Wisdom From a 109 Year Old Holocaust Survivor

109 year old Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz-Sommer, shares very powerful wisdom.

 

 Attitude is everything!

(Video from Shelley Israel)

Appreciating People

In Pirkei Avos (1:15) it says, "vehevai mikabel es kol haadom bisaiver panim yafos" -
"you should greet every person with a pleasant demeanor."
Why does the mishnah say haadom, instead of adom.
The same question could also be asked for the statement in Pirkei Avos (1:6) that says, "vehevai dan es kol haadom likaf zchus" - "and give every person the benefit of the doubt."
Why the extra letter "hey" before adom?? There must be a message here..

The Sfas Emes tells us that this little extra letter actually gives us the secret to having successful relationships. "Kol haadom" literally means all of the person. We learn from here that in order to be pleasant to every person and in order to judge them favorably we need to respect and appreciate all aspects of their being. Once we are able to recognize all of the great qualities in people it will be natural for us to greet them pleasantly and judge them favorably!

Let's take this even deeper. Rabbeinu Yonah asks a really interesting question: One of the fundamental concepts of Judaism is "veahavta l'raiacha kamocha" - "love you friend as yourself." Why is it that the word "raicha" is used here instead of a different word, like "chavercha?"
Rabbeinu Yonah says the most amazing idea which, if we really take to heart, can make our relationships much more meaningful.
He says that in the word "raicha" is the word "ra" meaning bad. What this means is that everyone has some bad in them, some type of flaw. We shouldn't even expect to meet perfect people, because people like that don't exist. Sometimes we see faults in people and from then on it's hard to think of them without thinking of their faults.
"Veahavta l'raiacha kamocha" is teaching us that in order to love people we need to look past their flaws and appreciate the greatness that's inside them.

(Step By Step, article by Rabbi Shalom Rosner)

In the beginning of this week's Parsha we find an integral lesson of learning hidden in the first Pasuk. Rashi tells us that the word "l'ha'alos", to bring up (the flame of the menorah), is purposeful, specifically chosen instead of "l'hadlik", to kindle.

He explains that the Kohen would keep his flame by the wick of the menorah and wait while it flickers until the flame itself can stand alone, without the Kohen's guidance. Rav Hirsch explains this along the lines of a teacher and a student.

A teacher's job is to guide the student, keep him in line, ensure the light of the flame even if it flickers. Eventually, however, the goal is for the student to shine brightly himself. Ultimately, he should also be able to kindle someone else.

Hopefully, we will all fulfill this mandate and internalize for ourselves the ideals of the Torah, in this recommitment during Purim. Have a great Shabbos and a wonderful Purim.

The Grogger - Dreidel Showdown

The gemara (megillah 16a) says that Haman came to get Mordechai as he was teaching a class. After the shiur ended Haman asked the students what they had learned. They said they learned that during the time of the Bais Hamikdash a man would take a handful of fine flour to make an atonement. Haman responded that their fine flour displaced his 10,000 talents of silver (which is what he gave to Achashveirosh to destroy the Jews).
The Avnei Nezer asks: It sounds like Haman is saying that the Jews beat him. Haman was a pretty full of himself, so why would he want to give the Jews the impression that his plan failed??
Haman was also a really sneaky guy. He knew that the Jews have a tremendous power of prayer, and he was scared their prayers would ruin his evil scheme. Therefore, he wanted them to think that they won so they wouldn't pray with such devotion.
But as it turned out, it was his plan that was an epic fail!

Which brings us to the grogger - dreidel showdown.
Have you ever wondered why the handle of a dreidel is on top, while the handle of a grogger is on the bottom?? There's no such thing as coincidences in Judaism :)
Here is the amazing answer:
On Chanukah we had miracles such as the small group of Maccabeim overcoming the entire Greek army and a little jug of oil lasting for 7 days. These are what we call open miracles; it was completely clear that Hashem was involved. On Chanukah it was Hashem who took initiative and brought salvation from above, and therefore the handle of the dreidel faces upwards towards Hashem.
On Purim the miracles were very hidden. During the Purim story Hashem was working undercover, and therefore His name isn't mentioned at all in the megillah! (It isn't mentioned openly, but our rabbis say that every mention of "the king" in the megillah can be understood to refer to Hashem). On Purim our salvation came through our own initiative. When Haman tried to trick us to stop davening he didn't realize that we have a connection to prayer that is very deep and can never be taken away from us. Because we took the initiative to bring about our salvation, the handle of the grogger faces downwards towards us.

