theCLD (the Chizuk Line of the Day) is a Jewish blog that provides daily words of inspiration and Jewish law.
Friday, June 06, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
CLD #891
In this weeks Parasha, the Torah brings down the Ketoret, the incense that included 11 different species that when mixed together they would have an amazing aroma that would make G-d happy. The Keli Yakar explains on the pasuk that brings down the spices that there is one spice called the Helbena (galbanum) that was really stinky.
The Keli Yakar explains that the helbena is needed in the ketoret even if it smells bad because the smelly spice resembles the poshim of Israel, the sinners and all the sinners are also a group of Israel. There is a concept of kol yisrael arevim ze la ze. This means that every Jew is responsible for his fellow Jew. Whatever action you take affects my life and vice versa. The Ketoret is coming to teach us that every Jew has a role and even those that sin against Hashem. Why? Because the sinners that do teshuva (repentance) have all their sins change into merits when the teshuva is done out of love and then they also add to the 'bag' of mitzvot in the world to make the world seem stronger in holiness and purity.
The Torah does NOT teach us to do sins in order to repent, however; if a Jew does fall then he needs to remember that there IS a way back and a way to fix the damage! Also, tip for Purim, Helbena has a numerical value of Haman to teach us that sometimes Hashem brings evil people in the world to threaten the Jews to repent and get closet to Hashem if the state of the generation is that bad.
Judaism=Think.
The Keli Yakar explains that the helbena is needed in the ketoret even if it smells bad because the smelly spice resembles the poshim of Israel, the sinners and all the sinners are also a group of Israel. There is a concept of kol yisrael arevim ze la ze. This means that every Jew is responsible for his fellow Jew. Whatever action you take affects my life and vice versa. The Ketoret is coming to teach us that every Jew has a role and even those that sin against Hashem. Why? Because the sinners that do teshuva (repentance) have all their sins change into merits when the teshuva is done out of love and then they also add to the 'bag' of mitzvot in the world to make the world seem stronger in holiness and purity.
The Torah does NOT teach us to do sins in order to repent, however; if a Jew does fall then he needs to remember that there IS a way back and a way to fix the damage! Also, tip for Purim, Helbena has a numerical value of Haman to teach us that sometimes Hashem brings evil people in the world to threaten the Jews to repent and get closet to Hashem if the state of the generation is that bad.
Judaism=Think.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Video: Dancing By The Kotel
Yeshiva Life in Israel
(WHAT HAPPENS WHEN 10 YESHIVA GUYS AND ONE HASSID ARE HYPED ON JEWISH PRIDE)
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Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Video: Today's Halachot
KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEH'HOO BEN HA'OLAM HABA
"Whoever learns a minimum of two Jewish laws everyday is granted that he will have a share in the World to Come"
Today's Halachot discuss Laws of Certain Situations during Keriyat Shema from Rav David Yosef's Halacha Berurah.
Judaism=Think.
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CLD #890
This morning the students at Yeshiva Ba'alei Da'at had the privilege to sit in a class on the Parasha, Parashat Tetzaveh given by Rabbi Haim Levy. The Rabbi walked us through the beautiful teachings of the Mishkan and the clothing of the Kohen Gadol (the high priest that would walk into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur) and how each piece of clothing atones for another major sin that occured in the desert in our travels from Egypt to the Land of Israel.
By one of the commentaries on the Torah, the Keli Yakar's beautiful commentary brings down a source to break down the reasoning of the atonement regarding one of the articles of clothing worn by the Kohen Gadol. The source is the Talmud on tractate Baba Batra and explains how the worst type of torture is to be a captive. The Gemara explains how a captive includes all the sufferings and misfortunes that exist. Being in a state of no control causes an individual to experience the most suffering.
There is a beautiful piece of Torah by Rabbi Avigdor Neventzhal shlit'a, the Senior Rabbi of the Old City. He explains before Pesakh that an individual is truly free when he is connected to the Torah and Mitzvot. However, an individual who is not is most likely under the reign of his desires and the worldly materialistic view of the world.
Think about it:
An individual who is controlled by society needs to buy the newest smartphone, then the most luxurious car, his children need to wear the most fresh brand name clothing and he must have the most youngest-looking wife on the block or else he is no accepted.
