Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Remember your Greatness

 Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin used to say:

"The worst fault a person can have is to forget his intrinsic greatness as a human being."

Love

I returned August 15 to Jerusalem after a 16 day absence. I visited over 100 synagogues, graves and holy spots throughout Czech and Vienna, along with castles and tourist spots. My friend the Cabalist, says like the Bal Shem Tov, I was gathering up the holy sparks of Jewishness that has been trapped there and bringing the spiritual energy back to Jerusalem. I hope I have accomplished that goal, but I know for sure that I brought back lots of pictures. There are too many to share at one time so I am trying something new and sharing them day by day as experienced with a 16 day delay. I will repeat this introduction each day. I have been studying Jewish history and Israel in my time in Jerusalem, but the history of the Jewish people in modern times from 1492 to 1945 was in central Europe where the majority of the Jewish people lived. It is worth studying and knowing about and by sharing it with you my friends, I hope I am expanding your knowledge as well.

Yehuda Lave

 

Six Goose-Beaked Whales Spotted on Israel’s Northern Shoreline

Six Goose-Beaked whales (Ziphius Cavirostris), a.k.a. Cuvier’s beaked whale, were spotted this week about 90 miles west of the Haifa shore. “This is a rare observation because the Ziphius lives in the deep sea where it hunts and therefore is not frequently seen in visual surveys,” said Dr. Aviad Scheinin, Director of Superfunders at the Morris Kahn Station for Marine Research at the University of Haifa, who is also Director of the Dolphin and Sea Center of IMMRAC (Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center).

“We know of their presence in the deep sea based on acoustic surveys, but even there they are not present in large quantities. In yesterday’s survey, we saw a rare thing: the whales were in a restive state and swam in a group of six, when they are usually a reclusive species,” Scheinin said.

Goose-Beaked whales feed on several species of squid; they also prey on deep-sea fish. In 2014, scientists reported that they had used satellite-linked tags to track Goose-Beaked whales off the coast of California, and found the animals dived up to 8,980 feet below the ocean surface and spent up to two hours and 17 minutes underwater before resurfacing, which represent both the deepest and the longest dives ever documented for any mammal.

Eyal Beagle, a doctoral student in the Department of Marine Biology at the University of Haifa, also participated in the observation. Beagle is working on his doctoral dissertation developing a cheaper and higher-quality alternative to manned aerial surveys.

The observation, which was carried out for the first time in Israel using a special plane that arrived especially for the project from France, with a team of French researchers and pilots, relies on the reports of an observer and
is not photographed or otherwise documented. It is part of a Mediterranean survey (including aerial surveys and marine surveys) conducted by ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea). Its aim is to produce a snapshot of marine mammals throughout the Mediterranean.

ACCOBAMS attempts to reduce threats to cetaceans in Mediterranean and Black Sea waters and improve our knowledge of these animals. It is the first agreement binding the countries in the two subregions, enabling them to work together on a matter of general interest.

This week’s observation took about five hours, covering 330 miles, and was conducted at a height of 600 feet within the economic waters of Israel.

“The data collected during the observation will provide an overall view of the condition of marine mammals and of sea turtles, as well as a bleak picture of the plastic waste in the Mediterranean,” said Dr. Scheinin.

Prague Cemetary 080318 with the Marahal of Prauge and the Golem of Prague

Magician walks thru steel 2016 | BEST ILLUSIONIST MAGIC TRICK

The best Illusionist thru steel illusion ever! Magician Ryan Joyce debuts his unbelievable illusion "Rite of Passage" Watch this Illusionist walk thru solid!! http://www.ryanjoyce.com illusionist Ryan Joyce destroy his audience with an illusion debut titled "Rite of Passage". A simple concept-- one illusionist and one large piece of steel. The illusionist attempts to pass thru the steel in a way no magician has done before-- the magician gets stuck half way through and they clearly show how stuck he is by revolving both illusionist and the illusion 360 showing all angles. There is NO OTHER ILLUSION LIKE THIS !!!! http://www.ryanjoyce.com

Dean Martin and Bob Hope on the Johnny Carson show

Dean Martin 12/12/75 hilarious on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson 1975

It may be compared to a pearl which fell into the sand. [One sifts great amounts of sand, casting them aside until one finds the gem] (Rashi, Genesis 37:1).

 

During the Gold Rush, prospectors patiently panned water all day long just to wash out a few grains of gold. The great value of those particles motivated them so much that they were able to be patient with this otherwise endless, monotonous panning of water.

Sometimes we find ourselves impatient. We may be waiting a long time for something or enduring monotonous work. Our patience may be exhausted, and we may abandon the project.

We should ask ourselves what we are waiting for. If it has real value to us, then, like the gold prospector, we should not even feel the monotony.

Of course, if we are working to earn a living, the importance of our economic survival may overcome our impatience. If we are working towards spiritual goals, whose attainment is not as palpably vital to our survival, we may become bored more easily.

