Corona & Purim

Purim:
Corona(ting) H-shem

By Rabbi Yaakov Zalman Labinsky

Taanis Esther / The reality of fasting

There is something called shevira and tikkun, that which is broken and that which is fixed, rectified. It is measure for measure, for every point of good there is a point of tuma.

Let’s reflect on teshuva from love.

Everything is from Hashem and has significance.  Whatever age we are, and this is connected to purim, the fact that the corona virus is called what it is, Hashem is giving us a message. Coronate me as your King. Bring out Hashem’s malchus, His royalty.  It is our goal and our mission. We return to Him on Pirim because we want to and we merited the end of the galus, the return to Israel for bait sheini.

 Are we as a Jewish people more united with a common purpose to make Hashem King with us as His subjects, and to serve Him with more common purpose.  This is the main mandate of the megillah.  for this opposing that, the truncated form of coronate is corona.  It is the misdirected way of not coronating Hashem with tikkun.

 What are we really being asked to do as a people.

Let’s keep this simple and grounded.

Corona is the impure form of coronate.  It is the impure form of serving Hashem.  It isolates, divides and keeps us apart.  This is the shvira, we are meant to break out of the isolation to touch others and bring the Shecinha into the world.

Where do we see this in the megillah

COVID 19- Kavod on a body level means a liver. 

Kavod on a body level means a liver.  Also it is Hashem’s kavod, His divine glory, or is it heavy burdensome and overwhelming . Kaved in the liver, where the nefesh exists, it is the behamis to the elokis.  Hashem is asking us – coronate me and bring out my glory and unify creation so the whole world knows all there is is me. 

We have an inside enemy in the liver, the urges and desires.  Dig deep. Look into the kaveid and find Hashem’s kavod.  It is very heavy and burdensome and just too much?  We are diminishing Hashem, that is the heaviness.

The 19 is the symbol, from kiddush lavana, that our ultimate foremother is Chava. Her gematria is 19, the ultimate malchus, there velation of the Shechina, which is what kavod shemayim is.  Are we bringing out His divine presence in the world or are animating it as hester panim, where the malcus is in hiding and the moon is not only diminsied but it looks like nothing is really there. That is the tension between coronation and 19, hiding concealing the absence of the Shechina

Shall we bring masks…

Israel has a product coming to heal the matter.  We wear masks on Purim to address hester panim.  It is not so obvious simple and clear of Hashem’s truth that all ther is int ehworld is Hashem. That is what nature comes to hide, and she can hide or reveal.  The choice is ours. As we relate to her in aconcealed way wshe remains hidden and if we relate otherwise, we can reveal her.

There are two words in the medgilla- Hamelech, the King.  We don’t see shem havaya in the megillah but when it says Hamelech, t means Hashem in hester panim within the natural world.  When we see that Hamelech we see juxtaposed Haman, between the third and ninth perek, Hameleh and Haman are seen together.  Hashem is there in hester panim and there is the antiforce aalso there, that says there is the human being doing its own thing and there is nothing else there.  These realities appear together.

Hamelech is 95 / Haman is 95 In 95 is the malchus of hester panim, the mask. 

Nekeva, the hester panim is interplayed with Hamelech and Haman. Haman creates ra’ash, and we bang.  We are acknowledging the reality that Haman brings noise, something that distracts us from listening carefully to Hashem’s reality in this world. Hashem is only hiding He is always there.

Rash turned around is esther, the ten sefirot.  Hashem is in all reality from keser to malchus, where the shecina is.

Haman comes up in the third perek after Vashti is taken out and Esther is coronated. He is the noise in the world that gives us division, separation, he is trying to create that. He does not exist in the first two. He is only in the middle. HaMelech is all the way through and finishes, which teaches us the reality of the rash of separateness, divisiveness, is an antiforce we can flip and reveal Hashem itself through it opposite.

No matter how hidden Hashem is, how masked in 95 He is never fully gone, it is always waiting to find.  This is hide and seek. That is Hashem telling us He is hiding creation and He wants us to find Him. 

Is hiddenness a vehicle to reveal Hashem in a more complete way or is Haman there to tell us that it is just a natural human centered world, the rash.  They have the same gematria and this is the constant inner competition and manifestation in this world. 

The mask of nekeiva in 95.

 Corona virus is dividing us, isolating us, and feel disconnected to forms of touch. 

Nega is a plague, to touch, and the flip is the ultimate pleasure, keser to malchus, the whle ten chapters is hisbodidus, we want You and we need You know, from beginning to end.  The voice of haman umust be eradicated.  It is causing Hashem to go more into hiding and the kaveid is heaveri.

 

We have to break out of it, we need to mekadish the shechina within us and especially between husband and wife. It is a spiritual imperative. 

Corona virus creates isolation. We need ultimate unification.

 We need to coronate Hashem, bring kavod shemayim. 

The 19 is the shechina, the kiddush levana, the light of the moon. We wan the mask that reveals the kedusha itself that is the tension between Haman and Hamelech, what does hester panim mean, what is the masking, proof for or against the reality of Hashem.

If Hashem would not hide there would be no world of action. He must hide to allow the possibility to toil and remove the hiddenness to reveal the shechina hidden inside.

A mask in 19, kavod 19 , is all the noise of reacting.  Hashem is waking us up.  This is ME crying out to the Yidden, react with common purpose, connect to the reality of the megillah and the sacred femininity of elokus that is being brought out. There is no separate reality in this world. Malchus is that everything is from above to reveal below and everything below is meant to return above, we are to return His Light to Him and we are here to sing this hester panim is the most gevalt expression to love Hashem. While the world is being separated and isolated now, we look through the lens of the megillah and we see Covid19 and see Hashem talking to us through lashon hakodesh.  My shicehina is begging you to return out of love. Please yearn for my return, read the megillah and ask to be taken out of galus.  The shallot manus has to create true love for your fellow Jew., not just a nice thing to do.

 We must see each other here to reflect Hashem’s light like the light of the moon.

 We give charity to the poor, we are nothing without Hashem. The ultimate femiine reality is we are nothing, we have nothing and there is nothing. When we give charity we see our impoverishment and we reflect Him into this world and it is not heavy and burdensome and we stand strong and connected together. We mekadesht the levana in the world.

 These are the facts on the ground.  Covide19 is what it is called.

The Shechina is hanging in a balance between more concealed and more revealed. 

The Arizal on Purim says that this realith of revealing the Shechina is all year round, ratzo vshov all year round, to elevate we remove ourselves like we do all week and then stop melacho.  Yom Kipur is like Purim. Purim is so high that the light comes from so high that it is a brigh flashlight shining through a thin sheave and the light is so bright the sheave is so thick but the light shines through.  The world is so thin, the veil, that the light comes through.  We don’t need to refrain from melacho or from eating, but we go into the physicality and the light is so great that with the mitzvahs, all those mitzvahs bring in the light so bright it bypasses physicality, the reality of daas and goes right to keter and keter malchus is so bright this is the megillah.

Gematria 26 is shem havaya…hamelech is openly revealed as the name referencing Hashem. The head letters though, the shem havaya, in 12 combinations, and each combination is hinted to in the megillah through ruach hakodesh, says the Shach.  Even Hamelech in hester panim is not enough.  Hashem is in the depth of every part of the physical and natural world.  Come purim that even when there seems hester, Hashem will be more revealed.  All the names are hinted to in various parts that esther revealed . all there is in the world is opportunity to coronate, to bring kavod shemayim to Hahsm within us. Teva is a vehicle through which Hashem reveals Himself, wind water fire and earth.  It is all Hashems world.  All our barriers please be removed and see the Gdliness in the world and see each other’s kamocha.  And the ultimate kedusha of Hashem’s divine unity will flip over and transform corona into coronation of Hashem and his Light will be seen throughout creation.  And we can reveal that and see allt he aspects of noise.  Commit to coming back to Hashem in tehsuva meahava.

All the gashmius challenges, do not give them independent power.

If you have the oppoirtnity, learn about kiddush levana. The moon is reflecting Hashem ‘s realty and we on rosh chodesh understand our rle in the purpose of creation

Every man must mekadsh his wife, she reflects the inner shechina. Commit to work on shalom

Take seriously the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael.  We read megillah, share shallot manos. It is not just about how they are good to us, but it is we are interincluded, we are kamocha. Lose separateness.  Fall in love with each other as a klal. 

Shomer nogiah

Have ratzon – a desire to have the pleasure Hashem wants, a pleasure that connects everything together. The shomer nogiah part, our biases, turn into pleasure, how everything unites. We have to want more deep divine pleasure. 

The plague of corona is meant to flip into refuah.  Klal Yisrael is to create more unity as a people and love and accurately reflect Hashem.  Yearn for His coronation and make a ddep coimmitment. He is not hidden.  We seek Him out and reveal Him.  We can subjugate the force of galus and may we see the geula.

A person residing in Italy wrote the following text:

"Coronavirus in the region of Lombardia-Itália. There are situations in life that are not expected, and the worst, in front of them, we are helpless. I live in Como, in the area where the Coronavirus arrived without anyone waiting… I correct, without anyone believing it, then wait, with so many Chinese people passing through northern Italy, we already expected it! Closed schools, closed gyms, closed bars after 18:00, and so many, leaving the house only for what is strictly necessary.

It is a strange situation that leads us to revalue some things. At this time, having a nice car, an expensive pocketbook, wonderful clothes, they serve what? We would have no way to use or whom to show. THE ONLY thing that happens to matter and that is asked of GOD is HEALTH. For yourself and for your loved ones.

