Snow! ?

Ok, don't et me wrong, I like every season, in its time. But snow in the middle of March, sorry, late March, is not what I enjoy. I feel like my spring and fall have been ripped away! :-( And they're my favorite seasons....

Well, it is snowing here, yes that's right, up north in Vancouver. We'll see what the weekend brings.
Kol Tov
Shabbat Shalom.

P.S: It's my bat mitzvah parsha this week, parshat shemini. This parsha reveals HKB"H wisdom and infinite knowledge, duh He created the world. There is a list of all of the kosher animals, and animals that we MIGHT think are kosher, but aren't. B"H, He's guiding us and helping us!
Ok, sorry that I'm not elaborating, I'm in a rush. Let me know if I'm not making any sense.

Do you use a Mr. Potato Head?

I heard a GREAT shiur on "Finding and Keeping Your Bashert"
I recommend it to everyone.
Rabbi Shiefer has a great sense of humour and is very articulate. I find him clear and very easy to chap. I hope you enjoy this shiur.

There are no coincidences.

We learn from Magilat Ester that everything is ordained by HKB"H, even if we can't see or appreciate it. Furthermore, everything is for the ultimate good.
May we be yotzei all of the mitzvot of purim and continue to grow closer to HKB"H, knowing that He ALWAYS has our best interest in mind.
Purim Samayach!

~ Sarah Rutti

P.S, it's raining outside! I love the sound of the raindrops hitting the floor and puddles. B"H!

Taanit Ester

Firstly, I want to recommend Aish.com's purim section, and one of their short clips called Behind the Mask, by Rabbi Zeldman

Secondly, I'd like to summarize an article about taanit ester. In this article, Rabbi Simmons mentions that taanit ester is a pre-war fast. Ester and banei Yisroel fasted to prepare themselves to meet with Achashverosh and to prepare themselves to fight against Hamman's decree.

What does fasting accomplish? On the day before a war, wouldn't you prepare your artillery and do other things to insure that you'd be strong for the fight? Why would you tell your soldiers to fast?

The reason, brings down Rabbi Simmons, is to remind us that we aren't strong and have no chance of winning without HaShem's help. We fast and remind ourselves of our physical restrictions and dependence on HKB'H.

The constant gnawing of hunger should act as a reminder to ourselves that HaShem runs the world and gives us strength.

May we be zochei to take this reminder and use our kaoch hatefillah to unite Am Yisroel and be zochei geulah.

Kol Tov

It's coming!

I want to wish us all a chag samayach,
in case I forget later.
B"H, we should be yotei all of the mitzvout of purim.

B"H, we should have a meaningful fast on Thursday.

Kol Tov

Peeka -a-boo

We are being watched.
But don't be frightened.
HaShem is taking care of us.

Have a great week.

Next thurday night is purim! B"H, we'll be matzliach in being yotzei all of the mitzvot. I just thought I"d remind everyone about the upcoming chag. I know it's hard to stop when tests and hw are calling, but we can do it! B"H, this year I have no school on purim, it's a stat. holiday.

Ok, be well.

Living and Breathing

Unfortunately,
sometime we need to brave the waters for ourselves,
without knowing where the sharks live.

But,
no mater where we are or what happens,
HaShem will always be there,
watching and holding us.

Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet

Rosh Chodesh Adar! It's here. Besides for it being me Hebrew birthday on the 19th (:-D) it's going to be purim in about 15 days!

So excited, mishe mishe mishe mishe, .....

I wanted to share a thought, and a great point, that I deduced from and article written by an SFU student, Kristen McCathy.

She was in the downtown east side, otherwise known as 'crack town' and gave a loonie (dollar) to a homeless man on the street. She comments, on reflection, that the money was given for her not for the poor man.

How did she reach this conclusion? She asked herself, how far will that money go? What can a dollar buy? NOTHING> not even a bottle of water. (Well, maybe half of a big mac.)

If she was giving money to help the man, then she would have at least given him a $5, something that can buy a meal down there.

But she was giving to make HERSELF feel better, and so she admits.

What can we learn from this?

I think it's pretty clear.

Especially now, when we're getting our mishloach manot ready, we need to remember to spend more $$ on matanot l'evyonim.

We need to open our hands for others, not for ourselves. To help them, not just to make ourselves feel 'good.'

We should be matzliach in using these mitzvout of the month to inspire growth in achdut (unity) amongst klal Yisroel. Thus, bring gaula (redemption) and turning yom kiPURIM into PURIM.

Shabbat Shalom,
Kol Tov.

Rabbi Lau

B"H, I was fortunate to hear the former chief rabbi of Israel speak tonight. I want to share an amazing mashal with you:

The sun and the wind were having a fight. They didn't know who was the strongest. In order to test their strengths, they decided to see which one could make a little man remove his coat.

The wind went first. It started blowing and blowing. But the harder it blew, the harder the man clung to his coat, realizing that without it he's freeze. The wind kept blowing to the point where the man was rolling like a ball, clutching tightly to his coat. The wind gave up.

Next came the sun. He approached the man slowly, with warmth and compassion. Soon the man felt very warm and started sweating. The man realized that he no longer needed his coat, as the temperature continued to rise, and removed it on his own free will.

The sun won.

The coat is out emuna in HaShem and out connection to Him.

In the past, the wind came with bitterness, harshness, the destruction of the batei migdashing. Yet, benei Yisroel stuck to their Creator, Hakadosh Barchu. They knew that without it they would be lost, they would freeze.

But then came the sun. With warmth, compassion, encouraging us to assimilate. The sun smiles upon us. Will we take off out coat willingly? No one is stopping us from doing mitzvout, no one but ourselves.

