Keepin' up with the Kollel

Do you see that light bulb?

2011-04-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Vehi Sheamda

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵיֽנוּ וְלָנֽוּ. שֶׁלֹא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד, עָמַד עָלֵיֽנוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנֽוּ. אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר, עוֹמְדִים עָלֵיֽנוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנֽוּ. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם

Vehi She’amda, La’avotainu Velanu Shelo Echad Bilvad, Amad Aleinu Lechaloteinu Ela Sheb’chol Dor VaDor Omdim Aleinu Lechaloteinu V’HaKadosh Baruch Hu Matzilenu Miyadam.

And it is this [covenant] that has stood for our Forefathers and us. For not just one enemy has stood against us to wipe us out. But in every generation there have been those who have stood against us to wipe us out, and the Holy One Blessed Be He saves us from their hands.

To hear this passage sung:

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/847035/jewish/Vehi-Sheamda.htm

The values of the Torah are timeless and so every generation finds a new way of interpreting the Haggadah which has meaning in it for them.

One explanation is that the Torah is alluded to in the word Vehi as each Hebrew letter refers to a different part of our written and oral law:

Vav = numerical value 6, refers to the six tractates of Mishna.

Hei = numerical value of 5, stands for the five books of Moses.

Yud = numerical value 10, stands for the Ten Commandments.

Aleph = numerical value 1, stands for the one God.

This explanation implies that it is the Torah, and our connection with it, that has always given us strength, direction and hope.

Every Jew has an internal spark. Our enemies can try and extinguish this spark. They might enslave us as Pharoah did, they might try and annihilate us physically as Hitler did, they might try and take away our Jewish identity as Stalin did, but they can never take away our hope and the Jewish spark within us. By keeping the Jewish traditions and learning about who we are, we keep this flame alight.

By understanding that our soul is from the Divine, and that we have the strength to fulfill our mission of Tikun Olam, to make this world a better place, we can rise above the most challenging situations.

The soul is like a flame; even a small light can disperse a whole room of darkness. Just like a flame does not get extinguished when it lights another wick, we all have the ability to strengthen others, and inspire our surroundings. This does not diminish our light, but in fact strengthens us and the world around us.

A college student once asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe what is his job. The Rebbe gestured to the ceiling of his room and replied:

Do you see that light bulb? It is connected by wires to a power plant that powers the whole of Brooklyn. And that plant is connected to turbo-generators at Niagara Falls that power the whole of New York State and more.

Every one of us is a light bulb wired in to an infinitely powerful generator. But the room may still be dark, because the connection has yet to be made. Our job is to turn on the switch.

We are not alone, we have traditions, our moral convictions and our beliefs that we need to tap into. We need to take the inspiration and ethical principles outline for us by the Torah and use them to illuminate the world, to create a place that is better because we are here.

When we understand that the “Vehi” is within us, we will indeed have the power to overcome all odds, to be a source of inspiration when the world is dark, and to pass on this strength to future generations.

2011-04-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

First Passover Seder

Monday, April 18

Choose to celebrate Pesach as you would at home but without all the prep work and with an amazing extended family.

Join the Community Kollel for our warm community wide Seders. The Kollel's Passover Seders have become a local tradition and attract hundreds of people. Experience an inspiring evening full of insights, singing of Passover songs and of course, a full gourmet Passover Seder meal.

Four Seders:

Kollel Seder

Kollel

1965 West Broadway

8:30pm

Featuring:

* Plenty of great wine

* Four course meal catered by Maple Grill

* Follow along at the Seder with our special Haggadas that include a transliteration of the Seder and with step-by-step directions that spell out the practical and spiritual dimensions of each ritual and symbol.

Led by Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu.

Suggested donation: $36 Students: $18

Please RSVP to info@communitykollel.org

**Everyone is welcome!**

~~~

Family Passover Seder

Maple Grill

1967 West Broadway

7:30pm

Join the Community Kollel and JFSA for our co-sponsored warm community family/speed Seder.

Experience an inspiring and traditional Passover Seder that will be both educational and fast and of course, a full gourmet Passover Seder meal.

Kids program will start at 7:30 and will include:

* A kid- friendly meal and snacks

* A children's Seder and program with activities.

Led by Rabbi Yossi Goldberg, Youth Director at the Community Kollel.

Suggested donation: $25/child and $36/adult.

(This event will be geared towards families)

**This event is by registration ONLY.**

Please call Community Kollel - 604-738-7060 to register, or register by email, info@communitykollel.org

~~~

Seder in Hebrew

Generously hosted by Tamir and Saryta Ofri

8:00pm

Featuring:

* Plenty of great wine

* Four course meal catered by Maple Grill

* Feel at home with other Israelis

* Seder will be ran in Hebrew with wonderful Israeli traditional songs and customs

Suggested donation: Adults: $36 Students and Children: $18

Please email or call the office to RSVP and to receive more information and the address:

