And finally, thanks to the ladies guild for this wonderful Brocha

South African Rugby Supporters

It’s time like these when you have your South African heartstrings being pulled 

Rosh Hashannah

So, what is Sukkot ?

Sukkot is an agricultural festival that originally was considered a thanksgiving for the fruit harvest. 

Sukkot are hut-like structures that the Jews lived in during the 40 years of travel through the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. As a temporary dwelling, the sukkah also represents the fact that all existence is fragile, and therefore 

Sukkot is a time to appreciate the shelter of our homes and our bodies.

Sukkot is Z’man Simchateinu - a time to be happy ! 

See the full post:

https://toriavey.com/what-is-sukkot/#VZroYtVbqd4Vdqk2.99

The Difference between Success and Happiness

Sukkot is an agricultural festival that originally was considered a thanksgiving for the fruit harvest. 

Sukkot are hut-like structures that the Jews lived in during the 40 years of travel through the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. As a temporary dwelling, the sukkah also represents the fact that all existence is fragile, and therefore Sukkot is a time to appreciate the shelter of our homes and our bodies.

Sukkot is Z’man Simchateinu - a time to be happy ! 

I guess why I like the picture of 2 men sitting on a park bench laughing and being happy  - is the way it encapulates  happiness as a feeling - without the need for the trappings of success.

So what is the difference between success and happiness?

People strive for success ....... should they strive for happiness? 

All to often you see people with financial success feeling unhappy, while people who are not “financially successful” are feeling happy.

Maybe Success is material.... and.... Happiness is a feeling? 

So after doing a little  googling .... this is what I found.....

Success does not create happiness, but happiness can create success. Think about people who seem to attract success. Not the ruthless competitors — but people you just naturally want to be around.

Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.

Success is having all the money in the world; happiness is having family and friends to spend it on.

Success is measurable; happiness is limitless.

Success is a fancy car; happiness is a joyous journey.

Success is working hard; happiness is loving the work.

Success is having everyone know your name; happiness is knowing everyone’s name.

Success is being right; happiness is being true.

Success is money in the bank; happiness can’t be deposited.

Success is private jets; happiness is flying high.

Success is never easy; happiness will never feel difficult.

Success is money; happiness is value.

Success is late hours; happiness is all day.

Success is second homes; happiness is always home.

Success is material things; happiness is in the materials.

Success is praise; happiness is never needing it.

Success is reaching the top; happiness has no ceiling.

Success is all the money in the world; happiness is needing none of it.

Success is doing what you love; happiness is loving what you do.

Success is envied; happiness is shared.

Success is measured in human terms; happiness is a  gift for those who live their lives well according to their core values.

Success is not a reflection of happiness, but rather, the other way around. Happiness is the ultimate measure of success. 

Am I my brothers Kippa?

When young David was asked by his father to say the evening prayer, he realized he didn't have his head covered, so he asked his little brother, Henry, to rest a hand on his head until prayers were over. Henry grew impatient after a few minutes and removed his hand.

The father said, "This is important ... put your hand back on his head!" to which Henry exclaimed, "What, am I my brother's kippah?"

Esther Ben Moshe

Rabbi approaches a guest in shul and says: "I'd like to give you an Aliyah. 

What is your name?" 

The man answers: "Esther ben Moshe." 

The Rabbi says: "No, I need YOUR name." 

"It's Esther ben Moshe", the man says. 

"How can that be your name?" asks the Rabbi. 

The man answers: "I've been having financial problems, so everything is now in my wife's name"

The best drosh on Yom Kippur and Kol Nidre

Yom Kippur is a day of when Jews fast and atone for their sins. 

It starts with a holy prayer called Kol Nidre - which is a Prayer in Aramaic - saying that all your vows and promises made are annulled and you start the year afresh .

Rabbi YYJacobson shares a  brilliant drosh. It hits the right spot, full of wisdom, insights, inspiration and humorous stories .

• The camel story
• The story of the man wanting 38C
• The importance of getting rid of preconceived ideas and being able to achieve your potential
• And many more 

It’s well worth finding a quiet spot and listening to this for 54 minutes. You will love it 

. May you and your family be inscribed in the Book of Life for goodness, kindness, health & prosperity.

