The little Jew said, “I think I can, I think I can”

For myself:
To be able to teach Torah full time, writing sefarim and doing Videos. Not needing to worry about editing either but having others do this for me so I can teach full time. My family to be healthy and do well in school. To make wholesome friendships with others that are true and real. Id like to learn Torah well and have many guests. I would like to take more interesting trips to unravel more of Eretz Yisrael and not feel like I have to rush everything just to have time.

For the World:
I would like to meet more Tzaddikim and new faces. I pray that Hashem removes the sadness and loneliness from the hearts of his children. That people should not have so many worries of parnasa, money. There shouldn’t be so much illness in the world, especially chronic problems. I pray that people should not look down on others and begin to appreciate one another.

Someone wrote me if I worry about Madadra (code name for famous pop singer) and friends coming to Tzfat for Rosh Hashanah. Well, it doesn’t really deserve my second thought, first or last. It is like a bunch of children who play with fire, eventually, they learn their lesson and do something else. The Arizal is certainly not looking forward but why would he waist a second thought on it either.

It is totally disrespectful that they come and the way they do it. I think if they wanted too, they could do it far more respectfully if it meant so much to visit him. The Kabbalah is not open to those who play with it, only to those who meaningfully desire closeness to Hashem.

As far as how it will effect us. Well, last year I found myself waiting at the ari mikvah for a 450 pound linebacker who wasn’t Jewish. I couldn’t make my way to the Ari cause of the crowd. This year, I am sure it will be far worse but like I said, the children will be children. If I had any say in the Tzfat municipally, I would certainly not allow it unless it was done in a more humbling way.

When one thinks of politics, they think of Government and Politicians. They don’t think of Rabbi’s and board members. In the old days, when someone took a test for smecha to become a Rabbi, they were literally geneouses. Today, some Rabbi’s walk around with certificates given by another Rabbi that eats non kosher food. So where did it all go wrong and who is really to blame. Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, there must be someone to blame.

Well, corruption and problems don’t just start in the head office. I mean, people actually voted for a guy who would risk Israeli lives in order to advance politically. So if we want unpolitical Rabbinical leaders, we have to know what it means to be lishmah, to live for the sake of Heaven. When we ourselves become wholehearted beings, that is when we begin to see emes, truth.

Tonight in my hisbodidus, jewish meditation to Hashem, I prayed to be a Reb who would not sucom to political enticements. I prayed to be real. What worries me is when business starts to crawl its way into teaching Torah and chesed. Isn’t this how the entire problem began? Unfortunately, people do not support well their Synagogue, Rabbi’s and chesed organizations. I wonder how many people have been rescued by hatzalah, never to have thanked them or given them a donation. So we wonder why there is politics in Jewish communities, maybe it is not even the fault of those involved. In this cut throat world of Jewish Chesed organizations, striving to meet their minimum budgets, maybe it really is, anything goes…

But then again, if there didn’t have to be a board of directors, those being the large donors since nobody else pays the bills or shares any responsibility, a true heartfelt lead coalition could once again be the foundation of all our worthy organizations.

All I know is, Id like to run from this confusion but I face it in every day life. The small people really have no say. Those with connections, always find away around the law. People with money are able to hide behind it. Truly, a life without Hashem and emunah, faith will lead us running in all directions. We have to know, if someone hurts us, they are just a vehicle from Hashem to guide us. As much as there is politics, there isn’t. Hashem said, “I don’t want your many sacrifices but your broken heart”.

In a world of so many sharks, you just have to be a smart fish.

The baby is recovering now from the surgery. They had to do more then originally expected. Opening the skin down his chest besides just on his arm. It is quite painfull as a father to know ones 2 year old has scaring and will need physical theripy to recover. My wife walks him around the mall next to the hospital and outside in the Tel Aviv heat.

I tried to distract myself and other kids by visiting Tiberias. We went on a boat ride and ate ice cream together.

As you all know, today, my son had surgery from his 3rd degree burns 8 months ago. This means that I am all alone with my other 2 boys. So today, I let them watch some videos of their mommy who is away and then I took them to the little Tzfat zoo which mostly conisists of chickens and birds. Somehow, myself and the chickens survived the ordeal. By the way, Gedalya is slowly becoming more alert as the medisons wear off.

So know it is evening and the kids are sleeping after 2 hours of the bedtime mania. I don’t even know where to begin now with my time. The first one woke up a quarter to 6 yesterday. Well, I think I can make it through this but there is no chocolate in the house! Someone bring me some chocolate!

Our baby that was burnt will be having Surgery this monday. Gedalya Aharon Zvi ben Rochel Faiga

If all goes well and he recovers nicely, I hope to be in Uman.

Boruch Hashem, this week I have been so busy selling adds on the websites, putting up the new frumdate, making videos and learning in Kollel.

It has already been 3 weeks of sharing the roads, parking spaces and even ones home but it isn’t enough! Tonight starts the famous Klezmer Festival in the old city Tzfat. Some of us simply run away during this time period to friends in Jerusalem but for our local Synagoge, Kollel study for men as just begun.

For me, Bain HaZemanim has always been a time to stay in doors, away from all the wild vacationers. As soon as they leave, I begin to think about some trips I can take with the video camera. As you can see, I have cut back on making new videos due to a lack of funds but I have put new effort into site design and growth. There are many special things to come in the next couple of weeks.

http://myspace.com/ilovetorah

On myspace I have about 10,000 Jewish holy friends. One of the largest Jewish groups on myspace and I get thousands of messages there from around the world regularly. This week we made a shabbos candle lighting and kiddush challenge.

Please join my myspace contest!!! We are asking ladies who have never lighted candles for Shabbos to light two candles this week. To join, simply sign the myspace guest book and say, “I am lighting shabbos candles this week the first time” LETS SEE HOW MANY people WILL TRY! Of course, we light candles before sundown Friday night:)

If you have realplayer, you can see how to light here.
http://ilovetorah.com/torahvideo/lighting.ram
Otherwise, go to my website, www.torahvideo.com go to video catagory, jewish holidays, shabbos lighting. The film is 4minutes.

I have 9738 Friends and I can’t seem to make it to 10,000. Please tell your jewish friends to add me so I can break 10,000 Jewish Friends!!!!!

On another note, this shabbos in tzfat, israel, we are having 2 couples and one single fellow. Together they represent the countires of Russia, USA, Canada, Australia & England. I think it is kinda awesome. My friend will be bring a bottle of “bookers”, sealed in a wood box, the finest Wiskey and together we will celebrate the holy Shabbos.

The Rabbi’s teach us that Shabbos is the center of the week, not really the 7th and last day as we know it. You see, all blessing and sustanance a person receives draws from how much effort they put into making Shabbos special. Now making Shabbos special could mean something different to every person. For some it could the long service in the synagoge, for others a dinine meal with good food, others nice shabbos singing or lighting 2 candles and for some, just getting together with friends and being happy.

No matter which way Shabbos speaks to you, it is important that this day stands out to you, as the center of your world. It has to be respected in some way and even celebrated in a simple way to the best of your ability. Doing this is a life changing experience. It isn’t about how religious you are, it is simply about making Shabbos the center and then drawing goodness and blessing from this holy spiritual aspect. When you do this, you will see physical healing, you will find more inner peace, better relationships and even your bashert. Please enjoy many teachings in Kabblah and spiritually on my website.

SECOND MESSAGE

I got a message that the men feel excluded from the shabbos challenge so we are asking men to sign up for Kiddush during Shabbos. It is in the prayer book and if you can’t find it, we will make it really easy for you. HAVE A DRINK OF BEER AND SAY BEFORE, “I AM DRINKING THIS FOR SHABBOS.” The point of this is not to get drunk so max 24 beers please! I will have you all in mind while I am drinking the $80 bottle of bookers my friend is bringing.

Remember, just to know Shabbos and do even the slightest thing in her honor, brings blessing the entire week. MONEY! BASHERT! JOY! PEACE!

P.S. If you don’t know how to drink properly, please visit FIND REB MOSHE’S PURIM PARTY, ON WWW.TORAHVIDEO.COM

TO SIGNUP, PLEASE POST A MESSAGE ON THE MYSPACE GUEST BOOK, “I will drink in honor of Shabbos”

See Click Kever here

My son has visited many keverim with me over the year though I don’t take him on most trips. We also live right up the hill from the tzfat grave yard. Today on his own, he built an entire grave monument with a done and seating out of the toy called clicks. He did this totally on his own. I can’t really tell you my expression from awakening to see his built grave yard. Maybe it is time to take him other places.

On another note, the website server bill was due today and bounced. They should give me one or two days before turning everything off…

Many people dream of living in Eretz Yisrael. For some it is about living amongst mostly Jews, others a simple retirement goal, some feel this is their contribution to what they believe is the Goal of modern Judaism while others come in order to simply grow in Torah & Mitzvos. There are also those who haven’t really found what they are looking for and just fly over in order to seek answers. Whatever the reason is, the goal is the same, to make Eretz Yisrael ones temporary home until the coming of Moshiach.

Not all those who come are meant to stay though. Some simply run for easier pastures. For them, the dream became a very real reality. Moshiach has simply not arrived yet. To the north of you is Lebanan, north east would be Syria, East Jordan and south Egypt. These countries are not the biggest fans of Judaism and let us not even mention those countries which border them. If this wasn’t enough, there are about 4 million Arabs in Israel itself, many of whom keep in their dresser draws guns for the one day they might be able to taste their dream of hurting a precious Jew.

All this can be dealt with emotionally and with faith in Hashem but there is still another reality one faces. You may have stood next to your Israeli neighbor on Har Sinai but you grew up in different surroundings. With a different tongue, other foods, wood instead of stone, central heating instead of room heaters and dozen of other commodities. For those who remain after their aliyah long term, they realize that these things are only luxuries and the desire for them simply fades away. In fact, for some, they adjust so well to life here that they wonder like the rest of the Israelis around they, why Americans are so spoiled.

The burocrasy isn’t the easiest thing to get used too. For some this breaks them. I mean to be in your 30’s and have to return to drivers ed only to find out the tester thinks you are unskilled in this task even though you have driven far more miles they he ever will in his life. But for those with a true desire to live in the holy land, these are just normal trials and far less invasive then those crazy American telemarketers. Well the list goes on but even these things can be dealt with.

Where the line begins to get evasive is when you realize that no matter what you do, you will always be an American and so will your children. As much as you try to blend in with your fake accent or pretend Israeli personality, they read through you like two way glass. Israelis are like the very stone they build with. They had to be in order to survive the persecution from the hostile nations that surround you. An American on the other hand is like a little kid going back to school again. It will take him years of schooling to learn how to function in this new world he has entered.

All the folks back home of course think that he is crazy to have made aliyah but to them, this is because of all the hostility that surrounds an Israeli. What they don’t realize is that the only real test here is how you adjust emotionally to the social environment. Yes, one can simply hide around American friends but this is not really living here. American towns are few and far between and usually lack in many things. The only true way is to be one of them. To become an Israeli in your heart, eyes, thoughts and actions but this is almost impossible when Israelis see right through you.

Believe it or not, even this a person can still overcome and live a happy life here. I mean a person doesn’t make aliyah worrying how they will appear to others but rather, for the experience itself. It only becomes hard when your children don’t fit into the society and home you are preparing for them. They are after-all, your entire world and you want to build for them good relationships and a strong education.

Meanwhile, back home, family and friends begin to forget of your existence and importance. You try to survive without them but on only 2-3 dollars an hour, your only hope is that they remember you. As an Israeli, who has lived their entire life surviving off more simple living methods, this is not a big deal but you have still not become a true Israel even after years of trying. That is, not until you have fully gone through the training required.

I think all this could become a lot easier should Americans truly supported their brothers who have changed their entire life in order to live in the holy land. If schools were to have better funding for tools & books. It would be so helpful if American explorers looked to hire oversees to support those who made aliyah. If every community raised money especially for Israeli Americans. A century ago, the only way Jews survived in Israel was through funds sent over from Russia and Poland. Today, many American Jew in Israel is entirely alone to fend off of the crumbs of his Israeli neighbors and he cannot survive without American help.

To Donate to the poor in Tzfat    http://www.ilovetorah.com/donate/

I got pulled over today on a back-road to the mayon mikvah by police. He stated, “You drive like a pilot”. This might be the first time anyone in Israel was pulled over on a mikvah road which isn’t a road in Israel. I was not issued a ticket. Is there such a thing as a speed limit on a road which isn’t a road? 

Also, Please pray for my car’s clutch. It is brand new but the mechanic didn’t adjust it to the way I like it (soft to the touch, nice long length with pull right away when it is upright, 25inches of clutching action). This is causing me much emotional distress.

I was driving in Jerusalem a few days ago when I need to make a quick lane change to reach the turn. The passenger next to me commented, “Just one moment, there is a bus in the lane”. I waited and then waited some more. When I saw the end of the bus, I began turning the wheel when I realized, the bus is still there. I guess I never really realized until that moment, how long a Israeli Double Bus truly is.

I will be in Uman I’Y’H and a nice Ukrainian boy will be meeting me after years of contact through ilovetorah, this will be his first Shabbos experience. I need help for room and food for his stay with me, please help in this urgent matter.

So here I am looking for a good deal on a used 10 year old car and everyone keeps repeating this line to me. “Nothing in the world is free. Don’t expect anyone to give you a deal. I kept hearing this line all last week and it got me thinking. You know I grew up as the son of a man who believed totally in the giving of the self. An Amateur Radio operator for 40 years, my father’s life was totally about doing free favors to others. My father never charged for doing a favor and whenever he could give someone a break, he would.

It just reminds me of the values I grew up with and how I miss being surrounded by them. I find myself offering money to friends for things daddy would always do for free. It seems that the value of good friendships today has deteriated. Maybe this is the true reason many of live off of prosac today and suffer from dire loneliness.

My wife and I are trying to figure out what to do since it appears that one of our shabbos guests might have stolen her ring. We think we might know who the person is but to accuse someone unjustly is a crime, even in ones own mind. Therefore, I publicly ask here on the forum that if you might have taken it, we will not be upset with you if you confess and simply return it. The ring has a very personal story to it and it is never to late to do teshuva for this grave error.