Letter from Rav Chaim Kanievsky On Current Matzav

Translation by a commenter: original can be found at Matzav.com

Letter from the Rav Gaon Gadol R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit”a
8th of Kislev 5753 [Nov. 22nd]

Tumultuous Time for Ya’akov
Eretz Yisrael needs mercy from Hashem due to the seriousness of the current situation. Mercy’s also required for our brethren in the United States to deal with the aftermath of the serious storm. Hashem is sending us a message…”the voice of Hashem breaks the cedars” [Ps. 29]

What is it that Hashem wants from us now? What do we need to improve in?
Teshuva!
Hashem is telling us to do Teshuva. The beginning of the judgement of man are the words of Torah. We need to strengthen ourselves in the area of Torah learning.
Bnei Torah need to learn with tremendous dedication.
Ba’alei Batim need to make a serious point of setting time to learn daily.

The reward of Torah is very great, The Torah will save us and give us the success we need.
The merit of Torah will benefit us spiritually, materially and give us success in both the World to Come and this world.

May the Redeemer come to Zion soon, amen.

HT: Creed of Noah

Sydney Australia: Blood Red Ocean

Several popular Sydney beaches, including the iconic Bondi, have been closed after patches of red algae were spotted in the water. 

Patches of the red algae, a natural phenomenon that can be exacerbated by certain weather conditions, have been sighted between Bondi Beach and Maroubra Beach this morning. 

Both Bondi Beach and Clovelly Beach are closed while authorities conduct tests in the water. 

Gordon's Bay was also closed due to the algal bloom, with Beachwatch posting a photograph on Twitter showing water the colour of tomato juice. 

Read more: News.com and Herald Sun

Tikkun HaKlali

A beauiful video of the Tikkun HaKlali [Complete Rectification] - Psalms sung in Hebrew. Thank you Stella for forwarding the link.

 

Watcher Angels

By Rabbi Ariel bar Tzadok

This week's Torah portion is called Vayetzei [Genesis 28:10-32:3]

In this week's Torah portion we read about the building of the family of Jacob. Because of the recent episode where Jacob tricked his brother Esau out of his patriarchal blessing, Jacob is forced to leave his family and to seek a wife from his wife's brother Laban.

In travel, Jacob settles down for the night and has a fantastic dream. He not only sees God, who makes promises to Jacob, he also sees angels ascending and descending on what Jacob describes as a ladder going up to Heaven. Although dream language is archetypal in nature and is thus never literal, nevertheless Jacob saw a spiritual reality which is most revelatory. While many thinkers wish to interpret angels as being only symbolic representations, Jacob's dream reveals that indeed, these are actual entities, and apparently they have regular purpose for being here on Earth.

Continue reading at Kosher Torah

Red Alert to Klall Yisroel in the name of HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shilita

The Jewish people are witnessing miracles in Israel. The missiles fired at us have the power to level buildings, yet miracles are taking place and we were spared from mass destruction. Even the most secular newspapers report that there is no way to explain these events according to natural law.

While the word "miracle" has been liberally splashed around by the media, neither the secular nor the religious press grasped the vital message of the hour. The situation arouses an urgent and critical obligation for each Jew to ask himself: "Why is Hashem performing these miracles for us? How should I be conducting myself in these extraordinary times?

If we do not deal with these questions immediately, this current security crisis could – Chas Veshalom – escalate into the most dangerous period in Jewish history. Hashem performs miracles for the Jewish people so that we will become more aware of His Presence in our lives. In recent days, He has made perfectly clear that He alone wields power in the world and that no missile can harm so much as a hair on the head of a Jew without His consent. Every rocket has an address that He predetermines, though the terrorists may believe that they can aim at a particular target.

Miracles are Hashem's alarm bells, "a red alert" that we must wake up and become truly conscious of Hashem's hashgachah in our daily lives. If we ignore these messages and conclude that miracles are just a natural part of living in Israel, the tables w could – Chas Veshalom – quickly turn.

We could – Chas Veshalom – in fact be handed over to natural law, and the missiles inexplicably could – Chas Veshalom – begin to hit their targets with greater frequency. And that means that the lives of our fellow Jews – our brothers and sisters living in Israel – could – Chas Veshalom – be in mortal danger.

We must learn this lesson from the story of the meraglim (spies). When they returned from Eretz Yisrael they claimed this land was a place where miracles were apparent on a daily basis, and therefore an extremely high spiritual level would be demanded of those who dwelled there. There was no way that Klal Yisrael as a nation could maintain such a level, and therefore the spies, who were all Gedolei Yisrael, ruled that the people should not enter the land.

The opinion of the meraglim was brought before the Sanhedrin, and they concurred with their ruling. It may seem, on the surface, that their reasoning was sound, and logic dictated that it was unwise to enter Eretz Yisrael. Yet we see from the grave punishment incurred by that generation that they could not have been further from the truth. What was the mistake in their reasoning?

The answer is simple. If Hashem told us to enter Eretz Yisrael, He obviously knew that we would ascend to the spiritual level necessary for a nation that sees miracles on a daily basis. For this reason, the claim of the meraglim was heresy, and we suffer from its bitter consequences to this very day.

In more recent times, Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg once told Rav Sternbuch about a meeting of secular non-Jewish and Jewish professors to discuss the authorship of the Torah. Their conclusion was that while the Torah was far too complex to be man-made, they were not ready to attribute it to a Divine source that they knew nothing about. Like the meraglim, they perceived the significance of the Divine influence, but refused to follow through by accepting the full import of this conclusion.

During the current military operation, we are facing the very same challenge. Hashem is sending us a message that we must make real changes in our lives and raise our level of consciousness of His Presence, to the point where we are worthy of such supernatural treatment. If we rise to the occasion and raise our level of emunah as a result of these miracles, then we will pass the nisayon (test), and it is very likely that Moshiach will arrive shortly.

Chazal offer us practical advice in this area, and write that reciting a hundred brachos every day and saying Amen yehei Shmei Rabba has the power to annul decrees. Reciting Tehillim is important, but we need to make sure that our tefilah is also said with the proper kavanah. Everyone should take upon themselves to do something small to raise their level of emunah.

We must consider ourselves warned by the lessons of our history: If Hashem shows us miracles and we do not respond by strengthening our emunah, His mercy could – Chas Veshalom – turn to fury and we are handed over to the forces of natural law. We dare not speak about what this could could – Chas Veshalom– lead to, but we all understand the ruthless nature and implacable hatred of the enemy we face.

Now is the time, while Hasehm continues to shower His miracles upon us, to recognize His hand in our lives on a national and individual level, to turn to Him in tefilah and teshuvah, and eagerly watch the redemption unfold before our eyes.

The Gate of Trust - Shaar Ha'Bitachon

from Chovos Halevavos - Duties of the Heart
by Rabeinu Bahya ibn Paquda
translated by Rabbi Yosef Sebag © 2012

Level: Intermediate
permission granted to redistribute this in any format for non profit Jewish purposes

Contents
Translator's Foreword
Introduction - benefits of trust
Chapter 1 - What is trust
Chapter 2 - The criteria for trusting someone
Chapter 3 - The factors which would obligate one to trust in G-d, and the obligation to engage in a livelihood.
Chapter 4 - When trust applies and when it does not
Chapter 5 - The difference between one who trusts in G-d in earning a livelihood and one who does not.
Chapter 6 - Obligation to refute those who promote delaying the service of G-d until reaching sufficient material prosperity.
Chapter 7 - Things that damage one's trust in G-d, and a summary of the matter of trust.

Click here for full document: Daf Yomi Review

The War and More

Rabbi Yossi Mizrahi presents a new video: The War and More
HT: Joe

The Shmira Project - For Soldiers and Residents in Danger

This grassroots program pairs individual Jews worldwide with an Israeli soldier or resident in danger. By you doing acts of kindness, prayer and learning Torah in their name it adds to the spiritual merit of that soldier. It’s simple, it’s one on one and it’s powerful.

In times of crisis Jews come together. As seen when over 100,000 people joined the first project of this kind during Project Cast Lead.

Israeli soldiers and recently also civilians are in the line of fire. The army trains them to think in terms of their unit, first and foremost. In the same way, we have to think in terms of our unit as well: the Jewish People. The only way we can overcome our enemies is if we band together.

This is a person to person match that everyone can do.

The families of the soldiers would enjoy the reassurance that Jews around the world are spiritually supporting their children. All participants are helping to bring about unity, connectedness and the spiritual growth of the Jewish People.

Everyone wins.

Join The Shmira Project. It’s personal. It’s important. It’s one name at a time.

It’s guard duty for the rest of us.

This new project is inspired by Rav Simcha Kook and the Bostoner Rebbe, zt”l and supported by many other Great Rabbis in 2009. It's been led by parents of a lone soldier. Let’s join together, now take a name and make a difference.

If you want to participate or sign up a soldier, click here

Massive Superstorm : Just the beginning

Australia: A damaging storm has turned "day into night'' in Brisbane, as lightning and winds brought down powerlines and left more than 6000 homes and businesses without electricity. Meanwhile, another severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for other parts of the state. Story: News.com

Killed on Mumbai Anniversary

The victims of Thursday's attack in Kiryat Malachi were identified as Ahron Smadga, Yitzchak Amsalam, and 25-year-old Mira Scharf (nee Cohen), who was pregnant.

By COLlive Staff

The victims

 Three Lubavitchers have been killed in a grad rocket attack on a Chabad neighborhood of Kiryat Malachi, Israel Thursday morning.

The victims were identified as Ahron Smadga, 50, Yitzchak Amsalam, 27, and Mira Scharf (nee Cohen), 25, who was 7 months pregnant.

Scharf's husband Shmuel was critically injured, as were their 3 children.

The Scharfs were active in the Jewish community in New Delhi, India.

Her funeral will take place Thursday at 8 pm from Shamgar Funeral Home in Jerusalem.

Today, Rosh Chodesh Kislev is the yahrtzeit of Mumbai Shluchim Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg obm, murdered in a terrorist attack in 2008.

50-year-old Ahron Smadga leaves behind 3 children, a set of twins and a 2 year old baby, which were born after 14 years of marriage.

His funeral will take place Thursday at 8 pm from Nachlas Har Chabad.

Six others were injured in the attack, including two infants, one of them eight months old. An additional victim, a four year old boy, was taken to Tel Hashomer hospital in central Israel for treatment. along with his father. The boy was in serious condition, and the father in moderate condition.

Altogether, seven people were injured in the Kiryat Malachi attack. Six others were treated for shock in the attack.

Please say tehillim for: Shmuel ben Chaya Sarah Yehudis, Yosef Yitzchak ben Mira Rut, Chana bas Mira Rut, Geulah bas Mira Rut.

The victims were killed and injured when a Grad rocket hit an apartment building in Kiryat Malachi. The dead were among a large group that had taken refuge in an old building that suffered a direct hit from a Grad rocket.

Pillar of Cloud

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to cause it to lead them on the way and at night in a pillar of fire to give them light, [they thus could] travel day and night. [Shemot 13:21]

The Limits of Tolerance

A recent news story about the wealthiest rabbis in Israel raises questions of when rabbinic behavior becomes unacceptable. Even the most tolerant of people recognize that at some point they must object to deviant, borderline criminal, behavior. However you define your red line, there is some person or group who lies beyond it, past the threshold of unacceptability. Engaging in that tricky business of rejection is a necessary part of tolerating those within the bounds. If every group is acceptable, even cults and criminals, then inclusion is meaningless.

A little over ten years ago, R. Shlomo Aviner published a collection of his letters against a cult rabbinic figure in the book Bein Or Le-Choshekh: Bein Chakhamim Amitiyim Le-Admorim Mezuyafim. Without naming anyone (in the book), R. Aviner reproduces his attempts to convince adherents that the charismatic leader of a specific religious group is a fraud. Watching R. Aviner walk this tightrope of opposition is a profound lesson in the limits of tolerance.

Special Powers

The specific leader claimed paranormal powers, the ability to see into people’s lives, tell the future and communicate with the dead, which he attributed to prophecy and messianic claims. I would have objected that he is merely tricking people but this would probably have proven unsuccessful. R. Aviner, instead, accepted that he performs these amazing feats. However, he argued, it is all irrelevant because it proves nothing.

Paranormal powers are documented among many different people, including those non-religious and non-Jewish. Police investigators sometimes even consult with such seers. This man’s abilities only demonstrate a rare gift, not prophetic power. R. Aviner quotes two incidents of apparent prophets, one from Vilna and the other Kovna, about which R. Chaim Volozhiner testified that the Vilna Gaon denounced as non-prophetic activities (introduction to Sifra De-Tzeni’usa; Keser Rosh, Ma’amarim 6-8). Similarly, a student of R. Tzvi Yehudah Kook was amazed by someone who could tell him intimate details of his private matters. R. Kook dismissed the entire matter.

Continue reading at Hirhurim


HT: Josh

New Storm Hitting Sandy-Battered NYC, NJ, CT

A nor'easter is hitting New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, with snow, rain and heavy winds. The storm is knocking out power to thousands, including some who just had it restored.
 

 See Article: Winter Storm Athena on the East Coast

 Message from Moishela Parts 1-3 click here
 Part 4 here

Fire and Brimstone: What Does It All Mean?

by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

The continuation of my article for the Jewish Press on the power of prayer was ready to go but then tragedy hit. A tragedy of a magnitude that none of us could have envisioned. Not even in our wildest imagination. New York the capital of the world -the invincible citadel is shaken to its core and before our very eyes buildings tumble - our highways are flooded - our bridges and tunnels are closed down - filthy disease carrying sewage enter our homes - and they sink in water - our cars float away - people lose their homes - and worse their very lives. We who prided ourselves with the most advanced state of the art technology stood humbled - our lights dimmed - we were left in darkness - our electricity betrayed us. We watched helplessly as our beautiful neighborhoods turn into war zones. What do we do? How are we to understand this?

Those of you who have read my books or heard me speak can testify that whenever suffering befalls us I search our holy books to find illumination and guidance. I turn to my most loyal friend, my friend who has always been at my side who has given me comfort and strength, my friend who never betrayed me, my sefer Tehillim, my Book of Psalms. "Hashem gave us the Torah and we gave Him the Book of Psalms" - the Psalms which were written by King David - the man who experienced every pain - every suffering that can befall mankind - each word that David wrote was drenched with his tears and his words speak for all eternity - for all mankind. 

The devastation occurred on Monday, October 29th - the 13th day of the month of Cheshvan. The Psalm designated for the 13th day of the month is Psalm 69. I opened to it and the words jumped out "Save us oh G-d for the waters have reached onto my soul". And there is more. This Psalm does not leave us in the cold - it also provides our remedy - our answer. "Va-ani, s'filosi l'cho Hashem'' - but as for me, my prayer is to You Hashem". Yes we must turn in heartfelt prayer to our Heavenly Father and beseech His Mercy - His Salvation. 

I look at the "Parasha" and once again the opening passage speaks - our father Abraham whose kind hospitality had no bounds - opens his home to strangers. That which our forefathers experienced - that which shaped their lives has become part of our DNA - lives forever in our yiddisha neshamas. I think of all the many people who were left homeless and then I think of those who lost power and were left in cold darkness. I know of a woman standing in her home - waist deep in water with fish swimming all around her while she was desperately searching for photographs of her father and mother who are no longer here. Who can comprehend the pain - the suffering? And then let us think of all the wonderful people who opened their homes like our father Abraham. I know for I am one of those who had to evacuate and I too have benefited from that hospitality and as I am writing this column I continue to benefit from that chessed. And there is more, much more.

Maimonides - Rambam taught that when suffering is visited upon us we are commanded to cry out and awaken our people with the sound of the "shofar". He taught that everyone must be alerted. Everyone must examine his or her life and ask, what is my life all about? How would I rate if I were given a "neshama check" up? What does my Judaism, my Torah, really mean to me? Maimonides wrote that if we regard the tragedies that befall us as simply "the way of the world - natural happenings" we would be guilty of "achzarius - cruelty". At first glance it is difficult to understand why Maimonides would chose the term "cruelty" to describe those who claim to be rational 21st century citizens and see trials and tribulations "as the way of the world". They may be unthinking, apathetic, and foolish, blind obtuse or just cynical agnostics but to accuse them of cruelty is rather farfetched.

The answer is simple - if we regard our pain and suffering as "mere coincidence" and feel no motivation to examine our lives, abandon our old ways and change - then indeed, such an attitude is "cruel" for it invites additional misfortunate upon ourselves and others. It would be the height of cruelty to dismiss that which we just experienced and all that preceded it for several years now as mere happenstance. "Daas Torah" - our great Torah luminaries of past generations including the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman, and others told us that we are entering the final stages of history - a period of time called "Ikvsa Di Meshiach - Footsteps of the Messiach". So I ask you, can we remain silent? Would doing so not be an act of "cruelty"?

Ours is a generation that has been challenged again and again. We have had so many wakeup calls - some terrifying - and some more subtle but no matter what we have remained indifferent to them all. I will not go back to the time of the Holocaust although by every right I should for if that didn't shake us up what would? Sadly, nowaday's very few people can even identify with that monstrous period. It has long been buried in history.

So let us try to commence with 9/11 - but I'm afraid even that story has become tired. The flames of the twin towers are no longer vivid in our minds and the fellowship - the kindness - that ensued in its wake is all but gone. So let us just focus on more recent events.

During the summer of 2002 a terrible tragedy occurred in a bungalow colony in the Catskill Mountains. A mother had just bathed her infant baby and put her in her carriage for a nap. Suddenly out of nowhere a wild bear appeared, snatched the baby and made off with her. The baby was never again seen. This shocking story did appear in newspapers and was reported in the media but seldom did I meet people who were actually aware of it. Nor did I encounter too many of those who were aware of the Talmudic teaching that the generation that will witness a wild beast snatching a baby from its cradle should sound the shofar to awaken the nation. But alas the shofar was not sounded and we were not awakened. With the years our slumber has become deeper. There were no alarm clocks capable of awakening us - I should probably qualify this - there is one ring that does make us jump and that's the ring of financial crisis. But no sooner does that alarm stop ringing then we return to our old ways and continue to sleep.

During the past few years the number of catastrophes has multiplied to such an extent that we have all but become immune to them. Natural disasters -tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes, earth quakes, nuclear spill outs, uncontrollable fires, unknown diseases, barbaric savage acts of terror have become all too common and we no longer notice them. Could this be a wakeup call warning us? Somehow it never even occurred to us to ask that question.

Time and time again I have written, spoken and cited the teaching of our Sages - "K'ymei Tzescho....the manner in which you departed from Egypt so shall it be at the end of days". How did we depart from Egypt? What was that which broke the chains of bondage and opened the iron gates? Every child knows the answer and so do we: the 10 plagues. Have we witnessed the 10 plagues in our generation? Of course not you'll protest. But then think again, and think again..!!!!! What was the first plague in Egypt? Blood....the Nile River that the Egyptians worshiped - the Nile River where Jewish children's lives were snuffed out - became blood. Again you might ask; what on earth does that have to do with us? "Think". The Nile was the god of Egypt. Once again you might protest - we are not pagans - we worship the real G-d. But, do we really? Has it ever occurred to any of us that we are the generation that worships with passion and fervor the god of money? And in worshiping it we are prepared to sacrifice everything - even our families - our children. The plagues of Egypt continued to plague us and they came in many shapes and forms. Pestilence....bed bugs in New York. Do you remember that? Yes bed bugs in the finest places - elegant hotels - exclusive shops and mind you it wasn't only in New York. The bed bugs crawled everywhere. And then there were the dead birds falling from the sky by the hundreds of thousands -the dead fish and sardines washing up on the shore by the hundreds of thousands? One of my students asked me - "how about the wild beast that invaded the streets of ancient Egypt we haven't seen that". Really, I said, "you don't remember Ohio when one morning people looked out of their windows to see if it was sunny or raining and low and behold they saw lions- tigers - wolfs - and bears. Can that be? Were they hallucinating? Did they lose it? But as always, for this too there was a rational explanation. Some animals had escaped from their cages. There was nothing to worry about we assured ourselves - it's one of those crazy things that can happen.. And then there was the earthquake in New York City. To be sure it was an unusual phenomenon. I recall people's reaction - laughing..where were you when it happened - did you feel it? And so the earthquake became just another "fun" experience.

And now SANDY arrived in all her fury - mocking us - mocking our technology - mocking our invincibility - mocking our arrogance. This time we are silenced - this time we stand humbly - we tremble and we cry. How did this happen? How could this be? Things like this can only occur in primitive places - places that are far away from civilization - away from the hubs of the United States but it happened and we cannot escape it - this time we couldn't find an explanation because this time it was our house. This time it was our community. This time it was we who were drowning. This time was different. This time we cannot escape it. or will we stubbornly pursue our old ways and remain deaf, dumb and blind? It's all in our hands. Hashem is calling.

I was listening to the news. The anchor was interviewing one of the most prominent meteorologists and asked, "Is SANDY different from all other natural catastrophes? Is there any parallel to her? "No, this is totally different", he responded. "This calamity had many shades and shapes and they fell upon us at the very same time as one - floods, fires, snow, winds, and rain - all converged upon us. Yes, this time it was different. But the question we must ask - will we be different? Will we get it? Or, will we continue with our sick obsessions, worshiping the "god of Money" and succumb to the enticements of our degenerate society?

Do you remember the story of Elijah the prophet and Jezebel -that satanic evil queen who seduced our people into worshiping pagan gods? Elijah rose like a lion and went to battle to save our people and bring them back to Hashem. And G-d responded and sent a great miracle for all to see and hear. The people actually witnessed the Hand of The Almighty and proclaimed in unison - "Hashem Hu Ho Elokim - G-d He is G-d"! Elijah rejoiced. The people understood. But Jezebel gleefully said, "Wait until tomorrow"! And tragically she was correct. Tomorrow came and it was all forgotten. And the question we must now ask ourselves is -will we forget - will we go back to business as usual? Or - will we remember Tehillim - Psalm 69; "the waters have risen to our souls" and now from our souls our prayers must reach to the Heavens Above.

"V'ani, s'filosi l'cho Hashem" - but as for me, my prayer is for You Hashem...

With Brochos - Blessing from the depths of my soul

Esther Jungries

Letter from Lakewood

Received via email from a reader:

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Lakewood

With much of Lakewood still without power for days, I humbly feel that Hashem is trying to send us a message that "we" are putting out the light of the beauty of Lakewood, the largest town in the US of Torah learning. The light of the Kedusha the light of thousands of Torah learners right here in our town of Lakewood is being distinguished by us with our actions.

We have more Yeshivas and Mesiftas than in any other town or city in America BY"H so we have more responsibility to keep Hashem happy with our way of life.

It's time for all of us to make a Cheshbon Hanefesh and see what could be corrected to bring back the light of the Schinah to Lakewood the town of Torah and Chessed.

If we don't take this storm seriously who knows what other difficult message Hashem might have to send us in order to wake up and do Teshuva?

Take a moment and think...are we living a spiritual life at least similar to our great grand parents, the way they lived when they arrived in America some 70 years ago? or are we indulged in our clothing, i.e. shoes, jewelry, belt, coat, & mink coats, handbags, boots, shopping, hunting for bargains, living in restaurants, redoing our kitchens every so often, always planning our next vacations, now Leshem Mitzvah we are busy planning our winter vacation, and of course don't forget Motzai Shabbos hot Pizza & fries, eating it in the pizza shops in mixed company, we have turned into a major planning board not leaving enough time to see and plan our lives as "how to serve Hashem better”.

Lets be honest it's almost impossible to walk the streets and keep our eyes clean, and yes, I am referring to neighborhoods of Bnai Torah and Chasidim, not in Harlem, Miami Beach or Las Vegas.

This "FrankenStorm" has been felt by many of us we are all suffering because of it in one way or another, but..... The million dollar question is: are we waking up to Hashems cry?

Now let’s be strong and say to Hashem: OK we are ready to change our ways of life, our materialism lifestyle that we have lived up to now will change!!! We’ll start getting ourselves ready for the coming of Moshiach by living a true Torah life. BTW When Moshiach arrives there will be nothing left of all our Gasmius, so get a head start...and get rid of it now lets be more careful with all of the Halocos and Mitzovos of our special sweet Torah.

p.s.  I would like to ask everyone to take this Frankenstorm warning from Hashem very seriously.