Happy happy Purim!!

HAMENTASHEN RECIPE

Here is a delicious hamentashen recipe I took from my roommate. I may have tasted one or two after she made them... :-)

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

1/3 cup orange juice

5-5 1/2 cup flour

3 tsp vanilla

3 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients an roll out into dough.

My family uses the top of a glass to cut the dough out into circles. 

After cutting out the circles, put some filling in the centers (jelly, chocolate chips, poppy seeds etc..)

Simply pinch the dough into triangles. Make sure they are tightly pinched together so they don't come apart in the oven!

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until a light brown. Depending on your oven, they may be done in as little as 12-15 minutes, so check then and adjust the time as needed.

ENJOY AND HAVE A HAPPY PURIM!!! :]

The Dash by Linda Ellis

The Dash

By Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak


At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone


From the beginning to the end.


He noted that first came the date of her birth


And spoke of the following date with tears,


But he said what mattered most of all


Was the dash between those years.


For that dash represents all the time


That she spent alive on earth


And now only those who loved her


Know what that little line is worth.


For it matters not, how much we own,


The cars, the house, the cash,


What matters is how we live and love


And how we spend our dash.


So think about this long and hard;


Are there things you’d like to change?


For you never know how much time is left


That can still be rearranged.


If we could just slow down enough


To consider what’s true and real


And always try to understand


The way other people feel.


And be less quick to anger


And show appreciation more


And love the people in our lives


Like we’ve never loved before.


If we treat each other with respect


And more often wear a smile,


Remembering that this special dash


Might only last a little while.


So when your eulogy is being read


With your life’s actions to rehash


Would you be proud of the things they say


About how you spent your dash?

Perspective

Life is a funny thing. You never know when you're going to have a profound effect on someone, whether from a conversation or just being yourself in their proximity. This is something to always keep in mind - because you never know what affect it is going to have on people, one should always do their best to make a positive impression and impact. When speaking, choose words carefully and make sure to get your point across. Speak thoughtfully. Live thoughtfully.

'Till 120!

Today's Hebrew date -- the 7th of Adar -- is Moshe's birthday and yahrtzeit (death date). Moshe, arguably the greatest leader of all time, lived 120 years and is the paradigm for the traditional Jewish birthday wish to live 'till 120! ("ad meah v'esrim!"). The Torah itself states that not only did Moshe live a long life, but his "eyes didn't dim, and his vigor did not diminish" (Devarim 34:7) and in Breishit 6:3 G-d Himself says that man won't be immortal, but that his years will be 120 -- the sign of a full, complete life.

Interestingly, people have always had an obsession with youth. From claiming to be 21 years old forever, to plastic surgeries, to anti-aging creams, to the legendary search for the fountain of youth, people have a fascination with the mystery of how to break nature's prescribed path of growing old.

But its rare to really appreciate the beauty that growing old entails.

In fact, the phrase itself speaks worlds: to grow old.

To live a static life is not much of a life. But to GROW old? Now that's pretty awesome.

A few weeks ago on Shabbos, I had the privelege of witnessing and being inspired by a man who knows the meaning of "growing old." Rabbi Sidney Keiman, the rabbi emeritus of Congregation Adereth El in Manhattan, turned 100 years old on January 27, 2013. The Shabbos before his birthday (parshat Beshalach) was understandably an incredible one for the entire community.  Rabbi Kleiman was called to the Torah for the aliyah that included Az Yashir -- the song of gratitude that the Jews sang when passing through the red sea on their way out of Egypt. Two congregants lifted R' Kleiman from his wheelchair and supported him on either side as he stood with an unnatural strength before the Torah for the entire aliyah. In respectful awe, the entire congregation stood right along with him.

 

I wish I could take a peek through the window of what Rabbi Kleiman has seen over the past century, but suffice it to say I doubt he could have ever predicted the iPhone 5. When he first arrived in his shul, there were still individuals there who were alive during the Civil War! He was there during the Great Depression when congregants would donate coal and clothing instead of money. Can you imagine someone who was not just alive during the Holocaust, but was a full fledged rabbi of an American shul in 1939, leading a congregation through those years of tragedy? And then to witness the complete turn around with the celebration that followed the establishment of the state of Israel!

