Category: <span>The Weekly Comment – Friday</span>

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, July 22nd
Light Candles at 20:36
Shabbat, July 23rd,
Shabbat Ends 22:13
Torah Portion: Balak

Summer Thoughts
Are you getting away this summer?

Taking some weekends off? Maybe a week or two abroad?

These months are commonly a time to slow things down a bit, or at least carve out more time for ‘self’ and family.

After all it’s summer, and summer has a special rhythm.

Each season has its own unique beat. As we move through the days, months and years, we need to pause and identify each season’s tempo, embrace its particular character and grow with it.

So, let’s think about summer: What is particularly striking about this season?

Obviously, summer is a time of increased light and warmth; we have longer daylight hours, and higher temperatures. In other words, summer is a time when the sun is in fuller glory and effect.

Now think about your own internal seasons. There are times when we go through an internal winter, when our internal ‘sun’ – the soul – doesn’t seem to be shining, when our moral vision and priorities don’t express their full light into our daily lives. There are times when conscience and values are in relative hibernation, when the spirit is cold, and personality growth seems a part of the distant past.

Then there’s my internal ‘summer.’, when my internal sun shines. My soul summer is about feeling the internal capacity for spirituality and warmth.

So if I’m able to relax a bit from the everyday stresses and ‘get away’, then I need to use that opportunity to synchronize myself with nature; I need to connect with my own internal summer by increasing the light and warmth in my life.

We each have valuable relationships – with loved ones, with our community and with our G-d – and relationships need nurturing. So if you’re running on fewer cylinders this summer, and have some extra space in your brain and heart, those relationships could probably use some extra warmth.

You have an internal sun. Let it shine.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky and Rivky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, July 15th
Light Candles at 20:46
Shabbat, July 16th,
Shabbat Ends 22:30
Torah Portion: Chukat

Living the Rhythms

Years ago, I was standing with a friend, a seasoned businessman, as his 38 year-old son walked by. Nodding toward his son, he muttered to me: “My son needs to understand that the stock market doesn’t always go up”.

It was an interesting insight for me.

You don’t understand life until you grasp the human journey’s comprehensive rhythm; until you appreciate that living is about ups and downs.

Ups and Downs. If anyone thinks they’ve experienced only one, they’re either mistaken or need to wait just a wee-bit longer; the other will come soon enough.

We all have both.

But ‘down’ is where we feel the pain. Stress isn’t pleasant, and problems are….problems.
But that is life; and, until Moshiach arrives, problems will continue to disrupt our lives.

And so much of life depends on how we deal with problems.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, was brutally imprisoned – for spreading Judaism and helping Jews – by Stalin’s regime.

Yet, years after reaching freedom, he would occasionally try to recapture the horrible experience, mentally transporting himself back to the gulag and its pain.

Why? Not because he enjoyed the pain and suffering. But because he valued the character, the strength of Principle, he encountered within himself. The Rebbe never looked for pain, but when it came his way he didn’t waste effort on blame and self-pity; he faced it with dignity, and it became a growth experience.

Today, Thursday, 12 Tammuz (June 20) is eighty-six years since the Previous Rebbe was finally given the wonderful news of his freedom from Soviet prison.

It’s a day when we celebrate freedom. It’s also a day when we remember the pain. And it’s a day when we search ourselves to find our own inner strength to help us survive, and grow through, life’s pain.

Because that is – in the final analysis – true freedom of character and soul.
L’chaim.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky and Rivky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, July 8th
Light Candles at 20:53
Shabbat, July 9th,
Shabbat Ends 22:44
Torah Portion: Korach

Tomorrow, Saturday, July 9th, marks twenty two years since the passing of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.

I am in New York, joining many thousands of people from across the globe who will be visiting the Rebbe’s holy resting place for prayer on this auspicious day, as is customary when we commemorate the Yartzeit of a righteous person.

It would be an honor and pleasure to pray for you (and your family), as well, at the Rebbe’s “Ohel.” Please e-mail me your name and your mother’s name (preferably the Hebrew or Yiddish names), and those of anyone else you would like me to mention, I would be glad to have them in mind as well. If there’s a specific need you would like me to pray for, please mention it as well.

May all our prayers be fulfilled.

We’ve posted lots of information to help you learn more about the Rebbe’s devotion to G-d, discover how deeply he cared for each human being, and to glean insight into his teachings.

The Rebbe would frequently insist that even the loftiest of thoughts must be translated into actual deed.

