Preparing for Shushan Purim

Sometimes we prepare ourselves for a difficult nisayon and we withstand the test only to fall right after the test. Someone passed this piece of advice on to me and I wanted to share it.

She was prepared for staying away from junk food on Purim. She knew that eating the wrong thing would send her on a spiral of indulgence that she did not want to go on. But she was not prepared for Shusham Purim. Somehow she lost her guard, and she lost her abstinence.

The Yetzer Hara is there at all times. We can never relax our guard.

Purim is the great equalizer.

From a Shiur by Shira Smiles on Naaleh

Purim: Pride and Prayer
Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles
Class: Jewish Calendar II (Chanukah and Purim)


Purim is a great equalizer, the rich send to the poor, and the poor send to the rich, and we don't make distinctions. We are all children of Hashem. That is also the idea of Matyonos L'Evyonim (giving to the poor) on Purim we give to everyone who puts out their hand. We work on seeing every Jew as our brother and equal and deserving of help.

Hashem will send help from somewhere else.

This week I had the words of the Megilah thrown back at me, and it is haunting me. As part of a professional committee helping someone we made a decision to draw an appropriate boundary to help the person.

The person turned around and quoted Mordechai saying, "If you don't want to help, Hashem will send help from somewhere else".

How often do we do this in life? Refuse to see that the help is coming from the appropriate place and the answer is, "No".

It is so hard to accept change.

Understanding Hashem's Ways

While listening to the Megilah tonight I remembered something that I once heard Rebetzin Heller say. Sometimes when we are enduring a very difficult Nisayon we expect to see a solution to our problem right away. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Esther was in the palace for many years until she realized why she had been sent there.

Hashem has his reasons but they are not always clear.

Don't Take Plesure from the Seudah of Secular Life

Purim, Assimilation, and Holocaust
by Rabbi Noson Weisz
from Aish.com

Achasveiros tried to unite the world around the idea that if we all work hard and work together we will all be successful, and we will get more and more things. He failed to maintain a rule based on this idea but today's world is based on this same idea. Jews believe the opposite. We believe that the goal of life is not to attain more, it is to do Mitzvot and come closer to Hashem. This is our purpose and the reason that we are in this world. As long as Jews follow the way of Hashem and serve as a positive role model to the world we do not face destruction. When we do not "do our job" and serve as a role model, Hashem brings destruction to the Jewish People. We have to remember not to "Enjoy the Seudah (life)" but to enjoy our relationship with Hashem.

We have to remember that as soon as we did Tesuvah everything turned around in a minute. This is an important lesson of Purim- the importance of Teshuva

My Purim Grateful List

From Rabbi Lazer Brody-

Rabbi Shalom Arush, may Hashem bless him always, says that if you haven't seen miracles today, it's because you haven't said "Thank You" to Hashem.

Since Purim is a time for miracles and gratitude I wanted to share this:

Thank you Hashem for bringing me to a point where I was so sick that I felt that I had no choice but join OA.

Thank you Hashem for helping me to find an amazing sponsor and stay Abstinent since day one (kineinehora),

Thank you Hashem for helping me to lose over 45 pounds.

Thank you Hashem for Helping me to see what a difference this has made to my health, by having the doctor tell me that the difference is as dramatic on the inside as on the outside.

Thank you Hashem for helping me by elevating my learning through writting for this Blog.

Thank you Hashem for bringing me readers from around the world so that I feel that there is Torah learning and chizuk happening because of this Blog and that encourages me to learn more.

Thank you Hashem for making me a compulsive over eater so that I found OA.

Thank you Hashem for snowing me in so that I was able to focus and learn more today to prepare for Purim.

Blind Faith on Purim

Purim Perspectives on Simcha # BY 554 A
by Berkovits, Rabbi Yitzchak


The mitzvah of Purim is to suspend our logic and to realize that everything that happens is from Hashem and to know that therefore it is good. The reason that Purim is named for the lots that Haman drew is because we are celebrating that what appears to be trouble is not. We have to be happy that Hashem knows what he is doing, because we do not. We have to understand that even though we do not know what is going to happen we know that it is for the good.

