Sunday, December 18, 2016

Yud Tes Kislev

The Alter Rebbe - Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi author of The Tanya
The 18th of Kislev marks the completion of the annual cycle of daily readings from the Tanya. The 19th and 20th of Kislev are the "Rosh HaShanah of Chassidus".

On Yud-Tes Kislev we re-commence the annual cycle of daily readings in Tanya, as divided by the Rebbe Rayatz.

It is the anniversary of the release of the Alter Rebbe - Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi [Hebrew: שניאור זלמן מליאדי], the first Rebbe of Chabad, who was informed upon by misnagdim in Russia and arrested on trumped-up charges of supporting the Ottoman Empire.

His informers pointed to the fact that he would urge his followers to send money to the Land of Israel as "evidence" of his alleged insurrectionist aspirations [in fact, the money was sent to support poor Jews]. At the time, the Land of Israel was a part of the Ottoman Empire, which was at war with Russia.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman was charged with treason, and released in the secular year 1798 on the Jewish date of Tuesday, 19 Kislev.

The 53 days of Rabbi Shneur Zalman's imprisonment are said to correspond to the 53 chapters of the first section of the Tanya.

19 Kislev is also considered to mark the day upon which Rabbi Shneur Zalman was conceived, for he was born exactly nine months later, on 18 Elul. [Shemu'os Vesippurim, Refoel Kahn, vol. 1, p. 39]

Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel born [1798]

On the very day that Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was liberated from prison, a granddaughter was born to him -- the daugher of his son Rabbi Dovber and his wife Rebbetzin Sheina. The girl was named Menuchah Rachel -- "Menuchah", meaning "tranquility" [Rachel was the name of a daughter of Rabbi Schneur Zalman who died in her youth].

In 1845, Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel realized her lifelong desire to live in the Holy Land when she and her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Culi Slonim [d. 1857], led a contingent of Chassidim who settled in Hebron. Famed for her wisdom, piety and erudition, she served as the matriarch of the Chassidic community in Hebron until her passing in her 90th year in 1888.
The 19th of Kislev is also the yahrzeit of R. DovBer, the Maggid of Mezritch, who [as successor to the Baal Shem Tov] was the mentor of the second generation of the chassidic movement - from 5521 [1761] until his passing on the third day of the week of Parshas Vayeishev, Yud-Tes Kislev, 5533 [1772]. His resting place is in Anipoli.

Rabbi Dov Ber was born in Volhynia in 1710, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, though other sources say his year of birth is unknown. Little is known about him before he became a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. A Hasidic legend states that, when he was five years old, his family home burst into flames. On hearing his mother weeping, he asked: "Mother, do we have to be so unhappy because we have lost a house?" She replied that she was mourning the family tree, which was destroyed, and had begun with Rabbi Yohanan, the sandal-maker and master in the Talmud. The boy replied: "And what does that matter! I shall get you a new family tree which begins with me!"

How aptly those words described the role he was later to play; for the boy was destined to become the successor to the Baal Shem Tov.

Source: Chabad

Five Life Lessons

The Alter Rebbe: Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
[1745-1812] The Founder of Chabad


Written by Rabbi Dov Greenberg


Five Life Lessons from one of the greatest Jewish mystics: the Alter Rebbe

1. Don't worry about the state of someone else's soul and the needs of your body,
    Worry about the needs of someone else's body and the state of your own soul.

2.  The bite of the snake doesn't kill you, it's poison does.
     The bite is the sin itself; the poison is that voice inside us that whispers ''You are a loser''.
     Ignore that voice and move on.

3.  Having faith in G-d means having faith in other people, and the measure of our righteousness
     lies in how many people we value, not in how many we condemn.

4.  A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness.

5.  Heaven is nice, but on the best things like acts of loving kindness, earth has exclusive rights.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Rebbe Nachman's Tikkunim

Art by Ben Goossens


Rebbe Nachman said he knew the roots of every Jewish soul. At first he said that he knew them in the written Torah, but not in the Oral Torah. He later said that he knew the root of each Jewish soul in the Oral Torah as well. He knew how to provide each person with a remedy [tikkun] based on the place where his soul was rooted.

There were many things he told us to do. These did not involve deep intentions or the unification of the transcendental worlds through Yechudim. The things he told those close to him to do were simple acts of piety.

Rebbe Nachman told his followers not to fast at all unless he prescribed it. He might tell one person to fast for a certain interval. He might tell another person to stay awake one night and abstain from eating animal products for 24 hours. There were many whom Rebbe Nachman told to fast on erev Rosh Chodesh. He told many people to study 18 chapters of Mishneh every day. He prescribed many courses of study, a different one for each person.

There was one course of study, however, that he prescribed for all, and that was the daily study of the codes. Rebbe Nachman said that even when one has no time, he should still study at least one law in the Sulchan Aruch each day, no matter where that law might be. He said that this is an important obligation for every Jew.

Another practice that he universally prescribed was for us to seclude ourselves in prayer each day [hitbodedot]. He told us to express our thoughts before G-d and ask that He have mercy and allow us to achieve true devotion. This secluded prayer was to be in the language we normally spoke.... This is already discussed at length in Rebbe Nachman's printed works.

Rebbe Nachman would look at the root of a man's soul and prescribe the practice necessary to correct each blemish. Each person then required a specific practice. Most of the practices seemed very simple. However, they were all prescribed on the basis of awesome hidden mysteries and were very far from simple in their effect. Rebbe Nachman did not reveal any of these mysteries. He simply prescribed a routine and did what was necessary with it. He said "Everything I prescribe is helpful as a remedy both for the past and the future, as well as after death, in the Messianic Age, during the resurrection, and in the Future Life."

Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom
translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Chazak u'Baruch - Strength and Blessing



by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

Previously, we expanded on the enormous reward in store for one who answers Amen, as presented in the words of Chazal and in the Midrash, that He opens the gates of heaven and brings down an abundance of spiritual and material blessings. Consequently, the reward for one who answers Amen is like the dividends, since his reward is guaranteed also in this world, aside from the principal, which is reserved for the World to Come, eternally.

There is an amazing story that took place in Baghdad in the days of Rabbi Yosef Chaim, zya”a, the Ben Ish Chai:

There were two partners who lived in Baghdad who dealt with old clothes. Once, they heard of a gentile family offering old clothes for sale, and they went together to purchase them.