Just do it! Give it a go

Interviewed By Gretchen Rubin www.gretchenrubin.com 

Gretchen is a best selling author on habits and happiness with close to 3 million followers 

Just do it! 

Interview: Sarah Hurwitz

From 2009 to 2017, Sarah Hurwitz served as a White House speechwriter, first as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. She's the author of a new book, Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There).

I do love a long subtitle!

I was interested to hear what Sarah had to say about happiness.

Gretchen: What’s something you know now about happiness that you didn’t know when you were 18 years old?

Sarah: I’ve always been risk averse—I tend to focus on everything that could go wrong and way underestimate the upside of any decision. But as I grew older, I realized that I was totally miscalculating risk. 

For example, when I left the White House, I had this crazy idea that I wanted to write a book about Judaism. I had grown up without much Jewish background and had started learning about Judaism while I was in the White House. I was blown away by what I found and wanted to share it with others. 

But my risk-hating brain was terrified of this idea: Who was I to write a book like this? I’m not a rabbi—I’m not qualified! And what if it turns out terribly? And what if no one reads it?

But by framing things this way, I was only thinking about the risk of writing this book…and I wasn’t considering the risk of not writing it. I really wanted to write this book—

Judaism has so many insights that I wanted to share about how to be a good person, lead a meaningful life, and find spiritual connection. And when I finally considered the risks of not writing it, I realized they were pretty serious: deep regret, frustration, misalignment with my truest self. 

So I took the plunge and wrote the book. And while it was tremendously challenging, I felt a great deal of joy and purpose in doing it, and I never had a single moment of regret. Again and again in my life, when I’ve recalculated risk that way—taking into account the risk of not taking risks—I’ve made decisions that have led me to happiness.

You’ve spent a lot of time studying and writing about Judaism. What has surprised or intrigued you—or your readers—most?

People often think of ancient religions like Judaism as conservative and reactionary…but it turns out that Judaism offers plenty of wisdom that’s both quite radical and wildly countercultural. Just consider the foundational Jewish idea that we’re all created in the image of God, which Judaism understands to mean that we’re each of infinite worth and we’re all totally equal to each other. 

You don’t have to believe in any kind of God to see the power of that idea. And if you don’t think it’s radical and countercultural, ask yourself why you didn’t stop to help that person on the street who asked you for money. If that person had been a celebrity or CEO, I’m guessing you probably would have stopped. In other words, if we really internalized and acted upon this in-the-image idea, our world would look very different.

Another example is Shabbat (the Jewish sabbath), which involves taking a day of rest each week. Jews who observe Shabbat often refrain from working; spending money; using their phones, computers, and TV; and much more. And they spend time in prayer, and with their families and communities, being fully present with loved ones. 

In a way, Shabbat can be understood as a weekly protest against the consumerism, materialism, and workaholism of the modern world – all those voices that say, “You’re not enough, you don’t have enough—you need to work more, spend more, improve yourself, and do a better job of curating your life for others’ consumption on social media.”

Those who observe Shabbat are, at least for one day, choosing to tune out those voices and focus on the things that really matter. I think it’s awesome.

Is there a common misperception or incorrect assumption about Judaism that you’d like to correct?

I used to assume that Judaism says that God is essentially a man in the sky who rewards and punishes us as we deserve, and if you don’t buy that, then you’re an atheist. 

But actually, Jewish theology is incredibly diverse and offers all kinds of sophisticated thinking about God—some of which really resonates with me. 

There are Jewish thinkers who have argued that God is everything and we are all interconnected, all one.  Or that God is the process by which all living things become their highest, truest forms—the process by which we become more ethical, authentic people. 

Or that God is what arises in moments of deep connection between two people—that when we encounter another person in their fullest humanity, we’re encountering God. And there are plenty of other Jewish God conceptions as well.

It turns out that Judaism is a vast, deep, millennia-old tradition that encourages questioning, debating, and thinking for ourselves (and maybe you’ve heard the old joke: two Jews, three opinions). This approach is one of the many things that I love about Judaism.