Rabbi's Blog - The Shul of Bellaire

Drip Drop!

Friday, May 31, 2013 - 5:37 PM

Drip Drop.

Last week I had the privilege of joining 40 children, their parents and grandparents, in celebrating an incredible end of year Hebrew School graduation. It was a true delight to witness the bright smiles and beaming faces of Jewish pride and joy.

Towards the end of the ceremony a dad approached me and related the following: “While I am so proud of my son’s accomplishments this year – particularly in Hebrew reading, I can’t help but feel a tad envious that I myself still don’t read Hebrew.”

I shared with him a story of the great sage Rabbi Akiva, who once, while drawing water, noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Rabbi Akiva was amazed at how water which had been dripping over a huge solid stone (drip..drop..drip..drop) had eventually carved out a deep hole in the rock.

The Shepherd Akiva was fascinated.

“What mighty power there is in a drop of water,” he thought. “Could my heart of stone ever be softened up that way? Do you think there is hope for me? Suppose I began to study the Torah, little by little, drop by drop. Do you think my heart would soften up?”

“But I am forty years old! Is it not too late to start?” he thought to himself. However, right there and then his mind was made up.

This is how Akiva the shepherd became the great Rabbi Akiva, the greatest and wisest scholar and teacher of his day, who had 24 thousand pupils! He often told them that it was a drop of water that changed his life.

And so right there and then, our Hebrew School dad decided he would start learning Hebrew himself.

Whether for the Hebrew or any other subject in Judaism, it really is never too late! Who knows who the next Rabbi Akiva in potential is?

The world may be waiting for you!

Have a great Shabbat!

Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky

Our trip to Oklahoma City!

Friday, May 24, 2013 - 12:54 PM

Our trip to Oklahoma City…

Last August, our family had the pleasure of spending a weekend with our dear friends in Oklahoma City, Rabbi Ovadia and Nechama Goldman and family, founders and directors of the local Chabad Community Center.

Esty and I got to witness first hand, the amazing community they’ve created, a hub of genuine ‘Ahavat Yisroel’ - unconditional love, care and concern for each individual that comes their way. With warmth, humility and unmatched dedication to their mission they teach and inspire.

This week after the devastating tornado hit their neighboring community of Moore, their Chabad community center was naturally and immediately transformed into a shelter for displaced families, a place to where food was delivered and then served to the hungry. People were nourished, comforted and encouraged.

While the Headlines at the news outlets may have ‘moved on’ to other more catchy stories, thousands of people in OKC have nowhere to move-on to. They have no homes, no food and too many of them have also lost loved ones.

But our friends and his team of rabbinic interns at Chabad are on the ground providing short-term relief and long-term care in the form of food packages, cash donations and logistic assistance to the victims of the tornado. They are collecting supplies (diapers, nonperishable food, snack items, water and sports drinks) from the local community, and personally delivering it to those in need (Click here for pictures).

Let’s join them. Please take a minute to make a donation towards their relief efforts. Click here: www.JewishOKCrelief.com.

May we all learn a lesson from the selflessness of the Goldman’s and may G-d bless all the victims with immediate relief from this horrific experience.

Have a wonderful Shabbat,

Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky

'Like' your Birthday!

Friday, May 17, 2013 - 2:27 PM

'Like' your Birthday!

If you are a “Facebook’er”, you might relate to the following daily ritual:

Brush your teeth – check.

Morning prayers – check.

'Happy Birthday' Facebook posting – check.

What a great way to conveniently wish a wide variety of ‘friends’, blessings on their special day!

Facebook really has simplified life for us - in some ways - by condensing things like social gestures and friendships, down to some clicks on the keyboard and virtual ‘thumbs up’ signs.

But is a Birthday that simple?

Are Birthday’s just parties for kids? (When my kids celebrate their birthday’s they barely have time to digest the cake – before starting to plan their next birthday, just a short 12 months away.)

All jokes aside, your Jewish Birthday is extremely significant!

Your birthday is actually described as your personal Rosh Hashana! (That’s why party blowers were invented – a quasi ‘shofar’ type of thing.)

It is the day G-d decided that YOU have a very specific contribution to make in this world and therefore He sent you here, to carry out your personal mission.

A birthday then, is a time to reflect on the year gone by, thanking G-d for the blessings we experienced, celebrating our achievements, and making positive resolutions to progress in those areas that call for more attention, (spending more ‘quality’ time with the family, nourishing our souls…)

Condensed in the 24 hours of your Birthday is an enormous amount of energy and potential, which, when unleashed, can impact your entire year magnificently. (Similar to Rosh Hashana being that first day of the Jewish calendar, which can so strongly impact the rest of the year.)

Tomorrow is my 34th birthday. I will firstly, thank G-d for the overflowing blessings in my personal life, my dear wife Esty and our beautiful children – Mendel, Mushka, Chana & Rochel.

I will also thank G-d for all the special people who make-up ‘The Shul’ community, we would not be where we are without your presence, input, friendship and support.

I look forward to sharing a toast at the Kiddush following services (feel free to come (JFK) just for Kiddush!).

So, with no major intention of disturbing the ‘Facebook Birthday’ formalities, I’d ‘like’ you all to have a wonderful Shabbat and week ahead,

Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky

Judaism to Go!

Friday, May 10, 2013 - 2:18 PM

Judaism to Go!

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netayahu's teenage son was with his father this week on a State Visit to China.

They toured the ancient Ohel-Moshe Synagogue in Shanghai, which the Chinese Government has established as a Jewish Museum tribute to a past, instead of a living-breathing Synagogue of today.

While touring, teenage Avner Netanyahu had something else on his mind. He turned to (my friend) Rabbi Avraham Greenberg, one of the Chabad rabbis in Shanghai (Esty’s brother is engaged to his niece…) who was on hand, and asked "Do you have a pair of Tefilin here?"

And right then and there, in front of the shocked Israeli diplomatic corp, the communist Chinese delegation, and the ecstatic press who were snapping away, he laid Tefilin and began praying, from his iPhone... When one of the puzzled Chinese asked him what he had just wrapped around his arm, he kindly explained that "it reminds us daily of who we stand before."

Sometimes, while traveling on business or vacation, we leave our Judaism behind.

So Avner taught us an important lesson: Judaism is not only for the comfort of our own Synagogue or home. Rather, it is there to remind us ‘who and what we stand for’ every day, no matter where we are. In fact, sometimes we may need that reminder while we are abroad, more so than when we are home.

And this week I got a local reminder too, just yesterday, a Bellaire couple, whose summer travel plans include a weekend in Lisbon, Portugal, asked me to introduce them to the local Chabad Rabbi, and arrange for them to join their family for Shabbat dinner in Lisbon. Within three hours it was done.

That is Judaism on the go. Thank you Avner and N. F. for the reminders!

See you on Shavuot,

Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky