They are blind

This short lesson on judging someone favorably was sent to me as an email forward. (Lessons taken from Gossip by Lori Palatnik)

Rabbi Noah Weinberg zt"l was speaking to a group about judging people to the good. He was asked how to deal with people who seem so negative and evil. He replied: "Imagine you were at a corner ready to cross at a light. All of the sudden from behind someone shoves you into the street. You fall and get up scratched and dirty; you turn, ready to give the person who shoved you some of the angriest words you know. When you turn around, ready to pounce, you see that the person behind you is wearing dark glasses and holding a white cane. How do you feel now? Instantly you calm down, and your angerdissipates. He couldn't help it. he was blind."

"That", Rabbi Weinberg said is how we deal with people who appear to us to be evil and mean. "The person is blind. S/he doesn't wake up in the morning and decide to hurt people that day. The person literally doesn't know what they are doing. They are blind". "The next time your parent, in-law, coworker etc. does something to make you crazy, picture them wearing dark glasses and holding a white cane. They are blind. They can't see that they are doing wrong. Help them, guide them, and show them gently the error of their ways. But don't expect them to change. A blind person can't see overnight. It takes time, and sometimes they will never see."

3 Angels for 4 Tasks - Dvar Torah Parshat Vayera 5770 2009

QUESTION: 3 angels came down to the world: Raphael Michael, and Gavriel. But there were 4 missions to accomplish.

1.To Heal Avaraham

2.To Save Lot

3.Tell Sarah the news about her having a son

4.To Destroy Sdom.
Why didn't Hashem send 4 angels to do this?

ANSWER: I have to begin with a fascinating story told of Rav Shlomo Kluger - There was once a family who wanted to postpone the circumcision of their son in order to name the child after a relative who was deathly ill, and who was about to pass away at any given moment. Rav Kluger told the family to go ahead with the Bris, and not to wait any longer. The family followed the Rav's advice and they went ahead with the Bris. The deathly ill relative ended up not dieing. He actually went on to continue living a happy and healthy life.
The Rav explained how he learned this from Parshat Vayera and the Angel of Avraham and Lot.

Which will also answer our question:
Lot did not have enough merits (zechuyot) to bring an Angel down to this world to save him. But since Hashem was already sending down an Angel to heal Avraham after the Bris Mila, Lot was able to be saved once that Angel was already here.

It is known from our tradition that Eliyahu Hanavi comes down and attends the Bris of every Jewish boy. The deathly ill relative did not have enough merits to bring down an Angel to heal him. Although as soon as the family made a Bris Mila for their son - since Eliyahu Hanavi was already down in this world, the deathly ill relative was able to be healed by him.

Shabbat Shalom..

HaRav Benayahu - When will the Geulah come?

This video was uploaded to youtube apprx 2 years ago. The Rav was talking about how close the redemption is. Now after 2 years have passed, ALL THE MORE SO!
Watch this video and send it to your friends.
It

Did the term "Average Joe" originate from the Gemara - apprx 2000 yrs ago?

The Gemara (Talmud) written apprx 2000 years ago covers a very wide spectrum of topics. Here is something you probably never noticed.

In Gemara Pesachim 68b it says,

when the Holiday of Shavuot arrived (Holiday in which Israel receives the Torah) Rav Yosef said "Make for me a special animal" a third calf. What's a 3rd calf? Rashi explains that the 3rd calf that comes out of the Mother is the very best meat. Implying that Rav Yosef ate a very special meal on this occasion. So why was Rav Yosef eating such a lavish meal on this Holiday?

Rav Yosef said "If it wasn't for this day of Shavuot" and had we not received the Holy Torah, How would I be able to learn Torah and become a wise scholar? Without, the Torah, "I would have been like every other Yoseph in the street "

(i.e., Had it not been for the Torah, I would have been an average Joe)

Joseph/Joe is the english form of Yosef

Could it be that the term "Average Joe" evolved from this Talmudic source from apprx 2000 years ago?

But let's also learn an important lesson from Rav Yosef z"l

How fortunate we are to have been given the Torah!

A Jew is indeed no average Joe and don't you forget it.

You're not alone

Rabbi Yissocher Frand told over a fascinating story which I would like to try to share with you.

A prominent Rabbi from Israel was taking a cab ride. The cab driver was a non-observant Jew. During the ride he told the Rabbi a personal story of something that he had experienced several years ago. It went something like this...

Cab Driver: A couple of friends and I (Let's call them: Dror and Benny) decided to travel to the far-east as part of our global get away after a long 3 years of army service. One night, we were out camping in the mountains. In the middle of the night I was startled by loud screams. I thought I was still dreaming...but the screams just got louder and louder before eventually I opened my eyes and saw my two buddies were the ones screaming. Benny had been under attack by a scary looking python snake. The snake had wrapped himself tightly around Benny's body! I quickly got up. Dror and I grabbed a couple sticks from the ground and started smacking the python. It wasn't helping.

Dror had remembered what a religious Jew had once taught him about such times: Call out to Hashem and say "Shema". Dror told us to say it together. And so we did in unison at the top of our lungs "Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad!" Miraculously, at that moment, the snake released its grip and quickly disappeared back into the mountains.

Benny took this as a clear message from G-d. He had decided to end his trip early, he traveled back home to Israel. He soon after enrolled in a Yeshiva and became an observant Jew. He went on to marry a religious girl. (I guess they lived happily ever after)

Upon hearing this unbelievable story...

The Rabbi asked the non-observant cab driver: "And what about you?"

The cab driver responded: "I told you, K'vod Harav, that happened to my friend Benny. It didn't happen to me"

[end of story]

Rav Frand then related this story to todays "Financial Crisis." The Rav's main idea, according to my understanding was that the world today is going through a major financial crisis along with several other major problems.

Whether or not we are directly affected by them. Can we say: "It didn't happen to me"?

There are Jews who have lost their jobs. Jews who can't pay their electric bill. Jews who are in need of major help. Financially and emotionally. We need to acknowledge that these huge world problems are a message to all of us and not just to those directly affected. And we should try to help where and when we can.

I hope the above story can help us see things from a different perspective and feel a closer connection to Am yisrael.

We need to let our brothers and sisters know and feel that : "You're not alone".

With G-ds help may we be successful...

When Adar comes we increase our joy...When Av comes we decrease our joy

The month of Av has arrived and here is a related story which I heard from Harav Zamir Cohen.

Our sages teach us:

"When Adar comes in we increase our joy - When Av comes in we decrease our joy."

Hebrew: "Mshenichnas Adar Marbim b'Simcha - Mshenichnas Av M'maatim b'Simcha"

Rav Yonatan Eibeshitz z"l was known to be a wise little kid when growing up. One day upon coming home from school in the month of Adar, he decided to take out all the pots and pans from the kitchen cabinets and play some drums. His mother asked him "what is the occasion? He said "Ima, m'shenichnas Adar marbim b simcha!" (translation: "Mom, When Adar comes in we increase our joy!") He continued the party . The noise was getting a little out of hand for his mother.

Mother:"Yonatan, it's quite loud"

Yonatan: "yes Mom, when Adar comes in we increase our joy!."

By now the pots and pans were flying around the room and Yonatan was having a ball. A sudden knock at the door brought silence to the room. His mother went to answer the door and to Yonatan's surprise it was his father. Yonatan dropped his home made drums and made a run for it. He was in his bedroom within a couple seconds. After hearing what had happened, his father came to speak with Yonatan in his room.

Father: "What happened Yonatan, your mom told me that you were making alot of noise in the kitchen"

Yonatan: "Dad, but you know what our Rabbis tell us: When Adar comes in we increase our joy!"

Father: "ok, that is beautiful son... but why then did you stop when I came in?

Yonatan: "Dad, True, Mshenichnas Adar Marbim b'Simcha ... but ... Mshenichnas Av M'ma'atim b'Simcha"

(English: When Adar comes in we increase our joy... but ...when Av comes in we decrease our joy!")

Av is also the hebrew word for father - I hope you got that (-: