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January 29, 2018 12:13 pm at 12:13 pm in reply to: Chabad Shlichus – Risk of Sacrificing Own Family’s Ruchniyos? #1458414CSParticipant
Outside of lubavitch I think they avoid the issue by moving in groups. So no one is alone in a non Jewish hick town alone.
That’s what I’ve heard but I could be wrong.
CSParticipantThanks gaon. That was well presented.
CSParticipant“i give you both A++++ on your examples but don’t fool yourselves. ask yourself are you looking forward to the weekly family restaurant date & each week count the days down towards it or is it a pleasure & mitzva to make your family happy?”
You remind me of an important concept I have learned and the path I have taken to apply it.
Basically there are two levels in Avodas Hashem :
1)kol maasecha yiyu lshem shomayim
2) bchol derachecha doeihuWhat’s the difference? By the former, you do everything with Hahem as your final intent. With the latter, everything you do is itself serving Hashem.
Practically, take food as an example.
The first step “lshem shomayim” is that every time you really want to eat yummy food, you make sure that is enjoyment will end up lshem shomayim.
For example, when I used to want to eat Ice cream or anything else I enjoyed, I would use it as a reward for doing something good – usually learning something extra. Good food I would remind myself that I need the energy to serve Hashem. I can’t help enjoying it for itself, but I can channel that enjoyment to be lshem shomayim.
That’s why it’s a mitzva to make delicious food for Shabbos, so that the body too will associate shabbos with pleasure and look forward to it, not only the neshama.
The higher step is bchol derachecha doeihu. That everything Gashmius we do is itself to serve Hashem, just like shabbos food is itself a mitzvah.
So after enough of the former, one can reach the level where the body is used to associating every Gashmius pleasure with Avodas Hashem, and therefore only wants it in that framework – like only wanting to have cake together with the people you’re hosting – to make them comfortable. Only wanting to go to a restaurant to enhance sholom bayis etc.
And if the purpose isn’t there, the food itself isn’t pleasurable anymore.
The body is an amazing tool. We need to work with it to refine it but it’s capable of amazing things and can even elevate our neshama to new heights once we’ve trained it in.
CSParticipantJoseph, children become adults when they are given and expected to take responsibility. Many lubavitcher Rebbeim married at 14 and their wives were probably about that age as well. A 5 year old who knows shell marry about 12 is alot more mature than the five year old of today.
Even in today’s world, our young adults who marry in their early 20s are much more adult than their non Jewish counterparts who live off their parents through their 30s…
CSParticipantBTW Joseph, I believe you asked on a thread that’s been closed why shluchos took this name for themselves – I just saw a sicha where the Rebbe calls the shluchos, shluchos. So it’s not something that originated after gimmel tammuz as you had thought.you’re welcome to see for yourself – Sefer hasichos 5752, chof beis shvat, ois 17.
CSParticipantNon political gave excellent example and it’s not a contradiction. Here’s another two : eating delicious food as part of oneg shabbos.
Rava drinking good wine and meat… To concentrate better on his learning. The key is the intent. Everything in this world is meant to be used for Hashem and thereby elevated which is why the nazir is not the ideal, and neither is living a celibate life for that matter.
No one said we can’t enjoy good food. If I go to a restaurant with my husband to enjoy a night out together and enhance our sholom bayis, there’s nothing wrong with that. Again the key here is intent.
Most self described foodies are not foodies by definition. Most are doing it for parnassa, teaching others how to prepare good food (it’s a talent) etc
CSParticipantI thought of a great theme for your next video as you have a talent for mocking things. How bout making a video mocking the things the yetzer hara tries to get us to do? Like following popular culture, koching in food sports and other Gashmius stuff instead of Avodas Hashem, or any other seemingly innocuous things that lead to worse… How’s that for an idea? Id love to see such a video 😀
CSParticipantBy force you mean?
CSParticipantTrue. I guess I should modify as I just learned about criticising myself and not others. Can a foodie be ehrlich? Guess so if in other areas he behaves as an ehrliche yid. It’s not an aveira.
However I wouldn’t call eating food just for the taste of it ehrliche behaviour. Can we agree on that?
CSParticipantMdd1 its on Hebrewbooks.org. The idea is a elaborated above – everything we have should be used to serve Hashem, and even in devarim hamutarim there’s no – this is where I’m “free” from serving Hashem. True freedom btw is serving Hashem. Just in the source I gave you, you will find all the mekoros.
