Following the smashing success of this campaign, Etrade.com used babies in their Super Bowl spot no less (see below)!! I’d imagine that they figured that by using babies, they’d be able to win over the millions of women that tune into this sporting event, in a simple quest to watch the entertaining commercials.

The above commercial, received much publicity! In fact, the maligned actress, Lindsay Lohan sued Etrade for a whopping 100 million dollars over the fact that she (and pretty much only she…) saw this add at another attempt to further soil her reputation.

However, what caught my eye, is that the Jewish world, in particular the Orthodox world, has now turned to the use of a talking baby to market the latest Jewish Chinese Auction. With the economy still in the slumps, trying to convince people to attend these fundraising events are getting seemingly increasingly more difficult. One can no longer simply place an add in The Jewish Press or Mishpacha Magazine and assume people will flock to the event! And so, A.T.I.M.E. has created a cute and funny campaign encouraging parents to attend their particular auction!

What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments section below what you think…Do you think it’s about time that Jewish organizations are using such popular methods to publicize their events? Or would you rather they continue to try and let the general public know of these fundraisers through more heimishe methods!

Also feel free to check out my thoughts on Summer Branding in Israel here!

Now, when I see things of this sort or watch these “Lungs” function, the first thing that comes to my head along with the word “awesome” are the words of Tehillim 104:24: “Mah Rabu Masecha Hashem!” I also recall the famous story involving Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch zt”l (for more on his real name see here) and how Rav Hirsch towards the end of his life, made it a point to visit the beautiful French Alps. When asked why he had done so, Rav Hirsch reportedly responded, “after 120 years, when I appear before the Creator of the World and  He asks, ‘Samson have you seen the magnificent French Alps?’ I want  to be able to answer in the affirmative!” This also goes in line with the words of Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Mendel Danziger, who in his sefer, Yismach Yisrael (Chanukah #2) relays to us that the Almighty is so gracious that he designed the world in such a matter that from the dust of the Earth or other aspects of nature, we can acquire high levels of Yiras Shomayim and fulfill the words of Mishlie 22:4!

In light of the above, it is only fitting to share that Rav Hirsch did not translate the words, “Mah Rabu Masecha Hashem, Kulam Bechochma Asisa, Malah Ha’aretz Kinyanecha,” in its typical fashion of:  How manifold are Your creations, Hashem, You’ve made them all with wisdom, the earth is filled with Your creations.

Instead, he places a comma between Haaretz and Kinyanecha and translate kinyanecha in the imperative. Hence, the verse of Tehillim will read:

How manifold are Your creations, Hashem, You’ve made them all with wisdom, the earth is filled with them, (you/man) acquire it! In other words, that one should increase his awe of Hashem and his appreciation for His world by taking the time to observe and appreciate nature and the way in which every detail is designed.

While I have never visited the Alps, nor do I know when I will have such a chance, I believe that we can still fulfill this insight of Rav Hirsch through viewing Video clips such as this one and appreciate the fact that we have breathing lungs created for us not for use strictly in the lab, but for life! Thank you Hashem!

Additionally, being that we believe that Secular knowledge is not inherently negative (see here), I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that although his UCLA Bruins won a record 10 NCAA national championships and their 88-game winning streak is the longest in major collegiate basketball history, his favorite part of coaching was leading the practice sessions in which he taught the fundamentals that were the foundation of his success. He would teach his players everything from the proper way to put on their socks to lacing their shoes! After all, he used to say, “It’s the little things that make the big things happen.”

All in all, Coach Wooden was more than a basketball coach, he was arguably the first Life Coach and always more pleased by his players’ success in life than on the basketball court. There’s much we can learn from him. Here are some of his quotes that can relate to us in our daily lives:

• “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
• “Never mistake activity for achievement.”
• “Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character.”
• “I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”
• “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”
• “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”
• “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
• It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”
• “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
• “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
• “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

In the midst of the era of athletes and sports figures becoming so ego-centric that it’s news when an athlete makes a subtle quiet announcement (see here in regards to Keven Durant)  I hope Coach Wooden’s words will be an inspiration and remind us to keep our eyes on the real prize of life!

I highly recommend: Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks For a Better Life.

