Hello fellow plumates. (That's a good one, i can't believe no one thought of that. Like "roomates" just isntead its "plumates").
Anyways, it's late (in many respects... tsssss). A lot has been going on but I'm not in a position to properly express that right now, hopefully next week i'll catch u all up on the life and times of reb yos, i know you all want to here. For now, i'll just share some words of Torah from my Rebbe Rav Rosensweig. DON"T WORRY! It's not crazy complicated or abstract (for those of you who know him). It's a little bit of reading... but it's a beautifal idea at the end. This one's for u guys!
Rav Rosensweig- the Torah commands us to blow the Shofar on 2 different occasions: every year on Rosh Hashanah and once every 50 years, on Yom Kippur of the Yovel year to. The Gemara Rosh Hashanah, in several places, connects these 2 shofar blowings.
For example, when the Gemara determines how many tekios we sound on Rosh Hashanah, it does so by calculating the different times that the Torah says “teruah”. However, one of the pesukim it quotes is the pasuk that says to blow a “teruah” on the Yovel year. What does that have to do with the tekios of Rosh Hashanah?!
Another example is that the Gemara says the brachos on both tekios the same. Meaning, we say the same thing by the tekios of R”H as we do by the tekios of the Yovel year. One opinion in the Gemara even goes so far to say that we shouldn’t say “ha’yom haras olam” (today the world was conceived) by the shofar blowing of R”H since you can’t say that by the tekios of Yovel and the 2 have to be synonymous.
The Rambam also connects the 2. In his Sefer Ha’mitzvos and Mishneh Torah, whenever he introduces one of these tekios he adds in “just like the tekios by R”H (or by Yovel, depending on which halacha he’s talking about).
Suffice it to say that there is an inherent connection between these 2 tekiyos. What does it all mean?
Rav Rosnesweig suggested a very inspiring idea. He said that Chazal are trying to convey a very fundamental message here. In the midst of the yom ha’din on R”H, when we hear the tekios of the shofar, which represent one form of crying or another, and we can’t help but think how low we might’ve sunk and how far we are from the people we should be, we should be reminded of the tekios sounded on Yovel. Those are the tekios that announce all slaves have been freed and all lands have been returned to their original owners. They are tekios that symbolize a fresh start for everyone. If you were a slave before, you’re now a free man with a new beginning. Whatever business you may have done over the past 50 years is now irrelevant b/c you get your land back and things are once again just the way they were at the beginning. This is what we should be reminded on Rosh Hashanah when we hear the shofar- it’s a new year and this time around we can make things right. That’s really what everyone hopes for on R”H, just to get another chance to prove what we could be. Perhaps this is what Chazal are hinting out when they link these 2 tekios. (He also pointed out that it works in the other direction as well- when you hear the tekios on Yovel and the master thinks to himself how bad it is that he’s losing his slave he should be reminded of the tekios on R”H which will remind him who the real Master is etc. But that’s not the message for now....)
Have a kesivah v'chasimah Tovah! I wish you all a shanah tovah u'mitzlachas and im yirtza Hashem all of our tefilos should be answered. Peace up
reb yos
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Words from the Clean Guy
Im sorry if its too long guys i hope its good.
Have a great shabbos pluatonians.
Last week’s parsha, Ki Savoh as well as this week’s parshiyos, Nitzavim and Vayeilech contain a tremendous focus on the klal, the general group of bnei yisrael. Firstly in Pasrshas Ki Savoh all of bnei yisrael join together on two mountains to hear the brachos and klalos that we will receive if we keep the torah or heaven forbid stray from the torah path. Rav Saadia Gaon explains that we can learn the mitvah of “Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze Laze” from this event. We learn the halachic principle that we are individually responsible if one of our friends is not performing the mitzvos properly. If my friend is not wearing tzitzis or missing davening, I am responsible for his actions as well.
Following the same concept, in Parshas Nitzavim, the torah tells us that even though we are not culpable for the sins that a Jew does in private or in his hidden thoughts, we are however responsible for the sins and aveiros that he does in public. This is an incredible idea which we have to internalize that we have to start caring not just about ourselves but about our friends as well.
This idea of areivim ze laze and being responsible for one another is especially significant during this time period right before Rosh Hoshana. I saw the Arizal quoted that the reason why Rosh Hashana is a two day yuntif even in Israel, even for alex and yoni, is because the first day is necessary for judgment on our own individual actions. There is a second day also that’s necessary for judgment on our relationship with the general klal, tzibur. The entire second day of Rosh Hashana is devoted to judging whether we actually cared for our friends and made sure they were doing the right things or if we just ignored them and worried only about ourselves.
I think this whole pluaton email dvar torah exchange is really awesome for the very reason that I mentioned above. It’s a great way of keeping the guys together and a way of making sure that we all are staying on the right path.
