Monday, August 15, 2011

Tu B’av: When Smaller Is Bigger

 
 
Self Doubt
Have you ever made a snap decision that radically altered your lifestyle? I’m talking about deciding to move to a place you were visiting, changed careers midcourse, or perhaps seeing something attractive in a particular teacher and making a snap decision to transfer your child to her class.
What occurs when the excitement wears off and reality sets in? What do you do if the new position is an improvement in some ways, but in other ways a setback? How do you respond when questions arise and self-doubt encroaches? Are you the adventurous sort who goes with the flow or the prudent sort who retreats to the safety of familiar territory?

Full Moon
The Fifteenth of Av was the happiest day in the Jewish calendar. It was a time of joy and merrymaking. Many restrictions were lifted on this day and many a tragedy was averted on this day. On this day our people took comfort for the calamities they suffered on the ninth of Av. In ancient Israel this day was dedicated to matchmaking and matrimony. (1)
The mystics saw the significance of this day in the fullness of the moon which appears as a sliver in the beginning of the month and grows progressively larger till the fifteenth of the month. Thus, synonymous with the highest point of revelation, the fifteenth is a day of abundant blessing. (2)
The problem is that after reaching its fullest capacity on the fifteenth the moon grows progressively smaller till it disappears completely. This renders the fifteenth a small consolation. It is the highest point of revelation, but it is also the beginning of the downturn. Is this a cause for celebration?

The Power of Humility
In addition to the above, the fifteenth of Av was, according to our sages, the driest day of the Israeli summer and was thus the final day to chop wood for use on the Temple’s altar. After the fifteenth the trees began to moisten, which rendered them unfit for use on the altar. (3)
The wood chopping aspect of the fifteenth answers our earlier question about the diminishing moon. Our sages taught that the sun’s light was far more intense when it was first created than it is today, but when G-d saw that humanity was undeserving of such light He concealed it. This light will yet be revealed, according to our sages, in the messianic era when our capacity for light will have increased. (4)
The moon, according to our sages, was as luminous, at first, as the sun is today. When the sun’s light was diminished to its present day proportions it was in equal measure to the moon. The moon then complained that two equal luminaries could not co exist. The moon hoped it would be granted the superior light that once belonged to the sun. But G-d instructed the moon to diminish itself and become a recipient or reflection of the sun’s light. (5)
At first glance this appears to be a punishment to the moon for its hubris. Yet upon deeper reflection we realize that it was a lesson rather than a punishment. The moon was not seeking self aggrandizement. The moon yearned for the powerful G-dly light that will be revealed in the Messianic era. This light represents absolute cognizance of our creator and total attachment to Him. The moon took note that the sun was stripped of this light and saw an opportunity to claim this connection with G-d for itself.
G-d taught the moon that growing larger does not necessarily bring one closer to G-d. On the contrary practicing humility and setting oneself aside is the path that leads to G-d. The Messianic era will not be marked by our greatness, but by our humility for when we will stand face to face with G-d our ego will be utterly suspended and we will merge completely into His beatific presence. (6) (7) (8)

Driest Day and Fullest Moon
We now return to the connection between the wood chopping aspect of the month and the diminishing moon. Up until the fifteenth of Av our ancestors prepared the wood for the Altar, but it was only after the fifteenth that the wood was actually put to use in the service of G-d. (9)
The wood chopping teaches us that there is a time for Mitzvah preparation and a time for Mitzvah observance. The diminishing moon teaches us that our actual observance of the Mitzvah does not rise to the full level of Divine worship until we internalize the true meaning of service.
The first half of the month is marked by a growing moon. It is a time to grow in our service of G-d through Torah study and Mitzvah observance. But such growth carries the danger of hubris when rather than serving G-d, our growth serves to enhance our self image. It is in the second half of the month, when the moon diminishes, that the real service of G-d can begin. We are reminded that true service is not marked by self growth but by suspending our ego and being absorbed in His greatness. This is when the observance rises from the level of practice to the level of worship.
The Fifteenth of Av is thus a day of true celebration. It marks the time when we turn from self absorption to self abnegation; when we turn our sights from ourselves to G-d.

The Highest Milestone
The above is also applicable to the journey of life. Life is a growing curve dotted with landmarks and milestones. We begin in infancy unable to accomplish anything at all. As we progress through toddlerhood and childhood we develop social skills, which are enhanced during adolescence and early adulthood through education. Graduation is a milestone of great achievement; it qualifies us to embark upon the world and make our mark.
It is only when we enter the workforce that we realize how low on the totem pole we really are. We start at the bottom rung and make the arduous climb step by tortuous step. After decades of promotion we reach our peak and decide that it is time to retire. The company throws a party and to the tune of great accolades we reach another milestone. The big question is what’s next? Can we rise from here?
The answer is yes. It is only after retirement that we attain the fullest wisdom of life. So long as we are engaged in the daily grind, our minds were focused exclusively on the next goal and it was difficult to step back and contemplate the larger questions. Once we have achieved all that can be achieved we can begin to consider the big picture. Not just pay lip service to it, but consider it on a gut level.
The big picture is the realization that life is not about what we can make of ourselves, but what we can do for others. How we can be of service and for whom we can make a difference are the sole considerations of the big picture. It is not about taking, but about giving. It is less about the mark we leave than the people we help. It is not about mastering the secrets of life; it is about serving the master of life. Arriving at this realization is the largest milestone of all.
So long as we are driven by egocentric considerations and illusions of grandeur we are blinded to the innate G-dly energy that pulsates within us and makes us unique. It is only after the ego is suspended and the glare of self image recedes that we come to appreciate how holy the human experience can be. How exalted and noble is the ethic of service. How virtuous it is to serve G-d.
It is only when we reach this milestone that life is endowed with sanctity. Reaching goals and accomplishing tasks in the service of our own ego is vane, but when we identify with this truth our achievements take on cosmic meaning.
This is the milestone that awaits us after all other milestones have been seemingly reached. When we have reached our peak and can accomplish no more we appear to begin the downward slide to oblivion. And yet it is this very slide away from the limelight that grants us the greatest gift of all; the gift of humility that bestows meaning on the whole of life.

This is the message of the waning moon. The fifteenth of the month is significant not only because it is the day when the moon shines at its brightest, but because it is the point from which we embark on our journey toward humility.

Radical Changes
We now return to the dilemma we posed at the beginning of this essay. When life presents opportunities for radical change and significant growth we embrace it because of the personal benefits we perceive in it. The truth is that these opportunities are presented to us not for our benefit, but for G-d’s; they enable us to serve G-d in new and radically different ways. (10) This truth is not presented to us upfront because if this were the only perceived benefit we would hardly be motivated to surrender everything we like about our current circumstances in the service of a higher ideal.
Life therefore presents us with many reasons to make the change. We perceive the benefit of our new employment, we anticipate the excitement of our new location, we grasp the advantage of our son’s new school and we embrace the opportunity to change. Yet unbeknownst to us we are really presented with this opportunity because it enables us to serve G-d in a new and upgraded way.
When the move has been made and we have settled in we come to learn its many drawbacks. We wonder why we didn’t perceive them earlier and why we were blinded to the difficulties we would encounter. At this point we question the wisdom of our move and consider turning back, but that is the wrong interpretation of these questions.
In truth this is life’s way of informing us that this change really was not made for personal benefit. In fact we now perceive the drawbacks that the counterbalance those benefits to which we were blinded earlier. The true purpose of our move was Divine.

Our very doubts give us opportunity to embrace our new circumstances in service to G-d rather than to ourselves. It is time to look around and ask ourselves what I and I alone can accomplish for G-d in this new place. When we find our little niche we know that we have found the true purpose of our change.
Just as the diminishing of the moon’s light presents an opportunity to suspend our ego and embrace our inherent connection to G-d so is self-doubt an opportunity to let go of the selfish reasons that precipitated our move and seek out the ways in which we can connect with G-d.

Footnotes

1. Babylonian Talmud, Taanis: 30b and Jerusalem Talmud Taanis chapter four.
2. Pri Etz Chaim Shaar Chag hashvuos. Ohr Hatorah (nach) p. 1096
3. Babylonian Talmud, Taanis: 31a. The Talmud further comments that from this point forward the nights grow longer and it is incumbent on all Jews to increase in their study of Torah. The subject of this essay will also address the question of why the night is more suitable to Torah study than the day. See also Eiruvin 65a.
4. Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah: 12a.
5. Babylonian Talmud, Chulin 60b. The moon continued to complain and G-d told her that she would serve in the day as well as the night.
6. Adapted from an address by the Lubavitcher Rebbe on 16 Av, 5745. This is also implied by G-d’s consolation to the moon that great Jews such as King David would be linked to the moon when they were descried as humble. G-d was informing the moon that true greatness is humility.
7. This helps to explain why the night is best suited to Torah study. It was only after the moon was successfully diminished that it was able to illuminate the night. The sun cannot illuminate the night. The sun turns the night into day. The moon is able to humbly accept the presence of the night and yet mitigate its darkness with light. Light and dark are opposites yet the moon reconciles them. The moon does not negate the dark; it illuminates it. When the moon began to practice self abnegation and devoted itself to the exclusive service of the Divine it was able to reflect the Divine. Light and dark are both creations of G-d. It is thus only within the power of G-d to bring the two together. The same is true of nighttime Torah study. Torah represents light. Studying the Torah at night demonstrates that the light of G-d is not opposed by the dark; on the contrary, the night can serve Torah study as well and even better than the light.
8. It is therefore with the advent of the moon that we pray every month for the light of the Moshiach. See Isaiah 30:26.
9. See commentary of Tosafos Yom Tov to Taanis 4: 8.
10. King David (Psalms 37: 23) taught that our lives are directed by G-d for the purpose of His service. Our decision to move to a particular location or vocation is guided by G-d so that we might serve Him better in that place.

The Difference between a Rich Man and a Poor Man

Art: Vladimir Kush

"And you say in your heart: "My strength and the power of my hand amassed this wealth for me" [Eikev 8:17]

A wealthy wood merchant approached R' Chaim of Volozhin and told him that he was in danger of losing his entire fortune.

"Why is your fortune at risk?" asked R'Chaim.

The merchant related his story. "I sent a large ship carrying wood to Prussia" he explained. "The Prussian authorities, however, are not allowing my merchandise into their country. They have warned me that should the ship not turn around, they will sink the ship and all of my precious cargo along with it!"

"Do not worry!" responded R' Chaim. "You will see, Hashem's salvation comes in the blink of an eye!"

That same day, the price of wood increased significantly and, to the merchant's good fortune, the Prussian authorities also allowed his ship to enter their country.

The overjoyed merchant ran over to R' Chaim. "Rebbe" he said, "today I have witnessed the hand of Divine Providence! I now realize that the government's unwillingness to allow my ship to enter their country was all for the best. For had it been permitted to enter any earlier, I would have received a lower price for my wood. Hashem saw to it, however, than my ship would not enter Prussia any earlier so that I would reap far greater profits!"

"You now see the difference between a rich man and a poor man" sighed R' Chaim. "A poor man sees Hashem's guiding Hand each and every day. But a rich man, who is certain that his wealth stems from his own abilities and strengths, only notices Hashem's Providence once every few years."

Source: Rabbi Y. Bronstein

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Meshane Makom Meshane Mazal - Change Your Place, Change Your Mazal

By changing our place in life we can change our Luck [destiny or fortune]

Art: Jacek Yerka
Adapted by Yrachmiel Tilles

Many of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov's ways might have seemed strange to an outsider, but Reb Zev Wolf Kitzes, the Baal Shem Tov's constant companion, had enough confidence in his Rebbe never to doubt his actions. He knew that in the end -- even if it took years -- all would be for the best.

Reb Zev Wolf once accompanied the Besht on a visit to a certain village Jew. The impoverished villager welcomed the Besht into his home.

"I must have a donation of 18 rubles," the Besht requested. The poor man did not have this large sum. But, considering that it was the Besht making the request, the villager took some of his furniture and his cow, sold them, and gave the Besht the money. Reb Zev Wolf looked on silently while the Besht took the money and then departed.

Several days later the villager's rent was due on his inn. He could not produce the sum and the landlord evicted him. The villager, seeing no future for himself in this small village, decided to try his luck elsewhere. He finally found himself a tiny hut in a different village with a different landlord. By selling some more of his possessions, the villager managed to buy a cow. The cow provided him with his sole source of income; he sold her milk and eked out a meager living.

Some time later the landlord's cow became sick and her milk was unusable. One of the landlord's servants who knew of the new tenant quickly went to this villager and bought milk for the landlord. When the landlord was served the milk, he commented, "This milk is of a superior quality. Tell the owner that I will pay handsomely for the privilege of being his only customer."

This incident turned the tide of fortune for the villager. Each day he delivered milk to the manor and each day the landlord commented on the quality of the milk and milk products derived from it. He grew fond of the Jew and began to consult him about his business, slowly turning over to him many responsibilities. The landlord trusted him implicitly and appreciated the Jew's honesty, reliability, and faithful service.

The landlord's relationship and bond with the villager became so deep that, being childless, he transferred ownership of that village and the nearby city to the Jew. Feeling that now everything was in good hands, the landlord took leave and went abroad after having given the Jew legal title to that area.A few years later, Reb Zev Wolf came to the village of the new landlord collecting money on behalf of Jewish prisoners and captives. Reb Zev Wolf had already collected all but 300 rubles of the sum which the Besht had designated.

Upon meeting with the village rabbi, Reb Zev Wolf questioned him as to why he was so festively attired."I am going, together with a group of the town dignitaries, to greet the landlord of this city who will be paying us a visit today. Why don't you come along with us? He is a Jew and will most probably be willing to contribute to your cause."

Reb Zev Wolf accompanied the rabbi and his companions. The landlord greeted the delegation warmly, paying special attention to Reb Zev Wolf. After a little while, the landlord took Reb Zev Wolf aside."You don't remember me, do you?" he asked. Reb Zev Wolf could not place the wealthy man's face. The landlord went on to retell the story of his change of fortune. Then, he took out 300 rubles and gave it to Reb Zev Wolf.

It was only upon returning to the Besht that Reb Zev Wolf understood the entire story. "The last 300 rubles were donated by the village Jew whom you once asked for a donation of 18 rubles. Today he is a wealthy man."

"Let me now tell you why I extracted that large sum from him when his circumstances were so difficult," explained the Besht. "A change of fortune was awaiting him in the future but not in that place. It was necessary to bring him to the end of his rope so that he would be forced to leave and settle elsewhere. That is exactly what happened. The rest you already know."

Friday, August 12, 2011

Are You a Jealous Person?

Why Envy is Ignorance
by Rabbi YY Jacobson

The tenth and final of the Ten Commandments recorded in this week's portion (Vaeschanan) reads: "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; you shall not covet your neighbor's house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, and anything that belongs to your neighbor." [Deuteronomy 5:17; Exodus 20:14].

The structure of the verse seems strange. In the beginning, the Bible specifies seven things we should not covet: "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; you shall not covet your neighbor's home, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey." But then, at the conclusion of the verse, the Bible states: "And anything that belongs to your neighbor." Why the unnecessary redundancy? Why not just state at the onset "You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor," which would include all of the specifics? And if the Torah does not want to rely on generalizations and wishes to specify details, why does it specify only a few items and then anyhow revert to a generalization, "And anything that belongs to your neighbor?"

A Holistic Story
In Hebrew, the word employed for "anything" and "everything" is identical: "Kol." Hence, the above verse can also be translated as, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; you shall not covet your neighbor's house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, and everything that belongs to your neighbor." By concluding the verse with these words, the Torah is not just instructing us not to covet anything of our neighbor, but also helping us achieve this difficult state of consciousness.

How could you demand from a person not to be jealous? When I walk into your home and observe your living conditions, your cars, your bank accounts, and your general life style, how could I not become envious?

The answer is, "Do not covet everything that belongs to your neighbor." What the Torah is intimating is that it is indeed easy to envy the home and spouse of your neighbor, his servants, his ox and donkey; yet the question you have to ask yourself is, do you covet "everything that belongs to your neighbor?" Are you prepared to assume his or her life completely? To actually become him?

You cannot see life as myriads of disjointed events and experiences. You can't pluck out one aspect of somebody's life and state "I wish I could have had his (or her) marriage, his home, his career, his money..." Life is a holistic and integrated experience. Each life, with its blessings and challenges, with its obstacles and opportunities, constitutes a single story, a narrative that begins with birth and ends with death. Every experience in our life represents one chapter of our singular, unique story and we do not have the luxury to pluck out a chapter from someone's story without embracing their entire life-journey.

When you isolate one or a few aspects of someone else's life, it is natural to become envious. But when you become aware of "everything that belongs to your neighbor," your perception is altered. Do you really want to acquire everything that is going on in his or her life?

So the next time you feel yourself coveting the life of the other, ask yourself if you really want to become them.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was correct when he observed that "envy is ignorance."

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Emunah: A Lightness of Being


from the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

"Eicha Esa Livadi Tarchachem U'Masachem V'Rivchem" - "How can I carry you alone, your bother, your load, and your quarrels" [Devarim 1:12]

Rashi says that Tarchachem means that they were nudnicks, and Masachem means they were apikursim [heretics] - Tarchachem clearly means tircha [bothersome], but how does masachem or heavy load come to apikursis?

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov answers that while intellectuals may consider people with emunah [faith] simple and naive, in a sense they are right.  With emunah  life becomes easier, as not everything must be explained and rationalized.  Emunah is a great tool to lift the weight from you.
 
However, an Apikores is constantly plagued by doubt and questions that nag him endlessly, leaving him no peace.  This constant state of turmoil eats at him and becomes a huge burden on his own shoulders.  This explains why Rashi says that masachem means apikursis, as there is no greater burden around. 

Monday, August 8, 2011

The Pregnant Spoon

"You must not add to the word that I command you, nor subtract from it, so as to safeguard the commandments of Hashem" [Va'etchanan 4:2]

The Dubno Maggid explained this verse by way of a parable:

An individual went to his neighbor and asked to borrow a spoon. The next day, he returned the spoon he had borrowed together with another small spoon.

"Why are you giving me two spoons?" asked his neighbor. "I only loaned you one."

"That is correct" responded his friend. "But you see, the spoon which you had loaned me was pregnant - and it gave birth."

The neighbor realized that his friend's mind had become unstable, but he nonetheless accepted the two spoons without comment.

Several days later, the friend returned and asked to borrow a cup. The neighbor lent him the cup and, surely enough, the friend gave back not one but two cups, claiming that the cup had given birth to a smaller version. The neighbor silently accepted the two cups.

Several days passed, and the neighbor was once again approached by his friend. The time, he requested to borrow a pair of silver candlesticks. The fool, thought the neighbor, will surely give me back four candlesticks. I will happily loan them to him.

Several days later, when the neighbor saw that his candlesticks had not been returned, he complained to his friend "Where are my silver candlesticks? Why have you not returned them?"

"I am sorry" responded the friend, "but your candlesticks have passed away."

"Passed away?" yelled the neighbor, "who has ever heard of candlesticks passing away?"

"My dear sir" responded the friend, "who has ever heard of a spoon or a cup that gave birth? Yet when I gave you two spoons, you took them without saying a word. Now if a spoon can give birth, then a candlestick can most certainly pass away."

With this, we can understand the aforementioned verse, concluded the Dubno Maggid. An individual must perform Hashem's mitzvos with utmost precision, for if he begins to add to the mitzvos, he will eventually come to subtract from them.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Born on Tisha B'Av


Intimacy in Flames
.As the Jewish future was consumed in Roman flames, G-d impregnated them with a seed

By Rabbi Y. Y. Jacobson
Crash Landing 
An airliner was having engine trouble, and the pilot instructed the cabin crew to have the passengers take their seats and get prepared for an emergency landing.
A few minutes later, the pilot asked the flight attendants if everyone was buckled in and ready.
'All set back here, Captain,' came the reply, 'except one lawyer who is still going around passing out business cards.'


The Great Crisis
On the ninth of the month of Av in the year 70 CE (next Tuesday, August 9th) the Roman legions in Jerusalem smashed through the fortress tower of Antonia into the Holy Temple and set it afire. In the blackened remains of the sanctuary lay more than the ruins of the great Jewish revolt for political independence; it appeared that Judaism itself was shattered beyond repair.

Out of approximately four to five million Jews in the world, over a million died in that abortive war for independence. Many died of starvation, others by fire and crucifixion. So many Jews were sold into slavery and given over to the gladiatorial arenas and circuses that the price of slaves dropped precipitously, fulfilling the ancient curse: "There you will be offered for sale as slaves, and there will be no one willing to buy" (Deuteronomy 26:68). The destruction was preceded by events so devastating that from an objective perspective, it seemed that the Jewish people had breathed its last breath.

Destruction

This is what amazed a philosopher like Nietzsche, a fierce and fateful critic of the Jews, as it has so many other thinkers throughout the ages. In Twilight of the Idols and The Antichrist the German philosopher wrote: "The Jews are the most remarkable people in the history of the world, for when they were confronted with the question, to be or not to be, they chose, with perfectly unearthly deliberation, to be at any price ... They defined themselves counter to all those conditions under which a nation was previously able to live ... Psychologically, the Jews are a people gifted with the very strongest vitality ... The Jews are the very opposite of decadents."

How did the Jews achieve this indeed?

The Cherubs Embracing
The Talmud relates a profoundly strange incident that occurred moments before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple:

"When the pagans entered the Holy Temple, they saw the cherubs cleaving to each other. They took them out to the streets and said: 'These Jews ... is this what they occupy themselves with?' With this, they debased [the Jewish people], as it is written: 'All who had honored her have despised her, for they have seen her nakedness (1).'"

The meaning of these words is this: The innermost chamber of the Jerusalem Temple, the most sacred site in Judaism, was known as the "Holy of Holies" and seen as the spiritual epicenter of the universe. Two golden cherubs - they were two winged figures, one male and one female -- were located in the "Holy of Holies." These cherubs represented the relationship between the cosmic groom and bride, between G-d and His people.

The Talmud teaches (2) that when the relationship between groom and bride was sour the two faces were turned away from each other, as when spouses are angry with each other. When the relationship was healthy, the two faces of the cherubs would face each other. And when the love between G-d and His bride was at its peak the cherubs would embrace "as a man cleaves to his wife."

Now, the Talmud is telling us, that when the enemies of Israel invaded the Temple - during the time of its destruction in the Hebrew month of Av (3) -- they entered into the Holy of Holies, a place so sacred that entry into it was permitted only to a single individual, the High Priest, and only on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year. There they saw the cherubs embracing each other. They dragged them out of the Temple and into the streets, vulgarizing their sacred significance (4).

cherubsThis seems bizarre. When the enemies of Israel invaded the Temple to destroy it, the relationship between G-d and His people was at its lowest possible point, for that was the reason for the destruction and the subsequent exile. The Jews were about to become estranged from G-d for millennia. The manifest presence of divinity in the world, via the Temple in Jerusalem, would cease; Jews and G-d would now be exiled from each other.
Yet, paradoxically, it was precisely at that moment that the cherubs were intertwined, symbolizing the profoundest relationship between G-d and Israel. How are we to understand this (5)?

Preparing for the Voyage
The most daring explanation was given by the heir to the founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Dovber, known as the Magid of Mezrich (d. in 1772). Quoting the injunction of the sages that a man ought to consort with his wife prior to leaving home on a journey, the Maggid suggests that G-d, prior to His long journey away from home, expressed His intimacy with the Jewish people. Prior to the onset of a long exile, the cherubs were intertwined, representing the intimacy preceding the journey (6).

What the Chassidic master was conveying through this dazzling metaphor - and it is a central theme in Chassidic thought -- was that it was at the moment of the destruction that a new relationship between G-d and His people was beginning to develop. The greatest moment of crisis was also a moment of intimacy. As the Temple was going up in flames, and with it so much of Jewish life and history, G-d impregnated (metaphorically speaking) a seed of life within the Jewish soul; He implanted within His people the potential for a new birth.

For two millennia, this "seed" has sustained us, giving the Jewish people the courage and inspiration to live and prosper. Judaism flourished in the decades and centuries following the destruction of the Temple in an unprecedented fashion: The Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash and Kabbalah were all born during those centuries. The very tragic conditions of exile became catalysts for unparalleled rejuvenation. The closing of one door opened many more.

Many empires, religions and cultures attempted to demonstrate to the Jewish people that their role in the scheme of creation has ended, or that it has never began, luring them into the surrounding, prevailing culture. But the "intimacy" they experienced, so to speak, with G-d just moments before He "departed" from them, left its indelible mark. It imbued them with a vision, a dream and an unshakable commitment. Throughout their journeys, often filled with extraordinary anguish, they clung to their faith that they were in a covenant with G-d to transform the world into a divine abode; to heal a fractured world yearning to reunite with its own true reality.

