A Rabbi Nachman Story

B"H

I heard the following story about Rabbi Nachman of Breslov from Rabbi Mordechai Machlis:

Once Rabbi Nachman went for a walk and saw a young buy standing in the street and crying. He went over and asked the boy why he was so sad. The boy responded that him and a few other children played "Seek - and - Hide" and non of the other children had come searching for him.

Rabbi Nachman told the boy that it is the same with G - d. Sometimes He is crying as well (in a metaphorical sense). Our task in this world is to seek and find G - d. Everything in this physical world is "hidden" and we need to seek and find.
The Hebrew word for "World" is "Olam". Olam also has the same roots as the word "Ne'elam - Disappear or Hidden".

As G - d is hidden throughout the whole Purim story, He does the same practise in our private lives. Each one of us should individually think about how many miracles have happened in his life so far. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand that we failed. If something negative is happening to us, we concentrate our mind on asking why it happened to us and what the purpose may be. Our problem is that we don't see the whole picture but only small parts of it. The moment we review certain events in the future, we usually get a clearer picture and many times understand that even the negativity in a particular situation had turned out to be positive for us.

Shiur with the Toldot Aharon Rebbitzen

B"H

The Rebbitzen of Toldot Aharon is giving a shiur (lecture) for women every second week. Next week, I am planning to go and I am really looking forward to it.

I heard that he class consists of "Q & A" and the Rebbitzen is telling her point of view of an ultra - orthodox life; how it should be.

It sounds very interesting and many more chassidic Rebbitzens should give such classes where people can learn from.

Shabbat in Beit Shemesh

Mountains around Beit Shemesh.


B"H

Before anyone starts asking. "No, the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov Kahn was not neither in Jerusalem nor in Beit Shemesh last Shabbat".
The Kahn family is still in deep shock about that one of the daughters lost her husband (Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Teitelbaum) due to the terror attack on the "Chabad House" in Mumbai / India. The Rebbe went to Arad (a small town in the Negev) and the reason may have been to simply get away from all the mourning and see something else for a while.

Bus No. 411 from Tel Aviv to Beit Shemesh takes ages. I was on the bus for more than an hour because the bus went through the whole countryside. The town of Ramle and all the surroundings. Finally we got to Beit Shemesh and after some time even to Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Ramat Beit Shemesh is the haredi part of Beit Shemesh and I was invited there by an Toldot Avraham Yitzchak family. I had their address and as soon as I got off the bus, I wanted to ask my way through which I did. When asking a Breslov woman for the particular street she told me that there are two parts of Ramat Beit Shemesh; Aleph and Beit. A little later it turned out that my friends live in Beit, in the chassidic part.

After asking someone else I quickly found my way and one of my friend's daughters was waiting for me in front of the house. It was almost Shabbat when I finally arrived and the three kids of the family were jumping all over me. All their lives (from 5 - 7) they have been growing up chassidic and I was a total outsider for them. I think the biggest shock was finding out that I don't wear stockings. This was just unbelievable for the kids and totally immodest. In other words, I had a good time with the two daughters and the son. Additionally, the family had another visitor like me. They took care of a one - year - old little boy from friends (Chassidut Bobov) and young Hershi became our Shabbat "star". Everyone was after him and I wouldn't have blamed him for having a nervous breakdown.

The father went to the Synagogue with his son and the mother and I were talking. In the middle, the kids drove us nuts. She told me about how they got adjusted in Beit Shemesh after living in Jerusalem for a couple of years. There was nothing going on in town and from the windows we only saw Chassidim walking up and down and the mountains further away. A great view and fresh air.
Especially Haredim discovered Beit Shemesh long ago, as it is not too far away from Jerusalem and rents are cheaper. After young couples are getting married, they rather move to Beit Shemesh or Beitar instead of staying in expensive Jerusalem. However, even in Beit Shemesh it is hard to find a place to live in the haredi area. The demand is so great that construction workers cannot follow anymore.



The area where I stayed.


What you do on Erev Shabbat ?
You make Kiddush, eat and go to sleep. And this is what we did.

The next morning, my friends husband and the son went to the Synagogue. We, the daughters and Hershi had a tiny breakfast and then decided to go for a walk. The weather was sunny and warm and my friend showed me all the new chassidic neighbourhoods. Chassidut Nadvorna and Dushinksy are building great Synagogues at the moment.

We were in the chassidic part and suddenly heard cars coming. My friend told me that there are some secular inhabitants who especially on Shabbat get the idea of taking their car or motor - bike and driving through the haredi neighbourhood. "They only do this on Shabbat", my friend said when this huge motor - bikes were passing us. "Then people yell at them "Shabbes" and the secular complain. What would they say if we went into their areas and were hanging out there ? Maybe we should do this and see their reaction. But they only do this here to cause trouble".

We got to a playground and the Beit Midrash of Chassidut Gur was right next to us. The kids were jumping on the swings and everything and suddenly a jogger passes by. He wasn't that what Haredim call "modestly dressed". Then my friend had enough and screamed "Shabbes !" The jogger stopped and asked if she has a problem. She just went on "Shabbes, Shabbes", and the jogger lost his temper. "Taliban !" he yelled and disappeared.

I told my friend that she didn't necessarily had to scream at him but, on the other hand, the jogger passed a haredi neighbourhood and he didn't even care that there were religious children on the playground while he wasn't dressed modestly. "We try to raise our kids pure", my friend that. What kind of impression do the kids get from this ? Some joggers even run without wearing a shirt at all".

This incident showed me how many secular just ignore the haredi population. I am not saying that there shouldn't be tolerance on both sides but many times before, I had the experience that especially parts of the secular population are provoking trouble and then complain that the Haredim are so bad, yell and throw stones. I don't get a kick out of running around through Mea Shearim half naked but other people obviously do.

I had a great Shabbat with the family and when I left after Havdalah, the kids were just jumping on me and asked me to come back soon. Even without wearing stockings.

Shabbat Shalom

B"H

Shabbat is short during the winter. It starts early and it finishes early. Some people prefer that instead of having an "endless" day of rest during the summer. I hate this rushing around and today, I am having another of those stressful days.

Breakfast and than already getting ready for my Beit Shemesh trip. A family from the chassidic group "Toldot Avraham Yitzchak" has invited me over Shabbat and I will be busy with finding the right bus to the haredi section Ramat Beit Shemesh. Busy with putting on a skirt and behaving.

I wish you all a great Shabbat; Shabbat Shalom and Gut Shabbes. Hopefully you don't have to rush so muc.

Santa in Tel Aviv

B"H

While passing the ground floor of the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv these days, I don't feel like I am in Israel anymore. Not that the ground floor is too Israeli anyway. Usually you hardly see any Israeli / Jewish stores but rather food stores selling Thai food. Not cooked but in cans or ingredients, noodles, rice, everything from Thailand or the Philippines.

In case you are passing the ground floor in the evening, Russian or Thai music is coming out of the loud speakers; as well as commercials in those languages.

And now, as every year before the Christian Xmas, plenty of stands (mostly run by Russians) selling plastic Xmas trees, decoration, Santas and further Xmas items have opened. I just pass without taking a closer look but it does bother me that such idol worship is taking place in our country.

One can say that the foreign workers have a right to celebrate their holidays as well. The only problem is that more and more secular Israelis have been starting to celebrate Xmas. Not for religious purposes but because they think it is cozy and fun having the tree, some music and presents. And selling all the idol worship equipment publicaly inside the Central Bus Station may cause more Jews to get tempted.

Pictures of the Edah Demonstration

B"H

On Tuesday, the Edah HaCharedit had called out for a demonstration against the planned changes in haredi education by the Israeli Ministry of Education.

Here are some photos of the demonstration which took place in Ge'ulah (Jerusalem) at Kikar Shabbat.















The Dushinsky Rebbe




To the far left: The Toldot Aharon Rebbe







In front of the Satmar Synagogue in Jerusalem.


All photos can be viewd here:

http://bhol.co.il/news_read.asp?id=7649&cat_id=2

Impressions from a different World

B"H


Chanukkah is approaching and Mea Shearim is the best place to be when it comes to lightening the Chanukkah candles.




Chanukkah candles




Who says that chassidic marriages are artificial ?




Even the Neturei Karta knows how to celebrate.




Chassidic Tisch in Belz (not in Mea Shearim)





ZIONISTS OUT !
(A wall in Mea Shearim)





Women have to make their way around and enter from the back. As usual !





Purim in Batei Hungarin, a backyard where I have friends.

Chabad is Reopening

B"H

According to the temporary Chabad Shaliach in Mumbai / India, Rabbi Dov Goldberg, the destroyed "Chabad House" underwent a variety of constructions works and is now ready to be reopened within the next coming days.

Rabbi Goldberg said that Chabad is not giving up its mission due to terrorist attacks. The previous Chabad Shaliach, Rabbi Gabriel Holzberg, his wife Rivka and four other Jews were killed in the house by Pakistani terrorists.


Links:

ZAKA inside the "Chabad House" in Mumbai

The "Holzberg Funeral"

The Edah against the Ministry of Education

"Let's go and demonstrate !"
Fakshivili (news poster) in Mea Shearim.


B"H

The Israeli Ministry of Education is planning to modernize the haredi school system. Until today, haredi schools made up their own curriculum without being bothered too much by the state authorities. This is going to change now; at least according to the Ministry of Education.

Most of the haredi population in Israel doesn't have an efficient education in mathematics, English (foreign languages as a whole), geography, biology or physics. So far, haredi teachers "only" concentrate on Torah, Halachot, Mussar or Talmud. The girls' education is even worse. Some Torah "light" with Rashi but the more challenging commentators like the Ohr HaChaim, Kli Yakar or the Ramban (Nachmanides) are not being discussed at all. Some haredi schools claim that there are a few exceptions.

Those of you talking to a Litvak or a Chassid from Israel find out very quickly that, indeed, many of them do lack a proper education. Not in Torah but in secular studies. For instance, I have been repeatedly asked by various Chassidim why it doesn't work when you write the address of a website in Hebrew.

In my opinion, the whole education system is a delicate subject. Even in the Middle Ages, Jewish children and adults learned more than the kids today. Just look at the Rambam (Maimonides), the GRA (Vilna Gaon) and plenty of other famous rabbis. They all had an extraordinary education and didn't consider secular studies, such as science, as "impure", as the Edah HaCharedit does today. Do I have to mention Rashi's three daughters as well ? Including the rumour that it was them writing the entire commentary on the Talmud Tractate Nedarim.

And what if a family has a very gifted and talented child ? Is this child being robbed of a better future or even of becoming a great scientist who can contribute to society ? Are Mishnayiot and Torah enough ? What if a haredi woman has the ability of being a great doctor ?

Already in the early childhood, any thoughts about going to a university are being banned. Actually haredi children grow up in a system where they don't even have such thoughts, as they are already aware of your place in society.
But doesn't teach us especially science about G - d's great and perfect creation ? Why is it so wrong studying this ? Didn't G - d Himself give us special abilities in order to use them ?

The Chatam Sofer claimed that everything new is bad. No changes should be made and a Jew has to stick to Torah. The old system cannot be bad, as it always worked out. So why make changes ?

Everything new becomes a threat.
A threat to whom ? To the Rabbi / Rebbe or haredi society ? Has a rebbe an interest in limiting the education of his followers in order to keep up his own power ? Are scientific studies a danger and confuse a religious Jew ?

The Ministry of Education has a more practical point of view:
The haredi population is widely uneducated (regarding secular studies) and therefore cannot compete on the job market. The State of Israel is not willing to support haredi society financially and is going to make further budget cuts. The Haredim have to go to work and how are they going to find a job with hardly any education ?

Indeed, the Ministry got a point; however, it should be mentioned that many Haredim do work and that the Edah members don't accept any government money anyway. Most Haredim work within their own community as teachers, rabbis, Shochet, sales people, etc.

For many weeks, the dispute has been going on and plenty of Fakshivilim (news posters) were hung up by the Edah in Mea Shearim. Just yesterday, another demonstration took place at Kikar Shabbat in Jerusalem. The Edah HaCharedit doesn't even consider for a second fulfilling the conditions of the "Zionist" Ministry.


Remains the question:
Is "too much" education a danger to haredi society and to its rabbis ?


Link:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3634458,00.html

Sexual Abuse in Haredi Society

B"H

In a secular Israeli paper I read that just as in Catholic society, more and more haredi sexual abuse victims open up and talk about their former abuse. Being abused by haredi rabbis or further members of haredi society.

The time of silence seems to be over. Especially in the US but also in Israel, more and more parents even involve the police and complain that their children were sexual abused.

In the past, people just kept quiet.
What could you do if your child was abused by, let's say, a well respected rabbi of the community ? Was there a chance of accusing him and taking him to court ? What about the neighbours and the child's future life ? Who wants a Shidduch who got abused in his or her childhood ?

However, now even haredi society opens up a little and starts acknowledging the problem openly:

http://theawarenesscenter.org/

This site has been having thousands of hits and every one of us should check it out !

Prayer always Works

B"H

In case, someone is searching for an answer:

The Baal Shem Tov said: "... And you must also have faith that the very moment the words of prayer leave your lips, your request is immediately answered. And if you say, "But there are times when one's requests are not granted," the truth is that they are granted, only this may be in a way that is concealed. For example, a person may ask God to take away his suffering, but the suffering may actually be beneficial in cleansing him of his sins, etc. Accordingly, God answers this prayer not by removing the suffering from the person himself but by lessening the suffering in the world in general. It is an essential tenet of faith that as soon as we speak out our prayers, what we ask for comes about immediately. There is no doubt at all about this" (Keter Shem Tov #80-81).

Photos from Hebron

B"H

Photos from the eviction in Hebron last Thursday:

http://bhol.co.il/news_read.asp?id=7608&cat_id=1