Torah Insurance Policy

Torah is the mobile homeland of the Jewish Nation. Wherever we go it follows us. The Jewish People and Torah are inseparable. It is our core, part and parcel of who we are. It is our essence and soul. Practicing the Torah’s commandments and teachings differentiates us from all the other nations. Living a True Torah Life empowers and transforms us into a Holy People. It allows us to be a light unto the other nations of the world. Therefore, no matter what exile the nations of the world have put us through, we cling to Hashem and His Torah with unparalleled dedication and resoluteness. It has been our wisdom, power and strength throughout the ages. There is good reason, why we as a nation, have sacrificed so much for it. Thousands of years of exile and we still practice the same exact Torah given on Sinia. What an honor and privilege to be able to practice the only real truth that exists in this world. So we call out to one and all of our brethren, with this simple advise ! Carry its teachings around with you, wherever you go. In your consciousness, in your heart and in your soul. With your entire being, wherever you are and wherever you travel. It’s an insurance policy, offering protection, direction and guidance. It’s a guarantee that you will never get lost on your journey through life. Have a safe trip.

Perfect Torah

The Torah will never change nor can it ever be changed. It is absolute perfect, authored by the King Himself, Master of the Universe. A treasure gift given to His Beloved Chosen People. Its lessons are eternal and everlasting. It is here to insure constant positive change in us and in an ever negative changing world, out of control. To help us change for the better, while preventing us from exchanging our sacred values, for the fake fantasies surrounding us, in this untruthful world we live in. To make us better and wholesome people. The Torah acts as a compass, directing us towards the correct path in life. Hard to get to where you want to go, if you don’t know how to get there. With the Torah’s road map, charting the exact direction to travel, we may be assured that we will arrive at our final destination safely. So! Surrender to a life of True Torah Living. Live higher, better, clearer, securer, happier, one day at a time. Create your special relationship with Hashem. Feel connected and close. Rely on Him for everything, that means EVERYTHING. You won’t be disappointed. Guaranteed.

Not I But You

Test yourself to see, how easy it is for you, to remove the following three words from your daily vocabulary; I, MY, ME. How frequently do you say them and how much of a struggle is it, for you to avoid using them. This test can be very revealing as to how much a person is into himself and if he can live a life outside of himself? What a different world it would be if we stopped focusing only on ourselves and our interests and found room in our hearts, to pay more attention to others who live amongst us. To take others into consideration, by sharing, caring, lending an ear, opening our hearts, donating some time, just being there for one another. Hashem wants us to emulate His ways. To be there for others, as He is there for us.

Torah Is NOT A Subject

The purpose of studying Torah is to gain the knowledge required to serve Hashem and perform His Mitzvah’s properly. To internalize its Holy lessons, thereby forstering positive change within ourselves. To study, just for the sake of studying, without extracting the spiritual nourishment and diamonds contained in every commandment and lesson, is to reduce Torah to a mere subject like other academic subjects. Torah study is not meant to be an intellectual pursuit. More important than just learning Torah is LEARNING FROM TORAH. How to improve our character and how to become better people in all areas of life.

Being In Love

With Hashem

Question: What is greater then loving Hashem?

Answer: Being in love with Hashem. Important to cultivate a relationship with Hashem, where doing his will becomes a happy occasion, done out of choice and not out of necessity. When one is in love with Hashem he embraces His Mitzvos happily. He is self motivated and needs no encouragement. He is self motivated and encouraged. His feelings of indebtedness, drive him to constant daily expressions of gratitude, which further translate into wholesome dedication and complete devotion to doing Hashems will.

It’s All A Gift

It’s ALL A GIFT from Hashem.

Everything, down to the last detail. We owe so much and still continue to receive. Did you ever hear of a lender continuing to give more before the original debt has been repaid? How fortunate we are that Hashem’s love for us is limitless. He just gives and gives and gives, unconditionally. It’s a phenomena we must learn to appreciate and not take for granted. The least we could do is express and show our gratitude to Hashem continuously, by doing His will.

Never Payback Policy

We can never pay Hashem back for everything he does for us, always. Think about it. How is it possible to pay Hashem back if while we are paying back, He is giving more. At that rate our debt only continues to increase. Truthfully speaking it’s impossible to ever catch up. Hashem’s rate of giving is way faster than our rate of repaying. We perform sometimes while Hashem performs all the time.

Lucky us Hashem’s payback policy has no terms or expiration date. We must therefore constantly live in gratitude and stay humble before our Creator.

Thank you Hashem for everything.

Doing A Mitzvah

When we do a Mitzvah, we may think we are doing Hashem a favor, by fulfilling his will. In reality, it’s exactly the opposite. We are doing ourselves a favor. Hashem has given us the opportunity to serve Him. It is for us to treat it as a privilege. This concept may be extrapolated from the Drosho of Chazal לכם ולא לגוא. It’s not for Hashem. It’s all for us.

Forget The KING?

