1st Halacha of Pesach- Giving to the Poor

Shlomo Carlebach in his book לב השמים says that giving donations for Matzah and food for the seder is the 1st halacha of Pesach, and reminds us that we begin the seder all who are hungry come and eat. He says that Pesach is the Chag of Avraham Avinu, and that Avrahams unique characteristic is that he always wants us to understand how much Hashem loves us. He says that the more Tzedakah you give before Pesach the larger your vessel will be to receive the light of Pesach. This giving he says creates an echo in Shamayim, and allows Hashem's light to flow easier. On Pesach Hashem wants to transmit to us such Kedusha, merely as a gift that is not even dependent on our merits. In fact we should remember that redemption itself was a gift. We should hold all this inside of us when giving tzedakah.

On this Chag of Pesach we need to emualte our father in Heaven who gives with us with pure Chesed, knowing no limits. We need to see no differences between ourselves and our fellow Jews, that "our money" is theirs, and their tefilah is ours. The more we can see that the "poor schlepper's" prayers are really holding up Am Yisrael we will see the true Emet in the world, and merit our Redemption quicker. We need to give Tzedakah while holding the space inside that Hashem loves us so much and that we are passing on his money and blessings to our fellow Jew. May we be blessed that our Tzedakah like Avraham Avinu should know no boundaries.

* To see a beautiful video about a Jerusalem resident who is living by his tefilot alone and see a list of worthy charities visit Mystical Paths

Birchat Ha Ilanot in Kiryat Moshe Jerusalem

*Picture taken in my neighborhood of Kiryat Moshe in a private home garden open to all Jews to come and recite Birchat HaIlanot. It is amazing to see all colors of Jews filtering in and out throughout the day, praising Hashem together in public.

Rosh Chodesh Nissan (this year: March 26) officially ushers in the Spring season when we may recite Birchat Ha'Ilanot, the blessing upon seeing fruit trees in bloom. This special blessing is recited only once a year. In it we praise G-d's ongoing renewal of creation. The blessing is as follows:

Boruch Ata Ad-o-nay, E-l-hainu, Melech Ha'olam,
sh'lo hasair b'olamo kloom,
ubara bo briyot tovot v'eilanot tovot,
leihanot bahem benai adam.

"Blessed be You, G-d, our G-d, King of the Universe,
that His world is not lacking anything,
and He created in it good creations and good trees
for the pleasure of mankind."

(Readings for before and after the blessing are found in some prayer books.)

It is desirable to seek the opportunity to recite Birchat Ha'Ilanot as soon as possible in the month of Nissan (unless Rosh Chodesh Nissan falls on Shabbat). It is said only upon seeing a tree in bloom for the first time. The growth of leaves alone is not sufficient to allow one to say the blessing; there must be flowers (or buds, according to some authorities).

One who saw fruit trees in bloom during Nissan, but forgot or neglected to recite the blessing, may then recite it only until the time that the fruit of the tree has (begun to have) grown.

Ideally, Birchat Ha'Ilanot should be made outside of the city limits, and only on at least two trees, and the more the better (as in an orchard). There are those who hold that these trees should be of at least two different species. Also, it is desirable that it be recited with a minyan of 10 males if possible, so that it can be followed by Kaddish.

* * *

According to Kabbalah, this blessing has special significance. When Jews make this blessing they are able to redeem souls who have been re-incarnated in the vegetal realm, making it possible for them to continue or complete their tikun (soul rectification). It should therefore, be said with intense concentration and kavanah (intention).

Also, it is desirable to follow the blessing with a donation of three coins to tzedakah (charity), corresponding to the three soul levels of nefesh-ruach-neshama.

"See (said Yitzchok of Yaacov), the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that
G-d has blessed." (Gen. 27:27) It is interpreted that this verse applies to anyone who recites Birchat Ha'Ilanot with the proper intention.

(produced by Yrachmiel Tilles, for Ascent of Zefat,
Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5760
based on Shulchan HaShalem,'Ohalei Tsaddikim, and Kaf HaHayim)

Through the merit of the righteous women the Jewish people will be redeemed

From Parshat Sh'mot:

19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.'