In truth, how we spend time running back or asking GOD for things that don't help us at all, so many times !!! As we are futile in most of the time! As we do not value or that is really so valuable! We are at home. We invented games; Lunches and dinners become long and full of discussions between us, we laugh and cry together about problems and take care of each other.

No one has anywhere to go, or things to do. The lack of time FINISHED! Locked up at home and "prisoners" because of Mr. CORONA VIRUS. That does us a great favor, despite everything. It frees us from ARROGANCE, because we see that we are nothing and we have no control of anything.

It frees us from ENVY, because we understand that it is useless. It shows us our vulnerability and then it shows us the way back to GOD.

In short, it helps us to perceive our individual "Prison" from day to day, due to the lack of time and having to contain our feelings. And set us free. It leaves us FREE to be afraid, to feel helpless, not to run after anything ...

In the end, the only job we have or the only lesson at home is to try not to get sick ... Also, and perhaps most importantly, it allows us to REWARD ourselves with our loved ones. Those with whom we live in the same house, we love, but many times we don't even talk to each other as we should: OUR FAMILY.

And finally, it makes us turn to GOD. In the end, in the face of our vulnerability, it is HE and only HE who can protect us ...

Taking a balance sheet, Mr. Corona virus can even kill us, but at the end of the day, he CERTAINLY teaches us to LIVE !!! "

Corona is entering Daas / World Consciousness

Chani Lifshitz, Chabad emissary in Katmandu, Nepal

The corona panic brought Chani Lifshitz, Chabad emissary in Katmandu, Nepal, to write the following words:

Suddenly we need to think very well:

• Which route did we take?

• Which people were in our area?

• How long were we in the presence of those people?

• Do we recall other people who passed by, their exact proximity and what exactly happened between us?

• Did we shake their hand, embrace one another?

• How many of us stop and think about such things when we are not talking about the coronavirus?

Day quickly follows day and suddenly we need to STOP - to understand how critical it is to remember every detail concerning those we met along the way!!!

This can have a major impact on our lives. Suddenly it becomes clear how much long term influence there is in every encounter with another person!!!

We should never think for a moment that the contact we make with another is arbitrary!!! It becomes clear that contact with another can stay within our body and soul for many days, can change our life from one extreme to the other, for good or for bad. And one can infect another who infects another. So it is in this world. We are dependent upon each other.

The influence of every action is felt from one end of the earth to the other. And there are those who need to be quarantined. They are given time to look inside, to reflect in isolation, kept far away from everyone.

I am sure that when they are released from quarantine, they appreciate anew the energy generated in every contact between two people.

Corona Virus - Purim - World Epidemic - Current events - The final redemption
Rabbi Alon Anava

Corona means Crown…
Understand the difference between Vashti’s and Esther’s Crowns and how to don YOURS!

By Tamar Taback

The Breathtaking Hidden Story of Esther as our Guide in the Footsteps of Mashiach

LEARN:

🔹Powerful insights, tools and inspiration into cultivating an incredible marriage or marriage-to-be

🔹Why Purim is the cosmic switch-point into our Era and holds within it the secrets of Redemption

🔹Why rising into your feminine is so important

https://www.school.thenexus.org/courses/the-breathtaking-hidden-story-of-esther-as-our-guide

Kabbalistic Insights - The Corona Virus | Rabbi Shaul Youdkevitch

The parable of the rooster and the bat

The scare behind the corona virus. What does it say in the kabbalistic writings… economy, peoples behavior… What does it say about the symptoms of this phenomena that is spreading so fast.

After scientists analyzed they found out it derived from bats.

The talmud discusses they days of redemption in Tractate Sanhedrin 98:2. There is a famous expression that relates to our days. It speaks of the symptoms of the generation that comes before the Messianic age / redemption of humanity. end chapter 28: Amos 5:5 Woa to those who are looking to the day of G-d.. Alot of people are waiting / EXPECTING redemption. They are waiting for justice, for the world to become better. And we can divide this in two kinds.

 1.            Those that are atheists who believe they will work hard and the world will become better

2.            Those who claim to be religious, but aren’t really. They just follow rules and traditions but they don’t really do the internal work that it needs, meaning the true spiritual transformation. They say “Moshiach will come…” That person is waiting for the mochiach because they don’t want to do the spiritual work. if moshiach is coming anyway, so why work? Its going to happen anyway. 

Amos: Why do you guys say you want the special day of H-shem, because it will be darkness for you, not light!


Continues, there is a parable about a rooster tarnegol and a BAT /atalef. They were waiting at night for the sun to shine. The Rooster waits for the dawn to come and awakens everyone with his calls. The rooster said to the bat “I know what I’m waiting for but what are YOU waiting for?”

