Sunday, July 26, 2015


Revolution
Menachem Av 10, 5775 · July 26, 2015




If you were there and the Romans or the Babylonians were about to destroy Jerusalem and you had the power to do something about it, would you sit and mourn and cry?

Or would you turn the world upside down to change history?

So what is stopping you? Overturn the world today!


From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. To order Rabbi Freeman’s book, Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, click here.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

from neve website-thank you Reitza Sarah


Looking forward on this Tisha b'Av, to seeing you in a rebuilt Yerushalayim.

The Neve Yerushalayim Family

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

From Rabbi Sassoon- AHAVAS CHINAM


Thank You Tootle Miriam Dolly for sending this.

Our chaburah at 6:15 am is continuing until this Friday-  Please join if you can!



Friday, July 17, 2015

GOOD SHABBOS- GOOD CHODESH!

I was speaking with Ilana Yehudis and Hashem sent us a great idea; for the 9 days, let's meet on the phone to meditate and come to that quiet space inside of us (our neshama), together.   It will be for 15 minutes, beginning this Sunday, iYH, at 6:15 am NY time.  Email me if you want the call in number: aviva@aberman.net


This is taken from Ner Echad- a beautiful message about ahavas chinam- all of us who were at the challah gathering felt it(B'H)! May it continue to spread to everyone, everywhere!


Parshas Masei; The Healing Power of Caring 


In this week’s Parasha we read about a man who kills someone accidentally and is exiled to an Ir Miklat, a city of refuge. In addition to accidental killers, a very distinguished group of people, the Levites, whose job it was to travel throughout Israel teaching and preaching, lived in those cities. Their presence played an integral role in each killer's rehabilitation. 

The killers would go free only when the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) would die. The Talmud in Makos tells us that the Kohen Gadol's family members were quite worried that the convicts would pray that the Kohen Gadol would die before his appointed time, thus releasing them early. In order to dissuade them, the mother of the Kohen Gadol would distribute food and clothing to the inmates to deter them from praying for her son’s death. 

It is hard to understand. Were the Kohen Gadol's mother's cookies worth exile in the Ir Miklat? How did these gifts work as bribes? 

Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky’s grandfather, the Tzaddik Rabbi Aryeh Levine, took it upon himself to visit Jewish inmates held under British rule prior to Israel's statehood. He became like a father to those prisoners, bringing them food, clothing and love. For years, despite sweltering heat and frigid rains, he never missed a Shabbos visit, save one. 

Once, in the midst of a Shabbos service, Reb Aryeh's daughter had become paralyzed and the doctors were helpless. He was needed for support at home, immediately. After the Shabbos, an Arab messenger was sent by the concerned inmates to inquire what tragedy interrupted the weekly visit. 

The next Shabbos, despite the enduring tragedy at home, the Rabbi went to the prison as usual. Normally during the Torah reading, prisoners would pledge a few coins to charity. This week the donations were far different. 

"I will give up a week of my life for the sake of Reb Aryeh's daughter," the first convict pledged. Another prisoner announced that he would give a month from his. Each one called to the Torah upped the previous pledge until the last prisoner cried out, "what is our life compared to Reb Aryeh's anguish? I will give all my remaining days for the sake of the Rabbi's daughter." 

At this unbelievable display of love and devotion, Reb Aryeh broke down and wept. 

Miraculously, that Saturday night Reb Aryeh's daughter began to move and within days was fully recovered. 

The cities of refuge were not jails; they were environments in which reckless people became aware that careless actions have serious ramifications. They would observe the Levites pray, learn, and teach others. They would see the epitome of sensitivity to, and concern for, fellow beings. 

The mission of the Kohen Gadol's mother was not just to distribute food. The inmates saw the love a parent had for her son as she subconsciously pleaded with the inmates to spare her child. They saw how a total stranger, despite her high stature, would make sure that their needs in the city of refuge were cared for. 

After developing an awareness of the preciousness of life, they would never be able to pray for the death of anyone, even if that death meant their own freedom. In fact, they, like Reb Aryeh's prisoners, may have offered their years for the merit of the Kohen Gadol. 


Years later, this same remarkable trait was carried on in Rav Aryeh’s
granddaughter, Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky. Without a word of rebuke, she was able to penetrate the hearts of thousands of women who came to her, who simply felt her love, and felt her concern. Through our experience over the last year with Ner Echad, we’ve heard countless stories of women whose lives were changed by the few minutes they spent with the Rebbetzin. Let us take a lesson; let us surround ourselves with those who empower us to do good, and let us be a source of love and goodness to all those who keep our company. 

Good Shabbos.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

sent from Tzipora Shira:

Incredible video of Rabbi Alon Anava who had a clinical death and did teshuva after. He gives an amazing description of his experience. This is SO mischazek.




HI! 

I watched it yesterday and it is extremely inspiring.  It clarifies what we should be focussing on....which sometimes we may forget.

Please email me at: aviva@aberman.net if you want the final outline for the handbook we finished last month.  IYH, I can email it to you.



Thursday, July 9, 2015

Reminder about the awesome shiurim on the G-d direct Torah website...



בס"ד
With tremendous gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, I bring you the latest edition of "G-d direct Torah" for The Three Weeks.
Many tragedies have occurred during this time period throughout our long Jewish history. To name just a few in more recent times, it was during this time period that the Disengagement from Gush Katif took place where Jews were forcibly removed from their homes. Almost nine years ago to the day beginning on the 17th of Tammuz, the 2nd Lebanon War broke out in the North whereby 2 million Jews were forced to either escape their homes or live for 33 days in and out of bomb shelters. And of course at this time last year our nation was reeling from the tragic discovery of the bodies of the three boys Yaakov Naftali ben Avraham ZT"L, Eyal ben Uriel ZT"L and Gilad Michael ben Ofir ZT"L who were kidnapped and brutally murdered. The incredible outpouring of love and unity and prayer that emerged provided us with unprecedented Divine Protection during last year's War in Gaza that broke out during The Three Weeks.
So what if this year, we could be pro-active in our tefillot and our learning and our uniting together? In years past, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah urged the Klal to recite tehillim #83, #130 and #142 followed by the tefillah of"Acheinu Kol Beis Yisrael" each morning after davening. Must we wait for more tragedy to strike to cry out in prayer? What if we could collectively gather ourselves, even if only via cyber space, and show Hashem how much we care about our relationship to Him, to ourselves, to one another without Hashem having to impose this unity upon us through tragedy and suffering? To internalize and eternalize these lessons of Unity and Ahavat Yisrael, I have featured shiurim and articles on the homepage of G-ddirectTorah from:
Rabbi Itamar Schwartz
Rabbi Moshe Weinberger
Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi
Rabbi Yaakov Zalman Labinsky

For this purpose, I have also provided shiurim to give us extra chizuk during this time period and to learn from the tremendous courage and faith of:
The Sassoon Family who lost seven precious children in a house fire
Mrs. Rachelle Fraenkel who's son Naftali, Hy"d was kidnapped and murdered this time last year
Rebbetzin Chaya Levine whose husband, Rabbi Kalman Zeev Levine, Hy”d, was amongst the four kedushim murdered in Har Nof

all of whom are living examples of emunah and trust in Hashem in the face of tragedy and are actively working to strengthen Klal Yisrael in these areas. Their sorrow should soon be turned to rejoicing as we all witness the unfolding of the final geula and techiyat hametim, may it be very soon in our days, IY"H!!!
with love and friendship, 
Devorah Yaffa Singer
Shiviti: Be Calm. Be Conscious! 
Please help me spread the word!

©2015 G-d Direct Torah | Jerusalem, Israel

Wednesday, July 8, 2015



Please listen to this inspiring shiur:






"Today's Day" from Chabad.org
Shabbat
Tamuz 21
5703
Torah lessons:
Chumash: Pinchas, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 104-105.
Tanya: To explain: (p. 357) ...the Tetragrammaton... (p. 361).

We do not say she'he'cheyanu during the Three Weeks1 even on Shabbat.

It is written: They shall make Me a sanctuary and I shall dwell within them.2 "Within them" means within every one of Israel.

 For within every Jew, the core-point of the heart's inner essence is a sanctuary for His dwelling (may He be blessed).

The site of the sanctuary remains sacred, even in times of exile and desolation. 

In Midrash Sh'mot Raba Chapter 2, R. Acha says: "The Shechina (Divine Presence) never departs from the Western Wall." 

All the desolation is limited to the buildings. 

So too, is the case with the personal sanctuary within each of Israel; the foundation is whole, clear and pure, as it is written, I am asleep but my heart is alert.3 

Midrash Raba comments: "I am asleep for mitzvot, but my heart is alert for acts of kindness; I am asleep for charities, but my heart is alert to perform them." 

Every form of (spiritual) desolation (may G-d rescue us from such) found in the people Israel is only in those aspects of the people analagous to buildings above the foundation. 

The foundation of the individual sanctuary, however, remains in its holy state.

There is no room for despair! Carry on!

I hope to meet you all on Sunday....if not earlier...

love, aviva rus

Friday, July 3, 2015

Good Shabbos



(Thank you Tzipora for sending- Please Hashem help us achieve this strong emunah through ways we perceive as good.)

UPDATE:

Tentative date for the challah/amen gathering is July 12th in Passaic, IY'H.

Next two chapters of our handbook (9 and 10) are on their way, iyH.

Please post feedback about our summer reading, Days of Awe. 

Good Shabbos!