#Likutei Moharan

[the-shoemaker-report]

Mashiach’s Weapon of War

How does Mashiach fight his wars? And by extension, how should we fight our battles?

It is taught (Likutei Moharan 2:1): אִיתָא בְּסִפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא מִנּוּקְבָא דְּפַרְדַּשְׂקָא מָשַׁךְ רוּחָא דְּחַיֵּי לִמְשִׁיחָא כִּי עִקַּר כְּלֵי זֵינוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ הוּא הַתְּ��ִלָּה שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת חֹטֶם כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וּתְהִלָּתִי אֶחֱטָם לָךְ וּמִשָּׁם עִקַּר חִיּוּתוֹ וְכָל מִלְחַמְתּוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה וְכָל הַכְּבִישׁוֹת שֶׁיִּכְבֹּשׁ הַכֹּל מִשָּׁם כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וַהֲרִיחוֹ בְּיִרְאַת ה' וְכוּ' זֶה בְּחִינַת חֹטֶם (It is brought down in Sifra di’Tzniuta: from the nostril of the nose, the spirit of life is drawn down to Mashiach. For the fundamental weapon [of war] of Mashiach is prayer [tefillah], which is an aspect of ‘nose’ [chotem], like it is written [Yeshayah 48:9], ‘And My praise is that I will restrain My anger for you’, and from there is the essence of his vitality, and all of his wars that he will make for all of his conquests that he will conquer, all of it is from there, like it is written [Yeshayah 11:3], ‘And he shall smell [the truth of a matter] due to his fear of Hashem, etc.’, and this is an aspect of ‘nose’).

There is a great deal of information in this short paragraph, so let’s unpack it a little.

To begin his teaching, R' Nachman shares a secret from the Hidden Torah, included in a book of the Zohar ha-Kadosh known as the Sifra di’Tzniuta, that Mashiach receives his life-force, his vitality, from the ‘nostril of the nose.’ Although it is beyond the scope of this short article to explain this secret fully, suffice it to say that there is in the upper worlds a ‘spiritual building’ or partzuf that is called Arich Anpin [Long Face]. This is a part of the sefirah of keter [crown], which is the highest sefirah and the most difficult for us to grasp. In simple terms, we are speaking about the ‘Will’ of Hashem. In that partzuf (as is the case for all partzufim), there are 248 spiritual ‘limbs’ and 365 spiritual ‘connections’, and one of those ‘limbs’ is the ‘nose’. It is from one of the ‘nostrils’ of that ‘nose’ that the spirit of life descends down to Mashiach to give him life and to keep him alive (for his life is not a simple matter). When Mashiach comes to redeem his people, he receives his power, his vitality—his very life—from that ‘nose’ and it is through that life that he is able to redeem Yisrael.

At this point, we will cease putting quotation marks around all of these spiritual terms. Just keep in mind that we are not speaking about a physical nose. All we need to know at this point is that Mashiach draws down his power and strength from the nostril of this nose.

Next, R' Nachman states that this nose has to do with how Mashiach fights his wars, specifically through tefillah. In other words, Mashiach will defeat all forces of evil, nullifying and subjugating them, through tefillah. That is the weapon—not guns, bullets, protests, demonstrations, revolutions, etc. Similarly, this is the same for the rest of us (Likutei Eitzot, Tefillah 2): עִקַּר הַכְּלֵי זַיִן שֶׁל אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי הוּא הַתְּפִלָּה וְכָל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הָאָדָם לִכְבֹּשׁ הֵן מִלְחֶמֶת הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע הֵן שְׁאָרֵי מִלְחָמוֹת עִם הַמּוֹנְעִים וְהַחוֹלְקִים הַכֹּל עַל־יְדֵי תְּפִלָּה וּמִשָּׁם כָּל חִיּוּתוֹ (The fundamental weapon for a Jew is tefillah, and all wars that a man needs to fight, whether a war against the Yetzer ha-Ra [Evil Inclination] or whether other wars with those who put obstacles in his path or oppose him, all of it is through tefillah, and from there is his life force or vitality). How does R' Nachman derive this fact? He quotes a part of the verse from Yeshayah 48:9. Here is the entire verse: לְמַעַן שְׁמִי אַאֲרִיךְ אַפִּי וּתְהִלָּתִי אֶחֱטׇם־לָךְ לְבִלְתִּי הַכְרִיתֶךָ (For My name’s sake, I am slow to anger [a’arich api] and My praise is that I will restrain My anger for you, so that I will not cause you to be cut off [from the upper worlds]).

Notice two main points. First, Hashem says to Am Yisrael that He is patient and takes a long time before getting angry [a’arich api]. Although the words are written in the future tense, Rashi says that it is an expression of the present tense. But what is more interesting is that these words could be translated literally as ‘I am long to get angry’ or ‘I am long of nose’ since אף [af] can mean ‘nose’ as well as ‘anger’. Second, the expression ‘I will restrain My anger’ is e’chetom, which Rashi says is also an expression of nose [chotem]. In other words, ‘I will close My nose so as not to allow the smoke of My nostrils to exit against you in anger.’ But how does R' Nachman know that this has to do with tefillah? Hashem states that His patience is an aspect of “My praise” [tehillati], and as we read in Tehillim 145:1, tehillah is a type of tefillah: תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אֱלוֹקַי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲבָרְכָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד (A tehillah of David, I will exalt You, my G‑d the King, and I will bless Your name forever).

R' Nachman also teaches that we can learn this same truth, i.e. that Mashiach draws his power from the nose, from the verse in Yeshayah 11:3. Here is the verse in its entirety: וַהֲרִיחוֹ בְּיִרְאַת יְָי וְלֹא־לְמַרְאֵה עֵינָיו יִשְׁפּוֹט וְלֹא־לְמִשְׁמַע אׇזְנָיו יוֹכִיחַ (And he shall smell [the truth of a matter] due to his fear of Hashem, and not judge through the seeing of his eyes, and not rebuke according to the hearing of his ears). What is the meaning of the word va’haricho translated here as ‘and he shall smell’? As taught in the Gemara, (Sanhedrin 93b): רבא אמר דמורח ודאין (Rava said [it means] that he will smell [a person] and judge [and he will know who is guilty and who is innocent in a case brought by litigants]).

Admittedly, these teachings are somewhat hidden and, perhaps, even obscure. Is there a more obvious source from the Torah that tefillah is the fundamental weapon of the righteous? Yes. Let’s read what R' Nachman states next (L.M. 2:1): וְזֶה עִקַּר כְּלֵי־זֵינוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי וּפֵרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י תְּפִלָּה וּבַקָּשָׁה וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב כִּי לֹא בְקַשְׁתִּי אֶבְטָח וְכוּ' בֵּאלֹקִים הִלַּלְנוּ בְּחִינַת וּתְּהִלָּתִי אֶחֱטָם לָךְ (And this is the essence of his weapons, like it is written [Bereshit 48:22], ‘with my sword and with my bow’; and Rashi’s explanation is that it means tefillah and entreaty, like it is written [Tehillim 44:7,9], ‘Not with my bow I trust…in G‑d we will praise [hillalnu], this corresponds to ‘and My praise [tehillati] is that I will refrain My anger [e’chetom] for you).