On the way they passed by a Beit Haknesset where they sought a tenth man to fill the quorum in order to say Kaddish. One merchant replied that his time was short and he separated from his partner. However the other one abided by the words of Chazal who say “A mitzvah that comes your way, do not delay performing it.” He entered the Beit Haknesset and answered the Amens after the Kaddish and immediately continued on his destination. When he arrived, he discovered that his fellow had already bought most of the clothes, besides for some tattered rags. Nevertheless, in order not to return empty-handed, he bought the rags and left.

A surprise awaited him at home. Among the tattered rags there was an old pillow. When he tore open the seams to remove the feathers, he found a precious gem inside. Immediately he ran to the jeweler who estimated that it was worth fifty gulden, and he gave him the money for it in cash on the spot. But, when the merchant’s wife heard about this, she began to persuade her husband that the jeweler had swindled him, since the gem was worth a lot more, and he should fight to get the jewel back.

The merchant decided to consult the “Ben Ish Chai,” zt”l. When the Rabbi heard the entire story, he replied: According to Chazal [Chulin 87a] it seems that the reward for every Amen is worth ten gulden. If so, when you heard a half Kaddish and answered five Amens, according to the letter of the law, you deserve fifty gulden in this world, while the principal is reserved for you in the World to Come. Therefore, do not appeal the bargain you made!

Omitting Amen reflects a lack of faith

On the other hand, we should note the inspiring words of the “Moreh Mikdash” in the name of the Mahara”m Schiff, zt”l:

Every Jew must be aware of the magnitude of the prohibition of speaking mundane matters in the Beit Haknesset. In the holy Zohar it states that one who speaks [idly] in the Beit Haknesset, causes division – since his soul does not bond to the G-d of Israel, and also he harms his faith; meaning, that since he is engaged in chatter, he is not careful to answer Amen because he does not pay attention to the conclusion of the blessing. And even if he does pay attention, ultimately he does not know for what he is answering Amen (especially by the repetition of the Chazzan, if there are not ten men to answer Amen, then it is a blessing which is in vain). Since the one who answers Amen is called “guardian of faith – שומר אמנים”, then one who is not careful with this harms his faith.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

What is Going on with the Moon ?

This guy is posing the same questions that I have.  What exactly is going on with the Moon lately?  It is too bright, it has a large aura around it that is also very bright, and we keep seeing these blood moons.  The moon talk is at the beginning of the video, for the first 4 minutes approx.  I wouldn't bother with the rest of the video.

If you don't like Steve Olson, then don't watch this, but please don't complain about it either, unless you can explain the moon's weird positions and appearance - in which case I'll happily replace Steve with you !


Obama, Trump and the Messiah [audio]



Dov Bar-Leib joins Tamar Yonah and tells her that if Obama goes to the UN in order to ‘abstain’ on a UN Sec Council resolution recognizing and establishing a Palestine state, and he does this during the Hebrew month of Tevet [Dec/Jan] it could start the 9 month count-down to the war of Gog and Magog, and the arrival of the Moshaich.

He gives interesting possible links to past Biblical characters that he thinks could link to Obama and Trump.

Click here to listen.

Noahides and Conversions



I get quite a lot of emails, and some comments, from Noahides who want to convert or don't know whether they should convert.

The thing is, I don't know either.  I am totally unqualified to give advice on this issue.

If you have any useful information  or  you can recommend a good website that could help other Noahides, please leave a comment below.   

I definitely do not want to be giving out advice on something I know very little about.

If you do leave a comment, please also explain how this Rabbi or website has helpful to you.  


Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Self Sacrifice


Serving G-d requires us to have Mesirut Nefesh [Self sacrifice] even for the smallest thing. In this video Rabbi Anava explains it in depth.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Emunah



from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan


Faith is a very strong thing, and it can greatly fortify your life.

If you have faith, then you have a source of comfort and inspiration even when troubles strike. You realize that all troubles are ultimately for your good and are an atonement for your sins. You know that G-d will be good to you in the end, both in this world and the next.

The faithless skeptic, on the other hand, has nowhere to turn when troubles strike. He is utterly alone, without comfort or inspiration.

It is impossible to put everything into writing, but an intelligent man should be able to build upon this himself.

The main thing is innocent faith. With it, one can have a portion both in this world and the next. Happy is he who has such faith, for he shall never be moved.

There are souls conceived in absolute holiness. When such a holy soul comes down to this world and is not tainted with sin, it results in a person with perfect faith. Such a person never has any doubts.

Others can express their skepticism in such a man's presence, but his faith is no way disturbed. He is totally oblivious to all doubts. His ears are deaf to all their speculation and confusion.

Even one who is not endowed with such an extraordinary soul can realize that the average person's questions are mere foolishness. Upon close examination, their questions turn out not to be questions at all.

Many people are disturbed by questions for years, not realizing that their questions are actually answers. It is only their lack of intelligence that makes them seem like questions in the first place.

They have questions like those one might ask a child: "If we have a broken window, why replace it with a pane from the next window if a bird can then fly through the remaining empty frame?"

Such a question actually includes its own answer. But a child does not realize this and considers it a very difficult question. He will ponder it and not know what to reply.

But the question itself is really very foolish. The question about the bird is really the answer to the first foolish question. The reason why we do not use the adjacent pane is precisely because it leaves a space through which a bird can fly.

A young child does not have enough intelligence to realize that the answer is included in such a question. For this very reason, the question seems very difficult to him.

The same is true of many people. A foolish question enters their mind, and they have no idea that this question actually includes its own answer. It seems like a difficult question, but only because of their lack of intelligence. Understand this well.

Consider all this and be strong in faith. Flee from this foolishness and confusion, and cast all questions and doubts from your mind.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

''The Light of the Sun Shall be Sevenfold''



And the light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of the seven days, on the day the Lord shall bind the fracture of His people, and the stroke of their wound He shall heal. [Isaiah 30:26]

I know some of you do not like it when I post videos from Steve Olson, who talks about the approach of Nibiru and the changes we are seeing in the skies, but I could not resist this one.

Apart from the fact that Venus is now blue - with a hole in the centre - the sun is apparently ''picking up extra electrons from the iron dust around it, causing it to burn helium instead of hydrogen'' - which will have the effect of the sun's brightness being increased SEVEN times, as described in the prophecy of Isaiah above.

The relevant part of the video begins around 3:45 mins.  This is Steve Olson's new You Tube channel, he was evicted from his old channel but has re-appeared here.




A Tzaddik Sees both the Past and the Future


Story source: COLLive

Do you believe in coincidences? Do you think the world is run by random forces, without any meaning or purpose? Then please read this.