Please join us on this special day in learning something additional, reciting an additional prayer, and giving some extra charity. Let us also try and apply some of the Rebbe’s care and selfless dedication to our own interaction with family, friends and total strangers. There can be no more fitting tribute to the Rebbe than millions of good deeds, mitzvot, performed on his day.

May G-d help us that in the merit of our collective acts of goodness we quickly greet our righteous Moshiach, at which time we will be reunited with our beloved Rebbe and all our loved ones.

Sincerely,
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky and Rivky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, July 1st
Light Candles at 20:58
Shabbat, July 2nd,
Shabbat Ends 22:55
Torah Portion: Shelach

Why do we do what we do?

So often, we know that we shouldn’t act a certain way; and then we go do it anyway.

Maybe it’s eating french fries after the doctor warned against it; maybe it’s disrespecting a valued relationship.

When we sit in quiet contemplation, I think most of us have sound moral compasses and a healthy sense of right and wrong.

The problem is that we’re not always sitting quietly in contemplation.
The problem lies in our lack of consciousness.
When I’m fully aware – truly aware – of my gifts and values, I’m much more likely to honor them.
When I’m actively conscious of my tremendous blessings, my life, family and friends, my actions will reflect that awareness.

The trick is in remaining conscious; since the human psyche naturally gravitates toward a back-of-the-mind, taking for granted, automatic-pilot operating system.

This is a reason that Judaism has so many awareness-triggers. When I walk into a room and see the mezuzah, it should raise my consciousness. The mezuzah reminds me that the room – bedroom, kitchen, den etc. – isn’t simply a place to pursue a narrow, de-contextualized exercise (eating, sleeping etc.); it’s a venue for pursuing my overall objective of a meaningful life (through eating, sleeping etc.).

My Tzitzit (the Biblically-required fringes that hang from the little ‘Talit’ I wear under my shirt) are a mnemonic, a consciousness-prod. When I see them, I need to remember I have a destiny and a reason for existence; and that my next actions should reflect that life-objective.

So it’s about consciousness.

If I check my ‘consciousness meter’ as often as I check for my wallet or keys, my ‘internal traffic-controller’ will perk up. I’ll be able to consciously choose, and fully invest myself in, my next moves of the day.
Internally, I become more internally ‘alive’. And in this journey of life, ‘alive’ is the way to go.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky and Rivky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, June 17th
Light Candles at 20:58

Weekly Kabbalat Shabbat Services 20:30
Join us Tonight!

Shabbat, June 18th,
Shabbat Ends 23:00
Torah Portion: Naso

Always the Same

A New York radio host was reputed to have once observed; “I hate synagogue, it’s always the same. Kol Nidrei, Kol Nidrei, Kol Nidrei” and many people would sympathise with her.

Jews who don’t step foot in Shul from one year to the next cannot even imagine what those who attend more frequently actually do there. “You mean you just go there to pray? In Hebrew? The same words and paragraphs over and over and over? With no one forcing you? Why?”

Why indeed?

Why do we insist on turning the same pages over and over, repeating the same words and performing the same motions? Stand up, sit down, stand up, take 3 steps back, bow, repeat. Weren’t you standing in the exact same place yesterday, or last week, or last Yom Kippur; why repeat it all over again today?

Some people are natural believers; a deep pulse of mysticism and faith throb through their veins and the prayers percolate unbidden to the surface of their consciousness. Every single time they engage with G-d they achieve an identical ecstatic connection of unbridled Divinity.

I’ve never actually met anyone like that.

Most of us, by contrast, achieve different outcomes from our devotions each time we pray. Sometimes it just flows; the words we read in our Siddur actually make sense and we can honestly feel that prayer is making a difference to our lives. Other times it’s a much harder slog to get through the davening and we find ourselves easily sidetracked or lost in a fog of distraction. Every time is its own journey and every time is different.

We might be repeating the same words, but it’s a totally new prayer.

There is a very similar interface described in tomorrow’s torah portion. The first twelve days after the Mishkan was inaugurated the Princes of the various tribes offered gifts and sacrifices to Hashem. On the face of it, the text is boring and repetitive. Each leader bought an identical offering and the same 6 verses are repeated over and over, with only the date distinguishing one man’s offering from the next. It would have been so much simpler to just tell us the details once and then inform us that the same was done every day. The torah could have saved 66 verses and we’d all get to the Kiddush earlier.

But that the point the Torah is making. Doing the same thing over and over is not necessarily repetitive. Each day was its own journey and every man brought his own perspective to the play. The days were different because the person making the sacrifice changed and every time they went through the motions they realised new possibilities and achieved a different outcome.

Every time I pray is the first time. There was a different man standing in my place yesterday. He might have looked like me, stood like me, shuckled like me and intoned the same words with the same accent, but I’m a new me now and right at this time and place I have another fresh opportunity to daven and connect with Hashem

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky and Rivky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, June 3rd
Light Candles at 20:46

Weekly Kabbalat Shabbat Services 20:30
Shabbat, June 4th,
Shabbat Ends 22:41
Torah Portion: Bechukotai

Just Because
Think before you act.

I think that’s a good principle for life; it’s one I teach to my kids.

But it doesn’t always apply.

When I awake at night to the sound of my baby crying in feverish pain, do I pause for calculations? Do I weigh my options, balancing the inconvenient awakening with the distinct possibility that I may need this kid when

I’m a geriatric?

Nah. I just jump out of bed. Why? Just because.

Because I share a special relationship with my baby, a deep connection that defies description. When he calls, that extraordinary bond beckons, and I need to respond. So I jump out of bed, sans intellectual analysis. Just because.

Is it rational? Not really. But it’s not irrational either. Let’s call it super-rational.

I rationally understand that this relationship has tremendous depth.

My intellectual analysis confirms that this is a safe and intimate connection. When I genuinely feel safe in a relationship, when I can truly let my guard down, I can confidently move upward into the transcendent world of super-rationality, love etc.

The same applies to my marriage, and – perhaps in differing degrees – to any other deep, safe relationship.

I feel that way with G-d, too.

When I contemplate a Jewish practice, I want to understand its contribution to my life and my destiny; I want to appreciate how it elevates my consciousness and/or improves my day.

But that understanding and appreciation isn’t an absolute prerequisite. I feel safe enough with G d, confident enough in the rock-solid stability of our relationship, to do a Mitzvah ‘just because’. Actually, doing something for a loved one ‘just because’ (super-rationally as distinct from irrationally) adds a special flavor to the recipe of our relationship. It says ‘I trust you’. It says ‘I love you’.

Doing something for G-d ‘just because’ lays an extraordinary element to the bond we share. It says ‘I’m yours’ and ‘I surrender’.

So even when I can find personal benefit in my interaction with a loved one, I should always try to find a shining ‘just because’ at its core. Because commitment without a ‘just because’ is commitment of my mind and actions, but not commitment of my soul. For some relationships that’s enough, and for some relationships it isn’t.

Why did G-d create the world that way?

Just because.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, May 27th
Light Candles at 20:37

THIS WEEK : Weekly Kabbalat Shabbat Services 19:00
Shabbat, May 28th,
Shabbat Ends 22:25
Torah Portion: Behar

Saving G-D

Human beings are vulnerable. By definition, we can’t control all the variables in our lives and that’s why we all need Divine assistance.

Some people may appear totally self-reliant and invincible, but if you scratch the surface we’re all defenseless at some level. It’s humbling, but it’s the reality.

So the dynamic seems clear: We weak humans need the help of the Omnipotent Divine.

Believe it or not, it works the other way too. Yes, G-d needs our help.

The Talmud tells us that when Moses went up on Mount Sinai for his historic interface with the Divine, he found G-d preparing the Torah’s deepest secrets. G-d asked him “Why don’t you help me out with this process of bringing Divinity into the otherwise shallow human experience?” Moses answered “What can a humble human being do to help the Infinite?”

G-d replied “you can at least offer me support and assistance”, to which Moses replied “May G-d’s strength be magnified and expressed in the human world, as You have spoken”
So, G-d needs US – frail and vulnerable humans – to implement His plan for Divine expression in the world. This seems counter-intuitive, so here’s an analogy found in Chassidic thought:

Imagine you have a very deep idea percolating in your mind. It’s a bit elusive because it’s so subtle, but you feel that it’s a valid thought. So you speak it out – you articulate it – to someone. As you speak, you’re actually thinking it through, because vocalizing the idea helps it gel in your mind.
What has happened? The person to whom you’re speaking has learned something new, but so have you. You have unpacked your own idea by fleshing it out in speech.

If you think about your own internal dynamics, you’ll probably feel that your intellect is a much ‘loftier’ dimension that your speech; your words seem to simply be the delivery mechanism for your ideas. At the same time, your intellect NEEDS expression; not just for others’ benefit, but for itself. The intellect develops through the verbal articulation.

