The Danger of Looking Backwards

B"H

Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194 - 1270) referred to the warning given to Lot by the angels who carried out the destruction of Sodom: "Do not look behind you". Nevertheless, Lot's wife Irit (the Midrash - "Sefer Seder HaDorot" - mentions her name) did turn around and, as a punishment, turned into a pillar of salt.

The Ramban says that we should never underestimate this warning. Not even in the future. Rashi comments that Lot sinned with the people of Sodom and that only in the merit of Avraham, he is being saved. Thus, Lot has no right to turn around and witness the actual destruction.

The following question comes up:

What kind of an impact would it have on Lot when he witnessed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha ? Wouldn't he be so afraid that he only serves G - d out of terrible fear ? Fear that by not keeping the Mitzvot, he may be punished and die as well.

G - d's intention is that we serve Him by using our "Free Will". He doesn't want to be a dictator but provided humankind with a "Free Will" in order to decide what we should do. Serve G - d our Creator and get closer to him or do the opposite. We are no robots and a Tikun (soul rectification) is not taking place too much when a person acts out of fear or automatically. The true intention is to fulfill the Mitzvot with love and by using one's own will.

_____________________

Source:

"Strive for Truth"

by Rabbi Eliyahu E. Dessler

Remarks:

According to Jewish (Talmudic) thought, Sodom and Gomorrha were not destroyed because immoral sexual behaviour but the inhabitants were involved in other sins and therefore G – d caused the destruction of the two cities.

What does actually happen when we look back ? Don't we develop at the moment a longing for our past ? I didn't behave according to G – d's rules and, from now on, try to make it better. However, at the very moment I turn around, I actually show that I still miss my (sinful and imperfect) past.

When the Secular write about Haredi Society

B"H

It has become a fashion lately that secular Jews write books about anything concerning haredi society. The more extreme some haredi / chassidic groups are, the better. Haredi "extremism (fanatism)" sells (especially to Gentiles) and this is what these kind of authors want: 

SELL ! Make money, and become famous; no matter what.

Everyone has the right to do whatever he wants but when secular Jews, let alone Gentiles, start writing about haredi Rabbis or anything haredi, mostly a big mess is coming out.

In the eighties, the Israeli left - wing journalist Amnon Levy wrote "The Haredim". A quite well written book and the reader is aware that Levy actually did research within haredi society. However, a Gerrer Chassid once told me that Amnon Levy made a big mistake: 

He wrote his book from a viewpoint of a secular leftist Jew and this doesn't fit.

Various secular Jews sneaked or tried to sneak into haredi society in order to gather information. Usually without great success, as they don't understand society and are not at all interested in religious teachings let alone Mitzvot. The only thing which counts is CASH. The "authors" don't even make an attempt to understand chassidic ideology but search for scandals. Who is whith whom and maybe a high Rabbi has a secret to uncover. This is what they are after.

I sometimes see a university professor searching for information and he complains that haredi society won't speak to him. Quite selfish ! Does he think that only because he is a professor at a (Zionist) university haredi society has the duty to speak to him. 

No, they won't. Your are not in society and keeping Mitzvot - You are out !

In fact, it takes years to get in.

Such behaviour of faked writers drives me up the rooftop. Not only because they count their cash but because they hand over false information to their readers. Other people who have no clue about haredi society believe what they write and get a totally wrong impression. Those authors lie at their readers in order to sell.

Additionally, most of such writers (at least the Israeli ones) are left - wing and hate haredi society. You can imagine then how their book content looks. The same with the professor I mentioned. Because no one wants to talk to him, he is even more against society.

One of the only authors I can recommend is the former Gerrer Chassid YITZCHAK ALFASSI. He wrote more than seventy books and I think that some of them were translated into English as well. Yitzchak Alfassi taught at Tel Aviv University and his books on Chassidut are totally reliable.

Yom Ha'azamot

B"H

Some Israelis celebrate other (Israeli) Jews mourn. Tomorrow night (Monday) and Tuesday, Israel is celebrating its 62nd Independence Day. The Neturei Karta in Mea Shearim is going to have some flag burning events and awaits plenty of journalists for taking pictures. At least the Neturei Karta knows how to stay in the headlines.:-)))

Most shops in Mea Shearim will actually be closed but some remain open. Usually the children go to school whereas their (Zionist) Israeli counterpart have a day off from school. Not everyone in Mea Shearim agrees with the Neturei Karta and they are considered as far too nuts extreme.

However, some inhabitants sit Shiva, fast and cry or do everything together at once.

Source: Neturei Karta

But not only the Neturei Karta or the Edah mourn, also Chabad considers the "Yom Ha'azma'ut" - Israeli Independence Day as "Yom Ha'azamot - Day of the Bones". The present State of Israel is a secular state and thus not their country and a desecration to G - d.

Nevertheless, when we believe that everything in this world is a will of G - d, so why not the present state as a forerunner to redemption (Ge'ulah) ? I don't think that we should only celebrate with wild parties but also with Torah study and thanking G - d !

"Rescuing the Belzer Rebbe" - ONLINE

B"H


"Rescuing the Belzer Rebbe" - Rebbe Aharon Rokeach's flight from the Nazis - as an ONLINE BOOK !

Tish in Belz

B"H


Last Erev Shabbat (Friday night) I did something which I usually don't do: I took two people with me to the Belzer Tish in Jerusalem. First we went to the Shabbat meal of Rabbi Mordechai Machlis. Unfortunately we had to leave earlier in order to walk to the great Synagogue of Chassidut Belz in Jerusalem's Kiryat Belz.

It was a nice walk. Plenty of Chassidim were in the streets in going for their evening walk. Bar Ilan Street was crowded and so was the area around the Chernobyl and the Satmar Synagogue on the in front of the junction Kiryat Belz - Kiryat Zanz.
The Belzer like it posh and so is their neighbourhood. Clean and organized. By the way, Kiryat Vishnitz in Bnei Brak looks the same.


From far away, the Belzer great Beit Mirdrash is shining and the closer you get, the more impressive it becomes. Just like the old Synagogue in Belz but much bigger. Seven thousand people have space in the new Synagogue.


The Tish is not taking place inside the Synagogue but nearby on a ground floor. When we arrived, the Belzer Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach was just making "Kiddush - Blessing over the wine". The Ezrat Nashim (women's side) was not yet packed but soon after it was. The Belzer Rebbitzen always sits on her little stage almost above the Rebbe. She loves to wear high hats and this time she wore a huge blue hat.


The Belzer Chassidim are organized and everything at the Tish is arranged. There are benches at the Ezrat Nashim but when you want to see something, you need to stand up.


When the Rebbe makes Kiddush, he puts his Tallit (prayer shawl) over his head and his Streimel. This alone looks very impressive. Afterwwards, for "Washing the hands and HaMozi", he takes off the Tallit.


Before making Kiddush, he is always involved in silent prayer and the Chassidim have to be quiet. Their Rebbe is like a king and if anyone dares to talk then you can here and threatening "Sha Sha - Silence, silence". The men's side was packed. Including many guests, as the Belzer Tish is quite popular among Israeli groups touring haredi areas on Erev Shabbat.


We only stayed for an hour (the Belzer Tish usually lasts for two hours) because we almost fell asleep. Tishing on a Friday night after a week full of work is not that easy. It is then when you feel how exhausted you are from the week. However, each of us enjoyed the atmosphere of the whole evening.


Next Shabbat I will be back in Mea Shearim !

The Belzer Synagogue in Jerusalem

 

Hitbodedut of the Chatam Sofer

B"H


The Chatam Sofer kept the Minhag (custom) to study the Torah commentary of the Ramban (Nachmanides) every Friday night. He did so alone and refused to let anyone in his study. Not even his best students were allowed in.


One day, a few of those students met and one of them was chosen to sneak into the room before the Chatam Sofer would start his Parsha studies. The student hid behind the curtain and his Rabbis didn't notice him and started studying the Ramban. Suddenly the entire room was filled with such a strong light that the student could hardly keep his eyes open. The student got frightened and the Chatam Sofer realized that something was wrong. He pushed the curtain away, discovered his student and threw him out of the room.

Shabbat Shalom

B"H

Next week, the State of Israel will be celebrating its 62nd birthday. We all know that the present state is not yet perfect, as there is no Torah ruling but we should appreciate that the Jews finally have a home. Whether there are any pogroms or anti - Semitism in the world, Jews are free to make Aliyah and thus have an escape. Millions of Jews would have been thankful for such an opportunity during the Middle Ages and especially during the Holocaust. In this respect, I think we have to thank G - d for paving the way to the final Ge'ula (redemption).

I am still in Tel Aviv and sitting in the local sunny weather. In the afternoon I am going back to Jerusalem over Shabbat and some work at the bakery. Only to come back to Tel Aviv on Monday morning and watch the huge Independence Day celebration on Rabin Square (Kikar Rabin) on Sunday night.

Hours before the beginning of the happy Independence Day we commemorate Israel's fallen soldiers and terror victims. From mourning to happiness and thus representing Jewish history. There is no lack of tragedies in Jewish history but there is also no lack of joyful events. This is a life of a Jew: Sadness and Happiness following each other until, in the end, the Torah is going to succeed.

"Shabbat Shalom - Gut Schabbes" to everyone !

Rabbi Mordechai Machlis (Jerusalem) on the 62nd Israeli Independence Day

Eastern European Interests

B"H

Despite that I was born in Germany, I have always been interested in Judaism taking place in Eastern Europe and not necessarily in Germany. When I read about the Holocaust or collect information on Rabbis and communities, it will mostly be Eastern Europe. I actually do have roots there, as my mother came from Poland.

I have been trying to give a wide overview on haredi society, Jewish history, (some) science and plenty of Chassidut in this blog but I cannot deny that many things haven't even been mentioned. This happened due to lack of time, as I have only two hands and need to work and sleep sometimes.

I want to try fixing certain lacks of information by putting a few short teachings or descriptions about further Rabbis / haredi directions into the blog. I am actually a little ashamed that I have never really mentioned the Chatam Sofer, the Soloveitchik Rabbis (including the Brisker movement), Rabbi Aryeh Levin, the Kook Rabbis as well as Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the Abarbanel, Rabbi Elchanan Wassermann, the "Netziv" (Rabbi Berlin), Rabbi Zadok HaCohen of Lublin or Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. And those are only a few names on my list. Despite my chassidic preferences, I very much appreciate the teachings of the Litvishe (famous student of the Vilna Gaon), Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin.

We have a Brisker Synagogue in Jerusalem and I haven't even made it there once. Not yet. However, I am starting to put some information about different teachings into the blog and I will see whether I can put everything together as a whole.

The Moon Flight as Analogy

B"H

From "Reaching the Moon" - The Lubavitcher Rebbe on Outer Space

By Rabbi Yitzchak Yehudah Rozen

The huge investment and effort to land on the moon is a metaphor for the flight of the Jewish soul hewn "from beneath the throne of glory" to the physical world, the lowest of the worlds.

The 385,000 kilometer flight from Earth to the moon is a normal rocket flight. In contrast, the descent of a soul from a state of being "bound in the bond of life of G - d" is a series of contradictions followed by an instantaneous drop into the physical material world where the Divine truth is concealed, to the point that it is possible for humans to transgress G - d's will. The descent of the soul is greater and more powerful in quality that the rocket flight from Earth to the moon or other planets.

Only G - d has the strength to send down a soul. Many spiritual forces are invested in descent of a soul to Earth, with no effort on our part. Everything must be carried out smoothly so a certain soul will enter a certain body precisely at the right time and place in order to enable the soul's fulfillment of its assigned task, to make this world a "tabernacle" and "temple of G - d".

A soul is sent to Earth in order to fulfill a well - defined goal. Even in days and hours given to it are precisely no less and no more than what is demanded of it to fulfill its assignment on Earth. The soul "descents for the purpose of ascending" in order to draw close to G - d - "the spirit returns to G - d who gave it".

All we have to do is to "push" the right buttons of the heart and mind by putting on Tefillin and wearing Zizit (ritual fringes) - for men - and excelling in Mitzvot (laws). The Holy One who sits on high will direct us through His control panel in the way He deems best.

__________________

Source:

"B'Or HaTorah" scientific magazine from 1999

The Chatam Sofer

B"H

From the book "Orot HaSofer"

Rabbi Moshe Sofer, the "Chatam Sofer", was born in Frankfurt / Germany in 1762 and died in Pressburg (Bratislava) in 1839. He established the famous "Pressburg Yeshiva" and in Jerusalem you can find today's Pressburg Yeshiva in the neighbourhood of Givat Shaul.

The Chatam Sofer tremendously commentated on the Torah as well as on the Talmud. Thanks to his activism, Reform Judaism was kept out of Pressburg. His direct descendant is Rabbi Yochanan Sofer heads the chassidic group of Erloi. The Chatam Sofer himself was not chassidic and ate "Gebrochts" during Pessach. Furthermore, he was extremely famous due to his opposition to any modern changes. Any innovation of the Torah is forbidden by the Torah.

Chassidut Dushinsky is completely following the ideology of the Chatam Sofer.

When the Chatam Sofer had already become famous he was approached by a man who once learnt with him in a Yeshiva Chavruta during the early days of his life. The man asked him for the reason why, after all those years studying together, the Chatam Sofer had become so famous and him, the man asking, remained an ordinary guy.

The Chatam Sofer responded: I remember you and we studied together for many years and we used to go home together. Returning home in the same carriage. However, while going home, you used to look through the window at the mountains and the landscape whereas I did not do so.

This is one of the stories about the Chatam Sofer the book "Orot HaSofer" lists and I can only imagine that here the Chatam Sofer meant that while his friend was looking around without any further thought whereas the Chatam Sofer did not "waste" his time by looking around but going into deeper thought inside of himself.

G - d did not change after Creation

B"H

G - d is one and unique. One because there is NO other than Him. One G - d. 

After He finished His creation process, He has never changed. He still is one and unique.

Neither this world nor the supernal worlds effect any change in G - d's unity by their having been created. G - d sustains us but does not change. His essence, His inner being and His thoughts are absolutely one. There is no change in Him whatsoever but only for the created beings.

_________________________

Source:

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (founder of Chabad), Tanya, Likutei Amarim 20 - 21

"The Religious Thought of Hasidism"

by Norman Lamm (President of Yeshiva University)