20 And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses.


I heard a drash on Jewish women and Geulah that spoke about this last line in Shemot- Hashem made them houses. In the drash the Rav said that the Jewish women understood how to bring the Redemption through understanding the key essence of themselves and the nation. The Gra says that this "ability to see what is going to be in the far future is Jewish women's power that is built into Jewish women's bodies." The foundation of the Jewish people is the Jewish home, filled with Hashem consciousness. When the family unit is based on a clear emunah in Hashem, the Jewish nation will prosper and will merit Redemption. This is why it says in Sotah that in reward for the righteous women the Jewish people were redeemed. Because the Jewish women feared G-d, invested in the Jewish people, and put their life on the on they were rewarded with "houses", a reward to give them Koach to continue in this holy work. It is brought down that a Jewish women has the ability through her home to create such a holy sanctuary through mitzvot that she is building a holy home both in this world and the next.

As obvious from the above, we can never underestimate our foundational role in the Redemption of the Jewish people as Jewish women and home makers. Every Shabbat meal we prepare, all the tzedakah we give, the Torah we teach our kids, and the kindness to our husbands, are all the holy pieces of Redemption. As long as we can use our bodies and intuitions to keep the end goal clear at all times, the women of our generation too will merit to bring the redemption. Back to cleaning....Chag Kaasher v sameach

Children of Kings... What is the impediment?

Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira in his book Conscious Community A guide to Inner Work (p 12,13,14) states that we must understand that We are the children of the King; we have an intimate bond with our father a private and personal relationship. He states that there are 2 basic limitations that keep us from living this reality.

1. We are blocked emotionally- He says that when we feel either excitement or sorrow we become immediately more open and alive. Even if we are moved just a little bit we have already transcended our mundane physical concerns. But when our hearts are constricted we cannot fathom thoughts that transcend our physical needs and perceptions. He says that this is especially true when we are anxious. He says that anxiety itself is a kind of obstacle. The Rav Schneur Zalman of Lyadi wrote that when you feel as if your heart could break on Yom Kippur, indeed your heart and mind are wide open. But the rest of the year when day-to day anxieties overtake you, you loose touch with the immediacy of the power of your heart and mind.

2. Our power of concentration is inadequate- ....He states when a person with developed awareness has moments of powerful clear perception he can see what the Israelite prophets saw: the presence of G-d. This person even after the moment of inspiration has passed can maintain the former perception and clarity. With the capacity for mindfulness and attention he can reawaken the initial inspiration at any time. If we have not developed this faculty of attention we are constantly limited by the lack there of. Since our sensitivity is blocked we focus on mundane considerations potatoes, bread and work. Any inspiration descends on us from above as it does on Yom Kippur. When it falls on us to awaken spirituality from below, that is where the difficulty lies.

*Stay tuned for the Peasetzna Rebbe's advice on how to work on these areas

U tube video not functioning properly

Viewers, sorry if the videos veered off from Rabbi Yitzchak Scwartz's tehillim into some unkown realm. Discontinued temporarily.

Pikuach Nefesh Appeal

Sounds like time is of the escence.

Sensing "Amalek" -Continuation of Yin Yang Jerusalem and America

In continued reflection on the last post I was pondering the concept of Amalek* and the fact that the descriptions of what "Amalek" tries to impose on a Jewish soul was very similar to my feelings of disconnectedness, challenge to spiritual passion, etc., that I experienced recently while in America.

Rabbi Winston, in his book Geulah B'rachamim says that Amalek comes to confuse us to create doubts in our minds as to the extent that G-d is involved in our every day affairs (p 109) .The name Amalek itself connotes a power of disconnection as it has the Gematria of the word 240 "safek" meaning doubt. In Devarim verse 17 אשר קרך בדרך (that he happened upon you on the way) the word קרך has been interpreted as "spiritual impurity", "coldness", and "chance. "

My own personal experiences seemed to reflect these descriptions of Amalek almost exactly, even to the point of feeling a subtle sense of "coldness" and "stuckness" in my being while experiencing a not so subtle environmental attitude of dispassion, lack of emunah, and infiltration of all types of impurity. The attempt to "cool off" my passion for Hashem and my connection to Israel ( Amalek's forte) always challenges me and is a reminder of how these subtle forces seem to dominate outside of the Land of Israel, and how on guard one needs to be so as to not fall into them.

*Amalek is the source and root of the seven evil nations, yet he is seperate from them (Reishis Goyim Amalek)

After I wrote this I opened up Rav Kook's Orot and found his words expressing similar ideas.

It is impossible for a Jew to be faithful to his thoughts and visions outside of the land in the same way that his is faithful in the Land of Israel. Manifestations of holiness of whatever level tend to be pure in the land and outside mixed with dross. Howevere in relation to the longing and attachment of a person to the land of Israel, his thoughts become purified by the virtue of the air of the land. (Rav Kook, Orot p 91)


The imagination of the Land of Israel is pure and clear and suited for the appearance of divine truth...ready for the explication of prophecy and and its lights for the shining of divine inspiration and its brightness. The imagination that is in the Lands of the Nations is murky, mixed with darkness, with the shadows of impurity and pollution. It cannot ascend to the heights of holinessand cannot be the basis for the influx of the divine light that transcends the lowness of worlds and their straits. (Rav Kook, Orot p 92)

Yin and Yang: America and Jerusalem

America Jerusalem

easy intense

stuck spiraling, movement

distant intuitive, reflecting
flashy falsehood revelation, magnetism
earthly spiritual
external yearning
preoccupied challenging
contracted expansive consciousness
cold fire
dulled sparkling
empty connective
stuck moving, spiraling
outside ones self being
worry emunah
falsehood Truth clarifying
ALONE Hashem


The Jewish soul yearns to be home with its Abba. To experience all that it was created for. Eretz Yisrael is unique in that the land, the people, even the air filled with prayer reflect back the holiness of the soul. When it is stuck on foreign lands the soul feels alone. The soul does not know where to go. It can always reach to get sustenance from Hashem and other G-d fearing Jews, but the rest of the space is devoid. Devoid space is a breeding ground for the yetzer hara. Yes Jews are responsible for lifting the sparks in the whole world, but we can never forget that Only Eretz Yisrael can provide the Jewish soul the ability to fulfill its potential and is ultimately home.

Parshat Ki Tisa- Points for good Intentions??

It is brought down from the Shem Mi Shmeul in Rabbie Hershel Reichman's shiur at Na'aleh the question of whether there were good intentions behind the sin of the golden calf and whether noble intentions are looked upon favorably by Hashem.

In the case of the golden calf only .5 % of the Jews who participated died after drinking the ashes of the calf that were supposed to weed out who were true idol worshipers. What about the rest? The commentaries say that for the majority they did not decide to abandon the 10 commandments and the Torah and make idols. One reason addressed is that perhaps they were worried that Moshe had died and that they might be alone in the desert. They were used to relying on a leader, the revelation at Mt Sinai was not deeply ingrained yet. They thought the miracles in the dessert were related to Moshe. Ramban brings down that the golden calf was an inspiration connected to the visions of G-d's throne that they had experienced during the revelation of the Torah. The throne of G-d had a calf representative of a spiritual force they thought they could access through divination and this would get them through the desert. The consensus seems to be that they were never rejecting Hashem. Nevertheless it was still idol worship and we are still paying for the spiritual ramifications of their act today.

The Shem Mi Shmuel brings down that at times certain sins may have have a good motive but a very negative action that is clearly a violation of Torah law. The question is what is the Torah attitude toward good intentions? Do they hold any weight. He says that Hashem does give credit, if the intention was good. The source he brings down is during Korach's rebellion against Moshe and Aaron when Korach persuaded 250 of the greatest Torah scholars to join him. Moshe says Hashem will decide who is the true Cohen - Aaron or one of the 250 men. The test being that they would all put fire in a pan with incense and see who would get the heavenly fire from G-d that comes down to accept the sacrifice. Fire came down to burn up the sacrifice of Aaron and then killed all the 250 men. Hashem says to take the pans that were used in the sacrifice and use them as a cover for the holy altar to remind people of the sin. The question is how could the vessels used by sinners for their sin now be sanctified and become part of the holy altar. The Torah says 'take them because they are holy'.

The answer is that these 250 men meant well. They all had this passion and desire to become
closer to Hashem, to become a high priest in fact. Their goal was in fact noble. Were their actions right? Definitely not. They were not following the dictates of Hashem as set out by
Hashem and Moshe. They were obviously reprimanded to the full degree because they died, but he says that their intentions remained good. Therefore the vessels were sanctified. Therefore the Shem Mi Shmuel says that if a person's intention is good Hashem will purify it from the sin and have it for the credit of that person.

This can be applied to our interactions. What about our own Jews who spend years in Indian Ashrams, our "Buddhist Jews", or any other Jews following a spiritual philosophy which they hope will bring them connection to a higher power. I agree that they should be looked upon with compassion and even admiration for their desire for holiness. We should emulate Hashems ways in trying to see their noble intention while simultaneously encouraging them to find what they seek in the Torah.

Lighten the burden of Pesach Cleaning- Harnessing spiritual Will Power

Even the average Jewish person cannot foretell his potential for spiritual feats- the simplest of people would never be a
ble to accomplish any other time during the year what he does during Pesach...This is because the necessity and desire to perform this service now fill his consciousness and willpower and take control of his body. The latter with their free will then channel into his physical system a greater amount of energy. (To Heal the Soul, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira)

With the grace and will of Hashem I was guided to this beautiful quote after having had many such experiences. Even yesterday morning, on Purim, I woke up very exhausted, and felt some anxiety as how to accomplish trying to finish cooking the meal, setting the table, hearing the megila, sending out mishloach manot, cleaning the house, doing some dishes, and attending to my two little ones before the guests arrived, all while feeling a little sick. On the spiritual plane my neshama was hard at work as well, a familiar Purim recurrence, doing its own spiritual preparation...releasing something from a deep place connected with the concept that Hashem did in the past and will again, save us from annhiliation.

Tov, where to start. After a good healing cry I put my energies into the tasks at hand. It seemed the physical and spiritual disunity of the morning was shifting and I could easily harness it into physical preparation for the meal. It did not stop there. The tiredness vanished and I began to receive more and more light until I felt giddy and high. After sharing my words of Torah where I felt so impassioned to remind my guests and myself what an INCREDIBLE GIFT IT IS TO BE A JEW. My friends even asked what I was drinking ( mango shpritzer of course).

The day after, the high and the light is still here, and my davening feels different. It reminds me exactly of the day of my wedding when I woke up in the morning after having slept only 1 hour, I hought I was going to have to move the wedding. Then too, Hashem gave me Koach through the wedding and beyond, into the whole week of Sheva Brachot. The lesson being if we are doing a Mitzvah or an action aligned with the will of Hashem there will be boundless energy available for it. Sometimes we just need a reminder to tap into it.

May we all keep this in my mind as we head into our Pesach cleaning.

Lessons of Purim- for us Today

Check out Shirat Devora's blog message on How To Nullify a Decree. Very important message for our times. We need to remember the lessons of Purim always. Shirat Devorah

Get drunk on Purim (Shlomo Carelbach)

Refuah Shleima - Weekly tefila kavvanah (intention)

Moshe Rafael Ben Aliza Young man critically injured in terrorist attack

Womens work

A Purim Mantra in Haiku, 1996

To discern G-d's voice
Admist throngs of imposters,
This is women's work
(Purim Bursts, 2000 Sarah Idit Schneider)

The Shem Mishmuel teaches (Based on the writings of Chaim Vital) that mans existence in the physical world is expressed via the 3 levels of the soul

Neshama- machshava (thought)
Ruach - Dibbur (speech)
Nefesh- Maaseh (action)

Mordechai, channeled the power of Kedusha and used the three levels of the soul to save the people

Thought- discern the heavenly decree
Speech- pray for salvation
Action- mourning actions

Haman channeling the power of Evil (Amalek) directed the forces of tumah (impurity) against the Jews allowing him to use the three levels of the soul for sinning.

Thought- Plotted against the Jews
Speech- Spoke to convince Achashverosh of plans
Action- Bribery with money plans for gallows

As we see from above in the physical world there was a standoff between the forces of kedusha and the forces of impurity that is until..... Esther took the scene.

Esther had the ability to utilize a higher level of the Jewish soul called chaya. With this she was able to pull reinforcement from the heavenly sphere, Hashems upper realms where forces of darkness and impurity can never reach. It was also the Heavenly power of chaya that Moshe Rabbeinu harnassed to defeat Amalek in the past. In the past using the energy of the lower spheres our enemies (Bilam and Balak) were defeated, but this required something more Because Amalek personifies evil it had to be combatted with the strongest ammunition possible. Moshe stood on the peak and he did not move and he did not make plans. He used this weapon of chaya.

Jews need to know that we have this power from Hashem to draw on that Amalek can never touch. We need to look inside, dig deep, and harness all our energies for Kedusha. With that, like Malkat Esther we will bring the redemption.

Derived from a shiur from Rabbi Hershel Reichman on Amalek, Purim and Chassidut www.Naaleh.com

Working with our inner "Amalek"

As a follow up on healing techniques I found a section in Sarah Idit Schneider's book Purim Bursts where she states the the war with Amalek is a spiritual practice and offers her technique. She states:

Become mindful of the stream of thoughts that pass through awareness. Identify those that are spiritually corrupt and label their flaw (i.e jealous, vengeful judgmental, etc.) Find the truth that undermines its fallacy and formulate it clearly. For example if you are working on jealousy you could compose a prayer that would go something like this.

Hashem knows my life's mission even better than I. He designed it, He wills it, and He is bound by an irrevocable covenant to assist its fulfillment from cradle to grave. Not a moment passes where he fails to provide the resources required for my next step in personal and spiritual growth. The blessings that I covet in other peoples lives would only be an obstacle to mu soul;s work. This moment is perfect. It has all that I need . I KNOW that this is true.

KNOW she states that you are drawing down a beam of light that is dissolving evil at its root. By exposing the lie at its core, the ground crumbles beneath it, for the bedrock of existence is truth. Purim is a time of grace when forces align to facilitate this work.

(Purim Bursts, 2000)

Event Announcement Jerusalem: A Creative Preparation for Purim

B”SD

A Creative Preparation for Purim

One Session Creative Writing Class
with Shifrah Devorah Witt, M.A., M.F.A.
Author of Inside Secrets to the Craft of Writing

Join me this Thursday in a Creative Preparation for Purim

We will write our stories, share our work, and give constructive feedback to each other. This unique class is designed to attune your creative Self to Purim.

When: Thursday March 5
Where: Nachlaot, Jerusalem
Time: 10:30-12:30p.m.


For More Information Contact Shifrah Devorah Witt, M.F.A. at 054-801-8483

Purim and Tikkun (Healing)

In a shiur on Purim, Rabbi Green of Birkat HaTorah discusses the connection between feeling Hashem's unconditional love and Purim. In the story of Purim, because of Haman's decree it was the most dangerous time for Jews. Thank G-d we had the merit of our righteous tzaddikim Mordechai and Esther to guide us, because it does not seem that we merited our survival without them.

We see again and again how much Hashem loves us unconditionally and allows us to continue on to serve him despite the fact that we blatantly ignore his laws and disregard his providence. In his shiur, Rabbi Green illuminates the fact that the relationship is 2 sided - just as Hashem loves us unconditionally we need to reciprocate, and forgive Hashem for times where we felt deeply wronged because we could not see the whole picture. If we don't, the repercussions are much more devastating than the temporary wounds.... causing a permanent severance in our relationship and connection with Hashem.

Where to start the repair? First recognizing this wounded place inside of us...second undoing old negative beliefs.. and finally letting go and forgiving Hasem. We spoke in a previous post that Emunah is connected with simcha. How are we ever supposed to have simcha and emunah if somewhere deep down we are harboring anger at Hashem?

I have witnessed that many Jews are angry at Hashem and have some subconscious erroneous belief that Hashem does not fully love them and the Jewish people.

Where does this come from? Perhaps this is a remnant of our dark history that became part of our collective unconscious (Purim, Inquisition, Holocaust). The specific root is not so important. What is important is that some part of the Jewish Neshama inside all of us needs to be healed. Otherwise this negative dark hole of pain mixed with lack of emunah from our collective past will attract similar negative beliefs from our personal traumas. Any feelings of anger, terror, betrayal we felt in our lives can easily be filed with the same heading: "Hashem does not really love us (me and the Jewish people)". This causes us to disconnect ourselves from Hashem even further and the cycle continues.

How to break the cycle? This takes continual inner work. Awareness being the first step. We should be strengthened by knowing that this is the work of all of Am Yisrael and that we are not doing it alone. The rewards are so great, for when we forgive and let Hashem back in we can have more love for ourselves, G-d and the Jewish people. This is a crucial part of bringing Moschiach consciousness, which is the consciousness of Purim. May we merit to do this work easily.

*Check out healing links for guides to inner work

Internal Listening- A message to Am Yisrael

A message to Am Yisrael:

My beloved children return to me...Where are you....Please don't stay estranged.

I want you close to me...I want to hold you...to know you are my lights in the physical world.

You can mend the darkness. Please listen. Please take your work seriously.

Time has come. There is no more time. I want you to bring my light to the world. To redeem the world now.

I need your help. I want to shine down my light and blessings on you.

Please don't run away... Please listen

Refuah Shleima - Weekly tefila kavvanah (intention)

Please say a personal prayer, 1 tehillim, give tzedakah for the speedy healing of :

Barcha Elisheva bas Kayla (Mother with Cancer with an infant)

Aaron ben Sarah

Avraham Moshe ben Miriam Toba 4 year old who has cancer that spread to his brain and spine.


Am Yisrael is One body and one heart. May we all be healed soon