604-738-7060

info@communitykollel.org

~~~

Seder in Burnaby

Choose to celebrate Pesach as you would at home but without all the prep work and with an amazing extended family.

Featuring:

* Plenty of great wine

* Four course meal catered by Maple Grill

* Feel at home with other Israelis

* Seder will be ran in Hebrew with wonderful Israeli traditional songs and customs.

Suggested donation: Adults: $36 Students and Children: $18

Please email or call the office to RSVP and to receive more information and the address:

604-738-7060

info@communitykollel.org

Second Passover Seder

Tuesday, April 19

Schara Tzedeck

3476 Oak Street

(Entrance on Oak, close to 18th ave.)

8:30pm

Please join the Kollel and Schara Tzedeck for the second Seder this year at their beautiful new hall. Experience an inspiring evening full of insights, singing of Passover songs and of course, a full gourmet Passover Seder meal.

Featuring:

* Plenty of great wine

* Four course meal

Suggested donation: Adults: $36 Students and Children: $18

Please RSVP to info@communitykollel.org

**Everyone is welcome!**

KOLLEL!!!

2011-04-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

JOY??? Now?

2011-03-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

We are supposed to be happy on Purim. How can we be commanded to feel happy? There is tragedy all over the world – Japan, Israel, Many Middle East and North African countries. It seems as though every day we hear more and more horrible new – this can make one feel scared, worried, depressed, sad and angry. How are we supposed to just turn these emotions off and experience JOY?

The answer of the Torah is that joy is natural and inherent to every person. Joy is not something that we experience as a response to external triggers, but it is a part of us that we need to learn how to reveal. It is part of our essence, but sometimes it is repressed. Experiencing joy means to dig through everything that is suffocating our inner happiness. Just witness the natural happiness and cheerfulness of a young child. The bright joyous face of a child is something that every adult envies. A child begins to lose his natural cheer due to external causes. His inherent joy starts to erode when he begins to experience the disappointments and tragedies of life events, the despondent attitudes of parents, educators and other adults affecting the child.

We access the inner joy innate in each of us by accessing the cheer and enthusiasm of our inner child -- the part of us connected to God that precedes the sadness that life circumstances imposed and continues to impose upon us.

Purim is a day of joyous abandon that transcends conventional boundaries. We are told to celebrate “ad de lo yada” - which means to be joyous until you reach a place beyond the doors of perception, where we transcend dark and light, even the pains and disappointments of our lives. The story of Purim teaches us that despite how dark it gets, even when all hope seems to be lost, the joy of the inner child surfaces in an eruption of joy. It is a delight that transcends any pain you may be dealing with in life.

We cultivate the inner soul child by internalizing the feeling that God put you on Earth for a unique purpose, that we have an indispensable contribution to make, realizing that all else in life pales in comparison to the essential power of our soul.

Joy is contagious. Often when we can't access it on our own, a way of igniting it is by celebrating in dance and song with others. Behavioral change, acting joyous (even when you don't feel like it), coupled with the fact that deep inside (or not so deep) lies a reservoir of pure joy, is a way to actually become joyous.

So it is possible to be happy even while the whole world is experiencing pain???

It’s an interesting custom in Jewish tradition under the chuppah, the wedding canopy, to break the glass at the end of the ceremony. One of the reasons they do this is that it’s a reminder of the destruction of the Temple. So I always wondered, of all times to choose a reminder of the destruction of the Temple, it’s at the high point in two people’s lives, their wedding, the highest simcha, the highest joy? Couldn’t it have been done seemingly at the end of the wedding, or on another day? Why at that high point?

And the point is this. Those who know how to remember others’ pain at the height of their joy will also know how to remember to have joy at their height of pain. *

If you’re sensitive because you’re not so consumed with your own feelings, no matter how justified they are, but you leave that little opening, then one day, if G-d forbid you should be challenged where you’re faced with a trauma or some loss, it also won’t be all consuming. You’ll have that one percent opening of joy and happiness. And I think that’s the balance.

Life is about experiencing it all – we are never %100 happy or %100 sad. We need to learn to find the joy despite the pain, and to be sensitive to the pain despite the joy.

But – Purim is a time to try to uncover the joy, to experience as much happiness as possible!

Happy Purim!

____

* Interestingly, when the Jews came out of Egypt (the Egyptians had oppressed the Jewish people for many years, and they were enslaved by them, and after the Jews left Egypt, the Egyptians still didn’t give up but pursued the Jews), and the Egyptians were drowning in the parted sea and the Jews began singing praise to G-d, the Talmud says that G-d said to the Jewish people, “My children are drowning and you’re singing praise?”

Harrison Hot Springs!!!

2011-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Mission Possible:

2011-03-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

The computer age and the information revolution have given all of us enormous power and the ability to reach virtually anyone at any time. Yes, technology allows us to live more comfortably and work more efficiently, but can we understand how it makes our lives more meaningful?

On its own, science is neutral; it attempts to give us an objective view of our physical universe and its natural forces, but it does not draw a conclusion as to how we should use these forces. It does not deal with good and evil or with questions of morality.

Technology, as with all forces in our lives, can be used either constructively or destructively. Developments such as television, computers and lasers, discoveries in nuclear energy, medicine, and biology -- these are all instances of G-dly forces that are manifested in nature.

Story:

In the early 1950’s, a couple and their young daughter had a private audience with the Rebbe. After the wife and husband had asked for advice on various issues, the Rebbe turned to the six-year-old girl and asked if she had any questions. Her parents tried to hush her up as she began to speak, so as not to take the Rebbe's valuable time. But the Rebbe encouraged her to go ahead. The little girl, with a concerned look on her face, asked the Rebbe whether he thought that atomic energy was good or bad. “In your kitchen at home, there is a knife,” the Rebbe said. “Is the knife good or bad?” The little girl replied, “It depends what it is used for. If it is used to cut food, then it is good. If it is used to hurt someone, then it is bad.”

