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!

Dvar Torah for Shabbos

Hi All,



The Chofetz Chayim has a beautiful and empowering insight into what appears to be a rather minor comment in this week’s Parsha.
In the verse (3:5), HaShem’s commands Moshe to remove his shoes because of the holiness of the ground upon which he stands. Simple enough. The Chofetz Chayim, however, sees a deeper message in these words. To wit: Whenever a person is ready to fulfill his/her life’s mission; wherever a person “stands” in this journey towards that realization, that place is holy and sacred.
This is one an astounding idea. Holiness and our closeness to Gd becomes a function of our courage and strength to move forward and accomplish that which we know we must.
One caveat, though. “Remove your shoes.” Or put differently in “Mama lashon,” get rid of the garbage. Delete the messes. Repair the mistakes. Banish the sins that get us into so much trouble.
Touch your “four cubits” and feel the holiness of the ground beneath. It’s your holiness. Experience its creative powers and feel the breathe of the Shechina on your face.

Good Shabbos

The 30 Day Challenge

AAAHHH!!! Conclave's over?! Now what?!

How about this?

Do something small... for just 30 days. You'll be surprised to see it's all you need to go great places.

Here's a 3-minute video of a guy who knows how it's done.

"The next 30 days are going to pass whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to try and give it a shot for the next 30 days?” (Matt Cutts)

Baby Steps for Growth

You know that feeling you get when your status or profile picture gets a bunch of likes and you feel good? 

As Rabbi Polstein told us on shabbos, every NCSYer can feel the squeeze. This weekend, I felt that “squeeze” more than anything. However, as nice as that was, I really saw so many other NCSYers receive this “squeeze” as well, in many inspiring and incredible ways. 

This year I wanted to start NCSY in a new manner. I truly hoped that by now I would be content with certain decisions I wanted to make, but there is still one struggle I find myself continuously going back and forth with. Most of this is because I didn't have the confidence.

I didn't know why I, personally, was the only one in my school to dress a certain way within my school. Of course, I tried. However, getting my outer exterior beaten down by so many people in one day was something that wasn't fun for me. 

But, I didn’t give up. 

I decided I would take it slow, babysteps, you know? Make it a little easier on myself. Though, through the passing time, I found myself in a stand-still. I wasn’t making any progress, and this killed me.

After kumzitz, two really special people spoke up about their personal experiences. How they managed and changed their lives through modesty...at a public school. 

After the second girl spoke, my mind began whirling with the struggle of knowing who I want to be, while not being sure how I could actually become that person.

Being so overwhelmed, I left the room and went outside searching for one of my fellow advisor role-models. In actuality, they found me. I told them how upset I was for not being the role model I wanted to be. How in ways, I felt inconsistent with my actions and how I wanted to change. I didn’t understand why I had to struggle so much and why that inner inspiration wouldn’t just come to me.

That advisor reassured me that struggle is not a problem, in ways, my struggling can help inspire others.  I guess as we conversed, I found that little bit of inspiration, that push that I needed to get me going again. 

If those two girls could do it, why can’t I? They were so inspiring. 

What I’ve learned and want to promote most from this Conclave is that patience is virtue. Sometimes, if you try so hard for something, and it never comes, you’ll start to neglect it. However, with some patience and positivity it may just come to you a with a little more ease. 

This NCSY was probably the most inspiring, heart breaking, and educational convention I have ever attended.  I, and all of NCSY, has truly been Inspired. 

Contest Submission #11

Reaching Goals..It's a Journey

Conclave of 2012 was by far one of the most memorable memories with NCSY. Conclave has always been special to me, since it is the only convention I have attended every year so far. Last year's conclave I received the Lev Tahor Citation, and lately, I've been striving for a bit more. I have grown a noticeable amount since the year has started up again and I set a new goal: to receive Havdallah dedication. I knew it wouldn't happen right away because that is the beauty of making goals; the journey to reaching them. However, only about a month later did this award come my way and I was beyond thrilled that I received this recognition. It makes me feel like I have been changing more lives than just my own. This conclave along with every other NCSY convention has opened my eyes to opportunities, challenges, and ways to grow and strive to be who I want to be. I have been making changes to my daily life ever since TJJ 2011. Giving a session about joy and happiness at conclave last weekend is one way to show that. Normally, I would NEVER have had the courage to do it! But I powered through it and through all the good and bad I have been through on this adventure, I am so very proud of myself and I hope I continue to make others proud as well.

Post by, Shaina Stasi

Contest Submission #10

NCSY Family

When I came to conclave, I had no clue what I was getting in to. But after everyone welcomed me in with open arms, I can't thank everyone enough. NCSY has not only given me a new way to connect to judaism, NCSY has given me a new home and a new family. Thank you

Post by, Jordan Kodner

Contest Submission #9

Tonight I Met Up With An Old Friend

Someone who I hadn’t spoken to in a few months. We did not stop communication due to any issues or faults; it was simply just because our lives had gone separate ways. She and I are very similar in many ways, one of which we both have old souls. 

I had discussed with her much of what has happened to me in the past few months. As I spoke about it more, and heard the words flow out my mouth so effortlessly, I realized something; once a person stops doing what’s easy, they will allow inspiration in. This happened to me for several reasons. I had discussed at Kumzits a little of what I had changed in my life and gave one reason why I had changed. I shared how I changed the way I dressed, and explained that I did this because I wanted to be a good role model for my junior NCSYers. I have more than just one reason, and more than just one change I have made in my life this year. 

This I did not speak about at Kumzits. When I spoke, I did mention that if I could just inspire one person, which would be enough for me, still applies now. I haven’t just changed the way I dress, but I’ve changed the way I eat, treat my body, and others around me. 

After speaking with my friend tonight I realized that the best things in life are the ones that are the hardest to do. Doing what your body wants just cause it’s easier, is what I had always done. I have not respected myself in the past, yet I still expected respect back from others. 

I see now that life is all about perception. You can’t expect others to respect you when you don’t respect yourself. I decided that from where I stood in these moments, my perception was wrong. In the past, I had lost my connection with Gd. I came to a point where I didn’t believe in a Gd. This shames me now, even just to think about.  How could I live life with such ignorance? Well, I did.

After being at the juniors’ first convention this year, as an advisor, something struck the inside of my soul.  I had to dress my part as an “advisor”, which meant I had to dress with modesty. At that convention I had a few struggles with some of the juniors, but I realized that they look up to me, even if it’s just for advice and guidance. They look up to me, because I show them they can. 

Life’s all about perception and the way you present yourself to others. 

As I sat there one night at the convention broken down, crying, and simply myself, I felt reconnected. I looked toward something myself for guidance, and that was Gd. After that moment, sitting alone, at my lowest, stripped of all my impurities, I said I needed to change. 

This I have never discussed with anyone, and I did not want to get emotional in front of an audience at Kumzits, so I gave a simpler version of why I changed. In Judaism, if you’re not growing, you’re falling behind. And in my eyes, if you’re not taking something out of a bad experience, you’re leaving something behind. Life’s not about using free will easily. You’re supposed to do what’s hard to do. 

I got Havdallah dedicated to me this past weekend at Conclave, and it was because I did what was hard for me. I changed myself, because I left out taking the easy steps. No one will be able to feel the emotions I had felt these past few months, but just hear me out. 

Life is more than doing what you want. Happiness comes when you do what’s hard. You won’t accomplish this until you experience it the hard way. It’s not easy to do good things and find happiness. But no one ever said it’s easy.

-Natasha Raizel Zucker

Contest Submission #8