Lenny Solomon (of Shlock Rock) has released a new album which contains a song about Rabbi Lazer Brody. You can read the lyrics and download the song on Rabbi Brody’s blog .
YU has a great video paying tribute to Israel’s Soldieres. (Thanks to Rabbi Mordechai Scher for the link.)
A Simple Jew is looking for some quality Jewish heavy metal music.
Israel still needs our financial support and you help with matching funds of as much as $3 for every $1. You can read about the details here.
See I place before you today blessing and curse… (Devarim 11:26)
All the days of the impoverished (of the mind) are bad while the one with a good heart- (mind) is always drinking. (Mishle’ 15:15)
Why is it often so hard to see the blessing? Why do we tend to obsess with -“what’s wrong with this picture?â€
One of the three reasons offered by the Chovos HaLevavos- Duties of the Heart is that HASHEM is so consistently good that by the time we are old enough to intelligently appreciate what is happening we are already accustomed to it. However magnificent it may be most goes unnoticed.
He gives an example of a child left on a door step. A couple had mercy and raised this child from infancy to adulthood having cared for him by executing countless acts of goodness. Now that child is a married adult with a job, a house, and family of his own. The couple also took pity on an adult prisoner. They negotiated his release. They rehabbed him and eventually found him a job, a house, and wife. Who will be quicker to express gratitude? For whom was more done? For the prisoner dramatic change was experienced when his adult eyes and ears were plugged in. Similarly, men tend to quietly believe that socks are born in the sock drawer. You put them down the chute and they magically reappear clean and coupled, and so too that orb of light will arise in the east and dance overhead daily and sweet orange globes of will predictably dangle from the ends of woody branches.
Read more The Blessed Present
In preparing for a move, I was going through an old stack of papers and found inside a pamphlet that I was apparently given during one of my trips to Israel, entitled “How to get deeper into Torah without going off the deep end.†I don’t remember reading this pamphlet previously (because I probably received it quite a number of years ago), but decided to skim through it again now, just to see what kind of advice it offered to the newly religious.
The advice enclosed was sound, things like “Don’t abandon your old identity,†“Go slow†(5 times!), and “Ask questions.†But the one that really struck me was “Honor all your failures.â€
“Honor all your failures.†I thought that was quite interesting and not something that I’ve heard so often. It makes sense; I’ve heard the expression more than once that you learn from your mistakes. And honestly, I know that whenever I mess something up, while I do have a tendency to take it hard (obviously, I still have this lesson to learn), I usually try very hard not to repeat such a mistake and as such, grow from it.
The pamphlet goes on to say that getting things right “prevents deep understanding†while “your failures bring depth and grace to your knowledge.†Again, I definitely see the wisdom in such an approach, the more you make mistakes and realize them, the more you recognize and refine the correct way of doing things.
I think this is a really important lesson for many baalei teshuvah, that you don’t have to be perfect, ever. That there is as much growth, if not more, to be made through mistakes and failures, than there is from doing things right. A writer learns that revisions make his writing stronger and clearer. An artist erases many times before producing a masterpiece. And a person should realize that through his mistakes, he internalizes what he is striving for.
Honor your failures, for they are that which you learn from.
By M. Samsonowitz
When the recent Lebanon War broke out in all its fury, Jews in Israel and around the world were unprepared. While soldiers poured to the front to fight the terrorists attacking Israel, Jews in Israel and around the world watched tensely from the sidelines, opening their hearts in prayer and looking to gain zchuyos.
Rav Simcha Kook, Chief Rabbi of Rechovot, was one of the rabbis who had a front view of the suffering and danger. Visiting soldiers in the north and the wounded in hospitals, he was searching for a way to help those in danger.
He met with the Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz to discuss what they could do. Their attention riveted on that week’s parsha — Matos. They realized that the answer they were seeking was right there in the parsha.
In the battle against the Midianites, Moshe Rabeinu picked 1,000 fighters from each tribe, and set aside another 1,000 to pray for their welfare. The prayers were effective and not one Jewish soldier fell in battle. Why couldn’t this same system be applied today? They asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky his opinion for such a program.