100 years down the line, though wheelchair bound, R' Kleiman is still the first one in shul every single day. In fact, that's how he spent his 100th birthday -- going to shul like he does every other day. Perhaps the most beautiful part of his birthday shabbos was seeing R' Kleiman, still fully with it, give a brachah in a strong powerful voice to the crowd of children presenting him with his birthday card.

In his own words in an article about him:

( http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/interviews-and-profiles/rabbi-kleiman-still-the-first-one-in-shul/2012/01/19/ ):

"I'm not that big a man. My name is Kleiman, which means 'small man,' kleiner mann. I'm just happy to do what I do, and if people want to follow my example, so much better."

When we think about growing old, we tend to wonder: What's the secret? I want to share with you a short clip from the Ellen Degeneres show, featuring a 105 year old woman Edythe Kirchmaier. When asked the secret to living a long life, her focus was on positivity. In her words, "If something happens, I can't do anything about it. So I don't let it bother me."

Wishing us all a long meaningful life! Till 120!

Brought to you by....

When asked, some people might posit that Judaism is "all about Gd." 

Why, then, is there no mention of Gd in Megillat Esther? 

We have just finished reading about the story of Yetziat Mitzraim, the exodus from Egypt, in which Gd tells Moshe multiple times that he has hardened Pharaoh's heart. Gd plays an integral and obvious role in the story of Egypt. On the contrary, there is no mention of Gd in Megillat Esther. These two stories are read at similar times in the Jewish calendar -- why does it make sense to have these two huge miraculous stories with conflicting portrayals of Gd? 

Purim shows us that as humans, we too have a role in the creation and execution of miracles. The timeliness of the stories of Purim and Yetziat Mizraim show us that miracles can be instituted by Gd and can also be instituted by humans and  made possible by Gd. Gd is the reason that we are able to create miracles for ourselves.

In advertising form, we would say this: 

The Miracle of Egypt: Brought to you by Gd

The Purim Miracle: Brought to you by Esther and Mordechai, made possible by Gd

Queen Esther Fan Club

Happy Adar!!
So I actually am a huge Queen Esther fan. I mean besides for the fact that she kept strong to Jewish halacha and values while she was Queen, she also kept her nationality a secret for 5 years, put up with Achashveroshes shananagans, and saved the entire Jewish people from destruction! How cool is she??

Purim is a very fascinating holiday. On the outside it may seem like it's just a day of fun but in truth it's said to be the holiest day of the year. The Vilna Gaon explains that the full name of Yom Kippur is Yom Hakipurim, meaning "teh day like Purim." If Yom Kippur is like Purim, it means that Purim is even greater than Yom Kippur! Brings Purim to a whole new light, doesn't it?
There are so many life changing lessons we can learn from Purim and this one is about none other than Queen Esther :).

Courtesy of Aish.com

Giving to Love

What is love? How do we cultivate it? In a fairly roundabout way, we catch a glimpse into a little-known secret from this week's Parsha.

The Pasuk tells us "When you see your donkey of the person you hate struggling under a load" then you shall surely help him(23:5).  What is the Torah trying to do by helping our enemies? Does it think that our enemy will like us more if we help?

In a strange way, it might be the opposite. The Zohar tells us that the word Ahavah, meaning to love, has the root "hav", to give. Many people consider this to mean we give to someone and they will love us. This, as before, is not the meaning of the lesson.

When we give we lov. Taking part of ourselves- be it through time, effort or money- and investing it in another person, not only expresses your love for them, it intesifies it. When we help our enemy. besdies his appreciation, we too begin to love them more. 

The Mishna in Avos tells us "aquire for yourself a friend". Why aquire? will he want to be your friend once you shower him with gifts. Actually, it may mean YOU will be his friend afterwards. 

How to Make Lemonade

You all know the famous saying: "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." 

I know that this quote is very cliche and overused, but it's actually so true!
Life isn't easy. We all have challenges that we go through. Like lemons, these challenges can make our lives really sour.
But I don't want to have a sour life!How can I make my life sweet??
Here's the (not so) secret answer: Make lemonade! Pour in tons of water and sugar (and red food coloring if you're going for pink lemonade). 
The secret is that you can't get rid of the lemons, but you can sweeten it.

