raisinSoul

raisinSoul

because my soul is not a raisin 
Filed under

Tzvi Meir

See all posts on posterous with this tag ยป
 
Mar 26

freedom, for what?

Rav Zilverberg told this over last year before Pesach. An elderly Jew of Jerusalem had suffered much in life. He was poor and had nothing. His wife was sick and crazy, and they had no children.

There were some yeshiva students who heard about his situation and decided to help out before Pesach. They went to his apartment and did all the cleaning. They raised money and bought everything that was needed for the holiday. After cleaning and organizing the apartment, they set a beautiful table.

Finally when they were finished on erev Pesach, they took some much needed rest. When they returned, they found the apartment turned over. This man's wife destroyed all of the Pesach preparations. They looked to the old man not knowing what to say.

His face was shining with a wondrous light and he began describing a seder of a grandfather sitting around a table with children and grandchildren. At length he spoke of the beauty of the table and the seder and how beautiful everything was. And then he said, so you think that is freedom?!? The person I am describing is enslaved to children, grandchildren, to a beautiful table cloth, silver, matzos, and wine.

Real freedom is a Jew who might not have any of those things. Not children, not grandchildren, not a table, not a penny, no food, no matzos, no wine. But nonetheless, he is happy with Hashem. That is what it means to be free: to be happy and joyful in Hashem! And he began to dance! I have you Hashem! That is what it means to be free.

Filed under  //  story   Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Mar 16

a song of redemption

  
(download)

Hallel with Rav Tzvi Meir Zilverberg, Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5770
Dovid avdecha, yavo vi'yigalenu, ruach apainu, moshiach Hashem.
The son of David your servant will come and redeem us, breath of our life, Moshiach Hashem.
(this is one of my favorites)
Filed under  //  Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Mar 16

a song of rebirth

  
(download)

Hallel with Rav Zvi Meir Zilverbreg, Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5770
Give thanks to Hashem for He is good; His kindness endures forever!
Filed under  //  Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Mar 10

mini Pesach prep

24Th Of Adar Segment by Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg  
(download)

 

I found this in my archives and I have no idea where I got it from. Unfortunately, it is cut short; it's a tease. If anyone has the full recording (or where to get it), please let me know.

It is a recording of Rav Tzvi Meir Zilverberg speaking on the 24th of Adar, in a previous unknown year. I am assuming it was a talk given in Aish Kodesh Woodmere, NY, but I don't know for certain.

Hearing Tzvi Meir for even a minute and a half is beneficial. He reminds us where are we holding: that these days between Purim and Pesach are big days. The Abishter is preparing for us a new redemption from Mitztrayim. We can becoming completey new. Heilege Heilege Heilege!

Filed under  //  Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Feb 14

please Hashem, save Now!

  
(download)

 

more Hallel with R. Tzvi Meir Zilverberg
Rosh Chodesh Adar 5770

(the last long stretch got cut off, sorry!)

Filed under  //  Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Feb 14

increasing our happiness

  
(download)

 

Hallel with R. Tzvi Meir Zilverberg
Rosh Chodesh Adar 5770

Filed under  //  Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Feb 11

what is Yiras Hashem?

Shovevim 3 Jan 29, 2004 Rtm by Rav Moshe Weinberger  
(download)

 

from Jan 29, 2004
by Rabbi Moshe Weinberger
part 3 of 3

Seeng that we are ending Shovavim this Shabbos, I thought that it was appropriate to post this. Rav Weinberger is going over the end of the discourse of Tzvi Meir on Shovavim. Unlike the previous talks, which focused on Shovavim specifically, here he talks about Yiras Hashem; what is the inner meaning of Yiras Hashem? How can we acquire it and strengthen ourselves in it? So this shiur is actually not "off subject"; what else is the purpose of Shovavim if not to feel a closness with our Creator? That awareness is the beginning of all purity and holiness.

