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 Love Yehuda Lave | | | What would you do if as a child you overheard the doctor tell your mother that you were so sickly that he didn't expect you to live to be a teenager? Joseph Greenstein had the answer - he ran off to join the circus. Saved by the circus strongman (who happened to be Jewish) from being beaten to death by a vicious anti-Semite, Joe was "adopted" by the strongman who taught him how to eat properly, exercise and most important, how to concentrate the powers of his mind. Not only did Joseph Greenstein live to his teenage years, not only did he live into his 80's, but Joseph Greenstein went on to become one of history's greatest strongmen - The Mighty Atom! ___Most people reading this likely think that the good Rabbi is pulling their leg. The Mighty Atom? So, just ask your parents or grandparents! The Mighty Atom was a legend in his time. Though only 5'4" tall, he could bend horseshoes with his bare hands, bite through nails, pull three firetrucks down the road, prevent an airplane from taking off with a rope tied to his hair. He was amazing! And for a generation of Jews - and probably for a generation of anti-Semites, too - he single-handedly changed the image of the nebical (pitiful) Jew. He taught the power of the mind and the power of self-improvement. ___His biography, The Spiritual Journey of Joseph L. Greenstein - The Mighty Atom, World's Strongest Man (by Ed Spielman) is out of print. If you are lucky enough to find a used one, it will probably cost about $50. You can learn more about him at http://oldtimestrongman.com/strongmen/the_mighty_atom.html . ___The Mighty Atom was not just brawn, he was a powerful intellect and a wise man. | | | עברית מיד אחרי ) תרגום אריאלה אלן)Beautiful Spiritual Art by Michelle Katz
This week's music; https://youtu.be/LFbf7YqcT1Q
"Lo Yilmedu Od Milchamah, No More War לא ילמדו עוד מלחמה "
"Stops Along the Path"
This week's Torah portion, "Masei," Travels, begins by what seems to be a simple listing of the 42 stops that the" B'nai Yisrael" made in the desert as they made their way on the exodus from "Mitzraim" to entering the Holy Land of Israel. Many of the great commentators on the Torah wonder why the Torah would need to list all of the stops made on the way in their journey in such great detail. No stop was left off of the Biblically recorded itinerary. It is interesting to note that at each junction along the journey the description is the same( Bamidbar 33.5-49). " Vayisu," and "they travelled" from a specific location, "vayachanu" and "they camped" in the next location, as if to say to us, they left one place behind and then they camped, paused and assessed where they had arrived.
The Ramban , Nachmanidies, teaches us that when "B'nai Yisrael" were travelling in the desert, in each location they would be charged with picking up "lost sparks" of souls along the way. As soon as Moshe Rabeinu saw that their job was completed at that stop, he would sound the command for them to all move on to the next destination. This continued until "B'nai Yisrael," Jewish nation, entered The Holy Land of "Eretz Yisrael." Once they came into The Land, they no longer needed to venture out. The mass light of all of the nation being in Israel was sent out around the world, attracting all holy sparks homeward.
Unfortunately, as we know 2,000 years ago we were exiled from The Land by Hashem. Thus, says the Ramban, our job was reinstated. Any place we would choose to go we would once again have a very specific task at hand. As The great scholar known as The "Meshech Chochma," Reb Meir Simcha of Dvinsk taught, the scenario would always be the same. We arrive in a new land, with little in hand. We work hard to set down roots, establish homes, succeed in business and industry, even in the field of medicine and finally in government when seemingly suddenly with little warning the government says "get out ! You are no longer welcome here." We can't understand why. What did we do? The Ramban explains with great clarity and certainty, you have accomplished what Hashem sent you there to do. The job is over. It is time to move on.
For the past 2,000 years "B'nai Yisrael," the Jewish people, travelling from country to country, working hard, finding "success" ; enjoying life, feeling welcomed and comfortable in their new habitat, even feeling like we are living at "home," only to be told time and time again with little to no exception, time for your people to leave our country.
So it continues. We continually move on, unknowingly going to the next destination to gather together more "missing sparks" that will eventually be drawn to the beauty of our true home, "Eretz Yisrael."
The Prophet, "Yeshayahu ben Amotz" teaches all of Israel past, present and future, about Judah and Jerusalem (Chapter 2.verses 1-5). "…and it will be in the end of days…all of the nations will be flowing like a river to the mount of the house of God." Have you ever stood in the middle of "the square " in The Old City of Jerusalem? On any given day you can be there from 10am-2 pm and hear no less than 20 languages being spoken by groups ascending on "Yerushalayim" from all over the world. What is our job? "v'yoru drachav," the "navi Yeshayahu" declares, "you need to teach His ways, and then everyone will walk in His manner. "Ki mitzion tetze Torah," because the Torah is going of out of Zion." Baruch Hashem, there is so much Torah going forth worldwide out of Zion. "Torat Eretz Yisrael" is being taught and studied all over the world."u'dvar Hashem me'Yrushalem, the word of God is coming from Jerushalem. " The word used here is not Yerushalyim but rather Yerushalem. The true teaching of His ways can only go our if we make Jerusaelm "shalem," complete in Peace." As teachers we need to be complete together. It is our job to bring "shlemut," completion, to the world. When that happens, says the Prophet in the name of God, "lo yis goy el goy cherev, no nation will lift a sword against another, v'lo yilmedu od milchama , and war will no longer be taught."
