ללא מחבר No Author

Aliyah: Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail!

Get the Aliyah APP

By Matt Solomon – 

Today, if you don’t have an “APP”, you can’t function. I pay my parking with PANGO, open my garage door with OXS, know when to daven thanks to CAL-J, pay bills with BIT, order taxis with GETT and communicate with my kids on WhatsAPP. And now, for all those still not living in Israel, you can get the official, newly released Aliyah APP. It has no name yet, so email me your suggestions, and the best one WINS! (What’s the prize? When you make Aliyah, I will treat you to cheesecake at the Israeli café of your choice! Trust me, it’s a great prize!) 

Let me tell you about this APP, because it’s not what you think. It is not your usual “press-one-button- and-everything-is-done” APP. This APP is an acronym and it stands for the 3 things you need for your Aliyah to be successful and everlasting. “A” Attitude + “P” Planning + “P” Prayer = APP. Let me explain. 

 

The first thing you need is a rock-solid attitude. Let’s be honest. Making Aliyah is a life-changing experience and it will be the best thing you ever do… but it’s not easy. Next week – July 4th – will mark the day my wife and I made Aliyah back in 1990. We had 4 little kids and life was comfortable in Woodmere, Long Island. I had a great job in Manhattan and 2 of the 4 kids were in the local Yeshivot. We loved being near family and enjoyed community life. In addition to my job, I started a kiruv program near Wall Street and was changing the lives of many young professionals. Yet, we felt that our Jewish souls were broken. We were happy in NY, but not complete Jews, so we uprooted everything and made the life-changing move.  

Was it easy to leave both my parents and my wife’s parents? No, it was not. Was it easy to leave a great job and go to a foreign country with no job? No, it was not. Was it easy to leave the Kiruv program I started at a time when many of my students were just beginning their journey towards a Torah life? No, it was not. Yet, my wife and I did exactly that – 30 years ago – and we never regretted it for a second because we made Aliyah with an unbreakable attitude. We went with the mindset that this would not fail and any obstacle or challenge that came our way would be overcome. Simply put, we wanted to live in Israel more than anything else. Our oldest child was getting ready to enter 3rd grade and we wanted to raise her, and the other children, in our own country. We wanted the kids to speak Hebrew fluently and, as crazy as it sounds, I wanted my son (who was 5 at the time) to be a combat soldier in the IDF (which, Baruch Hashem, he did!)  

Therefore, my suggestion is this: The first thing to do in the Aliyah process – even before you call Nefesh b’Nefesh – is to make sure you have a positive attitude for this amazing journey. Here’s a free tip: Think about Moshe Rabbenu. What would he have done to enter Israel? I told this to my wife before we left… that this would be my secret “Calm down, Shmuel” formula and it worked. I remember once, standing on line for hours in one of the local offices to get some paper stamped for the 14th time, and I was ready to scream, when all of a sudden my wife said, “Shmuel, take a deep breath. Think of Moshe Rabbenu. We’re doing something he was not allowed to do. He would have loved to get that 14th stamp… and even a 15th!” I know it sounds nuts, but it worked. I went from angry to happy and when the guy stamped my paper, I asked, “Are you sure nobody else wants to stamp it? Come on, there must be some guy in Beesheba who needs to approve this!” He thought I was crazy…  

The next thing you need for your Aliyah to be successful is planning… lots of it. This doesn’t mean that you have to figure out everything to the last detail, but you definitely need a plan. Remember the expression: If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Therefore, use the time it takes between opening your Aliyah file in Nefesh b’Nefesh and actually flying to Israel, to plan as much as possible. Rent a nice apartment so you – and your family – will be comfortable. In all likelihood, this will not be your final destination, so don’t worry too much about it, but make sure to secure a nice place in a good neighborhood. Our first year was in Netanya and we moved there without knowing a soul… literally, not one person! At the time, there was a lot of new construction in Netanya and we found an apartment in a brand-new building. We were just the third family in a building of 10 floors! It was a lovely 4–bedroom apartment and it was a great way to start our new life. 

Planning also means doing your best to find a job but be prepared to go even before you have one. My thought process was simple; By moving to Israel, I am doing exactly what Hashem wants so He will not let me fail! Some may call this naïve and others irresponsible but I call it “living a life of Emunah”. If you wait for all the pieces of the puzzle to perfectly come together and only afterwards act on what Hashem wants… where is the Emunah? This is not just advice I am giving my readers, it is how I live my life… and how I made Aliyah. When my parents and friends asked me how I was going to support a wife and 4 kids (plus 2 more that Hashem blessed me with in Israel) I simply told them that Hashem will help me in Israel the same way He helped me in New York! Who helped me land the job in Manhattan? Who helped a 20–year–old kid get married to a beautiful girl and start a family? I was working in a kosher appetizing store on Main St at the time and many, many people told me to wait… get a “real” job… put away some money… and Baruch Hashem I did not listen to them! I have always believed that when a Jew does the right thing for the right reason, Hashem will always help that person succeed! So, definitely plan – as best as you can – but leave something for Hashem to do… 

Which leads me to the third and final part of this APP. You have the Attitude, you have the Plan so all that’s left is the Prayer. This might be the most important part of all – to daven to Hashem that your Aliyah be successful. Don’t wait for a problem to arise… talk to Hashem now! Don’t wait for the “I told you so” people… make that call today! Hashem is our Father so he wants you to be happy! He wants you to succeed and fulfill the dream of returning to Zion. Think about it. We daven for this 3 times a day so when you actually do it… make those prayers 10 times a day! Ask Hashem to guide you, to hold your hand and to make your Aliyah dream a reality. 

This is the APP you need; Attitude + Planning + Prayer which will bring you home and keep you here to welcome Moshiach himself. Let’s make it happen! 

From The Jewish Press, here.

Ever Wanted to Start a Torah Conversation but Couldn’t Come Up with a Hook?

101 Engaging Questions to spur dynamic Torah conversation in any setting

By Rabbi Yehoshua Berman (Author)

Sample pages:

Have you ever wanted to strike up a Torah conversation but found yourself stymied?

We all know that learning Torah is the center of Jewish life. The Torah says quite clearly, “And you shall discuss them while sitting at home, and while traveling on the road.” Divrei Torah are meant to occupy us – each individual according to his unique capabilities – in a continuous manner.

That’s easier said than done, particularly if you are with other people and you just can’t seem to think of anything that will strike up a meaningful, engaging Torah conversation. And it is especially challenging when we are with our children. We want to keep them engaged and interested in words of Torah – but how?

101 Engaging Questions offers us an effective and entertaining way to get our children, our friends, and, yes, ourselves engaged and excited about Torah topics. Each page offers a stimulating question, accompanied by a thought-provoking photograph. Turn the page and you will find the answer, plus unusual facts and points to think about. On a road trip, an airplane, or just sitting at your table with your family -101 is guaranteed to spark a satisfying and meaningful Torah conversation.

From ArtScroll.com, here.

תחשוב בית מקדש, יהיה לך בית מקדש

עליתי פעמיים להר הבית והרגשתי את החלום הופך למציאות

להרבה חברים זה נראה מוזר שעליתי להר הבית ולא הסתפקתי בכותל • זה ממש לא דומה • בהר הבית מרגישים את החלום הופך למציאות • ממש מול עינינו

‏מתנאל דוד לטנר‏ יום שני, ז’ תמוז ה’תש”פ

השבוע עליתי להר הבית.

פעם אחת עם אביחי גולן וניראל הודק, לחגוג יחד שנתיים לחבורת הלימוד שלנו.

ופעם שנייה עם חברי הטוב דניאל טרטנר שמתחתן בקרוב.

הרבה שאלו אותי, מה כזה חשוב לך לעלות? למה לא להסתפק בכותל, בלי הקאדר של לטבול ולעלות ולשמוע משוטרים שאסור לך להתפלל או לעשות שום דבר דתי אחר?

אבל בשבילי לעלות להר הבית זה ללמוד איך לחלום וגם לדמיין איך להגשים חלומות.

זה כמו ילד שגדל בשכונת פשע אבל רוצה להיות אסטרונאוט. שזה אחלה חלום אבל כל החברים שלו מהשכונה יצאו מוכרים בסופר במקרה הטוב. וזה נשאר בתור חלום ילדות בראש.