Read more Elef L’mateh – Implementing Moshe Rabeinu’s War Strategy
By Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer
The Midrash relates that a king who was a contemporary of Moses heard reports of how the Hebrew leader had faced off with Pharaoh, had won the freedom of his entire people, had worked miracles, and had revealed a lofty legal code. The king was intrigued, and decided to utilize physiognomy (a system that enables one to decipher character traits from facial features) to ascertain whether Moses’ reputation was fact or lore.
The king sent artists to the Sinai Desert to paint Moses’ portrait. After the artists returned from their long journey with the portrait in hand, the experts in physiognomy went to work analyzing Moses’ character. Their results were shocking. According to their proficient analysis, the character in the portrait was a robber, a murderer, and a deceitful person.
The king was enraged. Obviously, he inferred, the artists had painted the face of some vagabond they had encountered rather than making the long journey into the desert to find the great Moses. The artists, however, swore that they had rendered Moses and nobody else; they suggested that the fault lay with the experts in physiognomy. The king finally decided that there was only one way to settle his quandary: He would personally travel to the Sinai Desert and meet Moses.
Read more Maximizing Your Spiritual Potential
We recently received the following request:
My name is Natalie Weiser and I am a graduate student at York University in Toronto. I am currently working on my Master’s thesis. My project is about young Jewish women (18-30) who were not raised in religiously observant households, but who as adults choose to become increasingly observant or Orthodox.
I would appreciate any help you could offer in terms of getting the word out about the project to young women in the Toronto area. The project has been approved by York University and all interviews would be completely confidential.
Contact nat_w@yorku.ca for more information.
Fighting is never fun. I remember being in a fight with my younger brother once. It went on for days. One trend I’ve noticed after reading blogs for over a year is the constant in-fighting between the (and I really don’t like labels) “Modern and Charedi†world. The truth is that it’s a feud that exists outside the confines of a computer monitor, as well. We see it with our FFB children who attend day schools. We see in when we meet someone in our own cities and they give us a “look†when we mention which shul we affiliate with.
Often people in the frum world are quick to condemn others who won’t hold by our views, yet at the same time, demand that people accept our minhagim and hashkafah.
My wife always says, “If you want respect, you’ve got to give respect.†The funny thing is, as BTs we should pave the way for Achuds and tolerance within our communities. If anyone knows what it takes to navigate through relationships with family, friends, and co-workers, is it not the Baal Teshuva?
A Baal Teshuva wants others to be tolerant of his lifestyle choices. It is only fair that we should set the example of tolerance within Orthodoxy. We have been described as “pillars of religious conviction†and as “people who are passionate about their Judaismâ€.
We also have, hopefully, learned how to co-exist with our parents, in-laws, and friends who do not share our views on religion. If I wear a black hat and the guy across the street wears a knitted kipah, then so what? It’s time we look for common ground among our fellow Jews. Tisha B’Av is behind us, but the reasons why we mourn are still present today. Rosh Hashanah is around the corner, and soon we will be judged. How we choose to act towards our fellow “Modern†or “Charedi†brothers and sisters could be one of the greatest contributions of the BT movement to orthodox society. The choice is ours.
The other night, my chavrusa told me about a question that Rav Yisrael Salanter once asked. It goes something like this (I’m clearly paraphrasing and modernizing): How many people do you know that became Baalei Teshuvah at the age of 80? The answer is likely: few to none. The next question is: How many people do you know who became Baalei Teshuvah in their 20s? The answer: Plenty. Rav Yisrael says that this seems to go against logic and nature.
A 20 something year-old has many strong taivas (desires). It is a time in life when one is often looking to move away from restrictions and experience the “freedom” that young adulthood brings. Often, the issues of reward and punishment and moral or religious restrictions are the last thing from one’s mind. Yet, many, many of those 20 something year-olds overcome those taivas and do teshuvah.
One would think that even more 80 year-olds would do the same. After all, the taivas of an 80 year-old have certainly waned and at least partially dissipated. Additionally, an 80 year-old will be more likely to think about how things will be in the “hereafter” and about “making peace” with his Maker. Yet, we simply don’t see too many 80 year-olds becoming BTs. Why is that?
Read more The Tenacity of Habit
The Jewish Heritage Center High Holiday Retreat is one of the best places to spend your Rosh Hashana. They have great lectures by Rabbi Label Lam, Rabbi Moshe Schwerd, Dr Gila Schwerd, Rabbi Yitzchok Wurem and Rabbi Ronnie Greenwald. The davening led by Rabbi Yossi Singer is fantastic and there is also a beginner’s service and singles programming. And to top it off, many Beyond BTers will be attending including Mark, David, Rabbi Lam and others. Call them at 718 575-3100 to make your reservations.
Leandro Katz & MatÃas Duek are two new friends from Buenos Aires, Argentina who read Beyond BT and have started there own Teshuva blog in Spanish, Mi abuelo tenÃa razón (My Grandfathers Were Right). If you don’t understand Spanish, you can use Alta Vista’s Babel Fish to translate.
Rishona has started a new web forum for Orthodox Jews-Of-Color.
Rabbi Noson Weisz on The Economic Model of Torah Reality.
Rebbetzin Heller on the Path of Teshuva (Where to Begin).
We just moved back to Houston from our sojourn at Penn State (technically, I moved back; my husband has a summer internship here but has to return to Penn State for his final year in grad school), and while we do NOT love the intense heat and humidity (weather report last 3 weeks: average of 95 and sunny) we have fallen in love with good ol’ Texas hospitality, Jewish style.
1. There appears to be a resurgence in observance, so there are several kosher eateries, at least 5 bakeries, and a plethora of kosher products in several supermarkets.
2. There is a growing population of young people becoming observant, including couples, which means that we will have friends to invite over. We are looking forward to becoming significantly involved in young people/young family activities (thanks to our strong Hillel background).
3. There are several new Jewish institutions, including one outstanding new shul that fits us to a T. It is small, heimish, and friendly, and filled with BTs. The focus is on learning and growing, with no step too small. It is practically like a giant support group.
4. Everyone I have met so far is willing to help us out in any way, whether it is furniture for our new place, or a Shabbat meal, or recommendations. Truly a representation of Am Echad.
This community excites me. It is not the same hum-drum community I left when I went off to college with its sense of “establishmentâ€. This community is excited to try new initiatives, new learning programs, new family activities – whatever it takes to get more Jews together. I am ready to get started. YEE-HAW!!
At the outset, I would like to point out how sites such as Beyond BT and others demonstrate the Chafetz Chaim’s belief that all of technology can be used for the enhancement of Torah, Avodah and Gmilus Chasadim-especially when Bnei and Bnos Torah of widely differing hashkafos can discuss the issues on this blog without rancor.
That being said, Mark and I had recently discussed different modes of kiruv and their effectiveness. I suppose that I will start with the overused and trite MO and Charedi typologies. However, I am not sure that these adjectives can be used with any degree of defining certainty in this area.
If you were to ask me for a brief and non- inclusive survey of the kiruv world, I would start with NCSY,NJOP, Aish, Discovery, Chabad and Breslav and also include many of the community kollelim organized by Torah U’Mesorah, and many yeshivos as well. However, I would add the following point-NCSY does not aim to have a NCSYer enter a particular yeshiva. Their advisors hope that a motivated NCSYer will attend a yeshiva or seminary that is right for them , regardless of hashkafa. NCSY does not present Codes or other similar “answers” to issues of hashkafa but depends on the abilities of its rabbinic staff and advisors to help an adolescent explore legitimate approaches to these issues. There is a non-judgmental attitude that is present among its rabbinic leadership and advisors that is amazing, especially since its professional staff and advisors run the full gamut of yeshivos and seminaries but work together despite their hashkafos for one cause-the NCSYer.One is not compelled to seek a particular yeshiva or seminary, but one that is right for the individual.
Read more The Future of Kiruv-Help or Hindrance?
Before I begin, I should apologize. Much of this post is going to sound like I’m kvetching. And, to be honest, I am.
Nevertheless, I hope that by indulging in some moderate venting I might come around to make a point or two of value.
