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מחשבה יומית Think and consider that every place was, at the beginning, full with the light of Ein Sof (the Eternal). So it was necessary for G-d to contract Himself to make a space to create the worlds. Nevertheless, there still remains an impression of that original, all-encompassing holiness. Everything in the world, in the beginning, was all within G-d. Hanhagos Tzadikim, Rebbe Mordechai miTchernobyl
שיפור עצמי לחודש Self-Improvement for the Month of Adar The bodily sense for the month of Adar is laughter. The body part is the spleen, located in the left upper section of the abdomen. The word spleen comes from the Greek, and is the idiomatic equivalent of the heart in English; i.e., to be “good-spleened” means to be good-hearted or compassionate. Interestingly, in French, "splénétique" means “pensive sadness” or “melancholy.” We are told to increase in joy when the month of Adar begins. This is a month to reflect on our joy, and our laughter. Do we laugh enough? Laughter can have a profound effect on our physical health: "Studies have revealed that laughter may decrease blood pressure, boost the immune system, and trigger the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood-boosting chemicals. A good belly laugh also can be a great workout for your stomach muscles. Add more laughter to your life by watching funny movies each week, sharing laughs often with close friends, and reading your favorite comic strip each day. To make meals more fun, eat with family members or special friends. Laughter lowered the increase in postprandial blood glucose.”* This is an auspicious time to reflect on our health, especially as it relates to our ability to laugh. I wish us all success in this arena! * Hayashi, K., Hayashi, T., Iwanaga, S., Kawai, K., Ishii, H., Shoji, S., Murakami, K., Diabetes Care 2003 May;26(5):1651-1652. Retrieved from the internet 2/23/12, from www.renewal.ca. |
Live & Interactive Online Class!OROT HA’RAYAH
Every Sunday, 5:00 - 6:00 PM Eastern Time with special guest teacher “And a generation will come alive Rabbi Avraham Itzchak HaCohen Kook (haRaYaH) tz”l, 1865–1935, was a spiritual giant who integrated complete mastery of the entire Torah, Talmud, and Kabbalistic literature with an enlightened consciousness. His spiritual notebooks are a major new Torah treasure for our generation. His illumination and insights are breathtaking. Our interactive online learning circle will read selections from his most profound writings in the original Hebrew. (We will translate everything into English.) Rav Kook's writings cover a vast array of topics. We will select topics to focus on based on the interests and desires of the participants. We will explore the significance of what we learn in the context of our process of personal and spiritual development. No previous background is necessary. The only prerequisite is a desire to look deeply & widely into the nature of reality. Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein is a rabbi whose teachings integrate the depths of the ancient teachings and the breadth of the contemporary unfolding. As a passionate student of the teachings of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook for over 30 years, he is doing pioneering work in bringing Rav Kook to the public. His current focus is a creative jazz-poetry collaboration with Greg Wall’s Later Prophets known as “HA’OROT: The Lights of Rav Kook.” Their acclaimed CD was recently released on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records. www.haorot.org, www.myspace.com/orothrav Cost: $22/month (Usually 4 classes, but occasionally 3 or 5; every effort is made to hold all classes as scheduled. Payment is for monthly access and cannot be prorated, and credit is not given when a class is cancelled due to a holiday or unforeseen circumstances or when a student is unable to attend.) Click here to register for this class. You will then be sent the link to the virtual classroom. This class is presented by Mercaz Machshava Tova (a project of Room613/Jewish Education Alternatives) In collaboration with Mercaz HaRayah-The Centre For Jewish Arts and Literacy (http://sixthstreetsynagogue.org/classes/). “It is necessary to raise our thought, will, and basic preoccupations (Rav Kook, Lights of Holiness, 3:147)
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