Below are a number of short pieces on recent parshiot hashavuah (weekly Torah readings) based on Rebbe Nachman's works. Click on the name of the parsha you are looking for and enjoy!
Parshat Bereshis; Parshat Noach; Parshat Lekh Lekha; Parshat VaYera; Parshat Chayay Sarah; Parshat Toledot; Parshat VaYetze; Parshat VaYishlach; Chanukah; Parshat VaYeshev; Parshat MiKetz; Parshat VaYigash; Parshat VaYechi
If you're looking for a parsha that's not listed click here.
"Rabbi Yitzchak said, 'The Torah should have started from...the first mitzvah the Jews were commanded. Why does it start with the account of Creation? [To fulfill the verse,] "The strength of His deeds He told to His people in order to give them the portion of the nations" (Psalms 111:6). For should the nations ever accuse the Jews of occupying land that is not theirs, the Jews can respond, "The entire land belongs to God. He created it and gave it to whom He saw fit. By choice He gave it to them and by choice He took it from them and gave it to us."'"(Rashi, Genesis 1:1)
The essential holiness of the Land of Israel is derived from mankind's knowing and believing that God created the universe and everything it contains. Thus, when you sit down to eat and make a brakha (blessing), a statement of your knowledge and belief that God is the Creator of the foods you are about to eat, you are proclaiming to the world that the Land of Israel is the Holy Land.
Even though every brakha is a statement of God's sovreignty, it is the blessings on food that especially reveal His kingship. This is because the mitzvot which are unique to the Land of Israel are all related to eating (e.g., trumot u'ma'asarot (tithes of produce), shmittah (the Sabbatical year). This parallels the mitzvah given to Adam and Eve, to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. When they sinned and ate they denied God's sovreignty.
Their punishment was that they were banished from the Garden of Eden, a paradise of holiness. The way back in is closed off by angels of destruction and a sword of fire that constantly revolves. Each of us can help free the Holy Land of the angels of destruction and the sword of fire that threaten it by taking care to proclaim to the world each time we eat that God is the Creator and the Land is His to do with it as He chooses.
Agutn Shabbos! Shabbat Shalom!
"Make a light for the teivah (ark, word), ... and the opening of the ark you shall put in its side...."Rashi explains: a light some say a precious jewel and some say a window. (Genesis 6:16)
Often a person wants to pray to God and yet when he's ready to begin he finds himself flooded by darkness, deluged by the torrential downpour and overflowing river of his own sins.
He seems to be trapped in an inescapable darkness. These thoughts of sin, both real and imagined, are incessant. It seems to him that even if he would stand in prayer for 40 days and 40 nights these thoughts would continuously rain down upon him. They cloud his entire mind and his world seems black. Is there no way out of the darkness?
In truth there is. That is, if one prays whatever words he can utter with all the sincerity he can muster, the truth of those words will shine for him, cutting through the darkness, allowing him to find the opening that will enable him to escape the wrongdoing of his past and to begin thinking and acting in a more appropriate way.
"Make a light for the teivah," the word of prayer you wish to utter. Whether that word shines jewel-like with a brilliant truth, like the prayers of the tzaddikim; or is merely a window that allows the truth to shine through, the truth is strong enough that "the opening of the word," the honest word will make a hole, "in its side," the side of darkness. With this you will survive the flood.
Agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!
For gematriya fans: Reb Yaakov Meir Shechter, shlit"a, points out the following: the measurements of the teivah are: 30 (height) by 300 (length) by 50 (width). 30 is lamed, 300 is shin, 50 is nun. These are the letters of LaShoN, tongue.
Everyone wants to have it good, perhaps, even, to want it all. We would like material success to complement our spiritual success. How can one receive the different types of good that he wants? Rebbe Nachman stresses again and again: You must pray.