Avoiding the negative associations that many of us have with the feelings of fear, Tvi Meir explains how Yiras Hashem and Ahavas Hashem are connected.  The same One who is so close to us and loves us so much, He is the One who is watching us and he sees everything. Yiras Hashem is the awarness of His Presense and this immediately leads to an overwhelming feeling of love. Knowing and living the Truth that we are never alone is the foundation of Yiras Hashem.

Tzvi Meir ends with a beautiful teaching about the mezuzah. When you are in your house, you could think that you are all by yourself; outside I am being watched by others but inside I am alone. So we have on our doorways a mezuzah to teach us that Hashem is with us even when we are by ourselves. But its strange then, why is the mezuzah rolled up?  You would think that the mezuzah should be on the wall, opened up so you can always see the words and remember Hashem's presence. But that's not the case. Rather, a mezuzah is rolled up tight because a Yid has to know, that even when a he cannot see the name of God, he has know that it's really there. That's the whole avodah, knowing HaKadosh Baruch Hu is here with me, even when I am cannot see Him.

Filed under  //  Rav Weinberger   Shovavim   Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Jan 31

holy chutzpah

via artcnet.com

 

Heard over Shabbos
in the name of Rav Tzvi Meir

If someone had limited background information and jumped into the story of Yitzias Mitzrayim after the Yidden left Egypt and read about Pharaoh chasing after them, that person would probably think that Pharaoh went to sleep that night having no idea that the Jews were on their way out. Pharaoh woke up in the morning and got the shock of his life, so he pursued the Jews like a warden after an escaped convict.

But given the true context, that the Jewish people left Egypt after the 10 makkos and all the terrible suffering that the Egyptians went through, it makes no sense, why would Pharaoh chase after the Jews?

We know that the Yidden were sent into golus to extract holy sparks that have been lost. This refers not only to gerim but also ideas and middot, anywhere holiness can reside. When the Jews left Egypt they emptied the place out of all the hidden holiness; except for Pharaoh, he represented the last spark. After being knocked down completely, he still got up, he refused to give up. This holy chutzpah was all that remained in Egypt and Pharaoh ran after the Jews so they could have that last holy spark too. Never give up!

(I was told to jump up and down while giving this over, as was originally done by Tzvi Meir)

Filed under  //  Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)

 
Jan 19

be strong and courageous during Shovavim

Divrei Chizuk For Shovevim by Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg  
(download)

 

Rav Tzvi Meir Zilverberg at Aish Kodesh in Woodmere NY

I expected R. Tzvi Meir to be speaking about Shovavim topics and ideas, something similar to the talks by Rav Weinberger already posted.
But instead Tzvi Meir focused only on chizuk, that we need to be strong and courageous like a soldier at war. 
The truth is that we are so in need of chizuk. "Think good and it will be good" is our motto but usually we end up with (at best): trying to think good and usually it is good but not always.  We are always falling on our face and having to get back up.  And really, how many of us are as humble as Reb Zusha so that our eyes see only good? The fact is that it is a daily battle to stay inspired.
I heard Rav Weinberger say that before Moshiach, Hashem sends us messengers to strengthen us.  The verse says "In order that Hashem's Torah should be in your mouth, that Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim with a strong hand".  What is the connection between the beginning of the verse and the end? Hashem is not fighting with someone that he needs to show his strength, his strength is incomparable!  The answer is that the strong hand is the messenger that comes to strengthen us so Torah will be in our mouth.  During difficult times and we are down, or even if we are not down specifically, but affected by the low state of the world around us, Hashem sends us a strengthening in a great gift.  One of those gifts is Rav Tzvi Meir.
One point Tzvi Meir gave over, which he often repeats, is the story of Rabbi Akiva, when he saw the water dripping, that had made a hole in a stone.  He asks us which drop of water made the hole, the hundredth, the thousandth, the 10 millionth?  Each and every drop of water counted and made an impact! We need to re-frame ourselves and see the significance of all our actions.
It's an awesome empowering speach, typical in its focus and resolve: Be strong and courageous!

Filed under  //  Shovavim   Tzvi Meir  

Comments (0)