In the late sixties I studied in the famous Telz Yeshiva in Wickliffe, Ohio. At that time, the renowned Roshei Hayeshiva, Horav Mordechi Gifter z”l and Horav Boruch Sorotzkin z”l graced this Torah Academy with their leadership. There was one particular lesson that I will never forget. It was Elul and the Rosh Hayeshiva Rav Gifter gave a Shuir Daas. Everyone in the Yeshiva and Kollel was required to attend. The purpose was to prepare the entire student body for the Yomim Noroyim. How we were to view that awesome time and take advantage of those special days. To appreciate it’s significance through exemplary behavior and positive action. Rav Gifter was a very dynamic speaker, who always captivated audiences with his profound messages. The Beis Medresh was filled to capacity.The Rosh Hayeshiva began his lecture and throughout you could not hear a pin drop. Towards the end, the Rosh Hayeshiva posed the following question. Why is it, that during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva, the Ten days of Repentance between Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur, if one forgot to add the additional special prayers recited during Shmonei Esrei, he is not required to go back to the beginning? If one however forgot to say HAMELECH Hakadosh, Holy KING and instead said Holy G-D, the Halocho requires that he start over from the beginning? The Rosh Hayeshiva then remained silent, as he allowed everyone time to mull over the question and come up with an answer. Time stopped, as everyone waited with anticipation. Then the Rosh Hayeshiva powerfully answered, with a heart wrenching question. וואס היסט מען פארגעסט פון מלך “How is it ever possible for a Jew to forget about his KING”? The Rosh Hayeshiva then returned to his seat without another word. His sharp, abrupt message was clear and to the point. There was nothing more to add. A Jew must ALWAYS remember, that he is ALWAYS in the presence of the KING. Those powerful words left an everlasting impression on the heartstrings of all students. They seeped into everyone’s being and embedded themselves in the consciousness of all listeners.Truthfully speaking, how could a Jew ever forget about his KING, even momentarily? Isn’t it inconceivable, to be speaking to the KING and at the same time forgetting about Him? If by chance one did, he needs to retrace his steps and start over from the beginning. Its apparent he wasn’t speaking to the KING in the first place. Once again he must take stock and become cognizant of Hashem’s presence. If one forgot about his personal requests and needs during prayers, that’s not the end of the world. To forget about the KING, that’s a whole other story. If only we were able to live our lives, constantly cognizant of Hashem’s presence, everywhere, all the time, no matter where we are. What an uplifting life we would lead. No doubt the Rosh Hayeshiva lived his life that way. Bounded to his Creator, serving him happily and faithully with love and admiration daily. The KING was ever present in his conscience. May we only merit to serve Hashem that way.

Where is Hashem?

What kind of question is that?Don't we say everyday, Hashem is all over?

"מלא כל הארץ כבודו"

But do we really believe what we say, or is it only lip service? Why doesn't He reveal Himself to us? He does, all the time. Well then why don't I see it? You can, just open your eyes. Whether you realize it or not, you do see. Need only to stop, take out some time and think. We call that - MINDFULLNESS

מי ברא אלה? Who created everything you see around you? Who created the multi complex being that is you? Man couldn’t have created himself because he wasn't created yet. So he had to be created by a creator. How does everything in this world operate? How does everything constantly replenish itself? How does the jelly in everyone's brain have the power to design and create? The questions are endless. The answer is simple. It's all Hashem, creator of heaven and earth and all in between. Rest assured upon returning your soul to your creator after 120 years, all your unanswered questions will be answered satisfactory. For now have faith and trust the heritage passed down through the generations that ה' הוא האלקים בשמים ממעל ואל הארץ מתחת  אין עוד מלבדו.

Humble vs Haughty

Stop patting yourself on the shoulder that you are OK. That you have perfected yourself and have given back enough to Hashem. Truthfully speaking, one can never really pay Hashem back for all the kindness he bestows constantly.

HUMBLE means I haven't done enough. There is more to be accomplished.

HAUGHTY means self congratulations. How foolish.

It's 100% True

Looking for the truth? Know, for anything to be true, it must be real, 100% honest. 99% is not truth. It is close, but can't be called truth. There is no bargaining when it comes to truth. It must be absolute, in the purest sense of the word, without any compromise. It's accuracy must be¹ unquestionable and it's word undisputable. This is the significance of what is meant by the saying    "משה אמת ותורתו אמת" 100% time tested and proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. It has survived and triumphed, despite every trial and tribulation it has been forced to face. It continues to flourish because its true 100%. It withstands war, crisis and outlives every challenge. Truth is beyond time. It exists forever. ה' אלוקכם אמת

IT IS - IT IS NOT

IT IS, for us to say, what we should do.

IT IS NOT, for us to say, what others should do.

Correcting other peoples deficiencies before our own, can be counter productive. Keeping our side of the street clean, is first and foremost.

Improving the person we see in the mirror comes before anything else. Are you confident enough, to ask yourself the following question?