I don’t know if the guys realize but myself and alex yudin are second cousins and we shared the same bubbe, great grandmother, who just passed away two nights ago. It was a bit eerie for me because that night was the shloshim, thirty days since my other great grandfather on my father’s side (not related to alex, but actually related to corey who is my third cousin) just passed away. Baruch Hashem they both lived very long, full lives of torah and mitzvos (one 93 and one 99!), but I thought that it wasn’t just a coincidence being right before Rosha Hoshana. Then I remembered that the gemara in brachos says that if is a person is sinning and is having trouble doing teshuva he should remind himself of yom hamissah and the mortality of a human. Hashem is trying to tell us, or me at least that its time for sincere teshuva.
I wish all you guys the best Shabbos. I hope Akiva’s grandmother has a refua shleima, keep davening for her.
Through each of our merits as a group, as a pluaton, as bnei yisrael as a whole I wish everyone a Kesiva Vechasim Tovah and we all should daven to make it back to Eretz Yisrael, the Eretz Hakdosha very soon.
- lands
Have a great shabbos pluatonians.
Last week’s parsha, Ki Savoh as well as this week’s parshiyos, Nitzavim and Vayeilech contain a tremendous focus on the klal, the general group of bnei yisrael. Firstly in Pasrshas Ki Savoh all of bnei yisrael join together on two mountains to hear the brachos and klalos that we will receive if we keep the torah or heaven forbid stray from the torah path. Rav Saadia Gaon explains that we can learn the mitvah of “Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze Laze” from this event. We learn the halachic principle that we are individually responsible if one of our friends is not performing the mitzvos properly. If my friend is not wearing tzitzis or missing davening, I am responsible for his actions as well.
Following the same concept, in Parshas Nitzavim, the torah tells us that even though we are not culpable for the sins that a Jew does in private or in his hidden thoughts, we are however responsible for the sins and aveiros that he does in public. This is an incredible idea which we have to internalize that we have to start caring not just about ourselves but about our friends as well.
This idea of areivim ze laze and being responsible for one another is especially significant during this time period right before Rosh Hoshana. I saw the Arizal quoted that the reason why Rosh Hashana is a two day yuntif even in Israel, even for alex and yoni, is because the first day is necessary for judgment on our own individual actions. There is a second day also that’s necessary for judgment on our relationship with the general klal, tzibur. The entire second day of Rosh Hashana is devoted to judging whether we actually cared for our friends and made sure they were doing the right things or if we just ignored them and worried only about ourselves.
I think this whole pluaton email dvar torah exchange is really awesome for the very reason that I mentioned above. It’s a great way of keeping the guys together and a way of making sure that we all are staying on the right path.
I don’t know if the guys realize but myself and alex yudin are second cousins and we shared the same bubbe, great grandmother, who just passed away two nights ago. It was a bit eerie for me because that night was the shloshim, thirty days since my other great grandfather on my father’s side (not related to alex, but actually related to corey who is my third cousin) just passed away. Baruch Hashem they both lived very long, full lives of torah and mitzvos (one 93 and one 99!), but I thought that it wasn’t just a coincidence being right before Rosha Hoshana. Then I remembered that the gemara in brachos says that if is a person is sinning and is having trouble doing teshuva he should remind himself of yom hamissah and the mortality of a human. Hashem is trying to tell us, or me at least that its time for sincere teshuva.
I wish all you guys the best Shabbos. I hope Akiva’s grandmother has a refua shleima, keep davening for her.
Through each of our merits as a group, as a pluaton, as bnei yisrael as a whole I wish everyone a Kesiva Vechasim Tovah and we all should daven to make it back to Eretz Yisrael, the Eretz Hakdosha very soon.
- lands
Words from Jesse's Girl
You are standing today, all of you, before HASHEM, your G-d. (Devarim 29:9)
Two quick questions:
1) Why does Rosh HaShana precede Yom Kippur? Wouldn't it be a more merciful approach to first seek forgiveness and atonement and then face judgment? The determinations made on Rosh HaShana for livelihood and life itself would likely be improved if we had a chance to clean up our act before hand.
2) If Rosh HaShana is the beginning of the "ten days of repentance" then how come the Rosh HaShana Machzor is not focused at all on the subject of sins. Eating and celebrating seem to be a more important part of the day. Where and how is the repenting process taking place?
A story is told about a little shepherd boy who planted himself casually on the king's highway. Along came the king himself one day in his quadruple stretch limo and with the rest of his entourage. They came to a screeching halt in front of the shepherd who was absorbed in playing his flute.
The attendees honked the royal horns gently and then more and more furiously.beeeeeeeeeep- beep- beep- beep- bpbpbpbpbpbpbpb- beeeeeeeeeeep (Sounds familiar?) [rough joke] but he turned a deaf ear. The servants were angered at his arrogance as the boy waved his hand uncaringly in their direction. They wished to flatten him at first but the king himself advised otherwise.
He told them to open the car door and invite him in. The boy now gladly took the offer to go for a cruise in such a fine vehicle. Unaware he was seated right next to the king he persisted in his insolent ways. He used inappropriate language and gestures. He pulled on the king's beard and toyed with his crown. The king silently tolerated the insulting behavior.
When they came to a little hamlet there were signs welcoming the king and a small number of fans shouting with glee, "The King!" The car slowed down and they waved in acknowledgment. The shepherd boy asked them to wait for a few moments so he could see the king everyone was clamoring for. The same scene repeated itself on a bigger scale as they made their way through a larger city. When they arrived at the "big city" there were millions of people were screaming, "The King!"
The shepherd boy became curious as to why they had confronted so many celebrations in one day and why there had been no other cars in each of the parades. It suddenly dawned upon him the frightening fact that he had been sitting next to the king himself the whole time. He immediately fell with trembling to the feet of the king and begged for his life and for forgiveness. The king accepted his petitioning and pardoned him.
So too on Rosh HaShana, to the extent an awareness of "The King" is awakened in our minds to that degree we will have gained a light with which to view our lives. In this way the process of "teshuva" is first made meaningful. Obviously, we cannot express proper remorse until it becomes more clear to us than before in front of Whom we stand.
In this frame we can appreciate in L'Dovid (Psalm 27) why the sages comment, "HASHEM is my light" -this refers to Rosh HaShana, "and my salvation"- this is Yom Kippur. We look forward to an experience that will leave a taste of sweetness in our mouths the rest of the year, and for that reason and more most of us are afraid to miss the parade.
Copied from torah.org
Rabbi Label Lam
Have a good shabbos
ps. Mazel Tov to schalwb psycho on his brothers bar mitzavh.
Two quick questions:
1) Why does Rosh HaShana precede Yom Kippur? Wouldn't it be a more merciful approach to first seek forgiveness and atonement and then face judgment? The determinations made on Rosh HaShana for livelihood and life itself would likely be improved if we had a chance to clean up our act before hand.
2) If Rosh HaShana is the beginning of the "ten days of repentance" then how come the Rosh HaShana Machzor is not focused at all on the subject of sins. Eating and celebrating seem to be a more important part of the day. Where and how is the repenting process taking place?
A story is told about a little shepherd boy who planted himself casually on the king's highway. Along came the king himself one day in his quadruple stretch limo and with the rest of his entourage. They came to a screeching halt in front of the shepherd who was absorbed in playing his flute.
The attendees honked the royal horns gently and then more and more furiously.beeeeeeeeeep- beep- beep- beep- bpbpbpbpbpbpbpb- beeeeeeeeeeep (Sounds familiar?) [rough joke] but he turned a deaf ear. The servants were angered at his arrogance as the boy waved his hand uncaringly in their direction. They wished to flatten him at first but the king himself advised otherwise.
He told them to open the car door and invite him in. The boy now gladly took the offer to go for a cruise in such a fine vehicle. Unaware he was seated right next to the king he persisted in his insolent ways. He used inappropriate language and gestures. He pulled on the king's beard and toyed with his crown. The king silently tolerated the insulting behavior.
When they came to a little hamlet there were signs welcoming the king and a small number of fans shouting with glee, "The King!" The car slowed down and they waved in acknowledgment. The shepherd boy asked them to wait for a few moments so he could see the king everyone was clamoring for. The same scene repeated itself on a bigger scale as they made their way through a larger city. When they arrived at the "big city" there were millions of people were screaming, "The King!"
The shepherd boy became curious as to why they had confronted so many celebrations in one day and why there had been no other cars in each of the parades. It suddenly dawned upon him the frightening fact that he had been sitting next to the king himself the whole time. He immediately fell with trembling to the feet of the king and begged for his life and for forgiveness. The king accepted his petitioning and pardoned him.
So too on Rosh HaShana, to the extent an awareness of "The King" is awakened in our minds to that degree we will have gained a light with which to view our lives. In this way the process of "teshuva" is first made meaningful. Obviously, we cannot express proper remorse until it becomes more clear to us than before in front of Whom we stand.
In this frame we can appreciate in L'Dovid (Psalm 27) why the sages comment, "HASHEM is my light" -this refers to Rosh HaShana, "and my salvation"- this is Yom Kippur. We look forward to an experience that will leave a taste of sweetness in our mouths the rest of the year, and for that reason and more most of us are afraid to miss the parade.
Copied from torah.org
Rabbi Label Lam
Have a good shabbos
ps. Mazel Tov to schalwb psycho on his brothers bar mitzavh.
Friday, September 3, 2010
A Plu's Grandmother in need of our Tefillos
Bloomy's grandmother has suddenly taken very ill. Please daven for her YOCHEVED BEILA BAS MIRIAM
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