Integral Torah Perspectives

ב''ה We were given three holidays in Exile: Chanukah, Purim and the 19th of Kislev. Chanukah is about Torah, since that is what the Greeks wanted to abolish. Purim is about Knesset Yisrael, since it was our people as a whole Haman wanted to destroy. The 19th of Kislev is the Kudshabrichu part... Reb Hillel Paritch  (There is a statement in the Zohar: Yisrael, Oraita ve'kudshabrichu kola chad)

ב''ה Love of Hashem is the first Miztvah, as the Rambam explains it brings one to do all of the others. Since you have a latent, hidden love of Hashem inside you can not be commanded to 'love' (since you already do). Rather the commandment is to bring it out into the open (by contemplating (deeply) the greatness of the Omnipresent in psukei dezimra and kriat shma). Tanya -Kuntres Achron - 'Hine lo tova...' -According to the Rambam the first mitzvah is to know and believe in the creator. Since it is through this knowing that bring you to love (or reveal the hidden love already there) and the love is the impetus for doing all the other commandments, therefore it makes sense to say that it is the first Mitzvah as the Tanya does here. The actual mitzvah of love (which according to the Rambam's count is 7) is not an actual command according to this but an automatic consequence of fulfilling the first mitzvah, and in-fact the whole point of fulfilling the fir

How can you understand that sparks remain in the vessels that were broken in the world of Tohu? If the lights can be 'broken' and simply were nistalk - (removed themselves upwards) , how can any lights remain in the vessels? The mashal - an allegory to understand this are the sparks that remain from the letters of your thoughts and speech during the day that form the dreams you have at night. (Dreams are a birrur - purification/elevation of these netzuzot - similar to how mitzvot - good deeds are mevarer - purify the sparks in klipat noga) Rebbe Rashab - 1905 Ve'yigdelu ha'ne'arim

We say 'meshubach u'mefoar adei ad. That is, lo ad bichlal, since you can never actually reach the end... -Ube'vo'a

Yehoshua is compared to the moon who must have a constant radiance from the sun to shine. So to it says by Yehoshua, 'lo yamush me'toch ha'ohel'. Because of the encompassing light that is represented by a full moon, like Yehoshuda, that is why they read Megillah on the 15th in cities that are 'encompassed' from the days of Yehoshua, that still retain some of his quality of radiance. In the days of mashiach, however, Yerushalayim will be without boundries, beyond even this. Therefore there will no longer be this distinction between walled and non-walled cities in the time to come. -Ve'kibel Hayehudim

All of the holidays will be nullified in the time to come except for Yom Kippur and Purim. (see medrash Milshlei 9:b, Yalkut shimoni remez 944)

Hashem is so beyond all order of creation that non-Jews dancing in during the destruction of the beit hamikdash are like a small creature in the corner of the kings palace that does not even get noticed.

There are 2 ways to view the 7 'Hashem Hu Ha'E-lokim' by neilah: Either Hashem comes down 7 levels into E-lokim or E-lokim gets Elavated 7 levels up into shem Hashem. This is accomplished through the 5 viduyim that we say on yom Kippur.

This that it says 'malachei E-lokim Olim ve'yordim bo'  does not refer to actual elavation of the level of the malachim. Rather, it refers to some shlichut that they were sent on, or are coming back from. (In a mamar from the R' Rashab I saw that it is davka through our avodah that they have aliyah, and not on their own.)

The reason it says in 10 hadibrot 'Anochi Hashem E-lokecha' and 'lo yihiye lecha', even though it would seem so obvious that you would not even have to say this,  since "kola kamei ke'lo chashiv'. It says it because on the level where both good and evil are equal, Hashem still chooses, bnei Yisrael. The stress is that Hashem is E-lokecha, 'yours', as apposed to being beyond favoritisim. That is why we say that we heard it me'pi ha'gevura, since even on that level, Hashem made a distinction, as with gevura, to choose Bnei Yisrael.

Kafa aleihem hahar ke'gigit is like if when a person is trapped in a barrel and can not escape. So to bnei Yisrael were trapped in their beleif in achdut Hashem, beyond their free choice.

Kol ha'mekabel alav ol Torah, porkin mimenu ol derech eretz. There are two ways to change the darkness to light. You can either fullfil it through spiritual avoda effort or physical effort.

