Monday, April 1, 2019

As usual, a Muslim in New Zealand accuses the Jews of murder and Nerd versus Geek, Comedian  Don McMillan - Greatest Charts (Volume 1) and Yarkan River Park

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Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works  with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money,  and spiritual engagement

When your enemy falls, do not rejoice (Proverbs 24:17).

 The Torah explicitly forbids taking revenge, or when doing a favor to someone who had denied your request, to say, "You see, I am not like you. I am doing you a favor even though you refused me when I needed your help."

Solomon goes one step further. He states that passive revenge is also wrong. Even if your enemies have come to grief without your contributing to it in any way, you should not enjoy their downfall.

Solomon's father David was the victim of a ruthless rebellion led by another son, Avshalom, who drove him from the land. As David was in the process of quelling the rebellion, Avshalom was killed. Although the son had been his father's mortal enemy, David grieved bitterly for him, going so far as to say, "Would that I had died instead of you" (II Samuel 19:1). He was of course, feeling the paternal love which can prevail over all other emotions.

While it is not realistic to expect anyone to grieve over an enemy's misfortune as a father might grieve over the misfortune of a defiant son, we can ve enough compassion for other human beings to at least not rejoice in their downfall, even if they were our enemies.

Today I shall ...
... try to overcome any natural tendency to passive revenge, and have enough compassion even toward my enemies to avoid rejoicing in their downfall.

Love Yehuda Lave

Muslim in New Zealand accuses the Jews of murder

Mosque leader blames Mossad for Christchurch attack

The Muslim nation that saved Jews during the Holocaust. HSA - Holocaust Social Archive

The Muslim nation that saved Jews during the Holocaust.
HSA - Holocaust Social Archive

What do you owe your parents? by Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING!    What are your responsibilities to them? Does it depend if they were good parents?

Recently was published an illuminating and inspiring book My Father, My Mother and Me by Rebbetzin Yehudis Samet. Sons and daughters tell of their devotion, challenges and successes in honoring their parents. The book clearly sets forth the mitzvah in detail including the halacha (Jewish law) pertaining to specific situations. It also shares 170 heart-warming, insightful, motivating true stories illustrating practical solutions to sometimes very difficult problems.

What is the source of the commandment to honor one's parents? When the Jewish people stood at Mt. Sinai to enter into a covenant with the Almighty, they received the Ten Commandments. The Fifth Commandment is, "Honor your father and mother, so that your days will be lengthened upon the land that the Lord, your God, gives you" (Exodus 20:12).

The Ten Commandments were given on two tablets. The first tablet contains the laws of Man's relationship with God; the second tablet contains the laws of Man's relationship with people. Therefore, it is fascinating that the mitzvah of honoring your parents is on the first tablet! We can see the great significance that the Almighty places on honoring our parents by including it in the Commandments to honor and revere God Himself. The Talmud (Kiddushin 30b-31a) tells us that "There are three partners in creating a human being -- God, the father and the mother." If someone honors his parents, the Almighty considers it "as if I am dwelling in their midst and they are honoring Me."

Writes Rebbetzin Samet, "The mitzvah of honoring parents is all-encompassing and includes our actions, our speech, our thoughts, and our feelings. It applies equally to sons and daughters, single or married -- with some qualifications for a married woman. There is no difference between the obligation to a father and the obligation to a mother. This mitzvah never ends. As long as we are alive, we have a responsibility to our parents."

"Honoring parents in deed requires providing for a parent's physical needs and includes all preparations necessary to fill those needs. When parents, young or old, cannot care for themselves, this is mandatory. Even when parents are self-sufficient, any benefit given by a son or daughter is a fulfillment of the mitzvah. When we extend ourselves in an extraordinary way, we beautify this mitzvah." "A child has an obligation to aim to please. A parent has an obligation not to make it too hard to please, giving his child a helping hand to succeed."

A child also has a mitzvah to revere his parents. The Torah tells us, "Every person -- your father and mother shall you revere ..." (Leviticus 19:3). "Reverence is refraining from behavior that diminishes a parent's esteem, and stems from an inner feeling of deference. While honor is expressed through active gestures, reverence is purposeful inaction. Anything that diminishes a parent's honor is also considered lack of reverence (Aruch HaShulchan).

Writes Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, "The deference that a child develops for his parents in his early years is the root of all future strength he will have to rule over his desires. It will give him the capacity and control to accede to others. Placing one's parents' will before his, as a child, is a practice in humility and will enable him, in his adulthood, to place the Almighty's will before his own. In this way, reverence for parents is the initial preparation for a life of holiness."

For those who are thinking, "All of this is very nice in theory, but, Rabbi, if you knew my parents you would know this doesn't apply!" then read chapter 15 "Must We Love Our Parents?" There are exceptions built into the laws regarding honoring your parents -- and one should consult a competent Torah authority for direction and decisions. However, it behooves all of us to remember that exceptions do not invalidate the rule to honor and revere our parents.

I am limited by space regarding how much wisdom, insight and information I can share from Rebbetzin Samet's masterpiece. That is why it is well worthwhile to purchase My Father, My Mother and Me --and then read it! It is comprehensive, uplifting, insightful. (Search "Honoring Parents" on Aish.com for more!)

After Purim but still worth seeing

Hanging Hamon's sons

Nerd versus Geek Don McMillan Greatest Charts(Volume 1)

Don McMillan shares his Greatest Charts for 2018. Charts include: Nerd vs Geek, Printer Ink Price, USB Configurations, Network Security Expert Career Path, First Thing You Do When You Get Out of Bed, The Facebook Proof, Shopping With My Wife, and The Key to a Long Happy Marriage. Keep Laughing!

Yarkan River Park in Tel Aviv-The best river park in Israel

Its winter in Jerusalem on January 20, 2019 so I head to Tel Aviv where it is still fall and have a great two hour bike ride along the best and biggest river park in Israel, Yarkan River Park

See you tomorrow

Love Yehuda Lave

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

2850 Womble Road, Suite 100-619, San Diego
United States

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