I always feel a certain ambivalence after Tisha B’Av as I start looking forward to the Yomim Noroyim. For the past several years, I’ve led a learners’ service on Rosh HaShonnah and Yom Kippur, forgoing my own personal avodah in the hope that my efforts might bring others closer to Yiddishkeit. The crowd numbers anywhere from thirty to sixty people, and although I can point to a handful of individuals over the years who have clearly benefited from the experience, I can’t conclusively say that I’m personally responsible for bringing any neshomas back to Torah observance.
What I can say, conclusively, is that I miss the inspiration of a regular Yomim Noroyim davening. Even more, I miss the spiritual intensity of serving as ba’al tefillah for a congregation whose members are tuned in to the meaning of the day, not groping their way toward the most elemental awareness of spirituality.
So why do I do it? I suppose partly out of a sense of obligation, to use my talents and acquired knowledge to enlighten and inspire others, as I was enlightened and inspired on my way to becoming a ba’al tshuva.
And, if I’m being completely honest, I suppose I do it because, like so many ba’alei tshuva (and many FFBs as well), I’ve never quite found my place in the frum world. I’m suspect on the right for teaching in a yeshiva high school, I’m suspect on the left for wearing a black hat, and the Pavarotti-like cantorial renditions common in many older congregations inspire me to the same degree as fingernails on a chalk board.
Read more A Message from the Dungeon
Here’s the full recap of the BeyondBT Shabbaton.
Shabbos started off on the right foot with a gorgeous Kabbalas Shabbos led by Rabbi Gili Houpt. After davening, the participants headed for dinner at their hosts’ homes. A tremendous thanks to all of our gracious hosts for housing and sharing meals with our participants.
Although it was late, and hot, aproximately 50 people showed up for an oneg at the Linns which included an elegant dessert spread and an amazing dvar Torah from BeyondBT contributor and commenter Rabbi Shmuel Simenowitz whose family made the trek all the way from Springfield, Massachusetts.
After Shacharis, there was a nice Kiddush at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel, where we continued the shmoozing that was kicked off at the Oneg.
Shabbos lunch was really a treat. Our over 100 participants came together for a meal suffused with Ruach (again led by Rabbi Houpt), good food, new and old friends and incredible achdus. We didn’t have to talk about what Yeshivas and camps we didn’t go to or whether we were Chassidish, Yeshivish or Modern. We were just a bunch of people with the commonality of purpose of making new friends, deeper connections and increasing our Ahavas Yisroel.
Read more Full Beyond BT Shabbaton Recap
A friend of Sefardi Lady suggest that we sign and publicize the OU-IPA Petition. The petition is to thank President Bush and Secretary Rice for their staunch support of Israel as she struggles for her existence and fights the terrorists on her southern and northern borders.
Please go to the link and sign this important petition. It will only take a few seconds of your time and while you are there, you can also donate to the OU’s Israel Emergency Fund if you are still looking to give during this time of war.
The OU-IPA division will be delivering the petition on Tuesday, so don’t delay.
The text of the petition can be found at the link.
Over 100 Jews shared a wonderful Shabbos of Torah, music and friendship. We’ll try to describe it as best as possible with some sound clips of the first incarnation of the Beyond BT Jam Band.
Gili Houpt, Chaya’s husband led a beautiful Kabbalah Shabbos at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel to get us off to a wonderful start. His ruach and musical and vocal talents were evidenced during the entire Shabbaton and added so much to entire event.
After davening we went to our respective homes for the Friday night seudah. I’m pretty sure everybody served soup. My wife, Linda, made a tikkun for my mistake of suggesting that we skip soup by making both a chicken soup and a gizpacho. The Linn’s served Mango soup.
After the meals, we headed to the Linn’s for a wonderful Oneg. To be continued.
Some shiurim from Tisha B’Av of interest:
Rabbi Welcher gave a great short (due to scheduling concerns) Tisha B’Av shiur which can be downloaded here in which he emphasized the need to do chesed beyond our comfort zone.
R’ Moshe Schwerd, a good friend and Beyond BT reader gave a great shiur on “Rebuilding the Beis Hamikdash – Rebuilding Ourselves”, which can be downloaded here.
