B"H
Tonight begins the unique holiday of Sukkot. While we must be joyful during ALL holidays, Sukkot is known most as
a festival of joy.
I heard an interesting class today, which discussed the fact that everything in the world is moving. To be alive means to be constantly moving.
Our heartbeat must constantly move, our breath as well. One can marvel at the remarkable consistency of the waves of the ocean. EVEN minerals
show a life force in action (extraction of fission energy). This movement occurs because all of creation is connected to its source, A G-dly life force perpetually
infusing everything with life. And life=movement. We see this by the fact that everything that's alive-moves. The only being that stops moving at times is us human beings.
(An animal stops bc it's his built in nature; you won't find a tiger though, staying in for the day b/c he wants to sleep in :) We humans at times, Decidedly stop. We lie on the
couch or stay glued to a TV, or worse yet one can fall into a depressive state. How come humans can stop moving, can stop appearing alive?
B/C we are able to forget that we are connected to our life force.
When one realizes that at every moment (even when things are apparently going bad in your life) you are directly connected to your life force, G-d,
one becomes joyous, happy. This is even many times expressed in movement; dancing or actively sharing this feeling with another-because knowing you are connected to your life force
brings life & therefore movement.
Therefore, being happy isn't becoming something new, rather it's going to the natural state a creation in this physical world is supposed to be. Alive, moving. You are connected-therefore happy and alive.
As we approach Sukkot tonight, let's truly feel this "simchah"-joy, through recognizing that our life force is constantly being revitalized by our G-d, b/c He Is Willing us into creation at every moment.
Shake the lulav and etrog, dine with family & friends under a Sukkah-all in joy, for joy is the way Judaism is meant to be lived.
-daniel
P.S. 3074 Renault St., SD, CA 92122---anyone is invited to come eat under our sukkah Wed., Thurs., or Fri. night. Chag Sameach!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
Hide & Go-Seek
Dear Friends and family
As we head for our local synagogues for the great high holidays of Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur,
we can approach the day(s) in 1 of 2 ways: As a boring/tiresome day, or a unique and special time to think and connect with something Greater than ourselves..
Once, there was a great Rabbi who was sitting in his home learning. Suddenly, his young son burst into the room sobbing loudly. His father asked what had happened. "I was playing hide & go seek with my friends, and I was chosen to hide. I hid & hid & hid... and no one came to look for me!"
The boy's father then burst into tears. Seeing the confusion on his son's face, the great Rabbi said: "G-d Does the same thing. He Hides and no one searches..."
G-d, no doubt about it, isn't openly seen or revealed. Especially these days, in the final days of exile. But from the vast Pacific Ocean waves to the most minute ladybug, from a peacock to your beating heart, from the divine providence seen in our own lives, G-d Reveals Himself. We just have to search. When we pray during these high holidays (in English or Hebrew) we can try maybe, to think where WE see G-d in our own lives. His guiding of MY own path-and also of nature and the world at large.
I was thinking something: Doesn't it happen often, when watching a good movie; as it nears its end, and the movie has just hit its peak (i.e. Gladiator after he kills the emperor :) one feels that he doesn't want the movie to end. Why is that? Because we enjoy going beyond ourselves for a little while. Into a deeper reality, a deeper existence.
Judaism is the movie that never ends... :)
P.S. please come over to my house for any holidays like sukkot! Ill be home in 2 weeks 858-452-6205
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
A secret to Joy in Life
Hoping this email reaches you in good health and happy spirits!
There's something surprising many people don't know about. I don't know why that is, but I want you to know
that 1 of the fundamental, most important aspects of our service to G-d (& very much important in our own lives) is happiness-serving
G-d with joy. Many Jews go to synagogue. Unfortunately, sometimes it's only on days like Yom Kippur (the most solemnn day of the yr.), and they end up skipping out on Purim, Sukkot, and all of the other very fun days in our calendar.
Judaism, the life of a Jew, must always be approached with Joy. But that's not always so easy....
There is an extremely effective way our sages teach us to be happy: To know, and always remind ourselves, that EVERYTHING we see
and everything that occurs in our lives, is "Hashgacha Pratis"-Divine Providence. G-d isn't Hanging out in heaven watching the world; rather
He Runs everything that occurs to every individual-from your near car crash to the stubbing of your toe! (Even Einstein said: "I am convinced that God does not play dice (with the world").
Chassidic Philosophy (Jewish Mysticism) goes a step further, and teaches us that G-d even Decides the direction in which each and every leaf falls from a tree!
Meaning, that our whole day is run by G-d-He Helps us and we must know always that He's running the show. Therefore: "Damn, I'm stuck in traffic! It's just not fair!" Could rather be: "for some reason, G-d Decided this should be. It must therefore really be for my best benefit." Who knows, maybe in free-flowing traffic you were supposed to be in a car accident? (G-d Forbid :)
How do we know though that G-d Truly Runs everything in the world, and that he even cares about us and our little, minute daily lives?!
The stories abound; both that I've heard, and that have occurred to me in my own life-things too coincidental...
these miracles enclothed in nature that happen to us from time to time, are signs to us that EVEN the boring day-to-day activities are overseen and run by G-d! It's like when you walk into Sears and you hear a beautiful piano melody playing. You think it's 1 of those pianos that are automated to play on their own. Then you hear a mistake. Now you realize there was Someone behind playing the melody the whole time.
These "glitches" in our lives is the open divine providence, that shows us that G-d Was really behind everything the whole time. We just have to be sensitive enough to notice them and thank G-d who helps our every step "i n his heart a man plans his course but the Lord directs his steps."
Through recognizing G-d's Hand throughout our day, we can be calmer and more joyful in our lives.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Daniel
There's something surprising many people don't know about. I don't know why that is, but I want you to know
that 1 of the fundamental, most important aspects of our service to G-d (& very much important in our own lives) is happiness-serving
G-d with joy. Many Jews go to synagogue. Unfortunately, sometimes it's only on days like Yom Kippur (the most solemnn day of the yr.), and they end up skipping out on Purim, Sukkot, and all of the other very fun days in our calendar.
Judaism, the life of a Jew, must always be approached with Joy. But that's not always so easy....
There is an extremely effective way our sages teach us to be happy: To know, and always remind ourselves, that EVERYTHING we see
and everything that occurs in our lives, is "Hashgacha Pratis"-Divine Providence. G-d isn't Hanging out in heaven watching the world; rather
He Runs everything that occurs to every individual-from your near car crash to the stubbing of your toe! (Even Einstein said: "I am convinced that God does not play dice (with the world").
Chassidic Philosophy (Jewish Mysticism) goes a step further, and teaches us that G-d even Decides the direction in which each and every leaf falls from a tree!
Meaning, that our whole day is run by G-d-He Helps us and we must know always that He's running the show. Therefore: "Damn, I'm stuck in traffic! It's just not fair!" Could rather be: "for some reason, G-d Decided this should be. It must therefore really be for my best benefit." Who knows, maybe in free-flowing traffic you were supposed to be in a car accident? (G-d Forbid :)
How do we know though that G-d Truly Runs everything in the world, and that he even cares about us and our little, minute daily lives?!
The stories abound; both that I've heard, and that have occurred to me in my own life-things too coincidental...
these miracles enclothed in nature that happen to us from time to time, are signs to us that EVEN the boring day-to-day activities are overseen and run by G-d! It's like when you walk into Sears and you hear a beautiful piano melody playing. You think it's 1 of those pianos that are automated to play on their own. Then you hear a mistake. Now you realize there was Someone behind playing the melody the whole time.
These "glitches" in our lives is the open divine providence, that shows us that G-d Was really behind everything the whole time. We just have to be sensitive enough to notice them and thank G-d who helps our every step "i n his heart a man plans his course but the Lord directs his steps."
Through recognizing G-d's Hand throughout our day, we can be calmer and more joyful in our lives.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Daniel
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