Circumcision of the Heart Needed for All
Enough Blessings to Go Around!
Chamber Three: Relationship with God
Everyone Needs God’s Help Sometimes
Chamber Four: Relationship with Israel and Jewish Life Events
Special Lev Moment Introduction
Secrets to Success: For High School Graduates
Contemporary Habits Meet Ancient Wisdom For High School Graduates
You Shall Be Holy: Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Hearing and Acting on It: Bar/Bat Mitzvah
To the Groom on His Upcoming Wedding
To the Bride on Her Upcoming Wedding
You CAN Create Light: Final Words
A Note from my Sister Bruria: Part 2
Hebrew—The Language of Intent Power and Secret of the Hebrew Letters
Foreword
When Dorice Horenstein first showed me a copy of her book, I had no idea what to expect. I was pleased to discover that Moments of the Heart was a guide book, not to Israel or any other country for that matter, but a guide book to better living, based on Jewish values and insights.
This book draws upon an extensive knowledge of the Bible and an intimate acquaintance with the Hebrew language. What particularly attracts me is that Moments of the Heart deals with the universal human problems we all face in the course of life. Every person encounters problems, resulting in the need to make decisions that can affect the future.
So what do we do? We seek guidance and direction to make the best possible decision. Whether mending personal relationships, confronting medical crises, or dealing with legal complications, we consult with experts in various fields, read books and articles, or explore every source of information that we can find to ensure the best decision.
Moments of the Heart made me think of Rabbi Kushner’s book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, which has such a powerful impact upon all people who search for guidance in the great problems they face.
Ms. Horenstein opens up a wide door to the world of Jewish thought and experiences accumulated over many hundreds of years of life under all kinds of situations. She does this in a warm and understanding manner, sensitive to our needs and our desires. She encourages our search for peace and truth. She weaves together the courage of Israel, the spirit of America, and, most important of all, the eternal soul of Judaism in our quest for the good life.
–Rabbi Joshua Stampfer, Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR
Author’s Note
My Personal Lev Moment
In October 2014, my youngest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was thirty-eight years old and living in Israel. Since I was living in the United States, I could not get up and drive to visit her. I could not hug her or share time together just sitting next to each other, so I had no other choice but to come up with something I could do 10,000 miles away to not only keep in touch, but also to remain positive along the way.
It was a Friday night when I received the news. I recall that day very clearly. My synagogue holds Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat (greeting the Sabbath) services and a lovely traditional dinner. Usually, I would look forward to going, but not that particular weekend. I had sadness in my heart and heaviness on my chest; I needed to stay by myself. I urged my husband to go with our son, and I was left in our quiet home all alone.
For the three hours they were gone, I did not leave my place on the sofa. I did not turn on the TV; I did not look at the news or watch any of my favorite shows. I did not read either. I just stared at the kitchen cabinets in front of me, focused on nothing and lost in my thoughts.
It is amazing what can happen when you empty your mind. New ideas enter. The seed for this book was born.
When my family returned and my husband walked through the door, he saw a resolution in my face. He would tell you that he saw a glimmer of excitement. I say that there was hope! I had made plans to launch a Facebook page called Lev Moments, where I would share once each week an uplifting message for the coming week. I combined the Hebrew word lev, which means “heart,” with the English word moments. I later used these words to create the title of this book Moments of the Heart. I designed a logo with my good friend Lisa Berkley, and we were ready to go! The day was chosen. Saturday night was my first night. As we bid farewell to Shabbat, as many traditional