On Shabbos ParashasBamidbar, Rabbi Zalman YaakovLabinsky, director of BecomingDivine in Cleveland, Ohio (anorganization dedicated to creat-ing a global community of peoplewho are devoting their lives togrowing spiritually within themarriage relationship), delivereda series of inspiring and upliftingmarital lectures in the Baltimorecommunity. The series included aShabbaton for couples, and sever-al free shiurim on Shabbos after-noon and Sunday morning, allhosted by Mr. Frank and Mrs.Danielle Sarah Storch.

Becoming Divine is a world-wide movement dedicated toteaching Jewish couples a uniqueapproach in working to strength-en their marriages. RabbiLabinsky’s approach emphasizesthe concept that everything in lifeflows forth from one’s marriage,especially all other relationships,including one’s avodas Hashem,and relationships with one’s chil-dren, work, and community.

With much siyatta diShmaya,Rabbi Labinsky has strengthenedcountless marriages using his sin-gular methodology.

“Anybody who is paying atten-tion cannot leave RabbiLabinsky’s presentations unshak-en in his marriage habits. It istruly a wakeup call,” said oneShabbaton participant.

Rabbi Labinsky spoke several

times throughout the Shabbaton,maintaining an upbeat and oftenhumorous tone while drivinghome this crucial message of pri-oritizing the relationship withone’s spouse and creating a homein which the Shechinah can trulydwell. He pointed out that oftenpeople have time for the wholeworld, but don’t take the time toimprove their marriages, but, intruth, if things are not right athome, they are not right any-where.

During Sunday morning’s lec-ture, entitled “Emes V’Emunah,”Rabbi Labinsky described how toview the ups and downs of mar-riage as part of Hashem’s MasterPlan, and use them to spur our

own personal growth.Based on the teachings of the

Zohar, he explained that thebadeken ceremony, which tradi-tionally takes place before thechuppah, shows us that one mustunderstand that there are bothhidden and revealed parts toevery marriage. The chassan andkallah both possess many traitsthat are revealed to each other,

representing “emes,” and manytraits which are yet to be discov-ered, representing “emunah.”Someone getting married must beprepared to fully receive bothparts of his/her spouse, and useany challenges as a springboard tokeep growing — in marriage andin life. Furthermore, we mustunderstand that all of this waspreordained for our benefit,

straight from Hakadosh BaruchHu.

He emphasized that marriageis one of the most important partsin life, with the potential to be theplace where we express our rela-tionship with Hakadosh BaruchHu. “Hashem wants to help usbecome Divine, as long as we wantto help ourselves,” concludedRabbi Labinsky.

5 SIVAN 5774 JUNE 3, 2014 HAMODIA C23Community

Baltimore News

Rabbi Yoel Neumann’s first-grade class at Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok recently celebrated the completion of 613 pesukim.

Rabbi Zalman Yaakov Labinskydelivering a lecture at the home ofMr. and Mrs. Frank Storch.

NEW!Now Offering

Intro toWelding

Rabbi Labinsky DeliversSeries of Shiurim