Shavuos

for personal reasons I have been too busy to post so I am putting a link to previous Shavuos posts:

http://tiforoa.blogspot.com/search/label/Shavuos

Why do we have two holidays for the Torah -- Shavuot and Simchat Torah?

If the holiday of Shavuot celebrates the receiving of the Torah, why was Simchat Torah -- immediately following Sukkot -- chosen as the day to end and begin the annual Torah reading cycle?
Furthermore, why do we have two holidays for the Torah -- Shavuot and Simchat Torah? They are also celebrated so differently. On Shavuot, we stay up all night learning Torah. And on Simchat Torah, we dance.
The need for these two holidays has been explained in a parable that has been handed down from generation to generation.
Once a king issued a proclamation. Any one of his subjects was welcome to try for the hand of his daughter. On one condition: The potential suitor was not allowed to meet or see his daughter before the marriage.
The proclamation caused quite a stir. Soon the local inns were buzzing with speculation and rumors. "I hear she is a real shrew," said one. "I heard she is a deaf-mute," said another. "I know for a fact that she is a total imbecile," intoned a third. Round and round the rumors flew. Finally, a simple wholehearted Jew spoke up. "I am willing to marry her. How bad can she be? After all, she is the king's daughter and we all know how great our king is."
Word quickly spread and the suitor was led to the palace. As it turned out, he was the only one who volunteered. The king accepted the match and the wedding date was set.
After the lavish wedding, the groom escorted his bride to their new home. She removed her heavy veil, and he was astounded at her beauty. Remembering the rumors of her reputed faults, the groom decided to thoroughly test her. He engaged her in conversation, tested her in character and refinement and found himself pleasantly surprised. In every way, she excelled beyond his greatest hopes and dreams. Overjoyed, he held a lavish party to celebrate his good fortune.
PARABLE EXPLAINED
The King in the parable is God. When He wanted to give the Torah, He offered it to each nation in turn. All the nations refused, each one claiming some fault in the Torah they would not be able to live with. When God offered it to the Jews, they said 'Naaseh VeNishma' -- "we will do, and then we will understand" (Exodus 24:7). The Jewish people accepted the Torah without having seen it, as they were grateful for all God had done for them.
Though the Jewish people fully accepted the Torah, they feared a loss. They assumed that the numerous obligations in the Torah would deprive them of their pleasures and freedom. Similarly, the groom in the parable married the king's daughter fearing he would be disappointed in other areas. But as the Jews learned the Torah and applied it's teaching to their lives, they were pleasantly surprised. Not only did they not have to give up anything, they found the Torah maximized their pleasure in every way.
Therefore at the conclusion of reading the Torah, when we have again delved into its teachings for a full year, we make a party on Simchat Torah.
On Shavuot, we stay up and learn all night to show our readiness and anticipation to receive the Torah. Because it is an intellectual appreciation, we stay up all night learning Torah. On Simchat Torah, however, we dance -- expressing the emotional joy of the body. We are showing that even our bodies have gained tremendously by keeping the Torah.
Ask anyone who has increased their Torah observance and they will tell you the same. At first, each feared, according to his or her nature, that some aspect of the Torah would be restrictive. Be it keeping Shabbat, kosher, family purity or laws of proper speech, each encountered an area that tested their resolve. However, they kept the Torah knowing it was the most meaningful thing to do. And as they grew in their Judaism, they found their lives enhanced in every way.
It is with this renewed appreciation that we approach Simchat Torah. We are filled with gratitude and awe for the great gift that God has bestowed on us with love.
((based on Otzar haShavous quoting Rav Avraham and the Dubno Magid)
by Rabbi Benyamin Buxbaum from Aish.com

The power of prayer

An eight year old  boy learned about staying up all night learning on the night of Shavuos.  He asked his father permission to come with him to shul to learn all night.  His father said no, you are too young.  As his father  was walking to shul he suddenly from out the blue starting having strong thoughts that if an eight year old child truly wants to stay up learning, why shouldn't he let him.  He turned around and went back home to get his son.  Much to his amazement, his son was standing by the door waiting dressed in his Shabbas clothes, ready to go.  He asked his son how he knew that he was coming back for him,  His son replied that he davened to Hashem, and he knew that Hashem would make him come back because of his heartfelt Tefilah. This boy grew up to be Rabbi Shimshon Pincus.

Why the Torah was given to Man

When Hashem wanted to give the Torah to Moshe Rabeinu, the angles protested. Hashem told Moshe to hold onto his holy throne and give them a (Teshuva) answer. The angels asked why the Torah shold be given to men who are going to sin, when it can be given to angels who are perfect. Moshe answered that the Torah was written for men not angels, the mitzvot are for men to do. But another answer that Moshe gave was Teshuva. Yes man will sin, but he can do Teshuva

Heard from Reb Yakov Pascal

Important things to do to prepare for Shavuos

1) Stay connected to Hashem- be ready to go beyond the outside- try to think about Hashem whatever you do. As you are shopping and cooking focus on bringing the simcha of Matan Torah into your physical life.

2) Really looking at what is holding you back from growing spiritually. Realize that the power to change is not coming from inside of us, it comes from Hashem.

3) Believe in yourself and your ability to grow. Be willing to change at every moment, never saying "Now is not the time for change". Be willing to start again.

From a Shiur by Rebbetzin Heller about preparing for Shavuos

Spiritual growth comes from consistency.

One of the atributes of Hashem is Netzach.  Hashem keeps the world running on a consistent basis. We do not have to worry if the sun is going to stop shining. We know that Hashem is consistent. One of the most important things that we have to do is to try to emulate Hashem. The Omer helps us to grow in this way because it helps us to work on the consistency of our avodah.

When we have to give an accounting of our deeds before Hashem we will be faced with the consistency of our deeds. We might explain that we did not give more Tzedakah because we did not have money, but Hashem will examine how we spent money and if it is found that we wasted money on trivial things, we will be faulted for not giving money to Tzedakah. If we are faulted for not learning, we may say that we did not have time. Then we will be held accountable for the time we wasted.

from a Shiur by Rabbi Zev Leff "The Omer and Consistency" on Aish

Our success on OA also depends on consistency. We have to weigh and measure our food every meal. We have to use the tools every day. This is the path to health.

Notes from Bilvavi Miskan Evneh-Rav Schwartz's 3:00 Shiur from the day of learning about preparing for Shavuos

Smiyat Haozen is an important way of preparing for Kabalas HaTorah. We are aquiring the same Torah that was given to us on Har Sinai. We are trying to "reaquire" it. Every generation, every gilgul has to go through the process of kinyan. We have to say "Naaseh V'Nishmah" We have to accept to do the Ratzon (will of Hashem) and to become a Kli (vessel) to listen to Hashem's will. Our Avodah is to return to that point after "Naaseh V'Nishmah". The voice that the Yidden heard at Har Sinai was not just then, it continues for all generations, it goes from one end of the world to the next. When you listen to that Kol (voice) your life will be completely different.

When Hashem spoke to Shmuel Hanavi, he did not realize at first that it was Hashem speaking to him. Hashem is always talking to us we just don't always hear it. We often think that it is other people speaking. Kabalas HaTorah means listening to the voice of Hashem. First they heard Hashem directly, then they heard Hashem through Moshe. When we listen to the Torah we are hearing Hashem's voice. Sometimes we hear it directly, and sometimes through the Rabbis. When you do Hashem's will you are listening to Hashem's voice.

Everything in creation reveals Hashem's existence. When you are aware that everything is from Hashem, then you will come to see Hashem's voice even in physical creations, even inanamate objects.

Hashem gave us the Koach Hadibur which has the ability to create good or to destroy.

If you have an orchestra and everyone is playing a different tune it will sound horrible, but when they are playing together it sounds beautiful. The whole world is like an orchestra playing the same song- the Dvar Hashem.

When you want to connect to another person, you need to feel that the person is open to hearing what you have to say. If you are not open to them you can not be a kli for them. Not everything is communicated with words. A baby is able to comunicate a lot without words. If you love a person you are able to connect without words, just like a child's voice is pecious to us even if we don't like everything they say. The Baal Shem Tov says that Hashem feels the same way about us.

If you listen to Hashem's voice, you will be able to hear the good in the bad.

You have to acustom yourself to listen to the voice of Hashem, to hear that everything around us is from Hashem.

We are only isolated becuase we isolate ourselves by refusing to hear the voice of others.