We are celebrating blind faith, but it is not really blind, because we have Purim to back it up. This is why there is a mitzvah to drink until we don't know, we want to remember that we don't ever really know, only Hashem knows.

To prepare for Purim we should make our own Megilah. Look back at our lives and realize that the seemingly bad things in our lives where there for a reason, and they all come together to bring us to where we need to be.

Why is Purim greater then Yom Kippur?

From the Shiur "Purim- Happiness in Action" by Rabbi Kirzner ztl

Purim is a time of great salvation and revelation that creates tremendous Kiddush Hashem, This Kiddush Hashem causes us to appreciate Hashem. The more that we appreciate Hashem's greatness the more that we want to do for Hashem. The more that we do for Hashem the more that we love Hashem. This cycle of giving and loving Hashem is what makes Purim greater then Yom Kippur.

The true Simcha of Purim

From the Shiur- Purim- Happiness in Action by Rabbi Kirzner ztl

What is unique about the Purim story that made Bnei Yisrael accept Hashem out of Love instead of fear, which makes Purim a holiday of Kabolos Hatorah even greater them?

What does it mean that Hashem takes revenge? If someone took something away, you are take something away in return. Since no one can take something away from Hashem, how can Hashem take revenge. When people hurt Benei Yisrael it takes away from Hashem's perception in our eyes. When Hashem punishes people who hurt us, Hashem is reinstating our clarity of Hashem's greatness. Revenge is really only for the human being. Hashem does not need revenge, we do.

The Purim story was unique in that it showed Benei Yisrael Hashem's revenge which reestablished our view of Hashem's greatness. The Simcha comes from the element of Kiddush Hashem. That glory of Hashem's name wells up in a Jew and causes tremendous Simcha.

Keeping Purim Special

From the Following Shiur on Naaleh:
Teaching Our Children the Meaning of Purim

Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller Class: Bringing Torah to Life: Deepening our Children's Jewish Experience
Added: February 20, 2010


If something bad happens on Purim, remember that it is Purim. Getting upset is not going to "unhappen" it, it is just going to ruin your Purim. All that getting upset will do is cause you to forget the greatness of the day. Your only choice is who you are going to be when you deal with it.

Hashem Loves Me- A Mini Purim Miracle

As anyone in a 12 step program can tell you, the first time that you qualify (run the meeting and speak)  is not easy.  I had made up my mind that I was not going to worry about my first time qualifying.  I davened a lot that Hashem should help me do a good job.  I was not afraid of Public Speaking, I'm good at it.  I hate reading out loud to other people.  When you run a meeting there is a lot of reading out loud, and I was resigned to making mistakes and getting through it.   Hashem loves me so much that he decided to make it easy for me and the format (the stuff you have to read) was locked up and the person who had the combination to the lock did not come and did not give it to anyone else.  I didn't have to read!!!!! Yeah!!!

Why do we dress up on Purim?

One of the deeper reasons for this custom is that the entire miracle of Purim was clothed in natural happenings. The events of the Purim story happened over a period of years and are seemingly unconnected. There isn’t even an explicit mention of G-d’s name in the Megillah. In fact the very name of the Megillah — “Esther” —

hints to the hidden nature of the miracle. When the

Talmud asks “Where do we see a hint to Esther in

the Torah?” it answers with a verse from

Deuteronomy (31:18) “v’Anochi haster Astir Panai”
(“and I will surely hide My Face”). The word

“Esther” means “hidden”.

Within the Megillah there are a number of

“dressings up”. Vashti remains attached to her

attire despite the demands of Achashverosh. Esther

doesn’t reveal her people — no one knew where

she was from nor realized she was Jewish. People

who saw her thought she was from their (foreign)

nation. Mordechai wore sackcloth in mourning for

his people and was later dressed in the clothes of

the king.

This was taken from the following:

With Purim right around the corner, stop what you are doing and quickly download this amazing, all new Purim Handbook from Ohr Somayach. It’s free, and now available in B/W and color!

