This World, The Next World, and Your Socks

The end was drawing near. Mr Wolf Lazerson, one of the richest Jews in the country was on his death bed with all his children surrounding him. "I have two last requests to make," he said in a weak voice. "The first is that you do not read my will until the shloshim, and the second is that you bury me with my socks on"

"But Dad," his son protested "halacha doesn't  allow such a thing."
"I don't care," Wolf said "that's what I want." No amount of convincing was going to change his mind. He insisted on keeping the socks on, and that was that. His children were disturbed knowing that their father insisted on doing something that he himself knew was contrary to halacha.

A few days later, the father was niftar and the children consulted a poseik who told them that their father's wish must be ignored and so he was buried without his socks. At the shloshim, they opened his will. "My dear Children," they read, "I left you a lot of money and a large estate. I wanted you to realize before dividing it up that in the end you can't take any of it with you - not even your socks. love, Dad."

and as Rabbi Dovid Kaplan concluded, a story like this can really knock your socks off.

In this weeks sedra, it says "VeLo takim lecha matzeva asher saneh Hashem Elokecha" 

"and you shall not make for yourselves a pillar..."

It is brought down in Pirkei Avot, this world is compared to a corridor leading up to the world to come. Fix yourselves in the corridor so you can enter the Banquet Hall. A person needs to be constantly aware that this world is fleeting and temporal. One must utilize all his worldly dealings and all his physical necessities as a preparation for the service of G-d, for the world to come.  Chazal often refer to "worldly pleasures" as "lecha" (literally "for yourselves")

Kedushas HaLevi teaches us that the Torah is saying "VeLo takim lecha matzeva..." and you shall not make the "Lecha" a pillar.  In other words, you shall not make your worldly pleasures into a pillar, i.e., into that which is strong, sturdy and everlasting, but rather, only as preparation for the world to come.

May we  merit to utilize all that Hashem gives us leTova.

Credit:
The short story at the top was taken from Rabbi Dovid Kaplan's Lasting Impact - Short Stories with an Immediate Message - Awesome for the Shabbos Table!

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Juggling Bowling Balls in Modiin - don't try this at home

[WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME or anywhere else for that matter]
This is Scott Juggling 3 heavy bowling balls...for real!

Where do we have a reference to Juggling from the Torah? Amazingly enough there seems to be reference to juggling in a number of early Jewish sources. These sources include the Mishna, the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" - The Mishna was written about 2000 years ago (which even dates back to biblical times in it's oral form.)

The reference in the Mishna reads as follows (Tractate Succah, Chapter 5, Mishna 4) "Pious and prominent men used to dance with burning torches in their hands before the thousands of celebrants; they sang before them songs and praises to G-d. The Levites played on harps and lyres, and with cymbals, trumpets, and numerous musical instruments, upon the fifteen steps leading down to the courtyard." 

The Mishna is describing the celebrations at the Temple in Jerusalem during the Festival of Succoth.  The commentary of Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki of Troyes, France, 1040-1105 CE) explains the words: "with burning torches"as follows:  "They would throw them up and catch them again, and there were experts who would have 4 or 8, throwing this one and catching this one, throwing this one and catching this one." (This Rashi can also be found in Talmud Bavli, Tractate Succah, first Rashi at the top of 51:b)
The Famous Commentary on the Mishna, Rav Ovadia M'Bartenura explains it similar.

Having said that... There is a great & special mitzva in the Torah to be happy. As the song goes: "Mitzva Gedola Lehiyot B'Simcha" - so I can imagine all the more so, what a great Mitzva it is to make other people happy. I think Scott the Juggler does this one really well. Watch the 6 second video clip above of co-worker and friend, Scott  as he juggles 3 heavy bowling balls at the Yeshpro Bowling Alley in Modiin, Israel. If this doesn't put a smile on your face ...... then watch it again.
Sources: Information about Juggling in Biblical Times was adapted from an article which originally appeared in Your Jerusalem, July, 1997 by Raphael Harris, and recently discovered on Scott The Jugglers Website.

What Yeshiva Students in Bet Shemesh are giving out to random people on the streets

Boys from Yeshivat Amit Nachshon are giving these out to random people on the streets of Beit Shemesh: A note with a candy.

It's beautiful how they are spreading Ahavat Chinam in Israel.
Kol Hakavod Yeshivat Amit Nachshon - You should all be zoche to live long lives filled with Torah and Mitzvot, and greet the Moshiach soon in our days.

Translation of words on the note:
Continuing to live together!!!
If we will it - it's no Dream
Adding to the Love of Israel!
Yeshiva Students Amit Nachshon

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Shakin the lulav! to the tune of Twist and shout ...Fun

9 11 - September 11 2001 - Divine Intervention Miracle Story - Video Clip

Song based on a True Story
How a person was saved from the Sbarro pizza bombing in Israel and then saved again from the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Amazing Story of Divine Intervention.
Produced By Yossi Gross. http://yossigross.com

DAY TO DISCONNECT - COMING SOON - WATCH CLIP

Refuah Shelayma to Yaakov Ben Esther

[Excerpt from http://yaakovbenesther.com/ ]
Yaakov Shore is 21 and was just completing his army service as a combat soldier in Nachal Charedi. He was born in Miami and made Aliyah from Toronto when he was 10. He studied in Ateres Yisrael in Jerusalem and Waterbury in Connecticut.

On Monday, May 23rd, 2011 Yaakov was hit by a car while rollerblading by the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem. He was taken to Hadassah Ein Keren hospital with serious head trauma and a compound fracture of his right leg. He is currently in the ICU and has been put into an induced coma.

A couple of Yaakov’s strongest character traits are that:

1. He never complains (and he had lots of good causes to)
2. He never blames others (and he could have with good reason)

We are asking people to try focus on trying to be more sensitive in those areas in his merit. It will be good for all of us. READ FULL ARTICLE AT AISH.COM 
See More about things to do in his Zechus at www.yaakovbenesther.com/in-his-zechus/