The bat answered “I am waiting for the light because the light is mine.” I am a symbol of the light. Rooster=tarnegol=gever=man

l’hitgaber=hero= someone who overcomes his darkness / his yetzer hara…

“and YOU, a bat, can’t stand the light.”

 The bat is a symbol of lack of faith, when the heart is blocked and cant feel G-d. a person who is anger, Atheist… Thats the bat

 Where did the bat appear? In China. The longest tradition of atheism is in China. So many people who don’t believe in anything. All over the world.

There are 2 kinds of people who don’t believe in anything:

1.            One, psychologically, their heart is so blocked and loaded with negativity that they have no space to feel that theres something greater than them and their reality.

2.            Some people they will see it in front of them and they wont get it. Some people maybe believed once, but they had all kinds of tests and challenges, and they didn’t process them properly, but they failed. They are full of anger in G-d

Both cases, if we know psychology of medicine, when its winter and cold and raining, we start to get gloomy. When we get hurt we can get a cold, and where does it hit? In the lungs. When a person is hurt emotionally, the lungs become the most sensitive. This virus kills by attacking the lungs. It always people with previous sensitivity, pneumonia…

 Its all about hurt. You have to choose between faith (emunah)… Everything is from the Creator and everything is for the good.

 If something happens, I must overcome hitgaber (rooster) … And when I overcome, the bigger the obstacle, the bigger the LIGHT!!!. When you live like this, your emunah gets stronger as the days pass by.

When you live like this, the chances of you getting sick or even a simple cold is minimal. why? because you have faith in your self, in the universe, in goodness.

The 7 Noahide Laws: The message to humankind.

First of all, 7 laws of Noach for all mankind. It is believing in G-d. There is nothing but him. It is the first mitzvah/ commandment for every human being. Why? Because you are going to get punished. no! To reach who you are supposed to be! Faith in good is monotheism. Good is endless and eternal and evil is local and temporary. Every human being needs this. When you are like this you are more creative, more happier, in an intelligent way, so you can pull stuff from out of the box because you believe in the good.

 The 7 Laws of Noach says Kosher apply to Jews only, EXCEPT for eating live animals. Because you are what you eat… The Torah says, do not eat blood, do not eat live animals. Theres a law in China right now “not to eat raw animals”. It is mentioned in the Torah 12:9 During the Exodus they slaugtered the lam and roasted it on fire. Don’t eat it raw. The Torah calls raw meat NA. Rashi says (1000 years ago) a meat that is not cooked ‘CORO-NA “you call it, na” - RAW. How is it connected to our life right now? Zohar Shmot: Commentary of Ashlag, verse 96. Rabbi Shimon raised his hands and he cried, and he said,  “Woa to those who will live in that generation” (close to the redemption), and praiseworthy are the ones who will live at that time and they will be able to stay with Emuna”

Says Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, they world will be divided into 2 KINDS OF PEOPLE.

1.            One kind will see miracles every where. We are richer in wisdom of the generation than ever before. We appreciate everything we have. Not long ago we had no wisdom and spare time. We have to be so thankful that we have so much spare time. whoever has the faith in one endless G-d who loves every human being creature endlessly, we are at the greatest time

2.            BUT the ones who dont have this faith, woa, the pain they are going to go through. BECAUSE living in such a generation… THE LIGHT IS COMING AND YOU’RE BLIND… LIKE A BAT. The light is burning, things are happening. and you can’t deal with that. Too fast, too strong, too big. TOO ENLIGHTENING. You have to open up!

 One thing we know scientifically. This virus is unstoppable. WHY? Most people exposed to the virus, gets the virus with no symptoms at all. It spreads so fast, all the greatest scientists, say within a very short time 70-80% of the people on earth will get infected. We can just delay it. only 10% really get sick and even a smaller percent is life threatening. Kids are not in danger, why? They did not give up yet. Faith that everything will be better tomorrow. Most people don’t even know they have it.

Many old people on the corona cruise ship were tested positive and didn’t feel it.

This person is immune. If you keep on being faithful and happy about life, THAT’S IMMUNITY.  But if you’re in despair, and you’re hurt from life and you’re hurt from people, you don’t understand that everything is for the good… and you think that darkness is ruling the world, you’re in danger, wake up!

Eradicate Amalek meditation....

By Shuli Kleinman

https://youtu.be/HBrbMTU3xjo

When gripped in negative constrictedndownward pulls yanking our hearts to judgment andndamaging thoughts or word, stewing in the seething waters, the shift to water wind fire instead of thinking or saying these thoughts IS recognition of Elokim, Hashem concealed, by those thougts which we are attached to naturally as an outgrowth of the intellect developong from the animal soul.

