CLD #109

Midot are the toughest attributes to work on in one's personality. As we all know, Judaism is all about perfecting ourselves to emulate G-d's "personality." G-d is the ultimate merciful one (questions arise regarding deaths of children and young adults/teens here), He forgives immediately after one does tshuva, He loves all (IF WE ONLY KNEW how much he loves the person who hates Him the most, we would be fulfilling G-d's wishes constantly), and most importantly He is perfect in everyway possible. We are so tiny in front of G-d, and we should work everyday on ourselves to understand that G-d does not want us to "do favors for him" and pray and go "out of our way" for him, because in the end of the day all the mitzvot are for our benefit PERIOD. We need to infuse this deep deep into our minds.
It's time to wake up and taste Judaism.


G-d loves you, Can you honestly say you love him? If so, What do you do to show that? Do you need to do anything?


Judaism=think.


Shabat= T-3 days.

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CLD #108

Business Professor: "Maybe 10 years from now you'll all have million-dollar yachts." What do we really want in 10 years? Why do we wake up in the morning? Why do we go to college? Why do we do so much for our children? Why do we care? Judaism urges us to ask these questions all the time! It is not a religion that ignores the question: Does G-d exist! We definitely need to stick to a Rabbi (like it says in pirkei avot) and ask the questions that we foolishly all think do not get asked! Search for a Rabbi that fits you and I promise you will be happy! Do not be afraid to ask, because I know people who do not ask and are lost, and I say thank G-d all the time for the amazing Rabbis I had the zchut to speak in depth with about my life and my spiritual issues (everyone has some). So start your shavua in a good way and call up your rabbi and just have a little conversation. 


Open Up, because everyone has something to work on.

Shavua Tov


pic: Rav Yoshiyahu Pinto shlit'a

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CLD #107

In everyone's lives there is usually something that happens that is more than mind-boggling, and cannot be explained rationally. From deaths to shiduch-breakups to illnesses; the human mind cannot accept something going wrong when one thinks everything is so great. Story: Eliyahu HaNavi in middle of night walks into really Poor Jew's home (who receives parnasa SOLELY from a single cow) and the Jew treats him like a king (not knowing he is Eliyahu) and the Jew passes the test. On the way out, Eliyahu sneaks into the barn, and kills the cow. What? Answer: There was a gzar din saying the life of the wife of this poor Jew are over, and Eliyahu was sent to test him one last time. If he passes, the cow will be killed instead of the wife. We need to think before we jump to the conclusions that Hashem is doing the "wrong" thing for us. Sometimes we also need to pray to get a spiritual "relaxation" to believe that what is happening is for the good. 

Shavua Tov. 

Smile, Cuz Hashem Loves You!

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CLD #106

On Facebook, ads pop up regarding "Free Kabbalah Teachers" and I look at this and start laughing. Hashem Yerachem, we should all be crying. Instead of back in the day when Kabbalah was treated as a holy, spiritual guide, is it seen as a a fun-warming experience-trend. We need to understand that these books are the links to the deepest and most direct links to Hashem. These are not stories and fables that we learn smiley kindergarden lessons from, but interactions that we take to learn for us as a way of life. We need to get serious and mature and start from the simplest books, from Beresheit Bara Elokim and work ourselves up in order to MAYBE have the zchut to REALLY learn 1 minute of the depths of Kabbalah.
:)
Judaism=think. 
Shavua tov!

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CLD #105

Yosef HaTzadik was in jail 3000+ years ago! That does not include 3 meals a day, a 4x4 cell, a roommate, or a ceiling over your head. It is a huge pit with a tiny opening whole. Hashem Yerachem. This entire time Yosef managed to stay connected to Hashem through prayer and emunah. We have to learn from Yosef to continue growing no matter what the circumstances are. B'H we will be able to thank Hashem for everything, because we are alive because of Hashem's Rachamim he has for us. We need to learn to imitate Yosef's behaviors, nonetheless all our fathers that came before him. Stay happy, cuz happiness is the gateway to kdusha :). Shabat Shalom (CLD #105).

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CLD #104

Thanksgiving is a day that is full of thanking i don't really know what, but most probably appreciating what we have as Americans. In Judaism we thank Hashem EVERYDAY, and we do not have a specific day of the year solely for thanking Hashem like Americans. Also I personally think Thanksgiving is all a business oriented scam! We should also thank Hashem that we have the opportunity to practice our religion! B'H we should have a happy weekend, becuz happiness is the gateway to kdusha.
- Shabat Shalom (CLD #104).

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CLD #103

Living your entire life without the Torah HaKdosha is like traveling by subway. The underground mood, the dirty air, the rats, and mainly the confusion symbolize a life of a complete Am HaAretz (almost impossible to find today because majority of Jews have encounter with Torah at least once in lifetime). The Torah Hakdosha symbolizes nature/open space, true light, and the ability to choose how you reach the closeness with Hashem (which, if seen in the correct way, is full of free-choice and finding yourself). We need to understand that living with the Torah is something that may be extremely difficult to reach fully, but is a process where you eventually see everything in a positive light. B'H may we all have the zchut to understand how lucky we are to even have the opportunity to get close with Hashem.


Shabat Shalom.
p.s. Keep smiling, cuz Hashem loves you.

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Yahadut At Its Finest: The Funniest Video

-Michael Hirchler, NYC 

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How did theCLD begin?

Well, I was on a bus with Joe Kamali from Manhasset, N.Y. and I was telling him how a bus is exactly like Judaism. We have specific bus stops in our lives to decide whether we get on the bus or not. Andddd the bus always goes in one direction, to olam haba. The bus symbolizes olam haze- where we need to deal with certain people and do chesed with giving up our seats for the elderly or for pregnant women. In the end of the day, Hashem is the driver of the bus, the driver of our lives-> always wanting us to drive with him.


Shabat Shalom

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CLD #102

Women are created on top of the ladder of perfection. Us men love laziness, so we need woman's power to push us to stay ambitious and accomplish our goals for this world. With man's power to turn a woman into a queen, he makes sure she does not fall from her position on her ladder(=why she is never insecure). This bond between man/woman completes the world. Lets pray for a shiduch bekarov BH.

-CLD #102

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