עד שיום אחד חבר שלו לוקח אותו לעבודה שלו בנאס”א והבחור קולט שכדי להיות אסטרונאוט בסך הכל צריך להיכנס לכושר ולהסתגל לקשיים, לדעת מדע ולהיות עם הקשרים הנכונים.

אז אמנם הוא לא נהיה עדין אסטרונאוט, זה ברור, אבל פתאום החלום הפך למציאותי.

אני חושב שכשעולים להר ורואים 20 מטר ממך את המקום של המזבח, פתאום “מזבח חדש בציון תכין” הופך מחלום מופשט למשהו קצת יותר קונקרטי, שכולל בתוכו לשכור מהנדסאים ולהשיג ווטו מהאמריקאים ולהיכנס לעימות מול ארגוני הצמחונים ולהסביר למיליוני ישראלים ולמיליארדי סינים והודים למה זה קריטי – אבל עדיין, החלום הופך לקצת יותר מציאותי.

וכשרואים שלפני 5 שנים שוטרים בבידוק הביטחוני חיפשו לך בנעליים כי אולי אתה מבריח סידור, והיום אתה יכול להתפלל שמונה עשרה מול קודש הקודשים בנחת – אתה מבין שהמציאות יכולה להשתנות.

וכל התקופה הזאת הופכת מאבל ובכי על מה שהיה, למחשבה גם על איך ניתן להשיג את מה שיהיה.

מאתר חדשות הר הבית, כאן.

Anti-Corona Masks – Possible Side Effects

Warning About Danger of Masks!

A flyer being distributed in Arizona

July 1, 2020

Mask use can be very dangerous to your health because of:

1) Reduced blood-oxygen levels leading to reduced mental clarity, lethargy, and reduced immunities. This condition, known as “hypoxia,” can cause persons to lose focus and make bad decisions which can be dangerous to others. People are already falling asleep and fainting when doing routine tasks while wearing masks. The result could range from physical injury to self or others due to inattentiveness all the way to a social tragedy such as a rushed inaccurate verdict rendered by an oxygen-deprived masked jury that was unable to fully focus on and comprehend evidence and arguments in a case.  The likelihood of viral infections increases with hypoxia because the body’s natural defenses are degraded.

2) Carbon-dioxide toxicity from reduced ability of body to expel carbon dioxide (a waste product from all cellular activity).

3) Moisture retention in lungs due to the mask’s retention of water vapor in the lungs. Moisture retention in lungs is a leading factor associated with pneumonia, bronchitis, viral and bacterial infections, asthma, and other respiratory ailments. Fluid build-up in the lungs can be very hard to treat and can result in death in serious cases of pneumonia and other ailments. If the lungs cannot take in dry air and expel humid air, then serious congestion may develop in the lungs.

4) Increased facial touching resulting in viral / bacterial spread. Persons who wear masks are five times more likely to touch their faces continually throughout the day. They continue to adjust the mask with their hands and touch their faces in the process.  It is widely known that repeatedly touching the face and touching other surfaces is a major cause of viral and bacterial spread. This increased spread of infection can go from either the mask wearer to others or from others to the wearer. Even if a person wears gloves and then touches his face and other surfaces, the result is the same.

5) More effort to breathe means additional respiratory distress especially with individuals who are tired, elderly, sick, or immunity compromised. Most legitimate medical efforts aimed at reducing respiratory ailments seek to improve the individual’s ability to breathe, not block it, impede it, or make it more labored.

Surgeon General. U.S. officials, including the Surgeon General of the United States, Jerome Adams, initially urged people to not buy and wear masks in an effort to protect themselves from COVID-19. In an interview, Adams said that wearing face masks could actually increase a person’s risk of contracting the coronavirus. “You can increase your risk of getting it by wearing a mask if you are not a health care provider,” Adams said. “Folks who don’t know how to wear them properly tend to touch their faces a lot and actually can increase the spread of coronavirus,” he added.  Although he later relented to public pressure, Surgeon General Jerome initially tweeted, “Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus.”

From LRC, here.