Water wind fire allows us to experience the force but seeing Hashem as the Source. Showering compassion on what feels like a total lack of love is loving Hashem back and THAT fills up the empty pit so that His Love CAN become felt as we cling to Him with emunah.

All the Infinite light from our constricted thinking is intended to flow into vessels that can actually carry that light into the world, namely mitzvahs, torah learning, prayer, and chesed. Move to do that mitzvah, Hashem's Will. The more we notice Him, the more He notices us, including what we nullified to birth i to a mitzvah and attach to Him what was attached to kina kavod and taiva naturally. This converts the force of amalek ibto revealed light.

MEDITATIONS BY MIRIAM YERUSHALMI

Parshas Zachor meditation to eradicate Amalek from our heart out of love for and unity with Hashem Echad

Miriam Yerushalmi’s shiur above gives us what we need to eradicate Amalek in a meditation:

When gripped in negative constricted downward pulls yanking our hearts to judgment and damaging thoughts or words, when we stewing in the seething waters, the shift to water wind fire instead of thinking or saying these thoughts IS recognition of Elokim,

Hashem is concealed as Elokim, animating those thoughts which we are attached to naturally as an outgrowth of the intellect developing from the animal soul.

Water wind fire allows us to experience the force but see Hashem as the Source.

Shower compassion on that forceful cloud-like experience that feels like a total lack of love – this is how we love Hashem back and do the mitzvah of ahavas Hashem and THAT fills up the empty pit peeling off the “mask” of the pit He creates to conceal Hashem’s mercy so that His Love CAN become felt as we use real free will to cling to Him and strengthen our emunah.

All the Infinite light from our constricted thinking is intended to flow into vessels that can actually carry that light into the world, namely mitzvahs, Torah learning, prayer, and chesed. Move to do that mitzvah, Hashem’s Will.

The more we notice Him, the more He notices us, including what we nullified to “re-birth” into a mitzvah and attach to Him what was attached to kina kavod and taiva naturally. This converts the force of Amalek into revealed light.

Below is a walk through vulnerable share using all the concepts above. May we have zerizus to “go into the margins” of our natural image and bring forth from there the concealed light and put it into mitzvahs, eradicating the blockages that conceal Hashem’s compassion and thereby bring rectification to nature as He is revealed.