This verse in Bereshit 48:22 is part of the explanation of Yaakov to his son, Yosef, why he was giving him the city of Shechem as an inheritance. He said: אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי, i.e. that he took it from the Emori with his sword and with his bow. Although the essence of the meaning of ‘sword’ and ‘bow’ is tefillah and petition, Rashi, in his commentary on the Torah, actually states חָכְמָתוֹ וּתְפִלָּתוֹ (his wisdom/cleverness and his tefillah). The actual words ‘tefillah and entreaty’ quoted by R' Nachman come from the Gemara in a discussion on this verse (Bava Batra 123a): וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר כִּי לֹא בְקַשְׁתִּי אֶבְטָח וְחַרְבִּי לֹא תוֹשִׁיעֵנִי אֶלָּא חַרְבִּי זוֹ תְּפִלָּה קַשְׁתִּי זוֹ בַּקָּשָׁה (But isn’t it already said [Tehillim 44:7], ‘For I do not trust in my bow; my sword cannot save me’? Rather, ‘my sword’ is tefillah and ‘my bow’ is petition). So we see that there were two aspects to Yaakov’s weapons of war against the Emori. The first is the sword, i.e. tefillah which corresponds to tehillah, which is praise to Hashem. The second is the bow, i.e. a petition or request for one’s needs. This is stated explicitly in L.M. 2:2: כִּי הַתְּפִלָּה הוּא פִּי שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם וּשְׁאֵלַת צְרָכָיו (For tefillah [in a general sense, not in the specific sense used above, i.e. as only tehillah] is itself double, two, there is praise [shevach, which corresponds to the specific tehillah explained above] of the Omnipresent and asking for one’s needs).

And this double aspect of tefillah is likened to a double-edged sword in Tehillim 149:6-7: רוֹמְמוֹת קֵל בִּגְרוֹנָם וְחֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת בְּיָדָם׃ לַעֲשׂוֹת נְקָמָה בַּגּוֹיִם תּוֹכֵחוֹת בַּלְאֻמִּים (The elevated praises of G‑d is in their throats and a double-edged sword is in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the goyim, rebukes among the nations). And where is this battle taking place? The previous verse tells us (149:5): יַעְלְזוּ חֲסִידִים בְּכָבוֹד יְרַנְּנוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם (The pious ones [chasidim] will exalt in honor, they will joyfully sing/shout upon their beds). And how do we know that Mashiach is the leader of these chasidim who engage in awesome tefillah upon their beds? It is written (149:2): יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֹשָׂיו בְּנֵי־צִיּוֹן יָגִילוּ בְמַלְכָּם (Yisrael will be happy in their Maker, the sons of Tzion will rejoice in their king). And who is that king who leads the battle, upon whom all eyes of the righteous look for guidance and leadership? On the one hand, it refers to Hashem. But on the other hand, it refers to Mashiach himself. Therefore, we see that the execution of the final war against the kings and nobles (see 149:8) who fight against Hashem is accomplished by a group of highly devoted chasidim, b’nei Tzion, through this double-edged sword. So if you want to be part of Mashiach’s army to fight his war, now you know, at least, where it’s being conducted. It is the same place where David ha-Melech fought his wars (Tehillim 63:7): אִם־זְכַרְתִּיךָ עַל־יְצוּעָי בְּאַשְׁמֻרוֹת אֶהְגֶּה־בָּךְ (When I remember You upon my bed, during the night watches I mediate about You).

Further support for these conclusions come from a mizmor that we recite on the days when Tachanun is included in Minchah. It explains how the Jewish People will come to know and understand that the one who claims to be Mashiach is actually Mashiach, as it is written (Tehillim 20:7-8): עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי הוֹשִׁיעַ  יְָי מְשִׁיחוֹ יַעֲנֵהוּ מִשְּׁמֵי קׇדְשׁוֹ בִּגְבֻרוֹת יֵשַׁע יְמִינוֹ׃ אֵלֶּה בָרֶכֶב וְאֵלֶּה בַ��ּוּסִים וַאֲנַחְנוּ  בְּשֵׁם־יְָי אֱלֹקֵינוּ נַזְכ��ִיר׃ הֵמָּה כָּרְעוּ וְנָפָלוּ וַאֲנַחְנוּ קַּמְנוּ וַנִּתְעוֹדָד׃ יְָי הוֹשִׁיעָה הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם־קׇרְאֵנוּ (Now I now that Hashem saves His Mashiach; He will answer him from His heavenly place of holiness, with the mighty power of salvation in His right arm; These [trust] in chariot and these [others] in horses, but we make mention of Hashem our G‑d [through tefillah]; These bent over and fell, but we arose and were encouraged; Hashem save! The King will answer us in the time that we call out).

In summary, Mashiach receives his strength, power and vitality from the aspect of the nose of Arich Anpin. Since the nose is an aspect of tefillah, the entirety of Mashiach’s power to wage war, defeat the enemies of Hashem, nullify all evil in the world, and bring the whole world to the side of good and kedushah is only through tefillah, not through fighting a physical war. This is also how we as Jews must fight our wars, our own personal battles against the Yetzer ha-Ra within us and within others who may oppose our walk in the ways of Hashem. There is no other way. These tefillot include Shemoneh Esreh and other tefillot that we pray during the day and during the night, such as during hitbodedut.

Sometimes we find ourselves wondering: “The world is so messed up and getting worse by the day! We need to do something, but what? Since this is the World of Asiyah, the World of Action, we need to do something, right?” The answer is that if we have emunah and believe in the miracle-working power of tefillah, then tefillah is our main action required in this world. No opposing force can stand in its way when it is wielded properly.

[torahtot]

guys this rabbi nachman class is no joke.. might actually become a butch with long payos.. watch out world..

[ameliarating]

וְדַע! שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לַעֲבֹר עַל גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאֹד מְאֹד, וְהַכְּלָל וְהָעִקָּר – שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפַּחֵד כְּלָל And know! That a person must cross a very, very narrow bridge. And the principle and the essence is that one should never draw oneself into constant fear.

- Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav in Likutei Moharan

[bijoumikhawal]

The Rebellion of the Waters

On the second day of Creation, God tore the upper waters from the arms of the lower waters amidst great weeping, and the upper waters were suspended in the heavens by word of God. On the third day, when God said, “Let the waters be gathered together” (Gen 1:9), the mountains and hills were raised up and scattered, and deep valleys were dug in the earth, into which the waters rolled. As soon as they had gathered together, the waters be-came rebellious, rising up almost to the Throne of Glory, and covered the face of the earth.But God rebuked the waters and said “Enough!” and subdued them beneath the soles of His feet. He trod down on them so that the air came out of them. When the rest of the waters saw how He had trampled the ocean, and heard its terrible cry, they fled. Even though they were seething, there was nowhere for them to go but to the sea. Therefore God surrounded the sea with sand, and measured it with the hollow of His hand, and made the sea swear that it would not go beyond the boundary He had set, as it is said, Who set the sand as a boundary to the sea (Jer. 5:22). Some say that God not only circled the sea with sand, but caused it to dry up, in accord with the verse He rebukes the sea and dries it up (Nah. 1:4).

This midrash draws a link between God’s separation of the upper and lower waters on the second day (see “The Upper Waters and the Lower Waters,” p. 104) and the gathering of the waters on the third, suggesting that the waters rebelled because of their anger at their recent separation. This midrash also comments on Psalm 93:3: The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their roaring. God’s quelling the rebellion of the waters clearly echoes the struggle between Marduk, the rain god of Babylon, and Tiamat, the personification of primeval waters in the Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish. This epic struggle (also found in other Near Eastern texts) is hinted at in the Genesis creation narrative, where tehom, the deep, echoes Tiamat. The parallels to the Babylonian myth can be seen in the following passage from Enuma Elish, from Near Eastern Mythology by John Gray, 1969, p. 32:

The Lord trod on the legs of Tiamat With his unsparing mace he crushed her skull. When the arteries of her blood he had severed, He split her like a shell-fish into two parts; Half of her he set up and sealed it as sky, Pulled down the bar and posted guards. He bade them not to allow her waters to escape.

Exodus Rabbah 15:22 makes clear that the ocean was not only trampled by God, but slain: “Then God trampled upon the ocean and slew it.” This text is sometimes intepreted to mean that God slew its prince, Rahab. The reference to the hollow of God’s hand comes from Isaiah 60:12. See the following myth, “The Rebellion of Rahab.”

In Likutei Moharan 1:2, Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav interprets God’s command of “Enough!” to stop the expansion of the world as referring to the creation of the Sabbath. The Sabbath, in effect, stops the work of the six days of the week.

The Rebellion of Rahab

When God desired to create the world, He said to Rahab, the angel of the sea: “Open your mouth and swallow all the waters of the world.” Rahab replied: “Master of the Universe, I already have enough.” God then kicked Rahab with His foot and killed him. And had not the waters covered him, no creature could have stood his foul odor.

The traditions about God slaying Rahab grows out of Isaiah 51:9, Are you not he who cut Rahab in pieces, and wounded the dragon? and Psalms 89:10, You have trampled upon Rahab; you have scattered your enemies with your strong arm. This midrash is also based on Job 26:12: By His power He stilled the sea; by His skill He struck down Rahab. This myth is another version of “The Rebellion of the Waters,” which describes the struggle between God and tehom, the deep, and thus also echoes the battle between Marduk and Tiamat in the Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish. However, Tiamat is a feminine figure, while Rahab is masculine.

In Enuma Elish Marduk uses Tiamat’s body to build a new world, using half to make the heavens and half to make the earth. He uses considerable violence in defeating Tiamat, as does God in defeating Rahab. Marduk crushes her skull with his club, splits her body in two, and scatters her blood in the wind. In the Hebrew myth, the waters are personified in Rahab, the Prince of the Sea, and instead of trampling the waters, God kicks and kills Rahab. There are hints in rabbinic writings that Rahab once had a great, godlike status. For example, it is stated in Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:28: “Rahab placed God in heaven and upon earth.�� Although Rahab is killed in this myth, he reappears in later legends as the Prince of the Sea, and performs various deeds at the command of God or one of the rabbis. See, for example, Y. Sanhedrin 7:25d, where Rabbi Joshua ben Haninah calls upon Rahab to recover a lost charm, so that a spell can be broken.

Midrash Tanhuma tries to explain why God kicked Rahab, the angel of the ocean, who represents the ocean itself: “Why did God kill the angel? The rest of the waters, seeing that God kicked the ocean, and hearing its screams, fled without knowing where to flow, until they reached the place that God had prepared for them.” This violent act is thus explained as a way to force the recalcitrant waters to gather in the right places.See “The Rebellion of the Waters,” p. 105.

An alternate version of the Rahab myth found in the Prologue to the Zohar 56 explains that God’s tears, hot as fire, shed over the exile of the Shekhinah, fall into the Great Sea and sustain Rahab. And Rahab sanctifies God’s Name by swallowing all the waters of the days of Creation—the very act that Rahab refused to do in the other version of the myth, for which God killed him in anger. The moral of the two versions is clear: when Rahab refuses an order from God, he is slain; when he accepts the order, his life is sustained.

Pg 105-107, Tree of Souls by Howard Schwartz

[ome-magical-ramblings]

Wisdom, Torah, Tear, Tarot.

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner like all my fathers. Psalm 39:12

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 Rabbi Nachman mentioned:

מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִבְכּוֹת, יִסְתַּכֵּל עַל הָרָקִיעַ, כִּי הוּא גָּרַם בְּכִיָּה לַמַּיִם. A person who cannot bring himself to cry should gaze at the firmament, because it was the firmament that caused the waters to cry [by separating between the lower and upper waters of Creation]. Enough quoting, I hope that this set the tone and that crying or tearing up is very potent. The image of St Peter's tears is something I wanted to start this post. Wondering if one is stone cold or their heart is not moved by scripture, my only recommendation is not to force it, but find it within yourself and ask the angels, the saints, the prophets, and the gods to soften and wash your heart anew.

Start by a small prayer, a little everyday, slowly your heart will open up and the tears would be of joy, out of control, tears will come running down without control. it is a very powerful sign, but a sign nonetheless and as the door of wisdom opens up the eyes water down. Without water we would become hard, dry, and of course we wouldn't have the gladness, if you think about it the same eyes the burst with tears of joy is the same eyes the weeps with tears of sadness. In this sense, this might seems a very rambling post but I hope that with it carries the weight of this practical teaching. I am not telling you to force yourself to weep or cry but to find it in yourself the knack or the switch that would loosen and soften your heart. In the Sepher Shimmush Tehillim there's a mention of a magical usage of one of the psalms 131 to lower your pride. In that way you open up a secret door or an open secret to this profound door. I recommend Likutei Moharan 175:1 if you're interested in reading more about the kabbalistic meaning of it. If you ever wonder and if you ever hold yourself, am I doing this correctly or am I lying to myself? In the end this is one of the signs on the way, you will see tears bursting from your ear when you read scripture and hopefully you will feel the Joy of Wisdom and the holiness of it. somewhat short post today :)

[kolhaneshamamx]

Luz negra.

Esta escrito Zohar Bereshit 15a “con el comienzo de la voluntad del Rey (para crear el mundo) una luz negra (Butzina dikardinuta) suprema (una chispa fuerte) emergío”.

Para comprender este hermetico pasaje debemos saber que antes de que nuestro universo fuera creado la luz Divina lo abarcaba absolutamente todo. No habia nada fuera de El. En el momento en el que el ser supremo decidio crear su mundo, el primer paso para hacerlo fue un proceso llamado tzimtzum (contracción) es decir la contraccion de la luz Divina para asi dejar un espacio “vacio” (un lugar donde la luz no fuera perceptible) y dar asi lugar a lo otro, a lo ajeno, a la dualidad, aquello que en apariencia no es Dios, sino creación.

Nuestros sabios nos explican que esta “contracción” tiene por objetivo el dar la pauta para la existencia de una creación que no sea absorbida inmediatamente por la luz Divina. Sin embargo aun dentro de este espacio vacio la luz del Infinito continua irradiando solo que de forma oculta. En secreto.

Para lograr esto el creador utilizo una “Butzina dikardinuta” (luz “oscura”). Descrita en el parrafo de inicio.

Esta luz es nada mas y nada menos que la sensación de independencia, la subjetividad propia, en otras palabras la conciencia de uno mismo. Esta luz, fue dispuesta únicamente para que la creación pudiera observar y apreciar la luz del creador y asi ser testigos de la gran bondad Divina, pero sin ser asimilados totalmente por la unicidad del Creador. Podemos inferir de aquí que existe una dicotomia intrinseca en la creación, dicotomia que sirve de plataforma para la observacion y aprecicion de la unidad Divina, pues el ser uno incluye el hacerse uno.

Sin embargo esta sensacion de independencia, esta luz negra fue/es tan potente que causo la sensacion no solo de independencia del creador sino que es la fuente de la sensacion de desconexión absoluta, fuente entonces de la subjetividad y de la soledad existencial. Fue este resultado (la sensacion de desconexión) lo que se conoce como Shebirat Hakelim (la ruptura de los recipientes). Evento que es descrito como resultado de la incapacidad del recipiente de contener el flujo de luz divina dirigido hacia el, causando asi su fractura. Recordemos que esta luz es la llamada “luz oscura”.

Ahora bien, esta ruptura tiene consecuencias palpables hasta nuestros dias, de hecho debemos recordar que las descripciones de estos eventos son atemporales, es decir que son procesos que están sucediendo constantemente. Como dice la Guemara que “Dios renueva constantemente el Maase Bereshit”.

Por lo tanto es correcto decir que cuando somos presa de la sensacion de desconexión con lo divino dentro nuestro, estamos sintiendo la fuerza de aquella butzina (lampara) de luz negra de la que estamos hablando. Esta desconexión lleva a la fragmentación interna, a esto le llamamos oscuridad. (Al contrario de la luz negra que a pesar de ser oscura se le denomina luz).

Esta escrito en el Midrash Bereshit Raba: Cuando Hashem decretó el exilio, fue y le pregunto a Abraham Avinu, donde quieres que tus hijos cumplan mi decreto? En el Guehinom o entre las naciones? A lo que Abraham contesto, en las naciones. De aqui que “Ein Guehinom leisrael” (no hay purgatorio para israel).

Sabemos que el objetivo principal de la vida del Yehudi es “recuperar” aquellas chispas que cayeron predas de las klipot durante Shebirat Hakelim. Chispas oscuras, pues tienen su origen en la luz negra.

Sabemos tambien que estas chispas se encuentran como nos dicen los sabios en su mayoria en Egipto (Mitzraim) esta es la razon por la cual Hashem ordena a Yaakov Avinu bajar a Mitzraim (Egipto). Ya que la mayor parte de chispas se encuentran ahi. Cabe resaltar que el patriarca que termina bajando a Egipto es Yaakov el arquetipo del Yo.

Sin embargo debemos recordar lo que el Likutey Moharan nos explica. Todo sufrimiento es llamado Mitzraim pues todos los sufrimientos Mezter (oprimen) a la persona. Notese que Mitzraim (Egipto) tiene la misma raiz idiomatica que Metzer estreches/angosto/oprimir. Con esto en mente entonces podemos decir que, cuando la persona se encuentra en una situación que lo angustia esa persona se encuentra en Mitzraim, esa persona se encuentra oprimida dentro de las fronteras de ese Egipto espiritual, fronteras que como dice el Midrash eran abiertas por fuera y cerradas por dentro para que todos pudieran entrar pero nadie pudiera salir.

…Y le dijo a el Yo soy Hashem… Exodo 6:2. En referencia a este pasaje el Agra de Kala nos dice que si tomamos las letras que anteceden al tetragrama, más las letras que les siguen. Y sumamos sus valores nos da como resultado 61, el mismo valor numérico que la palabra Ani (Yo). Esto es el secreto de “Yo soy el primero y Yo soy el ultimo”. Y nos explica que estos factores numericos que rodean al nombre Divino, (nombre que representa la misericordia e infinitud absoluta) aluden a todas las aparentes condicionantes externas que dan forma a la realidad exterior del individuo, condicionantes que paradójicamente existen únicamente en este mundo dual, regido por las limitantes del tiempo y espacio. Pero son justo estos factores los que esconden las chispas divinas de luz negra, escondidas en las circunstancias que rodean la vida del individuo. Y las que en última instancia nos dan la pauta y el desequilibrio para trascender nuestra propia individualidad.

Concluimos diciendo que todo factor externo tanto bueno como malo es el escondite de estas chispas. Cada situación, cada persona que vemos, cada objeto, cada sonido tiene entonces un valor incalculable pues forman parte de los factores que envuelven el secreto de la trascendencia (Ani Hashem). Estas condiciones muchas veces angustiantes son angustiantes porque su luz es tan potente que nos desconecta de la fuente Divina y entonces me invade la sensacion de abandono existencial, de caos y de sin sentido, se vuelve todo entonces oscuridad y vacío pues siento que soy pero al ser, soy algo aparte y todo aquello que no soy yo, me resulta ajeno a mi. Y por lo tanto una amenza. La máxima expresión de la división; pero cuando comprendo que estos factores estan puestos justamente ahi y justamente en esa posicion y en esa forma para mi bien absoluto, porque están ahi para que yo pueda desarrollar (justamente) la inmanencia del yo pero con el objetivo siempre de la trascendencia hacia el otro hacia aquello que no soy yo, aquello ajeno que hoy entiendo es también Ein Sof. Entonces dejo la fragmentación interior de lado y comienzo a ser uno y forzosamente el que es uno se hace uno como dice el Zohar. Dando como resultado la integración del yo y la integración correcta de lo externo.

Cuando acepto, cuando abrazo, cuando trabajo con lo que es y lo que soy y dejo de lado lo que deseo que fuera entonces libero estas chispas, o mas bien me libero a mi mismo y me doy cuenta que eso que llame oscuridad también es luz y deja de ser oscuridad y deja de ser amargo, deja de angustiarme, aunque la forma externa de la circunstancia no cambie me libero en su forma mas absoluta (que es la libertad de la mente) de ese exilio (Galut) Egipcio. Es entonces que el Galut de la Shejina se transforma en Megale Shejina (revelacion de la presencia Divina). Y el espacio que habito y el tiempo en el que existo se vuelve sagrado. Se vuelve todo Divino todo Ein Sof y por lo tanto todo uno conmigo y yo me vulevo uno con todo. Pues revelo que en el secreto de las cosas todo es y no ha dejado de ser uno con lo Infinito.

