Contentment – The Clean Little Secret

By Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov Jax, Florida.

Strolling in the park one day, a woman stumbled upon a precious stone. Before she could place the gleaming object into in her bag, she was approached by a vagabond seeking alms. Nothing the woman was willing to give him seemed to satisfy the needy stranger.

The kind woman finally turned to the poor man in dismay: “What do you want?” What will make you happy? The beggar pointed to the diamond in her hand: “That’s what I want.”

With little hesitation or ado the woman placed the diamond into his hand: “Here,” she said “It’s all yours.” After a generous exchange of farewells, they were both on their way.

Sometime later, the beggar shows up at the woman’s door. “What can I do for you,” asked the woman, as she answered the door?

I have come to return the diamond said the man: “It’s not what I want.”

“What then do you want’” asked the perplexed woman.

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Dancing in the Streets as Jewish Community Center Celebrates Its Torah

By Eric Richardson for Blog Down Town

Dancers go in front of the newly completed Torah as it is carried across the intersection of 7th and Broadway on Thursday afternoon.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Music and dancing filled the streets around 7th and Broadway this afternoon as members and friends of the Jewish Community Center – Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles celebrated the completion of the synagogue’s first Sefer Torah.

Three Banks Robbed this Afternoon

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — This afternoon three banks were robbed, two of which were in Crown Heights. The first robbery took place at 2:50pm on Fulton Street and Bedford Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant, and the robber fled in a livery cab to another bank which he robbed as well, followed by another robbery.

Chabad Marks Birthdate of Movement’s Founder

Lubavitch.com

In the Jewish calendar, the month of Elul takes up its own, unique place. It is the end and completion of the Jewish calendar year and at the same time also the introduction and gateway to the approaching New Year beginning with Rosh Hashanah. In its capacity as the former, Elul serves as a time of “Tikkun” and “Teshuvah”, a time of correcting and completing the faulty and deficient. As the latter it serves as a time of preparing and readying man to enter the New Year in proper manner and fashion.

The Weekly Sicha of the Rebbe – Parshas Ki Savo

The Rebbe says:

1. Before the festival of Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) and the festival of Shavuos (the giving of the Torah) we read the “Tochachah” (the consequences or curses enumerated in the Torah for rejecting G-d’s word). The “Tochachah” before the festival of Shavuos is found in Parshas Bechukosai, and the “Tochachah” before the festival of Rosh Hashanah is found in Parshas Ki Savo (this week’s Torah portion).

2. The Rebbe explains the reason for reading the “Tochahah”:

Our Sages tell us that the “Tochachah” is actually not a punishment; it is a purification and cleansing process. In other words, hearing the Torah enumerating the harsh consequences for disobeying G-d’s word is a sobering experience where we shake off all our “dirt”.

Jewish Community Copes With Massive Southern California Fire

By Joshua Runyan for Chabad.org

Part of the infamous Station Fire could be seen one night tearing through the mountainside north of Foothill Boulevard in Glendale, Calif. (Photo: Steve Lyon)

Even as firefighters and state officials expressed guarded optimism Tuesday about their chances to contain a week-old wildfire that has consumed more than 120,000 acres north of Los Angeles, local residents remained scared. Evacuees pondered the fate of their homes, while others wondered if their turn to flee would be next.

A Hero in our Jewish Community – Mrs. Devorah Benjamin

Keren Simchas Chosson V’Kallah is an organization that every single Chosson and/or Kallah in Crown Heights has heard of in the course of their engagement and wedding. The woman who stands behind it, Mrs. Devorah Benjamin is the driving force and the one that without her it could not survive.

For that CrownHeights.info would like to recognize and nominate Mrs. Benjamin as “Our Hero in our Community.” This nomination is for the UJC’s “Jewish Community Heros” where people can vote for their hero and the winner will be awarded $25,000, and in Devorah’s case, is money which we know will be used to help our Chassanim and Kallahs.

Click Here to vote for Devroah!