B"H, we will NOT abandon our coats, but stick close to our Torah and emuna. B"H, we should be matzliach in increasing our avodat haShem.

Kol tov,
Shabbat Shalom.

"Those thoughts"

I was reading an article in the Jan 2nd, 190th issue of Mishpacha magazine. It's written by Toby Bulman Katz. She writes about the Schwab's experience with their daughter, Ruchama Aliza Sarah Chana bat Ester Liba, who is in a comma.

This article struck my interest particularly because I know the family. They used to live in Cincinnati. I remember when Ester was pregnant with Ruchama Aliza Sarah Chana and her twin brother.

The article quotes Rabbi Naoch Orlowek. He made a personal call to the Moshe Schwab and told him, "Don't think 'those thoughts.' " The thoughts of could've, would've, should've. He explained that they show a lack of emuna in HaShem.

Everything is in His hands. Things happen because He wants them to.

So, when we look back over the days, weeks, months, and years of our lives, while acknowledging the mistakes and growing from them, we shouldn't have 'those thoughts.' Yes we need to move forward and perfect our actions as servants of HaShem. We can't change the past by dwelling on it and become depressed over it.

B'ezrat HaShem we will see a refuah shaleam in Ruchama Alia Sarah Chana's continued recovery. The Schwabs have sailed through many storms and have come out as an inspiration for all of us.

I"H, we will take these lessons and use them to retain a higher level of achdut among Kallal Yisroel, a higher level of emunat HaShem and chachamim, and a higher level of tefilla (our ultimate power).

Kol Tov

Parshat Ki Sisa

After reading a short vort on Parshat Ki Sisa, from TheShmuz.com, I would like to share the idea presented:

We see that Bnei Yisroel succumb to the sin of cheit haeigle. Even though we were on a very high level, having seen all the maacot, the yam suf's splitting, and hearing the dibrot from HaShem, they were still drawn by the the gleam of gold and sliver, the sparkle of gaava.

Kal vechomer, when thinking about us NOW and our present level, we can tremble to think of the taava that we have toward this same gleam.

We must stand on guard and realize and recognize that it is a source of taava.
We should be matzliach in recognizing our tests and pass them with flying colours, or get up and try again.

Shabbat Shalom.

Purim Kattan

This was sent to me, I'm sending this on...

WEDNESDAY FEB 20 THE POWER OF PRAYER ON PURIM KOTTON

I heard this week an unbelievable speech from Rav Avraham Schorr Shlita about the power of prayer on Purim Kotton.

THERE IS A MISHNA IN MEGILLAH THAT SAYS "EIN BAIN ADAR RISHON L'ADAR SHENIE ELE KRIAS MEGILLAH UMATONAS LEVYONIM BILVAD"; THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST ADAR AND THE SECOND ADAR ONLY THAT YOU CAN NOT DO YOUR OBLIGATION OF READING MEGILLAH AND PRESENTS FOR THE POOR.

THE POWER OF PRAYER REMAINS EXACTLY THE SAME;

SO HERE WE HAVE A DAY THAT HAS THE TREMENDOUS POWER OF PRAYER.

LET US USE THIS WEDNESDAY TO DAVEN TO H-ASHEM FOR ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, KLAL YISROEL IS LIVING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES AND THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO DAVEN FOR...WE SHOULD BE ALL BE ZOCHE TO SEE MOSHIACH BMIHERA BYOMEINU.

THIS SHOULD BE A ZECHUS FOR THE NESHAMA OF MOSHE DOVID BEN PINCHUS DOV, HIS NESHAMA SHOULD HAVE AN ALIYA.

Boredom

The world really excites and interests me,
I guess I'm not cool.
Sorry, folks.
Will you still be my friend.

Accepted...but not to where I want to go.

I've been officially 'offered acceptance' by UBC, Vancouver. Though I really want to go to York, Toronto, and am still waiting for their reply, it was nice to feel 'wanted.'

Hopefully I'll be able to send UBC a letter of 'dejection' thanking them for their generous offer and consideration. I'll keep you posted.

I must say, the colour photos on the envelope, folder, and brochure are very stylish and enticing ;-)

Buried Treasure

Some people spend all there time look on the OUTSIDE, and they miss what's on the INSIDE.

'Bling, bling' and buried treasure can be found out there. But the best kind of treasure that you'll ever find was given to you at birth. If you work on yourself and reach out to others, you can help to polish that treasure and let it shine through.

(I apologize for the tackiness.)

Photo source.

Yeah!

I've officially sent in my application of graduation.

Let me explain. I received a notice from my college recognizing that I have filled out the requirements for a Arts and Science Diploma. Regardless of the fact that I plan on finishing my BA in English and BeD, this credential is a nice piece of paper that looks good. So, I've applied for it.

Though I won't be attending the graduation ceremony, and I really have two more years (at least) to go, this half way mark is really motivating.

So, YEAH!

Scary Analogy

When you say things freaquently, you devalue your statements. Like saying, "I love you," to everyone, or offering hugs all of the time. This increase in production can cause inflation, thereby decreasing the value of the "love" and/or hug.

Just a thought.

Source of Frustration

While contemplating life (lol) I thought of this brilliant (humbling eh?) connection:

Frustration is bred from disappointment, which comes from missed expectations. When the goals are set too high, the actions fall short.

In other words, try to be as realistic as possible.

It is ALMOST impossible to do this, we tend to "shoot for the moon." But we can try, and thus spare ourselves the frustration.

Have a happy day/week/month/year/life :-D

Sorry about my absence

I've been drowning lately, in physical and intellectual pain. Between pulling leg, and hand, muscles, I've been trying to get homework done. Enough said. Sorry