Yet the Rebbe himself poses the following question: Since God knows our thoughts, why do we need to express our needs and desires by speaking them out? He answers that the words themselves are the receptacles for the bounty we hope to gain. Based on the verse, "My mouth speaks wisdoms, my heart contemplates understanding" (Psalms 49:4) the Rebbe explains that one's mouth is like a spring of water, one's heart a brook. Just as the brook has to be in proper condition in order to receive the life-waters of the spring, so too the heart must be able to hear the words of prayer that the mouth utters. If the heart is in love with God (His Torah, mitzvot and people) the receptacles get made allowing one to receive the bounty. If, God forbid, the heart is in love with the pleasures of this world, if it desires what is forbidden (or even an excess of what is permissible), then it is shattered and one is unable to receive the bounty he truly longs.
To fix the heart, to remove from it the wrong desires, one must develop his inner-tzaddik, the potential he has to be the best possible Jew that he can. To achieve this one must receive on a regular daily basis three different inner-tzaddik points: that of another Jew, his own, and of a tzaddik par excellence. Each Jew has within a certain something that makes him the only one in the world to be a tzaddik in that area. One must receive that from his friend by sharing religous insights as peers. One must talk to Hashem (God) about whatever is tugging at one's heart that day. But in order for sharing with a friend, and talking to God to be as productive as possible one must first receive the tzaddik-point of the tzaddik par excellence by studying his teachings.
We find that Avraham Avinu (Abraham our forefather) did each of these. As the leading tzaddik of his time he shared his universal-tazzik point with others: "...and he hurried his students..." (Genesis 14:14); he shared religious insights with friends: "They were Avraham's comrades" (ibid. :13; see Rashi); he spoke to God: "Shortly afterwards [Avraham spoke to God] (see Rashi) and] God's word came to Avraham..." (ibid. 15:1).
And as one's inner-tzaddik grows stronger and more beautiful, so too will his heart, his words and his receptacle. Amen!
Agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!
In order to understand the Torah properly according to your level, you have to have the proper wealth... To have that wealth you must have length of days....'
One has to see to it to lengthen and expand his days. Because everyone, everyday, starts the day in a bind: so much to do, to learn, to pray, and not enough time. But you must start, little by little, and afterwards things move along and the day 'expands.' That's what you have to do, hour-by-hour, add to the holiness. And tomorrow, start again: expand the day, little by little, adding holiness to each passing hour.
To have this 'length of days,' this aging in kedushah (holiness), you must have fear of God. For fear of God protects you from poverty, which prevents you from understanding the Torah to the best of your ability. That poverty, God forbid, is induced by "false charisma, the vanity of attractiveness" (Proverbs 31:30). For there are all types of poses and posturing that people affect in order to impress members of the opposite sex. But fear of God is the antidote, as the above verse concludes, "...a God-fearing woman, she shall be praised."
That is why when the Patriarch Avraham came to territory of the Philistines and sensed on his exalted level the taint of desire, he realized that fear of God was lacking there (Genesis 20:11). By spending time and lengthening his days there, Avraham brought the Philistine king and his people to a greater level of fear of God (verse 8). He thus acquired greater wealth (verses 14-15) that enabled him to gain and share with others deeper insights into Torah, the service of God (verse 17).
Agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!
The Maarat HaMakhpelah (the Twin Caves) in Hebron, where our holy Patriarchs and Matriarchs are buried. It is the gate to the Garden of Eden, the portal through which all souls must pass to ascend to Heaven, shining with a most beautiful light, imbued with the most delicious fragrances. We well understand why the Patriarch Avraham was willing to pay even the excessive price that he did (the equivalent of close to two million dollars for a cave and a field). Why, however, did Ephron want to sell such a magnificent place?
The holy Zohar (I, 127b) tells us that Ephron thought the Maarat HaMakhpelah a disgusting, black hole, a place to flee from. Why was our father Avraham able to discern the true nature of the Maarat HaMakhpelah and Ephron not?
Rebbe Nachman explains that one's ability to derive benefit from a holy resource, in particular a tzaddik, is dependent upon one's good deeds (not only mitzvot, but even something like eating in order to have strength to learn Torah). The more you do good things the more your mind and soul become receptive to the light of the tzaddik's teachings. And when you receive that light....
What happens? The tzaddik, whose sole interest is to enable you to become as God-fearing and God-loving as you possibly can, has placed in his words lessons for you: encouragement, insight, rebuke. If your deeds are good, and if fearing and loving God are your goals, then you will properly understand what is meant. The aroma will nourish you and you will appreciate the light of guidance that the tzaddik shines for you, to wend your way through this world.
So, each of us has to carefully consider: Do I want to be like Ephron, so spiritually insensitive as to sell away the gate to the Garden of Eden, or like my father Avraham, who knew that whatever he paid he was getting a bargain? Can I afford to fail to appreciate the Torah resources available to me, my "gates" to the Garden of Eden and my tools for growing in fear and love of God? Go do some mitzvot and the answer will be clear enough!
Agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!
"...Rivkah became pregnant and the children clashed within her... [Rivkah] asked, "Why is this happening to me?" She went to seek God's word. God's answer was, "Two nations are in your womb. Two governments will separate from within you. The upper hand will go from one... to the other. The greater will serve the younger."Genesis 25:21-23
"A Jew must constantly look for the Godly seikhel (intellect) in each thing, attach himself to it and use it to draw himself closer to God... But he can do this only if he first accepts God as his king."
Likutey Moharan I, 1
Each of us is involved in a constant struggle, the battle between the yeitzer tov (good inclination) and the yeitzer hara (evil inclination). This inner battle is played out in the world at large as the war that began more that 3700 years ago, when
Can we just sit back and wait for the final act? Are we automatically in the Jewish "army"? And what of our personal struggle? Rebbe Nachman teaches us not to be passive in matters spiritual. It's not enough to hope for the best - you have to do something to ensure that the side of holiness, which the Patriarch Yaakov established, emerges victorious. What?
The Rebbe says that you have to study Torah b'koach, with strength. This means studying with enthusiasm, out loud and even when it's difficult. (How much should you study? There is no minimum or maximum. Do the best you can.) When you study Torah with the intention to be a better Jew, which is accepting God as your king, you better understand how each thing can be used to come closer to God. By turning away from those things and situations which you recognize as detrimental to your spiritual well-being and making positive use of that which enhances it, you help the Kingdom of Holiness come that much closer to its ultimate victory. And you're an instant winner!
Agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!
"Leah's eyes were rakot (literally, soft; beautiful)." Rashi comments: She thought that she would end up Esav's bride. She wept because people kept saying, "Rivkah has two sons and Lavan [Leah's father] has two daughters. The older one should marry the older one [Leah to Esav] and the younger the younger [Yaakov to Rachel]."Genesis 29:17
Now, the ancients were no fools. It wasn't a mere child's game that they were playing when they talked of these possible matches. The two sets of offspring stemmed from the same stock and certainly shared characteristics that made them compatible. Even more. Rebbe Nachman taught us that when it is suggested that a certain man and woman marry, even by others, even not to their knowledge, it has an effect on both him and her (Tzaddik #595). Certainly when so many people talk about a particular match over a period of time!
Our Matriarch Leah was curious: Who was this Esav that everyone said was for her? She did some investigating and when found out she was distraught. Was this to be her lot, to be the partner of someone whose life was murder, adultery, and worship of self? Who covered himself with a veneer of respectability, so that he appeared to be virtuous and civic minded? Was she supposed to live a lie?
She cried to God. And she cried. She cried till her eyes were "soft" from tears. She cried until God heard her prayers and changed her intended. Our holy matriarch Leah not only did not marry Esav, but she, and not Rachel, was the first to marry the Patriarch Yaakov. She bore half of the Twelve Tribes, the progenitors of the Jewish people. She is the grandmother of King David, author of the Psalms. She is the grandmother of the Moshiach (Messiah) whose coming we await. All this as a result of her tears, the tears that made her eyes beautiful.
What's this got to do with you and me? You - your soul - are Leah. And people are talking about a match for you. They try to sell you a lifestyle of adultery, dishonesty, of self-worship. Do you want to live that lie? Or any lie? It is in the realm of possibility. Can you avoid it?
Yes. You - your soul - are Leah. You can pray, beg, beseech, and perhaps even cry to God that you be saved from such a "marriage." You can plead to be worthy of having a partner like Yaakov. And the more you do, the more you'll be divorced from Esav and married to Yaakov.
Agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!
Who doesn't like beauty?
A nice painting or photograph, a well decorated home, tasteful furnishings. Gourmet food served in a fine setting. A theatrical performance well executed. Designer clothes. The human body. A sunset. A well written book or article. A piece of reasoning (especially when it agrees with your point of view)! Music, vocal and instrumental.
Any and of all these things, in whatever combination that makes them even more beautiful, is a joy, a delight. This is what the Greeks taught the world long ago. Most of the world still believes it, believes in it. That's their goal and their worship. More beauty and new beauty.
What's Jewish beauty? What does Hashem find beautiful? Well, we know that the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the desert and even more so the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) were magnificent structures, filled with exquisite furnishings. Their design and materials were all the most expensive and of the highest quality. The craftsmanship was the finest in the world. Their interiors were arranged and laid out "just so," the underlying wisdom as dazzling as the lustre of the objects they contained. And, it almost goes without saying, their purpose, advancing the glory of God, enhanced them.
But this can't be the ultimate in beauty. We know that God isn't any more impressed by gold than He is by lead. So if it isn't these beautiful things, then what does God really find beautiful?
"This is what the the menorah was made of: a single piece of miKSheh (beaten) gold. From its base to its blossom it was a single piece of beaten metal" (Numbers 8:4). In the course of history many people have started to become more religious, or more spiritual. In the course of your history you have started to become more religious, more spiritual many atime. Some of those other people succeeded. Some did not. Many did not. You succeeded, sometimes. Failed, how many times? How many?! What is the response one should have?
Most times we retreat from, or even surrender, a certain goal that we hoped to attain. Other times we try again. And again and again. What within us gives us the strength to keep on trying? It is aKShanus (stubborness). A problem may be challenging, because of external factors or because of something within yourself, and you don't know how to deal with. And you just start chipping away, not knowing how things will look when you're done. And then you have to stop. And you start again. You still don't know, maybe you have a vague picture, but... what's gonna be?
So of course you daven (pray) to HaShem for clarity. And even though He shows you, you still don't get it. So you willingly throw the problem "into the fire", letting God finish what you can't, trusting Him to make things come out right. And they do. A most beautiful menorah, exquisitely detailed, ready to be lit and to shine holy light into the world. God made it so only because you were an aKShan (stubborn person). Your effort to do what's right in His eyes is Jewish beauty. And even though you don't have a golden menorah as tangible proof of your success, the light of your past victories shines and strengthens you in the long, cold nights of your new challenges.
Have a lichtige (bright) Chanukah!
"After awhile his boss's wife had her eyes on Yosef 'Sleep with me,' she said. He adamantly refused... 'How could I do something so terribly wrong?! It would be a sin'... She spoke to Yosef everyday, but he totally ignored her. He wouldn't even [touch her] or spend time with her... One day [Yosef] came home to do his work. None of the staff were there. [His boss's wife] grabbed him by his garment. 'Sleep with me!' she begged. He ran from her, leaving his garment in her hand, and fled outside."(Genesis 39:7-12)
The Side of Evil grabs a person by his clothing. It gets a person so involved in his clothing needs in order to distract the person from his real goal: serving God. That's the meaning of "[She] grabbed him by his shirt."
If, however, you are spiritually attuned and remain strongly focused on God, you won't be sidetracked by your lack of clothing. You'll buy clothing that's appropriate for your work and station in life without going overboard, without kow-towing to every change in fashions and fads. You won't feel compelled to buy new shoes and shirts with the change of seasons. Like Yosef who left "his garment in her hand, and fled", you should leave your clothing concerns behind and flee from sin, running instead to do whatever mitzvot you can.
Agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!