Things I have learned from Mrs. Sarah Kaplan-L'Zchus Refuah

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Interesting Discussions -> Inspirational

1 2 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 5:28 pm

Mrs. Sarah Kaplan has been a Shlucha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Tzfas for almost forty years. During these years, she has served as teacher, Mashpia and confidante to countless women and girls from all over the world, BT's and FFB's alike. Now she is in need of great Yeshuos and Rachamei Shamayim. I thought that if those who know her can post some things they learned from her, it could benefit the entire board and be a Zechus for her to have a Refuah Sheleimah. Please Daven for Sarah Hinda bas Chaya.

I'll start:

When a Tzara befalls a person, he Davens to Hashem to help him. But isn't it Hashem who brought upon him the Tzara in the first place? How can we understand that?
This is similar to a child whose mother takes him to get vaccinated. The mother holds him down while the nurse gives the shot. The child screams - and turns to his mother for comfort. But didn't his mother hold him down? Isn't she an accomplice, one of those causing him pain? Yes, she is, and the child cannot understand why she did such a thing. Nevertheless, his love and trust in his mother is so great that although she seems to have betrayed him, he still knows she is the only one he can turn to for comfort. Thus is our relationship with Hashem. Although we cannot understand why He sometimes decides to inflict pain, yet we still trust that He is the only one we can turn to to save us.

Isramom8

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 5:36 pm

Refuah sheleimah!

Some here may not agree with the neccessity of vaccination. Wink

amother

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 5:53 pm

Isramom, the point is not about the benefit of the pain, it is about how the child turns to his mother for comfort even if he cannot fathom the reason she caused his pain, just because she's the only one who can comfort him.

Next thought :

Once there was a woman whose husband was a window cleaner. She would vent to her husband, "At least when you've cleaned someone's windows, you know they're clean and won't need to be washed for a good few months. As for me, whatever I clean gets dirty right away, whatever I cook is eaten in minutes, no matter how much laundry I do it piles back up immediately. I never get to actually see the results of what I do!" This refrain would repeat itself whenever she was feeling frustrated.
Twenty-five years later, one day her husband turned to her and said, "Look at the wonderful family you raised. Where are all the windows I washed now?"

This story really inspired me, and sometimes when I think, Why am I putting so much effort into the house, clothes, food etc. that won't last anyway, I tell myself, No, I am putting all this effort into my marriage and my kids. I WILL see long-lasting results.

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 7:16 pm

Mrs kaplen taught me that no matter how tough life is, no matter what tzaros Hashem throws at you, you can still smile.
She is a walking example.

mimivan

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 9:29 pm

I heard her speak at the Chabad women's Chanukah convention a few years ago. She spoke on the subject of chinuch. she said "We have an expression in our house. Those who use koach, ain l'hem moach." Someone who needs to command or to have control is not using their seichel and their brains to find a solution...this extends to any interpersonal relationship. Parenting requires a constant test and refinement of the seichel to find solutions. But there are some battles that are worth fighting and some that are not.

She said of course a parents shouldn't push Yiddishkeit in a harsh, demanding manner and should strive to make it as pleasant as possible for kids to observe mitzvos. But not to take a stand on things that are important, like letting your child go off to school without washing neigel vasser, is also a a mistake. Sometimes you have to fight that battle and prioritize. But do it pleasantly, with a smile. You don't have to push chumros down your kids throat, but you should take a stand on the basics, like washing neigel vasser, making sure the child says brachos..but always always do it with simcha and love.

groisamomma

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 10:23 pm

Is this woman related to the BY Kaplans?

ckk

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 10:45 pm

"davening isnt an obligation, rather its an opportunity". she really is a special women.

MrsDuby

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 11:01 pm

Isramom - I LOVE your comment Smile

Gosh - Mrs. Kaplan's classes and farbrengens were AMAZING ... I still have all the notes from seminary from her classes. it would be hard to think of JUST one thing I learned from her.

She really is a dugma chaya.... a shining example of everything we should all strive to become.

I hope we can hear good news soon about her health.

someoneoutthere

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 11:03 pm

groisamomma wrote:

Is this woman related to the BY Kaplans?

not that I know of

gryp

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 11:07 pm

cc wrote:

Mrs kaplen taught me that no matter how tough life is, no matter what tzaros Hashem throws at you, you can still smile.
She is a walking example.

Ditto. She is ALWAYS smiling.

sugarplum

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 11:11 pm

Can't think of anything specific but I learned so much from her as a person.Her kids are also amazing. May she have a complete refua sheleima.

lamplighter

Sat, Jun 11 2011, 11:20 pm

It's not about what I want or what he wants- it's about what's best for our marriage.

We have to daven for emunah just like we daven for other things. When you daven for help from hashem also daven for the emunah that you need.

e.hail

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 12:14 am

I heard from her in the shluchos convention last year or so, that when when
the rebbe gives u a dollar it does'nt mean that you are not going to '' fall down''
it means you gonna be able to get up!

hesha

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 1:10 am

can't think of one particular thing right now but I remember clearly the values she imparted in her classes. she is so wise and understanding....

intrigued

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 1:19 am

Op PLEASE change the title! It really mislead me when you wrote that in the past tense. Add Refua Shleimah to it! I see you are amother so I will report it to be changed.

May we see very fast recovery!

amother

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 2:36 am

intrigued wrote:

I put a lot of thought into phrasing the title. I thought "have learned" would make it current, as opposed to plain "learned". But if you have a better idea, please suggest it. How about "Things Mrs. Kaplan has taught me"?

amother

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 3:15 am

I PM'ed a mod to change the title.

intrigued

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 8:48 am

amother wrote:

intrigued wrote:

The problem is it's all in the past tense and therefore sends the wrong message. How about just add Refua Shleimah at the end with a -?

grin

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 11:31 am

I heard a story form her several times about how she used to be makpid that her children, when small, would at least say "mode ani" before eating breakfast. One day ds didn't feel like it, so she didn't make a fuss about it, just proceeded with her day while "ignoring" him. [notice the sterling example of chinuch - not forcing the issue.] But of course, as she pointed out, her thoughts were on him constantly, paying attention exactly to where he was every minute so that she wouldn't "see" him.
This is what hester panim is about - it seems to us that we are being ignored by Hashem but His thoughts are on us constantly.

It also always impressed me how she has everyone introduce themselves before a class, making sure she knew who everyone was, if there are any newcomers to the area that she didn't know (yet), making very single person feel welcome.

MrsDuby

Sun, Jun 12 2011, 12:36 pm

I too was freaked out when I originally saw the title for the thread.... and I quickly went to the websites to see if tehre was any news (chas vishalom) ... but I dont really have a better title to replace it with....

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next