Chizuk Line of the Day

Tuesday, February 28

CLD #525

12:33 AM Avraham Shoshany No comments

For the Ilui Neshama of Avraham ben Ester ZT’L. Lehavdeel For the Refua Shlema of Chai Yaakov ben Margalit shlit’a & Aharon ben Miriam.

In Finance we are learning about Future Value and Present Value of money in all types of situations. For example, if you have in your savings account $5,218 with an annual interest rate of 6.8% then using specific formulas (if every other factor stays constant) you can find out how much that money will be worth in X amount of years.

From thinking about this on one’s free time, theCLD believes we can learn and become inspired to continue behaving according to the Torah and living Jewish lives. How?

We see from this that there is a limited value on money. Money can never be infinity. Even if one fills up an entire basketball court with bills (Benjamins we would hope) eventually they will be able to count it. It has physical boundaries to it so it is physically bounded.

Our spiritual dollar bills have nothing to do with boundaries, benjamins, or any type of basketball courts! Our spiritual dollars lie in our heart that craves the closeness to Hashem wherever we are. Many Rabbis in there middle of their speech always give Mussar by saying it doesn’t matter how many years one has been wearing a Kippa or how many years a girl took upon herself the beauty behind wearing Tzniyut (modest) clothing; a person can be in a Casino at 5 in the morning with no kippa, holding a half-clothed model in one hand and a drink in another with the greatest and utmost feeling of betraying Hashem and the need to open up an Aaron HaKodesh and cry his eyes out why he isn’t going in the way of Hashem.

However at the same time its all based on our actions. Many of us tell ourselves: My Heart is religious, I believe in G-d, I am okay. But do we actually do anything? Do we physically act as examples of Hashem’s army in the world by getting up to do Netillat Yadayim in a Restaurant or taking out the Kippa in our pocket to say a Beracha on the shot of tequila? We can influence others so easily and channel the good in our system to further bring some good to the Jewish reputation but we don’t believe in ourselves.

Money is bounded, Torah is boundless. Actually, because of the Torah the world exists, and because of Torah boundaries are set. Therefore, the Torah holds the boundaries to our lives.

The Power of Purim lies in Esther and Mordechai’s effect on the entire nation to do Teshuvah in times of need. We hope to bring Mashiach without getting into a dead-end situation relying on Teshuva. We need to bring Mashiach BH out of love for each other and the struggle to perfect our actions based on the Torah. B’H the spiritual force of Purim will enter our hearts to jump and realize how much work needs to get done! And after that BH we should all reach true happiness and success through living a life of a real Jew.

Purim is in 9 days; did you start preparing mentally yet?

Judaism=Think.

Sponsor theCLD for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!

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KOL HASHONEH HALACHOT BECHOL YOM MUVTACH LO SHEHOO BEN HAOLAM HABA

11:12 PM Avraham Shoshany No comments

For the Ilui Neshama of Avraham ben Ester ZT’L. Lehavdeel For the Refua Shlema of Chai Yaakov ben Margalit shlit’a & Aharon ben Miriam.

Translated from Mekor Chaim Kitzur Shulchan Aruch:

1. On the first of Adar we announce to Am Yisrael the gathering of the Half Shekel (Mahatzit HaShekel). Why on the first of Adar exactly? Because it was known to Hashem that Haman would come one day to bribe Achashverosh with thousands of Shekalim to eradicate Am Yisrael. Therefore, Hashem in advance told Moshe to teach Am Yisrael the Mitzvah of bringing the Mahatzit HaShekel to cancel out the Shekalim of Haman in the future. From this reason we bring the worth of Mahatzit HaShekel (Half Silver coin, which calculates to $12) before Shabbat Zachor (this Shabbat). When one gives the donation, they need to say Zecher LeMachatzit HaShekel and if they don’t say Zecher they enter a big problem (ask your local Rabbi for details).

2. On the Shabbat before Purim we read the Parasha (passage) of Zachor and read the Haftara “Pakadeti Et Asher Asah Amalek.” This Parasha is mandatory to listen to, so every time the congregation is making noise at the word “Amalek,” the Torah reader should pause because one has to hear every word clearly for the Mitzvah. For this Aliyah, a boy under 13 is not allowed to go up to the Torah. It is also crucial that the congregation has the intention that the Torah reader is fulfilling their Mitzvah while he has the intention to fulfill their Mitzvah of reading Parashat Zachor.

Sponsor today’s Halachot for the Ilui Neshama (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the name(s)!

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CLD #524

11:24 PM Avraham Shoshany No comments

For the Ilui Neshama of Avraham ben Ester ZT’L.

There are many simple messages in Megillat Esther that back up such huge concepts! For example, the Gemara on Daf Tet Zayin Amud Aleph (16a) brings in the pasuk that speaks about Haman building the tall tree to hang Mordechai (or at least that was the Rasha’s plan). The Pasuk (Esther 6:4) literally says: “…VeHaman Ba LaChatzer Bet HaMelech HaChitzona Lemor LaMelech Litlot Et Mordechai Al Ha’Etz Asher Hechin Lo,” For Haman just entered the outer court of the royal palace, to speak to the king about having Mordechai impaled on the stake he had prepared for him. The Gemara zooms into the words “Hechin Lo” (for him) and teaches: It is literally ‘for him.’ Meaning that Haman had the intention of setting up a ‘stake’/tree to hang Mordechai but the reality was that Haman was building the device that will lead to his own death.

We see here that nothing in the world is left without a calculation/reason for why it was created. In last week’s Parasha, Parashat Terumah, there is a list of natural substances, animal hides, and elements used to construct all the pieces of the Mishkan (look at yesterday’s CLD). One of them is the Tachash, which is an animal no longer with us today. This animal in its Aramic translation is called “Sasgvaneh,” which is an animal that is proud of its own highlighted skin. This animal’s skin was used for the Mishkan because it had a range of multi-colored hide! The Gemara says that Hashem created this animal just for the building of the Mishkan! Even more so, in Purim; if we break apart all the events of the Megillah they seem so natural as if G-d doesn’t need to do anything. However if we bring all the events together, we absolutely cannot say that Hashem’s hand was not controlling the situation! Megillat Esther (Esther coming from the root of the Hebrew word “hidden”) is literally a book of Tanach that reveals the ‘hidden’ presence of Hashem in everything. We must have 100% Emunah that Hashem can save us from all situations, no matter how dangerous or how scary!

This entire Limud (Piece of Torah) is taught from 2 words in the Pasuk. TWO WORDS. Imagine how much knowledge and Torah base one gets after learning a Masechet of Mishnayot or even a Masechet of Gemara. Imagine knowing all of the Torah by heart. Imagine adding to that the entire Shas, now add in all the commentary on Shas with the entire Shulchan Aruch, its commentary and all the books of Halacha (Jewish Law) that are published in our generation. That’s not even a slice of the pie of Rav Ovadya Yosef shlit’a’s knowledge. Being the Gedol Hador he has the entire Torah on his fingertips. And as much as we want to believe there is an end to the Torah’s everlasting essence and Chochma, it actually never ends. And the pie is there for everyone to take a bite!

SHAVUA TOV! PURIM is in 10 days!

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