Faith over Graduation, אמונה על הסיום

Vacaville High School valedictorian Carolyn Fine gave her speech via a recorded message due to the ceremony taking place on Shavuos.

Levi Stein - Chabad.org

Like the rest of her graduating class at Vacaville High School, valedictorian Carolyn Fine is preparing for the big day this week. But because commencement exercise falls out during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, the 18-year-old is getting ready a bit differently.

In observance of the holiday – which commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai – Fine will not deliver the traditional valedictorian’s speech through a microphone. She won’t even travel to the ceremony in a car, and will instead walk.

“I was nervous about what to do,” Fine told the Contra Costa Times. “The more I learn about the Jewish religion, the more connected I feel.”

School officials worked with Fine to make alternate arrangements.

“It’s great to see that, on her own, she’s standing by her faith,” commented Rabbi Chaim Zaklos, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Solano County, who has been helping the young scholar.

Source: Graduate's Unconventional Speech

The Resurrection of the Dead, תחיית המתים

Everything is a miracle. Even nature is a miracle. It's just that we have gotten used to nature and forget sometimes that Hashem is behind nature, and willing everything to existence every single time. The resurrection of the dead which we think hasn't yet happened, has been happening throughout nature every time. It's only that Hashem has chosen to resurrect seeds at this time and not humans.

Let us imagine that we saw a dead person laid to rest in his grave. The body decomposes and turns to dust. Then slowly, from the depths of the grave, something begins to grow. We see something like a human body forming and protruding above the ground. Eventually, the earth is thrust aside and a complete, living human being shakes himself free of the earth and emerges from the grave.

Why do we not see the same miracle in the growth of a seed? The only difference is that we are used to the resurrection of seeds but not yet to the resurrection of humans. If the situation were reversed, we would call germination a miracle and resurrection of people nature -- The Miracle of Resurrection, Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, Michtav Mi'Eliyahu

I have always identified myself and our post-Holocaust generations with the great imagery of the scene described by the prophet Yechezkel. The prophet views a large valley covered by bleached scattered human bones. The Midrash teaches us that these were the remains of the tens of thousands of the tribe of Joseph who attempted to escape Egyptian bondage before the actual redemption from Egypt by Moses took place.

They had fallen victim to the ravages of the desert and the enmity of the pagan tribes that persecuted them. The prophet sees no hope for their revival. After all, by his time they have already been dead for millennium. And the prophet also senses that they have never properly been mourned and commemorated.

The Lord informs the prophet that these bones are symbolic of “the entire household of Israel.” The household of Israel is itself overwhelmed with its anonymous dead who have no graves or monuments to somehow mark the fact that they once lived on this earth. The prophet despairs of their revival or continuity.

But the Lord tells him to prophesy over the dry bones and restore them to their physical human form. Then the spirit of the Lord enters them and they come back life and arise on the valley floor as a mighty host.

The prophet does not tell us what the end of this story was. What happened to this mighty host of newly and miraculously revived Jews? The Talmud offers two different insights on this matter. One is that the revival was only a temporary phenomenon and that they all reverted immediately to being dry dead bones.

This opinion was contradicted by the sage Rabbi Yehuada ben Beteira. He rose in the study hall and stated: “God forbid that we should advance such a pessimistic opinion. Rather, they married, raised children and lived a full life thereafter. And I am a descendant of theirs and as a proof of the matter I hold in my hand the tefilin of my ancestors [that they themselves wore.]”

I feel that the only closure that can reach our soul regarding Jewish tragedy is the recognition of the continuity of generations and tradition that binds the Jewish people together. Our past, those that are gone and even those who are unknown to us whose ashes and bones litter the landscape of a cursed continent, live on through us - through our achievements and struggles on behalf of Torah and Israel. -- Rabbi Berel Wein on the Holocaust Memorial this Sunday, May 1, 2011

The following is a 2008 video posted by Nava Klein, of Dreaming Of Moshiach on an animated version of the resurrection.

Where can I be safe? איפה אני ניתן בטוח?

The short answer is: 

"You will be safe wherever Hashem wants you to be, during a time of disaster or tragedy." 

I'm not the only one saying this. Rabbi Winston too has said this on many occasions, including this one.  And I'm sure many G-d fearing Jews, Rabbonim included. Rabbi Shimon Schwab, a"h, has this to say:

"When I came to America [in December 1936], this country was known as the "Golden Medinah." However, today, we realize that it is not "golden" at all, but rather, it is based on "paper money." As free as seem to be here, nevertheless, we should know that here too, in America, we are living in galus (exile). There is hate all around us.  This was a big surprise about 15 years ago, but now we realize that even here in America we are not secure.  We came here because we were disliked in Europe, and if we were suddenly forced to leave America, where would we find security? In Eretz Yisrael? There we are faced with the so-called "Palestinians," a relatively new entity, who don't like us either, and who want the land for themselves.  Who says we will be secure there? Where shall we go? To the moon?There is no place on earth where Jews are "erwunsched" (welcome), where the general population desires and would welcome an influx of Jews.  Therefore, as long as we are in galus (exile), we ask HaKadosh Baruch Hu to protect us from the danger that lurks all around us, although such danger may be quite unbeknown to us. -- Rabbi Shimon Schwab, zt"l, 1908-1995

But the long answer is like this. There was a Jewish family who was vacationing in the Arizona, and one of the places they visit is the Grand Canyon. It is normal and typical for tourists to rent a helicopter or small plane to fly over the Grand Canyon and admire its beauty from above. So did the father of this family. He rented a plane with a pilot and flew over the canyon. But, he did not make it. The plane crashed and he died along with the pilot. Fast forward to a year later.  At his unveiling, his 350 coworkers assembled at the ceremony. That day was September 11, 2001. They were supposed to be working in the Twin Towers on that day, but they were not there. They were where they should be, doing a mitzvah, remembering their friend and coworker. 

