Words to Arouse Our Hearts in This Time of Danger

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At a Tehillim gathering in Kew Gardens Hills last night, Rabbi Yakov Haber from YU addressed the audience with words to arouse our hearts in this time of extreme danger for the Jewish People. You can listen to the Divrei Hisorerus here. Here is a summary of what was said.

We Must Feel That We Outside of Eretz Yisroel are at War
Rabbi Herschel Schachter points out that, according to halacha, Jews from all over can be drafted to fight a war, no matter where they live. The only reason we are not drafted is that it’s not practical. Nonetheless, we have to realize that we are all at war and subject to the draft. Even though we’re not actually fighting we have to feel the urgency that those of us outside of Eretz Yisroel are also at war. If we don’t feel that urgency, we have to do soul searching and make sure that we don’t feel separate from the Tzibur, which according to the Rambam would brand us as apikorsim. We have to truly feel that we are at war and are sharing in the battle.
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Looking for the “Aleph” in Everything

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In a previous post Creating Unity and Harmony Instead of Reacting to Strife and Conflict, I highlighted a step by step formula towards creating unity that can be taken by anyone:

1. Absolute conviction in Torah. It is the blueprint for creation as well as a civilized, productive and G-dly society – to offer guidance and to be applied in every circumstance, at all places and all times.
2. Warmth, patience, optimism, the sharing of knowledge, firm in conviction (see “Step 1” above) yet pleasant in tone with a focus on commonality and goodness.
3. The absolute belief and empowerment in the individual which was being interacted with – that they can do [more] good and change the world for good.
4. Always finalized with a call to action for oneself and for one’s immediate as well as extended sphere of influence (a call which reflects the attitude and approach of these 4 steps).

This four step formula equates to “looking for the “Aleph” in everything” that one encounters. What is the “Aleph” and how does one do that?

It is interesting to note that the word for exile, “golus” and the word for Redemption, “Geulah” – the only difference between the two words is the Hebrew letter “Aleph”; “Geulah” [Redemption] contains the “Aleph” whereas “golus” [exile] doesn’t. The “Aleph” represents “the Alufo shel Olam” [the “Master of the World” i.e. G-d].

Many people have a fear of what is going to happen with the imminent advent of the Redemption and they ask – “What will be with all of my business deals, money, property, position of influence and friends (both Jew and Gentile) – will everything will be lost or ruined?!
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Going Beyond Our Previous Teshuva in This Time of Need

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In times of trouble, we are supposed to turn to Hashem in prayer. But it would seem from the Gemara that in times like today, Hashem also asks of us to do Teshuva, to show through our thought, speech and actions that we want to come closer to Him. Most people suggest small achievable goals such as:
1) Increasing Kavannah in one Bracha (Avodah)
2) Learning 10 minutes extra (Torah)
3) Thinking or saying something nice about another person (Gemillas Chasadim)

Maybe people have other ideas (which they might want to add in the comments), but I think that if the Beyond BT readership/community takes another step in the direction of Teshuva it can only serve to strengthen the entire Klal.

Rabbi Brody has been posting emails of steps people have been taking and he graciously permitted us to repost them here.

Please feel free to add any steps you are taking in the comments below (anonymously if you prefer).

As Rabbi Brody points out:

More mitzva commitments needed: This is no time to become lax. Please urge your family and friends to answer the Melitzer Rebbe’s call to strengthen one mitzva; tshuva doesn’t mean revolutionizing our lives – it means becoming a little bit better and getting a little closer to Hashem than we were yesterday. Am Yisroel needs your help!

*MM is enrolling in a yeshiva for Baalei Tshuva

*RT and SS have committed to purchasing and wearing tefillin

*MT promises to learn Torah for a half hour before praying in the morning

*Rick and his wife Susie have committed to refrain from shellfish and unkosher meat

*Janet and husband Rob will no longer eat in unkosher restaurants

*Budd G commits to mikva once a week

*3 people commit to learning Tanya every day

*5 more people commit to saying Tikkun Klali every day

*8 more people commit to guarding their tongue and learning the laws of Shmiras HaLashon

*Rivka and her study class of 8 women in Boro Park commit to loving every Jew

*Susan from the West Coast commits to covering her hair

*Jon from London commits to learning for two hours a week with a bedridden person

*Yuval and his wife Anat in Florida commit to bringing challas and wine to hospitalized Jews

*4 more people commit to daily Hitbodedut (Personal prayer sessions)

*W in Maryland and CF in Wahington DC bought sheitelach (hair covering) for the first time

*12 commit to saying Tikkun Klali daily

*4 will begin saying Tikkun Chatzot

*6 people promise to pray with more intent

*YC has bought an electric razor and has thrown away his straight razor

*5 more people commit to saying Perek Shira

*Ruth, Naomi, and Debbie commit to saying Mincha daily

*LH promises to pray in a minyan in the morning

*The Meyer family in California promises to move their three children into Jewish day schools

* Ilan from Argentina commits to saying Tikkun Chatzot, the powerful midnight lamentation of our holy Temple and the diaspora

*Matityahu from Argentina commits to immersing in mikva once a week and say Tikkun Klali every day

*Eliezer Shlomo from the USA commits to arriving at shul on time

*ES, RB, YB, YN, and HW commit to saying Psalms every day

*11 people have committed to saying Perek Shira for 40 days consecutively

*YK has committed to distributing 1000 books of Psalms to Israeli soldiers

*38 members of the M congregation in Brooklyn have committed not to chatter during prayer services – this is a very wonderful and cogent commitment.

*4 more women have committed to dress more modestly.

*Hair covering – AP, RS, and Anonymous in USA

*Tefillin – Andy in South Africa, Reuven in USA

*17 more people have committed to learn the laws of Improper speech and/or to refrain from Loshon Haro

*6 more women have committed to improving their modesty of dress

*3 more people have committed to opening their homes to guests

*2 people have committed to stop talking about the generation’s religious leaders

*4 more people have committed to praying in a minyan

*DR in Arkansas and SA in Alabama have accepted the 7 Noahide mitzvas and commit to strengthening their faith in Hashem

*JD, RB, and RS in Maryland, Colorado, and Kansas are now enlisting the commitments of their own community members

*MP commits to saying Tikkun Klali every day

*JB commits to helping crippled people put on tefillin every day

*Zecharia in Mexico has committed to learning the laws of Sabbath observance

*Ken B. has committed to overcome anger

*RB and KB have committed to saying Tikkun Chatzos

*Janet in California and Nechama in NYC have committed to organizing study groups for women

*Arlene in Virginia has committed to covering her hair

*The Goldman family of Southern USA has committed to stop swimming at mixed pools and beaches

*Marv L. commits to giving a full 10% of his net earnings to charity

*The Levy family of UK/Israel – Tikva (age 3) pledges to do nice things, Michal (age 5) promises to say Shma every night, dad Ray (34) will try to be more careful about saying his blessings, and mom Katrin is opening her home to guests from bombed areas

*Charlene from British Columbia commits not only to the 7 Noahide mitzvas, but to saying an entire book of Tehillim every day

*Amanda commits to 15 minutes of hisbodedus a day

*Craig from Ohio commits to guard his tongue from slander and gossip

*PW from Texas is switching from a staright razor to an electric razor, and will do his best to improve his Sabbath observance

*TS in London, MD in Bet Shemesh, and RU in Jerusalem have promised to improve their shmiras eynayim

*SL in Denver commits to learning Daf Yomi – a page a day of Gemorra

*MA in Silver Spring, Md. promises not to drive on Shabbos any more

*The Turner family in Long Island promises not to watch TV on Shabbos any more

*Ron in Toronto, Alan from Baltimore, and RT from New Jersey have committed to begin wearing tzitzis

* Ira from Rockville, Maryland promises not to eat any more pork

*Charlotte from Rhode Island pledges not to eat any more pork or shellfish

*JN and her husband RN pledge to observe the laws of mikva

*Eugene from South Africa pledges to avoid misleading his customers

*Donna from Colorado pledges to separate milk and meat in her kitchen

*Howard from LA pledges to give charity every day

*Marty and his wife Gloria from NYC promise to attend a Judaism seminar

*Heather from Colorado commits to an hour of personal prayer every day

*The Cohen family of Herzlia has committed to host at least four guests for Shabbos, particularly soldiers that don’t have families in Israel.

