Rabbi Alon Anava – Shares about how to deal with the “Bilam” inside each and everyone of us that we seek to overcome to live a more meaningful and spiritual life. Rabbi Anava give many interesting facts of Bilam and how we can learn from these today. Fascinating lecture on Parasha Balak.
“…What is the Rebbe’s message? What is the life of a Jew and a Chassid? Quite simply: what matters in my life is Judaism, Torah and Mitzvot, Ahavat Yisrael, chesed, mivtzaim (outreach) – that’s my life. What about making a living? That’s also important, but my life is Judaism. Evidently, this is a test for perhaps all of us.
And this is what the 12th of Tammuz means to us. We have to find self-sacrifice within ourselves, caring first and foremost about Judaism…”
“adapted from Bet Moshiach, full transcript of farbrengen at beismoshiach.org”
Conner, Robert. (1983). Living Jewish. B”H Erev Shabbat Balak (Eretz Yisrael Edition), 9th of Tammuz, 5782; July 8th, 2022. Chabad #850.
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz – Shares with us the upcoming weekly parasha of Balak and the story of Bilam who failed to live up to his potential and was subsequently destroyed. His potential greatness was overcome by his passions and emotions.
Rabbi David Yisrael Kalmus – In first 15 minutes of this class, Rabbi Kalmus shares with us beginners a very important message that you don’t need to do everything but just do what you can. Just keep moving! Move whatever you can, start wherever you can and if that’s too much yearn to do it in your mind and heart. Just say it just think it – this is the beginning of salvation.
Rabbi David Aaron – Short simple one minute video on who we are actually working for and how we have the day off from the boss. Enjoy it! Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Alon Anava – Shares how jealousy can be a good thing if its for the right reason and the right motivation. The Rabbi also explains when it is bad (like in the case of Korach) and actually deprives us of our special uniqueness given to us by Hashem. This uniqueness is our gift and our life mission – we need it to complete why we are here on this Earth and being jealous of others’ tools for their missions is certainly counter-productive to our life goals.
This is from a daily email called “Daily Companion” by the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. You can subscribe to their daily emails by emailing: info@powerofspeech.org
After the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash (Temple), Hashem gave us a vital gift which would enable us to survive this long and bitter exile. He allowed the Shechinah (Divine Presence) to manifest itself to some degree in the beis haknesses (shul or synagogue) and beis hamidrash (study hall). To this day, the beis haknesses and the beis hamidrash remain places where a Jew can connect with his Creator in a very profound way.
Against this backdrop, says the Chofetz Chaim, one can recognize the full gravity of speaking loshon hora in shul. From the words “and My Holy Place you should fear” (Vayikra 19:30) we learn that a Jew must treat his shul with dignity and only tread in it for holy pursuits. This commandment prohibits all forms of mundane conversation in shul. How much more so does this prohibition apply to loshon hora or rechilus, which indicate a complete lack of fear of Hashem, Whose presence is especially manifest in such holy places.
The Chofetz Chaim states that the hidden message which a person communicates when he speaks loshon hora in shul, God forbid, is that he does not really believe that Hashem resides there. Only with such an attitude could a person feel free to disobey Hashem’s rules in His own house. The Zohar says that the sin of ignoring Hashem in His house has grave spiritual repercussions in the upper worlds.
The Chofetz Chaim writes, “Since we are discussing the sin of speaking loshon hora in shul, I must tell you of the great misfortune that this causes.”
A person tells his friend his stories which are laced from beginning to end with loshon hora, and he finds a most convenient time for this: immediately before the reading of the Torah. But when the congregation is ready to begin reading the Torah portion, the storyteller is still not finished. Now the yetzer hora (evil inclination) whispers in this person’s ear, “This is a great story. You’ve got to finish it.” So the storyteller and his eager listener continue their conversation throughout the reading of the Torah. In doing so, they not only transgress a long list of prohibitions, but they also commit the overriding sin of creating a public chillul Hashem (desecration of Hashem’s Name) as they flagrantly ignore
Hashem’s Presence in His house and at the same time cause disgrace to the Torah. The Chofetz Chaim tallies what this “important story” is going to bring these two people on the Heavenly scales of judgment.
They have spoken and listened to loshon hora, which almost always includes many prohibitions.
