I forgot to record our chaburah last night

I am so sorry!

Here's a summary of what we did:

Experiencing the Divine: Chapter 11: Strengthening Holy Feeling

- Teach ourselves to look for Hashem everywhere- in ourselves and in everything around us
(exactly what Esther Hamalka did so we can achieve this on Purim for 24 hours straight!)

- Rav Shapiro describes the beauty of Shalosh Seudos (please read it) and this ties into the feeling one can have on Purim the entire day!

Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh: Part four, sections 119-126: Belief in Divine Providence

We are trying to look beyond the person or thing that is before us and see them as something Hashem is sending our way in order to pull us closer to Him ("when Esther said 'May the king come' she had in mind the King of the world.  That was how she lived- seeing Hashem in everything- and her entire focus and communication was only with Him" pg 129)

Getting to Know Your Feellings: Healing Past Emotional Scars, pg 304-314

We may have feeling and emotional scars from past experiences or even from past lives (gilgulim).  (Rav Wallerstein states that on Purim we can do teshuva even on gilgulim of the past)- In order to deal with these emotional scars, Rav Schwartz recommends tapping into the renewal within- Hashem is renewing us and giving us life every second, if you bring your awareness to that space inside- you can touch the place in the soul where there are no imprints.  (First you have to understand that there is this type of place inside you, where you can start anew any time.  Then 'quiet your soul, either by listening to a nigun, eating something tasty, or by relaxing in comfortable position' (pg 312).  Finally, in that place of quiet repeat - a dozen times- 'I am being renewed.  Hashem is in my heart, and is renewing me every moment... then realize Hashem infuses in me a new koach everyday- to achieve what I could not achieve in the past..now I can succeed in them.')"

This week we will meet at 6:30 am Monday to review this avoda and review Purim plans- I will iYH record it.

Please sign up for Tehillim so that we can complete it on Purim as a group.

Love, aviva rus

Additional reading for our chaburah this Motzai Shabbos

http://bilvavi.net/english/purim-032-understanding-mitzvos-purim

Looking forward!

There is no greater freedom than ignoring the entire world while you converse with its Creator. (Rabbi freeman)

The mazal of Adar: Dagim (fish)

In our chaburah, we are working on sensing, feeling, thinking,  seeing Hashem behind everything that is happening  around us- emulating Esther and Mordechai. We are learning what the steps are  to join our intellect with emotion  (mind with heart).    Below is Torah that shows us how powerful  this month of Adar is- how we can  "swim in Divine consciousness"! The five types of animals that could be brought as sacrifices were cattle, goats,  sheep, pigeons, and doves.  Fish are not brought as sacrifices. Spiritual Walking, Flying, and Swimming וְאִם מִן הָעוֹף עֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ לַה' וגו': (ויקרא א:יד) [G-d told Moses,] “If someone’s sacrifice to G-d is an ascent-offering of fowl.”  Leviticus 1:14 Mammals allude to those among us whose  animal nature is relatively pronounced.  Fowl, because they can fly, allude to those of us who are less  “earth-bound,” i.e., who live a more intellectual life and can therefore  “fly” above a purely animal existence.  Nonetheless, just as fowl need to periodically rest from flight,  human intellect is limited by nature.  Therefore, fowl, like mammals, are used as sacrifices,  since both our animal natures and our intellects  need to be spiritually refined and uplifted. In contrast, fish, which must remain constantly in water,  allude to those of us who have so refined themselves  that they remain always connected to G‑d, “swimming”  constantly in Divine consciousness.  Since the Divine side of our personality  does not need the elevation that our animal side does,  fish are not used for sacrifices.1 FOOTNOTES 1. Igrot Kodesh, vol. 1, pp. 46–47, 130–131.  Translated and Adapted by Moshe Wisnefsky    More articles...  |    Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson

for our avoda- Fusing Torah with Tefila through Tehilim:

Thank you, Reitza Sarah, for creating this card!

Teshuva-

The Heights of Repentance וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַיַּגִּשׁוּ שְׁלָמִים וגו': (שמות לב:ו) They sacrificed [to the calf]. Exodus 32:6 How could the people who witnessed G‑d’s miracles and  experienced His revelation at Mount Sinai commit  such a blatant transgression so soon afterward?  True, only a small percentage of the people worshipped the Calf,  but even this is hard to imagine. The sages of the Talmud therefore teach us that indeed,  the Jews at that point were incapable of sinning.  In order to enable the people to rise to the heights  of spiritual achievement only attainable through repentance,  G‑d “forced” the entire incident upon them. In this light, we can all focus on our past misdeeds  as opportunities through which we can scale  spiritual heights that we could not rise to otherwise.1 FOOTNOTES 1. Likutei Sichot, vol. 16, pp. 412–413.  (chabad.org)

New Inspiring thoughts

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This means that if we don't see our success, we could be blocking it- how? Well... it ties into our chaburah on the power of thought:

"A negative mind will never give you a positive life"

(unknown)

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"Let control go

Let in His flow"

(from Chaiya Danielle Ledder)

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It's in the details- Parshas Mishpatim

Heard from Rav Moshe Weinberger: Slonim Torah:

We might think that after receiving the Torah in Parshas Yisro, we should now enjoy the spiritual high and bask in it.  In fact, Hashem says otherwise, by following Parshas Yisro with practical Mishpatim; 

He is saying- live it- in every detail of your life, in every thought, every action, every feeling, every breath, bring the Torah into every moment, because that is where you will make a space for Hashem to dwell  (as we will see in the next parshios we learn how to build the mishkan- stay tuned).

Good Shabbos Mevorchim!

Love, aviva rus