A comment posted at the end of a Matzav article titled Rav Shteinman: Poverty in Frum Community Due to Lashon Harah caught my eye.
I witnessed the reduction of the klalls income over the last half century with the inception of the mezonos bread/roll which started in the early 80’s. The diamond and electronic business then crashed ,and it is still downhill from there.today even if one earns a six figure income it is not enough.there is no brocha in the money .so my advice to the klall is wash and bentch, and then we will receive the brocha ,ooveirach es lachmechah ves maymechah amen
http://matzav.com/rav-shteinman-poverty-in-frum-community-due-to-lashon-harah
How many times have we skipped eating bread because we couldn't be bothered with bentching afterwards. Let's make a conscious effort to wash and bentch. May the first blessing of Birkat Hamazon, "Hazan et hakol" - that God provides food for all be fulfilled.
Thursday 24 February 2011
Monday 14 February 2011
The donated sefarim
The printing of the sefarim was in its final stages. Demand was great and the first edition was a great success. Some additional Torah thoughts were added to the second printing. My husband was able to secure two sets of the sefarim, even though demand exceeded supply the second time around.
He told me that he would keep one set of sefarim for us while he would like to donate the second set to his shul. At first, I thought that I would like to have both sets, to pass on to the children. But then I thought that I was being selfish. If the sefarim remained in our home, only a select few would be able to derive pleasure. By donating one set to the shul, my husband was ensuring that many others would be able to benefit from the Torah scholar's thoughts.
The sefarim were stamped with the shul's name and they became property of the shul. One night my husband came home excitedly, "the Rav has been using the sefarim. He always uses a tissue as a placemark and I noticed one in the sefer."
I was glad that the sefarim had become communal property. But, one day, my husband related to me that the sefarim had vanished. Either someone had taken them home and had forgotten to return them, or they were sitting amongst the piles of sefarim in the shul and could not be found due to all the disorder and sefarim not being put back into their proper places.
So, I'm asking you to think back to the time that you borrowed an English ArtScroll sefer because you wanted to help your child with his Jewish studies. You only meant to borrow it for the night, but the sefer is still sitting on your desk.
Please return the sefarim so that others can enjoy them, as well. And, after making use of a sefer or a siddur in your shul, please return it to its rightful place. Because it's the right thing to do.
He told me that he would keep one set of sefarim for us while he would like to donate the second set to his shul. At first, I thought that I would like to have both sets, to pass on to the children. But then I thought that I was being selfish. If the sefarim remained in our home, only a select few would be able to derive pleasure. By donating one set to the shul, my husband was ensuring that many others would be able to benefit from the Torah scholar's thoughts.
The sefarim were stamped with the shul's name and they became property of the shul. One night my husband came home excitedly, "the Rav has been using the sefarim. He always uses a tissue as a placemark and I noticed one in the sefer."
I was glad that the sefarim had become communal property. But, one day, my husband related to me that the sefarim had vanished. Either someone had taken them home and had forgotten to return them, or they were sitting amongst the piles of sefarim in the shul and could not be found due to all the disorder and sefarim not being put back into their proper places.
So, I'm asking you to think back to the time that you borrowed an English ArtScroll sefer because you wanted to help your child with his Jewish studies. You only meant to borrow it for the night, but the sefer is still sitting on your desk.
Please return the sefarim so that others can enjoy them, as well. And, after making use of a sefer or a siddur in your shul, please return it to its rightful place. Because it's the right thing to do.
Monday 7 February 2011
Unpaid debts
Mashgiach ruchani (Hebrew משגיח רוחני) or mashgiach for short, means a spiritual supervisor or guide. It is a title which usually refers to a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yeshiva students' lives. The most famous mashgiach ruchani was Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, (1849-1927), founder of the Slabodka Yeshiva.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashgiach_ruchani
Welcome to Mashgiach is Coming.
There are many people who try their best to follow the Torah and to perform mitzvot. Sometimes, inadvertently, they may forget to do something they should have done. For instance, one borrows a book and forgets to return it. One takes a sefer from the synagogue to read at home. You meant to return it, but, it is still located in your home months later.
The purpose of this blog is to remind people about unintentional wrongdoings and hopefully, people can rectify their mistakes.
Once a week, I will post an idea that might get people thinking - have I been remiss? If you have any ideas, please email me with your own thoughts. Also, if the post inspired you to act, I would love to hear about it. If you would like me to post your correspondence, fine. If not, just write that you would rather not have your correspondence published.
First thought.
A while back, a rabbi related a story about someone in the neighborhood. The man's father-in-law had recently died and he appeared to him in a dream. The deceased told his son-in-law that he had not paid his pledge that he had made for an aliyah in shul. The son-in-law went to the gabbai and asked if his father-in-law owed any money to the shul. When the gabbai answered in the affirmative, the son-in-law paid the debt in full. That night, the father-in-law once again appeared to his son-in-law in a dream.
"You have made me happy," he told him.
Sometimes, one forgets to pay the money he promised for his aliyah. He may have good intentions. I know someone who went to the gabbai and wanted to pay for his aliyah. The gabbai told him to come back another time as he didn't have his financial books with him.
A number of months ago, there was a Shabbos Hatzolah in which people pledged money to the emergency medical organization. Since no one from the organization came around to collect the pledges and, as yet, some pledges have gone unpaid.
Have you paid all the debts you have incurred from pledges in shul?
Let's devote some time today to figuring out whether we have any unpaid debts. If possible, let's resolve to take care of the matter by the end of this week.
Wishing you success.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashgiach_ruchani
Welcome to Mashgiach is Coming.
There are many people who try their best to follow the Torah and to perform mitzvot. Sometimes, inadvertently, they may forget to do something they should have done. For instance, one borrows a book and forgets to return it. One takes a sefer from the synagogue to read at home. You meant to return it, but, it is still located in your home months later.
The purpose of this blog is to remind people about unintentional wrongdoings and hopefully, people can rectify their mistakes.
Once a week, I will post an idea that might get people thinking - have I been remiss? If you have any ideas, please email me with your own thoughts. Also, if the post inspired you to act, I would love to hear about it. If you would like me to post your correspondence, fine. If not, just write that you would rather not have your correspondence published.
First thought.
A while back, a rabbi related a story about someone in the neighborhood. The man's father-in-law had recently died and he appeared to him in a dream. The deceased told his son-in-law that he had not paid his pledge that he had made for an aliyah in shul. The son-in-law went to the gabbai and asked if his father-in-law owed any money to the shul. When the gabbai answered in the affirmative, the son-in-law paid the debt in full. That night, the father-in-law once again appeared to his son-in-law in a dream.
"You have made me happy," he told him.
Sometimes, one forgets to pay the money he promised for his aliyah. He may have good intentions. I know someone who went to the gabbai and wanted to pay for his aliyah. The gabbai told him to come back another time as he didn't have his financial books with him.
A number of months ago, there was a Shabbos Hatzolah in which people pledged money to the emergency medical organization. Since no one from the organization came around to collect the pledges and, as yet, some pledges have gone unpaid.
Have you paid all the debts you have incurred from pledges in shul?
Let's devote some time today to figuring out whether we have any unpaid debts. If possible, let's resolve to take care of the matter by the end of this week.
Wishing you success.
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