Warning

I don't know how many people actually read my blog regularly, but, to those of you who do, I wanted to warn. I will be very busy for the next three weeks, and might not have the time to sit and post on my blog(s). I apologize in advance. I will try to keep the string of Torah thought flowing, but I might now succeed.
So, in advance, I'm sorry.
I hope you all have a great next three weeks! Thanks for your patience.

~Sarah Rutti

T'was the night of the Geulah

I first read this in grade 8, thank you Tzivia.

Recently Sara N sent it to me, and I felt like it was a reminder.

I hope you enjoy it, and that it helps up to be zochei geula:

***

T'was the night of the Geulah, and in every single Shtiebel,

Sounds of Torah could be heard, coming from every kind of Yeedel.

This one in English, some in Hebrew, some in Yiddish.

Some saying P'shat, and some saying a Chiddish.

And up in Shamayim, the Aibishter decreed:

"The time has come, for My children to be freed.

"Rouse the Moshiach, from his heavenly berth.

Have him get in his chariot, and head down to earth.

"The Moshiach got dressed, and with a heart full of glee,

Went down to earth and entered, the first Shtiebel he did see.

"I am the Moshiach!, Hashem has heard your plea!

Your Geulah has come!, It's time to go free!

They all stopped their learning; This was quite a surprise.

And they look at him carefully, with piercing sharp eyes.

"He's not the Moshiach!" said one with a grin,

"Just look at his hat, at the pinches and brim!"

"That's right!" cried another, with a grimace and frown,

"Whoever heard of Moshiach, with a brim that's turned down?"

"Well," thought Moshiach, "If this is the rule,

I'll turn my brim up, before I go to the next shul."

So he walked right on over, to the next shul in town.

Sure to be accepted, since his brim was no longer down.

"I'm, the Moshiach!" he cried, as he began to enter

But the Jews wanted to know first, if he was Left Right or Center.

"Your clothes are so black!", They cried out in fright.

"You can't be Moshiach, you're much too far right!"

"If you want to be Moshiach, you must be properly outfitted.”

So they replaced his black hat, with a Kippah that was knitted.

Wearing his new Kippah, Moshiach went out and said:

"No difference to me, what I wear on my head.”

So he went to the next shul, for his mission was dear.

But he was getting frustrated, with the Yidden down hear.

"I'm the Moshiach!" he cried, and they all stopped to stare,

And a complete eerie stillness, filled up the air.

"You're the Moshiach?!, Just imagine that!

Whoever heard of Moshiach, without a black hat?"

"But I do have a hat!", The Moshiach then said.

So he pulled it right out, and plunked it down on his head.

Then the shul started laughing, and one said “Where's your kop?

You can't have Moshiach, with a brim that's turned up!

If you want to be Moshiach, and be accepted in this town,

Put some pinches in your hat, and turn that brim down!"

Moshiach walked out and said: "I guess my time hasn't come.

I'll just return, to where I came from.”

So he went to his chariot, but as he began to enter,

All sorts of Jews appeared, from the Left, Right, and Center.

"Please wait - do not leave. It's all their fault!" they said,

And they pointed to each other, and to what was on each other's head.

Moshiach just looked sad, and said, " You don't understand."

And then started up his chariot, to get out of this land.

"Yes, it's very wonderful, that you all learn Torah,

But you seem to have forgotten, a crucial part of our Mesorah.”

"What does he mean?", "What's he talking about?"

And they all looked bewildered, and they all began to shout.

Moshiach looked back and answered, "The first place to start,

Is to shut up your mouths, and open your hearts.

To each of you, certain Yidden, seem too Frum or too Frei,

But all Yidden are beloved, in the Aibishter's eye."

And on his way up he shouted: "If you want me to come,

Try working a little harder, on some Ahavas Chinam!"

Boruch Dayan Ha'Emet

I am sad to announce that Horav Hagaon Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zecher tzaddik l'vrocha, was niftar today.

I can't think of anything else to say, but I"ll go cry for now.

Sarah Rutti,

P.S. We've lost a gadul, a link to the past.

One more to go

It is erev shabbat and we are about to enter the second to last shabbat before pessach. Are we ready? Have we prepared? I'm not referring to the many hours spent on cleaning and purchasing kosher l'pessach items.

I'm talking about our neshama.

Pessach is more then just cleaning, it's a chag that demands us to take in inner look at our middot and at the way we serve HaShem. These are not new concepts, but reminders are always helpful. We learn from matzah, for example, that we should not be haughty and 'puffed up'. Additionally, we know that we should have zerizut when preforming mitzvout and not let them 'sit in our hand' of an extended period of time, become 'chametz'.

Again, non of these are new or astounding, but have we thought about them recently? When pessach cleaning have we reflected and checked every crevise of out heart and soul for 'leven' emotions and actions? While doing the physical actions of cleaning for pessach we need to look within and do the spiritual cleaning as well.

As a random thought, I'd like to share with you a recollection that I had yesterday:

The situation was as such: I had purchased two skirts for pessach, but they were too short on me (being tall isn't always so great). But, being in Vancouver and desperate for new skirts, I decided to purchase them and then alter them myself at home, making them longer by adding to the top.

So, I started the altering processes yesterday and thought I could finish one of the skirts in a day. However, I was using my own made up pattern and had no instructions, besides for my wise Ima, so it took longer then expected. A few times, even, I had to take apart what I had just sewn and put on the again, in a different way.

Throughout this whole process I was listening to two shirs from Rabbi Shaifer (theshmuz) and listening to music.

Now, this was a very stressful endeavor. So, anytime I would start the machine I would say, "l'chavod yom tov," and this kept me calm.

To make a long story short: after listening to more then 2 hours of shirim, and 4 hours of music, the skirt wasn't finished. But I had learned a lesson (if not more).

HOUSE WORK CAN BE STRESSFUL.

By the end I turned to my Ima, who has so much more patience with these types of things, and said, "Now I understand why HaShem made women to do house work."

What did I mean? Yes, it was tiring, yes it was tedious, but I had grown through the process. The physical action of making a skirt had caused me to practice patience and bitachon.

How?

While committing the enterprise, I was constantly reminded of my own limitations. Here I was, with high hopes in my own physical capabilities, to alter a skirt in an afternoon, and "presto chango" I was being defied by a machine, and made to realize that I'm can't do it so easily.
(Not to say that I've given up it's just taking more time then expected).

How does this relate to what I was saying before?

Cleaning for pessach is no mundane action. It's an opportunity to get closer to HaShem, to reflect on our middot and to make sure that they're still in check, not high and haughty.

Chag kasher v'samayach.

Chodesh Tov

It's that time of the month!
Chodesh Tov!
I hope that everyone had a great shabbat! Now that we have entered the chodesh of Nissan, may we be zochei to see geula! B"H, we'll grab the coach of this month to develop our ahavat Yisroel and strengthen our achdut.

I wish you all the best! May out tefilot be answered l'tova.

Kol Tov

~Sarah Rut

Man Plans... G-D Laughs

Many times we forget that we're not in control.
It is then that we get frustrated with things 'not working out,'
because they haven't gone according to plane.
We assume that we know best.
We think that we are the directors.
Little do we know,
little do we understand.


For the record,
we are not the master plans of our own life.
Yes, we do hishtadlot,
Yes we make decisions.
But for the most part,
we don't really know what's best.

Patience,
we have to wait it out.
After making the decisions, and doing hishtadlot,
there's nothing else to do but sit tight,
and wait.

But while we are waiting,
we need to stay in touch with the Borei Olam.
He needs to hear our tefilot,
our cry.
For,
that's the whole point of waiting.
We need to show Him that we recognize that we're not in control.
We need to prove to Him that we have bitachon and emunah in His final decision.

On that note,
may HaShem continue to give us the strength we need,
to overcome the difficulties in life,
and the patience to wait
and rely on Him.

Shabbat Shalom
Sarah Rutti