In a world of Torah and Mitzvot this is not the primary motivation of one's life! An individual was created in the world to overcome his physical desires and the only way to do that in a perfect path to success it through Torah and Mitzvot. There are only a few Mitzvot an individual must do on a daily basis and IT IS POSSIBLE.
You can change the world, you just need to believe in yourself!
By one of the commentaries on the Torah, the Keli Yakar's beautiful commentary brings down a source to break down the reasoning of the atonement regarding one of the articles of clothing worn by the Kohen Gadol. The source is the Talmud on tractate Baba Batra and explains how the worst type of torture is to be a captive. The Gemara explains how a captive includes all the sufferings and misfortunes that exist. Being in a state of no control causes an individual to experience the most suffering.
There is a beautiful piece of Torah by Rabbi Avigdor Neventzhal shlit'a, the Senior Rabbi of the Old City. He explains before Pesakh that an individual is truly free when he is connected to the Torah and Mitzvot. However, an individual who is not is most likely under the reign of his desires and the worldly materialistic view of the world.
Think about it:
An individual who is controlled by society needs to buy the newest smartphone, then the most luxurious car, his children need to wear the most fresh brand name clothing and he must have the most youngest-looking wife on the block or else he is no accepted.
In a world of Torah and Mitzvot this is not the primary motivation of one's life! An individual was created in the world to overcome his physical desires and the only way to do that in a perfect path to success it through Torah and Mitzvot. There are only a few Mitzvot an individual must do on a daily basis and IT IS POSSIBLE.
You can change the world, you just need to believe in yourself!
Guest Speaker: The Importance of 10% (23 sec)
Another friend of mine from yeshiva [Yeshivat Ba'alei Da'at] in Jerusalem giving us some words of wisdom:
Enjoy
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Tuesday, February 04, 2014
CLD #889
When we are born we are already brought into a mindset of giving up our entire selves to G-d. At the age of 8 days we go under the knife, at the age of 3 we are already forced to say verses from the Torah and by 13 wrap some leather skin on our body with boxes and parchments inside them and everything becomes so bland.
That is the lifestyle of an individual who sees Judaism as a burden. The truth is that our Torah provides freedom from the rush and stress of today's society. Instead of feeling trapped to the Torah's laws a Jew should be proud to be under the umbrella of Hashem's protection. We constantly have an inner battle between our Neshama, the soul, and our body, the guf. The physical is always in a war zone with the spiritual. Our soul, which what makes us become a living thing that is created in the image of G-d, pleads to be the primary reason for the Jew's actions. The reason I sleep is to get energy to do Mitzvot tomorrow. The reason I eat is to say berachot, blessings. The reason I smile is to uplift another person's day. If we see our life as an opportunity to grow and connect with Hashem and the people around us what was written on top looks and seems ridiculous. David Hamelech writes in Tehillim that if only an individual tastes a little bit of a life with G-d he just experiences goodness all day. The Holy Ohr Hachaim also writes on The Torah that if an individual will really know what The Torah is all about he will continuously desire for Torah and become so in love with it he will reach a state of insanity!
How lucky are we to be the children of G-d and have the opportunity to use our mouths to speak to Him whenever we want!
On the right sidebar you can support our current CLD Fundraising Project, helping the book Master Your Anger become a bestseller in the world! theCLD is partnering with the author to get the book published in English (Hebrew and French copies are available) and reach the eyes of thousands of people suffering from anger.
On the right sidebar you can support our current CLD Fundraising Project, helping the book Master Your Anger become a bestseller in the world! theCLD is partnering with the author to get the book published in English (Hebrew and French copies are available) and reach the eyes of thousands of people suffering from anger.
Guest Speaker: DON'T BE AFRAID!
Another friend of mine from yeshiva [Yeshivat Ba'alei Da'at] in Jerusalem giving us some words of wisdom:
Enjoy
Please be a part of our current CLD Fundraising Project by support our cause on the right sidebar.
Monday, February 03, 2014
Video: Today's Halachot
KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEH'HOO BEN HA'OLAM HABA
"Whoever learns a minimum of two Jewish laws everyday is granted that he will have a share in the World to Come"
Today's Halachot discuss Laws of Jewish Midnight & Netilat Yadayim from Rav David Yosef's Halacha Berurah.
Judaism=Think.
Sponsor today’s Halachot for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!
CLD #888
A Jewish life entering this world can be easily compared to a new fresh and clean soccer ball. Due to the generation we are currently living in, it is common to bring children to a world that is not open to a religious lifestyle and therefore people are raised without a strong foundation for Torah.
Therefore, the life of a Jew, this soccer ball, slowly becomes contaminated with 'sins,' or simply with stains. Slowly slowly the ball becomes dirtier and dirtier and the stains become dry and yucky. It fills up around the entire ball to the point that people do not want to get near it because they are disgusted by its state. This soccer ball one day experiences rain falling down from the sky and starts to look cleaner. When the sun comes out and the rain stops it still has some stains on it but not like before. It gets to a point where the ball slowly slowly becomes cleaner and only then does it get chosen to be played around with back to its happy state.
The same is with a Jew. Unfortunately we fall to the hands of the Yetzer Hara, our Evil Inclination, and follow our desires to behave against the Torah's values and laws. We end up contaminating ourselves with the world's pleasures and distance from Hashem. The goal is to splash some water on ourselves, some laundry detergent; this can only be done through the means of Torah, Mitzvot, saying blessings for food, after using the bathroom, speaking to Hashem through prayer like speaking to a friend on the subway, connecting to religious friends...etc.
B"H may we become closer to G-d and love ourselves enough to realize we are more valuable than falling to our Evil Desire and keep our own "soccer ball" clean!
Therefore, the life of a Jew, this soccer ball, slowly becomes contaminated with 'sins,' or simply with stains. Slowly slowly the ball becomes dirtier and dirtier and the stains become dry and yucky. It fills up around the entire ball to the point that people do not want to get near it because they are disgusted by its state. This soccer ball one day experiences rain falling down from the sky and starts to look cleaner. When the sun comes out and the rain stops it still has some stains on it but not like before. It gets to a point where the ball slowly slowly becomes cleaner and only then does it get chosen to be played around with back to its happy state.
The same is with a Jew. Unfortunately we fall to the hands of the Yetzer Hara, our Evil Inclination, and follow our desires to behave against the Torah's values and laws. We end up contaminating ourselves with the world's pleasures and distance from Hashem. The goal is to splash some water on ourselves, some laundry detergent; this can only be done through the means of Torah, Mitzvot, saying blessings for food, after using the bathroom, speaking to Hashem through prayer like speaking to a friend on the subway, connecting to religious friends...etc.
B"H may we become closer to G-d and love ourselves enough to realize we are more valuable than falling to our Evil Desire and keep our own "soccer ball" clean!
Video: Guest Speaker on Worrying
Ram Levy, a student at Yeshiva Ba'alei Da'at from Jerusalem gives over a beautiful thought on the character trait of worrying.
Check out the video:
On the right sidebar you can also support our current fundraising project to publish a book on anger called, Master Your Anger!
Have a great week!
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The New CLD Fundraising Project
Good Morning America!
Be'ezrat Hashem (with G-d's help) we want to publish the book
Master Your Anger
discussing the relevant issues of anger that our society deals with on a daily basis. This book has been translated from Hebrew to French and now English. The author sold over 5,000 copies in Hebrew around Israel and around 1,000 copies in French.
We want to bring this book to America and help the lives of the MILLIONS of Jews (all types, religious and non-religious alike) with their anger!
Everyone can support and every dollar counts. Chapters from the book include:
Faith and Fury
Interpersonal Relationships
The Virtue of Marriage
Teachings from the Zohar
Philosophy and Thought
The Root of Anger
Friday, January 31, 2014
CLD #887
Shabbat Shalom & Hodesh Tov!
This year's Rosh Hodesh Adar Aleph began Thursday night and will end G-d willing Motzei Shabbat nightfall (Saturday night).
The mazal (symbol) of Adar is Dagim, which means fish. In the book Hai VeKayam it explains that reason that Adar represents fish is because during this time of the year fish tend to mate and reproduce. The fish are creatures that reproduce and receive shefa (blessing) from the Heavens in a hidden way, under the water, so noa other animal is jealous of the fish. Not but not least, the Jewish people represent fish: just like fish cannot live in a habitat outside of water, so too Jews cannot survive in a habitat outside of Torah, as Torah is compared to water.
In history, there were two main events that happened in Adar that 'lifted up' the Torah, just like the fish mate so too it is as if the Torah reproduced and greatened in the world. The first is the birth (and death) of our Rabbi, Moshe Rabbenu on the 7th of Adar and the second is the miracle of Purim, which was a nation-wide acceptance upon the nation of Israel to accept the entire Torah willingly. [The Oral Torah was accepted forcefully as G-d carried Mount Sinai over our heads and forced us to accept the Oral Torah.] This fact stayed true until Purim came where after Haman and Amalek people were killed in battle and then the Jewish nation accepted the Torah willingly.
Adar is a time to refrain from showing off and acting like fish, that do everything hiddenly, as the Talmud teaches (tractate Taanit) that blessing is not received unless the individual acts hiddenly without eyes looking at him.
B'H this month we should celebrate many semakhot, including the coming of the Mashiakh and for everyone to reach true understanding and meaning of Torah and its meaning in the world.
Video: Today's Halachot
KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEH'HOO BEN HA'OLAM HABA
"Whoever learns a minimum of two Jewish laws everyday is granted that he will have a share in the World to Come"
Today's Halachot discuss Laws of Shabbat: Melechet 'Boneh' in the Morning from Halacha Yomit.
Judaism=Think.
SHABBAT SHALOM & HODESH TOV!
SHABBAT SHALOM & HODESH TOV!
Sponsor today’s Halachot for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Video: Today's Halachot
KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEH'HOO BEN HA'OLAM HABA
"Whoever learns a minimum of two Jewish laws everyday is granted that he will have a share in the World to Come"
Today's Halachot discuss Laws of Netillat Yadayim in the Morning from Rabbi David Yosef's Halacha Berurah.
Judaism=Think.
Sponsor today’s Halachot for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Video: Today's Halachot
KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEH'HOO BEN HA'OLAM HABA
"Whoever learns a minimum of two Jewish laws everyday is granted that he will have a share in the World to Come"
Today's Halachot discuss Laws of Holding It In and taken from Rabbi David Yosef's Halacha Berurah.
Judaism=Think.
Sponsor today’s Halachot for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!
CLD #886
Us Jews usually aim to conquer this world in spiritual terms, such as doing Mitzvot and helping others so we can gain an advantage to get a first class ticket to Olam Haba, a.k.a. The World To Come (the Afterlife). Our Sages teach us that on the first days of The Creation G-d created light and darkness, but this light was stored in G-d's storage to be saved for the Tzadikkim (the righteous ones) for The World to Come.
This spiritual light is a total goodness that cannot be explained in simple words. It is beyond our capability of thinking. Therefore, most of us sadly aim to do Mitzvot, help others and accomplish spiritual tasks in order to enjoy from this light in The World to Come. However, the excitement of living a life of Torah should NOT mainly be for The World to Come, in reality an individual who lives in this world with accomplishing Torah and Mitzvot lives TO THE FULLEST in this world.
We always run to do things for The World to Come but if we take a minute to just look around us and see how beautiful a life of a Jew who keeps Torah and Mitzvot is we will RUN to continue doing more Mitzvot and living life CONNECTED to Hashem.
Start looking around you and see how valuable a life of Torah is compared to a life of materialism and disconnection from the reality of life's gifts and beauties. The best part of all this is that an individual who chases this world to fill it up with Torah and Mitzvot will definitely reach that enjoyment of the "light" that Hashem created in the first days of Creation.
Smile, cuz G-d loves you.
Judaism=Think.
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Video: Today's Halachot
KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEH'HOO BEN HA'OLAM HABA
"Whoever learns a minimum of two Jewish laws everyday is granted that he will have a share in the World to Come"
Today's Halachot discuss Laws of Bringing Food into the Bathroom and taken from Rabbi David Yosef's Halacha Berurah.
Judaism=Think.
Sponsor today’s Halachot for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!
CLD #885
Our Parasha this week begins with Vayehi, this is speech in the Torah that symbolizes sadness.
Rabbi Nissim Levy shlit'a explains a beautiful concept about the reasoning behind why the Torah testifies that there is sadness in the time of Israel leaving Egypt.
Rabbi Nissim Levy shlit'a explains a beautiful concept about the reasoning behind why the Torah testifies that there is sadness in the time of Israel leaving Egypt.
The Pasuk states: "It came to pass when Paroah let the people go." The question stands: why is the Torah testifying that there is language of sadness? If anything it should be completely the opposite!
Rav Nissim explains that Paroah was the one who was sad out of everyone. But an individual should ask: why was Paroah sad? The people who came into his country who destroyed everything in the end, these are the people who caused his first born to die!
But no, the Pasuk states in the Torah that Paroah let the people go, the people who are now A NATION. Rav Levy explains that this nation that Paroah saw before him leaving Egypt was THE NATION that was in the desert led by Moshe. It was THE NATION that was split up into 4 camps representing the 4 directions of the world, East South West North. On each side were 3 tribes of Israel, making up the 12 great tribes.
Paroah saw what he lost. Paroah saw what was not under his control anymore. He was upset because he KNOWS THE POWER OF ISRAEL!
The question ends off like this: do we, us Jews, know our own power? Our own potential? Do we appreciate our Judaism? Do we love ourselves?
B'H with the divine essence of the Holy Shabbat we should keep it to understand that Shabbat is the ultimate testimony that G-d exists. If we do not keep Shabbat, we testify that Hashem did not (G-d forbid) create the world.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Video: Today's Halachot
KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEH'HOO BEN HA'OLAM HABA
"Whoever learns a minimum of two Jewish laws everyday is granted that he will have a share in the World to Come"
Today's Halachot discuss Laws of Waking up in the morning and taken from Rabbi David Yosef's Halacha Berurah.
Judaism=Think.
Sponsor today’s Halachot for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!
CLD #884
What is the difference between The Jewish Nation during the 10 Plagues and while they were
experiencing the splitting of the Red Sea?
experiencing the splitting of the Red Sea?
During the 10 Plagues Hashem took out the philosophy of "G-d created the world but He does not manage every small detail of my life."
When the splitting of the Red Sea occurred, not only did the nation understand that Hashem "runs the show," but He also implanted in them this understanding of "it does NOT matter what spiritual level you are at for me to REDEEM YOU!"
This concept is fundamental for our everyday lives. We are at a point in history where for a Jew to stay religious, to spiritually grow and bloom to become a big Rabbi is unheard of without many difficult spiritual obstacles. Also, unfortunately we are in a generation with many difficult nisyonot and tragic events such as health issues for loved ones, financial disruptions, and other tragic events.
WE MUST BELIEVE THAT HASHEM CAN AND WANTS TO REDEEM US!
WE JUST NEED TO LET HIM ENTER OUR LIVES!
G-d willing may we decide to live WITH Hashem and not wait for Hashem to decide to live with us, because He wants to.
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
CLD #883
What is tefillin all about?
signs that a Jew is the son of G-d.
The other two are:
Shabbat
Circumcision
All these symbolic activities show that G-d is running the world.
Shabbat is the testimony that a Jew believes in G-d's creation of the world in 6 days and on the 7th day He rested by avoiding certain melachot (activities forbidden on the Sabbath day such as erasing, cutting, planting, writing, painting, etc.).
The Berit Milah (circumcision) is a testimony that began with our forefather, Avraham, who accepted this commandment at the age of 99 and made all his household circumcise themselves. This shows the uttermost belief in G-d since an individual gives over his entire being, flesh and blood to G-d and states: G-d is running the world, my body and my life.
The Tefillin are another form of showing those around that G-d is the Creator of the World. The Ramban in last week's Parasha writes that before the exile from Egypt people in the world did not believe in G-d fully (he categorizes the non-believers into 3 groups). When Hashem caused the nation of Israel to escape Egypt, He literally showed the entire world His power since it was above nature for them to leave the most powerful country (and that they saw in astrology that the stars testified that Israel were going to be slaves forever).
After the exile Hashem commanded Moshe to make these Tefillin and place inside them four portions from the Torah that talk about Hashem, His miracles, the miracle of the exile from Egypt and other Mitzvot like learning and teaching Torah, placing a Mezuzah on the doorpost, etc. The Tefillin are placed above the hairline and by the muscle bulge on the bicep to symbolize Hashem's Torah subjugating the mind and the heart to follow in the way of Hashem.
G-d willing with this CLD we will get the strength to continue posting and reviving theCLD experience.