The Shabbaton is less than 6 hours away and we’re making the last minute preparations. Luckily the weather is forecast to be cooler and the air conditioning at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel was working as of this morning (Bli Ayin Hora). On Tisha B’Av during the showing of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation video, the air conditioning stopped functioning and about 180 packed-in people watched the video as the indoor temperature reached into the 80’s. David thought we would have to rename the Shabbaton to “Beyond AC”.
We are looking forward to meeting everyone (over 100 adults and children are attending!) tonight and here is the intinerary:
Read more Links & Shabbaton Stuff
All Alone … Again
Reflections on Tisha B’Av 5766
By: Yakov Horowitz
“Eicha yashva vadad – Alas; she sits in solitude (Eicha 1:1).†The haunting words of Megilas Eicha resonate in our hearts and minds as we sit on the ground commemorating the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash 1,938 years ago.
Sadly, history is repeating itself once again. Our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel are being subjected to horrific destruction and terror with more than 100 rockets on average each day. A sea of enemies sworn to our destruction surrounds us. Today, the leader of Iran once again called for the eradication r’l of Israel, and publicly stated that, “Israel’s destruction is the solution [to the conflict]â€. The vile, hate-filled, anti-Semitic rhetoric emanating from many leaders in the Arab world – and most of the ‘Arab Street’ – is at least equivalent to that of the Nazi propaganda machine in the late 1930s. The vast majority of nations would deny us the right to protect our women and children by any means possible.
It is hard to avoid the feeling that Klal Yisroel is isolated and alone … again.
So what does this mean for us? How are we, who live in comfort and security in America, to respond to the unfolding tragedy in Eretz Yisroel? After reading the haftoros of ‘The Three Weeks’ and the poignant words of Megilas Eicha; after reflecting on the kinos we just recited – what are the messages we ought to internalize?
We all know that we ought to increase our tefilos. And we are. We all know that we need to share the burden with our brothers and sister in Eretz Yisroel. And we are; in many ways. This week, I received emails from two parents in Yeshiva Darchei Noam, where I serve as Menahel. They both are members of the local volunteer fire corps and they independently decided to travel to Eretz Yisroel in order to assist the overworked Israeli firefighters battling the many blazes caused by the barrage of rockets.
But how can we honestly relate to the agony of the hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters living in the northern portions of Eretz Yisroel – Tzfas, Haifa, etc. – who have become homeless and unemployed due to the incessant and deadly rocket attacks?
How can we honestly relate to the sheer terror – and bravery – of the parents of Israeli soldiers who are in active combat in Southern Lebanon or Gaza? We, who become anxious when our adult children are driving on the highways in thunderstorms, how can we relate to the sleepless nights that these parents must be undergoing?
Several members of our extended Horowitz family created a family group email list that we use to communicate with each other. We normally use the list to exchange mazel tov notices and occasional requests to daven for a grandchild who is not well. The past few days, we received two emails from our cousins who have children serving in the Israeli army. They speak for themselves. (I included some excerpted lines from their emails at the bottom of this column.)
So; what are we to do?? I guess I would divide the “take-aways†in two groups:
1) Offer material and emotional support to our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel. Especially now, with the advent of the Internet, there is so much you can do. Purchase items online in Israeli stores. Send emails of support to your relatives in Eretz Yisroel. Support the organizations that are helping our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel. Daven for the soldiers who are risking their lives to protect our brothers and sisters. (My chaver Rabbi Pesach Lerner recently created an email partnership to provide the names of soldiers to include in our tefilos. To sign up, go to www.youngisrael.org and click on the large box titled “Israel Crisis†in the upper right-hand corner.)
Adopt a family, community or school. Last September, our yeshiva ‘adopted’ the elementary school of Atzmonah, Gush Katif, as they relocated to the Netivot area. We bought them school supplies, sports equipment, and for Pesach, we partnered with a chesed organization and bought each of the children a brand-new bicycle. Our children and theirs exchanged letters and cards throughout the year. It was so much appreciated by them – and so rewarding for my talmidim.
(Please drop my assistant Esty an email at estyk2@aol.com if you would like more information on the logistics of the program. Here is a link link to an article that I wrote on the subject.)
2) On a more personal and spiritual note; I think we all ought to read the stirring and timeless words of our nevi’im in the haftoros of Shabbos Chazon and Tisha B’av – and make a sincere cheshbon hanefesh.
There are two recurring themes in these lines. One relates to the Jews of those times serving idols and forsaking Hashem. That, however, at least on the surface, is not very relevant today. The second theme, on the other hand, is very much germane to our lives. It speaks to the fact that the Jews of those times were concentrating on spiritual trappings (bringing korbanos) and not on the essence of Hashem’s Torah (honesty, integrity, and kindness).
“Why do I need your numerous sacrifices? (Yeshaya 1:11),†asks Hashem. The Navi exclaims that Hashem is “weary of your korbanos (1:14)â€, and that He “will not listen to your prayers (1:15).†Why was that so? It was certainly a great mitzvah to purchase and bring karbonos to the Beis Hamikdash. But, as the Navi relates, those mitzvos were mere adornments to the core values of our Torah. And the Navi clearly describes what the Jews needed to do in order to redeem themselves. “Purify yourselves, seek justice, strengthen the victim, and take up the cause of the widow/orphan (1:16-17).
I suggest that we engage in a constructive cheshbon hanefesh regarding the essential elements of the qualities noted by the Navi – honesty, integrity, true ahavas Yisroel, supporting those among us who are weak and unable to conduct their lives with simchas hachayim.
We should be asking ourselves if we are doing all we can to make a true kiddush Hashem in our interactions with non-Jews, non-religious Jews, and frum Yidden who may be of different backgrounds. For these qualities is the essence of what Hashem’s Torah produces.
In these troubling times, when we are surrounded by our enemies, isolated and alone, we ought to be striving to fulfill the timeless charge of Yirmiyahu in the closing words of today’s haftorah, “For only with this may one glorify himself; become wise and [get to] know Me [contemplate how to better emulate the ways of Hashem], for I am Hashem who does kindness, justice and righteousness …†(Yirmiyahu 9:23).
May Hashem dry our tears and comfort us with the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.
© 2006 Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, all rights reserved
Excerpted emails from our family email list:
Dear Cousins,
The past 3 weeks have been very difficult ones here in Israel. The fear and terror that residents of the North and the South live with is unfathomable. People’s lives have been disrupted, businesses have come to a standstill and the rhythms that make up the fabric of daily life have ceased to exist for many thousands of Israeli citizens. Living in bomb shelters for 3 weeks is something that we can barely imagine, let alone identify with. Living in a heightened state of anxiety 24/7 sounds like a psychiatric diagnosis, not a fact of life. Yet, Am Yisrael are strong and resilient. Our daughter … just returned from Nahariya where she volunteered to go from bomb shelter to bomb shelter doing anything that needed to be done, i.e. playing with the kids, talking to teenagers, to parents and just letting the residents of that scarred city know that others care. She came back with many stories of courage and bravery in the face of
adversity, along with many invitations to return and visit when things return to normal. We are humbled by her commitment and love for the people of Eretz Yisrael.
Our son Efraim is currently in Lebanon. (Efrayim celebrated his marriage a few short months ago. YH). We last spoke with him on Friday, Shabbat Parshat Devarim. He and his unit entered Lebanon sometime on Shabbat. We do not know his whereabouts or what his mission is… Please keep Efraim Moshe ben Rachel Miriam, along with all the other soldiers, in your tefilot. May they all return home safely to their parents, wives, children and siblings.
With wishes for an easy fast,
Mindy
And, from another cousin of ours:
Dear Cousins,
I too want to add some words to Mindy’s. Our Noam has been in Lebanon on and off almost from the beginning. There are many heroic acts like in the article that Mindy sent in her letter. Noam … said that he must say birkat hagomel (a blessing recited when one miraculously survived a life threatening situation) many times over. He was with the paratroopers that were … serving in Lebanon.
Please daven … for Noam Simcha ben Shprinsa Aviva and for all of our chayalim … who are doing their best for Am Yisrael.
Have a meaningful fast and hopefully we will see this day of Tisha B’av turned into a day of gladness.
Love,
Aviva
For several weeks, Mark has been asking me to write a follow-up on my decision to disable my web browser, but I didn’t have anything deep or inspiring to say. All I could think of is that I miss it. This post will be nothing more than a dissertation on that theme, but at the moment I’m inspired to write, and I’m writing the way I would for my personal blog, which means I’m going to tell you about my day.
Today I worked until 5:00 pm, which is unusual for me. I work around my kids’ schedule, which means I usually have to be home by 3:30. Because it’s summer time, though, and because my husband took my kids on an outing, I was able to work like a full-timer today, and I must say, it’s exhausting.
But tonight I have a treat. My husband and kids will be out till very late, so I’m on my own and the house is quiet. Sure, I could catch up on my housework, but I could do that tomorrow, too. I thought of a better plan while walking home from work: I could go to the public library and use the Internet! With the kids home so much in the summer, I don’t have many opportunities to do so. I savored the idea on my half-hour walk home.
Read more Life without a Web Browser
This is the last reminder that THE SHABBATON IS COMING! We had a good logistics meeting last night and we’re very exciting about the close to 90 people who will be spending, what will G-d willing be, a wonderful Shabbos together. If you are thinking about coming, the deadline is tonight.
It is truly fitting that we are having it on Shabbos Nachamu. After mourning the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash as a result of Sinas Chinim (senseless hatred) on Tisha B’Av, we have the opportunity to make some real amends by caring, respecting and strengthening one another in our Avodas Hashem.
For those of you who can’t make it, G-d willing we’ll have other opportunities to meet. Of course we hope everyone will continue reading, commenting and contributing to Beyond BT as we build this very real virtual Jewish community into a place of learning, growing and giving.
Join us by RSVPing to beyondbt@gmail.com or calling 917 992-xxxx.
The cost is $25 per adult, $18 for 18 and under, $12 for 12 and under, $5 for 5 and under and babies are free. Here is the schedule.
Friday
6:20 – Mincha/Maariv at CAY (Congregation Ahavas Yisroel)
7:30 – Friday Night Meal- Group meals in selected homes
10:00 – Oneg at the Linns
Shabbos Day
8:30 – Davening at CAY, Jewish Heritage Center or other local Shuls
11:00 – Light Kiddush at CAY
12:30 – Lunch at CAY – 1-2 Short Divrei Torah, people telling their Teshuva Stories and sharing other thoughts
3:30 – 5:00 – Rest, Walk, Shmooze
5:00 – Shiur by Rabbi Yakov Haber
6:00 – Mincha at CAY
7:00 – Shalosh Seudos at CAY – 1-2 Short Divrei Torah, more stories, more thoughts
8:57 – Maariv
9:30 – 11:00 Havdalah – Melave Malka – Beyond BT Jam Band (in formation)
Contributor and commentor, Mordechai Scher sent this letter from Yeshivat Hesder Kiryat Shemonah, where he learned and where he and his wife hope to make aliyah someday.
Evil Shall Break Forth out of the North?! (Jeremiah 1:14)
Written during the 2nd week of the war
by Yair Kraus, Shiur Daled
Yeshivat Hesder Kiryat Shemonah
When war in the North broke out last week, the Haftarah – the first chapter in Jeremiah, spoke of a warning of the war that is expected to break out in the north of Israel, with ramifications on the entire population. It is hard not to see a direct link to the fighting taking place up here.
On Wednesday, Kiryat Shemonah and, in fact, all the settlements in the north of the country awoke to a new-old reality. The morning the soldiers were abducted at the border, against a background of massive bombing by the Hizbollah with Katyushas aiming at our homes, we – the Yeshivah students – realized we were somewhere we had never been before.
Over the past week hundreds of Katyushas have landed on the settlements of the north. We thank G-d for the miracles we see with our very eyes, that there have been a minimum of casualties, yet our hearts weep when we hear of the dead and the wounded in other parts of the country. We are in the midst of a war against our enemies whose sole aim is to hurt, kill and destroy us, and it looks as if it is going to last quite a long time.
Read more A Letter From a Yeshivat Hesder Kiryat Shemonah Talmid