To download it click here: www.ohr.edu/purimbook/

Best wishes for a Happy Purim!…

Tefilah is the Soul of Purim

From a Shiur by Shira Smiles on Naaleh

Purim: Pride and Prayer
Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles       Class: Jewish Calendar II (Chanukah and Purim)
 

The essence of Amalek is Geivah (haughtiness), the essence of Esther is humility.  The best way to fight Amalek is to know that you are nothing, and Hashem is everything.  This is why we say that Mordechai was the Moshe Rabenu of his generation, Moshe was exceedingly humble, and Mordechai was also very humble.  Purim is a time of Kabalas HaTorah, and Torah can only be given to humble people.  The end of a person who is truly humble is to be elevated by the King.  This is why Mordechai was put on a horse and Haman proclaimed, "this is what happens to the one that the King wants to honor".

The essence of Purim is Tefilah. You have to have the external part of Purim, the Seudah, the Mishloach Monot and Matyonot L'Evyonim, this is the body of Purim , but every body needs a soul, and Tefilah and learning is the soul of Purim. The greatness of Purim is the greatness of our Dvekus to Hashem. Tanis Esther and Purim are times of Yemei Ratzon when we can gain closeness to Hashem that we can not get on other days.  Amalek's job is to break this connection, and this is why we are trying to blot out Amalek, so that we can come closer to Hashem.  Amelek thrives on uncertainty, therefore we have to strenghen our Emunah, and we will be able to grow on Purim by wiping out the uncertainty of Amalek.  Purim is a time when we see Hashem revealed,  and this revelation strengthens our Emunah. On Purim the barriers between us and Hashem have been wiped away and we can daven for things that normally would not be granted and they will be given to us.  Hashem says to us,  just like in the Purim story, what would you like and it is yours.  Anyone who streches out his hand. it will be given.  We may not see the obvious results of our Tefilah, but we have to know that changes are happening for our good, and they will be revealed to us eventually.

Divine aboundance

From the book "Forest Fields" by Rabbi Shalom Arush

Prayer is the means whereby we bring Divine abundance from the upper spiritual world to our low material world.  The words of prayer are vessels of abundance.  Imagine that a person is a wheat field at the time of harvest: the owner of the field invites him to take home as much wheat as he can carry.  An unprepared person tries to stuff as man;y wheat grains as he can in his pockets, and carries whatever he can in his fists.  Maybe he'll walk away with a pound or two of wheat.  But if the same person comes prepared for a burlap sack, he'll be able to walk away with a fifty pounds of wheat.  Even more,so, if a person comes  to the field with a pack mule and four burlap sacks, he'll walk away with two hundred pounds of wheat.  In like manner, the more we pray, the more we create receptacles for Divine abundance.

Self-discipline saves limitless troubles .

From the book "Forest Fields" by Rabbi Shalom Arush

The Gemara says (tratate Berachot 7) that one measure of self-discipline is more effective then a hundred lashes. As such, the self-disciplined person saves himself limitless troubles in life.

Since I have started OA I have seen many areas of my life improve.

Saying Goodbye to my old friend -A Personal Note

We talk about the Mitzvah of Guarding our Lives/Health. We know that we can make a difference, but we don't realize just how big that difference can be. Last night I went to an ENT doctor for a routine check up. He told me that now that I have lost 45 pounds my reflux disease is completely gone. After doing an endoscopy he said, "the difference on the inside of your body is as dramatic as the difference on the outside of your body, your airways are open now, you can stop taking your medicine."

I felt the need to share this so that people will know that this is not about vanity.

Since I came back from the doctor I have been feeling very emotional. I have been thinking about it a lot and I came to the realization that now I feel a Chiyuv, obligation, to keep going, and that is scary. Up till now I felt like I was doing a voluntary thing, now I see that it is truly life and death.

Focus on redemption

From the Shiur on Naaleh:
Parshat Terumah: The Gift of Self
Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles
Class: Parsha for Our Lives 5770

Just like we learn about the Bais HaMikdash in Av and it helps us to connect to Hashem. The Parshas at this time of the year also talk about the Miskan and we can study them and use them as a tool to come closer to Hashem with Simcha, because this is a time when we focus on redemption, and we know that with the comming redemption we will have a new Bais Hamikdash.

Loving Hashem

Purim: Happiness in Action # KY 553 B
by Kirzner ztl, Rabbi Yitzchak


This Shiur from Aish HaTorah is a must listen to. I can't recommend it enough. I got so much out of it.

