Thursday, August 28, 2008

27 AV Igeret Hakodesh, Chapter 8

How does a tree grow from such a small seed ? the idea is similar to concept of smiling back.

















After a long break (4 weaks) we are back . The Rav is continueing with todays Tania that deals with a very basic concept in Chasidus - כמים הפנים לפנים Kamyim , hapnim lapanim.
like water, the face (shows itself to) the (other) face.
This time we see this in aspect of Tzedaka (giving from your possessions to someone else) . We give to another person and use our Midda of Chessed and by doing so we awaken Hashem's Midda of Chessed toward us.
What is this concept of Kamyim , hapanim lapanim?
The way we live our life and look at the world is the same way the world "looks" at us. We all (or many of us) know that when we wake up smiling the whole world smiles with us. There is even an alternative to saying "Cheese" - you just smile to the kid you are taking a photograph of! When i see someone smiling , even if its a total stranger I am bound to smile back.
Its the same when it comes to spirituality. Or in other words in our relationship with the Hashem. The Alte Rebbe explains this using the Mashal (example) of a Tree growing from a small seed . How does this happen ? there is much more matter in the tree than in the seed. [for the scientific explanation go here ! that is what happens physically. spiritually we say that the seed made a small start in the earth surrounding it. that start encourages the natural growing energies to express them selves join powers to make the actual tree sprout. once its out of the ground we have the sun helping it and so on(Google up for more scientific info)
And that is why one of the Tefillot describes Tzedaka as planting. זורע צדקות מצמיח ישועות
the Tzedaka is a small gesture we do he down here that draws an enormous amount of Chessed in our direction . like planting a seed in order to grow a tree.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

4 Av - Igeret Hatshuva and more


"The Baal Shem Tov would sometimes show his Talmidim visions..." (see more below)
[picture taken at shiur today]

In Elul , the month of Teshuva there is a “Seder Avoda Lemala miGvul “– the g-dly energy that we get in order to work and ascend comes from Endless light itself.

If all year around we are limited to the Teva – nature and its boundaries , at thime we are empowered to jump tremendous leaps. The treasures are given out for free all we have to do is to reach out and take them.

We see this also the “kabalat ol” (acceptance of the king, Hashem) of Rosh Hashanah and the Simcha of Suckot that come from the level of Bli Gvul .

The Avoda at this time of the year is the Avoda of Etsem Hanefesh – the work of the essence of the soul.

What you say generates a reality in the world.

When you think that someone is good, he becomes good.

There is a known teaching that are 3 people that get hurt when Lashon Hara is spoken: the person telling it , the person hearing it , and the person we are talking about. The sages say that we are "killing" this person .

the Alte Rebbe asks : what is the pshat (simple understanding) by saying we are killing the person?

The Alte Rebbe answers that the Pshat is that are causing this person to actually do these bad things.

The Baal Shem Tov would sometimes show his Talmidim visions (see more below)
Once Yankel the fisher got so angry with Shlomo.
he shouted "I will tear Shlomo like a fish!"
The Baal Shem Tov showed the talmidim a vision . they where horrified to see Yankel Mamesh tearing Shlomo apart like a fish....
".

Man has so much power in his mouth that he creates reality. What ever man chooses to see becomes reality.

The same approach applies to ones view of Hashem.

And more so, to ones view of himself.

The Rav "A couple comes to me with marriage problems. The husband says my wife does this the wife says my husband does terrible that. And I tell them look at the good things you do for each other." when you focus on the good the bad falls.

Like the germs in human body. If they don’t have an ill organ to catch on to they will not multiply.

if they do not multiply they do not have any significance. Many of us know the Eitza to see the good in something; what most of us don’t realize is that we are creating our own reality.

The correct response that a person should have to Lashon Hara is not to believe it. And because its true , but we don’t want ti hear! If we believe its not true it wont be true!!!

We know that every thing that we have in Kedusha has a matching entity in Klippa.

The other side of the Emunah be’ Hashem is hearing Lashon Hara.(!) Our emuna is vey powerful.


Monday, August 4, 2008

3 Av - Igeret Hatshuva and more


[The Rebbe coming out of his room encouraging the singing and Simcha. (story below)]

One of the big Yetzer hara's of our generation is the feeling of despair--"I've done so much wrong. It's not possible for me to do Teshuva." Teshuva is always possible! Any voice, on the inside or the outside who tells you otherwise is working for the Other Side!

The Yetzer Hara also tells us that we did not do a real Tshuva.
The biggest problem is that we (know and) believe that we are weak.
The Yetzer comes to us and says : "If you worked hard this might have been Tshuva . but you know that you are not serious!".

The Tanya dismisses this kind of thinking and tells us that if a person believes (Emunna and Bitachon) that his Teshuva is real Hashem accepts his Tshuva.

+++++++++++++ me thinking +++++++++++++++++++
I heard a story about a poor man that dressed up with a nice suite and went to the bank to ask for a big loan. The man was very assertive and acted like someone that has a lot of money.
well, he got the loan off course .
Many people know this "trick" - that in this world its all up to your state of mind.
Here we learn something new.
We learn that also in the spiritual world the state of mind is what counts.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Back to the Shiur.
The Rav spoke about Simcha (Happiness , joy) a Jew should do all his Avoda and live his life with Simcha.
Simcha is not only for "bonus points", its essential for the Avoda and Mitzvot to an extent that it hard to come through without it.
Our Tanya today speaks of a hybrid state : Simcha and Yiraa . To many of us this seems an impossible state of mind.

The Rav told us a fabulous story on the Rebbi:
About 40 years ago there was a tragedy in the Chabad community in Israel . The 90 year old beloved Rabbi of Kfar Chabad died in a terrible car accident.
The Rabbi was on his way to be Mesader Kidushin (to arrange a Wedding) at a wedding in Jerusalem. His son in law and a granddaughter that was just before getting married where killed too in the accident.
******************************************
After holding a Farbrengen the Rebbe had a Minhag (custom) of going up to his private room (at 770) before leaving home. When the Rebbe would come out all the Chasidim would start singing escorting the Rebbe home with joy. The Rebbe always encouraged this singing. The Rebbe truly believed in being Be'Simcha at all time
*************************************
That day , when the Rebbe went up to his room the secretary told him about the tragedy.
The Rebbe was devastated to hear the news . He sat down and the secretary could see true pain in his eyes.
Nevertheless, when the Rebbe went out and saw the Hasidim , no one could tell how upset he was. he smiled and encouraged the singing.
Yiraa and Simcha can go together apparently.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

2 Av - About the Shiur

before we write todays portion . here are some images

At Shiur. this one was taken on a Friday.













All Shiurim are captured on camera.
In the future we will add links to the previous posts, linking to the original video.











Bringing the light
(taken at a small farbrengen)













the videos take some time to get uploaded.
here is what we have already: www.chasidut.net