Heilga Chevra,

Today was a messed up day as well. Last night on couldn't fall asleep until past 12:00 (I normally try to go to sleep by no later than 10:30) and woke up late for my Chavrusa. I was too tired and unfocused to do anything.
Although today's Shachris was better than yesterday, the Shemona Esrai wasn't like it was when I first started this.

The Y"H knows that my weak point is sleep. I am obviously getting his attention, because I have had 2 miserable nights of sleep in a row. I won the first few rounds and he won the last 2. But I am B"H still way ahead of where I was before I started this. Kol Haschulos Koshois ???

Boruch Hashem Shabbos is coming and I will I"Y"H start fresh after the Mikvah.

Hischadshus not deppression!

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Pintele yid

OK.
Bli Neder.
We will ask Hashem to help.
And we will track the amount of times that we ended up doing it.
And we wil not peek to see if the tefilos really worked.
That part is His business.
Will report back in the afternoon.
k

OK.
4 times total (I think)
Can't report back if they worked, either, because I honestly do not remember what the tefilos were.
The main thing is to daven. right? the details are unimportant.
kutan

kutan shel hachabura wrote on 31 Aug 2009 21:31:


Heiliga Kutan,

You are "right on" as usual :D

But to peel the onion back an additional layer, the goal is to start feeling the presence of Hashem in our heart. The more short Tefilos we say throughout the day, the more aware we will be of Hashem.

Hashem should give us all Hatzlacha!

Pintele Yid

Ok, I just typed a whole long reply and it got lost somplace. I asked hashem for help, but I guess he knew it would be better if I rewrite my post, and maybe think a bit more about it this time.

HI guys, was on vaca so couldn't post. Kutan, I don't get what you were trying to bring out with your posts.

The way I think about it, it's very simple. We daven, and hashem in his infinite mercy/kindness obliges our requests. (Unless he knows it will be better for us the other way.)Didn't R' Nachman say that if we lack something, we either didn't pray for it, or we didn't pray enough!? This is no miracle or sign . It's simple emunah. What is wrong with acknowledging it the way pintele has done?
It is not an allusion that HKBH is up there and cares for each and every one of us, he really does. Recounting specific stories, can only serve to enhance our awarness. I think the world is so crasy and in such hester punim that we may have forgotten the basics.

About having deals with hKbh and such; R' Amnon Yitzchok does so openly by his speeches. He says that if you do something for hashem, He will do something in return. Simple.
On one occasion he said these words " Do you want a deal with HKBH?". Many of you may have seen/heard the story. The guy was in a wheelchair and was unable to walk due to one foot being drastically smaller than the other. He took upon himself to better himself in a certain aspect in yiddishkeit, and some time later, his foot actually grew A FEW INCHES , to the shock of his doctors.
This story is miraculous , yet simple. Hashem is a Kol Yochol. He just wants something from us too. What is wrong with recounting such tales? It increases our emunah. Kal vchomer , small everyday miracles.

I all too often encounter people who are skeptic when they hear these wonderful stories. They say that such things don't happen in our day and age. I always have a hard time understanding these people.
What do they  doubt? That  the story actually happened? maybe yes or maybe not. If the story could've happened? Sure! In the 21st century, we have the same g-d who split the yam suf all those years ago…

Kutan, if I'm getting something totally wrong, pls correct me.

TrYiNg,
Its very good to have you back. I appreciate your direct questions.

I wish I had good answers.

With R' Amnon Yitzchok, it definitely appears that what I wrote is not compatible with what he says.
In klal yisroel there is more than one derech in avoidas Hashem, and all can be true, even when they are (in this physical world to our limited sechel) mutually exclusive.

I grew up with many sefardi friends, and their emuna peshuta was admirable. It was like that of Ashkenazim of generations ago. (there is a great book called Gluckel of Hamelin, a diary written by a Jewish woman about 400 years ago, that has been preserved and tranlated to English. The emuna pshuta is amazing.

www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Gluckel-Hameln/dp/0805205721

So, if someone is part of a kehila where the mehalich is that there are open nisim even today, even in everyday experiences, kol hakovod. or, better said, chazak u'baruch!

But there is also a concept that as the world progresses down the spiral of history, the open giluim get less and less, at the end of galus.
Not just in the Jewish world. Dr. Herbert Benson is a famous cardiologist who studied meditation in the far east (he found it to be helpful for people with heart conditions) He met with monks who taught him meditation. They told him that their grandfathers were able to levitate upon intense meditation. He asked them if they could do it to. They pointed upward to a passing plane, and said that from when those things started flying, we stopped being able to levitate.

There is an amkus in this. As we 'progress' technologically, our internal powers weaken. Our memory weakens. why bother, I can Google it if needed. Our calculating abilities weaken. And our connection to reality, both inner self and outer world, and by extension, to the Divine, weaken.

So, for me, if I'm going to look for open nisim, I think I am going to be disappointed. Its not in the schedule of history.

Regarding how tefila works, please listen to the MP3 from Rabbi Tatz. there are several of his shiurim on the subject available for free on the internet:

www.archive.org/details/DrRabbiAkivaTatzCompilation109

www.simpletoremember.com/media/a/prayer/

Prayer according to him is greatly misunderstood. Please listen. I cannot summarize it without taking up a lot of time. His approach is the kabbalistic one.

Sincerely,

kutan

Maybe there is an element of B'derech She'adom Roitza Laylech Molichin Oiysoi.

If you are expecting that Hashem will listen to your Tefilos, even in a revealed way, then you will see with your own eyes how Hashem continuously answers them. If you think for whatever reason that today,Hashem does not answer prayers in an open way, then you might not see them.

The other possibility is that since you are not expecting them to be answered in that manner, you don't realize it when they are answered.

I remmember Rav Wolfson explained the sequence of the Brachos we say on the Magilla as follows:
1. Al Mikrah Megilah - You have to understand how to read the Megilla. If you think that the Yiden were saved because of a series of circumstances, then you might have physically read the Magilla, but you missed the soul of the Magilla, which basically is one long Hashgacha Pratis from Hashem.
2. Sheusu Nissim - Once you understand that the entire Megilla was Nissim, you can make the Bracha of Sheusu Nissim
3. Shehechiyanu - Once you understood the real story of the Magilla and made the Bracha of Sheusu Nissim, you can make the Bracha of Shehechiyanu, because you are Besimcha that you were able to comprehend the real story of the Megilla.

But I think this discussion is really independent to the main reason for asking Hashem many times during the day for Hatzlacha, either for something you are about to do, and or to thank him afterwards that you were able to accomplish what you did - irrespective of how well you succeeded in peforming  the task or how successful the outcome. The mere fact that you are talking to Hashem so many times during the day, creates this Hiskashrus between Hashem and you, and you really start to feel his presence.

So although the outcome of your Tefilos may not immediately show a direct correlation with you Tefilo, but the strengthened relationship that results from multiple daily conversations with Hashem is "a sure thing".

Pintele Yid

Pintele,
I know Hashem listens to my tefilos. I know that they make a difference and that He answers them.

But I don't think He will make any nisim geluyim today's days.

Even chasideshe rebbe's don't seem to have the power to do mofsim today, the way they used to only 30 years ago.

The issue is not whether tefila works (although HOW it works is misunderstood... please listen to the shiur), but whether the answer will be behind the scenes (like in the megila, barrowing from your example) or bang-in-your-face.

But that reminds me. I need to work on my personal bakoshos. Bli neder.

Thanks ,

kutan

Kutan,

Do you agree that multiple Tefilos result in building a very strong relationship between you and Hakadosh Baruch Hu -thus creating the possibility for Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh?

If so, then let's leave the other issue aside for now. I hope you don't mind, but if I "I"Y"H happen to "see" open Hatzlacha for things I davened for, and if I am able to, I will I"Y"H post it.

I hope the rest of the Heiliga Chabura could do the same.

I will continue with something that happened to me several years ago but still leaves an impression on me.

Before her Petira, my mother Aleha Hashalom was in Lenox Hill Hospital for several months. Almost every night, I used to run from work to the hospital. Aside from the tremendous stress of this daily stopover in Manhattan, I was really "stressed out" because almost every time I got near the hospital, it took forever to find a space. I was wasting valuable time that I can spend with my mother circling the surrounding area of the hospital. Several times, a space was taken right in front of my eyes. Several times I just couldn't take it and I parked in a lot which was a minimum of $35. Maybe I should of always done it and I would of had Emunah that the money would be repaid but for some reason, that thought didn't cross my mind at the time.

One day, around 2-3 weeks before her Petira and it was becoming clear that she would never leave the hospital, while looking for a space I just busted. I then prayed to Hashem that I would never have another problem with a parking space. Sure enough, I found a spot right away and for the next 2-3 weeks, until my mother's Petira, I never had a problem with a spot .

There was one day during that stretch, that I didn't find one before I reached the hopital and when I came to the next light on Park Avenue South, I didn't know which way to turn. I opted to turn right and as soon as I turned, a car pulled out. I got the closest space possible to the hospital.

Pintele Yid

Powerful, pintele.

Kutan,



No, I don't think that if you ask hashem to snow in the summer, or turn back the clock, it will happen. Jst because hashem created teva for a reason, and too much giliu would eliminate our bechira. But, holding back the rain for a few minutes, is still showing hashem's love for you, while technically being able to explain why it happened naturally.

Pintele, your right. We should focus on doing it without arguing about the results.

Ok, I'm admitting. I was really not good about it lately. When I keep myself bz, it's good so I don't have time to think about bad things. But I don't have time to think about good things either. I was on vacation,in a blissful existence , and instead of thinking about hashem more. I thought less. Sad.

Pintele,
What should I tell you?
Your stories are amazing.
Finding a spot near a hospital, for three weeks straight (!!!) is nothing short of a nais nigla. It’s better than the rain story. If these things would happen to me, maybe I wouldn’t be such a skeptic.
Then again, maybe if I would not be such a skeptic, these things would happen to me.

But I still have a problem with it :D

I think that what doesn’t sit well with me is the attitude that Hashem should do things according to 'my' plan. Meaning change the world for me.
it seems to me to be something that tzaddikim have the right to do. but not kutan. I need to be happy and thank Hashem that the car runs, that there is a lot to park in (which I need to work on, don't get me wrong) etc.
Who said Hashem has to answer my tefilos by providing a free spot? Maybe He decided to have me park in the lot, and manipulates the world so that an extra $35 floats over my way in finding a 'metzia' (that I would have been buying anyway! :D ) in a store, or earning money I would not have, etc.

I don't think that all this talk is detracting from our main project... It just keeps the subject in my mind... and I remembered to daven to Hashem for siyata dishmaya before I answer :D

Kutan

PS: One can still daven that Hashem should change the world, though! I asked R’ Wolfson once about davening for the recovery of a person who was diagnosed with a chronic illness that has not cure at all in medical science. It seemed that it would be against the Gemara of davening for a boy/girl after 40 days from conception.  He told me it is OK. He said even to daven for a boy is OK, al pi kabala.
I think the hesber might be that we daven not to make the thing actually happen (that is up to Hashem) but to exercise our muscles in bitachon, that we believe He is in control.  He CAN do whatever he wants.


PPS: my internet connection was down for a day... sorry for the delay.

Hashem is a kol yochol. It is the same easy for him to change the teva as it is to maintain it.

TrYiNg wrote on 03 Sep 2009 01:33:


In theory yes. In practice too! But l'maasa, no.
He limits himself, so to speak, by our ability to receive His intervention. The sefer Nefesh Hachaim discusses this at length.
There is also a very interesting shiur from R' Tatz that discusses this topic... more than one actually. If your interested I'll give you the links.

BTW, Pintele, thanks for starting this program! I've been (slowly) inclucating it into my life, and the results are amazing.
What I find is that when I daven for  something I need (like the ---fill in the blank--- I'm missing, which happens to me regularly), and then, eventually, I find it, I really appreciate that it was Hashem who made me find it, rather than 'I found it'.

kutan shel hachabura wrote on 03 Sep 2009 12:47:

I don't understand the diff between theory/practice and l'maasa. Maybe the links will help.




wow. Amazing. I am so bad. It's like I have this blockage laely. I live my life as if hashem is totally out of the picture. It used ot not be this way . I don't know what to do. Could we all start posting progress EVERY DAY?  Maybe that'll help me

Yes. every day, bli neder.
Yesterday was an off day. No requests at all (at least that i remember doing.)
forget about the blockage. Just do it because of our program.
I will bli neder start again. first request is right now:
Hashem, please help me remember to ask you to help me throughout the day.

kutan