We don't understand why things happen and we can't start questioning Hashem's actions, until perhaps, after a while, sometimes within  a day, sometimes after a longer period of time. Hashem took one Jewish neshama, but He saved 350 neshamos. He brought into being a widow and an orphan, but He spared 350 wives from being widows and who knows how many from being orphaned.

When disaster strikes the Jewish people, big or small, we must understand that there is a good reason, from Heaven, and we are not able to fathom Hashem's ways, as we are just like an ant compared to the entire universe. Some day, we will understand, but at this time, know that Hashem runs the world, and if we do what we are supposed to do as Jews, we will be not afraid and serve Hashem b'simcha!

There are three levels of emunah (faith) that a Jew must strive to have, as the basis of his foundation of Judaism. Learn about it from Rabbi Eli Mansour's shiur, "Speaking on Emunah." When a Jews doubts G-d, Amalek creeps in, and the only way to successfully win over Amalek is to live and speak Emunah. When a Jew questions Hashem in all types of issues, the advice is to consult a Rav (not only on issues of halacha), about his emunah. Interestingly, the gematria of  עמלק, Amalek and ספק, Doubt, each equals 240. Learn about it from Rabbi Eli Mansour's shiur, "Amalek, Safek, Emunah."

Additional Readings: Emunah

Emunah News, חדשות על אמונה

This video is best watched in fullscreen.

How Hashem reunited two long lost Holocaust survivors

This is a true story that I received by email, and I'd like to share it with the world. 

The brand new Rabbi and his wife were newly assigned to their first congregation to reopen a Shul in suburban Brooklyn. They arrived in early February excited about their opportunities. When they saw their Shul, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Erev Puirm. They worked hard, repairing aged pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on 8th of the Adar (February 17th) they were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On February 19 a terrible snowstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the Rabbi went over to the Shul. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The Rabbi cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Erev Purim service, headed home.

On the way home, he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Mogen David embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the Shul. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The Rabbi invited her to wait in the warm Shul for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the Rabbi while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The Rabbi could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then the Rabbi noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Rabbi, "she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The Rabbi explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Poland. The woman could hardly believe it as the Rabbi told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth".

The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Poland. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to a camp and never saw her husband or her home again. The Rabbi wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the Rabbi keep it for the Shul. The Rabbi insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Erev Purim . The Shul was almost full. The Service was great. At the end of the service, the Rabbi and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the Rabbi recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the Rabbi wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Poland before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike? He told the Rabbi how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a camp. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years between.

The Rabbi asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the Rabbi had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Erev Purim reunion he could ever imagine.

Based on a true story; G-d does work in mysterious ways!

Of Truth, Faith and Trust

Prayers left for G-d at the Kotel

הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ כִּי כָל-דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט קֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא

"The Rock, perfect is His work, for all His ways are just.  A G-d of faith, without injustice.  Righteous and fair is He" (Devarim 32:4)

The above verse does not say "a G-d of truth", but a "G-d of faith".  Truth and faith are two different things. What is truth? Truth is correctness.  G-d exists and that is the truth.  It is a fact.  Rabbi Akiva said to a certain heretic:

"Just as the jacket attests to its tailor who created it, so the world attests to its Creator."

By the signs and wonders that the Jewish people have witnessed throughout history, they are proofs that G-d exists.

What is faith? Faith (אמונה) is when we are convinced that G-d has a personal relationship with each of His creatures and when we pray to Him, He listens to us.  Faith is when we recognize that G-d personally supervises every intricate detail in His universe, including our personal lives and that He also rewards and punishes.  Faith requires that we trust G-d and to know that everything that happens to us is from G-d and for our own good.

 Video depicting Hashem's Signature all over His creations

The following shiurim, Emunah and Shoes and Nothing Happened by Accident, based on Parashas Bo, are excellent sources of learning more about faith.

What is trust?  Trust (בטחון) is putting our faith into practice.  The real proof of trust is when we are unafraid, as in the verse:

הִנֵּה קֵל יְשׁוּעָתִי אֶבְטַח וְלֹא אֶפְחָד

'Behold, G-d is my salvation, I shall trust and I will not fear' - Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 12:2

Rabbi Chaim Goldberger, of Knesseth Israel, Minneapolis, has developed a successful Six Step Program to Bitachon, which we can apply in our lives.

Sources: The Ishmaelite Exile, Rav Schwab on Prayer