According to your point two, were saying the same thing. So what did you disagree with?
CSParticipantNo. If ehrlich means the same to all. If anyone disagrees, please define ehrlich.
The main issue with such a person is not that he enjoys food.the problem is that he doesn’t enjoy Hashem and Yiddishkeit enough….
CSParticipantDY it is clear you have never learned anything the Rebbe said. The Rebbe brings mekoros for everything and says vyesh lomar if there is any chiddush involved based on the above. The Rebbe’s gadlus in Torah is obviously much greater than me or you or mdd1.
Regardless, Mdd1 did not quote any rishonim which say kadesh atzmecha bmutar lach ONLY applies to a certain taava. I learned what he is referring to – as One example, not an exclusive.
CSParticipantSure. Please look up likutei sichos, chelek aleph, sicha beis (starting from ois vov), parshas Kedoshim for a full analysis.
CSParticipantMdd1 it seems we are coming from two different worlds worth regards to our chinuch. I was educated that everything we do in life needs to have a purpose and the purpose needs to be to serve Hashem.
In fact, based on perek ches Tanya, it is through controlling ourselves with permitted things, and directing their use for Hashem that we strengthen our self control and weaken our yetzer hara so that when it comes to an actual aveira is much less of a struggle.
Hence, things like ice cream to enjoy the taste, sleeping in, or centering ones life around trying out top cuts of kosher beef are frowned upon.
As far as Kadesh atzmecha I didn’t make it up. I can give you a source to look up that brings in all the relevant maamarei chazal if you shall so desire 🙂
CSParticipant@mdd1
1) somewhat true because Hashem expects us to grow and judges people according to their level – things that the avos may have been severely punished for are no big deal for regular people to do2) chazal say it means kadesh atzmecha bmutar lach. Hence the examples I gave above. also see, kol maasecha yihyu lshem shomayim, and bchol dirachecha doeihu.
Anyhow all my point is is that for me to constantly push myself to grow, i need to develop proper yiras and ahavas Hashem based on my current rewards and punishments having a current relationship with Hashem comes with, and not JUST or even mainly, in Olam habaah.
CSParticipant@mdd1 true that is a big thing. Not trying to negate it. Whatever level were on we struggle, but the higher we go, the struggle is at the next level.
Like some people struggle not to eat treif, some struggle not to eat chalav akum products, some struggle with which hechsherim to eat… We all struggle, question is what the struggle is. And any tools to make the struggles elevated to the next level are good, no?
Also kedoshim tihyu is a mitzva too
CSParticipant@gaon interesting.
@wtp if you notice the wording I used is ideals to be admired. Cruelty exists but it isn’t looked up to a an ideal anymore. (Besides in the Muslim world and they would also be ready for moshiach because in their world irs all about serving G-d even if He asks your to do the weirdest Cruel things. They just need to be corrected on what HE wants.)
Science isn’t the absolute god replacing religion as it used to be regarded.
Even immorality – is seen in a confused way – they don’t see objectification of women or assault against them as a good thing (think priestesses of idol worship temples in the past) they just don’t mind if people do what they want as long as they don’t hurt anyone.
But many many of the youth are hurt from this hedonistic lifestyle as if it’s against Torah, it goes against the fabric of the world, so it’s impossible for it to work well.
And there are many voices speaking up against it. Modesty is more in fashion now. So I would say they’re confused but don’t hold immorality as an ideal.
The only places you will probably find that is Hollywood and california, not mainstream goyim, and with the recent scandal even they are rethinking their ideals…
edited
CSParticipantAnyhow this is off topic to put in short –
Yes we are nothing compared to our ancestors (although the world has become a more refined place and is ready for moshiach.)
Avraham frieds song “On giants shoulders” expresses this theme quite well :
“Holy and pure
Our fathers were
Giants, righteous men
We are strong compared to themBut our deeds
Upon their deeds
Together we will bring
Moshiach our kingAnd we will do it brothers
After us there will be no others
You and I will do
What giants wanted toSo stand and take the credit
Golus! Well be the ones to end it
Though were small were standing tall like soldiersRiding high because we’re on our father’s shoulders….
Its up to us
Our fathers started long ago
….
