֵינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם. יִתֵּן ה' אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחְלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם. יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן. וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם איבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם: וְנאמַר אָמֵן

He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.

May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

May He lead our enemies under our soldiers’ sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.