Matthew Jeffers is a Beth Tfiloh graduate in Baltimore. Matthew teaches us that the only disability in life is a bad attitude. Basically meaning, pass the sugar :)

Courtesy of Aish.com

Hello! My Name is G-d

Welcome to Parshat Yitro! One of the two places in the Torah where we're told about the Jewish people receiving the 10 Commandments.

People don't always question the 10 commandments considering that they're pretty fundamental principles of faith. But if there's anything to learn about Judaism, it's that we're a religion of questioning. So here's a Question...

Statement #1 of the Big Ten is: I am Hashem your G-d who took you out of Egypt. 

Now, t's really nice that G-d is introducing Himself to us from the get-go, but why is "the G-d who took you out of Egypt" the phrase He uses to describe Himself?  It seems to me that He's forgetting something from the top of His resume! How about: "I am Hashem your G-d, the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE!"  I would say that bringing the world into existence is a teensy bit more significant than saving a measly little nation from the bondage of slavery. G-d chooses instead to refer to Himself as the one who took us out of Egypt?! Really?! It's like your mom introducing herself as the one who drove carpool today instead of saying I'm the one who carried you for 9 months, gave birth to you, and have been dealing with the consequences of raising you ever since. So why isn't G-d going all out to sell Himself here?

Answer is.... drumroll please....that actually, G-d IS going all out -- and is doing so in a way that's far far better than calling Himself the Creator of the Universe.

Here's why:

The problem with referring to Himself as the Creator of the Universe is that G-d's goal in giving us the Torah is to build a relationship with us. (You should feel pretty awesome about that -- you basically got a marriage proposal from G-d).  Just like you build a strong relationship off of what you have in common, the problem with G-d introducing Himself as the Creator of the Universe is that when it comes to the creation of the world, WE WEREN'T THERE!

G-d wants us to know how much He cares about us, that He went through unbelievable measures to save us, and so "G-d who took you out of Egypt" is much more personal and is more important to our relationship than anything else -- even the creation of the world. (In case you were wondering why we seem to talk about leaving Egypt all the time, even in kiddush and on holidays, this may be part of the reason why).

But you know what's REALLY cool? G-d taking us out of Egypt ALSO shows His power as G-d, and that makes it an even better introduction.

1. It proves He created the world. (Only the One who created nature would be capable of  breaking all its laws through the 10 plagues and then would be successfully able to put the laws of nature back together again afterwards).

2. It proves that G-d is involved in the world, and didn't just abandon us after creation. (There's a lot of divine involvement in the story of the Exodus. Only a G-d who is actually involved in the world could specifically cast a plague on Egyptians and not the Jews when they were all so closely intermingled).

3. It proves that G-d is fair. (When the Egyptians drowned in the sea, they didn't all die the same way -- they died according to how evil they were. The ones who were not as bad had a quick death where they drowned in the water like heavy lead, whereas the really evil ones drowned like straw that takes a torturously long time to sink). 

At second glance, G-d's introduction is deep stuff. It confirms His power as an involved and just Creator of the world, who is choosing to build a relationship with us... His Jewish people.

Now that's pretty awesome. 

Nice to meet you, G-d. I'm glad to be on Your team.

Spiritual Rejevenation

“Who can express in words what Shabbos has meant to the Jews throughout the generations?

At week’s end, the galus Jew trudges wearily home, bearing in his heart the incessant pain and the burdens of his downtrodden people. Nevertheless, even as he winds his way along the narrow paths of the ghetto, his heart is filled with joyous anticipation, for he knows that the unique beauty and sanctity of the Shabbos will soon encompass him and that its magnificent blessings will soon descend upon his home.

As his wife lights the Shabbos candles, the Jew is aware that these lights usher in an aura of shalom bayis; peace and serenity will quickly permeate his home. His Shabbos table radiates joy and happiness and is set as for a king. On this day his soul rejoices, and as a man reborn, he raises his voice in song.

This is the island of spiritual strength amidst the turbulent sea of exile. This is his Shabbos – sacred day of rest, and never-ending source of spiritual rejuvenation.”

-Rav Zechariah Fendel : Seasons of Splendor