AM Inspiration

  Dear G-d, It’s been a while. How are You? Though You didn’t ask, let me share with You how we are. Bluntly put: We’re not doing so well down here. Last Friday night – as You surely know – a beautiful family was butchered in cold blood. A father, mother and their three children. Just to confirm that You get their names and ages right, to assure them their box seats in heaven, here is the exact spelling of their names: Udi Fogel, 36. Ruth Fogel, 35. Yoav Fogel, 11. Elad Fogel, 4. Hadas Fogel, 3 months. Yes, You read that right, 3 months old… Throats slashed – all of them. What did they do wrong? They were sleeping in their home in the Promised Land, on a Friday night, after praying Shabbat services and eating the Shabbat meal, reciting blessings and singing Your praises. Yes, indeed: This happened on Shabbat. On  Your  Shabbat. And in  Your Holy Land. The land that Your eyes “watch from the beginning of the year till the end of the year.” In Japan, one of Your “natu...

DEAR FRIENDS, NO MATTER WHAT, DO NOT FORGET TO UTILIZE THE HOLY DAY OF PURIM TO DAVEN, DAVEN, DAVEN. DAVEN FOR YOUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, SPOUSES, CO-WORKERS, FOR ALL OF KLAL YISROEL. DAVEN FOR MASHIACH'S ARRIVAL TO FINALLY END THIS DARK AND BITTER GALUS. DAVEN FOR HASHEM TO REVEAL HIS GLORY UPON HIS CHILDREN, KLAL YISROEL, AND  THE END OF ALL PAIN AND HARDSHIP IN THE WORLD. DAVEN FOR THE MILLIONS OF ASSIMILATED JEWS WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY "SHMA YISROEL" DAVEN FOR THE COUNTLESS JEWISH SOULS WHO LACK DIRECTION AND ARE FALLING INTO THE WORLD OF THE YETZER HARA FASTER THAN WE CAN BRING THEM BACK. DAVEN FOR  HASHEM TO REDEEM US DESPITE OUR MANY SINS. DAVEN. JUST DAVEN. CRY REAL TEARS. DANCE HARD. SING. SMILE AT PEOPLE. LEARN SOME TORAH. BUT, ALL THE WHILE...DAVEN! THANK HASHEM FOR ALL THE GOOD HE GIVES US AND BEG HIM TO ALLOW THE REBUILDING OF THE BAIS HAMIKDASH TO HAPPEN REALLY SOON. DAVEN FOR ALL THE CHOLIM IN KLAL YISROEL. DAVEN FOR THOSE WHO...

what is happiness?  are you happy? is anyone happy? chazal tell us that "who is wealthy? he who is happy with what he has" "d'agah belev ish yesachena v'dvar tov yeshmchena" worry only heavies the heart while a happy thing gladdens the heart.. it seems that happiness comes with being content. not complacent but content. there is a big difference though the definitions do seem quite similar.  complacent: pleased,   especially   with   oneself   or   one's   merits,   advantages, situation,   etc.,   o ften   without   awareness   of   some   potential  danger   or   defect;   s elf-satisfied content:  satisfied   with   what   o ne   is   or   has;   not   wanting   more   or  anything   else. when one is content with his life, he believes that his life has content. It is good, it is something that he i...

I learned this piece from Nefesh Shimshon which I thought was supremely powerful so I just thought I would share. In the middle of the insanity that was leading up to WWII someone asked the Brisker Rav zt"l "what will be?" The Rav replied: " what will be does not matter to me. I only need to know what is permitted to do and what is forbidden to do." In our generation we often ask ourselves what will be? The answer is ITS NOT OUR BUSINESS! That is up to Hashem to decide. Hashem makes the world go round. The only thing that is our business: what is permitted to do, and what is forbidden to do.  This is harsh. It is hard to hear and even harder to implement practically. Just something to think about

During the week, I don't really notice it. Getting dressed is not a huge struggle. I get up in the morning hair is up, dressed..shoes and maybe make up if i feel like it. No biggy. No cause for stress. Then comes Friday night, Shabbos day..or any social occasion where i am expected to look better than average. That is when i freak out! What am I going to wear..I have no clothes..I need to lose weight...etc.etc etc. It occurred to me recently why there is such a difference. Why do I not care, why do I forget during the week..that I do need to lose a few pounds? Why do I only remember that I need to be more careful about my food choices and exercising habits on Friday afternoon? Here is the simple answer. During the week..I wear scrubs. Scrubs by nature..have no waist..are boxy and tend to be on looser side. As my sister said one day, after looking me up and down..u look..very...um...tznius. I.E. the scrubs hid any figure I possibly had. Comes Shabbat, and its adios scrubs. Its t...