Mamad Har Sinai was a time of complete Achdus and everyone said the same thing at the same time. Our voice comes from our pure neshamah. We said "Naaseh V'Nishmah" at the same time because we were connected. We have to stay connected to all of klal Yisrael. We often shut people out when we don't want to hear them. We have to remember to love the voice of other Yidden.

These are my notes, if something is wrong it is my fault.

What does it mean to accept the Yolk of Torah?

A person who gets married knows that he is accepting additional responsibility but accepts it so that he will have the additional benefits of marriage. When a person accepts the Yolk of Torah he is accepting the additional responsibilities, and gaining added benefits. Just like a married person has to work together with their spouse, taking them into account in all of their plans, we are married to the Torah and we have to take the Torah into account in all of our plans.

Just as a married person does not perceive his new state as a lessening of his life, we must see the benefits to us from accepting the Yolk of Torah. When a person throws off the Yolk of Torah, Hashem gives them a different Yolk, We should rejoice in our relationship with Hashem.
from a Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman about preparing for Shavuos

When we voluntarily accept the rules of OA (L'havdil) we are accepting the added responsibility, but we are getting so many benefits. Giving up excess food, and regaining our health is a worthwhile trade.

Our Table can be a source of Bracha.

If a person does not say Divrei Torah at his table it is as if he has no connection to Kedushah. When he does say Divrei Torah at the table, Hashem takes that table and makes it part of Himself and 2 Malachim proclaim brachos on the table. They say that this table should always have bracha and it should always be there. This person should have strength and power and ability when he needs it.

This small little action that takes a few minutes a day can make a major difference in a person's life. We all run looking for segulahs and brachas, but we often overlook this tremendous source of bracha.
from the Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman about preparing for Shavuos, he is quoting the Yosod HaShoresh HaAvodah, Shaar HaBrichoros, which is quoting from the Zohar, Parsha Terumah.

Preparing for Kabalas HaTorah -Notes from a Shiur by the author of Bilvavi Miskan Evneh

One of the ways of preparing for Kabalas HaTorah is learning from every person. You may ask, "what does this have to do with the Torah?" Don't we learn that we have to acquire a Rav. The answer is that we do have to have a Rav, but we also have to learn from everyone.

How do we learn from every person- by being humble. At the time of Kabas Torah the Jewish people we like one person with one heart. To receive the Torah we have to work to be on that level.

Just like a Sefer Torah is not kosher if it is missing a single letter, the Jewish people are not complete if we are missing a single neshamah. When we are humble we are able to give to each other and to receive from each other. Many of our Tefilah are in the plural because that is how we receive brachah.

Moshe Rabenu was able to receive the Torah because he was on the level of feeling connected to every Jew.

The achdus of Klal Yisrael is the essence of receiving the Torah. Hashem chose us as a whole, he did not chose individual. That is why we say, "Atah Bacharbanu". We thank Hashem for choosing us, not for choosing me.

If a person holds himself as a yachid( an individual) he will not be worthy of receiving the Torah. That is why "V'ahavtah L'rayicha kimocha" is a Klal gadol b'Torah.

Two things bond us together, Ahavah and Emunah (Love and Faith). A parent will always love a child even if the child misbehaves, but the same parent may not have faith that the child will always behave properly.

Hashem always loves us and he always has faith in us. The difference is that Hashem created us and he knows that we have an inner essence that is pure because Hashem created us pure. We have to have Emunah in Hashem's creation that all of Klal Yisrael have an inner and pure neshamah.

How could Hashem give us the Torah if he knew that we would sin? The answer is that the Torah was given to us as a people, it was not given to individuals. If that is the case how can we have Emunah in individuals when we know that they may sin. The answer is that we have to be able to judge everyone favorably. We have to know that there essence is pure even if there outside is not.

Hashem gave us perfection and purity as a gift on Shavuos. We took this gift and defiled it. If that is the case why are we celebrating what happened on Shavuos? We don't make a holiday on the day that the Bais Hamikdash was completed because it was destroyed after that. The answer if that the Torah remained on the same level. Even though the Luchos were destroyed the Torah remains the same. The connection that Hashem created on Shavuos remains there and every person has the ability to connect to it. Klal Yisrael has the ability to be perfect. The way that Hashem created us and choose us means that this potential exists in us today.

Because Hashem has Emunah in us we have to have Emunah in this inner potential. Even though we fell we still have the potential.

We have to know that there are times of aliyah and yeridah in our lives but we have to grow. Hashem believes in us, and we believe in Hashem. This connection is Matan Torah.
Hashem does not give up on anyone.

If you want to be close to Matan Torah you have to make achdus the basis of your life. We fell from the level of the first Matan Torah, but we have to prepare to get back there. It seem so far, but we can do it.

If a person was in the hospital for a serious illness and he also had a minor problem and his family was busy running around looking for a doctor to cure the minor illness and forgets the life threatening problem, we would call them fools. Yet this is what we are like. We focus on particulars but don't work on our achdus. What distances us from the Torah is our lack of achdus. We have the Torah as an eternal gift. We were given this gift because of our achdus, we have to work on getting it back. We must have ahavah and emunah in all of Klal Yisrael, no one can separate from it.

To achieve this goal we have to make ourselves worthy of receiving the Torah by changing ourselves entirely. Everything that Hashem said is fact and the basis of our life. We can do it. Just like a ger changes form a Goy to a Yid in one day, we can change ourselves completely. We do not have to change small details we have to change our entire being.

These are my notes from the first Shiur with the author of Bilvavi Miskan Evneh at 12:00 on May 9, 2010. If there are any mistakes it is my fault not the Rav's.

We live in a world of Illusions.

We live in a world of Illusions, we think that we are free, but we are not. The only person who is free is the person who is involved in learning Torah. We are so controlled by our desires that we miss the true meaning of life.

Making the most of yourself.

What does the soul of a gadol look like? Exactly like ours, the only difference is that they worked on themselves. When we look at a gadol we are looking at a mirror of what we could be like if we would work on ourselves.


from a Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman, "Reaching New Heights, Powerful Perspectives on Shavuos"


from the Chofetz Chayim Heritage Society

Overcoming temptation as a preparation for Shavuos

Hashem responds to us like a mirror.  When we expose the Elokus within ourselves Hashem comes towards us.  The time of the Sifiros Haomer leading up to Shavuos is a time when we are able to reveal this holiness within ourselves.  Shavuos is a time when we can see and hear Hashem's revelation.  How do we bring out the Elokus within ourselves? Every time we have a temptation and we overcome the temptation and we break our physical nature we are taking the Elokus that is within us and bringing it to the forefront. The more that we do this the more that we are developing our own holiness.
This day, Shavuos, is the purpose of creation.  A person has to imagine the power and awe of Kabolos HaTorah to understand what our neshamas are living through. We have to use this opportunity for growth.
The only one who is truly free is the person who is occupied in learning Torah.  We have to make ourselves free from all temptations and devoted to the Torah. Sometimes the temptations of the world are so overwhelming that we think that we are in a jail, but it is not true, we do have the ability to break free of our Taivahs (desires). 

Torah  is so sweet that if we were to taste the true taste of Torah we would give up all of the temptations of this world to do nothing but learn Torah. The real neshamah of the peson is the same in a gadol as in a simple person, the only difference is that the gadol worked on himself to bring it out.  On Shavuos we have the opportunity to grow and bring our holiness out.  We have to daven that Hashem should allow us to feel the tree sweetness of Torah so that we can desire nothing but Torah

from a Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman, "Reaching New Heights, Powerful Perspectives on Shavuos"


from the Chofetz Chayim Heritage Society

Preparing for Shavuos.

Every time that we have a Taivah(desire) for something physical and we deny it, we are elevating the spiritual side of ourselves and making ourselves a more spiritual person.
from a Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman, "Reaching new Heights, Powerful Perspectives on Shavous"

If we don't prepare for Shavuos we are wasting a tremendous opportunity.