Exactly 28 years ago, in the Hebrew month of Kislev, of the year 5749 (1988), R’ Aron Amzalak of Sydney Australia was in New York. He had come for the engagement of his daughter Miriam to a young man from Venezuela, Moshe Moskowitz.

On the day they got engaged, Thursday 22 November, Amzalak went to inform the Rebbe of the good news. Thousands of people of all walks of life would line up to see the Rebbe, receive a blessing and a dollar to distribute to charity. In the brief moment that each person had with the Rebbe they could ask a quick question or make a short request, and the Rebbe would respond, as the line of people moved forward and the next person would have their turn.

As Amzalak comes before the Rebbe he tells him with a beaming smile, “My daughter became a Kallah (a bride) today.” The Rebbe gives him a dollar and blesses him that the wedding should take place at an auspicious time.

Amzalak continues walking and the next person in line, R’ Mendel Itkin of Los Angeles, comes before the Rebbe. But the Rebbe calls Amzalak to come back to him. He is holding another dollar that he wishes to give Amzalak in honour of his daughter’s engagement. But Amzalak does not hear this, and so there is a moment of confusion: the Rebbe is standing with dollar in hand, the line has stopped, Mendel Itkin is waiting in limbo, watching the Rebbe and trying to call Amzalak back.

In the commotion, the dollar that was going to be for Amzalak is given to Itkin instead. A moment later Amzalak returns to the Rebbe, who gives him another dollar, saying “This is for the bride.” Then the Rebbe takes another dollar and says to Amzalak, “For the groom.” But before giving the dollar to Amzalak, the Rebbe takes yet another dollar and gives both to Amzalak, asking him, “Kest?” a Yiddish word that means “dowry,” financial support that a father-in-law provides his son-in-law.

Amzalak smiles and receives these additional two dollars, then moves on. At this point the Rebbe seems to laugh and say, “He doesn't know what kest means!”

What is going on here? The Rebbe gave Amzalak four dollars, one for himself, one for his daughter, and two for his son-in-law. And a fifth dollar that the Rebbe had intended to give to Amzalak instead went to some guy from Los Angeles.

This mysterious exchange makes sense when we fast-forward 13 years. In 2001 that guy from Los Angeles, Mendel Itkin married Amzalak’s other daughter Aviva.

So the dollar that was meant for Amzalak’s daughter went to his other daughter’s future husband, who out of the thousands of people there that day just happened to be next in line. And the extra dollar “for the groom” was because another groom was being arranged for the Amzalak family that day.

And the Rebbe can’t help laughing, because indeed, at the time nobody knew what this all meant.

But there’s more. This is all captured on video but the characters in the story knew nothing about it until two weeks ago.

In yet another one of those accidents, someone stumbled upon the video on You Tube, recognized Amzalak and sent it to him. The family was amazed to see that future father-in-law and son-in-law had stood next to each other without knowing it, and the Rebbe had made the match so many years in advance.

And the timing of this discovery couldn't have been better. Because Mendel Itkin is right now battling for his life with a terrible illness. He needs our urgent prayers. But he just received that dollar and blessing from the Rebbe all over again. And we have all received a reminder that there are no accidents.

Update: Minutes after I blogged this, I heard of the passing of Mendel Itkin BDE

Friday, December 9, 2016

Moshiach will be revealed from the Epitome of Sheker



What is Sheker? שקר  Sheker is lies, deceipt.    Even the letters are out of order from their correct listing in the alef bet [ק-ר-ש].


“And that’s how Moshiach is going to be revealed. Moshiach needs to be revealed from the epitome of sheker, Moshiach and his people. They’re not going to be pulled by the sheker. The sheker wants to take everyone. The sheker says: ‘I didn’t say enough sheker. Maybe I’ll say a little bit more, maybe I’ll succeed in saying something else, a different way.’  - “The more falsehood there is, the more truth will be revealed in a clearer way”

These days you need to search very hard to find your own truth.  There is an abundance of Rabbis Impeding the Redemption.  There is an abundance of sheker.





I heard from my teacher and father-in-law, who was the chief disciple of Rebbe Yechiel Michal of Zlotchov, that once when the Baal Shem Tov was traveling on the road, he stepped into a wooded area to pray the afternoon prayer. His disciples were dumbfounded to see him hitting his head against a tree, crying and screaming. Afterward, they asked him what had happened. He explained that he had seen, with divine inspiration, that in the generations before the coming of the Moshiach there would be a multitude of rabbis, and that they would be the very ones who would impede the redemption. [Otzar Chayim]

In Defence of Rabbi Mizrachi



Once again, a band of angry people have publicly come out to condemn Rabbi Mizrachi.  This time, it is a group of wellknown and respected Rabbis who are doing the condemning.   I do not agree with them, and am therefore publishing Rabbi Mizrachi's response below, which was kindly translated by blogger Yeranen Yaakov.

Translation of the response from Rabbi Mizrachi:


Rabbi Mizrachi sent in response: Again and again, those zealous, fight-inducing people are expending efforts to harm the Teshuva campaign that embraces the world which I have been successful in building for 23 years of back-breaking work. It does not interest them that every year, there are many thousands of Ba'alei Teshuva in Israel and the world. As far as they're concerned, all of them would be lost forever - the main thing is their claims about what I said in its time many years ago regarding the terrible assimilation that preceded the Holocaust and caused many people with Jewish names not being Jewish according to Halacha and the Torah, something that anyone with a brain and truth knows - and that is exactly the situation in the US today.

Every time before I come to a speaking tour in Israel, whereby thousands of Jews are strengthened, amazingly those claims again start tweeting. Baruch Hashem, I work for Hashem and not for them, and we continue to grow every month Baruch Hashem just like it was from the day I started working. On the day that they will stop inventing lies and accusations against me, I will know that I have finished my mission for Am Yisrael.



Another article at Kikar adds how he received approbations from Dayanim in New York - see photo above - as well as receiving dozens of letters of support from Rabbanim Hashuvim after the original letter went out.

Due to the volatile nature of this issue, comments are closed.  

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Has Chabad Quietly Revolutionized the Role of Rebbetzin?

by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

The orthodox world has been rigorously debating women’s roles in Jewish communal leadership and whether women can formally serve as rabbis. Meanwhile, though it has no stated progressive agenda or goals, Chabad has quietly revolutionized the role of women in leadership. Chabad rebbetzins may not have the title of rabbi, but in most cases they are involved in, and empowered with, setting the vision of their community and executing the leadership necessary to make it a reality as much as their husbands are. They design programming, lead meetings, teach, give support at lifecycle events, play very public roles and are often listed as co-directors, equal with their husbands.