“That is a good and true answer,” the Rebbe told her, “and the same could be said for atomic energy or any other technology that man has developed.”

Regarding the advances in communications, the Rebbe would explain how people across the globe, normally divided by space and time, are suddenly unified, creating an opportunity for them to study together, pray together, and resolve to do one more good deed, thereby forming a universal wave of togetherness. “One might think, ‘What can I possibly accomplish sitting in this tiny corner on this huge planet of billions of people?’” the Rebbe said. “Today, we see how one person lighting a candle in his tiny corner can illuminate the entire world.”

So the current technological revolution is in fact the hand of G-d at work; it is meant to help us make G-d a reality in our lives. We can choose to acknowledge the “hand inside the glove,” understanding where the power truly comes from, and use these forces as tools to lead a more meaningful life. Or we can choose to be distracted by the glove, to see technology only as a means unto itself, using it for indulgent, selfish, perhaps even destructive purposes.

There is much to learn from the technological revolution, as long as we understand its role in our lives and see it as a step in our dramatic search for unity throughout the universe. After all, developments in science and technology have taught us to be more sensitive to the intangible and the sublime: the forces behind computers, telephones, television, and so on are all invisible, and yet we fully recognize their power and reach.

Our mission is to always seek to elevate that which is neutral.

Shabbat Shalom!

Parshat Pekudei

2011-03-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

If you’ve been following the parshiot weekly, you probably feel a sense of déjà vu when reading Parshat Pekudei. This week’s parsha speaks about the building of the mishkan (tabernacle), and the sewing of the service garments for the priests in the temple. It is the fifth parsha in a row on this subject. The entire story of the creation of the world is written in a single chapter of the Torah; the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, in three chapters; and eleven chapters are used to recount the story of the exodus from Egypt. In contrast, the Torah devotes thirteen chapters to the building of the mishkan!

There is a commonly known rule that the Torah is written in the shortest form possible and there is not even an extra letter in the Torah. Yet, when it comes to the mishkan, the Torah describes the process in detail; not once, but twice! The Torah recounts every detail when G-d commands Moshe to build the mishkan, and yet again when it is actually being built. There is also a very exact account of the materials brought and used in the construction.

· What does the mishkan represent?
· What is so incredibly important about the mishkan that the Torah feels a need to recount the process of the building in such detail?
· Why didn’t the Torah tell us that G-d commanded Moshe to build the mishkan, and that he did so? Do we really need to be told about it twice?

The mishkan was a dwelling place for G-d here on earth. Although G-d can really be wherever He wants, He decided that He wanted a set place where He can “live”. By taking a part in the building of the mishkan, the Jews were creating a home for G-d.

Imagine you are moving to new country. You need your house set up before you move, and cannot travel yet. You ask your friend or partner to set up the home for you. You probably have a lot of ideas about what you want the place to look like; the color of the walls, style of the furniture, the setup of each room. You have a picture in your head of what the finished product should look like and you relay your wishes to your friend.

Your friend goes ahead and finds the right house and starts setting it up to become your home. There are so many details to worry about! There are a couple ways s/he could work on the house. S/he could make sure to do an adequate job or try to get into your head with every single detail to try to make sure that this home feels like yours. Which takes more effort?

The building of the mishkan was not done in a way of “filling the requirements”. When the Jews worked on the mishkan, they did so with G-d in mind every single step of the way! They wanted to make sure it was done in a way that G-d would want, even in the smallest of details. That’s why all the various aspects of the construction were written about, in detail, twice-once as G-d telling Moses exactly what he wanted, and once as the Jews doing everything they could to make sure that Hashem’s will was being fulfilled even in the smallest details.

The mishkan is really a parable for our relationship with another; be it a friend, significant other, spouse, parent or child. Is it enough to say “I love my daughter, and that’s enough; I really don’t need to do anything for her.”? Of course not! The Torah tells us that feelings are not enough. The Torah is explaining to us that it’s the details that matter. It’s the little things that count and show how much we are aware of the other’s needs.

What can you do for the people that are most important in your life to make them feel cherished?

Shabbat Shalom!

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Shabbat times:

Friday

Candle lighting: 5:41pm

Carlebach Services: 7:30pm

Dinner: 8:00pm

Saturday

Services: 10:00am

Youth Program: 10:45am

Followed by a kiddush lunch

Havdalah: 6:48om

New Class

Living a Meaningful Life

Led by Karen Levitt

Mondays at 7:30pm; come to one, some, or all!

Ahavah: Love, or something like it.

2011-03-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

The Talmud relates many stories about a Rabbi named Hillel. Hillel was one of the leading rabbis in his generation, and many people respected him. Once, a man who wanted to “put the rabbi in his place” approached Hillel and said, “Teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.”

Hillel, not one to turn down a challenge, answered “What is hateful to you, don’t do unto others. The rest of the Torah is just commentary.”

The concept of treating others the way we want to be treated is written in the Torah as “V’Ahavta L’reacha Kamocha” which translates as “Love your fellow as you love yourself”. This is the mitzvah of Ahavat Yisrael-loving every Jew. We are commanded to love every Jew, even a stranger whom we have never met!

· What does it mean to love another as much as we love ourselves?

· How can we be commanded to love at all? Love is an emotion!

Let’s try to understand what Jewish love is and what being a Jew means and hopefully we will understand how love on this plane is possible.

Let’s start with love. There are many types of love, but they all fit into one of the following two categories, if not both: A love centered on the one who loves, or a love that centers on the one who is loved.

On a very simple level, we use love as a selfish word. I love cake. Why do I love cake? Because I like the way I feel when I eat cake. I enjoy the taste and texture of a good chocolate cake.

Taking it a step further; some people love to ski. There is nothing wrong with skiing, in fact it is good exercise, lots of fun, and will keep you healthy. But why do you love to ski? Is it because you love the sport objectively, or you love the way it makes you feel?

