Shana Tova

Wishing everyone a Shana Tova and may we all be written in the Book of Life for all revealed goodness for the coming year. 

Rosh HaShanah: Food !

These links should satisfy all of your YomTov food requirements and give you some new ideas. 

The Spiritual Meaning of the Food on Your Rosh HaShanah Table

40 Innovative Ways to Use Simanim

Shirat Devorah Honey Cake

PeasLovenCarrots

The Messianic Light

HT: RFA

Source: Rabbi Mendel Kessin, an excerpt from his soon-to-published book

There's a midrash that relates that the Torah of Moses, which is everything that Jews have now, will seem as vacuous as air when compared to the Ohr Mashiach, the Messianic Light that will come into the physical world. 

Furthermore, the midrash adds that the Torah of Mashiach will be vaporous compared to the Torah of the World-to-Come. Can you believe this? It's astounding what G-d has in store for klal Yisrael and for those others who are deserving of the Messianic Light’s teachings. 

In truth, we really have no concrete idea as to what will happen in the World-to-Come because we cannot comprehend what it means to be alive in that dimension. Were G-d to show you what it means to be alive in that world, it would completely destroy your free will. 

It's an exhilarating experience of truth and, if you know the truth, you don’t choose anymore. In our world, however, you are compelled to act in the way that is commensurate with the truth you perceive.

The Future Redemption

Parshat Nitzavim:

The future redemption: Moses warns of the exile and desolation of the Land that will result if Israel abandons G‑d’s laws, but then he prophesies that in the end, “You will return to the L‑rd your G‑d . . . If your outcasts shall be at the ends of the heavens, from there will the L‑rd your G‑d gather you . . . and bring you into the Land which your fathers have possessed.” 

The Talmud Talmud [Sanhedrin 97a–98a] mentions various signs to identify the generation in which Moshiach will arrive.

In that generation:

• Torah scholarship will be diminished. 
• There will be many troubles and difficult decrees. 
• The younger generation will not respect their elders. 
• There will be inflation in food prices. 
• The government will turn towards heresy (denying the Torah). 
• People will despair of the Redemption. 
• People will have no money left in their pockets (i.e., savings). 
• The Jewish people will not have supporters. 
• The generation will be either entirely righteous or entirely wicked. 
• There will be no fish available for purchase, even for sick people. 
• There will be no arrogant people left amongst the Jews. 
• There will be no judges or enforcers left amongst the Jewish people.

Source: Chabad

Rosh HaShanah -What is it all About?

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, new shiur

Word Power

The Baal Shem Tov taught:

Your soul is mixed with good and evil, in order that it should be free.

Therefore, when you speak holy words, they draw down new life from holiness, and when you speak evil words, they draw down new life from the root of evil and the Other Side. The latter causes you to do evil.

So everything in your life, whether for evil or for good, depends upon your speech.

Mad World

Art: Mike Worrall

This is for me, and everyone else who's feeling the same way right now.

"A king was informed by his chief minister that there had been blight on the crops that year. They were affected so greatly that anyone eating the grain would become insane. "But" said the minister, "there is no need for us to worry. I have set aside enough grain from last year's harvest for the both of us that will last until the harvest of the following year."

The king shook his head. "No," he said. "I will not allow myself any privileges other than those shared by my subjects.  "We shall eat of the same grain," the king continued, "and we shall both go insane together with the rest of the population. But here is what we shall do. You and I will mark our foreheads with an indelible imprint, so that when we go insane, I will look at you and you will look at me and we will know we are insane."

[Rebbe Nachman of Breslov]

Prayer for Rain

Here in Australia we have been praying for rain to ease the terrible drought affecting our country. Looks like we're going to get bucket loads of rain in a few days time.... praying that we do.

Photo Kaycee Kennedy

"You shall have complete and accurate stone weights" [Ki Teitzei 25:15]

Throughout the generations, gedolei Yisrael scrupulously kept the mitzvah of maintaining accurate weights and measures.

In a certain city, the sages decreed that a fast day be held on account of the lack of rain. The entire city fasted as the sages had ordained, but rain still did not fall.

That night, the Rav of the city had a dream. In it, he was told that if a particular storeowner would lead the community in a prayer for rain then rain would, indeed, fall.

The next day, the Rav gathered the entire community to pray together for rain. To everyone's surprise, he asked the storeowner to lead the services.

The storeowner declined, claiming that he was but a simple man and unfit to lead the prayers. The Rav, however, did not relent, and he explained that it was specifically the storeowner who could come to their aid and no-one else.

The storeowner left the shul and returned holding a pair of scales that he used to weigh his merchandise.

He approached the bimah and cried out "Master of the Universe! The two pans of these scales parallel the two heis of Your Great Name! The bar parallels the vav, and the handle parallels the yud.

"Master of the Universe! If I have used these scales dishonestly and thereby desecrated Your Holy Name, I hereby accept upon myself whatever punishment I deserve! But if I have acted in an upright manner, then I pray that You send us rain of blessing!"

As soon as the storeowner finished his words, the sky filled with clouds, and it began to rain.

Source: Rabbi Yisroel Bronstein