So where do I start? I am particularly fond of the idea which numerous Chassidic masters speak about in the name of their great teacher, The Baal Shem Tov ( Master of the Good Name). I recently saw this teaching in a book called "Degel Macahneh Efraim" ( The flag of the camp of Efraim), written by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Efraim, grandson of The Holy Baal Shemtov. He quotes his grandfather as giving over that in everyone's journey in life there are 42 "spiritual encampments," mirroring the 42 stops that "B'nai Yisrael" made in the desert as they prepared to enter "Eretz Yisrael." These are the moments when I need to assess my life's journey and see where have I come from, be fully aware of where am I now and be clearly focused on where am I going to.
So basically what I need to do every step on my personal journey, physical and spiritual, is to look at myself as honestly as I can and ask myself, who was I? Who am I now? Who would I like to be? How do I get closer to my soul's goal in this world? Once I do that it becomes so clear that only with "shlemut" can those questions be answered and translated into and honest collective reality.
Whatever is going on for us now is but one more stop on our collective journey
Each stop along the way, camping there just long enough to pick up the "sparks" that needed to be collected and brought home. Whatever the personal task, the goal remains the same. How can I get home? Friends, we are mamash half way there. The other half, we know, Hashem can make happen,"kheref ayin," like the bat of an eyelash. It seems that for that to finally happen, all we need to do is each do our individual fixing, look at each other with eyes of Peace to get together, and shine the brightest light of hope and unity to the whole world. That light, as the "navi" teaches, must be sent out form our home in "Yerushalem, Eretz Yisrael." This song of Peace "l'shem shamyim," must be sung together in our Holy Land. As is written in Psalms (Chapter 137.4)," how is it possible for us to sing Hashem's songs on foreign soil?
Shabbat Shalom,
Yehudah | | MGM Stars old and all together! This happened in 1974. NINETEEN SEVENTY FOUR. MGM's 50th anniversary. I'm aware that this isn't "all" the MGM stars. I'm also aware that some of them were never MGM stars. | | IsraelBoycott / BDS Lionel Richie Blocks CodePink After Attack for Upcoming Israel Concert Music icon Lionel Richie snubbed the women's anti-war group Code Pink after the organization, which is active in the anti-Israel boycott campaign, launched a petition urging the singer to cancel his upcoming show in Israel. CodePink: Women for Peace penned an open letter claiming that Richie's scheduled Sept. 12 concert in Tel Aviv, as part of his "Hello" tour, "will act as an endorsement of Israel's brutal systems of military occupation and apartheid," and asked the artist, "Please act now for freedom, dignity, and equality for all in Israel/Palestine. Please cancel your concert in Israel." Richie blocked CodePink's Twitter account on Wednesday. Not long afterwards, CodePink's national co-director, Ariel Gold, attacked the singer, saying, "Don't be such a snowflake. You closing your eyes to what is happening to Palestinians won't stop it from happening or you from being complicit if you perform in Israel." His September show will be Richie's first performance in Israel. The "Hello" singer and songwriter has been a longtime supporter of Israel, and in 2013 he entertained guests at a fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Friends of the IDF, according to The Jerusalem Post. This is not the first time that CodePink has launched a campaign aimed at convincing artists to cancel their concerts in Israel. The group attempted to do the same with pop icon Jennifer Lopez, but to no avail; she performed on Thursday night in Tel Aviv to a sold-out crowd of nearly 50,000 in Tel Aviv. | | Home Of The Beis Yosef Discovered By Mordechai Resnick On a recent trip to Bulgaria, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Gabay, head of Agudas Ohalei Tzaddikim, searched through city archives until he was able to identify the 16th century home of the legendary Rabbi Yosef Caro. Rabbi Gabay hung a plaque on the building to mark its historical significance. It reads: "Residence of our master, author of the Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Yosef Caro. Tradition has it that this is where he wrote his sefer Bet Yosef." Thousands Visit Grave of Ohr HaChaim A record crowd of over 150,000 people arrived at Har Hazeisim two weeks ago to pray by the grave of the Ohr HaChaim on the anniversary of his death. This despite temperatures of over 100 degrees. The Cemetery Council − which oversees the upkeep and security of the cemetery on Har Hazeisim − was well prepared for the crowds, having received NIS 200,000 by the Municipality of Jerusalem for the occasion. Police completely sealed off the area to private vehicles; only public transportation was allowed to enter. A large prayer tent was set up to provide shelter from the blazing sun, and many water stations were placed around the area so that people wouldn't become dehydrated. | | BLAZING SADDLES": BACK IN THE SADDLE - A RETROSPECTIVE (2001) BACK IN THE SADDLE: A "BLAZING SADDLES" RETROSPECTIVE (2001 / Warner / 28 mins. total) Prod. by - Jonathan Gaines Enjoyable 27 year "look back" at BLAZING SADDLES, referred to by it's director Mel Brooks as "the film which broke ground ... and wind", and generally considered by fans and cinema historians as one of the funniest movies of all time. Features interviews with Brooks, co-writer Andrew Bergman (THE IN LAWS, THE FRESHMAN), actors Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Burton Gilliam and more. "Flying Bear Film Morgue" is a YouTube channel of The GullCottage/Sandlot, a film blog and growing reference library "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art" Visit us at: http://www.gullcottageonline.com/ and on FACEBOOK at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gu... To enjoy more rare film shorts, promos and cinema esoterica visit the "Flying Bear Film Morgue" at: http://www.youtube.com/user/FlyingBea... All rights held by copyright owner. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes only. | | The Longest Game I Ever Saw By Irwin Cohen The two-game series in London between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in late June was a smashing success. The Yankees gave the Red Sox a dose of the London Blitz by winning the games 12-8 and 17-13. Almost 60,000 paid their way for each game (held in a reconfigured soccer stadium) – making them the largest crowds in several years to see an official major league game. Both lasted over four hours, but almost everyone assembled – most of whom were from England and attending their first baseball game – remained until the end. Speaking of long games, baseball is considering several changes that would speed up games somewhat. One would be restricting the amount of time a pitcher can wait between pitches. Pitchers in the lower level of the minor leagues are now allotted no more than 20 seconds before they have to throw the next pitch. (Twenty seconds is still a couple of seconds too long, in my opinion.) Another possible change is installing computerized strike zones. There would still be an umpire, but he'd get instructions by a computer, which would eliminate human error. It would also eliminate those long arguments between batters/managers and umpires and the subsequent ejections, which fans are loathe to see when a star player is involved. The greatest time-saving change baseball may impose is requiring every relief pitcher after the seventh inning to face a minimum of three batters. That would surely shave time off the game. The longest game I followed took place on Sunday, June 24, 1962, between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees in Tiger Stadium. The Yankees scored six times in the top of the first inning and the Tigers came back with three runs in the home half of the first. New York scored another run in the second; the Tigers added three in the third and another in the sixth, tying the score at 7-7. Neither team scored for another 15 innings. With one out in the top of the 22nd inning, Roger Maris walked. Jack Reed, who had replaced Joe Pepitone, who had replaced Mickey Mantle in the outfield, was up to bat. Reed, who was hitless in three prior at-bats, lined a home run in the lower right field green grandstand seats, giving New York a 9-7 lead. Tigers left-fielder Rocky Colavito, who had seven hits in 10 at-bats that day, lowered his head as the ball cleared the fence. Yankees manager Ralph Houk raised his head with a big smile as Reed trotted around the bases with his first major league home run. In the bottom of the 22nd, Jim Bouton started his seventh inning of pitching that day and held onto the 9-7 score. He was the pitching hero of the day, allowing only three hits in his long stint on the mound. Prior to Bouton, Houk had used six pitchers but only one catcher. Thirty-seven-year-old Yogi Berra caught all 22 innings. Yogi told reporters afterwards that his legs felt fine and he could've kept going. While the Tigers lost the game, they won at the bank: The almost 36,000 fans in attendance consumed over 32,200 hot dogs, drank 35,638 soft drinks and 39,600 cups of beer, and sent for numerous refills of potato chips, peanuts, popcorn, and ice cream. The game was one minute short of seven hours, but official scorer Joe Falls called it seven hours. The game ended at 8:29 p.m., just about in the middle of The Ed Sullivan Show. Most Detroit and New York televisions were tuned to Sullivan, who was celebrating the 14th anniversary of his Sunday night variety program and had an all-star lineup including Steve Allen, Jack Benny, Red Buttons, Jerry Lewis, Phil (Sgt. Bilko) Silvers, and Kate Smith. Jack Reed, the star of the long day, hung on as a bench-warmer for another season with the Yankees. His career batting average was a low .233 in 129 at-bats, but he had that one memorable home run. He moved on to Richmond as a player-coach in 1964 and managed in the Yankees farm system before going back to his 1,300-acre family farm in the Mississippi delta to deal with cotton and catfish. The farm business paid a lot better than the Yankees did. | | Dead Celebrities 2019 The First Six Months A compilation of celebrities who passed in the first six months of 2019 according to numerous sources including Wikipedia, the NY Times, Legacy.com, Newsday, The Wrap, Chicago Tribune, etc. The music for the soundtrack are selections by the one and only Jim Brickman, namely Bittersweet, By Chance, Angel Eyes and Night Prayer. All are available on a host of music stores.
Due to the number of celebrities in this video, This is a one shot offering for the first six months. If I have overlooked someone or used the wrong picture, I will not be able to fix the problem. To err is human, to forgive, divine. | | See you tomorrow bli neder Love Yehuda Lave | | | |