Waiting for us to follow…Great song!
CSParticipant*according to the source I gave you
So I guess we can agree that a non sensical question is not a question but also that Hashem is not bound by any logic abs can do the greatest paradox such as making darkness shine which to us would be nonsense as it’s impossible…
CSParticipant*true and false – sorry for all the auto corrects
CSParticipant@ubiquitin no I get it. What I’m saying is that Hashem isn’t limited to any sort of sense in any paradigm whether the paradigm is working within nature or being above / breaking narrow. Both of those have a certain logic they need to abide by and Hashem isn’t limited by that.
The example of the Aron:
The statement “The Aron takes up space,” is both true abs false at the same time.
Or by Chanukah (according to the source isn’t you.)
The statement “the oil burned” is both true and game at the same time.
Hashem can do the impossible nimna hanimnaos is called.
He can break any logic and be within that logic at the same time.
Of course the biggest paradox is yet to come with the Geula – when our materialistic, physical bodies will see Hashem with no filters, whereas now either we live here and don’t see Him, or Above even the avos etc get to see a limited manifestation of Him or they’d be blown out of existence…
And when moshiach comes, WE as we are physically, will see HASHEM with no filters, not even the filter of being above nature, and yet well just be normal…
!CSParticipant@mdd1 thanks for your honest response!!! What do you think of the mashal? And just curious if again that is enough to keep to the right things and avoid the wrong things when it doesn’t take major effort,
Or if it also motivates you to make Hashem and Avodas Hashem the center of your life, ie define your career, how you spend your free time (not talking about assur/mutar, I mean in a way that your won’t mind telling Hashem that this is how you spent your free time after 120, because young had Him in mind), what you enjoy – making Him proud etc.
You don’t have to answer, its personal, although you’re also anonymous, but to me, the latter can only result from my personal relationship with Hashem right now.
CSParticipantI think a good way to understand it is like the mashal is a teacher or a parent.
Both need to instill reward (prizes of compliments etc) and punishments (time out, detention, removal of privileges etc.) because some kids don’t yet appreciate learning, and kids should feel their efforts are acknowledged and appreciated, and they can’t just get away with everything.
but if the students only listen when they are promised x to do whatever it is,
Or the kids only agree to do chores when they are paid for it / get prizes and ask up front what they’ll get before they agree to do anything the parent says, I’m sure you agree the patent and teacher need to work on their skills as this is far from ideal.
CSParticipantA good teacher makes a lesson that engages and interests the students and the students enjoy the learning atmosphere. The reward and punishment area for extra enforcement, not the main motivator.
Same with parents: successful parents imbue their children with the responsibility to contribute to the household and later, society, and prizes or punishments are just to help with an extra incentive, but cannot be the main motivating factor for every step the child takes,
CSParticipantThe main factor for a child is that this is his parent and he loves him and wants them to be proud of him and not angry or disappointed with his behaviour.
If anything less applies to our Avodas Hashem, me thinks that the person needs to delve more into who we are and what Hashem is, and the depth etc of our relationship so we don’t remain spiritually immature.
January 16, 2018 7:33 am at 7:33 am in reply to: Choson & Kallah Walking Together Into Wedding Hall – Jewish or Gentile? #1450616CSParticipantI learned something interesting that applies here: one of the reasons why Hashem spread us through all the countries is so we can take the customs / culture / mannerisms is the country and elevate them by using them in a holy connect (obviously only in a way that is fine halachically.)
That would definitely apply to the attire of the chosson mentioned above, or the way the tables are set, and could apply to the way they come in as well – unless it’s not very Aidel…
A friend of my husband told him not to come in with me to the woman’s section because it’s not a Jewish thing and not Aidel, and so we posed together just outside the door, unfortunately the photographer missed it, and just got me standing there myself
CSParticipantSorry I realized I never acknowledged your post. Thanks allot, it was good to see that source!
CSParticipant@gaon +1
@oyoyoy if you want me to bring a source for anything I said just ask me and I’ll look out for it next time it comes up
CSParticipant@syag sure I agree with you 100%. My point was that that show in all the songs kept saying how the characters should push themselves beyond their limits to get schar in the next world. That’s what I found a bit strange and was wondering if it’s just a different upbringing. Gathering the responses from this thread, its not just me that wouldn’t be motivated that way to make Yiddishkeit my life, and not one of the things I do when it works for me.