Birth
This grants us a deeper understanding into the ancient Jewish tradition (7) that the Moshiach (Messiah) was born on the ninth of Av. At the moment the Temple was about to be engulfed in flames, the dream of redemption was born. There was an intimacy in the flames and it produced a hidden seed that would eventually bring healing to a broken world. Think about it: The very possibility for the rabbis of those generation to declare that Moshiach was born on the ninth of Av, was nothing but testimony to the intimacy that accompanied the milieu of estrangement and exile.

Now we are finally ready for the birth (8).
__________ 

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Friday, August 5, 2011

How Strong Are You?

Art by Paul David Bond
Words by Rabbi Michoel Gourarie

In Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers] there is a passage that reads: Ben Zoma said, Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination as it says, 'He who masters his passions is better than one who conquers a city.' The message here is clear - dealing with, and changing negative behavior is extremely difficult. Why does discipline and self control need so much strength?

The mystics explain that every one of us is operated by two forces - the animal soul and the Divine soul. The animal soul is the source of our ego and encourages hedonism, aggression, laziness and emptiness. The Divine soul is the source of moral reasoning and spiritual consciousness. It inspires an awareness of a higher purpose and gives us the ability to think rationally and objectively, making decisions for ethical behavior and appropriate responses to everyday experiences.

Each soul has its own dominant force. The animal soul is driven by instincts that are highly emotional, whereas the Divine soul is dominated by the power of intellect and reason. Both souls fight for control of the person. Both struggle to shape our personality and define our identity.

This is where the challenge of self control lies. The animalistic force is quick. It is emotional and instinctive and prompts a very swift response. The Divine soul is intellectual. It needs time to cognitively process the appropriate and moral response. So when we are insulted or provoked or presented with temptations and ethical dilemmas, the immediate response will be the feelings generated by the instincts and explosive emotions of the animal soul. We are tempted to get angry or do the wrong thing before we give the moral reason a chance.

Self control therefore needs the incredible strength of restraint. It requires holding back for just a few seconds between the things that happen to us and our response, creating a little space to think and process the point of view of the Divine voice. It is what Stephen Covey calls the "pause button between the stimulus and the response".

We need to train ourselves not to act quickly and instinctively. We need to use the unique ability of the human being to stop and ask ourselves the question - is this wrong or right? It takes amazing strength to wait a few seconds, but those few seconds can be the difference between an animalistic act and a divine one..

Next time you are faced with a challenge, give yourself a few seconds for the voice of the soul to be heard.

Murderer of Rabbi Elazar Abu Hatzira zt"l in Torah Codes

Rabbi Glazerson shows the Torah code where the name of the murderer of Rabbi Elazar Abu Hatzira - Asher Dahan - appears, and the evil forces which are influencing so many murders in our times.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Yarzheit 5 Av: The Arizal

Arizal Synagogue, Safed - Photo Steven Pinker

5 Av begins Thursday night - Friday August 5.

The Arizal [1534-1572] - Rabbi Isaac Luria was the most famous Kabbalist in the city of Safed, Israel who became known as the "Arizal" or ARI, an acronym for “The G-dly Rabbi Isaac of Blessed Memory.”

The Arizal passed away at the age of 38, and it was only during the last two years of his life that he met his foremost disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital. The Arizal himself never wrote any books, however all his words were faithfully recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital in what is known as Kitvei Ari, the “writings of the Arizal.” The Kitvei Ari is the key to the secrets of the Zohar, and it was the Arizal who formulated the Kabbalah into a comprehensive system. Rabbi Chaim Vital writes in the name of the Arizal that, “It is a Mitzvah to reveal this wisdom.” Until the time of the Arizal, knowledge of Kabbalah was not known outside of the tightly knit circle of the tzaddikim.

More about the Arizal at Ascent of Safed or click on the label "ARIZAL" below to read more of his teachings.

Rabbi Winston and the Number 11

Rabbi Pinchas Winston discusses the significance of the number 11 found in this week's parshah, and how it affects Jewish history, especially in recent times.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Sometimes the highest souls end up in the lowest places

Rabbi Y.Y.Jacobson
The Mysterious Birth of Moshiach
World-renowned teacher Rabbi YY Jacobson explores the reason why Moshiach is said to have been born from so much apparent immorality. Sometimes, the highest souls end up in the lowest places.

Welcome to Monday Torah, an inspiring weekly class by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson, one of the most sought after speakers in the Jewish world today and spiritual leader of Congregation Bais Shmuel in Crown Heights. This week's class dissects the Kabbalistic secret behind the apparent mystery behind the birth of Moshiach.

A tale of a diamond merchant and a thief illustrates the point. Sometimes you discover greatness where you expect it least.

To see the video go to The Yeshiva.net

Murder of Rabbi Elazar Abu Hatzira zt"l in Torah Codes

Subtle Slander

"These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Israel" [Devarim 1:1]

Why, asked the Megaleh Amukos [R' Nosson Nota Shapira] does the verse state "...that Moshe spoke to all Israel" and not simply "...that Moshe spoke to Israel"?

The acronym of the word "eileh" he answered is "avak lashon hara" - the dust of evil speech - subtle types of slander.

Chazal state in Maseches Bava Basra [165b] "Most individuals transgress the sin of theft, a small minority transgress the sin of illicit relations, but all transgress the sin of avak lashan hara."  The grave sin of lashon hara is a sin that all of Israel might come to transgress, so all Jews must be cautioned of the danger it presents.  The verse therefore states: "These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Israel."

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Obama's Coup Follows Path of Hitler's Enabling Law

Last night, under the influence of a terror campaign by Obama and his British and Wall Street backers, a majority of the US House of Representative signed off on a Hitler [yemach shemo] coup against the U.S. Constitution. Under this coup, the Congress will, as a first step, no longer have the power to decide on matters of spending—a specific violation of Section 1 of the nation's governing body. And that's just the beginning.

The Obama SuperCongress measure directly mirrors the Hitler Enabling Law [Ermaechtigungsgesetz] of March 1933, by which the German Reichstag "democratically" voted to give Hitler emergency powers by passing the "Law for Removing the Distress of People and Reich," which gave Hitler the right to govern on his own, and in contravention to the Constitution, without consulting the parliament for a period of four years. 

Only a cowardly idiot would not see the handwriting on the wall with Obama's Hitler coup today.

