Aug 28, 2019

Raize Guttman 08-25-19 (24 Av 5779)

Parsha Chayei Sarah - Chapter 24 – Verse 10-12

We are in the middle of the story where Avraham sends Eliezer to find a wife for Yitzchak. The first thing Eliezer does is to daven for a shidduch for Yitzchak - saying Hashem, please arrange it for me. From this we learn an important lesson. Of course, Hashem is in control of everything, but especially with shidduchim it is true! It is clearly so supernatural how 2 people come together & we need to make sure to turn it over to Hashem and give him the whole control.

Raize also speaks about the coming month of Elul. Elul is the acronym for a few different verses that are found throughout Tanach, these verses all stand for and represent the 3 very special things that remove an evil decree and bring a person close to Hashem. Teshuva (repentance), Tefillah (prayer), & Tzedakah (charity), bring a person to a supernatural status or a different status than they were before. Therefore it is said with these 3 things, a person can annul an evil decree that was decreed upon them.

By applying the lesson in our Parsha Chayei Sarah with the preparation for the coming month of Elul, by doing tefillah more mindfully we always bring ourselves closer to Hashem. .

Raize Guttman 08-18-19 (17 Av 5779)

Shiva D'Nechemta - The 7 Weeks of Comfort
7 weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah. Each Shabbos until RH we read a Haftorah of comfort.
Raize speaks about 4 ways to get close to Hashem.

Aug 11, 2019

Raize Guttman 08-11-19 (10 Av 5779)

Tisha B'Av

Tisha B’av is the day of the year that we reach rock bottom. Our mourning starts on Shabbos b’ Tamuz. It escalates on Rosh Chodesh Av, it becomes more intense during the week of Tisha B’Av and it reaches its peak today on Tisha B’av itself. As we sit on the floor and cry in utter misery over our terrible situation that we are in, we get up midday as the Beis Hamikdash is burning and we begin to prepare for a beautiful future. Even though time is tarrying and the wait is stretching on, we hope, pray and believe with our whole hearts that Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple will come at any moment. May the time quickly come when we look back with the clarity of hindsight to see how all our suffering was but a prelude to happiness and goodness, with the coming of Moshiach. Amen!

Aug 4, 2019

Raize Guttman 08-04-19 (3 Av 5779)

The Nine Days

Story of Kamsa and Bar Kamsa. Re-building the Holy Temple has to start with one person and maybe it is you that can take upon something and that can be the catalyst to rebuild it!

Raize Guttman 07-28-19 (25 Tamuz 5779)

The 3 weeks Bein Hametzarim

Our mourning increases. Raize mentions the list of things we should not do.

Yes, historically this is an unpleasant, bad time for the Jewish people and we just want it to pass quickly. But it is a pity to look at the 3 weeks only in this way, although it is a sad time, it is an opportune time. It is a time of introspection and getting close to Hashem. We should think about what we had. They say, we were born in the dungeon and we can't begin to understand what we are missing. By learning, talking, thinking, reading about the destruction of the Temple, we can feel like you are there.