It’s mid August, a time when many families’ thoughts turn to their summer vacations. A few years back I took my two youngest to Lake George for a few days. A key factor was that there was a minyan. I can still clearly picture arriving at the minyan tent a little early and seeing a group of ten Sefardi men and teens gathered and saying Selichos, as is their minhag to start from the 2nd day of Elul. The juxtaposition of August and Elul is striking and holds an important message. Judaism permits, and often encourages, man to partake of the pleasures of the world, but it’s with perspective. The su ..read more

Here’s the scenario: It’s the week before Pesach. Our Rav is a leading Posek and many people, including the kollel and yeshivah students sell their Chametz through him, and ask a shailoh (question) or two in the process. The line can get quite long. In comes a long time Shul member who catches the corner of the Rav’s eye. The Rav waves him to the front of the line to sell his Chametz. On one hand the Rav has instituted the policy that dues paying Shul members have priority and the privilege to cut the line. If the Rav waves you to the front, it’s an easier choice, you probably go. If you’re no ..read more

Happiness is a feeling of completion. When a person feels like they’re missing something, and then they get out of their lacking situation, they’re happy. The missing something can be a new house, a car, a vacation, or even that piece of chocolate that you want now. A deeper sense of happiness is when we feel the completion with what we already have. That’s the happiness that comes from being with family, being with a loved one, or sitting in the Shul that you love. The deepest level of happiness comes totally from within, it comes from a sense of being, not from having. It’s when we sense our ..read more

Chanukah is a time of L’hodos U’l’hallel, To give thanks and praise to Hashem and we fulfill that obligation with the saying of the Full Hallel on Chanukah for all eight days. Here are some notes from Maharal: Emerging Patterns by Yaakov Rosenblatt on Hallel. Give Praise Servants of Hashem from this time forth and forever more Despite Hashem’s loftiness, He is still intimately involved with the life of man and continually bestows goodness through kindness, judgment or mercy. He raise the needy from the dust is through judgment because the poor should be provided for. To seat them with the nobl ..read more

I have the privilege of preparing our Shul’s AYnouncements. (Hat tip to past president SR, for coining the term AYnouncements as in Ahavas Yisroel Announcements.) Although the weekly deadline nature of the job creates some pressure, I do consider it a privilege to be able to serve the Tzibbur in this manner. An added bonus of the job is sharing it with a number of members to pre-read it – looking for omissions and corrections. One of the Rabbi’s sons is a pre-reader and he often will share halachic times that should be included. Last week’s AYnouncements had this inclusion: “Last Time for Kidd ..read more

Robert Emmons, one of the world’s leading scientific experts on gratitude, says there are two component to gratitude. The first is to recognize that although life is not perfect, we benefit from many good things, including being alive. The second is to recognize the source of this goodness as being outside of ourselves. True gratitude involves a humble dependence on others, acknowledging that people and G-d, gives us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives. The problem we face is that we’re not comfortable being dependent. In fact, in Hebrew, thankfulness shares ..read more

Making Hashem Our King Rosh Hashanah is approaching and it’s an opportunity for us to crown Hashem as our King. This is a difficult task because a King has absolute sovereignty and few people are willing to cede all their authority to Hashem. Rabbi Noson Weisz provides a motivating thought by pointing out that Hashem is the Creator of the entire universe and He can do anything for us. He can make all our problems disappear and provide us with peace, prosperity and endless joy. However, since Hashem gives us free will, we are given the power to determine our spiritual and physical outcomes. Has ..read more

The Need For Emotional Connection The Ramchal teaches us that the basis of our Service of Hashem is Devarim 10:12 in Parshas Eikev: “And now, Israel, what does Hashem, your God, ask of you? – Only to fear (be in awe of) Hashem, your God, – to walk in all His ways, – to love Him, – to serve Hashem, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, – to observe the mitzvos of Hashem and His decrees, which I command you today, for your benefit. We are quite good at doing the mitzvos, but many of us have trouble with the emotional components, specifically that of loving Hashem. We know we are suppo ..read more

Happiness is a feeling of completion. When a person feels like they’re missing something, and then they get out of their lacking situation, they’re happy. The missing something can be a new house, a car, a vacation, or even that piece of chocolate that you want now. A deeper sense of happiness is when we feel the completion with what we already have. That’s the happiness that comes from being with family, being with a loved one, or sitting in the Shul that you love. The deepest level of happiness comes totally from within, it comes from a sense of being, not from having. It’s when we sense our ..read more

Chanukah is a time of L’hodos U’l’hallel, To give thanks and praise to Hashem and we fulfill that obligation with the saying of the Full Hallel on Chanukah for all eight days. Here are some notes from Maharal: Emerging Patterns by Yaakov Rosenblatt on Hallel. Give Praise Servants of Hashem from this time forth and forever more Despite Hashem’s loftiness, He is still intimately involved with the life of man and continually bestows goodness through kindness, judgment or mercy. He raise the needy from the dust is through judgment because the poor should be provided for. To seat them with the nobl ..read more