Take 2 for a More Productive You

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People procrastinate. It isn’t always the work they shun. It may be that they have more interesting things to do. So they’ll put that “maintenance” chore on the side to do more creative work.

I am not into filling out forms. I am not into routine work. But you have to do them.

Should I take ten minutes to do them? Ten whole minutes? How about Five? Five – not bad. Two Minutes? That’s doable.

Take the two minutes to start the “push off” task. Once you start, it’ll be more easy to continue. One way to get you to start the task is to make starting the thing seem doable. Once you start – continue.

Apparently the same applies to advancing in Judaism. Learn Torah for two minutes. Learn Two Halachot / Jewish laws a day. Learn Two Mishnayot a day. Do 2 new Mitzvot a day.

I now understand why it says “One who learns Halachot / Jewish Laws daily – is promised a place in the World to Come.” The minimum of a plural is two. Get started – go far.

Elifaz is Saved by Yeshiva – The Influence of a Place of Torah

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Esav / Esau – in this week’s parasha / weekly Torah reading – VaYetze – instructs his son Elifaz to kill Esav’s Brother Yaakov / Jacob. Elifaz encounter’s Yaakov and tells his uncle that his father instructed him to kill Him. Elifaz is concerned about following his father’s orders as he thinks that Honoring one’s parents – supersedes killing Yaakov.

Yaakov tells him – there is a way to accomplish both – killing Yaakov and Honoring parents. Yaakov tells him “Take all my money. A poor person is considered as if he is dead.” Elifaz learned that in the Yeshiva – either with Yaakov or Yitzhak / Issac his grandfather.

Several lessons :

Help People to Do Good

If you can help a person do a Torah Mitzvah – help him or her.

The Power of a Yeshiva / Torah Study Hall and Torah Study

The Steipeler Gaon, Zt”l – Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky learns from this The influence of sitting in a Yeshiva has great power. Elifaz – who was ready to kill his uncle did not do so – because he learned in a Yeshiva.

Just in sitting in the Yeshiva has an influence – learning Torah there has even more of a positive influence. If a person is tempted by his or her evil inclination – bring the evil inclination to a Torah study hall. Hash-m says “I created the Yetzer HaRa – I created Torah as an elixir.”  It also says in Talmud Kiddushin (30b) :

A Sage from the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: My son, if this wretched one, the evil inclination, encounters you, pull it into the study hall, i.e., go and study Torah. If it is a stone it will melt, and if it is iron it will break, as it is stated with regard to the Torah: “Is not My word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29). Just as a stone shatters a hammer, so too one can overcome his evil inclination, which is as strong as iron, through Torah study. With regard to the second part of the statement: If it is a stone it will melt, this is as it is stated with regard to the Torah: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water” (Isaiah 55:1), and it states: “The water wears the stones” (Job 14:19), indicating that water is stronger than stone.

Green Chiretta vs. Covid

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Saw this Article in Mishpacha Jr. Guard Your Soul.

Convicts Fight Covid in-Thailand

  • Sivi Sekula

Prisoners in Thailand are Producing an herbal remedy to help their fellow convicts fight COVID-19. Green chiretta. also known as “bitter herbs” is a plant that
has been grown in Asia for centuries for its medicinal properties. All parts of the plant are used to treat various ailments. The leaf of the plant is a poplar herbal remedy for fevers, coughing, and infectious diseases A substance in the plant called andrographolide helps prevent the spread of viruses. At the start of the pandemic, green chiretta was distributed in prisons as an emergency measure until a proper cure could be found. The unintended trial of green chiretta among inmates proved very successful. Out of 11,300 inmates treated With green chiretta 99.02% recovered. In July, the Thai government authorized the use of chiretta to treat mild and asymptomatic cases of COVID-19. Thailands prisons are notoriously overcrowded, and social distancing is practically impossible; one-quarter of The prisoners caught COVID-19 in just six months. Now, prisoners are growing and harvesting green chiretta in fields near their prisons. The leaves are tied, ground, and packaged into capsules, which are then sent to prisons across the country. •

Of Chinese Food & Pleasure

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Many a year ago – I ate at a Kosher Chinese restaurant called Moshe Peking in Manhattan. People say after Chinese food one feels hungry. Why? Many theories exist. It is low in protein. It is high in carbohydrates. It’s the salt or MSG. Whatever.

Some pleasures are similar – one has a short pleasure but shortly after they feel lacking. Why?  Material pleasures give a person a temporary high. Material things are temporary. We have a high level soul – that is eternal. The Material does not satisfy the spiritual soul.

It is difficult to discern what is a material pleasure – because material pleasures may be mixed with spiritual pleasure. Let’s say you go to a restaurant. Now you are generous and you flip the bill or pay for the group. The eating was material pleasure – but the act of being generous is a spiritual pleasure.

Some don’t discern – so they think that the eating gave them the pleasure – but it was really the kindness you did during the meal that gave you the pleasure.

 

Use Emotions Positively – Don’t Fret, Get Upset or Regret – Get Blessed

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It occurs daily that people upset others – including yourself. G-d sends us these gifts as a way for us to reflect upon life and our actions to become better.

If that person – who insulted you – didn’t do it – someone else would take their place.

So – the best is to not get upset – because you recognize it is a message from Hash-m to improve. So improve.

Sometimes we are so upset that we want bad to happen to others – or even ourselves. Sorry – that is not usually productive.

Use Emotions Positively

So use your emotions for the positive and instead of wishing bad on others – wish good for yourself. Instead of wishing that a person who hurt you loses money – use the deep emotions to bless yourself to make more money.

In last week’s parasha – Toledot – Esav was upset that his brother – Yaakov / Jacob – received the blessings from his father. We would have expected the Torah to say that Esav was upset that He – Esav didn’t receive the blessings from his father Yitzhak / Issak. For Esav it was more upsetting for him that his brother received the blessings that he didn’t receive the blessings.

From this We can learn to sort out emotions – to wish good for ourselves rather than to be upset that someone gained.

Blessed are You Who Clothes…

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In the Morning Blessings – we say “Blessed are you G-d who Clothes the Naked (arumim)

But the word Arumim can also mean Wise.

So the Blessing covers the Spectrum of people – G-d clothes the Naked (with Clothing) and clothes others with proper moral conduct.

Black Quarter in My Pocket – Glad to See You Back

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Is it painted or is it just dingy? This black quarter got me thinkin. Some mark dollar bills – apparently to see if they will see it again.

If they do – what a woo. How happy if they will be if they see that long lost dollar.

So you’re happy to see a coin. Will it do something special? Not really. Just a nice coincidence.

A kid, a friend, a relative – more precious than mere money. Should not we be happier. Even if we just saw them yesterday?

A thought to think. A reaction to have – glad to see you again.

The World Created with Truth

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The Signet of Hash-m / G-d is Truth.

The World was created with Hebrew Letters. Each day was created with a sequence of 3 letters – starting from the hebrew letter Bet like bet of Bereshit. Each Letter has a numerical value. Gematria is determining the value of words with these values. Alef = 1. Bet = 2. Yud = 10. Kaf = 20. Kuf = 100. Resh = 200. Shin = 300. In gematria Ketana = each letter has a single digit – so Yud = 1, Kuf = 1, Resh = 2. Shin = 3

(Alef is starts the 10 Commandments with the word Anochi (I am) – that starts with the letter Alef)

Emet means Truth in Hebrew. Emet in Hebrew is written Alef Mem Tav = 1 + 4(0) + 4(00) = 9

Each day was created with three letters. Each time you add them up it comes to 9 – representing truth.

Day One was created with Bet Gimel Dalet – 2 + 3 +4 = 9

Day Two was created with Hei Vav Zayin = 5 + 6 + 7 = 18 = 1+ 8 = 9

Day Three was creaated with Het Tet Yud = 8 + 9 + 1 = 18 = 1 + 8 = 9

And so on.

Sheker = falsity is written Shin Kuf Resh = 3 + 1 + 2 = 6

If the world was started with Alef – that has one three letter sequence as Kuf Resh Shin (the letters of Sheker) = Each three letter sequence would equal 6 – signifying falsity. Thus each day was created with a three letter sequence starting with Bet – signifying truth.

If you start with Alef – the three letter sequence adds up to six:

Alef Bet Gimel = 1+ 2 + 3 = 6

Yaakov was the Forefather that is known for his carefulness regarding Truth.

In parasha Toledot – When his mother Rivka told Yaakov to get the blessing from his father Yitzhak – by pretending he was His brother Esav – he dreaded doing it. He didn’t want to lie.

It is apparent from his words to his Mother “Perhaps my father will touch me and I will appear as a trickster and bring upon myself….” Genesis (27:12)

“Perhaps” is a word to express hope of happening not distress of it happening. He should have Said “Lest my father touch me….”

The Vilna Gaon explains that Yaakov / Jacob would have rather been caught by his father than to have expressed a lie.

הרב שקד בוהדנה | פרשת תולדות | ה׳תשפ״ב – ראשון לציון

Tons of Things to Do at Home Office and Kids are Acting Up – How to Stay Calm

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You have to get back to your home office. Tons of things to take care of. You chose the home office either because of convenience or by force majeure – see covid restrictions.

One reason why we get angry is because I have to be productive – this cute little kid is preventing me from doing so. I have important work to get done – this kid is stopping me.

Just Shout – The Easy Way Out

The shout comes out. Poor kid. Poor you.

G-d gave us kids to educate them to become good, kind people. He gave us a pure kid and expects that after 120 years he remains pure, sweet and nice.

That’s one reason why we put them in a Torah School. So how does that help me not to get angry?

Are You Really More Productive by Shouting

At the moment we are in “I have to get things done mode” We think – my productivity is more important than my educating my kid to be a “Mench” / good human being. I am being productive doing work – I am not being productive catering to my child’s whims.

Productivity in Education

Stop right there. That’s where we err. By responding kindly and with care – we are teaching our child to be kind and to care. We are being tremendously productive in educating our children how to properly respond in stressful situations. How to act nicely even under pressure. What can be more productive than teaching a child to be a kind, caring, sensitive person?

Did You Win the Education Game?

You shout – you lose. You lose the opportunity to teach kindness and patience.

Treat every act as an act of building.

That is what Torah is about: building – building people, building relationships – with people, ourselves and Hash-m.

Four Ways to Stay Calm When in a Rush

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I used to take the subway to school. I was late for class. And as you’d expect – when in a rush – the train stops between stations. The announcer gets on “We are experiencing a longer than usual stop light. Please be patient.” His announcement makes me more anxious to get to class. But then I think to myself “By me getting upset – will this cause the train to move faster?” Apparently not. That thought calms me down.

At time we are anxious to get somewhere – so we turn on “I’m in a rush mode” Just turn that mode off. Turn on “I’ll get there when I get there” or I’ll get there when G-d wants me to get there mode.”

People sometimes rush to the red light. I figure “What – should I speed to get to the red light faster?”

I’m in a rush – driving a cool 55 mph. Some guy – goes into my lane driving 30. It’s the solid white lines on both sides and or other cars aren’t letting me in. Should I get upset at the other driver? No. Like he said “Oh – let me annoy that driver by driving 30 mph.” No. He just drives that way. Maybe G-d organizaed it that way to test my patience muscles. If I flinch with anger – I lose. If I stay calm – I win.