Rav Dessler, in Mictav Mi Eliyahu, teaches that the more that we do for a person, the more that we love the person. Even though we think it is the other way around, that we love someone who does things for us, this is not true. The more that we do for another person, the more that we break down the bounderies that cause a division between us. When we do for another person it creates a bound that solidifies our relationship.

This also hold true in our relationship with Hashem. The more that we do for Hashem (mitzvot and learning and chesed) the more that we come to love Hashem. Since we can not regulate our feelings, we can fulfil the mitzvah of Loving Hashem by doing actions that bring us to love Hashem.

Purim is a day of Tefilah

From a Shiur on Naaleh

Returning from the Depths

Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller
Class: Megillot I


Purim is a day of Tefilah. If you come to Hashem with your love of him, he will respond with his love for you.

Is it urgent or important?

From a Shiur on Naaleh

Returning from the Depths

Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller
Class: Megillot I

When we are making decisions about priorities we have to consider, is it urgent or important. An example of something that is urgent is frying an egg when we have to leave for work in 15 minutes. An example of something that is important is something that will still matter 5 years from now.

A new and wonderful world.

Rabbi Lazer Brody quotes Rebbe Nachman,

"Rebbe Nachman says that when a person knows that everything in this world is for the best, it is like being in the world to come in this world."

As a student of Rabbi Kirzner I heard him say several times,

"When a person become close to Hashem he is no longer in Golus."

In todays big book meeting we read, "Follow the dictates of a higher power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your current circumstances."  When I heard this I thought of the other 2 quotes.  Looks like Hashem is trying to tell me something.

Prisoner to desire.

From a Shiur on Naaleh

Relating to Torah Leaders

Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller


Rebbetzin Heller says that Rebbe Nachman says that anyone who is a prisoner to their desire for food is a liar. What does that mean? It means that if you are a baal teivah all that you can see is what you want, when you want it. That very much characterizes our lives. Anyone who can push on line, who can do any "normal" behavior that we often excuse, is not seeing the truth.

This is our goal, not to be a Baal Teivah. To see the truth, to admit to the truth, and to follow the truth.

The importance of Taking things back to their source.

The importance of Taking things back to their source-
From a Shiur by Rebbetzin Heller
Eternal Struggle: Mordechai and Haman

Pirkei Avos tells us that we should always say the source of our wisdom. But it goes further then that. It is important for us to always give credit to the source of all goodnes so that we will always appreciate Hashem. This is why Eshter told the King that Mordechai was the one who heard about the plot on his life, and this was one of the causes of the redemption.

It is important for us to connect our gratitude for the good in our lives to the source of that goodness.

Connecting to Hashem

From a Shiur by Rebbetzin Heller

Eternal Struggle: Mordechai and Haman

Esther was an orphan who desperately wanted a parent. In her seeking a parent, she found Hashem. Therefore she formed a deep connection to Hashem.

This is another exapmle of a negative experience being a springboard for growth.

One grain of intelligence can stand against the whole world and all its temptations.

Chizuk from Rebbe Nachman- Sichot Haran #51

One grain of intelligence can stand against the whole world and all its temptations. Where ever you are you can be close to Hashem. You can approach Hashem and serve him even in the lowest pit of hell.

It needs tremendous effort, or help from God, or both-in order to subdue the impurities in the mind until you want nothing in this world and everything is the same to you.

Somehow this Shabbos I found this very comforting. There are times when it is harder to resist temptation and it helps to remember that this is part of serving Hashem.

Learning from our experiences

From a Shiur On Naaleh

Parshat Mishpatim: Sense of Servitude

Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles

Mrs Smiles asks, why do we consider it so bad that the Eved Ivri chooses to remain a slave. She answers that the Eved Ivri should have used his experience of being a slave and apply that to serving Hashem, but instead he decides that it is better to live a life depending on his master for everything instead of depending on Hashem.

Whenever we have a difficult experience we should use it as a springboard for growth, instead of a way of looking to make our life easier.

Rosh Chosdesh Adar - Using Simcha to come closer to Hashem.