Once there was a poor man who lived across the street from a very rich man.  Every day he would look longingly at the rich man's house wishing that he could experience what it is like to live like that.  One day the rich man saw him looking at him and asked him what he wants, he said that he would like to experience what its like to live like that  for just one day.  The rich man is a sport so he tells him that in three months he is going away and he has some meetings with people who do not even know him.  The rich man offers him the opportunity to fill in for him for the day and experience the life of a rich man.  Three months go by and the poor man shows up just as the rich man is pulling away. His clothes are torn and his hair is long and straggling.  The rich man says,"I thought you forgot, why didn't you get your hair cut and dress nicely"  The poor man says, "I didn't realize that I had to prepare".  The rich man drives away, and the poor man is whisked inside to try to find something that will fit him and go to a meeting.  The poor man has no idea how to behave in rich society.  He does not know how to use a menu at a restaurant, how to answer a simple question, how to give a speech.  He makes a total fool of himself.  When the rich man comes home he asks him how it was.  The poor man says that it was worse then being poor, all day long nothing but humiliation and laughter. 

If only the poor man would have prepared a little, he would have enjoyed the day.  If he would have dressed nicely and learned how to behave he could have been treated with  the honor that he so deeply wanted.
This is a mashal of us before Shavuos. If we don't prepare for Shavuos we are wasting a tremendous opportunity.  The days of Sefias HaOmer are an opportunity for growth
from a Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman, "Reaching New Heights, Powerful Perspectives on Shavuos"
from the Chofetz Chayim Heritage Society

I can't recomend this enough!

I wanted to let everyone know that IY"H, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, Rav Itamar Shwartz, will be in town before Shavuos.

Similar to last year, he will be holding a seminar of three shiurim in one day on Sunday May 9th at Rabbi Mayer Fund's Shul, Sheves Achim in Flatbush, Brooklyn (1517 Ave. H, off corner of East 16th [across from Q Train]). The shiurim will be at 12, 3, & 6 PM. All proceeds are going to publish more seforim by Rav Shwartz. The suggested donation for the seminar is $200. call 516-668-6397 to register.

The Rav's trip is right before Shavuos so the theme, generally, that he will be speaking on relates to how to prepare oneself for Kabalas HaTorah. The Rav will be in North American from Sunday May 9th (the day of the seminar) till Motzoi Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar, May 15th.

Also, there are still one or two slots available that you can have the Rav speak to your community/Shul. Please call 516-668-6397 for more information on that.

Gratitude for the Torah

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato says that the history of the Jewish People can be divided into 4 periods:

pregnacy- the time in Mitzrayim when we lived in darkness, we could not see Hashem

birth- coming out of Mizrayim- the Jews were ejected out as if out of a womb

adolecense- the time in the dessert- a time when we learn to appreciate Hashem, adolescnce is the time when Hakaros hatov is very hard for us.

adulthood- began at Har Sinai-when we could begin to transition from learning to appreciate Hashem, to acting maturely and doing Hashem's will

Our job durring Sefiras Haomer is to work on our appreciation and gratitude towards Hashem so that we will be ready for Shavuos, to recieve Hashem's Torah with appreciation for its true worth.

From a Shiur by Rabbi Keleman

The essence of a Jew is to live above his nature.

The Sefas Emes says that time when a Jew really starts to live is when he begins to break his nature. A Jew has to control his desires not to eat non-kosher food, not to turn on a light on Shabbos, even if he really wants the light, and many more things. Although we live in a world of nature, our job in this world is to learn to break our nature.

The best way to learn to change a middah that we are struggling with is to find a person who has changed himself and was successful in changing that Middah and to observe and follow him.

The Vilna Gaon says that the biggest pain of Gehenom is when they show us what we could have been instead of what we are. We have to break our natural inclinations and become more then we thought we could be.

from a Shiur by Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman about preparing for Shavuos

Controlling my compulsive overeating is something that is totally beyond nature, I am only able to do it with Hashem's help. I turn to my sponsor who has already successful in this area for guidance and she helps me to overcome my natural tendency to compulsively overeat.

Sacrificing For Hashem – Shavuos

As we move towards Shavuos, we must set a list of goals and objectives. We need to sacrifice for Hashem. Sacrificing for Hashem in our times, means giving up something (whether it be a negative behavior etc.) which has become second nature to us; something which we have become accustomed to and almost cannot live without. You cannot quantify the meaning of this in an isolated or individual act of Mesiras Nefesh, since what constitutes an act of Mesiras Nefesh for one person, might not be a big deal (sacrifice) or achievement for another .

We all know where we need to make corrections, let’s do it!


April 8, 2010 by ylevi
from:
http://ohrshimshon.com/