This helps frame our relationship with – and responsibility to – G-d. We are G-d’s ‘speech’ on earth. We unpack the power of meaning and G-dliness in the world.
G-d needs our support. And it’s our honor to offer it.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, May 20th
Light Candles at 20:25
NEW! Weekly Kabbalat Shabbat Services 20:30
Shabbat, May 21st,
Shabbat Ends 22:08
Torah Portion: Emor

OUR CHILDREN OUR TEACHERS

Here’s a home truth: adults hold grudges and children don’t. Honestly, as a parent, how many times have you heard, “Dad I hate you, I am not speaking to you again!” And within ten minutes your defiant little darling sidles up as your best friend? Or how about this one, “Mummy, I despise you, I wish I had a different mother!” And miraculously, shortly after, hugs are on the agenda and you are the best parent on planet earth!

On the flip side, adults announce that they will not speak to another person in their world and literally 15 years later this may still be the case. Paths may cross and yet even a polite Shabbes greeting is not forthcoming. Bar and Bat mitzvahs pass by with no reconciliation. Why? Oh, because years ago there was a bitter dispute.

Intriguingly, children are often labelled as immature and adults the opposite. So why do adults hold deep grudges and children shed themselves of these feelings mere moments later?

Well here’s why:

Children choose being happy over being right, whereas adults choose to be right over being happy.

We would (often unconsciously) rather be miserable and technically correct. So I won’t speak to my uncle, so I won’t speak to my brother-in-law or cousin for a quarter of a century. G-d forbid I should say sorry or talk it through. Instead, I will be vigilant and implacable because I am right – whatever the cost!
Well, negative energy is toxic.

This time of year, we reflect on the lost lives of the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud tells us that these students were too focussed on being right rather than accommodating any other views.

When Rabbi Akiva taught his students the intricacies of the Torah, each heard them in their own unique way. They insisted on forcing others to see it through their lens, their filter – hence the monumental bickering that ensued. They had lost their way.

If we broaden our minds, accommodate different views and travel down the track of heeding openness and understanding, our relationships will be fortified and our smachot will be celebrated in real harmony. You will skip in the sunshine, with a lightness of spirit you may not have felt for years.

Lets’ learn from our children and choose happiness, it may just be the smartest thing you ever do!

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for
Moscow, Russia
Friday, May 13th
Light Candles at 20:13
NEW! Kabbalat Shabbat Services 20:30
Shabbat, May 14th,
Shabbat Ends 21:50
Torah Portion: Kedoshim

Revenge!

Does that word sound sweet?

The craving for ‘justice’ seems like a natural –even primal – impulse. What else are you supposed to feel when someone cuts you off on the highway, or actually perpetrates harm (G-d forbid)? The universe seems to cry out for balance. We often can’t find rest until the perpetrator gets his just deserts and the victim’s welfare and dignity are restored.

At the same time, the Torah expressly forbids revenge. The Torah asks to us elevate our personal behavior, to rise above the impulse toward grudges and retaliation. So how should we respond to an injustice?

The Torah paints a fine line for us to walk (the judicial system and international military policy deserve their own essay; this piece is addressing challenges in our personal lives). When I experience an offense, I need to recognize it; I shouldn’t play the ‘see no evil’ game, because that prevents me from dealing with the problem. At the same time, I shouldn’t plunge into indignation and anger at the scoundrel who hurt me. Resentment tends to become very mind-consuming and self-destructive, so I’d actually be continuing my abuser’s evil work of damaging my life.

Instead, the Torah tells us to speak up, effectively, and call the violator’s attention to the wrong perpetrated. That means I should try to spark his awareness and recognition, which is beyond simply unloading my anger. I should wait until I’ve calmed down, and then speak with the wrongdoer to help him understand how anti-social and hurtful his behavior was. Maybe I can actually help him avoid repeating his negative behavior.

So the next time I feel that someone hurt me, I need to immediately get a grip on my emotions, staying calm so I can plan an effective response.

I need to acknowledge that I can’t undo the past. Yet, I can assess how to might protect myself for the future. And I can, hopefully, help the perpetrator recognize how hurtful he was.

But I should leave the universal justice to G-d. My wrongdoer will be responsible to G-d – if not the human judicial system – for his harmful choice.

At the same time, I accept that the pain on my end is something G-d has destined for my soul. I need to find a way to get to the other side while retaining my humanity, and perhaps even becoming stronger from the exercise.

Sweet? Maybe not.

Meaningful? I think so.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yanky Klein

This email is In Loving memory of my dear father
R’ Yerachmiel Binyamin Halevi ben R, Menachem Klein OBM