*The Rubin family of Bet Shemesh have committed to bake challas for at least three poor families.

*TS of London will do his best to say Birkas HaMazon with intent, and other blessings too.

*CR, MP, MZ, Yehudit Weiss, and RLieberman of the USA will be learning “Shmiras HaLashon” and organizing study groups among their friends and neighbors.

*YG’s father, Andrew S and TT of the UK have committed to tefillin, together with BD in North Carolina and Doug Furie in California

*ADP is a Noahide who will be mobilizing other Noahides in the strengthening of the 7 Noahide Mitzvas.

*ML, RB, SD, and EK of the USA will begin learning Mishnayos.

*Robert Solomon of Maryland will add 15 minutes a day Halacha learning to his schedule, and calls on everyone to eat 3 meals with bread on Shabbos, to be protected from the turmoil of Gog & Magog as promised by our sages.

*BL, ML, UC, YP, TR, and RL have committed to make a stronger effort to pray in a minyan.

*Marge in Dallas covered her hair for the first time today.

*Arthur in Atlanta has committed to learn The Trail to Tranquility and to work on destroying his anger.

*DL in Winnipeg, Canada will try his best to improve his shmiras eynayim.

*The Moore family, California (not Jewish) – have taken upon themselves the 7 Noahide mitzvas

*A.D. in London has agreed to begin shaving with an electric razor

*Breslever has agreed to distribute 500 emuna CDs in Western Canada: Rav Shalom Arush sends special blessings to Breslever as well as to the powerhouse commandos of London – YG and DD – who are bombarding the Yetzer with 1000 CD missiles with emuna warheads. Rav Shalom says that if a Katyusha can threaten lives, an emuna CD can save lives.

*The R. family in Silver Spring, Maryland has committed to mikva and family purity

*The JL family of Atlanta has agreed not to drive any more on Shabbos, and to try their best to become full Shomrei Shabbos

*Karen of Kansas City and Lois of LA have committed to begin covering their hair

*Tens of people in Monsey, Brooklyn, and Toronto have consented to add to their Torah learning and/or to their daily prayers

*More than a dozen letters mentioned that they’ll try to do a full hour of hitbodedut

Updated

*12 more people have committed to saying Tehillim

*10 more people have committed to saying Tikkun Klali every day

*3 more families have committed to mikva and family purity

*2 families have committed to discontinuing birth control

*7 more people pledge to pray with more intent

*GG and GI pledge to spread hundreds of Emuna CDs in the NYC area

*AJ promises to be more patient with her husband

*HOT! 35 more children pledge to say Shma at night (according to their parents)

*Uri pledges to eat kosher food

*Vladimir from Brooklyn, born in Russia and never had a circumcision, now pledges to have a bris

*17 more people pledge to increase their Torah learning

*DO and ES pledge tyo strengthen their shmiras eynayim

*5 more people pledge to say Tikkun Chatzot daily

*8 more people pledge to say Perek Shira daily

*4 more people pledge to spend at least 30 minutes daily in personal prayer (hisbodedus)

*The R. family from Haifa plans to kosher their kitchen and to give 10% of their salary to charity every month

*YJ, GF, and ED pledge to wear tzitzis

*5 more people have promised to wear tefillin daily

*MR in Miami pledges to cover her hair

*7 people pledge to start their own mitzva commitment campaigns within their communities

*Don from Richmond pledges to give more respect to his inlaws

*Alex pledges to cherish and respect his wife more

*The Rosenthal children from the UK pledge to respect their parents more

Updated 7/19

*Vera from Denver writes, “I promise not to yell at my husband; for me, that’s harder than fasting for three days in a row. Anything for Israel…”

*Eliezer promises to learn Chumash 2 mikra/ 1 targum every week

*Kenton, a Cherokee Indian from Oklahoma, accepts the 7 Noahide mitzvas and promises to say Tehillim and Perek Shira every day