Of course we need to have yiras and ahavas Hashem. Just I find Yirah and Ahava allot more motivating when the focus is my personal relationship with Hashem right now, (Yirah is the fear of losing that relationship.) not in Olam habaah. Ahavas Hashem that motivates me, is the Love I have for Hashem Who is my life, provides me with everything, and the fact that I get to be chosen and work for such a Boss. That’s what keeps me find all day – I love being part of His plan here in THIS world!
CSParticipant@fake maven thanks for your comment, really enjoyed
CSParticipantFirst you said matan Torah and bayis sheini. I was addressing that.
As far as anti semetism yes it is always brewing and an outburst could happen today in America cvs if Hashem didn’t protect us…
Esav sonei lyaakov and the won’t be a complete end to anti semetism until moshiach comes.
That being said there are more Chassidei umos haolam today – there are whole movements of christians United with usual and Jews against anti semetism than ever before – there are also even bnei noach today.
Kindness is valued in the world today whereas it wasn’t in past times. As far as the cossaks etc – yes our Avodas Hashem, Torah and mitzvos has continued to refine the world since then, and bh it is much better.
As for Nazi Germany – the nazis yemach shmom also prided themselves on kindness, education etc on being civilised, but when it came to the Jews, all of a sudden none of those values applied.
But even then the world valued civilised behaviour even as it allowed incredible anti semetism to happen, as it would today if it was allowed.
Moshiach will fix this of course, but today the difference between the world now and eras past is that the world today world be happy to serve Hashem with moshiach as the ultimate civilised, G-dly leader, leading the way.
The days where cruelty, paganism, and even immorality were ideals to uphold are far gone.
CSParticipant“CS, 1) Who said it needs only be said as a motivator? It’s the truth and the truth needs to be said out loud and clear”
Sure I’m all for that. I was just questioning its use as do this so you can get schar…
“2) Our gedolei yisroel for thousands of years admonished us as such, so clearly they felt it is the correct and appropriate mussar to give us.”
Yes and back then the effect was different than today. I believe i referenced this on your tochacha thread in the story of the day gehennom burnt down.
CSParticipantSo for the matan Torah one just consider our bodies weren’t able to handle the revelation (that’s why our neshamos flew out) and when moshiach comes we will have the greatest revelations from Hashem in our bodies, no problem.
And that will be because we have refined our physicality all these years.
I’m leaving out an important point because it’s not pc but I hope this helps somewhat.
CSParticipant@joseph does it have to be perfect or barbarian to you? It’s a process and yes nothing will be perfect till moshiach comes and Hashem “removes all impurity from the land” but I for one can appreciate the difference between living under the barbaric Roman rule and western democracy today…
CSParticipantAnd just wanted to clarify, this is NOT an attack on the mods at all – every site has the right to post what they want – just with col for example, I will not post more than happy comments on happy news because I know anything not to their liking is unlikely to go through. Just trying to figure out what’s acceptable so I don’t waste anyone’s time 🙂
CSParticipantSorry I had another post explaining the matan Torah one but I guess it’s wasn’t politically correct even if there is not one sentence that is incorrect/not true, so the whole thing just wasn’t allowed through (am I getting how the moderating works?) so I’ll try again in a more acceptable post and if it isn’t allowed through, what can I say, it’s hard to answer questions in half statements
CSParticipantI would choose to have the ability to see into the future and know the exact way moshiach and Geula will unfold…
Unless that’ll take the excitement out of it… So maybe also the ability to experience the jewish life and atmosphere from past eras…
CSParticipant@5ish
You missed my point. Of course I heard of the concept growing up – I learned its one of the yud gimmel ikrim to believe Hashem does punish and reward… My point is that that wouldn’t likely motivate me when I hit an obstacle…
@shopping613
Yeah me too, cuz I was thinking if that was why I was told to serve Hashem, id basically be serving myself – earning schar and avoiding punishment for my own selfish preferences, and if that’s the case, I can think if more enjoyable ways to service myself in this upside down world of lies, where the bitter and bad looks pleasurable…CSParticipant@joseph so being honest here… You really think that if someone gives you a speech on how looking at non Jewish entertainment is gonna land you in gehennom big time… That’s gonna motivate you to drop it all LONG TERM even if you enjoy it?