There is another way to love. There is a way to love something or someone for its value regardless of how it affects you.

When you argue with a sibling or a parent, do you no longer love him or her? No, because the love we share for family goes deeper than how they make me feel, we love them for whom THEY are. Even when upset with someone we truly love, we recognize that their good qualities are still there.

The secret of this selfless love lies in appreciating the goodness of the other being regardless of how he or she makes me feel.

The first love, the self-absorbed love is not a choice. I cannot choose how something makes me feel-it just happens that way. When the love is about me, it is more difficult to love someone with imperfections.

On the other hand, the second type of love, the love of recognizing the value of another being, is a love of choice. When thinking about a friend, I can choose which qualities to focus on; the good or the bad. When I appreciate another person for the good that is within them, I begin to feel a love for him or her. When I focus on another person’s weaknesses, it is much harder to feel positively toward him or her. By thinking positive thoughts about another person, I can change the way I feel about him or her.

Ahavah, love according to Judaism, is the latter love. Ahavah is a love that centers on the other. Ahavah is a result of focusing on the positive aspects of the other person. Ahavah is a love of choice; we can choose how we view and feel about other people.

It sounds nice and simple, but in reality it really isn’t. Selflessness is not natural. We are naturally inclined to look out for ourselves and make sure we feel good. That is why we need a commandment to love. We need to be told to look beyond ourselves and work on seeing others for who they are.

Armed with this knowledge, we can set out to love people we know by focusing on what makes them special. We can now understand how it is possible to control the emotion of love. But we are still left with our other question; how can be expected to love another as much as I love myself?

The Torah tells us that all Jews are one unit. Whatever it is that we are going through, we are in it together. Imagine you are working with your friend, building something, and he drops his hammer and it lands on your foot. What is you instinctive reaction? Do you blame him? Are you upset?

Let’s change the scenario a little. You are putting together a bookcase, when your hammer slips from your hand and lands on you shoe. Ouch! Do you get angry at your hand for dropping the hammer? Will you hit yourself in response? If the answer is yes, please seek help immediately.

The Talmud says that our unity is like the unity of the body; we are all part of one entity, even if we are different. When we view another as an extension of ourselves, as part of the same unit, it becomes silly to get angry at their shortcomings. We naturally look beyond our own mistakes and love ourselves despite our imperfections, and can learn how to include others in our sense of “self-love”.

In a way, Ahavat Yisrael is a selfish love, but we choose to include others in our selfishness. We expand our sense of self to include others, thereby creating a world in which mutual love and respect is obvious. It’s not the easiest goal to attain, but definitely makes our existence a more pleasant one.

L’chaim!

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Upcoming Events:

Creating a Foundation for Long-Term Happiness and Success

Sundays, 7:30pm at KDHS

Burger & Parsha

Mondays and Thursdays at noon-1:00 pm
UBC Campus

Kabbalah Rhythms: A Spiritual Roadmap to Higher Living

Wednesdays 7:30 pm-8:30 pm at Kollel

Parshat Vayakhel

2011-02-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

In this week’s Parsha, Parshat Vayakhel, the Jews are told to observe the Shabbat. The Torah tells us, “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall have sanctity, a day of complete rest to the Lord”. A couple questions arise when reading this passage.

If the uniqueness of Shabbat is that it is a day of rest, why does the Torah preface the commandment with “six days work may be done”? If Shabbat is special because we must rest, then isn’t it obvious that we are allowed to work during the other six days of the week?

Another question I’d like to propose is; what is this idea of Shabbat? Is it a paid vacation every week? Are Jews are really so lazy that we need an extra day to sleep every single week?

The answers lie in the very words of the parsha. Let’s reread what the Torah says: “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall have sanctity, a day of complete rest to the Lord”. During the six days of the week, we need to work. Whether it’s investing our talents into our job, our family lives, volunteer work, or hobbies; we must be working. Each of us was blessed with our own talents and the Torah says that we need to use these talents to make the world a better place. We have six days in the week to do that.

Have you ever been so invested in something that you never got to enjoy it? Have you ever planned a big party and gotten so caught up in the details, that by the time you could finally relax the party was over? Sometimes we get so stressed out with the work that we don’t have the time to appreciate the results.

For this we have Shabbat. Shabbat is not a day to forget about life and to sleep. Shabbat is a day of “oneg” of enjoyment, to experience the fruits or our labour.

The Torah tells us: “work during the week. Accomplish everything you can. But don’t forget about what is important. Don’t forget about why you work. Take some time to enjoy your success, and share it with those you love.”

If you spend your days working hard at a thankless job to support your family, then take a day every week to spend time with them. If you love your job but find it to be stressful at time, take some time to remember what it is all really about. That is the message of Shabbat-work hard all week, but don’t lose focus. Take one day out of your week to really appreciate why you work so hard.

Jews aren’t supposed to be lazy. We are supposed to work, but we are also supposed to remind ourselves what is really important in our lives.

Shabbat Shalom, and may this Shabbat bring you the inspiration you need to get you through the next week.

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Upcoming Events:

Miriam's Legacy

Creating a Foundation for Long-Term Happiness and Success

Shabbat Times:

Friday:

5:30pm Candle lighting

7:30pm Carlebach-style services

8:00pm Dinner

Saturday

10:00am Services

10:45am Youth Program

Followed by a kiddush Lunch

6:37pm Havdala

To Be or Not to Be? Happy, I Mean.

2011-02-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

Happiness comes from within.

You’ve heard that before. Yet when you stop everything you are doing and meditate on who you are and what you stand for, do you find happiness? If you deny yourself all the material pleasures of the world, will you be happy? I would hope not…

So what does it mean when they say that happiness comes from within? Before answering that, we must first understand the meaning of the word happiness. According to dictionary.com, happiness is “good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy”.

I look at that definition and see contradictions; if contentment is happiness, who needs good fortune? And really, when was the last time you experienced pleasure and said “Now I have everything I ever needed to be happy”?

What do I do when we don’t like the definition we find online? I make up my own definitions! Let’s start with redefining happiness and pleasure.

Pleasure: Pleasure is a very temporary feeling, it’s a feeling we get when we do something that we physically enjoy. Getting a massage is pleasurable. Eating chocolate gives us pleasure; Coffee-withdrawal, not so much.

Happiness: Happiness is a character trait. I can be happy when I have a headache. I can be unhappy when I’m eating ice cream (although I am experiencing pleasure). Some people are kind, some people are arrogant, some people are happy. Happiness is a description of one’s personality.

It is written about Adar: משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה “When Adar comes, joy increases”. If the Talmud is telling us that we must be happy, chances are that happiness is a quality that can be achieved. How do we achieve happiness?

Happiness is an attitude. Happiness comes from a lack of expectation. If you feel that you deserve a million dollars then you will not be happy with only $900,000 dollars. On the other hand, if you expect to make $60,000 a year, and you get a $1000 bonus, you are delighted. When you don’t expect a lot from life, you appreciate even the smallest of gifts.

Adar is a time to reflect on who you are. You are one of more than 6 billion people in the world! You represent an insignificant dot in the enormity of the world, yet Someone cared enough to give you everything you have. It’s amazing to think about.

When we stop feeling entitled to what we have, the smallest things can fill our hearts with joy. Waking up healthy in the morning, a sunny day, a best friend, a steady job; these are things that we can decide to be thankful for or to take for granted. It is up to you. Do you choose to be happy?

Upcoming events:

Creating a Foundation for Long-Term Happiness and Success Series

Kollel Business Dinner

Miriam's Legacy

How to do Business: The way of Abraham

2010-10-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

From Abraham we learn the act of generosity. He showed to humanity the concept of being generous and kind to people. One of the things we know about him is that he had his place open all the time and people used to come to him asking him for hospitality; they wanted a warm bed to sleep in, fresh water to drink and food to satiate their empty stomachs. And Abraham would never say no to anyone. But right at the end, before they would leave, he told them they had to either pay or give gratitude to God for everything bestowed upon them. Obviously most people decided to give gratitude to God. This was Abraham’s way of teaching and educating.

In the Torah, we see how genuinely he cared about people — even to the people of Sodom, who were known for wickedness. To these people, he even asked God to be merciful, hoping some righteousness could be found in them. This again reveals Abraham’s generosity.

The question is now, what does Abraham’s generosity have to do with our everyday life? The importance of truly caring about people. The first thing he did was shelter them, give them food, water, a bed to sleep and then after, asked them to do the blessing. Why that way? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? In today’s society, if you want to go to a nice hotel for example, easy. First swipe your credit card and a clerk will start smiling at you and say, “Welcome to our beautiful hotel. Now we’ll take care of you.”

Similarly, if we really wanted people to bless God, wouldn’t it be easier to simply make them do it while people are starving, in dire need of water and a bed? Desperation can come a long way in making people do things.

Abraham teaches us that this is the wrong way to proceed. We have to genuinely care about other individuals so that they can care about us. Abraham and Sarah really took interest in the people that were staying with them. They even personally cooked for them, brought them water, and made sure they had a warm bed to sleep.

Once you take care of a person’s physical needs, that’s when you really get them interested in what you have to say. They know you care about them and you’re simply not trying to make them buy something for your own sake — they know you are doing it for their sake. Showing this quality of true generosity, Abraham started a big following, changed the world and made people really listen to his idea of praying to one God. People understood Abraham was genuinely doing it for their own good. That is why we see the belief of one God spreading with him and not with any of the earlier predecessors.

The concept of generosity unfortunately, is not something commonly practiced in today’s business. We see companies spending millions of millions to make people feel unsatisfied and unhappy with their lives. To make them feel as if they are missing something in order to convince them to buy new goods or services. Marketing these days uses concepts to create this state of mind: “Hey! You shouldn’t be happy. You don’t have this and you don’t have that.”

Abraham teaches us that a true sense of care for individuals is more important. It is the key to success. By doing it, you will be able to deliver your point a lot more effectively and people will truly listen to you. They know that what you tell them comes from a place of true care and concern. And that is very important: to succeed in life and business show true care and compassion. When you genuinely do that, people will buy your idea and you might even change the world in the process.

Doing the Impossible Possible

2010-10-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

Written by: Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu and Eitan Olevsky

In the Torah portion of Lech Lecha, G-d took Abraham outside, and said to him, "Please look heavenward and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So will be your children."

This portion of the Torah is very symbolic. When G-d takes Abraham outside, what He is really doing is taking man out of himself. As humans, we tend to live in a world where we create our own box for ourselves— and what’s worse, we trap ourselves there, within the confines of society, culture, ideas and presuppositions. That is why we must go “outside”, to be able to think out of the limits of our own box.

G-d then tells Abraham to count the stars, something utterly impossible. Nevertheless, Abraham had the faith, and in doing so, started to count one by one all the stars he could see with his limited eyes. The story goes, that when G-d saw Abraham’s attempt, He promised him that all his children and the generations to follow would be like the stars. Yet, if we analyze how many Jewish people there are around the world, we'll notice there are only a few of us. So what happened? Comparing the coming generations with the stars, was apparently not meant to be understood quantitatively, but more so qualitatively. That is to say, if we believe the impossible to be possible, we can excel in whatever we propose ourselves to do.

So this simple sentence in the Lech Lecha summarizes the secret of our nation: not only are we capable of getting out of the box, but in doing so and with faith, we can also achieve the impossible. That is why Abraham did not doubt when he was told to count the stars. In fact, Abraham embodies the idea of surpassing nature— going beyond it. And that is part of the essence of the Jewish people; being capable of doing the impossible for we don’t feel restrained by the laws of nature. Reason why we have survived in a world where in theory, we shouldn’t have.

This amazing video serves as an example of the impossible taking place. Survival at its best.

Carpe Morning

2010-08-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

Beginnings are special.

When was the last time you put on a party hat, blew a noisemaker and raised a glass to usher in January 6th?

Has any kid ever wanted to put off the excitement of Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations until 5 months after the big day?

Just landed the job of a lifetime? Would you wait to get a new suit and fresh haircut for your 3rd day at work?

Probably not. Why? Because there is something significant about marking the start of something new. It’s an opportunity to take stock of the past and make plans for something better in the future.

Each morning brings us the opportunity to check in, reflect and reboot. In those first few quiet moments, as we move from dreamland into the light of a new day, we should be mindful of the gift we receive every 24 hours. For thousands of years Jewish tradition has held that we start each day with:

Modeh ani lifanecha melech chai v'kayam shehechezarta bi nishmahti b'chemlah, rabah emunatecha.

I offer thanks before you, living and eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great.

For the last decade or so, however, society at large has presented us with a very different morning ritual: beeps, rings, tweets, texts, pokes and on and on and on. Technology has given us a plethora of amazing freedoms, but it also has the potential to take from us, as well.

In this week’s parsha Moses directs B’nei Israel to, among other things, separate a portion of the first fruit harvested in the Land of Israel and bring it to the Kohanim in the Temple. Why not the second 1/3 or the last 1/4? Because the first of anything–the day, year, the harvest– has a special and auspicious quality, and should be used for a higher purpose.

Every morning you have the chance to use the first portion of your day for a higher purpose. Sure, someone out there has sent you a Facebook friend request, and tweets and texts have piled up overnight, but you don’t have to let these rob you of the beauty of a few minutes of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional quiet to start your day.

Make the most of your morning,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Upcoming featured events (click for more info):

Rosh Hashanah Dinner
Rosh Hashanah Service
Tashlich
Meal Before the Fast
Yom Kippur Service

I AM OUTTA HERE!!!

2010-08-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

We’ve all been there.

You’re just trying to do your job, but SOMEONE–boss, coworkers, customers (take your pick!)–just will NOT. LAY. OFF. Despite your best attempts SOMEONE just keeps pushing and this time it’s just one push too far.

Freeze.

It’s what happens next that really counts. Do you

a) ignore it
b) take it in stride and laugh it off
c) go to your superior
d) flip out, swear over the intercom, grab a couple of beers and exit via emergency slide?

In the heat of the moment, flight attendant Steven Slater decided to go with what was probably the most dramatic and extreme response possible.

Judging by his meteoric rise to pop culture fame, it’s pretty clear that most people have been in similar situations and felt similar rage on the job. The fact that Slater is being dubbed “The Working Man’s Hero” attests to the degree to which his episode of workplace frustration struck a chord with just about everyone.

The problem is this: There is nothing heroic about losing it and striking out at those around you. They say that discretion is the better part of valour. King Solomon put it this way:

"It is a wise man's good sense to be slow to anger, and his glory to pass over a transgression." Proverbs (19:11)

Let’s look at another translation, shall we?

“A person of great understanding is patient, but a short temper is the height of stupidity.”

Kinda puts it all in perspective, doesn’t it?

The Rambam brings forth the wisdom of the early Sages when he points out that “Whoever angers is as if he has performed idolatry.” Pretty harsh words. But the truth often is. Think about what he’s saying here: Angry people no longer have control over themselves. They are slaves to the emotion.

So, even though we can empathize with Steven Slater, let’s not glorify his spectacular behaviour. Into every life a little rain must fall. Unfortunately, sometimes it comes down in buckets. And when it does, take a moment and think before you act.

Let a cooler head prevail,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Upcoming featured events (click for more info):

Rosh Hashanah Dinner
Rosh Hashanah Service
Tashlich
Meal Before the Fast
Yom Kippur Service

What Would Naomi Campbell Do?

2010-08-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Charles Taylor, former President of Liberia, has been on trial for war crimes in the Hague for the last couple of years and, by and large, the general public has shown little interest. Until now.

(Enter supermodel.)

Naomi Campbell has, for some time, refused to become involved with the trial. Frankly, not that surprising. Would you be excited to testify in open court against a man accused of slaughtering thousands? Probably not. Well, Naomi's luck finally ran out and she was forced to take the stand last week. She maintains that in 1997, mysterious visitors knocked on her door and gave her a bag of dirty looking stones from an equally mysterious benefactor. Others claim that she knew the sender was a despotic warlord and that the stones were precious gems mined using slave labour.

So, here’s the deal: From a Jewish perspective, can such a gift possibly be kosher?

The Talmud makes it clear that the recipient of a gift or charity has the responsibility to make sure that what he is accepting is on the up and up. It’s not enough to just turn a blind eye and assume that the blame rests with the person who committed the original crime. And even if we are only suspicious about the source, we must err on the side of caution. Similarly, secular law dictates that it is illegal to receive property or benefit from a crime.

Parshas Shoftim talks about the responsibility of B’nei Israel to set up a system of judges, magistrates, and officers to maintain law and order:

"You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your cities that the Lord, your God, is giving you, for your tribes, and they shall judge the people [with] righteous judgment."