I highly recommend: LeBronathon: How to Hype Up Your Life, by Rabbi Boruch Leff.

Indeed, our Sages relate that the episode that led to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash is recorded in the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. Unfortunately, the public undressing that Bar Kamtza received from the few powerful yet hurtful words of baseless hatred that was displayed towards him, led Bar Kamtza to walk right out the door and create a devious plan that would cause the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.

In contemporary times, when you mention the ability to communicate in just a few words, many of us will think of Twitter. Twitter is a social networking tool that lets you easily follow other people and receive “Tweets” from this person. However there’s a catch!  Tweets are short messages that must be under 140 characters. Hence, you’ll have President Barack Obama making political statements on this platform or we’ll hear news directly from NBA All-Star Keven Dorant (see here) in which he announced his contract extension on Twitter. Both the politician and the athlete are limited to positioning their message in under 140 characters! And yet, Twitter has shown the world that even with just a few words, one has a powerful platform and can influence millions around the globe. Indeed, for making the wrong comments on Twitter, people have been fired from their position (see here)! Hence, if we ever needed a reminder of the power of just a few simple words, other than once a year on Tisha B’Av, this tool, used by millions on a daily basis, is a great way to keep this message on our “Spiritual Radar!”

Moreover, there are companies that are beginning to reveal to the general public that our words, yes even written, or in this case Tweeted, are in fact being watched from above, by not just the Almighty – but by corporate America as well! You see, PepsiCo’s Gatorade, Nabisco’s Wheat Thins or even Delta Airlines, realize what our Sages have known for years: that the collective words, comments, Tweets, or Facebook “Likes” can have a lasting positive or negative influence on society, or in this case, their brand. And so, as reported here:

“Gatorade is taking its social media strategy very seriously indeed – so much so that it has built a mission control center replete with screens beaming out brightly-coloured visualisations of what people are saying about it on the likes of Twitter…the room, in the center of Gatorade’s marketing department, contains six big monitors depicting real-time events in the social media ether. One screen is a representation of the tweets relevant to Gatorade, be they about the brand, its athletes, its competitors, or sports nutrition-related subjects. Another tracks and measures conversations across the blogosphere and allows Gatorade to conduct ’sentiment’ analysis around key topics and on product and campaign launches.”

Also see this Video:

Likewise, Wheat Thins “Crunch Control” monitored the Tweet of Tabitha Hancock and surprised her with enough Wheat Thins to feed an army! For more on the story see here and here.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight the fact that Delta Airlines recently created a @DeltaAssist Twitter account to only further their Online Ears and show people that they’re listening to feedback, kvetches, and what not. Indeed, I’ve been traveling for several years and have heard other frequent fliers remark that they get quicker/better service through Tweeting their issue that they are having at GATE X or Y or Z, then if they’d have to call the airline or wait for a Gate Agent. Truth be told, this matter got national attention when Filmmaker Kevin Smith sent a series of exasperated Tweets claiming that he’d been kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for being “too fat”. Proving, perhaps, the speed at which Twitter can spread messages about your brand, his Tweets have been picked up by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, ABC and other major outlets (see here).

All in all, while these businesses realize that every word, every character, can hurt or hinder their brand and image, it is incumbent upon us, especially during The 9 Days leading up to Tisha B’Av to realize that every word or character that we say can build or destroy the Beis HaMikdash! In so doing, may we merit to no longer celebrate Tisha B’Av as a day of mourning, but rather as a day of joy!

If you are on Twitter, feel free to help bring the Geula by keeping the message of Tisha B’Av on our collective screens! Use in your Tweets this hashtag – #mtjbrd = May the Temple in Jerusalem be Rebuilt in our Days.

Why?

Due to increased security measures, it seems like an astronomically long time before one even enters the terminal! And so, in an effort to move people along quickly all while providing better security, there are now more than twenty-three airports across the United States using Full Body Scanners.

Indeed, last year, when these scanners where beginning to get more public attention, I posed the question here of:

According to Jewish Law, is it permissible to walk through the Full Body Scanner?

At the time, I didn’t get the chance to properly answer this question. Additionally, those Poskim whom I consulted with told me that they wanted to learn more about it before reaching a conclusion. Since posing this question, we have unfortunately experienced the “Underwear Bomber” as well as the misunderstanding that led many to believe that there was a “Tefillin Bomber!” All things considered, ever since the “Underwear Bomber” tried to blow up a plane over Detroit last year, these devices have been more readily adopted by airport security throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, etc. To that end, it appears inevitable that they will continue to be introduced to airports around the world. And so, while there are those who believe that these scanners increase safety, there are reputable experts who are of the opinion that they are “worthless.” See also here. Moreover, for some time now it has been reported that Al-Qaeda has been practicing how to get past these scanners! On another note, I’d be remiss to point out that for certain people there are potential health risks involved. Hence, one should consult their physician prior to stepping in a Full Body Scanner. For instance, it has already been reported here that pregnant women and children should not be subject to this scanning.

However, aside for such individuals, your average passenger may very well have to pass through a Full Body Scanner for their very first time this summer. Hence, while there is certainly room to debate if this device is truly effective, I believe that’s a moot point, as these machines are now going to be part of the travel experience. And so, I believe it’s imperative to answer the question of:

According to Jewish Law, is it permissible to walk through the Full Body Scanner?

To best address this matter, we need to determine if there is even any Halachic cause for concern in using a Full Body Scanner?

While I’m certain that there are several elements of concern a pious Jew may have before walking through this machine, arguably the greatest issue is the element of: Tznius. Indeed, there are those who suggest that these devices clearly break child pornography laws. Likewise, CNN recently reported that the government is misleading the public regarding the ability of these nude airport scanners. Truth be told, these machines that see beneath people’s clothing, do have the potential to be abused by TSA insiders and hacked by outsiders. Not only would this be a grievous  invasion of privacy, but it would clearly not be within the realm of Tznius, and hence possibly forbidden to use by Jewish Law.

Indeed, a TSA worker assaulted a colleague who made a crack about the others genitalia after his fellow employee walked through the revealing scanner! As such, we certainly see that this machine can be revealing—and not for simply security intentions!

And so, as pious Jews, we must turn to the words of our contemporary Sages to see if it’s permissible to consider using these machines.

Earlier this year, the European Jewish Press reported here that The Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE), comprised of hundreds of Rabbis, expressed concern about the installation and implementation of Full Body Scanners in European airports.  Asher Gold, the RCE spokesperson remarked, “the implementation of Full Body Scans leaves us concerned. In line with child protection agencies in America we feel this violates the rights of [all] Religious Women whose Modesty would be compromised.” Accordingly, he vocalized the Rabbis conclusion as far as using this device by remarking that while they appreciate the concern of passenger safety, “we would recommend that men are scanned by men, and women by women, akin to body frisk.”

However, one of the foremost Poskim of today, Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita, reportedly stated clearly that, “he saw no Halachic questions with using these scanners for airport safety!” Similarly, when I recently asked this question to two other Poskim, one in America and one in Eretz Yisrael, they both remarked that using these devices would be akin to going to a doctor. If medically needed, a Jewish physician is allowed to inspect a person of the opposite sex. Likewise, if medically needed, a Jewish patient is permitted to expose themselves to a medical professional of the opposite sex. The reason for this, is beyond the scope of this post, but stems from the verse in Deuteronomy 4:15 which states, “ushmartem me’od es nafshoseichem” (you shall carefully preserve your lives). Likewise, the Poskim whom I spoke to explained that it would be permitted by Halacha to partake in this “revealing” scan as it is needed for physical safety, and would also fall in line with the above mentioned verse and rationale.

In summation, the consensus opinion is that a Jewish person is allowed to walk into a Full Body Scanner. While it may be additionally pious to try and follow the statement of the RCE that, “men are scanned by men, and women by women,” there are many other Poskim who are of the opinion that one need not be concerned for this measure.

Have a safe and meaningful trip!

What are your thoughts on these Full Body Scanners?

Nowadays, Apple, headed by Steve Jobs, is even greater than Microsoft (see here) when it comes inventions.The company is known for many innovative items that have and continue to influence our society (see here). Their latest product, the iPad, is taking the world by storm! Any person in the tech-industry will tell you that one of the greatest aspects to the success of both the iPhone and the iPad is the Apps (see here). These Apps, short for Applications, allow the device to function in many different ways. The Apps are typically developed by a third-party developer or company and are available for download. One particular App caught my eye…

You see, according to our Sages (Talmud Chagigah, 12a; Bereishis Rabbah 41:3), Adam had the ability to see from one end of the world to the other! When he sinned, he, along with his descendants, lost this unique power.

Many years later, thanks to Brian Meehan, the co-founder of the App, Knocking Live Video, society can now come one step closer to an “Adamesque Experience!” Mr. Meehan is known as the one who convinced Steve Jobs to approve streaming video Apps. In so doing, we can all use this technology to see from one end of the world to the other!

Now here comes the tough part! There’s a lot of “wisdom” out there. It can be used for good (see here) or it can be corrupted for improper or immodest intentions. As we live in a time that we have access to such wisdom, and by extenion, are able to even taste somewhat of an Edenic reality, it behooves us to use our Apps responsibly. May the Almighty give us the strength to utilize these tools to only move in a positive direction!

While on the topic of time, I always found it funny that one of the busiest places in the world is know as: Times Square. Here you will see New Yorkers and tourists who appear constantly busy. The hustle and bustle along with the lights is exhilarating to say the least. And yet, one could get soo consumed that a person could loose the importance of time, in the very area that is called, Times Square! Indeed, I’ve hear many people suggest that it’s because of the hectic scene in Manhattan, and more specifically, Times Square, that New York is known as: “The City that Never Sleeps!”

On that note, I believe it’s without coincidence that in such a city there’s a radio station, WINS (1010 kHz), known on-air as “Ten-Ten Wins” that is arguably world famous for their slogan, “You give us twenty-minutes minutes, we’ll give you the world!” Indeed, millions of commuters and listeners tune in each year to this very station to get a quick dose of news, traffic, and weather, in just twenty-two minutes.

Why you might ask?

Truthfully, they want/need to be informed, but for many people that’s all the time they have to spare in their busy chaotic life that they lead on a daily basis.

While many New Yorkers tune in to WINS to hear the latest events as they commute to work every morning, there are millions of Americans across the country who watch NBC’s Today Show to become updated with all the latest happenings across the country. People view this program as they get dressed for work, eat their breakfast, and so on and so forth. And yet, perhaps emblematic of our ever bustling society, the Today Show has just recently introduced: Today in Two Minutes.

And frankly I get it!

In a day in age in which there are many different mediums to advertise on, you need to constantly reach your consumer and target audience. The Today Show doesn’t want to become a “thing of the past!” And so, if they can retain or reel in an additional age demographic by introducing this short new feature…then as we say…Kol HaKavod!

That said, I think it’s important that every person still have some minutes left in their day that they can call: ME TIME! I encourage everyone to set aside even just two minutes that will enable you to learn, grow, and continue to improve and refine your inner-self! It’s important to not get soo wrapped up and consumed by the world we live in. Unfortunately we all know people who if they would take the time to look up from their Blackberry, they might see how much they’ve alienated everyone else around them.  Moreover, they may even realize that the person they have hurt the most by constantly consuming media or the like, is the person that they know as: Me, Myself, and I!

And so, a great book I’d like to recommend is: Positive Word Power. As a Husband, Father, Educator, and Jew, there are days where I’m left gasping for air. There are days where I need to ask myself, “where did my ‘ME TIME’ go?” This book is perfect to read by yourself or along with a partner (I read it with my wife!). Through daily lessons, it succinctly allows one to focus on the power of speech and positivity, which in today’s world, can erode rather quickly.

All in all, whether you have sixty minutes, twenty-two minutes, two minutes, or think that you have NO TIME, make it a point to learn this book for your ME TIME. I assure you will only see positive results!

Can you recommend some other book or action that although read or performed quickly can impact your entire day? I’d love to hear from you in the Comments Section below.

Photo courtesy of Leo Reynolds

So let’s get this straight.

Standing at only a bit over 6 feet tall (see here) he may seem like a giant to us common-folk. However, in the National Basketball Association, he’s really a small guy, who because of his scrawniness, could get unintentionally bruised up, banged up, and so on and so forth. Additionally, he is playing in a league with speedy young men. And yet, despite his “old” age, the wear and tear on his body and his height, the guy is a hoops machine! He just keeps on shooting and winning regardless of what’s stitched or broken.

Likewise, hats off to Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks, who played after seven teeth got knocked out. Guess what? His team is now in the Stanley Cup Finals!

Reading about the stories of Steve Nash and Duncan Keith, reminds me that as human beings, we can live a life in which obstacles are placed in our way. Moreover, at times, things are broken one after another seemingly so frequently, that all we may want to do is curl up into the fetal position and cry! And frankly, if we did so, it wouldn’t be wrong. If Nash or Keith would have taken the rest of the night off they had every reason to not play. After all, it’s not within reason to compete at the highest level with one eye or several missing teeth! That said, they kept their “eye(s) on the prize” and didn’t let anything sway or distract them. The best thing to do in life is to remember the wise words of Bill Copeland who famously remarked, “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.”

As such, I implore everyone to have a goal in life. If you don’t yet know what your goal is, I suggest you take some time TODAY to define your goal. Define your goal for the next six months, for the next year, for the next five years, and certainly set a lifetime goal! In so doing, you will help ensure that despite any bumps or bruises in your personal road, you will know where the basket or net is to keep on shooting. It may take a bit longer to reach than you anticipated; or you may have to try a different method or approach to reach your goal.  That said, if you pick yourself up, instead of looking for self pity, and keep on entering and shooting in the game called life, you will constantly move in a positive direction.

For another perspective on sports see this recent article by Dr. William Kolbrenner.

With that said, it is well known that a boy celebrates his Bar Mitzvah at the ripe young age of 13 years old. To many people new or familiar to Judaism, this age at first glance may seem a bit young for a boy to be considered “a MAN in the Eyes of G-d!” I have heard many a person comment that this age is simply too young for society, let alone the Almighty, to place adult like expectations upon such young shoulders.

And so, I was relieved to read that in today’s day and age, there are still some kids who put there mind to a gargantuan task, aim to perform and achieve their mission! In so doing, they show us all that at the (what we consider young) age of thirteen, you can after all achieve a lot more than one would think…as long as you put your mind to it and follow through with your aspirations!

A recent instance of the above mentioned can be found in the story of Jordan Romero. Let’s be honest. Most adults would not dare to venture near Mount Everest…let alone climb to the top of this legendary mountain. And yet, that is exactly what thirteen-year-old, Jordan Romero, hailing from sunny California accomplished. He set out to become the youngest person ever to scale Mount Everest! Upon reaching the top he called home to let his mother know that he was at the peak of the world’s highest mountain. I’m certain that his mother was beaming knowing that her son had performed what many would think is simply impossible! To read more about Jordan’s story see here.

All in all, I think it’s a great story of Chizuk and motivation for anyone age 1-120. It reminds us that we can achieve the impossible! Even if we are a small start-up company we can achieve success. Even if we aren’t the smartest kid in the class or let alone in the entire Yeshiva we can climb to our own individual heights and maximize our unique potential as a Jew as well as a human being. And so, the next time you are up against a big challenge and you think that you are just this “little nothing” remember the story of young Jordan Romero, who reminds us all that little kids can achieve big things!

Just this past Erev Shabbos, millions of people celebrated Earth Day, in which they remember, appreciate, and respect “Mother Nature.” On the other hand, Chazal instructed us to not have one day to introspect upon the Earth. Rather, Jews are meant to constantly learn from natural disasters or the like and ask, “what is Hashem trying to tell us?” We should think, “what message should we, the Jewish people, perhaps be hearing a bit louder?” And yet, while it’s certainly true that after the earthquake that crippled Haiti, Jews quickly arrived and made a Kiddush Hashem (all you needed to do was follow this Twitter stream to read of the daily chessed performed by the IDF), by and large the Jewish community was not caught and crippled by the earthquake in Haiti.  Hence, for the most part we have carried on with our busy life.  Typically speaking, human beings react only when something happens directly under our nose. If however, something doesn’t come  within “our daled amos” it seems to not really register on our radar, nor does it evoke us to ask, “what might Hashem be trying to tell us?”

To that end, being that the volcano did not take place in an isolated area such as Haiti or China, but rather affected travel even to and from Israel, and has and continues to hamper hundreds of bachurim, Roshei Yeshivas, and Rebbes-the entire spectrum of the heimeshe olam,  Rav Shmuel Brazil, at his Shabbos Dvar Torah, decided to comment on the volcano, and give us all a bit of hisorerus from current events. Below are merely some of his insights as I recall them, mixed in with additional points and comments of my own.

First and foremost, I’d be remiss to point out that in my conversation with Rav Brazil prior to the beginning of Mincha, he noted, that in all of his lifetime, he can’t remember a time in which there has been soo many natural disasters occurring one after another (Indeed, right after Shabbos, I read of the latest Tornado here in which to date, 10 people have tragically perished). It seems apparent that Hashem must be trying to awaken the world, and more particularly Klal Yisrael, to something…

Rav Brazil began with a few introductory remarks, and then quoted a small Kuntres authored by Rav Yaakov Emden titled, Migal Oz. In this booklet there is a chapter called: Gehonnim. In this chapter Rabbi Emden quotes the Gemorah in Eiruvin 19a,  that relates to us that there are 3 physical openings to Gehonnim in this world. He proceeds by explaining that one of the openings to Gehonnim is, “well known and even recorded in a Sefer called Roshmei HaKadur, that there is a mountain in Iceland that spews ash from Gehonnim!!”

That’s right!

This isn’t any sort of volcano.

This isn’t any sort of natural disaster.

It is a volcano that spews ash from Gehonnim itself. It’s no wonder that a couple of puffs from this volcano had such an impact!

Rav Brazil continued by asking, “Does anyone know the name of the volcano?” Indeed, even newscasters have trouble pronouncing the name. Frankly, I find it easier to say five times Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the current leader of Iran, who also seems to spew a stream of lava like vitriol towards the Jews, then to pronounce the name of the volcano called Eyjafjallajokull (thanks to Rabbi Mordechai Dixler you can learn here how to pronounce the name Eyjafjallajokull).

To answer the above question, Rav Brazil took a more esoteric approach. He suggested that due to the speed in which we commute and communicate these days, we live in a reality that it’s becoming common place for people to not properly stop and think about the words we speak and emit into the atmosphere. How many politicians or sports figures do we know of that on a weekly basis claim, “I didn’t say that!” or “you quoted me out of context,” despite the fact that we have them recorded making such statements. Unfortunately, society is headed down a course in which we are not giving our words and commitments much weight or thought.

Hence, in the current state, our dibbur, and certainly that of Klal Yisrael’s, is not so Kadosh. Instead, it’s in a rotten state of kilkul. Unfortunately, there are Yidden of all stripes and colors who speak with such sina (hatred) and not with an ounce of ahavah (love) that we are becoming more jumbled and fractored than unified. Sadly, with each passing day in which we do not refrain from all words of disunity and Lashon Harah, we invariably will come across to the rest of the world as if we are just as jumbled as the name of the volcano!

We need to recognize that our words buzz around like this video of air traffic. We need to remember that there are ramifications to the way in which we speak and communicate. We live in such a quick and technologically advanced world, that sometimes we forget to think before speaking, or pressing click and sending an email with insensitive words, or commenting with sinas chinam to a blog post or the like. Airplanes are arguably the greatest vehicle to allowing an individual to experience just how fast of a world we live in nowadays. A journey that used to take months, is now completed within a couple of hours! And yet, while you certainly need to buckle your safety belt and listen to the instructions of the captain, an airplane can not even take off the ground without the use of technology.

Technology, commented Rav Brazil, is tov (good) and can also be rah (bad). However, if we succumb to the focus of constantly be engulfed in the culture that follows the latest technology trends and fads, and hence begin to stray from no longer being conscious of thinking before we speak, then Hashem can elect to flick his own switch, so to speak, to keep us grounded. There was nothing that anyone could have done to remove the volcanic ash from the sky. Thousands of people the world over just had to wait it out. However, it’s up to us to decide how we would utilize this time. I heard of one person who said, “well if I can’t make it to my business conference, I might as well sit and learn!” And so, he chaperined and learned many more hours of Torah then he intended on beingable to learn during this episode. Conversely, there were other Jews who decided to simply pass the time by reading a USA Today cover to cover. And you know what…to each his own! That said, this volcano did bring globalization and the comforts of air travel, to halt. In so doing, it afforded us the opportunity (it was up to each individual to utilize it) to think and introspect.

We need to remember that words, which although not visible, nonetheless travel throughout the world. Our words travel to the various olamos all the way up to Shomayim. We ned to never forget that our machshavos (thoughts), our masos (actions), but most importantly our dibbur (speech), is what sets us, human beings apart, from any other living being in this world.

We need to remember that it’s really quite simple: If  Klal Yisrael speaks nicely and proper, and by extension act as true Kedoshim, holy people, then we will all make it to a life in Gan Eden. However if we live a life of speaking (and that includes all forms of communication) Lashon Hara, then Rav Brazil reminded us all that there is room for all of us in Gehonnim!

Technology is a wonderful asset. It has advanced communication and made travel efficient, and dare I say seemingly effortless. If however, we loose sight that our goal is to be as it says (in what is now last weeks Parsha) Kedoshim, holy, because Hashem is holy, and instead chase after the next piece of gashmius or technology then we will quickly erode. With that said, perhaps we can finally understand why at the same time as the volcanic ash was distributing air travel, the latest gadget from Apple, the iPad, was mysteriously banned from entering into The Holy Land.

As I’m certain you know by now,  if you flew into Israel, you could not bring an iPad into the country…it was immediately confiscated!  While the Wall Street Journal to TIME Magazine all speculated as to why it was not allowed to enter Israel, no one could get a real straight answer. There were rumors floating around that the reason was for military precautions or due to collusion to not allow the iPad into the country until it was going to be sold in Israel. However, I’d suggest based upon the above thoughts that this, albeit temporary ban, was ultimately not another political or military conspiracy. Rather it was all part and parcel of Hashem’s subtle message to the Jewish people. He was subtly reminding us that we should really worry about how we can strive to have more Kedusha enter our lives. This time period of Sefiras HaOmer, is not supposed to be the time of the iPad. For us, it’s supposed to be the time of the iClimb, as we each work on our various attributes so that we can climb and correct our middos, and by extension, reach the holiday of Shavous as Jews in a perfected state of holiness.

Again, do I think it’s a coincidence that right after finishing the double Parsha of Achrei Mos-Kedoshim, I read that Israel has, just as mysteriously as the ban came, finally decided to lift the ban and allow the iPad (back) into the country?

I think not…

Hashem never intended to withhold gashmius or technology from us altogether.

Do I think that it’s a coincidence that no industry, aside for the airlines was as severely affected by this volcano as that of the import and export fish?

I think not…

After all, we all know that when Yaakov Avinu blessed Yoseph’s two sons and all of their descendants he compared them, and hence the Jewish people, to fish. There are many other sources, ranging from the Midrash Rabbah on down, who also compare the Jewish people to fish. See also here. All in all, if the fish industry which are comparable to the Jewish people were affected by this volcano, I view it as yet another gentle reminder from our Father in Heaven that we should listen and be affected by the subtle yet powerful message emanating from  Eyjafjallajokull.

Finally, Rav Brazil concluded by citing this article. Apparently, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano isn’t necessarily the main problem. It’s Katla, Iceland’s noisier neighbor, that’s the real concern. If lava flowing from Eyjafjallajokull melts the glaciers that hold down the top of Katla, then Katla could blow its top, pumping gigantic amounts of ash into the atmosphere. The potential eruption of Iceland’s volcano Katla could send the world, including the United States, into an extended deep freeze. Lashon Harah is worse than shefichas damim, murder, for it parallels avodah zara, idolatry and immorality as well. Rav Brazil left us all with the following question, “Does one not think that Hashem may be sending us another subtle message hidden in the name of this second volcano? I don’t think that it is a mere coincidence that this second volcano means murder in Aramaic?”

Regardless of whatever “death” this second volcano may allude to, be it economic or what not, we should take the current events and not shrug them off. Instead, we should view them with hisorerus, to help us continue to climb forward towards our cleansing process that we partake in during this time period of Sefiras HaOmer and the acceptance of the Torah at Har Sinai, which we celebrate on the upcoming holiday of Shavous.