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Question of the Week: How Do You Maximize Your Yom Kippur?

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Yom Kippur is the most awesome and powerful day of the year. We’ve identified four approaches to maximizing the potential of the day.

1) Judgment Sealed
Our judgment is sealed on Yom Kippur and the circumstances of the upcoming year will be determined.

2) Day of Kapora
The blemishes that result from our transgressing negative commandments (which are not punishable by koreis or worse), can be removed only on Yom Kippur.

3) Getting Close to Hashem
The spiritual nature of the day, the fact that we refrain from most physical activities (eating, drinking, washing,…), and being immersed in prayer brings the greatest opportunity to getting close to Hashem.

4) Attachment to the Tzibbur
The common pursuit of a full day of spiritual growth, the plural language of the confession and prayers and the communal singing/davening enables us to deepen our connection to our Tzibbur and to the entire Klal Yisrael.

All of the above can motivate us to truly commit to change and intensify our Teshuva and Tefillah.

Which of the above do you find motivating?
Are there other focal points that help you maximize the day?

L’Shana Tova to All

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We want to wish everybody who writes, comments or reads Beyond BT, a L’Shana Tova, a good year.

As BT’s we know that even the greeting on Rosh Hoshana can be a challenge. The Art Scroll Machzor lists 4 different depending on whether your greeting a man, woman, men or women and then they have an optional piece in parenthesis.

They are mostly variations on “may you have a good year and be written and sealed in the book of life”. The written and sealed part is a reference to the Gemora in Rosh Hoshana (16b) which says that there are three books open on Rosh Hoshana, the righteous are sealed immediately for life, the wicked are sealed immediately for death and the in-betweeners are not sealed until Yom Kippur.

So this year consider going with the Rosh Hoshana greeting of the Rema and the Vilna Gaon (Gra) who say L’Shana Tova Tikoseiv, may you be written for a good year, because most of us are in-betweeners, our judgment is not sealed on Rosh Hoshana, so we should omit the part of the greeting that references sealed. If someone corrects you, tell them you’re going with the Gra and Rema.

But beyond the pilpul, we wish the best for everybody in the upcoming year.

This is Our 1000th Post – What Changes Are Needed to Make it to 2000?

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We started in December 2005 and today is our 1000th post. We want to thank all our contributors, commentors and readers for bringing us to this point.

What do we need to do to continue our forward progress?

– Widen the discussion to include more non-BT related topics.

– Be more provocative.

– Focus more on growth related subjects.

– Address topics currently being discussed on other blogs.

Or we can keep on doing what we’ve been doing. The only problem with that option is that it’s been hard to get new contributors and our existing contributors have become markedly less prolific in recent months. So if you think we should keep on truckin like we’ve been, then how can we get and motivate new contributors to write on a somewhat regular basis.

We want to continue serving the Beyond BT community, so please help us help you by sharing your thoughts on where Beyond BT should be heading.

The Shabbaton is Almost Here

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It’s been a busy week here at Beyond BT and Serandez as we prepare for the Shabbaton.

If you can’t make it for Shabbos, try to stop by for the Melava Malka.

Here’s the schedule: All activities are at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel (CAY)

Friday
7:05 – Mincha/Maariv
8:00 – Friday Night Meal
~3 People speaking (7-10 minutes each)
10:00 – Oneg

Shabbos Day
7:25 – Daf Yomi
8:30 – Davening at CAY or other local Shuls
11:00 – Light Kiddush
12:00 – Lunch
~3 People speaking (7-10 minutes each)
Afternoon – Rest, Walk, Shmooze
5:00 – Gemora Shiur at CAY
6:00 – Mincha
6:45 – Shalosh Seudos
~3 People speaking (7-10 minutes each)
8:20 – Pikei Avos Shiur at CAY

Motza’ei Shabbos
8:51 – Maariv
9:05 – Havdalah
9:30-11:30 – Melave Malka
Featuring Beyond BT Jam Band in Formation

We do want to mention that due to logistic considerations we’re having salad instead of soup on Friday night.

Giving and Unity

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Every interaction with another person holds the potential for unity. How can that be? Let’s let the author of Bilvavi explain it:

The power of giving can unite a person with all of creation. We may not, G-d forbid, unite with the evil manifestation of anything, but we can unite with the hidden good in all of creation. There is no created being in the world without some spark of goodness. If it did not have a spark of goodness, it would not be able to exist.