*Gil, USA – Tikkun Chatzot

*PG, RS, DW – Shmiras Eynaim

*MC from Toronto pledges to approach 3 Jews a week about tefillin, and to beef up his learning and davening, including Psalms, Rambam, Tanya, and Chumash

*Yaakov from USA is offering free Shabbos candles to everyone that commits – contact yaakovshalom(at)comcast.net

*Telephone 718-301-5940 is giving out free copies of Tikkun Klali (in Israel call 02-622-2603)

* www.briskodesh.org is giving out free ebooks for shmiras habris

*Mordechai and Yosef pledge to clean up their room every day to help mommy

*2 year-old Efraim pledges to eat more cake for Israel

*16 pre-Bat mitzva girls pledge to say Tehillim

*DD, HP, and YB pledge to do as much hisbodedus as they can

*The Turner family of the USA pledges to observe the Sabbath

*GK pledges to teach his young children “Modeh Ani”

*GV in Dallas pledges to give a tithe to charity and to deal honestly in business

*MR in Tulsa and GV in Dallas pledge to treat others nicely

*Rochelle in Long Island pledges to wear knee-highs and to lower the length of her skirts

*Jackie in Baton Rouge pledges to refrain from cursing

*Robert in Illinois pledges to learn more Torah and surf less internet

*Anonymous pledges to go cold turkey on pornography and to try and make tshuva

*TG plans to eat only kosher meat

*Sora Aviva is shortening the length of her shaitels

*ES commits to Tehillim, Shma, learning Torah, patience, loving fellow man, and eating kosher meat

KM – will participate in public fasts and pledges to wear tefillin every day

*BA from Southfield, Mi. pledges to judge others fairly

*Lawrence is strengthening his intent in prayer

*SJ commits to learning the laws of the Beis HaMikdash

*AN commits to daily hitbodedut

*DB pledges to say Tikkun Klali every day

*SA pledges to pray 15 minutes a day for the safety of Israel’s soldiers, and another 15 minutes a day for Hashem to redeem the people of Israel

*Shosh plans to strengthen her shmiras halashon

*Ilana from Minneapolis is putting together a study group to strengthen emuna

*Randy from Texas pledges to pray in a minyan at least on Shabbas, and he’ll try in the middle of the week

*Moshe from Brooklyn pledges to say Kaddish for one whole year, for all those deceased souls that don’t have anyone saying Kaddish for them

*Genya Forman commits to the mitzva of baking challas

*Jim in Kansas commits to giving more charity

*Mordechai Hillel Grant (7) commits to saying Tehillim with his tatty every day

*Yankele and his wife (London, UK) commit to learning halacha together every day

*BA has just given up Jews for J and commits to attending an Aish HaTora seminar

*Mike K in DC commits to less sleep and more Torah learning

Updated 7/22/06

RZ, Silver Spring, Md. – shmiras eynaim

*GJ, New Jersey – daf yomi

*TH, Michigan; Shapiro family, Ontario – Tikkun Klali

*Dome family, London – have organized a shiur in Likutei Moharan in their home

*Yona from Tel Aviv is changing her wardrobe and making complete tshuva including Shabbos and Kashrus

*Dan from LA will give more charity

*HC from Australia has enrolled in a Yeshiva for BT’s

*The OU and Young Israel are organizing round-the-clock Torah learning – this is wonderful news!

*Gwen Davis, Alabama – Krias Shma and Tehillim

*Folke Holtz, Sweden – praying Amida every day

*Eliezer B, USA – will learn halacha every day

*Rodney and Cinthia, USA – koshering their kitchen

*Susie S, Canada – will begin covering her hair

*Howard S, Canada – will begin praying in a minyan every morning

*Dr. Mark B. will now close his dental clinic on Shabbat

*The Golman family is transferring their 2 youngest children into Torah schools

*Zvi F will say Shir Hashirim every Fri. afternoon before Shabbat

*June F. in Wahington State commits to lighting Shabbat candles

*Arnold C. commits to daily prayer with tefillin

*AV and PV from Upstate NY commit to daily hisbodedus

Trying to Pray

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As everyone knows by now, Israel is in serious trouble right now. Three soldiers are being held hostage and many have been killed. Many civilians have been killed and injured in the constant rocket attacks. Over one million Israelis in the north are sleeping in bomb shelters.

There’s nothing like watching the disaster unfold to make me realize my own helplessness. In an instinctive reaction, despite my many years living on my own and the fact that I am now married and expecting a child of my own, I spent much of the day trying to call my mother. I also did laundry—constant, obsessive washing of anything in the house that might have once touched dirt. But the one, most important thing that I should be doing, I just can’t. I can’t seem to pray.
Read more Trying to Pray ›

Antidote for Baseless Hatred – Part 3

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Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller was kind enough to allow us to repost this article on Beyond BT during the 3 weeks. For more tapes and articles by Rebbetzin Heller please visit her site. To listen or download her mp3s please visit the Aish Audio site. This is the third and final part of this series.

Overcoming Hatred

So now Rambam, the great halachist, presents us with the following issue: What about people whom we don’t like for good reason?

Remember what I said in the beginning: Nobody gets up in the morning and announces: “It’s a great day today—I think I’ll hate people. I’ll put a little butter on the stairs; I’ll turn the TV volume all the way up and leave the house…” When we hear that the Sages said senseless hatred is a terrible sin, we say, “Oh, yes, it’s really terrible. I don’t hate any people senselessly—but apes, like my upstairs neighbors…”

I wouldn’t blame the people who live beneath us for hating us. They’re lovely. They’re immaculate. They mind their own business. They didn’t deserve what happened to them. When we bought the apartment above them, all of my numerous children still lived at home, plus my mother lived with us, so we’re talking about an awful lot of people in one apartment. They didn’t know this. One day, before we moved in, the wife saw my husband and me coming down from the apartment. She smiled and said, “I hope you’re quiet people.” I thought: She’s going to find out the truth soon enough; let her sleep tonight. So I just smiled back. Then moving day came. She sees one kid, and another, and another, and another—a whole procession—and then my mother…

Anyway, Rambam talks about hatred, so we have to define what hatred is. Love, in Jewish terms, is bonding. Hatred, then, is detachment and separation.
Read more Antidote for Baseless Hatred – Part 3 ›

Pre Shabbos Links

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We are still full steam ahead for our Beyond BT Shabbos Nachamu Shabbaton. We have a good signup rate so far. We really want to encourage all BTs, FFBs and Jews of all stripe to join us and take the next steps in making real lasting connections. 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. Email us at beyondbt@gmail.com if you are interested.

Our good friend Kressel Housman has been fortunate enough to land a job that involves listening to Rabbi Wein tapes. We’ve been nudging her for some more Beyond BT pieces as we miss her inspiration dearly. She recently informed us that Rabbi Wein is currently making available a free download of a shiur on the Book of Iyov.

Sefardi Lady informs us of a rally on Monday, July 17th at 12 noon opposite the United Nations in solidarity with the government and people of the State of Israel against terror sponsored by The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Steve Brizel highly recommends The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways: Reflections on the Tish‘ah be-Av Kinot by Rabbi Joseph’s B. Soloveitchik. You can order it here.

Steve also brings our attention to a dvar Torah about Pinchas by Rabbi Yaacov Haber, whose Life after Teshuva shiurim have been featured here. Here’s an excerpt:

There is no perfection in this world. As a matter of fact, sometimes when the environment is so pristine and one works so hard to find purity, the imperfections stand out even more. Even in the most beautifully developed areas of Yiddishkeit there are things that need to be fixed and attitudes and ideals that are not according to the Torah. There are wonderful Torah opportunities on the one hand and some jarring attitudes and behaviors on the other hand. The blend of mostly Torah and incongruous and even outrageous behavior becomes a confusing culture.

Examine everything that happens through the lens of Torah, underline what is great and beautiful and take note of what is wrong. When you look at the culture that surrounds you, you can sometimes be baffled by the lack of midos tovos that prevail even amongst teachers and mentors. Don’t criticize them; don’t hold it against them, don’t slander them, just do something to better the situation. Stand up for what is right.

What Can We Do To Help

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The Jewish People are under attack and as Rabbi Brody has said repeatedly, the call of the day is to increase our Emuna and do Teshuva.

Emuna goes beyond believing in G-d, but acting in accordance with that belief. Although we are all probably checking the Israeli news sites multiple times a day to see how the Israeli military is faring, emuna means seeing clearly that the outcome of this crisis is totally in Hashem’s hands and acting on that belief.

Although most of the people reading this site have undertaken a significant committment to Teshuva, as Rabbi Lam reminded us at the last Beyond BT Melave Malka, this is just the first step. Teshuva is a continual process and now seems like the right time to take some next steps.

Here are some simple ideas, but please add your own suggestions in the comments:

1) Say one shehakol a day with more kavana.
2) Pause before Bonei Yerushaliyim in the Shomenah Esrai and say it with more intent.
3) Before reading another news article on the net, say Shir Hamalos for the Matzav in Eretz Yisroel.
4) Commit to learning or relearning a new sefer, 5 minutes extra a day.
5) Fulfill the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel by:
a) Saying something nice about a fellow Jew
b) Helping a fellow Jew with there phyisical needs
c) Honoring a fellow Jew

Increasing our observance of mitzvos in some small way shows that our emuna is not just an intellectual excercise, but that we have committed our lives to serving Hashem. Let’s all reach deep into our hearts and minds and do what we can to help the Jewish People.

If you want to make a Bli Neder small committment in the comments either by name or anonomously it would be helpful.

Cherishing the Shards: A 17th of Tamuz Meditation

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By Rabbi Dovid Schwartz

Imagine this heartrending scene: You come to visit a frail old man, he is your father, grandfather or uncle. His mind is so addled and ravaged by Alzheimer’s that he doesn’t recognize his visitors, sadder still; the disease has so deleted or distorted his memory that he doesn’t “recognize” himself. For those who knew him as he once was his current desecrated state unleashes a torrent of clashing emotions ranging from pity, to contempt to revulsion to anxiety (this could happen to me!) to (shudder) thoughts that, if directed towards healthy members of our society, would be considered homicidal and criminal (Is he even himself anymore? Is he still a human being? What a lousy quality of life. Why doesn’t someone just put the poor old geezer out of his [our] misery?) Some of us have actually lived through scenes like this and don’t need to imagine it.

Now let’s modify the scene. Imagine if we could project a 3D hologram of the same person in the full flush and dynamism of his youth with his arm around the shoulder of, or, better yet, superimposed upon the entire body of, the ruined shell of a human being before us. Imagine further that these two images permanently fused so that we couldn’t look at the old man without concurrently seeing his younger clone. How might that change our attitude and emotional reaction? I believe it would cause a drastic change in the entire gamut of our auto-emotional responses. All euthanasia-cal designs would immediately cease. In spite of the wretched reality that meets our eyes we would begin relating to the patient with a dignity, respect and humanity more closely approximating what we used to accord to the man he once was than the Alzheimer’s patient he is today.
Read more Cherishing the Shards: A 17th of Tamuz Meditation ›

Should We Attempt to Make Our Family Frum?

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My brother recently has been searching for answers to the age-old questions. Why is life so difficult? Why is he faced with challenges? Why don’t things turn out the way he wants them to? He also wonders about God and religion and his place in the world.

He’s been asking a lot of people these questions. He asked the rabbi of the Reform congregation that my family attends; he talks to my parents and grandparents about it. And recently, he asked me.

He came to me specifically wanting to know why I became Orthodox. My process to becoming frum happened quite a while ago; he was young and didn’t remember the details, but he was certainly puzzled by it considering I’m the only Orthodox Jew he knows (he lives in Birmingham, Alabama, where there is what can definitely be considered a dearth of Orthodox Jews around).

I gave him a brief overview of my journey and process; I told him that, for me, Orthodox Judaism seemed to offer meaning and purpose to an existence that I previously couldn’t figure out, that seemed random and disjointed.
Read more Should We Attempt to Make Our Family Frum? ›

Rabbi Akiva and Intelligent Design

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Something stuck in my head from 32 years ago, amazingly enough. The professor of my undergraduate biology course prefaced his remarks about biological adaptations by saying: “We don’t ask the teleological why.” Not being attuned to religious issues at the time, I didn’t give much thought to his point.

However, when I entered a Baal Teshuvah Yeshivah four years later I was astounded to find intelligent, well-educated people who challenged naturalism and its principal brainchild, evolution.

The teleological argument for the existence of God, inferring a Designer from the complexity of biological entities, is currently touted as intelligent design, although its proponents would be quick to assert that intelligent design is not creationism.
Read more Rabbi Akiva and Intelligent Design ›

Maintaining One’s Moral Compass in the Workplace

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Dear Mentor:

I don’t know who you are or where you live, but I really need your guidance and inspiration at this stage in my life. Please get back to me ASAP.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shmuel (I’m called Steve at work), and I am a junior partner in a prominent law firm in New York City. I’m happily married, and we have 3 lovely children, Baruch Hashem.

So why am I writing to you? Because as I have grown professionally and personally, I find myself faced with a set of nisyonos far different than those I had a few short years ago when I was a bachur in yeshiva. My nekudas habechirah has shifted dramatically, and I need someone who can regularly touch my neshama in a way that will enable me to maintain my spiritual compass. My soul needs to be uplifted, as there are so many temptations that beckon.

A few short years ago, my wife and I were living hand-to-mouth. Now, I am invited to dinner meetings in $150-a-plate restaurants and all I do is rearrange the salad and sip soda while my business associates dine on $70- steaks and drink from $100 bottles of wine.
Read more Maintaining One’s Moral Compass in the Workplace ›

Keeping Your Ethics on Par in the Workplace

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An Open Invitation From Rabbi Yakov Horowitz:

How would you like to spend an inspiring and enjoyable morning in the company of your friends – with an opportunity to meet new ones?

How would you like to opportunity to network with other frum professionals?

How would you like to attend lectures and shiurim by business professionals addressing the opportunities – and challenges – of today’s business climate? (Please read the article below on this subject.)

How would you like to spend a relaxed, enjoyable afternoon in a beautiful setting with a full array of sports facilities at your disposal?

If the answer to one or all of these questions is yes, please accept our invitation to join us for a one-day retreat in the beautiful Hudson Valley Resort www.hudsonvalleyresort.com on Monday, August 14th. The resort is conveniently located 15 minutes from Ellenville NY, and 90 miles from New York City.
Read more Keeping Your Ethics on Par in the Workplace ›

Rally to Free Gilad Shalit

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Since Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal operates from Syrian under Syrian protection, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad plays a critical role in the fate of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit – Gilad ben Aviva.

The Ad Hoc Coalition for Justice will be hosting a rally in front of the Syrian Mission to the United Nations in NYC demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Cpl.Shalit.

The rally will take place, rain or shine, on Monday July 10, 12 noon at 820 Second Ave. (Btwn 43rd and 44th streets).

For further information, please contact the Conference of Presidents at 212-318-6111 or info@conferenceofpresidents.org.

The following Israeli soldiers remain Missing in Action:

Yekutiel Yehuda Nachman ben Sarah (Katz)

Zecharia Shlomo ben Miriam (Baumel)

Zvi ben Penina (Feldman)

Ron ben Batya (Arad)

Guy ben Rina (Hever)

May Hashem speedily redeem them and bring them all home safely to their loved ones.

Getting It About “Getting It”

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If you’ve listened to the Life After Teshuva tapes, you know they contain a wealth of valuable advice and information. At $75 for the 15 tape series, they are a true bargain.

There is however one recurring theme throughout the tapes that bothers me and that is the constant refrain that those presenting at the conference “get it”, with the implication that many others don’t “get it”.

Now I think that all the presenters had a lot to offer. However, our experience at Beyond BT has shown us that nobody “gets it” all the time when it comes to BT issues (or probably any issue for that matter). The wise person will follow the advice from Pirkei Avos and try to learn from every person and not assume that they already “get it”.