[gangstalkerbarbie]

it's also checking on your fellow jews and offering them cultural learning in this worrisome time so ugh in the name of alleviating the climate of fear im breaking my commitment to not being on jumblr, if anyone wants me to teach them anything i know or to teach me anything they know let me know, send me asks, if you drop a tidbit in my askbox I will put one in yours)

i have for you

• yiddish (unfortunately loves im ukrainian so its gonna be yivo compliant and sound a bit like lev ozerov because this was the literary standard of communities behind the iron curtain, but i live here and i promise speakers here in the us will still understand you, just get the hang of the typical vowel shift)

• hebrew (id go learn this anywhere else tbh, but i will yap with u about hebrew grammar and try to connect you to practice resources a la pdfs of the hebrew warriorscats)

• talmud, especially its cultural anthropology and explanations of why they're all like that

(i should clarify that im a lesbian, part of a non-american intellectual tradition and an apikores by many modern standards, so if that puts you off learning with me fair enough, but otherwise i have a long yikhes recorded in a dusty roll going back to chazal on one side; a mostly unintentional orthodox education [my grandfather would be one hell of a find for a spy]; an ancestral affection for our sages; and the benefit of a religious childhood in which rabbis both living and dead took, in hindsight, surprisingly good care of me)

• hasidus (ive spent my fair share of time with likutei moharan, and the facts of why rebbi nachman went thru the torment nexus mirroring my life and then said "oh gd please no more I hope to Fuck I'm the last airbender" only for people to invent even newer and worse forms of rebbe husbandry is part of why i went otd, but you know how its a whole thing in this stream of thought that you can learn things from anywhere?)

• jewish herbalism, astrology, supernatural folklore, fairytales and segulos (i had a niche kind of upbringing by a grandfather raised by his own great-grandparents and grandparents, who had an interesting type of what I can only call baal shem autism, and so i know more plant names and healing folklore in yiddish and hebrew than everyone i know)

• jewish etiquette - i have relatives in a lot of different communities with different norms and standards so if you're ever unsure how to act human at a function i got you

i would love

• ladino (I have a few phrases passed down thru the family along with a key to a house that no longer exists, that is all)

• all of your divrei torah that you think are too lame or uneducated or perhaps unconventional to share

• modern and haredi hebrew idioms (I did not grow up using it as a spoken language for evident reasons, and I would like to be able to talk comfortably with all kinds of people)

• to trade recipes

• to hear (anonymised unless it's something evil that should be named and shamed please i will not enable L"H) hot goss from your community unrelated to current events, the better to remind us both that we keep on living

See you soon!

american jewish culture is being terrified right now

[arieltabarziatorah]

The topic of positive thinking can be really simple, but if we only knew how vital it is. Positive thinking is not just a mere state of mind; it’s a powerful tool that can significantly impact our lives.

Research has shown that cultivating a positive outlook can lead to numerous benefits, ranging from improved mental well-being to enhanced physical health. Numerous studies have shed light on the importance of positive thinking and its transformative effects.

A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explored the impact of positive thinking on overall well-being. The researchers found that individuals who consistently engaged in positive thinking experienced lower levels of stress, increased happiness, and improved coping mechanisms. These findings suggest that maintaining a positive mindset can contribute to better emotional resilience and overall life satisfaction.

Another study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, which I don't live too far from, examined the link between positive thinking and physical health. The researchers discovered that individuals who practiced positive thinking had stronger immune systems and lower rates of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, their recovery rates from illnesses were faster compared to those who exhibited negative thinking patterns. These findings underline the significant role of positive thinking in promoting physical well-being.

To tie this into holy teachings, Rebbe Nachman, a revered spiritual leader, echo's the importance of positive thinking in our lives. In his book “Likutei Moharan,” specifically in Part II, Section 24:1:1 , Rebbe Nachman emphasizes the significance of being happy and maintaining a positive attitude. He states,

“מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד, וּלְהִתְגַּבֵּר לְהַרְחִיק הָעַצְבוּת וְהַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ,”

Which translates to,

It is a great mitzvah to always be happy, and to make every effort to determinedly keep depression and gloom at bay.”

This quote from Rebbe Nachman reinforces the profound impact of positive emotions on our spiritual and emotional well-being. It reminds us of the importance of cultivating positivity, happiness, and actively combating negative thoughts and feelings in order to lead a more fulfilling and joyful life.

As a side point today also happens to be the hiloula of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. I looked for a nice piece i can put into this article and this partstood out to me which i found off therebbe.org.

“Every person has both a body and a soul,” said the Rebbe. “It is like a bird and its wings. Imagine if a bird were unaware that its wings enabled it to fly, they would only add an extra burden of weight. But once it flaps its wings, it lifts itself skyward. We all have wings — our soul — that can lift us as high as we need go. All we have to do is learn to use them.”

Hashem Yitborach gave us the ability to choose between right and wrong. At times it can be a war and sometimes it can be dead quite. The most important thing is to always keep that sadness at bay and like the Lubavitcher rebbe says, use our “wings” per say to bring ourselves to higher levels of holiness and truly realizing our experience.

[johnofallfaith]

Join us for the Holiday

Will you be home alone for Turkey Day? Hang out with us!Our regular broadcasts will be on as normal B"H Wednesday and Thursday: 12 Noon Eastern.We'll be discussing gratitude and thanks giving and chatting together. I hope you will join us live in our Zoom Shul: https://zoom.us/j/6714203394 . ALL people of good intentions are always welcome!NO MASKS REQUIRED!

[breslovwomansays]

Rebbe Nachman Teaches: Elul is A Time of Life-Changing Spiritual Work -- Prepare Now!

Rebbe Nachman Teaches: Elul is A Time of Life-Changing Spiritual Work — Prepare Now!

It’s almost Elul! Rebbe Nachman teaches us to prepare in advance for Rosh Hashana and Tishrei. Sharing Rebbe Nachman’s teachings with others will sweeten judgments for the upcoming new year.  Dedicate One or More BreslovWoman Programs in Honor or Memory of someone, for a Refuah Sheleimah, as a merit for Success, Parnassah, a Shidduch, Children, Shalom Bayit, Spiritual Growth, or any…

[the-shoemaker-report]

The Merit of the Wicked

R' Abahu said (Berachot 34b): מָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים אֵינָם עוֹמְדִין שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב לָרָחוֹק בְּרֵישָׁא וַהֲדַר לַקָּרוֹב (In the place ba’alei teshuvah stand, complete tzaddikim cannot stand, as it says [Yeshayah 57:19], ‘Shalom, shalom to him who is far away and to him who is near’, ‘to him who is far away’ is mentioned first, ‘to him who is near’ is mentioned afterward).

This statement seems very counterintuitive if not completely bewildering. How can the level of a ba’al teshuvah exceed the level of a complete tzaddik? What is this ‘place’ upon which the ba’al teshuvah stands that the complete tzaddik can’t stand? The typical answer is that since a complete tzaddik never had a taste for sin and his attraction to it is essentially non-existent, it is no great achievement for him to continue living righteously and to refrain from sinning. However, this is not the case for a ba’al teshuvah, who may have spent the vast majority of his life deeply entrenched in sin, G‑d forbid. He may have fallen to unspeakable levels of impurity [טוּמאָה, tumah]; therefore, when he decides to turn his life around, he has an enormous battle on his hands because the forces of tumah that have held sway over him for so long don’t easily give up their hold. For such an individual to escape their influence and free himself in order to live according to the ways of Hashem is an astonishing and commendable achievement. In this sense, he is greater than the complete tzaddik who never had such temptations in the first place nor sank to such depths.

But there is more to it than that, so let’s explore the issue a little deeper.

R' Nachman teaches (Likutei Moharan 14:5): שֶׁיְּשַׁבֵּר גַּאֲוָתוֹ מֵאַרְבַּע בְּחִינוֹת שִׁפְלוּת כִּי צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהַקְטִין אֶת עַצְמוֹ לִפְנֵי גְּדוֹלִים מִמֶּנּוּ וְלִפְנֵי בְּנֵי־אָדָם כְּעֶרְכּוֹ וְלִפְנֵי קְטַנִּים מִמֶּנּוּ וְלִפְעָמִים שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ קָטָן שֶׁבִּקְּטַנִּים וְצָרִיךְ לְהַקְטִין אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּנֶגֶד מַדְרֵגַת עַצְמוֹ וִידַמֶּה בְּעֵינָיו שֶׁהוּא לְמַטָּה מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ (A person must break his arrogance based on the four levels of lowliness [shiflut], for a person needs to diminish himself before those greater than he, and before his peers, and before those less than he, and sometimes he himself is less than even the ones less than he and then he needs to diminish himself relative to his own level and view himself as if he is on a level lower than his actual level). It is not enough to know this teaching. It must be internalized to the point where we not only know it, but actually feel it, i.e. to really feel in our hearts that others are actually greater than we are.

To make matters even more difficult, included in the category of people who are ‘less than he’ is, of course, the רשע [rasha, wicked person]. So, how is it even possible to feel in your heart that you are less than a rasha?

Ideally, we have to search. R' Nachman teaches (L.M. 282): דַּע כִּי צָרִיךְ לָדוּן אֶת כָּל אָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת וַאֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁהוּא רָשָׁע גָּמוּר צָרִיךְ לְחַפֵּשׂ וְלִמְצֹא בּוֹ אֵיזֶה מְעַט טוֹב שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַמְּעַט אֵינוֹ רָשָׁע (Know that it is necessary to judge the whole person for merit, and even with someone who is a complete rasha it is necessary to search and to find in him some good point, that in that little point he is not a rasha). It goes without saying for most of us that when we encounter a rasha, we don’t automatically see his good points. Searching takes effort. It doesn’t happen on its own. If we’re not looking we won’t find it. So, how can we find at least one of his good points?

We could start by working at purifying ourselves. As the Baal Shem Tov taught (Bereshit 127): כי האיש אשר הוא נקי לגמרי ולא פגם כלל מעולם אפילו כל שהוא אי אפשר לו לראות רע בשום אדם או שישמע מרע שיעשה שום אדם כי לא יזמין לו השם יתברך לראות רע או לשמוע שום רע ולכן כשרואה האדם איזה איש שעושה רע או שמספרים לפניו מאיזה איש שעשה רע ידע בבירור שיש בו שמץ מנהו מאותו הדבר עצמו ואף אם הוא צדיק מכל מקום יש בו קצת דקצת מאותו ענין והזמין לו השם יתברך ראייה זהו או שמיעה זו כדי שישים אל לבו לשוב ולתקן הפגם ההוא (It is impossible for a person who is completely clean and without any flaw whatsoever to see or hear about evil in anyone, because Hashem will not invite him to see or hear any evil; therefore, when a person sees someone doing an evil thing or if he is told about it, he should know beyond any doubt that there is in himself a stain of that very same evil, and even if he is a tzaddik there must be a minute trace of that sin, and Hashem invited him through this seeing or hearing to deeply consider it in order for him to repent of it and fix the flaw). That turns the table just a little bit, doesn’t it? Seeing a flaw in someone else is supposed to remind us that we possess the exact same flaw, but it’s not easy to keep this in mind all the time. For that, we need da’at, the presence of mind in the moment to understand exactly what is happening, why it is happening, and what our course of action must be.

And a key to having that kind of da’at is to internalize a well known truth (L.M. 49:4): כִּי כָּל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הוּא חֵלֶק אֱלוֹקַּ מִמַּעַל וְעִקַּר הָאֱלֹקוּת בַּלֵּב וְהָאֱלֹקוּת שֶׁבְּלֵב אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי הוּא בְּחִינַת אֵין סוֹף (For every Jew is a part of G-d above [chelek Eloka mima’al], and the essence of godliness is in the heart, and godliness that is in the heart of a Jew is an aspect of the Ein Sof). Even a rasha, if he is a Jew, is holy. He is a chelek of Eloka mima’al—literally. And that part is the spark of kedushah that is supremely and infinitely good. It may be covered with layer upon layer of mud and filth, much like a diamond that fell into a cesspool, but all that needs to happen is for the mud and filth to be washed away with clean water. The holy spark itself is untainted, as we say during Shacharit: אֱלֹקַי נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה הִיא (G‑d, the soul that you gave me is pure). If we keep this in mind, then we can understand what David ha-Melech meant when he said (Tehillim 37:10): וְעוֹד מְעַט וְאֵין רָשָׁע וְהִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ עַל־מְקוֹמוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ (In just a little while, there won’t be a rasha, and you will consider his place but he won’t be there). Where will he be? Will he have been annihilated by Hashem? Is that how the rasha disappears? No, he ceases to be there because he did teshuvah and he’s no longer a rasha! So in reality, there’s no such thing as a complete and total rasha. Therefore, for this reason it is absolutely forbidden for any of us to call any other Jew a rasha.

How come he was the one who sank to such depths? It is because his soul is so lofty. Yes, read that again. The highest souls, when they descend, are the ones that descend to the lowest depths. But they are not just souls that descend to the depths of tumah, they are also souls capable of ascending again together with the fallen sparks of kedushah that fell there. It’s just that they haven’t yet risen together with the sparks of kedushah they interacted with while down there. They have to complete their mission to rescue and elevate them to the lofty heights where they rightly belong.

This is illustrated by the story of R' Meir and the hooligans in his neighborhood who caused him no amount of distress (see Berachot 10a). He initially prayed for Hashem to have mercy upon them that they would die, but then his wife, Berurya, explained to him that the wicked ceasing to exist didn’t meant that they would die, but rather that they would do teshuvah. Thereupon, R' Meir prayed for them to do teshuvah, and they did teshuvah! Likewise, the responsibility for the rasha rests in our hands. Perhaps if we prayed for him with greater sincerity and self-sacrifice, he wouldn’t be a rasha anymore, and he will have begun his ascent.