I find that hard to believe…
CSParticipant@litebrite
“Hashem put you here for a reason, and that’s to serve him by bringing light and blessings to the world.”
Yes that’s what motivates me too! That I’m working for Him, making this world a perfect hangout for Him where He can feel at home – through my Avodas Hashem.
What I find especially motivating is when I remember how Hashem chose little me with all my faults and imperfections, to serve HIM – whose Greatness defies description, and that what I do actually MATTERS to Him, matters enough for Him to bother with the rewards and punishment system…
“When I’m feeling down, I remind myself (and it’s not always easy), that Hashem has a purpose for me being in and experiencing this moment… If I’m going somewhere where I may face challenges, I pray for Hashem to make my presence a blessing to the world -it keeps me going.”
+1
CSParticipantYes I found the hat lining part and the blowing on cold hands to be in good humour 🙂
CSParticipantThe world as a whole – definitely. Our personal spiritual heights, no that’s what this thread is about…
But yes the physicality of this world is much more refined.
Like in your examples:
The time of Shlomo hamelech is compared to the time of moshiach,as all the nations were at peace with us, but the fiend is that then the nations were temporarily overwhelmed by the kedusha emanating from eretz Yisrael, but still remained the same evil nations, and so it didn’t last.Now however, the nations themselves are allot more refined, they admire chessed more than brute strength etc, and some are already serving Hashem.
When moshiach comes he will finish it off with “Az ehpoch el hoamim safa brura likro *kulam* bshem Hashem.” Bimheira vyameinu amen!
CSParticipant@yichusdik the way I always learned it was in a positive way. Im harishonim kmalachim anu kbnei adam… Yes previous generations were on a much higher level than us because they were tasked with greater things. Our work is building on theirs, as you said.
Therefore the world is a much better place than our used to be because the Torah and mitzvos of previous generations has brought it to this much more elevated, refined state (think emperor is the murderer of the previous emperor vs today’s politicians trying to impress the public with their good deeds)
Yes we aren’t as capable and our mission is lower, we just need to add the final touch, and that’s why we are called ikvasa dmishicha, the heels of moshiach because we’re are much lower, yet at the same time – we the lowest ones are gonna be the ones to bring moshiach and finish off all the work for everyone else. Vain hamlocha nikra ela al Shem gomra – we will be the ones to get the credit for that, abs everyone is applauding us, although our work is miniscule compared to previous generations…
CSParticipantYes I think the rich man was too kind. If it were me I would have explained that I will not give to a moised which does not espouse Torah values :
– being overly impressed and excited with Gashmius not lshem shomayim– lack of basic Derech eretz and Hakaras hatov every frum Jew should have, kal vchomer a ben Torah
– stealing?!
And I am proud to support mosdos who produce and are represented by true ehrliche bnei Torah, who see Torah as the ikkar and are not impressed by Gashmius (separated from its role), who show how Torah makes a person better than the average Jew and for sure non Jew.
In this video I would’ve quicker supported the gvir who was much more am example of a Torah yid.
I was disturbed by the content but found the acting superb! Would love to see more funny videos with great tochen – no need for the two to be mutually exclusive.
CSParticipantThat’s very interesting. Now is there any history of two headed ancestors for the native American? Or anyone else?
And what about the inhabitants of meroz (shiras devorah)?
CSParticipantBtw I just realized Tevel is also mentioned in kapitl 34
CSParticipantThe Zohar, although the elaboration I was explaining chime from this year’s basi lgani maamar (5738)
CSParticipant@5ish yes and I’ve also learned gimmel since the first post in the other maamar for this year (5718)
CSParticipant@lubavitcher yeah I guess so but I wasn’t learning about aleph.
So just to explain two of the above :
Resh and daled both mean poor. They also look the same except the daled has a yud in back. Yud represents a pintele of chochma or Elokus.
So this means that the daled is poor in a G-dly way.
In practical terms, daled represents bittul or humility – the person sea himself as poor and nothing compared to Hashem. Resh is the poverty of klipa that always wants more and more stuff like esav.
We see the contrast between the two letters with the words Hashem Echad vs acheR cvs.
if anyone finds this fascinating I’ll be happy to continue.
CSParticipant@daasyochid true but how is that relevant here?
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