Love is in the air

This week was tu b'av and this week's parsha speaks many times about love.
I have what to write, but haven't gotten around to writing it. Hopefully I'll write before Shabbos, but maybe after.
Hope everyone is having a lovely time doing whatever it is they do!

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Now that we have passed the bitter days leading up to and including Tisha B'Av, and have entered the period of consolation, I present this video compilation of Jewish music and dancing. 

Through avoda b'simcha may we merit the ultimate simcha of the ultimate redemption!

Kids make the most geshmake things

We were sitting by the Shabbos table talking about how everyone is shown the Third Bais Hamikdash on Shabbos Chazon. The baal habos' daughter made something really cute in Bais Rivkah. It was two paper cups put together to be like binoculars. The ends were cut off, and over the wide end was pasted a picture of the Bais Hamikdash. You could look through the "binoculars" and see the Bais Hamikdash. I fondly remember making such projects when I was a child. With Hashem's help may we merit to spend Tisha B'av rejoicing in the Bais Hamikdash with The Rebbe, all of the tzaddikim of all of the doros, and all of Klal Yisroel!

Graph: What "Bli Neder" Implies

Chassidishket and Frumkeit

From a recent op-ed on crownheights.info

"Without a solid base and clear understanding of the Halachic does and don'ts of yiddishkeit, everything is filed 
under some vague grouping of chassidishkeit"


This point was sort of buried within the article but I believe it to be one of the most important points made. I agree 100 percent. I have seen others do, and I have myself, done things which are clear aveiros even bfarhesya with the rationalized excuse of "well its not so chassidish but... neither am I."


Chassidishkeit is lifnim mshuras hadin.
Frumkeit is shuras hadin.


You have to understand din which is Hashem's ratzon, in order to stay within the dalet amos of Halacha.
The only dalet amos where the schina rests and Hashem save us from chas v'shalom going outside of them.
Firstly we must save ourselves by studying carefully.


It must be that there is widespread misunderstanding of certain halachos because there are things done often publicly, often intentionally, and often shamelessly, rachmana ltzlan, but people who would never ever chas vshalom eat a cheeseburger in the street. Yet people walk in the street with trim beards, or no beards at all, or impermissible dress, but still hold themselves to be frum.


Chazal tell us Am Hoaretz Lo Chasid.


If we want to be Chassidim we should for sure at least be frum.


With Hashem's help and our own diligence we should see all of our problems healed and merit the impending hisgalus of moshiach and the geula shelaima, takif umiyad mamish!