Identity for 2020 office@identityfor2020.com 

Young Israel of New Rochelle March 5, 2020

As so many of us are now contemplating going into a Shabbos of seclusion, I want to share a few thoughts with you. We all woke up Tuesday morning prepared for our usual schedules of work or school or whatever we usually do. By late afternoon we learned that the State and the County health departments ordered a voluntary quarantine of those who were in a number of venues where the Coronavirus might have been. I said to myself, “but at all of those places we were performing mitzvos.” To be davening in shul, attending a funeral, attending bar and bat mitzvah celebrations- all are good deeds, mitzvot!” And yet, we were about to commence an unpleasant course of action: Isolation and quarantine are words that evoke fear. I must confess I was frightened that we might have an epidemic, a pandemic in our community. Michael, Judy and I met with the health officials and tried to explain that quarantine of almost an entire congregation was an overarching edict. They quickly disavowed us of any such thinking, and announced the shutdown of the Shul before we could even announce it to our own members. We were locked in our homes. What would we do? This Shabbos is Parshat Zachor!! We all know it is incumbent upon Jews to hear Zachor being read from the Torah. Additionally, Elior Paley’s Bar-mitzvah was scheduled for Shabbos. Elior had studied his Parsha so long and hard. What would be? And then, Tess Peiper’s Bat-mitzvah was on Sunday. She would be so disappointed! Our friend and member Dahlia Nordlicht lost her dear father, Albert Kalter, and is sitting shiva. We who are in quarantine are not able to visit her in her time of need. People’s lives are so disrupted. And certainly, our minds never diverted from thinking about and praying for our good friend Lawrence Garbuz who lay in the hospital in such serious condition. We thought of Adina and the kids and what they were going through in comparison to what our situation was. I told myself we would work things out. The people of New Rochelle are resourceful people. And we prayed. Everyone was emailing for Lawrence’s Hebrew name and wanted to know which tehillim should be recited. People who were not in quarantine were calling to arrange to help people in need, particularly those who were elderly or sick. Neighboring communities volunteered to help. Our neighbors in Scarsdale and White Plains shopped and made deliveries to many. Seasons and Chickies tried to make ordering easy. So many good people did so much good. And it continues. Over the past day or two other members of our congregation were tested and found to be positive for the Coronavirus. I as well found out an hour ago that I too am infected with the virus. I can now reassure you that it is possible Thank G-d to get through this virus without a special vaccine. I have the virus and am doing reasonably well. But I must caution all of you who have had personal contact with me to seek counsel from your health practitioner as to how to proceed. As a Shul we must worry about religion. We tried to address in writing what people could do for the observance of yahrzeit and recitation of kaddish. We worked out a plan to read Zachor on Purim. Daf Yomi was taught online thanks to Chaim Jaroslowicz and “ZOOM.” We had two shiurim today given by me and by Rabbi Axelrod about Purim topics. A crisis can bring out the best in people. It is bringing out the best in us. Admittedly, it is hard to comply with the burden the State has placed on us. But as we see, despite all these measures the amount of people testing positive is increasing. We all have to be careful to comply. I have heard alarming reports that some of our members who should remain in quarantine have repeatedly violated it. This, obviously, is irresponsible. It is a Chillul Hashem and reflects poorly on our community. One must think very seriously about the consequences of one’s actions - before they act. There are some positive elements that can be found in looking at our predicament. It slows down the pace of our frenetic lives. That can be positive. It can give us more time with our families. Maybe that book that we never got around to reading can be read now. Maybe we always wanted to find time to learn Torah. We now have that opportunity. I can’t remember the last time I davened without a minyan for shacharis. But my davening this morning was much slower than usual. This circumstance certainly gives us the opportunity to think. Our attention turns to mortality and our vulnerability. We sometimes find ourselves victims of life’s fragility and tentativeness. This is one of those times. It can help us to reorient our ultimate goals in life. Contemplation is good for the soul. I can’t help but wonder if perhaps I discovered a fantastic insight into current events in this morning’s Daf Yomi. The Talmud is in the midst of discussing various seminal events in the life of King David. It tells of an error he made. He decided to conduct a census of his kingdom. He wanted to have an accurate count of Israel’s population. According to the Torah a census can only take place by counting tokens that represent a person but not by counting the people themselves. The Torah says: count half-shekels so there “will not be a pestilence when you count them.” King David ignored this rule and counted people. The Navi tells us that a plague commenced as a result. The strange occurrence that guided that plague was that exactly 100 people died per day. The prophets and Sages of that era ascertained from Heaven that if they would institute a new mitzvah, the plague would end. They legislated a rabbinic mitzvah to recite 100 Brachot each day. This is among the seven rabbinic mitzvot, along with lighting candles before Shabbat and the recitation of Hallel. But somehow this particular mitzvah has been lost to us during our bitter history. Could it be only a coincidence that we learn this portion in the Talmud specifically today during this crisis of a possible pandemic? Perhaps. But perhaps we can take a lesson from it. Maybe we can accept upon ourselves to be more mindful and meticulous in reciting brachot. A bracha, a blessing, is our way of acknowledging the profound awareness that we have of G-d in our lives. A blessing can elevate the most mundane activity into something lofty and holy. It takes seconds but launches us into eternity. We still have a way to go in handling our communal situation. Together we can persevere and triumph over these challenges. With our ever-abiding faith in G-d who is the Healer, we pray that we, as well as our fellow Americans and the peoples of the world will conquer this disease במהרה בימנו אמן. Wishing all a Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Reuven Fink

Powerful words - #letsmakePrayerContagious

by Ariella Agastein

The name of this virus we are dealing with is “Corona” which means “crown”👑. It was named this because of its physical structure but I think we can take a much bigger lesson from this... Right now in the United States and certainly in Israel there is incredible turmoil with regard to leadership. Elections. Division. More elections (in Israel). Even in the UK we have news of royals abdicating their roles. But in truth we are reminded that only G-d wears the Crown. He, is in charge of our world from the big items down to tiny particles that we cannot even see with our naked eye. Just take that in...Tiny tiny viruses which are nanometers in size are disrupting our seemingly stable world... and wait... they are shaped like crowns. Even as we approach Purim and are reminded that every time it says המלך- The King - in Megillah Esther- it is a veiled reference to Gd. It is all no coincidence- this timing. This message. Hashem is in charge. We need to remind ourselves of this in our lives every day. He alone keeps our lives afloat. As human beings do in times of crisis, we seek more information because the more information we have the more in control we feel and the more that information helps inform our decisions. But let’s not spend all of our day merely collecting more information. Let’s do something to combat Corona virus on a spiritual level. No, it involves no fanfare, and no it is not the vaccine, but doing extra acts of kindness and spending just a few more minutes in our prayer— those things make a huge difference in our world as well. We don’t know why G-d is sending this to mankind but there is something we can do- Lets spread prayer, kindness and Torah learning. #letsmakePrayerContagious Shabbat Shalom my dear friends💗