At the opening I attended, it was the rebbetzin, not the rabbi, who served as the master of ceremonies. The rabbi gave a wonderful dvar Torah and speech, but it was the rebbetzin who welcomed hundreds of people, offered expressions of gratitude to the list of dignitaries, gave her own dvar Torah, and charged the community with a vision of where they are going next.

The contemporary Chabad rebbetzin is functioning in a significantly different way than her predecessors and many of her peers in the orthodox world. And yet, one doesn’t find people questioning her motives, her commitment to halachik norms, or her respect for rabbinic authority.

Read the whole article by clicking here

Superficial Honour



"Yaakov has taken everything that belongs to our father, and from what belongs to our father he has amassed all his wealth" [Vayeitze 31:1]

The following question was once posed to the Vilna Gaon: The Midrash Rabbah states in relation to the abovementioned verse:  "There is no honor except for [that accrued by] silver and gold".  Yet, in Shemos Rabbah [ch 38] it states: "There is no honor except for [that accrued by] Torah, as the verse states: "The wise inherit honor".  The question is, is it the Torah or one's wealth that brings a person honor?

Wherever we find the word kavod [honor] spelled without a vav, answered the Gaon, we are meant to apply Chazal's statement "There is no honor except for [that accrued by] silver and gold".  For that type of honor is superficial and false.

However, continued the Gaon, when kavod is spelled in its complete spelling - with a vav - Chazal's statement "There is no honor except for [that accrued by] the Torah" applies.  For the honor that comes from the Torah is genuine and full.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

5777: The Year of the Olive Branch and Eternal World Peace

Art Barbara Harmer


by HaRavi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

Today we're going to devote our thoughts to the coming year. The number of the year has many allusions. This coming year is 5777, according to the Jewish calendar, the number of years from creation. The way we usually count it is as 777, the 5000 being set apart. It is customary to create an acronym out of the letters that spell the 777, which are תשעז .The acronym which is customarily given starts with the two words, "May this be a year of…" [תַ נְ שׁ אֵ הֵ תּ ]And what we are asking for is to interpret the two final letters, which in our case are עז .So the full acronym depends on what the letters עז stand for.


Storm Season

According to the weather reports, we are expecting some massive storms this summer.... here is a photo of yesterday's storm as it blew in over Bondi Beach - I'm not complaining, storms are my favourite thing... and yesterday's thunder was just incredible.

Photo BobBBaker

Monday, December 5, 2016

Amen: A Wonderful Segulah

Art Baruch Nachshon

by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

In this week's parashah Vayeitzei we find a hint and wonderful inspiration about answering Amen after a blessing:

The influential Rabbi Eliyahu Roth once told his audience:

It is important to know that answering Amen properly has a positive effect on us both physically and spiritually, and it prevents sickness from visiting our homes. Each person must contemplate, what is more important to him; is it to go visit doctors, or to answer Amen loudly, which is a wonderful segulah to be saved from all these and bring salvation and success in all matters.

It is written in the sefer “Meorot Hadaf Hayomi” [Bechorot 43a] in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein:

As we know, one hundred blessings were instituted in order to save people from the curses that are written in the parashah of Reproof. If so, we can conclude that a reason for answering 90 times Amen each day is in order to be saved from the 90 bodily blemishes that disqualify a Kohen, as listed by the Rambam [Hilchot Biyat Mikdash 8:1]. Indeed, proof supporting this is found by the fact that the word “המום – blemish” has the same numerical value as אמן – Amen!

Causing Abundance to Shower from Heaven

Rabbanit Meislish, shetichye, who inspires large audiences about this important matter, relates:

My father, the Admor of Bobov, ztk”l, who lived in New York, used to celebrate Purim also on the fifteenth of Adar, in order to rejoice with the Jews living in Eretz Yisrael.

One year, amidst the celebration, my father was offered “brandy” and he recited the blessing “Shehakol nihiye bidvaro.” Afterward he began to recite the blessing “Borei nefashot,” while the Mashgiach of the yeshiva stood by his side. The Mashgiach was married for eight years but was still childless, and he sensed that this was an opportune time of grace. He therefore answered Amen with great concentration after the blessing of “Borei nefashot,” contemplating the meaning of the words “Borei nefashot.” This was his heart’s desire, to merit nefashot – souls.

At the same time, one of the gabaim was also present who had only one son and he wished to have more children but had not met with success. He turned to my father and said: “I too yearn to have a child.” My father closed his eyes and replied: “Borei nefashot – creates souls” is in the plural form.” The Gabai and the Mashgiach shouted together: Amen! Exactly ten months passed since that day and the wife of the Mashgiach, after having been married for nine years, gave birth to a girl, whereas the wife of the Gabai gave birth to a boy. Twenty years later the two children got married and built a home together.

And for her it is not at all surprising. This is stated explicitly: “פתחו שערים ויבוא גוי צדיק שומר אמנים – Open the gates, so the righteous nation, keeper of the faith [lit. Amenim], may enter,” since the power of answering Amen opens the gates of Gan Eden and showers down upon us abundance from the Supreme Source. It is amazing how one small word “Amen” can bring about supernatural salvation.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

The War of Thoughts



Everything starts in the spiritual world and then it manifests down to the physical world.

The Zohar says that at the time of Gog u Magog, we are going to be controlled by our thoughts.  It is ''Milchement Giggim'' - the war of thoughts. [click here to see video of Rabbi Anava on this topic: from 29 mins onwards]

In every generation there is a ''Haman'' who comes to destroy us.    Haman is a descendent of Amalek - Amalek is a nation, but it is also a kelipa, a spiritual impurity caused by a negative act, which comes like a virus to attack you. When the Jews left Mitzrayim, Amalek came to attack them straight away. It came from the rear, to cool them down.  The gematria of the word Amalek is the same as the gematria of the word ''safek'' - doubt.  Amalek comes to cool you down and make you doubt the truth.

Rabbi Anava says that these days it is the war of the screens, and we are controlled by our screens: our computers and our phones.

So here we all are, on the internet, where everything is available in an instant, and while we can choose what to look at, in the process we may get side-tracked and end up reading something that causes us to doubt the truth.  This is the spiritual side of the war of Gog u Magog, the spiritual Amalek causing us to doubt.  Ten minutes ago we were excited about some new Torah we had learnt, and then we read a comment from an Amaleki which causes us to doubt that same thing.


We need to be extremely careful who we listen to, and what we read.   Amalek is always there, waiting to pounce on us from behind.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Kislev: The Month of Dreams




The Month of Dreams


Keshet [bow] is the Hebrew name for Saggitarius. At dawn during Kislev a constellation reminiscent of a bow appears on the horizon - the Keshet, identified by our Sages as the sign of this month.

The bow was used in the past to shoot missiles, such as arrows, at the enemy. In the Midrash, the bow symbolizes the projection upwards of the scorpion from the brambles into which it had been cast. Projection implies shooting upwards from below. In the words of R' Bachyei:

"After the soul has received its judgment in purgatory, it will be projected up from there much like an arrow from the bow. That is the reason for the proximity of Akrav [Scorpio] to Keshet, as alluded to by our Sages who said "They descend to Gehinnom yelling and crying... and rise".

Source: Gad Erlanger "Signs of the Times"



The Month of Kislev according to The Book of Formation [Sefer Yetzirah] - Kislev is the ninth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Kislev is the month of Chanukah--the only holiday in the Jewish calender which spans, and hence connects, two months: Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev and concludes in the month of Tevet [either on the 2nd or 3rd, depending on the number of days in Kislev].

The name Kislev derives from the Hebrew word for "security" and "trust." There are two states of trust, one active and one passive, both of which are manifest in the month of Kislev. The miracle of Chanukah reflects the active trust of the Maacabim to stand up and fight against the Hellenistic empire and its culture. Kislev's sense of sleep reflects the passive trust that G-d's providence always guards over Israel.

In the tradition of Chassidut, the 19th day of Kislev, the day of the release and redemption of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the author of the classic text of Chassidut, the Tanya [the disciple of the Magid of Mezerich, the successor of the Ba'al Shem Tov] from prison [where he was placed for the dissemination of the innermost mysteries of the Torah] is referred to as "the New Year of Chassidut" (implying that it is through the spiritual channel of this day that the inner wisdom of Chassidut and the power to integrate this wisdom into one's daily life is brought down into this world).

The foundation of the way of Chassidut is absolute trust and faith in G-d's omnipresence and the omnipotence of His Divine providence.

Color: Blue-Violet

Letter: samech

The word samech means "to support". The experience of feeling supported corresponds to the trust and confidence in Divine providence associated with the month of Kislev, as described above. So do we find expressed in Psalms: "G-d supports (somech) all the fallen and lifts up all the bent over;" "Even when he falls he will not be let to fall to the ground, for G-d supports (yismoch) his hand."

The shape of the samech is a circle, which represents the all-encompassing omnipresence of G-d and His providence. The "great circle" of G-d's Infinite light is explained in Kabbalah and Chassidut to reflect His "right arm" which embraces (and supports, from beneath) with great, infinite love all of reality, as is said: "And from beneath, the arms of the universe."

Mazal: keshet [Sagittarius--Bow]

The bow of Kislev is the bow of the Maacabim. It symbolizes their active trust in G-d to fight against the empire and culture that then ruled the earth. Though the Chashmonaim themselves were from the Priestly tribe of Israel, the "art" of the bow is ascribed in the Bible to the tribe of Benjamin in particular, the tribe of the month of Kislev.

The Kohanim [and Leviim] are not considered as one of the twelve tribes in the correspondence of the tribes to the months of the year [according to the Arizal]. As an all-inclusive manifestation of the Jewish soul, the Kohanim contain and reflect the spiritual source of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is especially so with regard to the tribe of Benjamin, for in his portion was the holy Temple wherein the Kohanim served. Thus the relation of the Kohanim to Benjamin is similar to that of soul to body. The Kohanim fight the holy war embodied in the bow of Benjamin.

The bow of war of Kislev is actually projected [shot] from the bow (the rainbow; in Hebrew both "bow" and "rainbow" are identical--keshet) of peace [between G-d and Creation] of the end of the previous month of Cheshvan, as explained above. The two bows [semi-circles] unite together to form the complete circle of the samech of Kislev.

Tribe: Benjamin

Sense: sleep

The sense of sleep is the tranquility and restfulness that comes with trust and security in G-d and His Divine providence. So do we find in the blessings at the end of Leviticus [26:5-6]: "And you shall dwell securely in your land. And I shall give peace in the land, and you shall lie down without fear...."

As the word "sense" [chush] is cognate to "quick" [chish], the sense of sleep implies the ability to sleep well but quickly [as is told of great tzadikim who required very few hours of sleep per day].

The very talent of Benjamin to shoot straight at his target depends upon a most tranquil inner spirit. He shoots and hits almost asleep. G-d carries his arrow to its intended destination. A tranquil personality is one with little inner friction and tension. The sense of sleep entails the ability to release stress, confident in the support of G-d.

The sense of sleep entails as well the sense of dreaming. In accord with our faith in Divine providence, especially manifest in relation to the connection between the weekly Torah portions and the annual cycle of months and their events, all of the dreams of the Torah are contained within the portions that are read during the month of Kislev.

When one possesses complete trust in G-d one dreams good dreams of the future. Good dreams at night reflect good thoughts throughout the day, especially the optimistic attitude and consciousness taught by Chassidut [whose New Year is the 19th of Kislev]: "Think good, it will be good."

Source: HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh Inner.org

Also see:  Kabbalah of Dreams

Names


by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlita

It is written, “Vayikra [And he called] his name Jacob” [Toldot 25:26]

Who called his name Jacob?

According to the Ohr HaChaim, the term vayikra refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, Who personally named the newborn child. Other commentators believe that Jacob’s name was given to him by his grandfather Abraham. For Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra, the identity of the name-giver has no particular importance.

The situation is entirely different for Esau, whose name was given to him by the people, as clearly evidenced by the expression: “They called his name Esau” [Toldot 25:25]. In other words, everyone recognized his character and specific traits, and thus his name was in accordance with his deeds and characteristics.

The name given to a child at the time of his circumcision constitutes somewhat of a spark of Ruach HaKodesh, a spark that manifests itself for a few moments in the hearts of the parents when they decide upon the name that will accompany their child for his entire life.

(It is said that the Gerer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Alter, was once asked by one of his chassidim to choose a name for his newborn son. With surprise accompanied by a smile, the Rebbe replied: “The little Ruach HaKodesh that you have, you want to give it to me?”)

Influencing a Person’s Life

In ancient texts we find, “Tell me your name, and I will tell you who you are.” A person’s name encapsulates his personality, virtues, and potential, as well as the role assigned to him in this world.

After 120 years on earth, when a man arrives before the Celestial Court, he will be asked to present himself by name. Hence the famous custom, at the end of Shimoni Esrei (before saying Yiheyu le’ratzon imrei phi [“May the words of my mouth”]), of reciting a verse whose first and last letter are the same as the first and last letter of the person’s name. This is a segula for not forgetting one’s name before the Celestial Court.

At a somewhat deeper spiritual level, we find that a person’s life unfolds according to the letters that form his name, especially in light of the possible combinations of these letters. A person’s name can influence his destiny and future for good or bad, as emerges from the Zohar: “[T]he name is of great significance and potency, and the combination of letters with one another works either for good or bad. Connected with this mystery is the combination of the letters of the holy Names, and even the letters in themselves can be made to reveal supreme mysteries” (Zohar II:179b).

The Midrash also warns us in this regard by stating: “We should always be extremely careful about the names we give to our children, for sometimes a name can have a good or bad influence, as we see with the spies” (Tanchuma, Ha’azinu 7).

This warning and advice are quite useful for someone who is well-versed in the deep mysteries of the holy letters, someone who knows how to combine the letters of a name in a positive way. Yet what can be said for us, we who have no knowledge of the secrets of the letters? How should we choose names for our children?

The holy Tanna Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel already looked into this question and said, “The Ancients, because they could avail themselves of Ruach HaKodesh, named themselves in reference to [forthcoming] events. Yet we, who cannot avail ourselves of Ruach HaKodesh, are named after our fathers” [Bereshith Rabba 37:7]

This means that we name our children after our holy ancestors, having faith that just as the names of the Ancients helped them to succeed, these holy names will also help our children to succeed in life.

A Segula for Longevity

As we have said, a person’s name testifies to his character and inner nature. In the Gemara we find that Rabbi Meir would commonly examine each person according to his name. After a certain incident, Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yossi were also careful to evaluate each person according to his name, just like Rabbi Meir. From this comes the custom of naming a child after one of his holy ancestors, people who were righteous, pious, and holy.

In halachic literature, we find several customs in regards to this issue. For example, in Chochmat HaNefesh the Rokeach cites his teacher, Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid, who in his testament warns against naming one’s son Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, or even Moshe, for otherwise he may die, fall ill, lose his mind, or other things of this nature. However the book Brit Avoth believes that what he meant is that one must not give his three sons the names Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, although he does not know if it means that these names must not be given in succession, meaning one after the other. Whatever the case, in Responsa Minchat Yitzchak we find that if a person does not heed this warning, then of him it is said: “Hashem protects the simple” (Tehillim 116:6).

The book Brit Olam discusses the custom of not naming one’s son after oneself. It also mentions a custom practiced by the Sephardim of Jerusalem, who regard it as a segula for longevity for a father to name his son after himself. This custom is also cited in the book Even Sapir, which states that in Yemen, when a man has had sons who died in their youth, it is considered a segula to name his next son after himself.

An extraordinary story is told about Rabbi Yaakov of Lissa, the author of Netivot HaMishpat, who carried the name of his father while his father was still alive. After Rabbi Yaakov was born and it came time for his circumcision, his father, who was known for his great diligence in Torah learning, was completely immersed in a difficult sugia. When the mohel reached the words, “His name in Israel shall be,” his father believed that he was being asked for his own name, and so he said “Yaakov.”

Each time that the author of Netivot HaMishpat was called up to the Torah, and the shamash summoned “Rabbi Yaakov ben Yaakov,” the congregants tried hard to understand how this had happened. They were then told this unusual story regarding the great diligence of Rabbi Yaakov’s father.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

What Does Satan Really Want?

Latest from Rabbi Mendel Kessin.
The Trump victory, yarzheit of Rachel Imeinu, the Mabul, the significance of 9 November...... and he's only just getting started.


Friday, November 25, 2016

The Secret of ''Good Inclination''

Rabbi Kessin's most recent shiur, which I have not yet listened to.


''Everybody knows that Evil Inclination, or Yetzer HaRah, or Satan, or Malach Hamaves, is an angel assigned to do the job.

We've also heard about Good Inclination, or Yetzer Tov.

However, the nature of Yetzer Tov is obscure. Somehow nobody heard about an angel representing Good Inclination. What is it, really? What kind of a creature, what kind of a being is hiding behind the term?

The nature of Good Inclination is revealed by R' Mendel Kessin.

The series on Ramchal's Derech Hashem continues.

The The shiur was given in Lakewood, NJ, 11/19/2016.''

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Connecting to the Source



Art ''Holy Land'' Michoel Muchnik

by Rabbi David Pinto Shlita


It is written: “Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba, which is Hebron” [Chayei Sarah 23:2]

Rabbeinu Bechaye explained why the text mentions two names for the same place [Kiryat-Arba and Hebron].

Kiryat-Arba is called Hebron because the soul of anyone buried there unites [mithaberet] on high in the city of G-d with the four [arba] camps of the Shechinah.

This is why the Patriarchs sought to be buried in this place, namely that from there, souls merit to be reunited [leit’haber] with their source, which is the Throne of Glory.

Hence the meaning of “Kiryat-Arba, which is Hebron.”

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

G-d Speed

Art Majcho Zmajcho


Avraham sent Eliezer to fetch Rivkah at the earliest opportunity, as soon as she had reached marriageable age.  

Eliezer's miracle - where his journey was miraculously shortened, allowing him to complete a 17 day journey in one day - thus spared Rivkah from spending an additional 17 days in an atmosphere of idol worship.

From this we can be assured of the speed with which G-d will send Moshiach, saving the Jewish people from even an additional moment in Exile.

Source: Lubavitcher Rebbe Likutei Sichos vol 1

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Once A Clown

Here is some light relief, in the form of Jackie Mason, who returned to the internet to record this 90 second video on Donald Trump.


A Meeting of Extremes



Shortly before his marriage, Yitzchak had reached a remarkable degree of spiritual perfection.  Right at the beginning of his life he was the first Jew to be circumcised at eight days.  He was then educated by Avraham our father, and later showed an eagerness to sacrifice his life to G-d, at the Akeida, from which point on he attained the sanctity of a burnt offering [an olah temimah].