The parsha speaks of judges both in the plural and in the singular: The plural refers to the many judges needed to keep society running smoothly and the singular refers to each individual as a personal judge of his own conduct. We are all required to judge the rightness and wrongness of situations and guard against bad influences entering our neshama. It is as though we are the city and we must set up guards to protect ourselves from any negative elements trying to invade us.

Simply doing the right thing for yourself is not good enough. Hashem requires you to stay away from even the whiff of impropriety. Ms. Campbell learned the very hard and very public way that being associated with anything immoral is just asking for trouble. Keeping away from negative influences in your life brings you one step closer to the path of righteous behaviour that Hashem laid out for the Jewish people so many years ago. It was a good idea then and clearly (just ask Naomi), it still is.

Keep your hands clean and your conscience clear,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Upcoming featured events (click for more info):

Rosh Hashanah Dinner
Rosh Hashanah Service
Tashlich
Meal Before the Fast
Yom Kippur Service

Someone Has to Be the Grownup

2010-08-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 2, 2010: Lindsay Lohan is released from prison and reenters rehab.

The tale of Lindsay Lohan is extremely sad, with a dose of pathetic sprinkled on top. She was a cute child (actor) who started doing commercials at 3 years old. And it pretty much went downhill from there.

Lindsay didn’t stand much of a chance. Ultimately, she, like everyone else, is 100% responsible for her actions. But it is really difficult to overlook the negative influences in her life before she even got to kindergarten. Never mind whether it’s generally a good idea to have a young child doing more than a 100 jobs before her teens, let’s think about the motivation behind it all.

From a Jewish perspective, children are a gift from G-d and parents are charged with doing everything they can to nurture and guide them toward a happy and healthy life of their own. Once you become a parent, it’s no longer all about you. Perhaps no one ever mentioned this to Mr. and Mrs. Lohan.

There is a very famous Bible story in which two women are fighting over the custody and identity of a baby. Each mother insists that the child is her own flesh and blood. Unfortunately, DNA testing only became readily available in the 1990’s, so that wasn’t an option. How was King Solomon going to figure this one out? He decided to let the women know that the fairest way around the problem was to give 1/2 of the baby to each of them. One of the women thought that sounded fabulous. The other begged the king not to harm the child and to simply hand it over to the other woman. Rather than getting her “fair share,” she put the welfare of the child before her own happiness.

The commentators ask the following question: Was Solomon planning to literally cut the child in two? Not likely, they say. It sounds more like a shared custody situation; the child shuttled back and forth between two “mothers,” with two identities, and two very different lives. Better than being sliced in half, but detrimental, nonetheless.

The Rabbeim teach very clearly that, among other things, parents are to give children a clear message of values that they can use to direct their path throughout life. Chasing fame, fortune, money and glamour at the expense of–and on the very backs of–our children couldn’t be further away from that ideal.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is an icon of style and glamour, but she also clearly understood her role as mother, as well. She once said one of the wisest things to come out of a Kennedy:

“If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much. “

Instead of just wallowing in the tasty, gossipy nature of the Lindsay Lohan story, what can we take away from it?

First of all, let’s wish Lindsay well. At 24, she has, G-d willing, a long life ahead of her and the chance to make something wonderful of her privilege and opportunities. Also, let’s see it as a cautionary tale and the springboard for a great mitzvah. When you look at your children, see the opportunities for greatness: Just make sure that you define greatness as more than just money, power or fame. Deeper values make for healthy, complete human beings.

Aim higher,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Upcoming featured events (click for more info):

Kollel Hiking Club
Dinner for Singles
Kollel Business Club

With Facebook Friends Like These...

2010-07-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

Facebook hit an almost unbelievable benchmark last week; 500 million users since its genesis 6 years ago. It’s hard to even remember the online world without Facebook. Once it came on the scene, social networking went from burgeoning phenomenon to omnipresent entity. And what makes Facebook Facebook is the base of interconnected people on which it runs: Friends. Well, sort of.

After family, friends are the most important relationships in our lives. They provide comfort, companionship, support:

“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he has not another to help him up" Kohelet

But what have your Facebook friends done for you lately?

It’s taken a while, but after 6 years of Facebook it’s become clear that a Facebook friend does not necessarily a real friend make. Writer Hal Niedzviecki learned this the hard way when he invited his 700 Facebook friends to a little real world get-together.

A friend is hard to come by. Building friendships requires time, care and intention. The Hebrew word for friend is ‘chaver’. A ‘chaver’ is more than just some person you know. The very root of the word comes from the Hebrew word for ‘attachment’ or ‘connection’. Never mind hundreds, you are fortunate if you have a handful of true friends in a lifetime.

So, why not do something radical? Take a friend off the screen and engage them in your real life. Help them move, or go out for a coffee. Facebook can be more than just an online platform, it can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, but it requires that you initiate some real world action. And when you have one, you wouldn’t trade a true friend for anything–not even a very large hamburger.

Make the connection,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Upcoming featured events (click for more info):

Miriam's Legacy
Kollel Hiking Club
Dinner for Singles

I Love You. Let's Fight!

2010-07-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

The road to love and marriage can be buuuuuuuuumpy. It’s all so complicated: Does he think her hobbies are boring? Does she think he respects her intellect? Can they stand each other’s parents? Just how do you find that perfect someone?

There are so many variables, so many moving parts to consider when looking for a mate. It makes you wonder which one is the most important. That one’s pretty difficult to pinpoint and I suspect that if you ask 50 people, you’d get 50 different answers. When it comes to divorce, however, one factor stands out:

The number one predictor of divorce is the habitual avoidance of conflict.