They have violated, “And you shall not defame My Holy Name” (Vayikra 22:32), a sin which is compounded by the fact that it was committed in the presence of ten or more Jews.
They have disregarded the Torah reading, as it is written, “And those who forsake Hashem will perish” (Yeshayahu 1:28).
They have engaged in devarim beteilim (meaningless conversation) in shul. “Woe to the speaker and the listener!” writes the Chofetz Chaim. He quotes the Vilna Gaon who states that it is impossible to comprehend the Heavenly punishment which such conversation can bring upon the participants.
The Chofetz Chaim adds another thought regarding those who speak during the reading of the Torah. The Torah reading concludes with Kaddish and it is highly unlikely that they will stop their conversation to answer to this all-important prayer. This is an incalculable loss. Our Sages, of blessed memory, have taught us the awesome power of answering “Amein. Yehei shemei rabba …” (“Amen. May His great name be blessed…”). By answering with proper concentration and intent, one can cause severe Heavenly decrees to be broken. Several times each day, when Kaddish is recited, Hashem gives us the priceless opportunity to earn tremendous merit with just a few seconds of effort Imagine if someone offered you a check for one million dollars, with the only requirement being that you exert the miniscule effort of lifting the check off the table and putting it in your pocket. The reward for answering “Amein. Yehei shemei rabba…” is much more than that, yet the storytellers are oblivious to this, essentially leaving millions of dollars sitting on the table, untouched. One Small
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Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz – Shares a unique perspective that Shabbat is the goal not an inconvenience, it is our destination not a stopping point along the way, it is a glimpse of the World to come not an interuption to our daily lives. Shabbat is what to live for in the here and now – celebrated once a week – experience it now!
Both these videos focus on this week’s upcoming Torah parashah (in Eretz Yisroel) of Korach. They both explain the details of how after all the witnessed miracles and the level of righteousness of the people involved can an actual rebellion take place. The journey from that to this is almost unbelievable and the details involved that help make sense of this is quite interesting.
On the 23rd of the month of Sivan (כג׳ סיון) the decree of Haman (At the time of Mordechai and Esther) to annihilate the Jewish nation was nullified. The holy books teach us that this day is a very powerful day for prayers to nullify decrees and anything bad, evil and horrible against us. The same way that from that day and on the situation of the Jewish nation changed and became good, and “Mordecai left the king’s presence with royal raiment” (Esther 8/15) … “and the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced” … and as a result the Megila says… “The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor” – The holy books teach us that this day (Sivan 23) is a powerful day to revoke and nullify any decree against you (Sickness, death, poverty, infertile, etc.)
Therefore on this powerful day there are a few things you want to do:
Light two (2) candles for Esther and Mordechai
Give three (3) coins to charity. The coins should be held with both hands at the same time when placing in the charity box
Read chapters 22, 83, 130, 142 of Tehillim
Read chapter 8 from the Megila of Esther
Read Avinu Malkeinu (Without a blessing, just the text)
Pray from your heart with your words anything you want and need – Ask from Hashem
Recite the short prayer:
אנא ממך אלי צורי וגואלי, כשם שעשית ניסים ונפלאות לאבותינו בימים ההם בזמן הזה, כן תתמלא רחמים גם עלי, בתוך שאר כל עמך בית ישראל הפזורים בארבע כנפות תבל, ותתמלא רחמים על כולנו, להפוך מהרה מרע לטוב, גם את כל סוגי גזרי הדין, ברוחניות ובגשמיות, בכלליות ובפרטיות, ויהיה מעתה אך טוב וחסד – בגוף ונפש וממון…” אמן O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. From you I am asking mercy! The same way you performed miracles and wonders to our forefathers and all previous generations, please bestow your mercy on me the same way, to me and all of your nations that are scattered all over the world and in all 4 corners of the earth, and bestow your mercy on all of us, to transform all evil to good, annul all harsh decrees concerning us, tear up the evil [parts] of our sentence both spiritual and physical, both to myself and others and from now on it should be only goodness and kindness to our body, soul and belongings Amen!
Take on yourself a good decision to add a Mitzvah to your daily schedule
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure all the above is done and read on the 23rd of Sivan (June 22nd 2022) during the day from dawn till sundown