Read the whole thing at  Larouchepac.com

P.S. Remember his first speech in Berlin, 2008?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

America's Super Congress Dictatorship

This is how freedom dies,not with a bang but a bureaucratic whimper. [Alex Jones]


The Man in the Black Mercedes


A young man who was unable to pay his grocery bill at the checkout counter Friday received a surprise.

On Friday morning, a young father of a large Chabad family completed his grocery shopping for Shabbos and headed to the checkout line to pay.

Once the total for his purchases was calculated, he took out his credit card and gave it to the cashier to pay the bill, which totaled NIS 850 - $250.

"I'm sorry, sir," said the cashier. "But your credit card did not go through."

Thinking that this was very strange, the young man called his wife and asked her for the number of her credit card over the phone. He then brought the number to the counter, but this didn't work either, as the card was from the same account.

The man didn't know what to do at this point, as it was already 2:30 pm and it was almost closing time. So he called his father for assistance, and returned to the counter a few minutes later with his father's credit card number. However when he returned to the checkout counter this time, he was in for a surprise.

"There's no need for this card," said the checkout girl with a smile. "Someone else has paid for your entire shopping!"

"Who paid for me?" the man asked, in utter amazement. "How is that possible? I've been here for a while already trying to sort this out!"

"It was the guy who just walked out of here and got into a black Mercedes," replied the checkout girl, pointing towards the doorway.

The young man ran outside, where he saw a black Mercedes starting to drive away, and he tried to flag it down. But the car continued to move. After finally convincing the driver to stop, he asked him his name and for a telephone number so that he could contact him and arrange to pay him back.

"There's no need," said the mystery benefactor. "Simply daven for the success of Erez ben Shlomit, and that should be enough!" he said, before hitting the gas pedal and speeding off into Jerusalem.

Source: COLLive

Relax

 
 
 

Reporting Abuse

Do not go to your local rabbi, go to the appropriate authorities. Your local rabbi may or may not be sympathetic, as shown by the attitude of  Sydney Rabbi Yosef Feldman who, after immense pressure from other rabbis, has now stood down from his position as President of the Rabbinical Council.

Based on the recent discussions by Rabbinic organizations in the US and Canada regarding reporting child abuse, and the recent standing down of a rabbi in Sydney ...... this article is reprinted from Rav Aviner.com



One's Duty to Immediately Report Child Abuse, at all Costs

When children are battered, whether sexually or "just" physically, anyone who knows about it has to report it to the authorities. The child, after all, is helpless and has no defenses. According to Jewish law, the primary loyalty of anyone who knows what is happening must be to the battered child, and this duty is absolute. Allow me to add that from a legal standpoint, if the person who knows about it is a professional in an associated field, for example a social worker or psychologist, and he does not report it, he is liable to go to prison for half a year.

Cruelly hitting children is alien to the world of Jewish law. Our halachic authorities viewed the matter so gravely that Ha-Rav Ha-Gaon Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ruled that outside of Israel in the case of a battered child, one must assist the authorities to remove him from his home – even if the child will be moved to a non-Jewish family. The reason is that such treatment could threaten the child's life (see Shut Tzitz Eliezer 19:52 who discusses abused children in Israel and considers the abuser a "Rodef – pursuer" who must be stopped).

The desire not to report it in order to spare the perpetrator may derive from sincere motives, but one must first take pity on the helpless child. His fate comes before all else. In the Crisis Center for Religious Women, it is reported that there are more children who suffer from beatings and sexual abuse among the religious public than among the secular public. This is not because the religious are more violent, but because more often the religious public avoids reporting such incidents, and they make reports only when the matter goes to extremes. Until then, the battered child suffers terrible harm.

It is important to note that there is only one situation in which one is exempt from reporting. If the perpetrator is aware of his problem, is willing to go for appropriate treatment, steadfastly shows up for treatment sessions, and the responsible authorities supervise this process, then the perpetrator is doing what he would be ordered to do anyway. In all other instances, without exception, there is an obligation to report abuse, and quickly. The child's fate depends on us.

I recall a story in which I was personally involved. Someone saw his neighbor kick his small daughter in the head when she was lying on the floor. The man hesitated about whether or not to report what had occurred, when it was clear that he would pay for his deed with a fight with the neighbor. I ruled that he was obligated to report it, and immediately. During the talk it became clear to me that the person asking the question was a social worker. I had trouble believing this and I asked him, "How can it be that you, as a social worker, would ask me such a question?"

He did report what he had seen, and as he feared, he got into a fight with his neighbor, as well as with much of the neighborhood in which he lived, since the violent father incited them against him. I heard about that and I talked to him. I told him, "It will all be worth it. Think about the fact that you saved a Jewish life."

Monday, August 1, 2011

Devarim: A Higher Level

This week we begin reading the fifth book: Devarim.  We have also begun to enter a new level of consciousness and big changes are coming - some people already know and understand this, others will understand soon enough.  Time for some serious soul-searching and cleaning up the messy parts of your life.



The following is from the writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe:

The Book of Devarim arose from a different form of prophetic revelation than the previous four Books of Moshe.  For unlike the preceding books which were "dictated" directly by God, the Book of Devarim was a Divine revelation which Moshe phrased in his own words [see Ohr HaChayim and Tosfos].

At first glance, this would appear to be a disadvantage, for words arranged by God Himself are surely superior to those composed by Moshe.   However, in truth, the Book of Devarim has its own advantage: that the words of G-d reached a higher level of compatibility with the human mind.

Moshe's contribution to the Book of Devarim did not detract from the validity of the work, for Devarim remains part of the Chumash just as much as the other four books.  But having passed through the "interface" of a human mind, the words of this book were fashioned in a manner that other human beings would find easier to absorb.  Thus:

The Book of Devarim was said to the generation which was about to enter the Land of Israel, where food would not be provided miraculously, and extensive interaction with the mundane world would be necessary.  As a preparation for this, the Jewish people were given the Book of Devarim which contained Godly wisdom that had been brought more "down to earth" by Moshe.

As a Divinely inspired work of the human mind, the Book of Devarim sets the precedent for later prophetic works.  It is also a form of precursor for Rabbinic law, which is humanly conceived and yet is an expression of the will of God.

A ba'al teshuvah is one who returned to God through his own initiative, but God assists the ba'al teshuvah with Divine revelation to his subconscious soul.  This is similar to the way the Book of Devarim was said: Consciously it was Moshe's own words, but on a deeper level it was a product of Divine revelation.  This similarity between teshuvah and the Book of Devarim is the inner reason why the book is characterized by "rebuke" [see Rashi], a way of helping another to do teshuvah.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

The Purpose of Galus


Rav Eliyahu Dessler in Michtav MeiEliyahu [3:207] writes, "It is very important to understand the purpose of each Galus that Am Yisroel went through since we became a nation. Galus - like all things that happen through the ways of Hashem - comes to awaken us, teach us, and bring us to better ourselves. If the purpose of the Galus is not clear to us, we are lacking a fundamental understanding in how to serve Hashem. Certainly we must understand the Galus that we ourselves are in." 

He continues. According to all the signs given by Chazal, our generation is the Ikvisa D'Mishicha. We now stand at the moment in time just before the coming of the Bias Go'el Tzedek. It is a great loss if we don't learn to understand where Hashem is leading the world and why. For if not we won't know how to properly respond at this moment to the specific obligations put on us.
Source: Revach L'Neshama

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Kapparah in the death of a Tzaddik

by Rabbi Elchanan Lewis


Question: How can the death of a Tzaddik become a Kapparah [atonement]?

Answer: The Tzadik is not a personal individual that has an impact only on himself, he is a public figure who impacts on all those around him; the loss of a Tzadik is therefore a public loss, not an individual or family one. The Tzadikim are here not for themselves, rather for others - that is how they live their lives and that is how they also die; Just as the death serves as atonement to the deceased himself, so the departure of a Tzadik does to his community.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Torah Codes and Moshiach

Rabbi Glazerson shows how the discovery of the Torah Codes plays a major role before Moshiach: A code which validates the de-coders. ["Bible Code in the Secret of Kabbalah" - video]

Journeys



Written by Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

"These are the journeys of the Children of Israel" [Masei 33:1]
אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

This verse alludes to the four exiles that the Jewish nation would endure:

אֵלֶּה - Eileh - Edom [Rome]
מַסְעֵי - Masei - Madai and Paras [Medes and Persia]
בְנֵי - Bnei - Bavel [Babylonia]
יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yisrael - Yavan [Greece]

Why, asks Rashi, was it necessary to enumerate all of the different journeys?

To answer this question, Rashi quotes the words of the Midrash Tanchuma: "This can be compared to the case of a king whose son was ill and he took him to a distant place to cure him. Once they started back, his father began to enumerate all the stages [of their journey] saying to [his son]: "Here we slept. Here we felt cold. Here you had a headache, etc."

What is the nimshal [the application] of this parable? asked the Imrei Emes [R' Avraham Mordechai of Gur]. Is the Torah merely telling us that the Jews rested or cooled themselves in these places? Isn't it obvious that they had to do these things? What, then, is the Midrash coming to teach us by listing the places where they slept or felt cold?

These verses and Chazal's parable, answered the Rebbe, have deep meaning and contain hidden admonishments.

"Here we slept" - this is an allusion to the time of the Giving of the Torah. For on that monumental morning when the Torah was to be given, the Jewish nation overslept.

"Here we felt cold" - this alludes to when Amalek "cooled down" the Jewish nation's enthusiasm for serving Hashem, as the verse states "That he happened [karcha, "made you cold"] upon you on the way" [Devarim 25:18]

"Here you had a headache [chashasta es roshecha]" - this is an allusion to the sin of the Golden Calf, when the Jewish people had uncertainties [chashashos] regarding the whereabouts of their leader [rosh] Moshe Rabbeinu.

This is why, concluded the Rebbe, the Torah specified each journey, in order that the Jewish nation should remember what transpired at each place and repent wholeheartedly.

Tisha B'Av, Exile and Anti-Semitism

A new video from Rabbi Pinchas Winston:

There is a reason why Tisha B'Av falls out on the same day of the week as Pesach does, and it has everything to do with why the Jewish people are still in exile, and anti-Semitism is increasing.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Obama's Temptation

The Last Laugh

Mann tracht und Gott lacht   -    Men plan and God laughs.

As a result of Yaakov's having taken the blessings, Eisav hated him with an unquenchable hatred that sought revenge. He devised a plan whereby he could dominate the world.

Eisav thought:
Kayin killed his brother Hevel before his father Adam died. That was his mistake. After Hevel was removed, Adam had another son Shais. Therefore I will do better, I will make sure that both my father and my brother are dead.

Pharoah thought:
Eisav waited until Yitzchak died before attempting to kill his brother. Did he not realize that his brother would meanwhile have children? I will be smarter, I will drown all newborn boys in the river.

Haman thought:
Pharoah didn't realize that the girls would marry and bear children. He should have wiped out the girls as well as the boys. I will be the one to wipe out all of them.

At the end of days, Gog and Mogog will say:
Didn't Haman know that they have a Protector in Heaven? We will first overcome their Protector and then destroy them.

But Hashem answers them all: "I have many messengers to frustrate your plans". Then Hashem will go out to wage war against the nations, and on that day Hashem will be the sole King of the Earth.

Source:  The Midrash Says

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Returning to Dust

The Talmud [Shabbat 152b] relates the following discussion regarding the body's return to dust after leaving this world:

"There were grave-diggers who dug in the earth belonging to Rav Nachman and were rebuked by Rav Achai bar Yashia (whose grave the diggers disturbed). They came and said to Rav Nachman: "We were rebuked by a dead man".

Rav Nachman went there and asked him: "Who are you, master?"

He responded: "I am Achai bar Yashia".

"Has not Rav Mari said that "In the future, the bodies of the righteous will return unto dust?" said Rabbi Nachman (and why therefore is your body preserved?).

"Who is Mari? I know him not" said the dead one.

Rav Nachman replied "But it is said that when the dust will return to the earth as it was..."

The dead one responded "He who read with you Kohelet did not, however, read with you Mishlei, where it is written "But jealousy is the rottenness of the bones" which means that only he who has jealousy in his heart, his bones shall rot after death."

Then Rav Nachman tried to feel the dead body's substance and he found it to be real. Rav Nachman then said to him: "Let the master arise and go to his home." The dead one responded saying "You show that you have not even read the Prophets, for it is written "And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and when I cause you to come out of your graves, O my people."

"But" said Rav Nachman, "it is written "For dust you are, and unto dust shall you return".

Then Rav Achai explained to him, saying "This is meant for one moment before the final resurrection of the dead (that all dead, including tzadikim, will return to dust).

The Rif says that since the last verse mentioned was told to Adam Harishon, it applies to everybody, whether they are tzadikim or not, for everyone is a descendent of Adam. The Maharsha explains that the return of every body to dust is necessary, so every body will be recreated from nothing at the time of resurrection, comparable to the original creation of man.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Commentary: Why is it so important to return to dust and to be recreated at the time of resurrection?

Creation, and the soul's descent into the body, were both intended for the purpose of elevating the body and the vital soul, and through them the entire world. Moreover, this objective is reached primarily through the mitzvot involving action, inasmuch as these mitzvot are performed by the body. The body hosts and serves the neshama. The soul, being so spiritual, needs the body to perform mitzvot in a physical form. [See Tanya Ch 37]

When the neshama leaves the body, the dead person cannot do anymore mitzvot since all the mitzvot are associated with something material. Hence, in Heaven the souls can study Torah in a spiritual form but cannot perform any of its commandments [Berachot 17a]. The body then serves no more purpose so it disintegrates.

A similar idea can be understood from the analogy found in Rashi [Devarim 10:7] between the breaking of the tablets (of the Ten Commandments) and the death of tzaddikim. The Ten commandments were engraved in stone by Hashem. When Moshe came down from Mt Sinai and saw the golden calf that the Jews had made, the letters flew away [see Pesachim 87b] and the stones became too heavy for Moshe to carry. Consequently, they fell from his hands and broke. The letters are comparable to the soul and the stone to the body which hosts it. When the letters flew away, the stones served no more purpose, hence they shattered.

The life of a tzaddik is not a physical one but rather a spiritual one [Tanya Igeret Hakkodesh Ch 27]. His body is as holy as his neshama. He elevates and sanctifies his body and all the physical world around him. Even after his neshama leaves this earth, his body remains holy, so it remains intact. [Eliyahu Hanavi elevated his body to the point that it was comparable to the sanctity of his soul. Therefore, he was not buried but he ascended to the sky. The gematria of Eliyahu is 52, equal to the value of the Hebrew word "beheima" which means animal. He sanctified the animalistic part of his being (ie his body) to transform it into Eliyahu - G-dliness]

Why then is it necessary for Tzaddikim to return to dust even for a moment before resurrection?

The Admur Hazaken explains this through a parable [Torah Ohr]. In order to pick up a house, it must be lifted from the bottom. If the house is picked up from the top, only the top will be lifted and the bottom part will remain below.

Every creature is composed of four basic elements, namely fire, water, air and dust [see Tanya end of Ch 1]. By returning to dust, the tzadik elevates the lost sparks of holiness found in the lowest of these elements, completing the elevation of all parts of his being. [The Baal Shem Tov said that he could have ascended to heaven like Eliyahu HaNavi did, but he wanted to return to dust so he could elevate the other basic components of his being]

Nevertheless, there is a way to avoid the need to return to dust, even for a moment. We say in our prayers [Liturgy, end of the Shemonei Esrei prayer] "My soul should be as (humble as) dust for all". By annulling ourselves with humility towards others, we are fulfilling the verse of "and you shall return to dust" in a spiritual manner. Then when Moshiach comes during our lifetime, we will be able to live an eternal life without a moment of interruption.

Source: Written by the students of Seminary Bais Menachem Montreal, Canada and based on the Sichos of 20 Av 5735 Ch. 3 Acharei-Kedoshim 5724 Ch. and Maamar Ze Yitnu 5748

Tikkun for Amy

Amy Winehouse lived a tragic life, which ended suddenly last week.  Her funeral was held yesterday, after which her body was taken to the Golders Green Crematorium and cremated.

According to Jewish law, a person is only held accountable for his/her actions when they are done willingly, and with full cognizance of their implications. I doubt that Amy had much input into her lack of a proper Jewish burial - a spokesman for the family said "Cremation is part of the family's tradition"

"Shiva - the Jewish ceremony of bereavement - will be observed for two days starting at 5pm today at the Schinder Hall at Southgate Progressive Synagogue."  

Southgate Progressive Synagogue should be totally ashamed of themselves for allowing this family to go ahead with the cremation of their daughter.     

Here are the reasons why Jews are not cremated.  May the learning of this topic be a tikkun for Amy's soul:

Jewish law ("Halachah") is unequivocal that the dead must be buried in the earth.

As a deterrent measure, cremated remains are not interred in a Jewish cemetery. Furthermore, we are told that many of the traditional laws of mourning are not observed after the passing of an individual whose body was cremated. Kaddish, however, is recited for such individuals, and it is certainly appropriate to give charity and do mitzvot in memory of their souls.

Responsibility for the deceased's proper burial lies with the next of kin. While ordinarily Jewish law requires the deceased's children to go to great lengths to respect the departed's wishes, if someone requests to be cremated or buried in a manner which is not in accordance with Jewish tradition, we nevertheless provide him/her with a Jewish burial. It is believed that since the soul has now arrived to the World of Truth it surely sees the value of a proper Jewish burial, and thus administering a traditional Jewish burial is actually granting what the person truly wishes at the moment. Furthermore, if anyone, all the more so your father and mother, asks you to damage or hurt their body, you are not allowed to do so. For our bodies do not belong to us, they belong to G-d.
Learn more at: Why Does Jewish Law Forbid Cremation

Temporary World


We are sent down to this world for a short period of time.  This world is temporary, it is just the entry hall to the World of Truth, Olam HaBa.  All our personal journeys are individually designed to ensure we find our way to the ultimate destination.  The tougher the journey, the greater the reward will be at the end.

"They journeyed from Kivros-hata'avah and camped in Chatzeros" [Masei 33:17]

From this verse, remarked R' Yitzchak of Vorka, we learn that for an individual to break the yetzer hara within him, he must constantly recall the fact that this world is but a temporary one intended to be utilized in preparation for the World to Come.

This is hinted in the verse: "They left Kivros-hata'avah" - how will one be able to bury [likvor] his lust [ta'avah] and subdue his yetzer hara?  By remembering that this world is no more than "Chatzeros", a yard [chatzer] in front of a house, a hallway leading to a palace."

A person who ingrains this thought in his heart, said the Rebbe, will triumph in his war against the yetzer hara.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein