Things to Think About

Someone is Waiting For You
There is a wedding tonight. I know that you are busy, that your boss already let you leave work early twice this week for Simchos in the family, and that you still haven’t scheduled the plane ticket, and top that off with a concert tonight supporting your son’s school – but there’s no choice: you have to be at the wedding. After all, it’s your relative; they’re expecting to see you. Even if they weren’t, you have a responsibility: it’s just not right for you not to be there. And so, you somehow carve out time from your crazed schedule for the chasunah.
Just don’t forget that even more critical than the chasunah is not missing even one day of your Kvius Itim. You are being waited on by someone who won’t forget if you don’t come -- He (as it were) needs you to be there. "Kol Ha’osek... UBtorah K'Ilu Pda’ani Ulivni Mbein Umos Ha’olom" – not to mention the fact that it’s just not right for you not to be there.
This Mitzva that is Noga to the Yiras Shamoyim of your entire Houshold - dont miss a day!

Imagine the Scene
A missionary arrives in Crown Heights. Soon enough he is politely asked to leave. The missionary resists. Police are called, security patrols get a whiff and are there in moments. Police claim that he has the right to do his “thing”. Community activists immediately call the Mayor’s office, while others start an awareness campaign on how to deal with missionaries. The websites have 3 op-eds each on the subject, and that’s just the start.
Avoda Zara is a terrible thing – we hope to do our best in eradicating it from our midst. What’s interesting, though, is that the Alter Rebbe points out that the loss of Torah study due to petty optional activities is less forgivable than Avoda Zara. Eliminating that problem won’t be covered on the front page of a local newspaper– but for your own life it deserves some real introspection and action.

The War on the Dreidel
Learning from the mistakes of its predecessors today's society has effectively frozen the dreidel in its tracks. Thousands of years ago when the Ancient Greeks outlawed Torah study, the Jews steadfastly risked their lives to keep this precious mitzvah. They studied Torah in the cold, dark cellars and played with dreidels when the Greek soldiers came to investigate the gathering. Our society seems to have successfully implemented the same decree without rousing any resistance due to the subtlety of its methods. Our culture influences us to run after conveniences, pleasure, competition and materialism. Because of this we are in danger of the Torah becoming displaced from its central position in our lives. It has, to some, become a bother and a nuisance, given mere lip service so the activity can be quickly concluded. In this spirit the dreidel can no longer spin joyfully. There is a simple remedy for this. With Torah centrally repositioned in our lives the dreidel can come gleefully whirling back.

Nightly Battle
Overheard at a Shiur: "I can't stay longer, I need to go to a L'Chaim.".
Overheard at a L'chaim "I need to leave, I have a shiur to go to".
Who is right? It depends. How often to you go to L'Chaims? Is your Shiur a Shiur Kovua? Do you do any other learning during the day? How close are you to the Choson or Kallah? And the list goes on.
Essentially, it depends on the importance of each of these events. It is vital to have an understanding of the importance of Torah learning, and the void it's absence leaves. It would also help to know the value of L'Chaims. This is a valid discussion to be had with a Rov or a Mashpia.