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The common denominator between clarity, purity and joy is the transcendence of our egos. We can only find objective clarity by going beyond our limited intelligence and following the Creator’s wisdom contained in His Torah. In the Torah, God outlines for His children what leads to purity and what leads to the opposite. Joy also comes from transcending the ego and being grateful to God for His love and blessings.
After having experienced the beauty of the first three biblical holidays of the year, Chanukah reminds us to become their teachings; to live with clarity, to radiate purity and to embody joy. Actualizing these states empowers us to transcend the obstacles of this finite world and unite with the Infinite.
God created every one of us with the ability to attain transcendence; that is why He put us here. Dig deeper in Torah (clarity); reach further in observance (purity); call out in grateful prayer (joy) and with God’s help you will succeed.
Yaakov Weiland has an MSW from Fordham School of Social Service and lives in New York City.
About the Author: Yaakov Weiland has an MSW from Fordham School of Social Service and lives in New York City. Visit his blog at yaakovweiland.blogspot.com.
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Making Rouhani the president was a brilliant strategic move for Khamene’i.

Noone, least of all me, wants to see any Arab child suffer, God forbid.

The Sanctuary was built with an ezrat nashim, a separate area for women.

The 686 men who expressed their desire to run in Iran’s presidential election were whittled down to 8.
Every American child seems to be on Ritalin and Israelis are imitating them.
The weapons will be given to people whose politics encompass hatred for Jews, Christians, the West generally, and Women.
Rohani’s election positions the regime to cater – superficially – to reform-minded voters in Iran, while improving Iran’s prospects in international negotiations.
The top Israeli advocate for letting the terrorists out of jail is none other than Shimon Peres.
The “Community Democracy” model meets all the criteria of the liberal democratic outlook, but it is based on the Jewish heritage and the Torah.
Rowhani will have little power.
“The Lord conferred statehood upon His people so that they might defend the enforcement of justice and preserve the truth contained in our Law as handed down by transmission.”
With Iran and Hezbollah openly supporting the anti-Sunni side in Syria, the battle lines have been redrawn, this time according to ancient and familiar traditions.
Yusuf al-Qaradawi knows how to express his ideas clearly and persuasively.
The boys who leave yeshiva to go to work are made to feel like they are second class and this makes it difficult for them to remain chareidi.
At some point I noticed an arresting picture on his wall and discovered that his maternal grandfather was Rav Dovid Lifshitz.
The Obama team included many outspoken advocates of U.S. action against the Bashir regime.
During the High Holidays we increase the number of our prayers. We acknowledge God’s kingship, beseech Him to forgive us and ask Him to grant us a new year filled with blessings. How do we make these prayers sincere and effective?
We are now in the Three Weeks, a time of national mourning for the Jewish people. Of the numerous tragedies that occurred throughout history during this period, the central one we grieve is the destruction of both Temples; they were destroyed on Tisha B’Av, the culmination of the Three Weeks.
On Shavuot we celebrate God giving us the Torah, represented by the Ten Commandments. We will explore them here through a broad lens, showing how they apply to our daily lives. We will focus on the First Commandment, the foundation, and the seven commandments phrased in the negative, which tell us what not to do, discussing both sides: the negative (avoiding what God hates) and the hidden side, the positive (doing what He loves).
In my Nov. 26 op-ed article, “The Clarifying Truths of Chanukah,” I explored how clarity, purity and joy bring us close to God and to living a meaningful life. If they are so essential, their potential must exist within our spiritual DNA. I suggest it does; we inherited that potential from our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Ever wonder why the Jewish New Year begins with three back-to-back-to back holidays and then no biblical holidays for another six months?
The ongoing crisis in the Gulf of Mexico has been declared the worst oil spill in American history. It occurred when an offshore drilling rig exploded on April 20, killing eleven crew members and causing an oil pipe, 5,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, to rupture. BP, the oil company responsible for the spill, is the fourth largest company, of any type, in the world. Shockingly, BP’s efforts, backed by America, have not stopped the flow.
Printed from: http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/the-clarifying-truths-of-chanukah/2010/11/24/
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