When a person prays they are supposed to face Israel. And if you’re in Israel you should face Jerusalem. And if you’re in Jerusalem you should face the temple. There is an added rule that applies no matter where you are that you should channel your prayer through the holy of holies (Kodesh Kodashim). I always thought that this was only if one is praying an official prayer but I recently learned that the Chofets Chaim wrote, in his book Machaneh Yisroel, to soldiers in war that even if they do not have time to pray that they should always request of Hashem what they need and that they should are 2 minimum requirements when they make such a prayer. One, their hearts have to mean it. Two, the must channel their prayer through the Kodesh Kodashim no matter what country they are in.
This is an important aspect of our prayer system. Though Hashem is everywhere all prayers are channeled through this specific spot on the physical world before it can reach the spiritual realm.
Hopefully we will now have this in mind next time we pray and may Hashem grant us our requests.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Evolution
The other day my dad told me that my blogs are too short. So I decided to write about a topic that needs many words to get right. I heard many lectures from different rabbis over the years and recently had a long discussion about the topic and came up with some interesting thoughts.
Before I begin to discuss the topic of evolution let me clearly state what I believe. First, Hashem is the creator of the entire world and is running it constantly. If he does not actively do this the world will cease to exist. Second, evolution will never be able to disprove the Torah because Hashem created the world with natural laws so that we will be able to doubt his existence and therefore all of science is at best proof to intelligent design.
The theory of evolution is at this point only a theory even the biggest evolutionists agree it has many problems. The Torah on the other hand is flawless it has been around for thousands of years and is yet to have a question that is unanswerable. The only real question that needs to be answered is that Chumash Bereishis (Genesis) states that Hashem created the world 5,770 years ago. We can even figure out the exact minute Adam was created. So how can evolution theory even begin to work with our belief?
Simple, our sages teach us that Adam was created at the age of 20 able to walk, talk and eat from the fruits of the Garden. This all means that the world was created fully functional. Further more it means that the world was created with age. If you were to test the tree that the fruit came from it would probably be many years old even though it was created less than a week before.
There is only one issue with this answer. If the world was created with age what’s to say that it was not created five minutes ago with all our memories built in?
This leads me to something I heard at a shabbos table a few years ago. I do not know where the speaker got this information but it fits well with this topic. We all know that modern science knows very little about the brain and especially memory. They can’t figure out where in the brain memory is stored, how we can remember for such long periods of time, why we forget and how we can remember something that we forgot.
He said, our sages tell us that Hashem creates the world every moment. He therefore creates our minds with the memories of our past. This means that we forget simply because in this round of creation he chose not to build in that memory. Also if you remember something you seem to have forgotten it can very well be that till now every time Hashem created your memories he left that one out and now he put it back in. (next time you need to remember something try praying that you should remember it maybe this time He will grant (create) it).
Another side point, we know that we are supposed to morn the dead for 7 days and then 30 days and then 12 months with each interval with a lesser level of morning. This is because it takes time for our memories of our loss to be forgotten. Even though we never forget the person with time we feel less pain. On the other hand Yaakov Avinu did not get over his son Yosef when he thought he was dead for years. This is because memory loss is not dependent on time but on Hashem’s desire to whether or not we need to or should remember.
This works out great as a big picture. Hashem created the world 5,770 years ago with science as part of a natural world (including parts of evolution), he recreates the world every second with all of our history intact and the more evolution is proven to make sense the more the Torah will be revealed to be true.
Before I begin to discuss the topic of evolution let me clearly state what I believe. First, Hashem is the creator of the entire world and is running it constantly. If he does not actively do this the world will cease to exist. Second, evolution will never be able to disprove the Torah because Hashem created the world with natural laws so that we will be able to doubt his existence and therefore all of science is at best proof to intelligent design.
The theory of evolution is at this point only a theory even the biggest evolutionists agree it has many problems. The Torah on the other hand is flawless it has been around for thousands of years and is yet to have a question that is unanswerable. The only real question that needs to be answered is that Chumash Bereishis (Genesis) states that Hashem created the world 5,770 years ago. We can even figure out the exact minute Adam was created. So how can evolution theory even begin to work with our belief?
Simple, our sages teach us that Adam was created at the age of 20 able to walk, talk and eat from the fruits of the Garden. This all means that the world was created fully functional. Further more it means that the world was created with age. If you were to test the tree that the fruit came from it would probably be many years old even though it was created less than a week before.
There is only one issue with this answer. If the world was created with age what’s to say that it was not created five minutes ago with all our memories built in?
This leads me to something I heard at a shabbos table a few years ago. I do not know where the speaker got this information but it fits well with this topic. We all know that modern science knows very little about the brain and especially memory. They can’t figure out where in the brain memory is stored, how we can remember for such long periods of time, why we forget and how we can remember something that we forgot.
He said, our sages tell us that Hashem creates the world every moment. He therefore creates our minds with the memories of our past. This means that we forget simply because in this round of creation he chose not to build in that memory. Also if you remember something you seem to have forgotten it can very well be that till now every time Hashem created your memories he left that one out and now he put it back in. (next time you need to remember something try praying that you should remember it maybe this time He will grant (create) it).
Another side point, we know that we are supposed to morn the dead for 7 days and then 30 days and then 12 months with each interval with a lesser level of morning. This is because it takes time for our memories of our loss to be forgotten. Even though we never forget the person with time we feel less pain. On the other hand Yaakov Avinu did not get over his son Yosef when he thought he was dead for years. This is because memory loss is not dependent on time but on Hashem’s desire to whether or not we need to or should remember.
This works out great as a big picture. Hashem created the world 5,770 years ago with science as part of a natural world (including parts of evolution), he recreates the world every second with all of our history intact and the more evolution is proven to make sense the more the Torah will be revealed to be true.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Infinity
While driving to school the other day and I was listening to 95.1 fm Radio Eser. Rabbi Wallerstein was talking about the Greeks and how the invention of the Olympics has created a world where only the champion is the winner and everyone else is the loser. Today in school children are taught that higher the grade the better they are and the valedictorian (the champion) gets recognition in front of everybody and every one else, nothing.
The way it should be is that every one should strive to be their best and therefore everyone can be at the top together. Even though they have different levels of knowledge they all are equal in the amount of effort they put in to reach their personal top of the hill.
This next (hopefully not confusing) bit is partially my brain at work tell me what you think.
If the Torah is the knowledge of Hashem than it is infinitely long because Hashem is infinitely knowledgeable. If the Torah is infinite then by definition you can not divide it in half. Meaning, one cannot say he knows half the Torah. This being said, I can safely say that Moshe Rabbeinu did not know any more Torah than me because both of us learned zero. We cannot say he learned 10% and me 1% because than we are saying that the Torah has measure. The question is how do we measure the greatness of a man in regards to Torah learning?
Time is another thing that is infinite you cannot say I was alive for 10% of the existence of time. What you could say is that both Torah and time are equal in length because they are both infinitely long. Therefore, the only way to measure a persons Torah is the time he put into it.
I think this ties in very nicely with what the Rabbi was saying. If your smart and you remember the Torah laws without review then it is your obligation to expand your knowledge base further then others. Because its not the amount of information or how well you remember it that makes you a true champion but the hard work (time) that goes into it, your effort.
The way it should be is that every one should strive to be their best and therefore everyone can be at the top together. Even though they have different levels of knowledge they all are equal in the amount of effort they put in to reach their personal top of the hill.
This next (hopefully not confusing) bit is partially my brain at work tell me what you think.
If the Torah is the knowledge of Hashem than it is infinitely long because Hashem is infinitely knowledgeable. If the Torah is infinite then by definition you can not divide it in half. Meaning, one cannot say he knows half the Torah. This being said, I can safely say that Moshe Rabbeinu did not know any more Torah than me because both of us learned zero. We cannot say he learned 10% and me 1% because than we are saying that the Torah has measure. The question is how do we measure the greatness of a man in regards to Torah learning?
Time is another thing that is infinite you cannot say I was alive for 10% of the existence of time. What you could say is that both Torah and time are equal in length because they are both infinitely long. Therefore, the only way to measure a persons Torah is the time he put into it.
I think this ties in very nicely with what the Rabbi was saying. If your smart and you remember the Torah laws without review then it is your obligation to expand your knowledge base further then others. Because its not the amount of information or how well you remember it that makes you a true champion but the hard work (time) that goes into it, your effort.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
It’s the thought that counts
Someone once asked me “why do women have such a small role in Judaism?”
I wanted to answer all different complex concepts about teamwork and behind the scenes importance. I didn’t, instead I came up with this.
The Shulchan Aruch discusses that your daily routine (the stuff that is neither a sin nor a deed) can be transformed into a powerful deed just by thinking about why you are doing it. For example, eating, sleeping, and even relaxing can be deeds. If you eat because you desire to fill your stomach all you did was eat, nothing special. However if you think to yourself if I eat I will be able to perform another deed without grief or with more enthusiasm because my hunger won’t get in the way, you just ate for Hashem and not for yourself. Even relaxing, if you work hard and need a break go ahead, just have in mind that this break is so you can be refreshed and do good with a clear mind. This means that you can literally do deeds 24 hours a day. All you need to do is think “how is what I am about to do help me serve my creator” if you can come up with anything it’s a deed.
Women were given many important roles in society (at least back in the day). They bear and raise children, cook and clean, and take care of the whole family. None of these are one of the 248 positive commandments. On the other hand, men are spending all their time doing so many commandments from morning till night.
I believe that women are exempt from most of the 248 laws not because they are less important, but because they have the ability to do the previously mentioned rule. They do not need as many guidelines on how to serve Hashem. In other words, men need to be told exactly what to do in order to reach their full potential. On the other hand, women get to choose with what and how to fill their day because they can do all of it for the sake of Hashem.
So ladies, next time you give your children a bath think to yourselves, how is bathing one of Hashem’s children so that they are clean and healthy a way of serving my creator?” if you do that with your entire busy day of work you are doing the same amount of mitzvot as your spouse.
I wanted to answer all different complex concepts about teamwork and behind the scenes importance. I didn’t, instead I came up with this.
The Shulchan Aruch discusses that your daily routine (the stuff that is neither a sin nor a deed) can be transformed into a powerful deed just by thinking about why you are doing it. For example, eating, sleeping, and even relaxing can be deeds. If you eat because you desire to fill your stomach all you did was eat, nothing special. However if you think to yourself if I eat I will be able to perform another deed without grief or with more enthusiasm because my hunger won’t get in the way, you just ate for Hashem and not for yourself. Even relaxing, if you work hard and need a break go ahead, just have in mind that this break is so you can be refreshed and do good with a clear mind. This means that you can literally do deeds 24 hours a day. All you need to do is think “how is what I am about to do help me serve my creator” if you can come up with anything it’s a deed.
Women were given many important roles in society (at least back in the day). They bear and raise children, cook and clean, and take care of the whole family. None of these are one of the 248 positive commandments. On the other hand, men are spending all their time doing so many commandments from morning till night.
I believe that women are exempt from most of the 248 laws not because they are less important, but because they have the ability to do the previously mentioned rule. They do not need as many guidelines on how to serve Hashem. In other words, men need to be told exactly what to do in order to reach their full potential. On the other hand, women get to choose with what and how to fill their day because they can do all of it for the sake of Hashem.
So ladies, next time you give your children a bath think to yourselves, how is bathing one of Hashem’s children so that they are clean and healthy a way of serving my creator?” if you do that with your entire busy day of work you are doing the same amount of mitzvot as your spouse.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Pica
Pica is a medical term used to describe a patient that desires to eat unusual things. They say the cause is a mineral deficiency that the body desires to replenish. The problem is the patient doesn’t know what he is lacking and therefore desires anything and everything he can get his hands on.
The Steipler Gaon writes in his siefer (book), Chayei Olam, that a person has a desire to get closer to Hashem and that this desire stems from the soul. The problem is that the physical world does not have a way to tell what needs to be done to quench this thirst.
Throughout history mankind has done anything they could to satisfy this desire to no avail. They prayed to sticks and stones at first and when that did not do it for them they started on “philosophical” ways of life, and nothing seemed to satisfy this thirst. Eventually science took over and man needed to take these desires to politics and any other mentally stimulating groups of people. In other words, man looks around and tries to find the best thing that he thinks could satisfy the hunger but ends up grabbing the most popular “in thing” instead. He then realizes that he still feels empty inside and either tries the next “big thing” or adds another “thing” and another and another. Other examples of this, the Steipler writes, are sports and theaters (the Roman kind) because its giant groups of people that are willing to do anything for “the cause”. But again, after you go to the super bowl, spend thousands of dollars, and fight and curse the other team’s fans, you feel empty.
The good news, even though we do not have a physical sensor for this desire Hashem told us the way to find this satisfaction, the Torah. It dictates exactly what needs to be done to satisfy this desire.
The Declaration of Independence talks about the “pursuit of happiness” interesting to note that it’s always just a pursuit and is never achieved.
In short, if you desire to finally feel accomplished and happy, smoke Torah.
The Steipler Gaon writes in his siefer (book), Chayei Olam, that a person has a desire to get closer to Hashem and that this desire stems from the soul. The problem is that the physical world does not have a way to tell what needs to be done to quench this thirst.
Throughout history mankind has done anything they could to satisfy this desire to no avail. They prayed to sticks and stones at first and when that did not do it for them they started on “philosophical” ways of life, and nothing seemed to satisfy this thirst. Eventually science took over and man needed to take these desires to politics and any other mentally stimulating groups of people. In other words, man looks around and tries to find the best thing that he thinks could satisfy the hunger but ends up grabbing the most popular “in thing” instead. He then realizes that he still feels empty inside and either tries the next “big thing” or adds another “thing” and another and another. Other examples of this, the Steipler writes, are sports and theaters (the Roman kind) because its giant groups of people that are willing to do anything for “the cause”. But again, after you go to the super bowl, spend thousands of dollars, and fight and curse the other team’s fans, you feel empty.
The good news, even though we do not have a physical sensor for this desire Hashem told us the way to find this satisfaction, the Torah. It dictates exactly what needs to be done to satisfy this desire.
The Declaration of Independence talks about the “pursuit of happiness” interesting to note that it’s always just a pursuit and is never achieved.
In short, if you desire to finally feel accomplished and happy, smoke Torah.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Occam’s razor
Occam’s razor is a principle that says one should assume that the simplest answer is the best answer. An example: when man thought that the sun traveled around the earth we needed many explanations to how everything made sense and every question needed pages of theory and left many more questions than we started with. Then when the theory that the earth revolves around the sun came out it answered all questions at once and left very little not understood. In other words if one simple theory answers many questions at once and leaves few problems it probably is the correct answer.
This principle can be used to explain the way a person should lead their day. Meaning, if you want to have the perfect day you need a plan that lets you do the most with the least interference.
Parents complain that they are worried that their children are out too late and hope that they are not out doing “bad things”.
People always complain that they missed shacharis (morning prayers) or maariv (evening prayes) with a minyan (group of ten men) or woke up too late for zman shema (time of reading the shema).
I constantly hear my friends say “I’m tired and can’t concentrate on… because I was up late watching a movie”.
Many husbands say “I can not learn today because work burned me out I just want to watch TV”
I wish I could let all these people know that when Hashem asked us to pray, wake up on time, go to sleep on time, stay away from bad crowds, not look at certain things, and live our life in very specific ways He knew that only if we do all (613) of his commandments will we be able to accomplish the “perfect day” without any complaints.
Let’s go through the perfect (in a religious sense) Yids day and add up the points:
6:30 AM wake for 7 o’clock shacharis (prayed on time, with a minyan, wore Tifilin, said shema, answered amen and many more. That’s at least 5)
8:15 leaves for work (has time to eat therefore said at least to brachot (blessing on food) and interacted with wife and kids. That’s 4)
6:00 PM gets home eats supper with family not in front of TV (once more talking to wife and kids not starring at TV. That’s infinity (ask your wife))
7:30 leave to shul for maariv and learning with a chavrusa (study partner). (Also infinity because learning an a shul with a partner at night according to Rav Amnon Yitzchak is immeasurable)
9:30 return home, relax (not TV) till 10:30 bedtime. (Once again attention to wife, shema, full nights rest so you can do it again tomorrow and sleeps well because the feeling of accomplishment is calming)
The bad guy:
Wakes up on time to run out the door to work (0)
Comes home hungry plops in front of the TV (-1 per min it’s a sin to watch TV ask R Ovadia Yosef)
Sleeps late with a sense of emptiness because every body on TV has a scripted life (0, if you sleep late you wake up late and you start over on a bad foot tomorrow)
One rule, keep all the rules and everything will be perfect.
This principle can be used to explain the way a person should lead their day. Meaning, if you want to have the perfect day you need a plan that lets you do the most with the least interference.
Parents complain that they are worried that their children are out too late and hope that they are not out doing “bad things”.
People always complain that they missed shacharis (morning prayers) or maariv (evening prayes) with a minyan (group of ten men) or woke up too late for zman shema (time of reading the shema).
I constantly hear my friends say “I’m tired and can’t concentrate on… because I was up late watching a movie”.
Many husbands say “I can not learn today because work burned me out I just want to watch TV”
I wish I could let all these people know that when Hashem asked us to pray, wake up on time, go to sleep on time, stay away from bad crowds, not look at certain things, and live our life in very specific ways He knew that only if we do all (613) of his commandments will we be able to accomplish the “perfect day” without any complaints.
Let’s go through the perfect (in a religious sense) Yids day and add up the points:
6:30 AM wake for 7 o’clock shacharis (prayed on time, with a minyan, wore Tifilin, said shema, answered amen and many more. That’s at least 5)
8:15 leaves for work (has time to eat therefore said at least to brachot (blessing on food) and interacted with wife and kids. That’s 4)
6:00 PM gets home eats supper with family not in front of TV (once more talking to wife and kids not starring at TV. That’s infinity (ask your wife))
7:30 leave to shul for maariv and learning with a chavrusa (study partner). (Also infinity because learning an a shul with a partner at night according to Rav Amnon Yitzchak is immeasurable)
9:30 return home, relax (not TV) till 10:30 bedtime. (Once again attention to wife, shema, full nights rest so you can do it again tomorrow and sleeps well because the feeling of accomplishment is calming)
The bad guy:
Wakes up on time to run out the door to work (0)
Comes home hungry plops in front of the TV (-1 per min it’s a sin to watch TV ask R Ovadia Yosef)
Sleeps late with a sense of emptiness because every body on TV has a scripted life (0, if you sleep late you wake up late and you start over on a bad foot tomorrow)
One rule, keep all the rules and everything will be perfect.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
sorry yet again
i know i should be writing but i have gotten very busy with school and at home i simply have no time. i will be done this part of school in 4 weeks so if i cannot write till then sorry
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