Do I really have it so all together, that I permit myself to focus elsewhere?

Questions

There is nothing wrong with asking a question.

Likewise, there is nothing wrong with remaining with a question. Sometimes mere earthly humans can not come up with satisfactory answers. We should not be shocked by this phenomenon. Surely there are other things we don't know or comprehend. After all, who amongst us knows everything? First we must recognize, that Hashem created everything around us, with limitations. Important to understand, we can't understand everything. This concept alone may be difficult for some of us to come to terms with. Perhaps our ego has gotten in the way? Guaranteed, all unanswered questions here, have an answer there. Don't be discouraged. You will be answered by Hashem Himself after 120 years. So just hang in there!!!

DOING

HASHEM’S WILL

Let's be honest and ask ourselves this simple question. Does it make sense for human beings to take the life force and energy that Hashem infuses into them constantly and use it to live a life contrary to his will? Syncing our will with his will should be the bare minimum gratitude we offer Hashem as payment for the life force he breaths into us constantly.

I DON'T KNOW

Truthfully speaking, is there anyone on this world that knows everything? No one, is the probable answer most people would give. Then it should not be so difficult for us to say, “I don’t know”. We know for sure that we are not the only one’s who don’t know everything! Yet we have difficulty saying these words. What gets in our way? Our EGO. Would be a good idea to come to terms that there is such a phenomena as, not knowing. One of our great Talmudic sages advised, “learn to say, I don’t know”. As hard as it may be for us to acknowledge this fact, knowledge of this reality is a key to tranquility. Knowing that “I Don’t Know” allows us to let go and to stop blaming and beating up on ourselves during times of hardship, which we encounter in life.

Let’s take it one step further. Just like we don’t know every nuance about everything that is going on around us, so also we don’t know all of Hashem’s ways. Why He does and does not do certain things, is beyond our understanding. This should be easy to comprehend, unless our EGO gets in the way and Heaven forbid causes us to start questioning Hashem’s ways, as if we were entitled to know His reasoning. We need to face reality, that just as our senses are limited so to is our brain power limited. The prerequisite before trying to know, is to know, that we can’t know everything. Taking this enlightenment into account, it is now easier to live with ourselves on a daily basis, to more readily rely on Hashem.  כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם, ולא דרככם דרכי, נאם ה’

We don’t think along the same lines, Hashem says. You don’t think like I think and your ways are not My ways. Whats important to know, to get through life with stability is,  כי כל דרכיו משפט, קל אמונה ואין עול, צדיק וישר הוא That Hashem is trustworthy, He makes no mistakes at all, His ways are righteous, perfect and just.

ANTISEMITISM

There may however be a positive aspect, as to why Hashem created such a strained relationship with them. That’s to keep us separate from them. Not to chummy up to them, like we are their buddy buddies. The risk is great that they will have a negative influence on us and we will learn their values and adopt their habits. It is the normal tendency for people to stay away from crowds that upset and hurt them. Their hate will force us to stay away and keep our distance, which is exactly Hashem’s will . “DON’T MIX WITH THEM”. The Torah identifies us as a עם לבדד ישכון ובגוים לא יתחשב

A nation that lives alone and gives no consideration to the Gentile Nations. Truthfully speaking, that is Hashem’s wish for us, to stay seperated.

What is the Jewish Nations DNA? To behave like the Chosen People. Not to give the Gentile reason to strike out against us. We were chosen from amongst the nation’s to be a light onto the nations. To live and teach by example, spreading the Torah’s influence all over the world. So may it be in our day.

HASHEM IS ONE – ה’ אחד

When we say the sacred words “ה’ אחד”, are we just offering testimonial belief, or are we pledging our fullest devotion to Hashem, because of this realization? Does “אחד” motivate us to serve Hashem exclusively and to do His will vigorously? Are we just paying homage, or is it a call to action? If we really mean and believe what we say, then we must make Hashem our first priority, our highest priority, our most important priority. Our minds need to constantly be occupied with Hashem. “בכל דרכך דעהו” Know Hashem and take Hashem into consideration in all your dealings. Hashem must become to us the essence of our existence. Hashem must come before everything else. Uppermost in our minds is pleasing Hashem. Therefore we must live focused, with the sole purpose of giving Hashem a נחת רוח from the life we lead. Hashem has to become our primary interest in life. That all we do is with the proper intent, for His sake and honor. Hashem and fullfilling His will becomes the most important part of our daily ogenda. Our days are spent concentrating on Hashem. We pledge our full allegiance to Hashem with all we have, body and soul. We really try to make Hashem proud of us. Our trust, faith and hope is only in Hashem. There is no other power, no other entity besides Hashem. Nothing compares to Hashem, there is nothing without Hashem, there is nothing but Hashem. Hashem rules Supreme. That is what we are supposed to mean and think about when we say “אין עוד מלבדו”. Since Hashem is everything, we must serve Him with everything we have. After all, didn’t we say ה’ אחד?