Queen Esther - Restoring Us from Galus: From Victimization to Malchus

An excerpt from Israel and the Seventy Nations By Nechama Sarah Burgman

*Masculine and Feminine Balance* In the higher spiritual worlds, there is a perfect union and balance between the masculine and the feminine. But in the all too realm we see gross imbalance. In this light, we see Esther as a victim of a difficult situation. She is wed to someone with whom she cannot truly unite. In her struggle to come to her true _malchut_ (sovereignty), Esther (representing Israel) attracted a mirror image of her own potential. This was a distorted image, a _kelipah-_ image. King Ahasuerus was the distorted reflection of her yet to be expressed _malchut_. Esther was forced to marry and share the rest of her life with this man rather than to  remain with her true soul mate, Mordechai, This situation is a paradigm of the process of redemption. According to the Kabbalistic and Chassidic teachings of our sages, Queen Esther embodies the collective archetypal figure of Israel, the Shechina. Thus, Israel, Esther, and the _Shechinah_ are all a metaphor for one another. As long as the world continues to experience an imbalance of the masculine/feminine, this indicates that the _Shechinah_ is in exile. As we reconcile exile, however, there will be a shift towards balane and revelation of unity. As Esther confronts her male archetype in the realms of the klippot at the World of Tohu, she is forced—in order to survive—to bring forth the expression of her own malchut in the the World of tikkun.  This is the perpetual struggle of Israel—and the Shechinah—today. As each member of the “body” of Israel comes to their _malchut_, we release the Divine sparks from all parts of _Adam Beliya’al_. *G-d is Hidden—Restoring the Balances in Our World* However, G-d is always behind the scenes to restore us from gross states of exile. Thus, with hidden Divine guidance, Ahasuerus finds Esther to be the most desirable woman to become queen in Vashti’s stead. As Esther gains her position in the palace, Israel is given an opening to rectify the gross masculine/feminine imbalance of the Persian exile, Esther, the _Shechinah_, is now deeply trapped in a state of exile and victimization. She is married to the king of Persia, although, as mentioned, her soul mate is Mordechai. The deepest indication of exile is when our life situation is incongruent with the heartbeat of our soul. On a collective level, Queen Esther’s victimization represents the intense victimization n Israel. In more general terms, Esther’s situation represents the alienation of the soul from the body. In other words, Queen Esther – the soul and the _Shechina_—was in a physical reality that was incongruent with her essence. This is exile. Reconciling exile, on the other hand, involves restoring balance, and allowing our essence (_keter_) to be expressed …

To Learn more or to order the book “Israel and the Seventy Nations” contact nsgaula@gmail.com

👑Corona is a crown.

🌙New Rochelle, is renewing Rachel, the persona of Malchus. Exile means being asleep to our true soul identity. The soul retreats to its source, but Hashem wants to dwell manifestly in this lowest realm. Waking up from the dream is what brings Geulah. For Shechina to be manifest, we should embody who she is and take a more active role in communicating Jewish values to the world. Starting with our own Jewish neighbors. It's a paradox, bc the Shechina and essence are noble and Hashem wants them to shine. 👑May the world be awakened with a desire for true malchus.

💫👑ACTUALIZING MALCHUS

The challenges in our life are the Achashverosh catalyzing us to Own our malchus The process from the Shechina in exile within ourselves To redeeming the Shechina Shedding all the internal layers of Limitation within And once we are catalyzed to move and grow... We are Letting go of all the cellular knowledge of our selves as 📍This abandoned,.. 📍Forlorn,.. 📍Misunderstood,.. 📍Not impactful... 📍Invisible ... Piece of the Briah Owning The light we are shining into this world Looking to see: 🧡Who needs my light 💛Who needs my nurturance ❤️Who needs my kochos And Owning The impactful presence that we have The queen within That impactful majesty We Give rise... 💜In a gentle 💕soft 💓Feminine way for others To OWN their rise as well Rather than being reliant on the Achashverosh moments We can catalyze our growth 💛With light ❤️With Love 🧡With Gentle firmness 💟And balanced harmony And all the things that Royalty is (Encompassing malchus) We become 📍decisive 📍discerning 📍And successful 📍in a feminine way It’s The same qualities But accessed through!!! 👑🌙CONFIDENT ANAVA and really really owning that.

Rachel Leah Ismaili

Rav Dessler on the hidden meaning of Purim

Targum Sheini Megillat Esther.

Perek alef pasuk Hey: On the third day.

Esther fasted 3 fasts, one fast after the other.

 Kfifat she got up in this posture of kfifut koma posture and not someone who was fully erect.

Shes getting up from fasting, but shes still bowed down by the trouble Am Yisrael is suffering. She doesn’t feel triumphant, and is still in the posture of being bowed down.

 Tilbosh esther malchut.

Targum sheini understands it literally. She put on the royal jewelry, fine gold ketonet pasim,

And after that she raised her voice in tefilla. Medrash says at this point, her life is in danger. That’s the moment perek Kaf bet in tehillim is associated with,

 This is now going to give us the tefilla that Chazal put this together,

Not alluded to in the megillah itself. Its not an explanation of the verse.

