Can one really control their thoughts?

Parashat Yitro - Can one really control their thoughts? - Rabbi Alon Anava

A Question

This was received by email, and I do not know the answer.  Please comment.

Hi I wonder if you can help me. Every Friday night our family gets together for Shabbat, even though we are not ultra orthodox we keep a traditional Friday night dinner.  For the past few weeks my divorced niece has started dating a nonJew and she brings him to the dinner. She has two children from her previous husband and I think she is setting a very bad example to them.  The family is not so thrilled about this turn of events but we can't rock the boat, so to speak, and she has spent the past ten years dating Jewish men to no avail and now she has found a very nice nonJew and she does not want to be alone.  What is the ruling with something like this?  Do we tell her she can't bring him to dinner? That will mean she won't come and her kids will not be able to have Shabbat dinner. It is a very difficult situation.  Is there something that says nonJews cannot spend Friday nights with a Jewish Shabbat? Would really appreciate advice as I have no-one else to ask.

The Seven Names of Yitro

People’s names in the Torah all have a special meaning. 

In the case of Jethro – in Hebrew Yitro – there are seven names and seven meanings, according to rabbinic midrash. 

His two main names are connected with a root that means “additional” – he was “Yitro” because he performed extra good deeds and “Yeter” because he caused extra texts to enter the Torah. 

He was “Chovav” because he was beloved of God, “Re’u’el” because he was God’s friend, “Chever” because he was a close associate of the Almighty, “Puti’el” because he abandoned idolatry, and “Keni” because he was zealous for God.

For more kabbalistic learning on Yitro's name go to Chief of the Converts

Full Moon

The moon was so beautiful last night and on Friday night.  Here it is over Bondi Beach.

Photo Bondi Harvest

Are We On The Right Spiritual Path?

Rav Dov Ber Pinson

How do we know that what we are doing is being accepted Above? How do we know if we are on the right spiritual path?

Trees and the Hidden Channels of Communication

In honour of Tu b'Shvat [which falls on Shabbat this week]  - the new year for trees.  To learn more about the customs of eating fruits go to The Seven Species of Israel

 from the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov; translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan


Many types of fruit do not grow in some lands, only because people do not understand.

The world has a foundation stone. Channels emanate from this stone, reaching every land. The Midrash teaches us that the wise King Solomon knew the details of these channels and was therefore able to plant all types of trees.

If people knew the exact location of these subterranean channels, they would be able to grow fruit trees even in these lands. They could grow many that never grow there now.

Each channel has the power to stimulate a particular species. Even if a particular channel does not pass through one land, all channels are intertwined and flow into each other. If one knew the exact place, he could plant any type of tree.

If one knew the location of all channels, he could dig a well and know where to plant trees around it. He could then make any type of tree grow.

The foundation stone of the world constantly rises and descends. If one knows its position, then he knows what to plant at a particular time.

All these things are concealed from the world for some things may not be revealed.

People say that the world is gaining knowledge, but earlier generations made the primary discoveries, and this took the greatest wisdom.

Later generations make discoveries only because earlier ones prepared the way. One generation makes the basic discoveries, and later generations apply them, but the latter contribution is really the smaller.

The Talmud says "If you would not have removed the piece of clay, you would not have found the jewel under it."

There are things that may not be revealed, for if they were revealed, later generations would make an idol of them. There is knowledge that may not be revealed, for later generations would use the basic knowledge and continually add to it, often irresponsibly. They could then develop concepts leading to cataclysmic discoveries.

It is written [Lev. 19:23] "When you enter your land and plant any tree... three years shall its fruit be forbidden to you". The Zohar teaches us that the evil forces of klipah dwell in trees duirng these first three years.

Earlier generations misunderstood this and thought that they were obliged to worship a tree during the three years that it was under the influence of the klipah. According to their error it was a logical necessity to make such a tree an object of worship.

The Kabbalistic Reason Why Women Cover Their Hair

Rav Dov Ber Pinson - you might need to turn up the volume for this two minute lesson

Yemen!

R' Dov Bar Leib has told us several times that it will start in Yemen: [see comments here]

The War between Edom and Persia will commence in Yemen. As the pasuk about the Final Shofar blast that welcomes the Messianic Era tells us: יד וַיהוָה עֲלֵיהֶם יֵרָאֶה, וְיָצָא כַבָּרָק חִצּוֹ; וַאדֹנָי יְהוִה בַּשּׁוֹפָר יִתְקָע, וְהָלַךְ בְּסַעֲרוֹת תֵּימָן. And the LORD shall be seen over them, and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord GOD will blow the shofar, and will go with stormwinds of Teiman (Yemen).

HaShem is hovering over us and sees us here in Israel in our pain, some of it "self-imposed" from the Erev Rav. He then shoots an arrow in the direction of where the final war to destroy the World of Lies is going to commence. And with the blast of the Shofar, He will direct the judgement on the nations of the world from Teiman.

Today, as I checked for Nibiru news, I was surprised to see this video from them about Yemen launching missiles at Saudi Arabia.