Ever feel like you’ll never reach that level of greatness you dream about?
Join Leah for this guest show special with Sara Yoheved Rigler as they discuss Rebbetzin Chaya Sara Kramer (Holy Woman) in honor of her 20th yahrzeit. Instead of feeling discouraged that you’ll never be as great as her, you’ll learn the secret to unleashing your own spiritual greatness. Choose to listen in ladies, as it all starts with the choices we make…
About Rebbetzin Chaya Sara Kramer:
She went through the Holocaust at 20 years old. Her entire family was killed, and she was experimented on by Dr Mengele. She married Rav Yaakov Moshe Kramer who was also a survivor. He was known as one of the 36 hidden tzadikim. They never had children but they hosted many guests and selflessly looked after severely disabled children for no pay.
Life Lessons:
- She said Auschwitz was not a bad place, A bad place is a place where Jews can keep mitzvos and don’t keep mitzvos. She kept whatever mitzvosshe could there.
- Most of us define bad as what happens to us. She said bad and good have nothing to do with what comes toyou but rather what comes out of
- We have 2 pipes: input and output. Input is what happens to us from the outside and the output pipe is our thoughts, words and actions.We have 100% control over the output pipe and 0% control over the input pipe- that is straight from Hashem.
Questions:
How do you control your thoughts?
If the Torah has commandments against negative thoughts, it means it is possible to control them, and we must because our thoughts dictate our emotions. Our mind needs to tell our heart how to feel which tells our body how to act, instead of our heart telling our mind what to think. Then we become masters of our life.
What’s the practical process to master our thought process?
If a woman thinks her husband does something wrong, how does she respond? Usually, she’ll criticize but no one ever changes from criticism; it causes estrangement and disharmony.
A woman needs to work on three C’s: not to criticize, correct or control. We always have this choice. Rebbetzin Chaya Sara managed to change her feisty nature and chose to become calmer. When she disagreed with her husband, she chose marital harmony over victory and submitted to his will. We find it hard to give in because we think we’re right but someone who gives in, lives abundantly. Discord breaks a person.
Penina: There are so many things to learn from this book. Can you pinpoint one small thing I can do today to become a greater person?
Realize you have choices and no matter what happens to you, you can choose the thoughts, words and actions that will make you great. We become the people we choose to be.
Shira: I get so empowered to be a great person, but life wears me down and I don’t act on the inspiration. Any tips to keep the inspiration alive?
Know that failure is the yetzer hara’s greatest trick. But we will fall and each time we rise, we become greater. Know this and keep going.
Shevi: I like pretty things, and I feel like Hashem made women into aesthetics for a reason. How does this fit in with the Rebbetzin’s simple home and simple way of living?
Her simple way of living is not something she ever wanted to model for others. She had reasons for it, but she looked up to many people who did not live in this way.
Try This At Home:
When you have a choice, take the higher road and be mevater.
Her 20th yahrzeit is gimmel sivan – 30th May 2025. Please light a candle on the evening of 29th May 2025 for the neshama of Chaya Sara Bas Mendel Yosef.
~She had no children to light one for her, let us remember her spiritual legacy although she left behind no physical legacy.~