Hence, when one gives properly and in the proper place, it engenders unity. The Talmud (Ketubot 105b) states that the word shochad (a type of giving) is a contraction of shehu chad (becoming one), because the giver and taker become one. Superficially, a person thinks, “I gave to that person. That was good, but now, it’s over. I had the thing and then gave it a way. The act took a minute or two, and then we went on our separate ways.” But in depth, as Chazal teach, they become one.

If I gave a carton of milk to a neighbor from downstairs who needed it, or I met someone in the bus station who needed money for bus fare, and I handed him nineteen shekalim, do I become one with him? How can such trivial acts unify people? If one wants to unite, as with a spouse, it is a process of years, as we all know. How can a minor act unify people?

Here is the answer: If you take a magnet and place it next to another one, they will become attached to each other. But if something else is placed between them, they will not be able to join. The moment the intervening item is removed, they will naturally join. This is the deep condition of all of creation. If we would try to create a new unity where one never existed, it would be difficult, and in fact, impossible. But the natural state of people is to be one. All of our souls were contained in Adam HaRishon. There, we were one person. Afterwards, we became more and more divided from each other, until coming to our current state. Unity is not a new state; it is a return to the primal state.

There is a divider that separates us, namely, the body, which has a desire to take, but once one removes that will to take, he will sense a natural unity with other people. If the natural state of people is to be absolutely separate, the avodah to unite them would be very difficult and actually impossible. But since they are essentially one, but each person later fashions his own will and his own concerns and an attitude of taking, there is a separation caused between people. After we have removed this desire to take, and have acted upon the loftier desire by really giving, there is no real need to “create” unity. You must understand this, because it is subtle and deep. Giving, in depth, does not unite; it removes the cause of separateness. After the cause of separateness has been removed, we naturally unite.

From the third volume of Bilvavi, Da Es Atzmecha – Know Yourself which can be read online here.

Mazal Tov to Bob & Sharon Miller on the Engagement of their Son

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Mazal Tov to Bob & Sharon Miller on the engagement of their son Dovid to Yael Klagsbrun of Greater Passaic. Dovid has been learning at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.

Bob notes:

At Yael’s home, I also met the famed lawyer Ron Coleman, as proven by the attached photo he took with a small electronic device. This reassured us that we both existed independently of the Web.

We’re a little envious that Ron got to meet Bob, but after the Chofetz Chaim Heritage’s film yesterday about Envy we’re working on curtailing the feeling. At the CAY showing in KGH, Rabbi Krohn, who was a speaker in the film showed up to watch it, and told over some stories which hit the cutting room floor. It was pretty cool.

Rabbi Welcher said in his Tisha B’Av shiur that we need to be constantly aware of Chesed opportunities. We have to be proactive in our chesed. Chesed can be something small like wishing someone a Mazal Tov. So we would like to take this opportunity to thank Bob for his active participation here on Beyond BT and wishing he and his wife Sharon a Mazal Tov on the engagement of their son Dovid.

Rabbi Goldson’s Torah Ideals for Tisha B’Av

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The insightful Rabbi Yonason Goldson has started his own blog named Torah Ideals. It’s already packed with great articles including Rabbi Goldson’s own odyssey of becoming a BT.

For Tisha B’Av, Rabbi Goldson has penned a piece called Truth and Faithfulness. Here’s an excerpt:

When we become absorbed in our own agendas, our own projects, and our own priorities, we become passive in the sense that we turn ourselves inward with no concern for the world around us. We become resentful of those around us whom we perceive as impediments to our success as they pursue their own individual goals. This leads to the kind of corruption and divisiveness that brought about the destruction of the First and Second Temples respectively.

However, when we look beyond ourselves,…

Read the whole thing here.

Life Cycle Events: The Bar Mitzvah

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The Bar Mitzvah is a very exciting time. However there are a lot of details. Can the Beyond BT crowd share some insight on the event and the following questions:

1) What are the factors in determining how much or little pressure to put on the Bar Mitzvah boy in terms of leining (Torah and/or Haftorah) and davening?

2) What are the options for the learning and siyum that usually accompanies the Bar Mitzvah?

3) Should I or someone I know, write a pilpul-like drasha or is a solid Dvar Torah more appropriate?

4) What are the considerations in inviting secular friends and family for Shabbos and for the Party?

5) What are the considerations on spending on Tefillin?

6) What should I expect to spend if I have the typical party and Shabbos meals?

7) What other advice would you give to make the Bar Mitzvah successful?

Beyond BT/SerandEz Shabbaton

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You are cordially invited to the Beyond BT/SerandEz Shabbaton in Kew Gardens Hills on Shabbos Nachamu, August 15-16, 2008. Please join us for a full Shabbos program including relaxed, catered meals and personal thoughts on the themes of Integration, Inspiration and Individuality. There will also be a melave malka with the BBT Jam Band (in its newest incarnation).

Pricing to follow. We will find accommodations for those residing outside of Kew Gardens Hills on a first request – first serve basis. Please e-mail us at beyondbt@gmail.com with questions, comments, or to rsvp. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Some Great Free Torah Audio & Video Sites

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Naaleh.Com
Naaleh.com will be offering a series of beginner level classes, called Fundamentals of Judaism. This is a video course focusing on practical Halacha. Now, a newcomer to Jewish observance will have the ability to learn the basic practices of an observant Jew via our new course, “Practical Judaism”. The course will cover all daily observances, from how one wakes up in the morning to how to keep kosher and how to daven.

The course will be taught by Rabbi Jacobson, a leader in beginner’s Jewish education for over 20 years.

If you are not already familiar with our Naaleh.com, here is a brief description:

* 100% FREE, thanks to generous sponsorships and grants.
* Staff consistes of top notch teachers such as Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller, Rabbi Avishai David, Mrs.Shira Smiles, Rabbi Hanoch Teller, Rabbi Hershel Reichman, Rabbi Shimon Isaacson, and others.
* Classes are given as part of a series, not isolated lectures, so students have the opportunity to cover a topic in depth.
* Classes are exclusively given for our site, so they are recorded with online viewing in mind.
* The classes can be enjoyed in a variety of formats, including online streaming, mp3 and ipod downloads, podcasts, and RSS feeds.
* Covers a wide range of topics, such as Tanach, Mussar, Jewish Philosophy, Chassidut, Gemara, Halacha, and more.
* Forums and chat rooms to approved students, to foster a spirit of community learning.

Give Naaleh.com a visit.

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Kol Halaloshon

Kol Halaloshon has over 120,000 free shiurim available for free download.

Speakers include
Rav Ezriel Tauber
Rav Mordechai Finkelman
Rav Noach Isaac Oelbaum
Rav Dovid Cohen
Rav Yisroel Reisman
…and many more

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Torah Anytime

Torah Anytime has free audio and video from:
Rabbi Label Lam
Rabbi Dovid Schwartz
Rabbi Mordechai Becher
Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein
Rabbi Jonathan Rietti
Rabbi Paysach Krohn
…and many more

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Teach It To Me

Teach It To Me has free audio from:
Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Rabbi David Botton
Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro
…and more

You’re Invited

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Beyond BT Contributor R’ YY Bar-Chaim invites all BBTers who live in or are visitng Yerushalayim to join in the simcha of his son’s wedding.You could fly in too, if you wish.

The chasuna will take place, iy”h, this Wednesday at the Prima Palace Hotel,formely called “Mercaz”, Rechov Pinnes 2, Kabbalas Ponim from 9:15 pm.

Mazel Tov!! 

What Questions And Issues Bother(ed) You or Your Acquaintances?

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Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky spoke in Kew Gardens Hills on Tuesday on “Uniting the Jewish People – Answering Difficult Questions”. It was an informative and entertaining shiur and through the wonders of TorahAnyTime.Com you can view it here.

As Baalei Teshuva we’ve all had our share of questions and issues that have bothered us and our friends, family and acquaintances.

What are the questions and issues that have bothered you or your acquaintances?

Do you think you have good answers to all your questions and issues?

Update: These are some of the questions and issues that seem to bother other people. Do you have any to add?

-Does the Chosen People imply that Jews are better than other people?
-Why do women seem to be treated as second class citizens in Torah Judaism?
-Why does Torah Judaism fault gays for their natural tendencies?
-Why do the innocent suffer and the wicked prosper?
-Why did G-d cause the Holocaust?
-Why is there evil in the world?
-Why is there so much suffering in the world?
-Aren’t animal sacrifices cruel?
-Why does Torah contradict scientific evidence of the Age of the Universe?
-Why does Torah contradict the widely accepted theory of evolution?
-Why is there no generally accepted scientific, historical or archaeological evidence of the flood?
-Why is there no generally accepted scientific, historical or archaeological evidence of the Exodus?
-Can you prove there is a G-d?
-How do you know Torah was really given by G-d at Sinai?
-If there are multiple accepted interpretations of Torah in the Talmud why are the interpretations of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist excluded?
-Why do so many Torah Observant Jews look unhappy?
-Why do I have to give up so many pleasures to become Torah observant?
-Why do Torah observant Jews look down on non-observant Jews?
-If I can’t keep the whole Torah, isn’t keeping part of it hypocritical?
-If I don’t plan on becoming Torah observant, why should I study Torah?

Updated from the comments (with slight modifications)
-Why do some Orthodox Jews seem to make a big deal about keeping kosher and wearing a uniform, but are rude to people, cheat on their taxes, and do other forms of bad behavior?
-All these rules mean you don’t get to see your family on the holidays. Isn’t religion really about family and morality, rather than ritual?
-Isn’t religion supposed to unite us, rather than divide us?
-Why would G-d care if I drive on Saturday especially if I am coming to Shul? (this question fits almost anything, it just starts why would G-d care if I……………)
-We have good refrigeration and cooking facilities now so why not eat pork?
-Can’t I just be a “good person?”
-Isn’t it more important to honor your parents, so how can you not eat at their house anymore?
-Why do you have to be so Jewish?
-Why do we hear only success stories (like at Discovery or Aish or just about all the Kiruv sites) and not stories of those who were never reached, who stayed uninterested in Judaism despite all efforts?
-Isn’t it possible that the Pintele Yid will never manage to burst into flame?
-Why don’t I hear about other couples who remain at different levels and have to live with that difference forever?
-With so much focus on the success stories are we not neglecting the reality that a large percentage of Torah Observant Jews will have some awareness and relationship with Hashem, but it will nothing to write home about?

Introducing People to the Blueprint

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As Baalei Teshuva, we know the difference Torah has made in our lives. Torah has taught us that our outlook must include concern for our fellow Jews. What better way to help our fellow Jews than to bring them a little closer to Hashem and His Torah.

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On Tuesday 5/27 at 8:00 pm, Rabbi Dovid Orlovsky will be speaking at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills on the topic – How to Answer Difficult Questions — for Kiruv AND Chizuk. Rabbi Orlovsky, a BT himself, is an extremely inspiring and entertaining speaker, so please come.

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The Kiruv.Com site has another creative way to introduce your friends, neighbors and relatives to Torah. It revolves around the fantastic film, Blueprint which was released this year.

Go to the Kiruv.com site and you’ll see the following instructions:

1. Using the link above, email “Blueprint” to as many unaffiliated people you know.
You can write: I saw this great short video and thought you’d enjoy it. Let me know what you think.

2. A couple of days later ask them if they saw it and if they liked it.

3. When they respond, ask them if they would like to learn something with you for just 10 minutes a week. It could be on any topic they would like or you could suggest a topic.

You can also explain that there is a custom for people to learn Torah together on Shavuos, any topic they want.

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Let us know in the comments whether you intend on reaching out this Shavuos to introduce more people to the beauty of Torah.

Pre-Shabbos Links

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Just a few pre-Shabbos links for your consumption.

Summer’s in the Air Link

Rabbi Horowitz gives his answer on what to do with A Son Who Refuses to Go to Day Camp.

Something to Say At the Table Link

Steve Brizel offers his always comprehensive Parsha Roundup at Hirhurim.

Blast From the Past Link

In this BBT post from two years ago, Michael is Looking for Suggestions to Breakdown Communication Barriers. The comment thread ranges from ideas and advice on dealing with inter-family religious tensions, respect for Jews and non-Jews, derech eretz and the school system.

Have a great shabbos!