The research is very clear: If you’re trying to figure out who will make it and who will not, just look at how they fight. In some ways, it seems to go against all reason. It would make sense to assume that those who fight are in more trouble than those who don’t, but that’s just not the case. It’s not that you argue, it’s how you do it.

Judaism completely acknowledges the fact that humans often disagree. In Bereishis, just after G-d created Adam, we are told:

“And the Lord G-d said, 'It is not good that man is alone; I shall make him a helpmate opposite him.'"

Why "a helpmate opposite him"? Why not “for him” or “with him”? The commentators say that G-d did not create woman to merely be second banana to man, but to be his equal so that they might keep each other in check. He intended there be a back and forth exchange of ideas in a relationship; a meeting of minds in complete partnership.

If G-d validates and respects the fact that we can be in conflict in a healthy way, shouldn’t we? Running away from conflict is really just running away from the opportunity for a stronger relationship.

Speak up and be happy,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Upcoming featured events (click for more info):

Absolute Love
Miriam's Legacy
Hiking Club

I Can't Thank You Enough

2010-07-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

There’s an interesting Youtube video that’s been buzzing around the web recently. It depicts a double rainbow captured in Yosemite, California. Nice, but how has that managed to garner several million views in a world where people are looking for the next crazy thing? The real magic of the video is in the running commentary of the guy behind the camera. Talk about emotional! He expresses such profound appreciation for the phenomenon that it’s hard not to be moved.

At first, it seems this fellow gets a bit carried away with his experience of something so simple. But is that really the case? Hashem put rainbows in the sky as the sign of a covenant that he made with us so many years ago. Maybe we should all take a whole lot more notice. In fact, there’s even a bracha for such an event. Upon seeing a rainbow, one should say:

Baruch ata Ado-nai Elo-heinu melech ha'olam zocher ha'bris v'ne'eman bivriso v'kayam b'ma'amaro.

Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, who remembers the treaty, is trustworthy in His treaty, and fulfills His word.

Double Rainbow Guy never uses these words, but the sentiment is hard to miss:
Thanks, G-d, for being so amazing.

Gratefully yours,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Hey, Man. Do You Have Change for the HST?

2010-07-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

I recently spoke to a friend who lives in Toronto. I asked him about the anti-HST activities taking place in Ontario. He had no idea what I was talking about. I was shocked. Anyone who lives in B.C. is well aware of the much publicized and strongly supported anti-HST petitions circulating throughout the province. Why here and not there? Why this issue and not the hundreds of others that cross our radar every year?

Remember Dr. Martin Luther King's historic “I Have a Plan” speech? No? That’s because he never made such an address. He understood that a revolutionary idea is one that yanks at the heart, evokes emotion, and incites passions. Logical blueprints for reaching rational goals just don’t cut it when you’re trying to whip a crowd into an inspired frenzy. People will get behind a dream. Start merely planning, and you’re on your own.

Just looking back throughout human history (Jewish and otherwise), it’s clear that any movement started for personal gain–fame, money, wives etc.–was ultimately dwarfed by those launched with loftier goals such as of freedom, empowerment, and justice. It turns out that former B.C. Premier Bill Vander Zalm is illustrating an idea found in Pirkei Avos:

“Any argument for the sake of heaven will endure; an argument not for
the sake of heaven will not endure.”

If you are fighting for mere things, the fire in your belly tends to go out when you get what you want. But a fight to promote an idea takes on a life of its own. It goes far beyond a simple initiative; It is the stuff of revolutions.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead may have said it best:

“Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

So, whether we look at issues such as women’s rights, ecology, civil rights, religious freedom or–on a very current and local level–crushing the HST, we see that passionate people with a strong opinion and higher purpose are the most effective agents of change.

Be the change,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

Upcoming featured events (click for more info):

Absolute Love
Miriam's Legacy

Beautiful Thoughts on the Beautiful Game

2010-07-08T02:42:00.000-07:00

Imagine if FIFA were to decide that professional soccer is just not fair. If, in their estimation, players on losing teams were left too bummed out after unsuccessful matches, prophets of game outcomes were being publicly ridiculed when they missed the mark, and rabid fans were beside themselves when their favourite team choked in a big match. In short, there were just too many elements that aren’t happy, upbeat and “nice.” Imagine if the governing body of the sport decided to carefully monitor all games and constantly move players around in order to keep things perpetually, strictly equal. Participation ribbons for everyone. No surprises. Ever.

Where’s the fun in that?

The whole point of the sport–any sport–is to train hard and play hard. Moreover, it is to win. Without the carrot of the championship cup or ring, why would anyone put in all that time and energy?

Similarly, instead of just plopping humanity down onto the playing field of life and assuring everyone a smooth ride, Hashem has given us the opportunity for personal growth by placing obstacles in our paths. And he gave us all a spirit that longs to rise to the challenge and thrives on the thrill of victory.

Our experience in the world can very easily be expressed in terms of a soccer game. We are all here on one massive team and our collective goal is to move forward together down the playing field. As we travel, we must concentrate our intentions on the goal of doing mitzvot and generally making the world a better place, whilst also not being taken out by the many obstacles we encounter. Luckily, our daily struggles don’t involve sweaty men in shorts running toward us at high speed. Well, at least, not on most days.

We want to win. G-d wants us to win. And when we do, there is a sense of real joy and pride in a job well done. When we earn it, it feels spectacular. Sure, there are some days when we would just like G-d to figure it all out for us and send the answers down like manna from heaven. In the end, though, wouldn’t that be just like watching a soccer match in which no one breaks a sweat, the fans don’t even bother to show up and no ever actually wins? Thankfully, G-d gives us the opportunity for way more thrills and excitement than that.

And all without the vuvuzelas.

Remember to give it your all,

Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu

This week's featured events (click for more info):

Kollel Hiking Club
Singles (20-35) Dinner

P.S. Three guesses as to where you'll find a certain rabbi on Sunday at 11:30...

A Very Good Place to Start:

2010-06-21T22:05:00.000-07:00