Parshas Toldot Dear friends and family “ad 120 b'simcha” Shalom uvracha from Yerushalayim! Very briefly, we learned this week (אגרת הקודש ל"א) that we need to daaven for the wellbeing of the Holy Shechina as well as for our own wellbeing. The Alter Rebbe illustrates the relationship of the Shechina with B’nai Yisrael- the Children of Yisrael with a holistic parable – the heart [the Shechina] delivers life energy to all parts of the body [the souls of B’nai Yisrael]. It is a circulatory system and so long as all parts are in unity and working in harmony, all is good and they return healthy blood back to the heart and it remains healthy. Otherwise, ‘chas v’shalom’ the heart can get ill. Simila

What a Story. Even in Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye is the one of the original Soul Doctors and these series of Books are filled with Soul Doctor stories. This is a book review of not one but three books that cover the adventures of Tevye in a fictional historical context of Tevye making Aliyah after he was forced to leave his village in Ukraine. We all know the film, the play, the book by Sholom Aleichem. The Author Zvi Fishman has written an amazing work where one becomes connected the settling and building up of Israel covering the period 1908 to 1939. It is pity that he has not written a fourth and fifth book covering all the developments to 1967 and beyond. (Fact Check – Zvi lives in Jerus

Shlomo Carlebach’s Top 10 Songs By Roni Asking someone to rate the songs of the father of modern Jewish music is like asking a parent of multiple children to pick his or her favorite child. Despite the daunting task, though, here is a list (in no particular order) of the most popular/influential/ubiquitous songs from the over 600 compositions that appear on nearly 50 recordings by the late, great Reb Shlomo: “VeHa’er Einenu” – Released in 1969 as an entry to the Chassidic Song Festival in Israel, this song won third place and quickly became a favorite and standard at weddings and bar mitzvahs during the 70s, and continues to be sung worldwide today. “Od Yishama” – There isn’t a Jewish weddin

Welcome to another exciting Parsha. As Rabbi Nachman said – the Parsha is about you and me. It Is Chaya Parsha and our Parsha starts off with the story how Avraham purchased the cave and Field in Hebron. This is the birthplace of people. This shows our historical right and connection to Hebron. The EU, the Democrats UNESCO, social media and the Arabs are trying to rewrite history. So let's use out weekly meeting with Shabbat to make Torah - our connection to the truth, our guidebook relevant to us. Let's learn and connect to what has kept the Jewish people alive and vibrant over the last 2000 years and more It is poignant that this week. So, we thank President Trump who by no coincidence in

On the Occasion of Reb Shlomo 25th Yarzheit, we are sharing some Inspiritional stories, messages culled from Facebook Menachem Creditor I miss a man I never knew, a spirit whose holy music has poured out of me since I learned to sing, whose daughter has graced my life with her powerful love. Though I never met my father-in-law, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z"l, I choose to see him through my Neshama's eyes, in all of his complexity and his magic. I have no idea what our relationship might have been, but I do know this: the best of him is in his daughter's heart and flows tenderly in the family we are building together. To honor his memory on this, his 25th yahrtzeit, I pledge to amplify goodness

Souldoctorstories.com – a story that never ends On the occasion of Reb Shlomo Carlebach 25th Yahrzeit, I want to share why I was I was and I am inspired to set up Souldoctorstories.com What is a story that never ends? Put simply - our actions have consequences. Our good deeds have an effect that is beyond time. Our kind words can change a person that can affect generations after generations. What is a story? A story touches our imagination. It touches our insides. It is an inspiration. It can be a life changing event. It takes you to another place or time. A powerful story has the power to transform. One of the most powerful story tellers of the last century was Reb Shlomo Carlebach. The web

We learn in Rashi that Avraham Avinu was `sitting at the entrance of the tent’ because he was looking for passers-by’s whom he could invite into his tent to give them rest, food and drink, both physical and spiritual. However much to his pain it was a particularly hot day and there was no one to invite. “And He appeared to him, Hashem.” Hashem came to visit the ‘choleh’- the sick one. Rabbi Chama bar Chanina teaches that it was the third and most painful - day after his circumcision, and Hashem came to inquire how he was doing. As best as you can, imagine and visualize, Avraham Avinu in the midst of experiencing his deepest Divine revelation ever. We need to understand, why was Avraham Avinu

Above and beyond Nature Let’s see what the Holy Rizhiner says. By Noach it says ‘Es Ha’elokim Hishalech Noach’, Noach walked with G-d. Everybody knows that G-d has two names, Elokim which is gematriya ‘teva’, Elokim is the name of G-d which manifests in nature. We also know that G-d is also the name Yud Key Vav Key, which is beyond nature, the one who created the world and is also beyond it. So in a nutshell, Avraham Avinu connected to Yud Key Vav Key. Avraham Avinu was on the level of ‘His'halech lefanay….’, Avraham Avinu was walking before nature. Can you imagine it, if nature is going a hundred miles an hour so Avraham Avinu was going a hundred and fifty miles an hour. Noach was always co