 Neshama and Beit Hamelech / beit hamikdash, coming into the inner chambers of heaven,

Omaid: lashoh of tefilla

Someone without full judgement

Not because im good that im coming before you, but im coming before this foolish king.

Not because he loves us so much, but because He had a job

Tachnonim In the pleading fashion she sidra – she put it in order

Tifila is a fashion of tachnunim like your life is on the line

In order that the verse be fulfilled thru us . Hitmachartem sham loyvecha (devarim 28:68)
Hashem is going to return you in boats in the way I told you you should not see it again

“you will be sold there to your enemies and slaves and maidservants and there wont be anyone to buy you”

Esther knew that haman has bought the jews from Achashverosh. Not that the king had sold the jews

We belong to hkbh, but hashem allowed it to happen because of our sins,  

No one to buy. Achaveshosh: you can have them and the money is yours too.  Hadat. The law was given to kill us and to wipe us out. We were handed over klia gemoura

To sword and to death to complete being wiped out all of us equally. And the children of Avraham are dressing in sackcloth and putting ashes on their head. If it was our ancestors in what way have the children sinned. If we will be lost, who will acknowledge you?

The children have sinned and have angered you. But what have the children at the breasts done.

The dwellers of Jerusalem will move from their graves because you have given the children over to slaughter. In the clouds of heaven you are passing us over. How few are the days are the joy of haman harasha to give us over to the hand of our enemies to kill us. I remind you I am here to be a memory of the one who is beloved of you. From ___ you tried him in the 10 trials, you tested him and found his heart faithful before you. You should be a help and a support to the children of your beloved (Avraham) and enter them into the sign of the covenant. You fight our fight with Haman the son of hamdata. And take our vengeance (al hanisim) the enemy matzik (one who causing pain) want to destroy us completely like an only sheep. ( an enemy to them) in all their places. You swore an eternal covenant with us. Akeidat Yitzchak. Haman threw the money before the king to buy us. About 10k talents of silver. Listen to our voice and anwer us and bring us from a narrow place to a wide place.  Also break haman and there should not be any arising from his downfall. And ester lifted up her voice and cried a great cry – a bitter cry. In tears and crying she said her words. In this manner of pleading she said in order her tefilla. Her throat became raw from the cry of her mouth. Her eye stopped seeing because of her tears. Esther said perhaps I will come before the king and he wont receive me. But I am coming before the king to request mercy on His nachala. (back and forth esther and Achashverosh  / standing before THE KING HKB”H) The angel of mercy should preceed me with grace and chesed. The merit of Avraham binding should lift me up, yizchak…, the chein the sense of something like charisma ) of Yosef should be on my tonge. Fortunate is the person who trusts in H. anyone who trusts in H’ will not be embarrassed. … his right hand and His left should support me (His manipulation of the world) all of Israel is requesting mercy for me. Even not my tefilla, but for theirs. I am requesting mercy on THEM as a person who pleads before God and his mercy is heard before his sorrow. … and He will do for us our request. Avraham left hand and took hold of yitzchaks throat and with his right hand a knife. Trying to make your will his will and didn’t hesitate to do your will. You opened up windows of the heavens to give space to the angels who were beseeching H-shem on behalf of Yitzchak. Woah to the world if such a thing were to be done. I call out before you. Answer me. Because you answer the person who is in distress. And you see the sorrows / difficulty of his soul… you are the one who has great patience in your anger and you increase in benefitting people, you pass over the avon and pesha, you tolerantly hold it in abeyance till we do teshuva, (tomer Devora)…. And even to our ancestors you are called merciful. This is the oath that you swore to them by your own name.

 Just as you listened to yona in the middle of the great fish. So you should listen to the voice of Israel which is compared to the dove, and what is Israel doing, crying and sitting like a woman on a birthing stool. (slichot) shme koleinu. Listen to our voice and take us from a narrow place to an expanded place. 3 fasts I fasted before you. And from this day forward what else can I do? Ribono haOlamim, maybe I could have fasted four days, but it is parallel to the 3 days Avraham fasted and you swore to him an oath… at any time your children will come in distress that you will remember the akeidas Yitzchak their father. And you will save them. And I also fasted 3 fasts for the kohanim, leviim and yisraelim, the ones who stood before you at the foot of har sinai and they said “everything H’ said we will do” and save them from this sorrow. And she continued and she said. (chana) the one who tests whats going on in peoples hearts and kidneys, remember now in the merit of Avraham yiszchak and Yaakov and don’t turn me away empty from my request. Don’t delay. Back to megillah.

That’s her tefilla, mamash tachanunim, echos of selichot etc. remember the akeida and explicit about it like it’s a real part of her consciousness. What does that MEAN? The tefillos of targum sheini, very powerful and moving. She wasn’t just saying it, her throat was raw. Targum sheini.to make you feel like you are there…