Beautiful Story  :'(.

A cloudy rainy day
When I took a flight
Soaring above
Piercing the dark barrier

Suddenly
Sun shining in full glory
Clouds beneath me

Dawning on me
That the sun’s light & warmth is real
Even while in the earth’s surface
I can only see the dark clouds

God helps us
With that special vision
To see the sun above
So that the clouds
Can be beneath us
The rays of light
Shining on them too….

...afraid of heights. What do I do?

dov wrote on 13 Jan 2012 13:56:

Stay on the ground... or go to afraidofheigts anonymous .

How difficult it is
Bouncing back
Raising oneself upward
After a disappointing fall,
Fatigue and disillusionment
Self hate creep in

Yet when one realizes
That within that bounce back ability
Is the space where lies the key to health
That’s when moving forward
Becomes a motivating force

God appreciates the “bouncing back”

Any emotion telling you otherwise
That God is “sick & tired of your
Falls and slips and slides”
That He doesn’t care about you anymore
That Anti-Bounceback emotion
Is the key destructive force
Within a person

God loves that spark in you
Encouraging you to get up again
Start fresh, start anew,

So many couples ,married for many years
Fail to grasp that change in behavior pattern
That can turn the entire marriage
Towards a new healing direction

It’s doable

It’s never too late
Not for your marriage with your wife or husband
Not for your marriage with God
Both are essence the same
Unity
And that bounce back ability
Plant anew
Can create the beautiful garden
That is there for you to create

We all experience pain
It’s integral to life itself
When unable to avoid or alleviate
We channel it towards
Our own transformation
When crushed olives become
Finest purest oil
Lighting the way
To inner joy

Light Notes-Vaerah 5772-Shefa of Yesod/ Beauty of the Home

The name “Shadai” by which Hashem was made known to the Avos is also written in the back of our mezuzos and corresponds to the middah of Yesod. (see Pardes Rimonim of R Moshe Cordovero ztl who clearly states that Shaddai is connected to the Middah of Yesod)

Because the middah of Yesod is connected to kedushah and the sexual connection within marriage ,it is important to elaborate on this concept

“Shadai” is actually the source of all Shefah, all flow of blessing, though it may appear to be the opposite. This is because Shadai has within it “Dai” which implies limitation. The name Shadai, the middah of Yesod limits the flow precisely because it desires to give and give and give. The limitation is so that we as limited creations can accept this Shefah without getting harmed in the process

The Bais Yaakov,(son of the Mei Hashiloach) bring that Shadai is the name from which “Shadaim”,(breasts),are derived. Breasts provide the life giving milk to the infant. They have the “Dai”, the limitation, the tzimzum, the narrowing of the Shefah and that is precisely so that the baby can receive the Shefah!!!

The Chovas Halvovos explains in Shar Habechinah that the opening of the breast from where the milk flows is a precise size. Too small or narrow and the infant will become very weary and would become undernourished. But if the opening would be too wide, the overflow of milk would cause the child to choke. So the Chovas Halvovas writes that the breasts were designed so that the child should receive the milk in the best possible way

From here we see that “overabundance” (ie an overflow of milk) is actually a restricting and harmful element, and the narrowing of the passage , the outward expression of “restriction” actually provide the full abundance for the beloved child!!!

And so it is in the way Hashem designed the sexual union between husband and wife. We have discussed this before , that for the majority of the world be have the Cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom which restricted each man to marrying one wife. It’s clear that the will of Hashem is that even while biblically permissible , having more than one wife in our Era would corrupt and distort the Middah of Yesod. This is true even with a biblically permissible union. We are told that while in previous generations it could be done,now it can’t. This is because Hashem told us via this Cherem that the expression of sexuality towards more than one woman will cause us more damage and is in essence restrictive. This is when an “Overflow” can create a narrow and damaging restriction cutting off Shefah.

Now if this applies to even a union that is biblically allowed, how much more damaging can it be when we express our sexual energy in non-permissable and destructive aspects.

What actually happens is similar to how light becomes diffused and weak when it shines upon a larger area, getting weaker and weaker and weaker and the lights spreads and spreads to a wider and wider area.

The more narrow and focused the light is, the more powerful it is.

This is the secret of the power of a laser beam, it’s concentration and also the fact that it gains its power by its very restriction!!! The full benefit of the intensity of the light is precisely because it is not shining outside of that special small area where you are made to experience it!!

This is also why the name Shadei is written on the outside of the mezuzos.. The Shadai restrict and contains the kedushah within our homes not allowing the outside forces to diffuse this light. This seems as a restriction but this is what allows the home to be filled with light. Its precisely this “Shaddai” element that a beautiful abundance is within the home

And so when a husband reserves his sexuality only for his wife.and the wife expressing her femininity and sexuality towards only her husband ,though externally restrictive,it really has within that union infinite and endless abundance and joy. This energy only needs to be tapped into and to realize that though the narrow focus of sexuality beween one man and one woman seems externally and superficially narrow and restrictive,it paradoxically has the potential to be wider than a King’s palace   

Very nice piece!  Thanks!

In My Pack
By Shervin Hojat, Ph.D.


I cannot show you what is in my pack.



We sometimes are not aware of the anger and hatred we harbor within ourselves. Having a feeling does not mean that we feel it.



We may have learned from our childhood to be quiet and not express our opinions and feelings.  We may fear speaking our truth and the confrontation that may follow.  We may be calm and soft spoken most of the time while holding onto unexpressed emotion within.  Sometimes, we hold our emotions unexpressed inside our body and its energy may manifest into many physical symptoms.  Sometimes, these emotions burst into uncontrolled release and sometimes, if we are lucky, we direct its release by doing something that society deems acceptable. 



We can look into ourselves and review how and when we feel that it is acceptable to show our anger and rage.  Are we angry about the real issue or are there some other underlying issues? 

Understanding such insight can help us be less reactive and be more pro-active in expressing our emotions cleanly in a timely manner, which will help us in our relationships with family and friends.

In My Pack



In the dark of night I

peek into my pack.



I have stuffed my emotions safely

into my pack.



Among the emotions

I carry anger and hatred in my pack.



They cover my heart and arteries like plaque.



You may be surprised at the contents of my pack.



I look calm, smiling, put together and on track.



I cannot show you what is in my pack.



I have an image to back.



I have an urge to share my pack

without owning what is in my pack.



I share my pack

for causes that give me no flak.



My pack and I traveled a lonely path.



I realize now that lashing out at others

is not in my highest good.



I am now aware of the contents of my pack.



Learning to feel and express my emotions cleanly

without stuffing them in the pack.


Such a burden I used to carry in my pack.



I no longer travel a lonely path.



I now travel with a much lighter pack.

Honk if you believe in G-d
Text if you want to meet Him.

In the cold winter,remember the warmth of spring

Spring Happiness
by Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen


Small daffodil espies my wandering eye,
How delicate its frilly bonnet-do
And soft is scent that wafts on gently by.

Now hyacinth displays plump form anew,
While sitting proud where gloss-green leaves belong,
Its perfume stretches lush to lovers woo.

See tulip cup the errant spring’s cool song,
Awaiting bees sharp buzz of happiness,
Adoring self in nature’s sunshine-strong.

Lost violet sweeps back dirt in staid caress,
With gleam of petals-white in morning’s light,
While rooted toes continue to progress.

The dance of season brings harbored delight
As earth-born flowers color into sight.

i'm gonna honk
where do i send the text to?

love that one

ZemirosShabbos wrote on 20 Jan 2012 17:57:

Is there a shabbos version???

Feeling a lack
Asking God to fill it

Envy is not the answer
For that creates a deeper void

Happiness comes from within
Each with his or her life
Creates within peace of mind & heart
Filling the void
Removing envy
Giving room for blessing to enter in

Light Notes # 12 – Bo 5772-The “famous” Chinuch /Actions influence Thoughts

The “famous” Chinuch on not breaking the bone of the Korbon Pesach.Of course it was not famous to me until I became aware of it but indeed it deserves to be famous.It’s one the most important concepts in life. The Torah has a whole list of Mitzvos to remind us of Yetzias Mitzrayim. The question is why do we need so many mitzvos to remind us of one aspect? And he answers. Know that a person influences himself by his actions. One’s thought are linked with ones behavior. oth good and bad. Even if someone is very wicked and he has done much wrong, if he will devote himself to Torah Study and the performance of good deeds, he will eventually become a righteous person. His heart will follow the path of his behavior and his thoughts will become more elevated.

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin in his book “Growth through Torah” wrote that the concept of the Chinuch is a basic one for becoming a better person. Even if you are not able to have elevated thoughts at first, force yourself to behave in the way you hope to eventually become. If you are inwardly very selfish, and you want to become a more giving person, then start giving.It’s a self created principle. You create yourself with your behavior. Your actions will ultimately shape your thoughts. The Mesilas Yeshorim puts it this way. ”The external influences the internal”. It’s also the basis of cognitive therapy. The seed of cognitive therapy concept is in this Chinuch and is Torah from Sinai

For a long time , a part of me rebelled against this notion. If I felt a bad middah within myself I thought that the primary way to combat it is to fight it internally. Hopefully expressed outward later in time. But often this is a mistake. Yes, it is true that one can work internally too. Meditating, Davening, making a chesbon hanefesh, talking to Hashem, thinking in more positive ways. I’m not downplaying the importance of working on oneself internally. But overall the real tangible power of change begins with the external acts of actual behavior changes.

It happens in marriage when things become stale. Even deteriorating. Feeling of love of spouse are “gone” negative feelings grow. What does a person do to restore or build a marriage to a point when that love can be felt again? The answer is may seem as an oversimplification. And I admit that it is. However, I will tell you both from personal experience and from advice given by people who know what they are doing is that you start by simply changing your behavior. Thank you, Your Welcome, I appreciate you-even when not felt internally-even when the opposite is felt internally. Here it is a mitzvah to be a “phoney”. Why? because intrinsically it’s the truth!! You want to behave like a better person, a better husband ,that means you want to feel that way too. And those outward positive acts will indeed shape the internal self. Kind words generate warmth.But don’t give up after just 2 days or 2 weeks or 2 months or even 2 years. Keep at it. Don’t get discouraged. The results will come. 

This concept of the Chinuch is revolutionary. But simple and clear and true. You can’t behave always based on feelings because feelings can play tricks on you. Instead act and behave in the healthiest way possible. And, over time, healthy feelings will ensue.