From a Shiur by Rabbi Elieze Miller about Rosh Chodesh Adar from Naaleh

Every person has a bit of Amalek inside of himself and on Purim this is destroyed.  Therefore Purim is a special time for Teshuva.  The Belzer Rebbe said that if a person did not succeed in doing proper Teshuva in Elul , he has a second chance on Purim.  On Yom Kippur we do Teshuva through fasting, and on Purim we do Teshuva through happiness, but the purpose is the same, coming closer to Hashem.

Rav Itamar Shwartz author of Bilvavi Miskan Evneh coming to NY area.

Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, will be arriving in the United States just before Shavuos this year for this years trip. His last three years' trips were in Elul, but this year he will be helping us prepare for Kabbalas Hatorah. The primary purpose of the trip is to give over information in the Rav's unique and simple style, that will help people understand how to work toward a closer relationship with Hashem. The other purpose of the trip is to raise funds to publish more seforim l'zikui harabim, which will also serve to further the first-mentioned primary purpose of the trip. And as he was last year, in 2008, and in 2007, he will be available for evening community drashos, daytime drashos in Yeshivos, and for a Shabbos in one community. He is also open to having another full day seminar, as he did last year on Labor Day.

Rav Shwartz will be available for engagements starting Sunday night, May 9th through Motzoi Shabbos May 15th. That means he is only available for 5 evenings and one Shabbos, Parshas Bamidbar, which is the Shabbos before Shavuos.

For more information please call
Benyomin Wolf
516-668-6397

Avoiding the “junk food of the world" - Rabbi Kirzner ztl

From a Shiur by Rabbi Yitzchak Kirzner ztl

http://www.rabbikirzner.org/system/scripts/modules/admin/pages/show_page.cgi?p=Videos

Luzzato tells us that man was created “l’hitaneg al Hashem” to find pleasure in hashem. We have to know that there is an ability to absorb pleasure. We have been created with a thirst and a longing for pleasure, that creates within us a feeling of lack unless we find this pleasure.

We have to find the kind of pleasure that Hashem created us for, a pleasure of Ruchnius(spirituality). We have to know that there is pleasure in Ruchnius. If we do Mitzvas routinely, without using them as a way of developing a relationship with Hashem we will not find this pleasure.

We must have Emunah that we personally can find pleasure in Ruchnius. We have to refine our tastes so that we do not look for our pleasure in the “junk food of the world".

I just got an outreach call from someone who had a lot of trouble not overeating on Shabbos, after I spoke to her I listened to this Shiur and thought about how much we need to focus on Spiritual and not physical pleasure on Shabbos.

Are we eating L'Kovod Shabbos or L'kovod our stomachs

From a Shiur by Shira Smiles on Parshat Yisro- Shalom of Shabbas

When you honor your wife it brings Shalom into your house, Shabbos is like our spouse so by honoring Shabbos we bring bracha into our house.

Sometimes it feels like we are not "honoring Shabbos" because we limit our food treats on Shabbos, but I have learned other ways of making Shabbos special without over eating. Saving special treats for Shabbos, a special fruit or vegetable, special flowers or reading material are also a treat for Shabbos. I often think of what my teacher once said, "are you doing this L'kovod Shabbos or L'Kovod your stomach".

Seeing Godliness Beneath a Face

From the Shiur-- Seeing Godliness Beneath a Face by Rebetzin Heller on Aish Audio

When you say something bad about another person that is true (aka Loshon Hara) the person that you are hurting is yourself because you loose your own Kedusha.

When you want to stop speaking loshon Hara your should look for the Kidushah in other people, to put this simply, getting above pettiness

Inner Wealth-Blivavi Miskan Evneh

From "Getting to Know Your Self" by "Bilvavi Miskan Evneh" p 164

Just as one's ability to give material wealth depends on his economic status, so does one's inner wealth increase his ability to give to others. The more aware his is of his inner self, the better equipped hi is to really help others. But if he is only busy with giving, without any real sense of self, he has nothing real to give. He might give money, food baskets and advice, but he is not really giving of himself, because he does not know himself. His "I" is hidden from him, and there is no way for his giving to come from his real self. One cannot give what he is not aware of.

As I struggle with prioritizing my needs and my growth, with the needs of others it is hard to know where to turn first. I find this advice priceless, it means that we are not doing the wrong thing to take care of our inner needs.