During the day, kindesses come down before strictness, first 4 hours are of Torah, then 3 hours of sustaining things with gevurah (also 3 hours of judgment). At night, it is the opposite. There are gevurot until chatzot, and then chassadim afterwards. Amal Torah, when you learn Torah Shebeal pe specifically at night time, which is also compared to galut. The hard work of chomer u'leveinim (kal ve'chomer libun hilchata) This changes the night to 'layla ha'ze' of yetziat metzrayim, like 'va'ya'er et halayla. The other way to change darkness to light is amal sicha. This refers to tefilah, calling out to hashem from the actual physical avoda kasha and tirdot ha'parnasa or any other tzar. In this vein, Hashem answers you in the difficulties you are in. There is also another type of calling out to Hashem, like a child to a father. This is where the father or mother has mercy on the child, not because of the pain they are in, but simply because

The fact that women have more beauty than men is similarly because of the dam tame na'ase hayofi be'muvchar ha'damim

'Shoshana bein hachochim' does not actually refer to the rose's own thorns. Rather, the thorns here refer to the tall thorny cedars growing in forest around it that overshadow it with their dark shade. It is specifically in this darkness with witch it flourishes and grows.

"le'olam Hashem dvarcha nitzav ba'shamayim." refers to keter of malchut that never descends, while  the other 9 seforot of Malchut go down to shine in lower realms. The hidden stat is 'kevod E-lokim Hester Davar' while the revealed state is 'kevod melachim, chakor davar."

The Otzar of Yirat Shamayim is specifically a concept that applies after the destruction of the mikdash, when it says ve'anochi haster astir panai. Thus is says that 'im kematmonim tachpesena' that it is something you much search for, since it is only available in this hidden state. Kvod melachim chakor dvar is when malchut is in a revealed state. However, kvod E-lokim Hester davar is hitnasut ha'atzmi of keter of malchut that never descends, a hidden state than can never be revealed below. On this it states, "le'olam Hashem dvarcha nitzav ba'shamayim." Because this level never descends, while the other 9 sefirot of Malchut do. Or: 'im kematmonim tachpesena' refers to searching for the Otzar of Yirat shamayim that is only accessible during galut, when it says, ve'anochi haster astir panai.

A Dry Etrog is pasul. How should one check to see if the etrog is dry? Push a needle and thread through it and see if the thread is moist when it comes out. [If it is a year old, you can assume it is too dry.] Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 648:1 Taz: Um, isn't that a nekev mefulash - a hole going through the etrog that makes it pasul? However, nekev that makes it pasul goes all the way through or reaches the seeds. What it is referring to here is pushing it off to the side. We learn the psul of etrogim from treifot of animals. Just like we find a hole in the limb of an animal on the side can be kasher, so too here. 

When you say Ad-nai sefatai tiftach, you are asking for Hashem to open the door to his palace. (Ad-nai gematria 'heichal'. The lips are the gates, like it says, 'pitchu li sharei tzedek'.-open the gates or righteousness for me.) The malachim then check you to see if you are dressed properly in talit and tefilin (yeladim asher ein bahem kol mum... ve'asher koach bahem la'amod lifnei hamelech - youth who are not blemished and have the wherewithal to stand in front of the king), and if you come bearing gifts (of tzedaka that you gave to poor people).  -Tikun 18

Hashem sends a malach-angel to help a person who falls low. This help is from the highest level. This help is mitlabesh - expresses itself according to the need. When a person falls, if the help does not present itself in fitting with the lowly state they are in, they will not be able to relate or the help will miss its mark. This is like in the story of Esther. When this happens the klipa can correspondingly ascend to the highest level to try and get yenika - sustained. This is why Haman got so high. Really it was a preparation for his downfall as the descent of the divine help allows for the ascent of the klipa, but really it is one mechanism to overcome the downfall and lift one back up to the hights. -Mittler Rebbe

The First seuda Ester made just for the king but invited Haman, Haman was elaveted, but secondary. The second feast for both haman and the king, equating them.  This brought Haman up to the essence of the makif where he would fall from.  It says of Edom, 'Im tagbia ka'nesher, me'sham oridcha - if you lift yourself up high like an eagle, that is where I will bring you down from. In this context, Haman had to be elaveted to the highest level before he could be brought down. In this exalted state Haman really thought he could 'kovesh'  - conquer the queen, even in the presence of the king. It is from this highest hight that was his downfall. -Mittler Rebbe

Shisha chodashim be'shemen ha'mor - six months in Mher oil, mor as in bitterness over being far from Hashem. 6 months in 'besamim', nice smelling spices refers to the divince pleasure  we have in doing mitzovt. 'u'ba'ze ha'na'ara ba el ha'malech - that is how the sould prepares to go present in front of the king. However, lo biksha davar - we do not go into the king with our own agenda, rather, with kabalat ol. -Mittler Rebbe

Hadasim - myrtle is the same concept as the shoshana - rose, only when it is not amongst the thorns. The Rose's scent is specifically amongst/because of the thorns around it. The hadasim do not need the thorns to be fragrant. hadasa is malchut as it is in the higher world of Atz', shoshana amongst the thorns, as malchut descends into the lower worlds of bi''a to mevarer - purify. Hadasim are in a pure state on their own, while the special mission of Rose is to purify others. -Mittler Rebbe

Ve'natati esev be'sadcha is the part of shma that refers  to the mitzvah of tzedaka. -Mittler Rebbe

'Ve'hayita Rak lemala ve'lo tihiye lemata'- and you shall be only above and not below. This refers to a state of arousal that you achieve from below that is beyond being reciprocal to ones efforts in reaching upwards from below. - Kit Tavo -Mittler Rebbe 

We go up to the regel because bra kra de'avuha. We are Hashem's children and a child is the 'leg' of the father. The whole body rests on the legs, which shows how the leg is rooted in the essence. That is why the son is compared to a leg specifically and not any other body part, as the son comes from the essence of the father.   When a person is awake they will get upset even for a small thing, like their shoe getting dirty, in the same way they would get upset for a big thing.. When they are asleep they will only notice something big, like a poke in the eye. When we had theMikdash Hashem was 'awake', thefore it says that Yochanan Cohen Gadol was mevatel ha'meorerin - stopped the people who 'awakened' and said 'ura lama tishan Hashem' - 'wake up, why are you sleeping Hashem. He was correcting them since Hashem was in a waking state. During exile, Hashem is, so to speak 'sleeping', therefore he does not show he is u

Mem-sofit is the ring, vov is the finger. When the ring is on the finger it is zayin, which are the seven times the kallah circles the chatan. -Tikun yud

In Mishlei it states, 've'lechem levav enosh yisad' - and bread satisfies the heart. Bread is the only food that has the ability to strengthen the heart to feel vigorously alive. Only the revealed parts of the Torah give a person the strength to overcome their evil inclination. A person might daven well and have much inspiration from the secrets of the Torah, but then fall into sin. Only the 'bread' of the Torah can strengthen your heart against the weakness of the yetzer. A person who does not study the revealed parts of the Torah is likened to a person has fasted for a few days, of course they will be weak... -Mittler Rebbe -Tzena u'rena

The fires, smoke and lightning at Har sinai were not there to terrify us. Rather they were an outward expression of the flaming fire of love to Hashem that was felt. The shofar sound, however, caused a state of nullification. -Mittler Rebbe - Tzena Urena

'Hakadaosh baruchu' is put as a phrase together and the phrase is not 'kadosh u'boruch' because the vov in kadosh implys that the kedusha is already in a state brocha downwards. -tzaina u'rena

Often Nishma - 'We will listen' is translated as undertanding after you are already doing the Na'ase - 'we will do' .  However, the truth is that Nishma is also a concept of keter - crown just like na'ase. It is listening with kabalat ol and bitul - accepting the yolk of heaven.  The level of Nishma can be described as: Like someone who is listening to the shchina mamash.  Ta'an leshoni imratecha - we are only repeating over what the shchina says. When you do the mitzvot you are drawing down from ratzon into chochma. - osin Retzono. However, when you listen, nishma, you draw down from the mekor of ratzon into ratzon. Na'ase after nishma is even higher. With nishma you are batel - nullified to the ratzon - will.  With na'ase you are batel to the bal hartzon - the one who has the will, meaning whatever ratzon will come out, you are already batel - nullified to it, before it comes out. If nishma was before na'ase it would imp

There is Shalom Rav or Sar Shalom, meaning 'a lot of peace', then there is "shalom ein keitz" - peace without end and finally, "Shlomo, melech she'hashalom Shelo" - Shlomo, the king to whom the peace belongs,  is a level higher than peace itself. -Mittler Rebbe - Biur Beis on Schora Ani

Hair that is 'ke'amar nekei' - like clean wool is on the side of chesed - kindness while - taltalim schorot ke'orev - locks dark like a raven is gevurah - strictness. The white (yeriot Shlomo) corresponds to mizvot as'e -positive commandments while the dark corresponds to the mitzvot lo-tase - negative commandments. Its compared to a raven, even though they are achzari - cruel, because the it is only with shlila and harchakos - pushing away the bad that you get closer to the atzmiut - essence.  Like a king who does not pay attention to even the things he likes, but you will catch his attention with something that he hates. The shlila - negative touches closer. 'ohr chadash al tzion tapir' - 'a new light on tzion will shine' refers to the chesed lifnei hatzimtzum being me'ir onto the chakika of tehira ila - 'yud de'sag' - in the lashon of the Emek Hamelech. K'e'aholei Kedar' - 'tents of Kedar' refers

The purpose of having a Jewish king is not like the other nations.  The other nations will select the person that has the best mazal and make him king. Since Ein mazal leYisrael, we are supposed to trust in Hashem directly and not relly on mazal. Since Shevet Binyamin was the only tribe to be born in Israel, he represents this idea more than the other shevatim. That is why the first king was chosen from him.  That is why it says "when you want king like all the other nations... you should take a king from amongst your brothers etc." -Tiferet Yehonatan

The magid saw in a silver cup he was given as a gift that the person who made it had only one eye.  This is like the letters that are a part of a word. Even after the letters are seperated they still retain part of the meaning of the word. This only works if the koach ha'poel be'nifal - strength of potential affecting the actual gives its pnimiut - true innermost effort into the thing.  Only an artisanal object, not just a simple one, will have this quality, where the person places a lot of effort, emotional and intellectuall, into the object. When an object like this is destroyed the person is pained for the part of him that is destroyed along with the object. -Mittler Rebbe

ב''ה The son has a perpetual connection to the father that never goes away and he always feels. The son's perpetual connection to the father is rooted in the pnimius - inner aspect of the kli ha'moach - father's brain. The son's ability to be separate from the father, even to the point of rebellion, is rooted in the chitzonius - external aspect of the father's brain. -Mittler Rebbe There are a few basic assumptions here: The brain is the seat of the first internal revelation of the soul into the body. The creation of a soul is a giving of the fathers essence, not just a small revelation of the soul in the seat of the intellect, like a teaching of a lesson. Rather, it is a giving over of the entire essence as it is revealed in the father's mind. Really it reaches even higher than as it is revealed into the mind. The physical drop from the father to the mother is first created in the brain and travels down the spine to the testis. Thus the spirit

Mamalacha and Memshala, Shchina and Schinta Lecha Hashem Hamamlacha - To you Hashem is kingship refers to Malchut as it is in Atz'. Ve'ata Moshel Ba'kol - You rule over all refers to Malchut as it is revealed into lower worlds. 3 levels. Malchut de'ein sof - Asher Malach be'terem kol yetzur nivrah. Malchut as it is in atz' Malchut as it is goes down into time 'Hashem malach' - was king in the past tense refers to Malchut before the tzimtzum. Hashem Melech - is king refers to Malchut as it comes down into zman - time. This is why women are not obligated in mitzvot she'hazman grama - Mitzovot that are caused by time, because they come from this level. (They are rooted in the cause, so, free from the effect.) Hashem Yimloch refers to hamshacha - drawing down of higher than time into time, like "(ve'achal) ve'chai le'olam" - eating from the tree (under the domain of 'time') and living forever and David Melech Yi

The 4 batim in the head tefillin and the 1 bayit of the hand teffilin are like the 5 stones that david placed in his slingshot, which is like the straps of the tefillin. The straps of the hand teffillin are like a chain to tie the S"M compared to a bad dog.  The straps of the head teffilin are like tying down the horns of a shor mu-ed -goring ox, that the S"M is also compared to. Shma is compared to a sword with to sharp sides to kill the S"M. The 248 words of shma are like the Romach when you add a vov (from Hashem's name). The 5 stones in the slingshot are the hey, that they become one stone is like the yud. -Hakdamat Tikunei Zohar

'Shemen turak' refers to oil that smells better as you pour it out.  All the spices on the bottom smell the best and as you pour it out they are now on top. This is like Torah, specifically, as it is en-clothed in physical concepts to purify the physical, that is rooted in the highest level. Sheyored al hazakan, zakan aharon, -"it (the poured oil) descends upon the beard, the beard of Aharon". They descend because they are higher than the 13 attributes of mercy  the tikunei dikna of Aharon, they bring the 13 midot out to a revealed state. -Mittler Rebbe - Le'reach Shemanecha

Eretz Yisrael is on the level of Leah (in general, 'thought' or 'Nevua') be'gilui, while outside of Israel is on the level of Rachel ( in general, ' speech' or Ruach Hakodesh).  In Israel it is harder to find inspiration and go up, while outside Israel it is easier to begin avodat - service of Hashem.  In Israel, however, the great tzadikim are able to reach levels that you can not outside of Israel, like we see with the Arizal, the beit Yosef and the like. Nevu'a is intermittent and goes away with the first hint of sin. Ruach Hakodesh is constant and does not go away as easily, like Dovid with the his sin.  It is there even when involved with the world, like yosef hatzadik was still attached even when ruling over Egypt etc.  Yosef and David were both from Rachel, and therfore had this quality. In a sense the the state of ruach hakodesh is higher, since it does not go away.  This is why the kings are from Yosef and Dovid. In a sense L

