Mazal Can Change in an Instant

Taking a Dose of our Own Medicine

If you've heard me/us say "strengthen yourself in some area to be the k'li for the bracha/ pidyon nefesh, etc....Know that we mean it, and often do the same.
This is a true story. It happened to us just last night. May it be a lesson for us all.

Backstory 

It all begins with the sudden departure of a generous donor and ends with a kallah named "Mazal."

Mazal and her beautiful ring

From Lag B'Omer to Shavuot, feeling the 'high' of hasgacha pratit at every turn after hefty promises of ongoing support, and amazed at our "own" fete accompli - the completion of the writing of a Sefer Torah in an unusually short time, Rav Yehudah and I felt - on top of the world, doesn't describe our elation.

However, we both had that uneasy feeling we'd not fulfilled the mitzvah of Chachnasat Orchim (hospitality to guests) as well as we should have. Perhaps we spread ourselves too thin, perhaps because we didn't know they were vegetarians (why didn't I ask!??); maybe because I naively arranged accommodations we can only describe as rustic and quaint, Israeli tzimmer-style, not a five-star, or even a three-star, hotel; maybe it was our limited time for trips with Shavuot in the middle,...oh, if only we could do it all over again!

Immediately our mazal had changed. No emails, no answers, no nothing. We searched our souls, pleaded for answers - nothing.

Tachlis - we were now half-way through the month and had no realistic ability to pay our salaries for Kollel Ohr Michael. Will we close the kollel? Should we take a loan? Our talmidim rely on us. We could have closed at the beginning of the month, and at least they all would have had a chance to learn or work somewhere else.

Mazal the Kallah Loses her Ring

The shidduch between Mazal and Daron which had begun on Lag B'Omer (the same day we'd finalized plans for the Sefer Torah) was coming to fruition and we threw together a chatuna (wedding) in a matter of days. The kallah, Mazal, asked to stay by us the night before, and I was thrilled to take her in, but limited by the same issues I'd had during our Chachnasat Sefer Torah - acute achilles tendonitis. "I'll be fine. I hope," I reassured myself.

Mazal, I figured, would surely want to stay close to home the day before the wedding and I'll just let her enjoy her leisurely time to get ready. Since the guys were doing all the planning, tables, music, photos, arranged for other friends to cook (since I couldn't possibly stand long enough to make a meal for so many) - what could she need beyond what's here in our home or the neighborhood? The chatuna will be only two buildings away - I could surely walk that far.

Let's just say, Mazal had an entirely different idea in mind of her pre-wedding day: including nails, major shortening of her kallah gown, the making and assembly of wedding favors, perhaps we could find a place to quickly embroider the new tefillin bag she'd bought the chatan? I don't even have a car of my own, and no idea where any of these things can be found anyway.

By 3pm, hours before the chatuna, with Rav Yehudah by my side, we decided we'd have to pass this beautiful mitzvah as shomeret to the kallah to someone else - someone native to Tiberia, who owns a car, has time on her hands, speaks Hebrew, and knows where hair, nails and makeup can be done. Enter: "Dodah Shoshana!" I comforted myself that it wasn't my mitzvah to do. It was Shoshana's. And she needs a shidduch so it'll be a real zechut for her.

The chatuna went off beautifully, but it was clear - our leaving early (as we do from anything too late at night) and not being able to stay for a few other things Mazal had hoped to do at the wedding was a real disappointment to her. And I knew in my heart - I'd not been able to fulfill the mitzvah of "l'sameach chatan v'kallah." Good intentions - but one must have follow-through, or not promise more than one can give.

Inviting them over for dinner the second night after the wedding - I don't even know why, but inquired about her ring. "My ring! It's gone! I must've forgotten it when I washed my hands at the kever of Rabbi Akiva before we came here!" Mazal exclaimed. Although they went back to look for it the next day, it was gone. Gone. I couldn't believe it.

Every Step in Eretz Israel is a Mitzvah - especially with Achilles tendonitis

"They say, whenever there's a test in parnassah, it is really just a test of emunah" we reminded ourselves as we descended the long stairway at the Kever of Rabbi Akiva, last night, a week after the wedding.

We'd come as we often do to enjoy a quiet talk in the darkness overlooking the Kinneret, but also to daven for those who'd contacted us in the past week needing various yeshuot.

And we both davened hard that Hashem would open the heart(s) of anyone in the position to be able to help us make our commitments to our talmidim.

Then, truthfully still feeling rather glum, we started back up (ouch) the long stairway to the parking area and  I reassured my husband, "Yehudah, we must have done something wrong and there is no way Hashem simply doesn't want us to know what it is! We aren't Paroah, or the followers of Korach to whom Hashem had closed all chance of teshuva altogether and the sea swallowed them all up! We had good intentions. And if we erred, we will be given a chance to fix it."

Reaching the top of those stairs I suddenly thought of Mazal and her lost ring. "Stop! Let's go check  for the ring in the office. They're open now. Maybe they were closed when Mazal and Doron tried. This is a religious place and they know it's a mitzvah to return a lost item. Surely they have place they keep things that are returned. If someone came here and found it, they came do daven - not to make off with someone's ring! There's a good chance it's here. I just know it!"

Sounding like a movie, I know, I continued as we flew back down those steps, "Yehudah, I'm so happy to be a Jew! It's an honor to live by Torah, to know what to do, and how it is that Hashem wants us to live our lives. It's such a thrill to have the chance to do mitzvot everyday. And we're doing one right now with each step here on these stairs." I wish I could add his responses, but truthfully, he was either silent (most likely) or I just wasn't listening to him. Also likely.

I sat back against a wall as I watched Rav Yehudah approach the caretaker. But I heard it clear as a bell, "Yes, we found a ring - three! It's here in our lost things box." I bolted to the doorway and there it was, the ring I'd only caught a glimpse of at the chupah.
"Mazal, Mazal, mazal tov!!!! We found your ring!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed into my pelaphone like a true Israeli. "But were there three?!"
"Yes, three! B'Emet? You found it? Adina Ruth, you truly made me so happy!"

Everyone was thrilled. And I knew - I'd just "fixed" my failure to l'sameach the kallah and perhaps our donor, as well. Tikkun done. And I knew our mazal had changed, too.

The Check is in the Mail

The email time stamp was the clincher -At exactly the same moment that we'd found Mazal's ring, Hashem had changed our donor's heart. Or as she described, she'd returned from a two-week trip with no internet connection and had not had time to follow through with her support before leaving. 

We're both sure - tefillah is great, and so our Rav Yehudah's tikunim and brachot, but Hashem really wants us to do our cheshbon nefesh (daily soul searching) and find where we're still needing to improve - and be ready when He sends us our opportunity to do so. Listen and respond to Hashem and just do the mitzvot b'simcha.

And if you ever contact us/me and we suggest that you strengthen in area of mitzvot or halachot: tzniut, Shabbat, chesed, Shmirat haLashon, the halachot of business, etc...know we definitely live by those words ourselves. None of us are above "teshuvah."

Yeshivah Bugdet Cuts by 50%

We rarely comment on news, but will today. The proposed governement cuts to Yeshivot in Israel as seen in this article on Arutz Sheva, Hesder Yeshivah budget cuts, underscores one of the many ways Yeshivat haMekubalim Kol Yehudah v'Eliyahu are different from other yeshivot - we receive no government support and are entirely independently funded - by you and others like you. I know, I sound like a public service bulletin from PBS, but it's true. A little goes a long way here for us, and a little zechut in supportof  our learning and daily performing the Kavanot of Rav Shalom Sharabi and the Arizal, goes a long way for our donors as well.

As a brief example, to date, Rav Alfasi has performed countless special tikkunim for childless women, along with a special kavanah during Kiryat Shema which is assured to bring success for infertile couples and all but one have quickly conceived.Perhaps I should include an image of Rav Alfasi's list with all the names so dramatically scratched off.

Regarding the one couple who has yet to conceive, despite our insistence that she see a doctor for her significant health issues that severely impact her chances of getting pregnant, she refuses. So, perhaps if she does her own hishtadlut her name will soon be crossed off Rav Yehudah's list of those needing a powerful brachah for children. Truly a lesson that we aren't performing magic here, we're helping along the broken connection between the recipient of the bracha and Hashem's resistance to answer it. Ultimately, we wouldn't need all these tikkunim, if emunah and tefillah, and keeping all our halachot diligently were in priorities.

Now, back to the Yeshivot where all these halachot, etc are learned and passed on from generation to generation -

Bezrat Hashem, while we are currently very strapped for funds for our "Kollel Ohr Michael" we remain uneffected by current Israeli government budget cuts  So while we feel for our fellow Torah-learners, we assure you the power of the punch of donating to us is felt more fully in shamayim. Why? Because our emunah is more fully challenged by relying solely on Hashem to support our learning - and we're a truly kosher k'li for your ma'aserot and terumot, and/or tzedakah.
Tizku haMitzvot

NOTE: This website is not accessed by Rav Alfasi himself, nor does the rav have email. All questions are posed to the rav personally, and answers provided are strictly translated from Rav Alfasi's own, in an attempt to remain true to the rav's original answer in Hebrew. Therefore, questions and queries concerning serious life situations and difficulties, are given precedence over casual questions and inquiries.

Follow Us

Shalom to all our followers and supporters,

Yeshivat haMekubalim Kol Yehudah v'Eliyahu has decided to close our Facebook presence in the next few days, so if you are following us on Facebook, we invite you to "follow us" here on our website at www.yeshivathamekubalim.org or receive our updates via email.

Thank you for your support of our learning (and doing) the Kavanot of the Arizal and Rabbeinu Rashash where we provide the first and only kollel/ beit knesset with these kavanot in Tiberia, Israel since the passing of Rav Chaim Abulafia.
Kol tuv,
Yeshivat haMekubalim Kol Yehudah v'Eliyahu
info@yeshivathamekubalim.org

Chachnasat Sefer Torah Video

Baruch Hashem we were blessed and honored with the donation of a Sefer Torah this past Gimmel Sivan, and here's the video of some of the simcha. And "special thanks" doesn't even begin to express our gratitude for the chesed done by Serach Yael Ben Lev of Holy Land Treasure in taking these amazing photographs and the video, as well. Her husband, David, is shown in the first frame, as he takes part in fulfilling the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah.

Much more soon to follow, next week, bezrat Hashem.

Chachnasat Sefer Torah

Bezrat Hashem, Gimmel Sivan we will be having the honor of a Chachnasat Sefer Torah. Please read the invitation and come and share in our simcha!
And this is part of the reason we haven't been around to post much lately.

Post-Pesach Catching Up Time

Shalom all our followers and occassional visitors,

Just a quick message to let you know that Pesach was full of simcha and meaning, we're in a lull-time now when the mekubalim do not do any of the kavanot and well, I'm quite busy both with other projects within the kollel and home.

Since we essentially do not want to encourage internet use, my posts for Rav Alfasi will be fewer than they were before - we can definitely feel the impact on the kedusha in our lives and must maintain the highest levels of kedusha possible.

In brief, however, we have a new kollel (somewhat open to new learners) beginning now, Friday mornings and Shabbat afternoons. There is a small salary for this learning, call the kollel office for more details: 054-848-3389.

And we have a new shacharit minyan, not quite nes, but still at a good hour, 6am, followed by a break then the morning shiur begins at 8am.

We have more, including a video and pictures of Rav Alfasi and many of the talmidim on their tiyul to Netivot and the kever of the Baba Sali, the Kotel, the kever of Saba Yehudah Alfasi, and more - but I'm not sure when I'll have time to upload it.

In my "spare" time along with running some of the office affairs, i also sew many ritual and other items for the kollel, djellabias, and sew custom shawls for women wanting to take on the humrah of wearing a shawl, all this while running a home, which is my first priority to Rav Alfasi.

Kol tuv to you all.