The letters of our thoughts are the ideas present in our mind before they come to realization . . . Thoughts that are, yet not felt . . . The words of the subconscious . . . of the soul . . .

These are the LETTERS OF MY THOUGHTS.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Protests in Crown Heights -Photo Essay



Click on the link to see pictures of the protest today in Crown Heights over the beating of a bochur last night.

Please take a moment to say tehillim for him as well:
Alon Yisroel ben Irit

May we all have a good shabbos!























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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Picture of the Week 48


Venice -Summer 5764

As well, this week was the Yahrtzeit of my Grandfather Sunny Lightstone -
שמשון בן יונתן יעקב ע"ה


The Lightstone family, Circa 1901

Have a great Shabbos!


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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Good Bad Examples

My guest post on "Good Bad Examples" is up. Here's the beginning -click on the link below to see the rest!
A Simple Jew asks:

Often when confronted with something to her dislike, my mom will
remark, "It was a good bad example". A "good bad example" is an
occurrence that provides the one witnessing it with a good lesson of
what not to do in a similar situation. Learning from a "good bad
example" is thus essentially following the directive of Pirkei Avos 4:1
to learn from all people.

On occasion, we witness examples of another person's avodas Hashem
that we seek to emulate, and at other times we witness a person's
avodas Hashem that clearly provides guidance on how not to proceed.
Can you think of a "good bad example" that you have recently
encountered and the lesson you derived from it?

Mottel:

Throughout the course of our lives we come in contact with many people; from those that we meet in passing to friends and family who spend considerable time with us -each plays a part as a thread in the tapestry of our lives.
We are instructed to take a lesson from all things that we see . . .

Continue Good Bad Examples.

As well, for those of you that would like to check out the rest of my guest posts on ASJ . . .





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Monday, May 12, 2008

Like Passing Clouds


Clouds in Vilna -Pesach 5765


Staying up late . . . It's not great, but when else would I have time to write?

I'm working on a guest post for A Simple Jew -when he puts it up, I'll link to it here.


When I left, Crown Heights was still held in the hands of Winter's grip. Trees stood stood naked and bare along empty streets -skeletons shaking in the pre-Pesach wind.

Now everything has changed. Green. Growth. Alive.

Now the full trees stand regally along Montgomery, shading us with their leaves, dancing in the Spring raindrops.

Families bustle along Kingston; children no longer clad in thick layers of winter clothes jump in puddles.

Pink blossoms carpet the ground in front of Hadar Hatorah.

The sun still shines when I leave 770 in the late afternoon.

True the clouds that come at times are gray, the wind cold . . . .

But it's a new season. Good things must surely be coming for us all.

Spring in the Height of Crowns

Let it be so!


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Friday, May 09, 2008

Picture of the Week -47


Taken in Venice -Summer 5765


A Good Shabbos to All



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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

The Rebbe's Tears



This video has already been up on all of the main Lubavitcher sites . . .
I'm sure you've all seen it.


Interesting how it's only audio played over a montage of black and white photos . . . Everything seems so simple.

And then one hears the Rebbe sobbing.

We realize that things aren't what they seem. We aren't seeing simple photos bound in an eternal stasis . . .

Things are now seen as they've broken down to their essential parts. We're focused.
"Sunday he looks . . ."
"Monday he looks . . ."

It's real.
The Rebbe cries for us, cares for us -and what do we do?

Now though is enough, it's time to wipe away the tears.

The Rebbe once said that Iyar is the month of ultimate simcha.
Adar is the joy of Purim -boundless joy, yet tempered by the fact that we are still in Golus ("We remain slaves of Achashveirosh")
In Nissan we go out of Egypt, we are free . . . but we have not yet matured, the revelations are all from above -we are not yet ready.
In Iyar every day is a mitzvah, each day has a unique sefirah to count, each day is a chance to forge anew our eternal bond with G-d. The joy of a mitzvah, of a connection with the essence of the Creator, is the true joy.

So Rebbe, please stop crying. We don't want to cry, and we don't want you to cry. We are hurting, and seeing you in pain hurts us even more.

Let us laugh together again.

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Monday, May 05, 2008

Psalm 30 -A Thought



While davening sometime back, I thought about the words העלית מן שאול נפשי
-You raised from the depths, my soul . . .

At times we sink into our own inner depths . . .

Those real, and all the more, those perceived.

On this we say, "You raised [me] from the depths of my soul."

I looked in and saw the Id.

You looked in my heart, smiled, and lifted me up, revealing the Yid.


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