Since we bring in shabbos with two candles and it is going away we light havdala with two candles.  We look at our fingernails in the fire as well because they are like the garment of adam harishon that shined like the ananei kavod - clouds of glory, just like our fingernails shine when reflecting the fire. -Hakdamat Tikunei Zohar

Midat ha'yesod or 'tov'  - goodness as in, "imru tzadik ki tov" - 'say of the tzadik that he is good' is a measure of how much the person wants to give over. That is, regardless of the measure of chesed - kindess or gevura - strictness that a person measures in there heart before deciding to give there is yesod. Kindess says to give because of such and such, strictness says not to because of such and such.  You then may give anyways out of the 'goodness' in your heart (or out of mercy). The good person gives because it is simply in his nature to give more. This is different than the giving anyways because of midat ha'tiferet - having mercy.  when they do not deserve to be given: 'Mercy' is giving anway because you are concentrating on their lowness, regardless of whether or not you inherently want to give. 'Goodness' is giving regardless of where they are holding since it is in your nature to give. The gi

'Be'chol Tzaratan lo tzar' - in all of their (the nation of Yisrael) pain to him (or not to him) is pain (with the kri and ktiv -lo has an alef or a vov).  Hashem is with us in our pain, but as long as Hashem is with us (his beloved), it is not painful for him.  -Hakdamat Tikunei Zohar Like a person who can overlook the difficulties they are in because they are with their loved one. 

The letters that make up the letter 'Bayt' represent the parts of the a home -  The Beit iteself is the binyan - the building itself, yud is for the yesod - foundation, tuf is for tiferet - 'ketiferet adam lashevet bayit' - the beauty of the concept of a person dwelling in a home -Tikunei Zohar

"Hariu La'Hashem Kol Ha'aretz" - the whole earth should sound a 'teru'a' for Hashem. This first letters in this pasuk are an acrynom for "Halacha" The teru'a of the shofar is a voice that comes divided into many parts.  Both sadness and laghter express themselves in short bursts of voice one right after the other. Both can bring you to tears. The reason for this is that it is a reveltion from the deepest part of the heart that is too much for you to handle, so it goes away, then attempts to express again, then again. This is called 'mati ve'lo mati' -extending, then non-extending. This is also the concept of the 'mayim tachtonim bochin' - the waters below are crying to go upward'. Halacha is the same way, it comes down from so high that it must be broken in to small parts to be revealed. The pesukim in chumash are even further divided. -Mittler Rebbe - Mizmor Letoda The paragraphs of the gemara

ב''ה Even though "machshava" - thought is in general expressed as a lower garment of the soul the truth is that it is actually the ability of the soul that has the closest expression of the very essence. This is why it is only thought that is in a constant flow, unlike all the other abilities and all ideas can only be formed and express using through it. In some ways it is the their starting point. In this context the tought is the starting point where the essence of the soul expresses itself into the formation of ideas. This is why it says ’הרהורי עבירה קשים מעבירה’ - thoughts of sins are 'harder' than sin itself. It does not say that they are 'חמור מעבירה' - more severe in stringency that sin, rather, that they are 'harder' - meaning 'harder' on the soul since it affects and touches a much deeper part. It is because of this fact, that thought touches the essence of the soul that thoughts of sin affect us so deeply. -Mittler Rebbe

ב''ה By the giving over the Torah it says "Yeshikeni Me'neshikot Pihu" - Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth. Why more than one kiss? Isn't one allegorically enough? This can be understood by the parable of a father who plays a game with his young son. The father hides from his son to see how smart he is; to see if he can figure out that he is just hiding. If the son is not smart than he will just give up and cry. However, if the son is smart he will not give up and knows that the father is findable. The son who gives up still gets affection from the father, however, the son who is smart gets a a double measure. When we went into the desert following Moshe it was an act of searching for Hashem, knowing he was there. "lechtech acharai bamidbar" - to search after me into the desert. We eventually found 'our father' at Har Sinai,  where he gave us a double measure of kisses. "neshikot kefulot". -Mittler Rebbe

According to Chassidut Shaul was a great Tzadik and when Shaul said, "hakimoti et dvar Hashem" - I have fulfilled Hashems command, he actually meant it.  He had a reasoning according to kavanot Elyonot - higher divine intent that he knew to bring korbanot from Amalek and even a reason al pi sod - according to the secrets of the Torah to save king Aggag. His mistake was that, even though this was according to the kevana elyona, he was still asked directly by the Navi to do it differently. -Mittler Rebbe

Sofer Sefer and Sipur correspond with Divrei sofrim, torah shebechtav and torah shebal pe. Ayeh sofer refers to how divrei sofrim are higher than torah shebechtav and torah shebal pe.  Yud - chochma - torah shebechtav. Hey - binah torah shebal pe.  The Alef that comes before them is the divrei sofrim. The three Ayeh in the pasuk 'Ayeh Sofer Ayeh Shokel Ayeh Sofer et hamigdalim' are juxtapposed to the the 'Kadosh' of Kedusha. The 'Kadosh' are on the side of bringing downwards (as apposed to Kodesh which is exalted above, not drawn down).  The three 'Ayeh', goes higher and more removed upwards with each one, begging further the question 'where' each time on a higher plane. Just as the yediat hashlila and mitzvot lo ta'se are higher then yediat ha'chiyuv and mitzvot ase, so to the extra stringencies and safe-gaurds put in place by the divrei sofrim are even higher than the mitzvot lo Tase. -Mittler Rebbe - Libcha Ye'

When a rich man makes a successful business deal his joy is in true monetary wealth. He worked for it and made a real amount of money. The poor person who is given a coin, on the other hand, is also happy. He, however, did not work for the money and it is not an amount of real value. Nonetheless, the poor man's happiness is centered on a deeper concept. The rich man is happy because of the money and accomplishment. The poor man is happy because of the life that the money will actually bring him. With this you can understand the way in which Ballei Teshuva are greater than Tzadikim.  The teshuva of the Bal-Teshuva is like the 'small coin' - of the poor person in comparison to the many and mighty deeds of the Tzadikim. However, the happiness the Bal-Teshuva is from the feeling that they are now close to the king again, while the Tzadik's joy is a composite (simcha moorkevet) of what they have accomplished. -Mittler Rebbe

The days of the week while usually described as corresponding to the midot: chesed, gevurah etc. Can also be described as the first day, ohr,  being Chochma and  the second day, rakia - division of the fimament - being Binah. -Mittler Rebbe Taking this further we might say that the creation of the trees (including etz hadat) corresponds with da'at.  The luminaries on the fourth day would correspond with chesed. The fish birds and crawling things correspond with gevurah.  The birds going upwards might be ha'la of gevurah while the fish in there hidden state, corresponding to the aspect of gevurah that conceals the higher from the lower etc. Friday would be tifferet with the creation of animals and man - 'ke'tiferet adam' perhaps. Shabbat might still correspond to Malchut in this context since the previous three days 'chagat' are a concept that can stand on its own and are the main 'body' of partzuf of Zeir.

Sound awakens intent The concept of 'Kol me'orer ha'kavana' - 'sound arouses inner intention' is not necessarily the human voice. That is, since the human voice is created from the breath in the heart, there would already have to be intention in the heart to create the sound of the voice. However, that is not what it says, rather, sound awakes the intent implies that the sound comes first, before any intent. It is for this reason that there is no differnce between the sound of voice and the sound of notes on a musical instument when serving Hashem. (Since, according to this, it does not matter whether or not the music is coming from a voice, perhaps that is why the Mittler Rebbe did not compose sung niggunim himself, but rather had a 'kapelia' band play for him.) The kavana of 'Halelu Ke-l be'kodsho' is to awaken the simcha above with the 10 types of musical intstuments. The music in order to draw down from the hidden level of 'ch

Atzvut' - depression is the 'askufa hanidreset' - trampled upon entrance way to enter the 50 gates of tumah leading in to the heichalot d'klipa - palaces of klipa. 'Anavah' - humility is the trampled upon entryway to enter the 50 gates of kedusha that lead into the heichalot d'kedusha - palaces of holiness. There is a story from the Arizal brought in Shivchei Ha'besht about a man from the time of the talmud that still has not found tikun for his neshama. The reason is that he allowed himself to get depressed and lost the 'shmira makif of kedusha' - holy surrounding light that guards a person from sinning.  This is like it says 'almala ozro, lo yuchal lo' - if were not for Hashem helping us, we would not be able to overcome our evil inclination. The chitztonim were then able to get him to do more and more bad things with no end in sight... Haughtiness is the masculine side of klipa while depression is the feminine. It is

Eliyahu Hanavi fled to Har Sinai in escape from Queen Izevel. Truthfully, his encounter there is paralleled in the parts of a storm, every time it rains. The wind, then the noise of the thunder, then the fire of the lightning and then, the main hamshacha -divine gift, which is the rain - a soft still voice. -Mittler Rebbe Every time you hear rain it is like Hashem softly speaking to you from Har Sinai. ~~~   יא  וַיֹּאמֶר, צֵא וְעָמַדְתָּ בָהָר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, וְהִנֵּה יְהוָה עֹבֵר וְרוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה וְחָזָק מְפָרֵק הָרִים וּמְשַׁבֵּר סְלָעִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, לֹא בָרוּחַ יְהוָה; וְאַחַר הָרוּחַ רַעַשׁ, לֹא בָרַעַשׁ יְהוָה.   יב  וְאַחַר הָרַעַשׁ אֵשׁ, לֹא בָאֵשׁ יְהוָה; וְאַחַר הָאֵשׁ, קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה. מלכים א פרק יט "And he said, "go out and stand on the mountain in front of Hashem, here Hashem passes by and a great strong wind that breaks apart mountain and smashes rocks infront of Hashem, Hashem is not in the wind; after the wind there is a great no

Love of Hashem is not like other loves that are from you to something outside you. Rather it is an internal revelation. -Mittler Rebbe

Ad-nai sefatai tiftach - Hashem, open my mouth. We are compared to a musical instrament that Hashem himself is playing. It is like the harp of David Hamelech that would play on its own. So to our prayers, the prayers of malchut that kari tadir - are constantly calling upward. (We should be in a nullified state and the prayers should well upward on there own, as if were simply Hashem's windchime.) -Mittler Rebbe

While pleasure may be revealed in the more meaningfull things, the highest level of simcha from a new thing is revealed specificly in the most external things and in the 'devarim beteylim' - meaningless things. This is why we brought sacrifices for the nations during all of sukkot even though it is officialy 'zman simchatenu' - the time of our joy, not the time of joy for the nations. It is specificaly in our involvement/interaction with the most external things that the simcha is revealed. -Mittler Rebbe Perhaps we can learn from this that at a simcha, while the actual event brings the deep tanug - pleasure, the simcha - the highest level of joy at the simcha - is revealed mainly by going around chatting with people about the mundane, dancing and other seeming trivialities. This is the first time I have seen an explanation of a 'mayla' ascribed to 'devarim beteylim'

Ahavat Aztmo is usually hidden. It is only revealed at certain times, for example, when a person is in danger.  It is then that a person strives with the utmost and for self preservation. -Mittler Rebbe With this we can, perhaps, get insite into the mitzah of loving ones fellowman like yourself.  First, it is the hidden level that you are loving, not the revealed.  Second, expressing this love means striving to the point of self sacrifice to preserve the well being of another who is in trouble.

There are two kinds of tahara - purity. The first is after cleansing from tumah - impurity.  An example of this is the pasuk "Im rachatz Hashem Tzo'at be'not Tzion" - If Hashem will wash the excrement off the daughters of Tzion." (this is like Yom Kippur) The second kind of purity is Tahara Atzmit - an essential purity that is not for the purpuse of cleansing anything. Rather, it is simply a pure state. This is the level of Shmini Atzeret. -Mittler Rebbe

Before reading this please note that the Mittler Rebbe is know for giving more than one view point on a concept, flourishing at the end of the opposing viewpoint with a 'de'lo k'nal' - 'NOT like we explained before.' ('ke'nal' - 'as was explained' is the more commonly used expresion.) However, note also that in the Mamar brought below, that expression is not used. Also remember that the Mittler Rebbe was a known posek in his own right (and was called "gadol she'be'gedolim" in nigleh by the Rogatchover gaon) and would have every right to pasken on this matter halachlikly. Also, um, I may have misinterpreted the mamar. Feel free to draw your own conclusions. But remember, you heard it here first! :) According to the mamar "Beyom Hashmini Shlach" (a shmini Atzeret Mamar) from the Mittler Rebbe it is implied that the color of the techelet on the tzitzit is black, not blue, as is commonly associated.

"Avera mechabe mitzvah aval ein averah mechabe Torah" - A sin can extinguish the light of a mitzvah but it can not extinguish the light of Torah. This is like a king who has a servant who plays beautiful music for him. The servant keeps doing bad things but the king still keeps him on for the music he plays. He does not want to lose it. When the servant looses his ability to play the music, the king then revisits all the misdeeds the servant did in the past.  This is like is says by the destruction of the temple. Hashem was willing to ignore the avoda zara, promiscuity and murder but was not willing to ignore the lack of Torah study. -Mittler Rebbe

"Tachat Asher Lo Avadeta Et Hashem E-lokecha Be'simcha" - because you did not servre Hashem when you had joy (While this usually refers to the way we are supposed to serve Hashem now, A different perspective is:)  This refers to how we were supposed to serve Hashem while he had the Mikdash.  That since we did not serve Hashem with joy when had the mikdash, we now have to serve hashem true tribulations in the exile. That is: the avodah Hashem wants from us now is that even though we have it difficult we still serve with devotion, regardless.  Hashem is looking for us to call out to him specifically from and through our troubles and no longer from the complacent joyous time that we once had.

