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The Teacher Student

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:20:00 AM

The Teacher Student

Sixteen years ago when I was studying to become a Rabbi, my study partner and I spent a few months in Moscow (Being a Canadian the cold Russian winter did not faze me). We studied Rabbinics for most of the day allowing ten percent of the time for teaching Torah to some of the locals.

Although we did some good learning on the wooden tables and benches of the Bolshoi Bronya Synagogue however the real learning happened not when we were studying but when we were teaching. The lessons we learnt were invaluable./

"I have learnt a great deal from my teachers and more from my colleagues but the most I have learnt from are my students" (Talmud, Taanis 7a)

There is a general rule in Judaism "When you give, you receive much more" Whether it be teaching, giving charity or doing any mitzvah.

The only condition to learning through teaching is that you must pay attention.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Yanky Berger

Expensive Freebies

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 4:59:00 AM

Expensive Freebies

Last week I walked into a store to buy something. As I was leaving, the manager handed to me a generous promotional gift saying: "This is for you".

On my way back home I couldn't help but think of how nice the manager was to me. The freebie was something I've always wanted, he was a really kind person. However in the back of my mind I knew that although it was a gift, it was not for free.

The next time I will be faced with the decision of where to shop there won't be a question in my mind, my gift provider had won me over. I am no longer a free man with the option of shopping at the store with the best prices. The bribe worked.

The freebies, gifts and clearance sales although they benefit the customer, their ultimate intent is not to bestow kindness upon the buyer, their true purpose is for the advancement of the business by creating good will so you will frequent more often or to lure you back to the store. Freebies are not so free after all.

Ever thought about all the free gifts we receive from G-D? Life, Air, Food, Every limb and it's function, All of our materialistic needs, ... Only one difference, The Talmud tells us, "G-D does not operate like a person of flesh and blood" (Talmud Pesachim 119). Or in the words of Prophet Isaiah "My ways are not your ways says G-D" (Isaiah 55).

When G-d gives freebies it is done from a place of pure goodness without a hidden agenda. Yes G-D wants us to return the favour and live our lives according to his will however, as we say in the Shabbos prayer "He gives food to all flesh for his kindness is everlasting". "He is good and does good to the wicked and to the good" (High Holiday liturgy). G-D continues to provide even when we do not live up to his will. The freebies continue to come.
G-D wants a real relationship with us and not one based on "I better do this or else I won't receive...".

A beautiful time of the day is the early morning when it is just getting light, the birds are chirping and the day's potential is yet to be realized. Try this: open up a prayer book to the very beginning and say the morning blessings. Don't just say them but try to think into what you are saying. The 20 blessings are meant to raise awareness of all the things we usually take for granted, All of our limbs and organs working so harmoniously with each other, our eyesight, our needs, our freedom etc.
All the freebies we receive from Hashem on a day to day basis.

Through meditating on the benevolence of G-D, we will develop our relationship and have greater appreciation and closeness to the Master of the universe.

As for the store manager, he did win me over but only till I get my next promotional gift from some other manager.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Yanky Berger

The Face in Facebook

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 12:09:00 AM

The Face in Facebook

Recently I was contacted by a friend from Canada whom I haven't seen in twenty years - he found me through Facebook. I remember him as a more reserved introverted type of person, a real gentle soul. Therefore it was surprising to see how social and active he had become in the online community.

The social network websites and online communities serve a good purpose by enable people to socialise and communicate to virtually anyone in the world from the comfort of their homes, in addition it enables many to have a social life who otherwise wouldn't.

However, when communicating through a computer screen something very vital is lacking - Body language, a very important part of communication. When a person says something but their body language is saying something else, the body message will override the verbal one.
Delia Thompson in her book "Body language and communication" writes "Research shows that 55% of communication is conveyed by the use of body language. Which includes eye contact, gestures and facial expressions. Only 7% is conveyed in the words we use. This is actually a scary statistic as when planning a presentation all our time and effort go into planning what we are going to say."

Based on this, when one communicates through the computer, or in any other scenario where body language is lacking, very little of the real person is actually filtering through.

Did you ever notice, when some people pray or study torah they sway back and forth, It is called "Shokelling".
King David in Psalm 35 says "My entire being should declare - Lord who is like you?" It is not enough to verbally say something, One's entire body must also be involved. Body language represents the involvement of the entire human being. When one Shokels it is a way of saying "my entire being is saying it" - the ultimate expression of body language.

When one is pursuing any good task especially a mitzvah one must try to bring their entire being into it and not be distracted by other things.
Facebook can be a good thing, however to get the body language and the better picture try youtube.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Yanky Berger

Empty Bottle

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 9:24:00 PM

Empty Bottle

One Simchas Torah a couple of years back someone was generous enough to donate a very pricey bottle of scotch to our congregation. When the bottle was opened, the ‘pourer’ was faced with many little cups attached to long outstretched arms, needless to say it only took 45 seconds until the bottle was empty.

Marveling at the spectacle, one of our congregants made the following experiment. He took the empty bottle filled it up with inferior quality whiskey and put it out there again thereby testing the unknowing public if they will still appreciate the "High quality" stuff.

Substance vs Packaging
There is no doubt that the packaging makes a difference, you cannot compare a gift which is wrapped elegantly to the same gift with a simple wrapper. In fact many of the subconscious choices we make at the supermarket or in the mall are based solely on the visual appearance and not necessarily on the quality of the product.

However, when one becomes externally focused and oblivious to the internal qualities of any given thing, they may fall victim to becoming superficial.

If one wants to pursue the truth of any matter he must discover the essence of it, not the packaging, marketing or wrapping.

Unfortunately, sometimes we get caught up with the packaging and forget about the substance. When in fact, it's really all about the Photo and not the frame.

At the time of the destruction of the first temple (423 BCE), Our prophet Isaiah rebukes the people in the name of G-D. He tells them "You Shall not continue to bring a worthless offering and when you spread your hands in prayer I will hide my eyes from you even if you increase in prayer I do not hear... Wash yourself, clean yourself and desist from doing evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the victim, do justice with the orphan take up the cause of the widow" (Isaiah 1).

Isaiah is telling the people that it is not about bringing an offering or prayer when it is devoid of any internal substance. Those external rituals are empty and lack the depth and substance which God desires.

My congregants can be forgiven for not knowing the difference between the whiskeys - after all, it was Simchas Torah and they were too absorbed in the Joy, substance and depth of the festival to pay attention to the brand of materialistic drink they were consuming.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Yanky Berger

A view from an airplane

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 8:53:00 PM

View from an Airplane

Do you remember the first time you travelled on an airplane . Looking down at the tiny homes and cars and seeing the bright lights as you flew over the cities and towns.

This past Monday I had the unique experience of sitting near my little daughter who was looking out of the airplane window and watching in utter amazement. "Daddy, They look like toy cars and buildings, they don't look real".

I tried to explain to her that there are two ways of seeing things, up close and from way above. When you look down from from high above the earth, everything may seem smaller - but the advantage is, you get a glimpse of the entire picture.

Little did I know that on that very day exactly forty years earlier Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins Landed on the moon on the The Apollo 11 the ultimate physical view of our planet from way above. What I find particularly interesting is that these astronauts who were in their 30's at the time (all still alive today) found it difficult to re-adjust to normal life after experiencing the view from above. To quote Dave Scott, Commander of Apollo "I remember coming back to Houston after the moon and my neiboughrs had a BBQ for me, I thought 'what am I doing here?' "

This Shabbos is called Shabbos Chazzon "Shabbos of Vision" where we can potentially get a glimpse of Hashem's world from heaven downward.

Chassidus explains, that people can have either an "Earth view" or a "Heaven view".

The difference is, that the view from heaven is reality while the earth perspective can be a distorted. Our objective is to develop a "Heaven view" by tapping into the G-D given tools of vision to bring the heaven view down to earth.

Perhaphs Neil Armstrong and Co. can be at peace with themselves knowing that their work brought some of heaven down to earth.

May the Shabbos of vision bring a higher perspective and a heavenly way of seeing and perceiving our world

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Yanky Berger