We must assign proper values to spiritual achievement. Like those grains of gold, it may appear only after we have worked long hours, gleaning it from the sand and water of everyday life. Solomon correctly stated that spiritual treasures will come only to those who seek them with the same diligence and perseverance as one who seeks material treasures (Proverbs 2:4).


Today I shall ...
try to realize that the real values in life are spiritual treasures, and that I should persevere in attaining them.

When Smart Jews are Not Smart

Rabbi Moshe Greene, who was a teacher in "Yeshiva Sh'or Yoshuv" (when it was located in Far Rockaway, Queens, NY -- now in Lawrence, Long Island, NY), reported the following startling encounter:

I was driving in New York City, and everyone knows NYC is no easy place to drive in. One day the inevitable happened. While I was driving from my home in Queens, I hit something hard and my tire went flat. I pulled over and called AAA, and sat back to wait for help to come.

About a half hour later, a Latino man in his sixties pulled up. He introduced himself as Donny and, to my shock, started speaking in Yiddish.

"Are you Jewish?" I asked him, completely caught off guard. He shook his head with a smile and said, "No."

I laughed and then asked him the obvious question, "Well, if you are not Jewish, where did you learn to speak Yiddish?"

While crouching down to examine the damaged tire he said, "I picked it up many years ago when I was hanging out with one of your buddies. Ever heard of Rabbi Yoel Teitlebaum?"

I was shocked yet again. "You mean the great leader of Satmar? In Williamsburg (a neighborhood in Brooklyn)?" I asked in disbelief.

"The one and only," he chuckled.

He then went on to explain how he was a retired N.Y.P.D. (New York City Police Department] cop who on numerous occasions in the 1960's and 70's was assigned to protect the Satmar RebbeRabbi Yoel Teitlebaum. Not only would he defend him from outsiders, but also from the throngs of chasidim who wanted to get near him. Donny was assigned to be his bodyguard at home, inshul (synagogue) and at public gatherings. He would dress up as a Satmar chasid with a beard, peyos (sidelocks), and abekesheh (Chasidic robe), and scan the crowds while trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

I just had to ask, "How were you able to tell a Satmar chassid from an impersonator?"

"Oh it was easy" he joked. "You guys are always hunched over your books. If I saw a man standing a little too straight, I kept my eye on him. He was either an impersonator or someone who wasn't taking his studies seriously!"

He then asked me if I knew the term "Yiddisheh Kop."

"Of course," I replied, wondering where this was heading. "It refers to Jews being smart and clever people."

[Editor's interruption to jolly up these Nine Days of Sadness: 
Honestly, when I first read "Yiddisheh Kop," I thought he was playfully referring to himself as a Yiddish-speaking cop. Then I got it. Perhaps if the source had spelled it 'Kopp ' I would have caught right away it was the Yiddish word for head. I left the Kop spelling unchanged to test you, dear Reader, but from here on I'll use the less ambiguous orthography.]

Suddenly, Donny turned serious and said, "I heard you Jews used to live in Israel where you had a special temple in Jerusalem, a glorious place where you all got together for your holidays. Right?"

I nodded.

"I also heard about two thousand years ago after the Temple was destroyed you were exiled because you couldn't get along with each other. Correct?"

I nodded again. But he continued. "I also heard if you guys could just get along, G-d will move you back to Israel and He'll rebuild your Temple."

"Correct."

Donny than leaned towards me and looked me straight in the eye. 
"So if you guys are so smart with your Yiddisheh Kopps, how come in two thousand years you haven't figured out how to get along?"

I just looked at him...I had no answer.

Sometimes it takes a Latino to prove a simple point,

But his message still rings true.

If we could just stop being so judgmental and critical with each other, and once a day greet someone with a smile, we would then be able to sit on the ground on Tisha b'Av with justified hope, having proven Donny wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted and annotated by Yerachmiel Tilles from Torah Tavlin on Tisha Bav [2005], by Rabbi Dovid Hoffman.

Biographical note:
Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum [of blessed memory: 5648 - 26 Av 5739 (1888 - August 1979 C.E.)], was part of an miraculous escape from Bergen-Belsen in 1944, after which he went to the Holy Land. In 1947 he moved to the USA, where he established himself as the Satmar Rebbe, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, doing extensive work in establishing Torah education networks. Famed as the leader of Hungarian Jewry and the largest Chassidic group in the world, and as the spiritual leader of the opposition to a secular-based Jewish government in Israel, he was also one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation. 

Connection: Seasonal - This entire week is part of the Nine Days leading into Tisha b'Av.

You can fly the Blackfly without a license

Just take our money now.

Brad Makes Crunchy, Half-Sour Pickles

Watch as Bon Appétit's test kitchen manager, Brad, makes his favorite, crunchy, half-sour pickles using a salt brine and a blend of tasty spices. Brad also discusses the solar eclipse, takes a crash course in film history, and recaps his vacation.

See you tomorrow

Love Yehuda Lave

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

2850 Womble Road, Suite 100-619, San Diego
United States

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