Now that I know the idea that vision is an outward effect (while hearing is an inward receiving), I am attempting to go through Tanach and understand the vision referred there in this context. What brought this on was someone mentioning to me that before Moshe felt confident to view the land of Israel, he hid his face by the burning bush. When I looked at it I realized that Hashem stopped him from even coming close to the burning bush by saying "al tikrav halom". If so, Moshe was hiding his face even from seeing from 'afar'. However, this needs to be understood within the context of vision as an outward affect. You could say that Moshe did not feel on the level at that time to reveal the hidden "ya're me'habit el ha'E-lokim'. E-lokim being the contracted, 'metzumtzam' concepts. Moshe was afraid he could not break through the tzimtzum to reveal by his 'act' of vision towards it. We also need to understand the story of Moshe

When you see something you are not only affected by what you see. Rather, and mainly, you affect outward, the things that you view.  This is the difference between vision and hearing. Hearing receives from outside you while sight affects outward. Moshe wanted to see the land of Israel in order to affect it. Just as Hashem had shown him divine inspiration, he wanted to infuse the land of Israel w ith it. Hashem said to him, you can see it from afar. He was therefore only able to affect it in makif; in an encompassing, hidden way. -The Mittler Rebbe We can learn from this that everything we look at has an affect. We envigorate everything we gaze at. If we look at something close up, we affect it more deeply than looking at it far away. It is our job to actively add life to the world through the things we look at just as we affect the world through fulfillment of the Torah's commandments. Thus the Shulchan Aruch Ha'Rav says that when we look at the Torah as it is lifted up, if you

Parrallels between yosef and tamar Yosef was yefe to'ar - tamar was yafa Yosef wore ketonet pasim - Tamar wore ketonet pasim Yosef's brother's hate him - Amnon's brother Avshalom hates him Yakov sends Yosef to his brothers - Dovid sends Tamar to Amnon Yakov sends Yosef to his brothers - Dovid sends Amnon to Avshalom and his other sons Yosef's brother 'va'yitnaklu oto la'hamito' - Avshalom plots to kill Amnon in the midst of his brothers Yosef's brother's sat down 'le'chol lechem' - Amnon eat 'levivot' (dough boiled in water and fryed in oil) Yosef pretended not to know his brothers - Amnon pretended to be sick The brothers tore the ketonet Pasim and upset Yakov - Tamar tore the ketonet pasim and upset Dovid with what happened Yosef said  'hotziu kol ish me'alai' - amnon also said 'hotziu kol ish me'alai' By Yosef, 'ein ish me'anshei habayit sham ba'bayit - by Tamar 'va'yetzi kol

Just as a murder creates an existence of spiritual morality that dictates the murderer should get the death penalty, so too, when someone gives charity, it creates the existence of a morality that dictates the giver should receive life. -Mittler Rebbe

  'Ein bal ha'nes makir be'niso' means, not that you do not recognize the miracles going on. Rather, it means that you do not know what you did to deserve the miracles that happen to you. Usually, divine response is reciprocal.   However, Hashem also gives constantly even if you did not call to him. This is because of 'Ani Yeshena ve'libi er' - Hashem's 'heart' is awake even though he is, so to spe ak, 'asleep' in the exile. This is the concept of Hashem answering you before you ask - 'terem yikre'u ani e'e'ne.' -Mittler Rebbe Perhaps this is parralleled in the pasuk 'nidrashit le'lo sha'alu, nimtzeti le'lo bikshuni, amarti, heneni, hineni el goy lo korah be'shmi' - I am in answer to those who did not ask for me, found by those who did not search for me, I say, "Here I am! Here I am" to a nation who does not even call in my name.' (Yishaya 65:1)

When you are feeling far from Hashem during the three weeks remember, it is compared to the machol dance. Two lines of people get closer, than farther from each other again and again. While they are far apart, they do not turn their backs. Rather they are still looking towards their partners. The whole purpose of going far is obviously for the purpose of drawing close again. Even when far away you don't fret because, hey, its still a dance. -Mittler Rebbe (in the context of Teshuva)

The sea split in the merit of Yakov, as Hashem said to him "u'fartza yama" -can be translated as 'you will spread to the west', or, literally as, 'you will split the sea.' -Medrash