Next week we will begin the three week period of mourning the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash. We know that the second Mikdash was destroyed because of Sinas Chinam (baseless hatred). We plan to run a few pieces on Achdus in this period including a series by Rebbetzin Heller titled “Antidote for Baseless Hatred”.

In that piece Rebbetzin Heller, brings a Gemora which says that before Mashiach comes, truth will be such that every group is like a little flock. And within each flock will be sub-flocks. The fragmentation of truth will be enormous. That basically means that no group will totally “Get it”.

So let’s keep striving for our personal understanding of truth while, at the same time, listening, hearing and understanding the truths that others bring to the table. Then, collectively we can piece together the truth that will result in the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash in our time.

Who am I?

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Hillel asks: If I am not for myself, who is for me? I first want to know: who am I?

All of my life, I have felt that I am a member of three communities, each vying for attention. As a US-born citizen, I am naturally an American, but growing up as the daughter of immigrants in an Orthodox day school where my friends were all children of immigrants, I was illiterate in the culture of baseball and homemade apple pie. My mom didn’t bake apple pie at home because instead I was enjoying Russian desserts due to my parents’ Russian backgrounds. Both of my parents are from the former Soviet Union and we spoke Russian at home. I learned to read and write in Russian and sing Russian children’s songs. Many of my parents’ friends were of the Russian Jewish community. Finally, there were the Israelis. Since my parents lived in Israel in the 1970s, we were involved in the Israeli community, going to events, visiting Israel almost every year, and speaking Hebrew. My favorite records were of Israeli children’s music; I knew every song by heart and was fluent in Hebrew at a young age.
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The Company Picnic

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Years ago (like eighteen), when I first decided to wear a kippah at work, something seemed strange also. At the time, I felt self-consciousness about wearing it in public. But then it occurred to me that in New York City, people aren’t pretentious about going out in public with purple-dyed hair, a chain as a belt and piercing in their eyes, nose and mouth. I realized that if I had some physical or psychological barrier, it was of my own creation, not anyone else’s. But upon showing up at work wearing it after a two-week vacation, no one said a word.

At first, I thought my friends and colleagues, all of whom I had been working with for at least a year, all knew that I was Shomer Shabbos. I wondered whether they thought it looked strange but were just too polite to say anything. After a few days, two of my colleagues asked if they could ask me a personal question. Of course, I said yes to which they asked, “Have you always been wearing a kippah or did you just start?” After telling them that I started several days before, I asked, “Why do you ask, wasn’t it obvious when I showed up after vacation the other day with it on?” They told me that they had a bet. One said I just started and the other said that I had been wearing it all along.
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While You Walk on the Way – Why Not Get an MP3 Player

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Technology today, particularly mp3 players give us a wonderful opportunity to learn when we are on our way, wherever we are. I’ve been listening to Torah Tapes via walkman for a long time but the mp3 player is quite superior due to it’s small size, higher capacity and better fidelity.

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein of Cross-Currents fame, wrote an excellent article in a recent edition of the OU’s Jewish Action which covers many of the basics of mp3 usage. Here are some of the key points from the article with some of my comments.

Rabbi Adlerstein purchased a small capacity IRiver for around one hundred dollars which holds about twenty hours of material, and runs on a single AA battery. Although it doesn’t have the coolness factor of the IPod, I also highly recommend the IRiver line for those who favor price and function over form. And as Rabbi Adlerstein points out you can easily record live shiurim if you purchase a model with the voice recording option.
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Jeff Neckonoff Interviewed about his Escape from the Messianic Jewish Movement

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Beyond BT reader and commentor Jeff Neckonoff was inteviewed by Gavriel Sanders about his experiences, involvement and escape from the messianic jewish movement. You can listen to the interview here at www.GavrielSanders.com

Jeff writes “He’s a great interviewer. His questions flowed and I didn’t need to struggle with thinking about my answers. I think you’ll enjoy the show.”

Update: You can also download the interview here.