But how can it be that our prayers cause someone else to do teshuvah? Doesn’t this nullify the free will of that other person? This is the secret of the unity that we experienced when we arrived at Har Sinai. As Rashi famously states on Shemot 19:2: כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד (like one man with one heart). If only we had eyes to see the awesome reality of the Nation of Yisrael! It is one spiritual organism, one spiritual body. In other words, we are all connected, directly or indirectly. Therefore, just as a man has only one heart, he has only one head. When we pray for the rasha, he is actually praying for himself. He just doesn’t know it yet.

It is as R' Nachman teaches (L.M. 25:3): וְדַע שֶׁאֵין שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם שָׁוִין זֶה לָזֶה כִּי כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת הֵם זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה...נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁאֶחָד רוֹצֶה לַעֲלוֹת מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ לְמַדְרֵגָה עֶלְיוֹנָה אֲזַי הוֹלֵךְ וְנֶעְתָּק הָאָדָם הָעוֹמֵד בַּמַּדְרֵגָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה וְהוֹלֵךְ וְנֶעְתָּק לַמַּדְרֵגָה הַיּוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹנָה כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים בְּמַדְרֵגָה אַחַת (Know, that no two people are the same, because all souls are [on different levels] one above the other…therefore, when one wants to ascend from his level to a higher level, the one who is already at that level must move on to a higher level because it is impossible that two people coexist at the same level [at the same time]). When we look and find some good point in even the lowest-of-the-lows, we place that individual on the כף זכות [khaf zechut], the pan of merit on the heavenly scales. As such, he is now able to do teshuvah because he has been freed from the כף חובה [khaf chovah], the pan on the other side of the heavenly scales that has been weighed down by the abundance of judgments passed on account of his many transgressions.

Now pause and think for a moment what is actually taking place here. Even if he is at the bottom of the barrel, the lowest rung of the ladder, the most soiled soul in all Am Yisrael, G‑d forbid, the moment he does teshuvah, even the tiniest little bit, even just a thought of teshuvah, he moves up—he went from having no thought of teshuvah to having at least a momentary thought of teshuvah. That’s an aliyah. However, someone is already there at that higher level, so that second person is forced to move up to get out of his way. But wait a minute, someone else is already at that level as well, so he has to move up to make room for the second person, and so on, and so on, and so on, all the way up to the top of the entire structure, to the greatest tzaddik in the nation! The entire body gets elevated. That is the lofty greatness of the rasha. When he does teshuvah, he causes an aliyah in every Jew. No one else, not even the greatest tzaddikim have that specific merit. And that’s the place where the ba’al teshuvah stands that not even the complete tzaddik can stand.

So we must not stand in contempt of the rasha because, in reality, there is no such person. In a little while, we will contemplate his place, but he won’t be there. He will have moved up, and in his moving up, we will have moved up as well. Therefore, we will all owe him an eternal debt of gratitude. More than that, he may even overtake us someday.

[ta-chazei]

כִּי כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר הוּא עוֹלָם מָלֵא, וּכְשֶׁאָדָם עוֹמֵד לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, וּמְדַבֵּר דִּבּוּרֵי הַתְּפִלָּה, אֲזַי הוּא מְלַקֵּט צִיצִים וּפְרָחִים וְשׁוֹשַׁנִּים נָאִים. כְּאָדָם הַהוֹלֵךְ בְּשָׂדֶה, וּמְלַקֵּט שׁוֹשַׁנִּים וּפְרָחִים נָאִים אַחַת לְאַחַת, עַד שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ מְלַקֵּט עוֹד אַחַת לְאַחַת, וְעוֹשֶׂה אֲגֻדָּה אַחֶרֶת וּמְחַבְּרָם יַחַד, וְכֵן הוֹלֵךְ וּמְלַקֵּט וּמְקַבֵּץ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה אֲגֻדּוֹת יָפִים וְנָאִים.

Every single word is an entire world. When a person stands up to pray and recites the words of the prayers, they are gathering beautiful buds and flowers and blossoms, like someone walking in a field picking lovely blossoms and flowers one at a time, until they make a bouquet. After that they pick more, one by one, making another bouquet, and join them together. So they go on, picking and gathering more and more lovely bouquets.

- Likutei Moharan 65:2

[yidquotes]

Even someone who has fallen to the lowest level, God forbid (the Merciful One should save him) - even if he finds himself at the gates of hell - nevertheless, he should not give up on himself! As it is written: "...[In my trouble, I cried out to the Eternal, and God answered me;] from the belly of Sheol I cried out and You heard my voice!" (Jonah 2:3) He should gather his strength because even he, with the help of his teachers, with the help of Torah, can return. The key thing to remember is this: strengthen yourself with every resource available to you because there is no giving up in this world!

Likutei Moharan, Part II 78

[diwonmusic]

Tonight is the Hillula of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, so I'm partying it up Israel-style here in L.A. Rebbe Nachman (Great-Grandson of the Baal Shem Tov), has changed my life & the lives of so many people I love into something transcendent. I visited his kever in Uman, Ukraine when I was in Kiev for Shabbat after playing a show in Yalta, the Black Sea, when I was there reciting Tikkun HaKlali & felt on fire for Hashem like I never had before. This was prior to my knowing about Breslov, the movement that he started & my familiarity of the rich texts of his teaching, including Likutey Moharan. My soul knew what my intellect did not yet connect, I was Breslov & these teachings were my home. Rabbeinu was orphaned as a very young child, & spent his formative years between his uncle’s house & wandering from place to place, relying on Hashem for his needs. It was then that he formed a habit of hitbodedut, the practice of secluded meditation with God where one pours out their words & heart to the Creator. This act of speaking to the Infinite, just as one would with a friend or parent, became a hallmark of Breslov Chassidism. Rabbeinu often hid his teachings in stories, many of which rival classic literature in both their style & lyricism. He did so, motivated by the belief that in the story form, these lessons had the power to awaken slumbering souls. These stories contain practical lessons alongside the secrets of the Torah & Kabbalah. Despite the great & unparalleled achievements of Rabbeinu, his life was full of adversity, four of his eight children died in infancy, & he lost his wife to tuberculosis, which he too would pass away from at age of 38. It was this hardship that inspired his emphasis on joy being of the utmost importance, as he would teach to others, “Struggle with all your might to be only happy at all times, since it is natural to be drawn into depression & sadness…” His most famous dictum being, “Ein shum yeush ba’olam klal!”, which means, “There is no such thing as despair in the world, at all!’ His revolutionary teachings & outlook on inward enlightenment lives on to this day & as he was quoted saying, “Until the Moshiach.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CjpNDXoOdki/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kolhaneshamamx]

Yitro.

Nos explica el Zohar al comienzo de Perashat Yitro acerca de la importancia y la fuerza que tienen las manos del ser humano. Nos dice que cada uno de los diez dedos corresponden a diez fuerzas espirituales que se encargan de llevar todas las bendiciones y alabanzas a Hashem y por otro lado se encargan tambien de vertir hacia abajo la bendición que proviene de lo alto.

Debido a esto, es que la persona tiene prohibido alzar sus manos a menos que se para pedir o rezar. Nos hace saber adicionalmente que estos diez entes espirituales son llamados los guardianes de la ciudad mencionados en el libro de Kohelet 7:19.

Son diez, como las 10 Sefirot, 10 como las 10 expresiones divinas de la creación, 10 como los Aseret Divrot, 10 como los 10 dedos de las manos y que en ellas se encuentra el secreto del numero 14 יד y el numero 28 (14x2) siendo este el valor numérico de la expresión fuerza/כח, la fuerza creativa que encuentra en todos nosotros, aludida por las 28 falanges de los dedos de la mano en conexión con las 28 letras del primer versiculo de la Torah בראשית ברא אלוהים את השמים ואת הארץ. Verso que nos revelan los Sabios contiene ya a toda la creacion.

El likutey Moharan nos explica que “ciudad” es una referencia a la tefila. Como esta escrito: Tehilim 48:2. “Y alabado en la ciudad”.

Nos dice tambien en referencia a los patriarcas que cada uno de ellos hizo palpable la Presencia Divina en diferentes grados cada uno mas intenso y tangible que el anterior.

Leemos asi que de Abraham esta escrito: “la montaña donde Dios aparecera” Bereshit 22:14. Acerca de Isaac esta dicho: “ Y salio al campo a orar” Ber. 24:63. Mientras que de Yaakov dice: “Y llamo al nombre del lugar Bet-El”. Siendo cada unos de estos niveles un grado de manifestación de la Divinidad, superior y más tangible que el anterior. Acerca de esto David escribio: “Grande es Di-s y alabado en la ciudad” Tehilim 48:2. Siendo esta la expresión manifiesta de la supervisión e intervencion del Infinito (la NO-CASUALIDAD) en cada detalle y detalle de la vida de la persona y de el mundo en general, este es el nivel donde todos somos conscientes de la dirección y sabiduría Divina en nuestras vidas. Por eso se denomina ciudad ya que es el conjunto de varios individuos en un solo lugar/idea.

Sin embargo existe algo dentro del ser humano que impide que la persona se entregue en las manos del Creador, lo impide de sentir su conexión constante y unica con el Creador, en otras palabras lo llena de incertidumbre y ansiedad del futuro. Tambien en ocasiones lo hace incapaz de rezar o incluso si reza lo hace sin Emuna (certeza). Y cuando esta Klipa es muy potente puede causar que la persona deje de identificar su deseo de apegarse a lo absoluto a lo Infinito y lo hace alejarse de El debido a que se siente inerte, sin vida e incapaz de sentir, como una piedra y parece que no hay palabras ni estuido que pueda devolverle esta sensación de sentirse vivo, con propósito y en unicidad con su Creador. Todo esto resultado del vacio y frustración al que conduce esta Klipa.

Esta energia interna es llamada Abimelej אבימלך (Rey filisteo) y representa el deseo humano de controlar, de reinar sobre todo, de imponer sus reglas y su lógica. Sabemos que el deseo de control cuando se encuentra en un estado de desequilibrio puede ser muy peligroso para el ser humano tanto psíquicamente como emocionalmente y también físicamente trayendo resultados debastadores para la salud de la persona.

Esto esta ilustrado con el evento sucedido entre Sara y Abimelej, donde Sara representa el reinado/control y él (Abimelej) pretende tomarla por la fuerza. Desea quitarsela a Abraham, que representa la certeza de que todo tiene un sentido. Sin embargo, vemos que en la historia interviene Hashem, lo divino, el universo, aquello que siempre esta oculto pero sabemos que en ultima instancia dirige toda vida y todo destino a un propósito. Y le dice: “Devuelve la mujer del hombre/ השב אשת האיש” Hasheb eshet Haish” Ber. 20:7.

Siendo Hasheb/ השב Rashe Tebot (Letras iniciales) de Har/Montaña הר Sade/Campo שדה y Bait/Casa בית (los niveles en los cuales los patriarcas revelaron a Hashem) y Eshet/Mujer אשת es Rashe Tebot de: “Adonai sefatai tiftaj/ Dios abre mis labios” Tehilim 51:17. Es decir la plegaria, es decir la certeza de que internamente tengo ya todas las herramientas para cambiar, lidiar, solucionar etc. cualquier situación que se presente pues esta fue puesta únicamente para el desarrollo de mi ser interior dándome así la pauta para la superación constante y por lo tanto un extasis cotidiano pues en el “nivel” de Yaakov/casa todo tiene sentido, todo me es util. La plegaria no es otra cosa mas que la conexion interna con lo Divino que yace dentro de mi, con lo infinito, con el potencial que yace infinitamente en mi.

Pero que es eso divino? Aquello divino es aquello que permanece, que por naturaleza no tiene fin ni comienzo, que es capaz de atravesar incluso la muerte pues no existe fin ni limite, solo procesos diferentes y formas diferentes de reconocer y apegarse a la bondad Divina, al sentido absoluto.

En principio, cuando se comienza este proceso de “montaña-campo-casa” esto se expresa inicialmente como una lucha consciente de buscar el sentido personal y de un intento constante de conexion. A pesar de que estos esfuerzos en su mayoria pueden terminar en un sentimiento de frustracion debido a que la sensacion de insensibilidad persiste, eventualmente dara resultado y comenzara otra etapa en esta etapa se descubre ya un sentido a la existencia y se comienza con la sensacion de que todo acontece para nosotros por nosotros y para nuestro bien. En ultima instancia se logra una armonia con nuestro interior y con lo que sucede en lo exterior, en este nivel de conciencia desaparece incluso la regla karmatica de causa y efecto (mida kenegued mida) y ahora solo se perciben diferentes e ilimitadas formas de expresion del Ein sof/ El infinito.

[rickwhite]

LISTEN IN AND UNDERSTAND!!!!

The True Tzadik

By going to to the true tzadik, one can, even now, be part of the true Torah's revelation. Like Moshe, the tzadik has the power to elevate those dependent upon him, so that when he gives a Torah lesson their souls play an integral part in the insights the tzadik reveals. Not only this! From the lesson we can likewise understand that by going to the tzadik, one comes under the direct and caring Divine providence of G-d's "seeing eye" (Mai HaNachal)

~ (Likutey Moharan #13:4,5)

Connecting to Sinai…

The ancient Hasid taught his disciples concerning learning and applying his Torah teachings:

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

~ (Yeshua of Nazareth)

Being connected to the sichel (spiritual wisdom) of the tzadik which is grounded and founded on the holy Torah one is then connected to the same wisdom. The tzadik is a member of the Children of Israel, he shares in the collective soul of Israel and was present at Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah) on Mt Sinai. He is connected to the Mesorah, the chain of transmission passed on from Moses to today. Amazingly, even a non-Jew who is connected to the tzadik can share in this holy wisdom.

“⁦If one finds his father’s lost item and his teacher’s lost item, tending to his teacher’s lost item takes precedence, as his father brought him into this world, and his teacher, who taught him the wisdom of Torah, brings him to life in the World-to-Come.”

~ (Bava Metzia 33a)

#ConnectingToTheTorah

#ViaMitzvot

#ConnectingToTheTzadik

#TheChainOfTransmission

B”H