Rivkah, on the other hand, was ''a rose amongst the thorns'', born into a wicked, idol-worshipping family.

The union of Yitzchak and Rivkah was thus a meeting of extremes, and for this very reason it is recorded in the Torah, since Torah itself is a guide to uniting extremes.  For when any mitzvah is observed, a mundane physical object becomes infused with Godliness and holiness.

Thus, the marriage of Yitzchak and Rivkah represents the marriage of the spiritual and the physical. And this explains why the Parsha spends so much time discussing their story, since it was the basis of everything that was to follow.

Source: Lubavitcher Rebbe: Based on Likutei Sochos vol 20 p 95-96 

Monday, November 21, 2016

Prepare Yourself for the Banquet


"I am an alien and a resident among you" [Chayei Sarah 23:4]

What is the meaning, asked the Dubno Maggid, of the expression "alien and resident"?  An alien is a person who resides in a land temporarily, while a resident's status is a permanent one.  An alien, therefore, is not a resident, nor is a resident an alien.

The answer, said the Maggid, is as follows:  Chazal comment on the verse "For you are aliens and residents with Me" [Vayikra 25:23] - "This world is like a lobby before the World to Come; prepare yourself in the lobby so that you may enter the banquet hall." [Avos 4:21]

Each individual is required to prepare himself for his eternal residence in the World to Come by performing mitzvos and good deeds in this world, his temporary dwelling.  Thus Avraham Avinu was saying "I am both an alien and a resident; I am an alien temporarily living in the world before I will become a permanent resident of the World to Come."

The Chofetz Chaim illustrated this idea by way of the following parable: There was a very wealthy man who wished to build himself a luxurious house. He contracted an architect who began to draw blueprints for the future home.

"It is very important to me" said the wealthy man to the architect, "that the living room be spacious and comfortable. Yet it is also important that the hallway leading to the living room be very large as well."

The architect took the necessary measurements and began to tell the man what he thought. "There is most certainly not going to be enough space for both the living room and the hallway to be large and roomy. You are going to have to make a decision - do you want a spacious living room or a spacious hallway?"

"I'll give you a bit of advice." continued the architect.  "Being that the prevailing custom is to make the living room as large as possible and not to invest very much in the hallway, I'd suggest that you do the same. It would be ridiculous to do the opposite and make the hallway larger than the living room.  After all, you don't want people to laugh at you."

So it is with us, said the Chofetz Chaim. Our duty in this world is to prepare ourselves for the eternal life, so that our portion in the World to Come will be as great as possible. How are we supposed to do this? By living our lives according to the Torah and by performing the mitzvos.

How foolish is the man whose sole concern is to ensure himself a comfortable life in this world. He is comparable to the wealthy man who requests a large hallway but a small living room. When he arrives in the World to Come everyone will laugh at him!

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Rabbi Sacks on Leonard Cohen



''There's a crack in everything - that's how the light gets in.''  [Leonard Cohen]

...actually I would say that's how the light gets out.... because every single thing in this world contains a Divine spark,  and when we utilize that object in a good way, as part of a mitzvah, we redeem the sparks.  This is called birurim.


Sitting in his hotel room in New York, Rabbi Sacks suddenly had a thought about a connection between the late Leonard Cohen's final song "You Want It Darker", the current state of the world and the week's parsha of Vayera. 




The following is written by Zvi Hershcovich 

Leonard Cohen was given a Halachic Jewish burial in a quiet ceremony before the media was notified of the poet and musician's passing.

Leonard Cohen
Leonard [Eliezer Ben Nissan HaKohen] was born in Montreal on the 12th of Tishrei, 5695 [September 12, 1934]. His great-uncle, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Cohen, a pious graduate of the Volozhin Yeshiva, had been the chief rabbi of Montreal and Canada.

Born in Westmount, both his grandparents were prominent Orthodox Jews. His mother's father was Rabbi Shlomo Kolnitsky-Kline, a graduate of the Kovno Yeshiva. He was called the Sar HaDikduki (master of grammarians), and he wrote important Sefarim, including a thesaurus on Talmudic interpretation. His father's father was Lyon Cohen, one of the founders of the Shaar Hashomayim Shul, of which Leonard was a member.

In an interview with Jeff Burger, he told the biographer that he often reads Tehillim to find inspiration for his music and poetry. "When they lift up the Torah and say ‘Etz chayim hi l’mah chazikim bah,’ that kind of thing sent a chill down my back," he said. "I wanted to be that one who lifted up the Torah."

He also recalled his pride at being a Kohen. "I wanted to wear white clothes, go into the Holy of Holies, and negotiate with the deepest resources of my soul," he told Burger. "That was poetry to me."

As Cohen's fame grew, he took public stands for Jewish causes and openly displayed his Judaism with pride, singing in Yiddish and going on a tour in Israel where he performed the Birkas Kohanim. During the Yom Kippur war in 1973, he flew to Israel to perform and raise the morale of Jewish soldiers. Cohen's father had fought in World War I, and he rushed to Israel, because as he later told the media, "I am committed to the survival of the Jewish people."

According to the New York Times, he was Shabbos observant on tour and wore Tefillin. He described inheriting his grandfather's Tefillin, gazing at them and trying to make sense of them. "I saw I really could use this material, how exquisite and skillful these prayers were, how they had been designed by minds that you have to incline your heads towards," he said. "These minds who designed these prayers or received the inspiration to design these prayers–these are incredibly subtle and exquisite prayers for lifting the soul."

Just before Rosh Hashana, Cohen released a single which he worked on together with Cantor Gideon Zelermyer of the Shaar Hashomayim and his choir. The song quotes directly from the mourner's Kaddish.

Cohen passed away on Monday, the 6th of Cheshvan [November 7] and was buried quietly in the Orthodox Jewish tradition near the entrance of the Shaar Hashomayim cemetery on Mont Royal.

The media was notified of his passing on Thursday when the Shaar Hashomayim issued a release which noted that, "Leonard’s wish was to be laid to rest in a traditional Jewish rite beside his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents."

Rabbi Adam Scheier shared in a post on social media, that the community had taken great pride in Cohen. "Our pride was not simply that a child of the congregation grew up to be successful and famous; rather, it was that Leonard took the Jewish themes and concepts that he learned at The Shaar and gave them new and inspired expression in his poetry and his songs," wrote Rabbi Scheier. "It was at The Shaar that Leonard first encountered the liturgy of Who By Fire, the praise of Hallelujah, and the reverence of Hineni, I’m ready, my Lord."

Friday, November 18, 2016

Rabbi Kessin: The First Error of Donald Trump

Finally, his first shiur after the election is here. Thank you Moriah, I'd been checking every day.... except today !


Thursday, November 17, 2016

R' Shlomo Carlebach - Yahrzeit 16 Cheshvan


Reb Shlomo with daughter Neshama

Shlomo Carlebach's ancestors comprised one of the oldest rabbinical dynasties in pre-Holocaust Germany. He was born January 14, 1925 in Berlin, where his father, Rabbi Hartwig Naftali Carlebach (1889-1967), was an Orthodox rabbi. The family fled the Nazis in 1931 and lived in Baden bei Wien, Austria and by 1933 in Switzerland before coming to New York City.

Carlebach emigrated to Lithuania in 1938 where he studied at a yeshiva. In 1938 his father became the rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jacob, a small synagogue on West 79th Street in New York's Upper West Side. Carlebach came to New York in 1939 via Great Britain. He and his twin brother Eli Chaim took over the rabbinate of the synagogue after their father's death in 1967.

Carlebach studied at several high-level Orthodox yeshivos, including Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, New York, and Bais Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. His voice and musical talents were recognized quite early during his days in yeshiva, when he was often chosen to lead the services as a popular Chazan ("cantor") for Jewish holidays.

As is engraved on his tombstone, he became a devoted hasid of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch. From 1951-1954, he subsequently worked as one of the first emissaries (shluchim) of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, until he departed to form his successful model for outreach, reaching hundreds of thousands of Jews worldwide.

In 1972 he married Elaine Neila Glick, a teacher. They had two daughters, Nedara (Dari) and Neshama. Neshama Carlebach is a songwriter and singer with a substantial following who has written and sung many songs in her father's style.

Carlebach died suddenly of a heart attack on 20 October 1994 while traveling on an airplane to relatives in Canada. Seated next to him was the Skverer Rebbe's gabbai; they were singing the Rebbe's favorite melody, Chasdei Hashem ki lo Samnu ["G-d's lovingkindness does not end"].

Carlebach was very close with many famous hasidic rebbes, including the Amshinover Rebbe and Bobover Rebbe. He is regarded as one of the most successful kiruv personalities of the 20th century, reaching many Jewish souls through his music, storytelling, and teaching.



From the teachings of Reb Shlomo:

REBUKE YOUR FELLOW MAN IF YOU SEE HIM DOING WRONG
If you see someone doing wrong, you have to tell him. You have to tell him. You have no right to remain silent. If someone sees his friend walking in the wrong path, it is a mitzva to talk to him, tell him he is doing wrong, but it has to be done in private. Don't tell someone in public that he did wrong, because if you do, you are transgressing about fifteen laws. The G'mora says it's very easy to keep Shabbos, very easy to put on t'fillin, but Rabbi Akiva says the hardest thing is to tell someone when he is doing wrong. Rabbi Akiva was very holy, and he said, "I don't know if there is anyone in my generation who would know how to rebuke." You have to do it in a way that he listens to. Rabbi Tarphon said there is no one who knows how to receive rebuke either.

Both are really hard things to do. Before you tell him what he did wrong you have to tell him, "I am saying it to you because I am really your friend, I am concerned. It is not that I can't stand sin, like a missionary, that I want to abolish sin in the world. I really care for you, and it hurts me that you did wrong." Say to the person, "I don't want to change you. I'm not putting you down on a couch and analyzing you. I care for you, and it seems to me that you did wrong, so can you tell me why?"

Then he can tell you, "I know I did wrong. I'm sorry, and I probably won't do it again." Or he can tell you, "I didn't do wrong. You are wrong, because you don't know the whole story."

In any case, there has to be communication. What is communication for? Why did G-d give us the power of speech? The Torah is very strong on communication. I have the right to hate someone who did wrong, but if I didn't tell him, I'm transgressing. If the person accepts what you tell him, it is good; if not, tell him a few times. If he says, "I don't want to hear you; I don't want you to talk about it to me anymore,"then you don't have to grab him, tie him to a chair; you don't have to be drastic. Talk to him like a human being.

The Torah wasn't given to the angels. G-d gave the Torah to human beings. There is such a thing as hating; what can we do? Moishe Rabbenu came up to Sinai, and the angels were complaining to G-d, "Why are You giving the Torah to Moishe? Why aren't You giving it to us?" G-d said to them, "There is no hatred between you, so you don't need the Torah. They need the Torah below, because there is hatred in the world." So the Torah says if you hate someone, you have to talk to him. Imagine, if every anti-Semite took the time to talk to one Jew there would be less killing in the world. If everyone followed this one thing: if you hate somebody, talk with him, make contact with him, it would be a different world. If you want it to work, it will work.

The G'mora and Maimonides both say that if I see someone doing wrong and I don't tell him, then I become a partner in the sin. The G'mora says if I see the people of my house are doing wrong, and I don't tell them, I become a partner. If I see the people of my city doing wrong and I'm not raising my voice, I'm becoming a partner in what the city is doing. If the whole world is doing wrong, and I'm not speaking up, then I'm becoming a partner in the sin of the whole world.

This is one of my favorite stories. Once I was visiting my cousins in Belgium, and when they invited me for dinner, they said because of me they would eat kosher. So I come to see what is going on there, what they are going to be feeding me. "Because of you it will be really strictly kosher. We know you don't eat ham, so we bought horsemeat." What if I take out a bible, because you have to tell people when they do wrong. "Sit down you dirty sinners. You know horsemeat isn't. . ." Naturally this does not go. It says to rebuke, and that is not the level of rebuking. They don't know anything, so you can't rebuke them. It says you have to tell them in such a way that they know you care for them. If I say, "I am here for Shabbos, and it makes me uncomfortable that you don't keep Shabbos,"that means I don't give a damn about their Shabbos, just about my own. It is a very delicate thing.

The truth is, most of the time people know when they do wrong, they just don't have the strength not to do it. When you tell people they are doing wrong in a good way, it gives them strength not to do it again. The Mittler Rebbe says it suddenly becomes like two souls against one evil. If I'm too weak to overcome my evil, the minute someone tells me it is like two fires against one darkness. But it is hard to know how to tell people in a good way.



A Niggun is a Chassidic melody, often wordless and repeated several times, which is intended to express and stir one’s soul. Considered a path to higher consciousness and transformation of being.


The Story of the Krakow Niggun




Carlebach performing ''Krakow Niggun''