@jo-howell and @dave-howell
I thought of you two reading this commentary by Rabbi Sacks. Because of his examples with Beethoven and Mozart.

This article is quite long but very detailed. I copied and pasted one part which speaks on converts.
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The covenants with Abraham are unconditional and eternal. But they are limited only to the offspring of Abraham. The covenant at Sinai, on the other hand, included many people that had joined the Jewish people in their exodus from Egypt. Indeed, even those who were biological descendants were required to enter into this covenant—so that all Jews at that point were effectively converts.

From this we know that it is possible to become an heir to Abraham even if you are not a biological descendant. Indeed, a convert is called “a child of Abraham” for ritual purposes, including marriage. You need only to enter into the same covenant as the Jewish people did at Sinai, in the same way as they did. These, indeed, are the requirements of Jewish law.21

#verseoftheday
Psalms 32:5-6
Therefore I will acknowledge my transgression; I do not hide my wrongdoing. I said I will acknowledge my sins before G-d. And You have forgiven my sin and transgression. Selah Let everyone who is devoted to You offer the prayer at the moment You are to be found. That when punishments are sent to scour him at least they should not come upon him like a swelling flood of water.

#shabbatchickenrecipes
These are 25 whole chicken recipes on Jewish learning.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/25-roast-chicken-recipes-for-friday-night-dinner/

#likuteimoharah65 #baalshemtov
About to call it a day however I came across something I wanted to share. I am reading to catch up for the Likutei Moharan class and in the commentary (annotated by Chaim Kramer) on section 1 in the paragraph that states, "a soul is rectified through someone's death," it say this,
Rabbi Nachman told this story in Uman in 1810. The Baal Shem Tov once arrived in a certain town where he fell into a very deep melancholy and despair. Though alarmed by his despondent state, the townspeople did not dare ask him about it. After a day and a half the Baal Shem Tov requested that all visitors to the town be brought to him. Two individuals were found and quickly taken to where the Baal Shem Tov was staying. The townspeople later heard him arguing with these two visitor. Rebbe Nachman then said that although he did not remember all the details of the story, the essence of the matter was that there were souls that had be trapped in this town for three hundred years without being able to ascend. All these years they had looked for a person of stature, capable of effecting their tikkun but had not found anyone who could undertake the task. When the Baal Shem Tov arrived in the town, these souls came to him seeking rectification. This was the reason for his depression, since it was indeed a very weighty task. It seemed that the only way the Baal Shem Tov could accomplish this mission was if he were to die. But this was not the right time for that, and so he involved the two visitors in order to bring about the rectification of all those many souls. (tzaddik #87)

Wouldn't it have been cool to have been a fly on the wall and found out how this story ended.

All this make so much sense of the writings of Yeshua's life and death. The agony of torture and death itself to rectify souls that were trapped. It is said that many souls walked the earth at Yeshua's resurrection. I just bet they ascended he did also. I just think it is so cool that Rabbi Nachman can explain what Yeshua was doing better than years spent in the church. There is one other commentary that I thought was a good explanation of what Yeshua was doing and why he said what he said at the time of his death but I will save that for tomorrow.

Matt. 27:51-54
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, ‘Truly this was the Son of God’!

#sephardichistory
Who Was Hasdai ibn Shaprut? The Jews of Sepharad Dr. Henry Abramson

much betterhttp://f1.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=43.666675000000055&lon=-86.04924499999996

#sephardichistory
Brief video on the life and times of Abraham Senior, important 15th-century Spanish Jewish financier.
Who Was Abraham Senior? The Jews of Sepharad Dr. Henry Abramson

#rabbinachmanmoment
I have not personally verified this statement but the person I copied from, I trust.

Rabbi Nachman teaches If a person had complete faith in G-d and fully believed that He stands over him listening to his prayers, hearing every word that comes from his mouth, he would certainly pray properly without a trace of apathy or despondence . The main thing that prevents us from praying with enthusiasm is a lack of faith, which makes people despondent and apathetic.

If a grain of wheat is planted in good soil, it will sprout and grow beautifully without being harmed by winds and storms. This is because there is a power that makes it grow and flourish. But if the same seed is planted in poor soil, it literally rots in the earth because there is no power making it grow.

In the same way, when a person has faith, which is the growth-generating power, nothing can harm him. He is not afraid of anyone or anything in the world; he puts energy into his prayers and visits the Tzaddik. But if a person lacks faith, he lacks the growth-generating power, and then he literally rots, like a grain of wheat planted in poor soil. This is what makes him ponderous and depressed and he literally rots!

