Fine tuning

There is a common misconception that the good things in life come from being in the right place at the right time. In truth, everything that is good comes from being on the right channel with the right reception.

This is what the sages call z’chut—sometimes translated as “merit.” What it really means is a kind of fine-tuning of the soul. 

How do you fine-tune the soul? You have three knobs: What you do, what you say and what you think. Adjust them carefully for static-clean reception.

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Chabad.org

Love this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnAaaCrFWJg&sns=em

Good Shabbos!

Shovevim Begins

Increasing our purity in these weeks sounds like an onerous task.  How much can one person do- we might think to ourselves.

However, I heard Rabbi Kalish of Waterbury speak this week, where he showed a way to increase one's purity in a totally different way.  Based on the pasuk in Avos: "yafe torah im derech eretz, sheyigias shneihem mishgachas avon" - special is one's toiling in torah and derech eretz (chesed)- they bring one to forget the sin.

Rather than thinking about what impure things to stay away from, attach yourself to something pure, Torah, chesed, bein adam l'chaveiro, bein adam l'makom- pick something that fills you up with satisfaction in these areas and the purity will come on its own.

Here's to an amazing six weeks of shovvim.

Good Shabbos, 

Aviva Rus

Good Shabbos!

In this week's parsha, Yaakov is about to reveal when the geulah will arrive and Hashem took that knowledge away from him.  Why?

Nesivos Shalom answers this with Yaakov's  words "l'shuasecha kivisi Hashem" - If we hope and long for it, then it can arrive earlier.  

There is no set time, in other words.  

It is up to you and me! 

Start now.  

Feel the hope and longing to have that continuous deveikus- unification with Hashem.

As a side point, I heard this thought that spoke to me:

For true love- we say to one another: "You leave you and I will leave me".

Have a gorgeous Shabbos.

Love, aviva rus

After Chanukah...

An earthly being doing a G‑dly act—now that’s something...

(Taken from the words of Rabbi Tzvi Freeman- Chabad.org)