When a person is patient and slow to anger, he fears nothing and lets nothing distract or deter him from his devotions. No matter what happens, he continues as best as he can, doing his part to serve G-d without worrying about anything or letting anything disturb him.

Patience depends upon faith, for "as long as there is idolatry in the world, there is anger in the world" ( Sifri, Re'eh ). Faith is the opposite of idolatry and therefore dispels anger, bringing the person to patience, which is the opposite of anger.

Whenever you encounter distractions and barriers in your prayers and devotions, you must take a deep breath of patience and bear everything—patiently. Do not allow yourself to become discouraged, depressed and apathetic. Breathe... breathe deeply and don't take it to heart. Continue doing what you have to do and try your best to ignore all the distractions and obstacles. This is the mark of true patience, which comes through faith, the growth-generating power.

Faith will make you grow, flourish and succeed in your devotions, because no obstacle will have the power to disturb you or throw you into depression and apathy. Regardless of what happens, you will continue doing what you have to do joyfully and with enthusiasm, paying no attention whatever to any disturbances and distractions.

Likutey Moharan I, 155

Have an amazing day

Be blessed and...

S M I L E ! ! ! 😊

#ParshahVaYeshev
Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers. . . . “Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood all around, and bowed down to my sheaf.” (37:5-7).

We live in a disjointed and fragmented world. Its countless components each seem to be going their own way, each creation seeking only its own preservation and advancement. Our own lives include countless events and experiences, espousing different priorities, pulling us in different directions.

But this is but the most superficial face of reality. The deeper we probe nature and its laws, the more we uncover an underlying unity. The more we assimilate the lessons of life, the more we discern a “guiding hand” and a coherent destiny. The more we utilize our talents and resources, all the more do the various aspects of our uniquely individual role fall in place.

This is the deeper significance of Joseph’s dream. We are all bundlers in the field of life. Here, each stalk grows in its own distinct little furrow; our challenge is to bring focus to this diversity, to gather these stalks together and bind them as a single sheave.

But this alone is not enough. As Joseph saw in his dream, his brothers’ individual bundles stood in a circle and bowed to his. This means that while every individual should view the various components of his life as a distinct “bundle,” the piecing together of his life is not an end in itself, but the means to a higher goal. In the words of our sages, “The entire world was created only for my sake, and I was created only to serve my Creator.” So while every person should view his entire world—the resources and opportunities which Divine Providence has sent his way—as being there for him, this “bundle” must in turn be dedicated to the fulfillment of his divinely ordained mission in life.

The way this is achieved is by subjugating one’s own bundle to “Joseph’s bundle.” The Torah is G‑d’s communication of His will to man, and charts the course for man to serve his Creator. And each generation has its “Joseph,” an utterly righteous individual whose life is the perfect embodiment of the Torah’s ethos and ideals. This is the tzaddik whom the “bundles” of the various tribes of Israel surround and to whom they subjugate themselves, turning to him for guidance as how best to realize the purpose of their lives.

(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

Today in Jewish History

Kislev 19

Passing of Maggid (1772)
Rabbi DovBer, known as "The Maggid of Mezeritch", was the disciple of, and successor to, the founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. Rabbi DovBer led the Chassidic movement from 1761 until his passing on Kislev 19, 1772.

Liberation of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1798)
On the 19th of Kislev of the year 5559 from creation (1798), Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi -- a leading disciple of Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch (see previous entry) and the founder of Chabad Chassidism -- was released from his imprisonment in the Peter-Paul fortress in Petersburg, where he was held for 53 days on charges that his teachings threatened the imperial authority of the Czar. More than a personal liberation, this was a watershed event in the history of Chassidism heralding a new era in the revelation of the "inner soul" of Torah, and is celebrated to this day as "The Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism."

Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel born (1798)
On the very day that Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was liberated from prison (see above), a granddaughter was born to him -- the daughter of his son Rabbi Dovber and his wife Rebbetzin Sheina. The girl was named Menuchah Rachel -- "Menuchah", meaning "tranquility" (Rachel was the name of a daughter of Rabbi Schneur Zalman who died in her youth).

In 1845, Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel realized her lifelong desire to live in the Holy Land when she and her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Culi Slonim (d. 1857), led a contingent of Chassidim who settled in Hebron. Famed for her wisdom, piety, and erudition, she served as the matriarch of the Chassidic community in Hebron until her passing in her 90th year in 1888.