Breslev Tsfat

removing your shadow to bring shefa

Based on Likutey Moharan 172.

on increasing simcha in the month of adar

Q&A: kabbalat hatorah & free choice

Rav Kenig touched on a very important point in the video shiur regarding observing the mitzvot (kiyum hamitzvot) in light of receiving the Torah, and HaShem speaking to the Jewish people directly. My question is about the point concerning the difference between the difficulty and lack of clarity when it comes to kiyum hamitzvot.

Thanks, Eli from Sydney

Rav Ephraim answers: This issue is like this: When HaShem says something, it is etched out in the clearest way that this is the way it will be, with no possibility for it to be otherwise. When HaShem gave the ten commandments at Har Sinai, they were given in the singular tense to Moshe Rabbeinu. Only after Moshe passed them on to Am Yisrael, did they have free choice (as explained in the video shiur).

Free choice involves those things which are unclear to a person, or not clear enough. When you know something clearly and simply, there is no reason for free choice. For example, a person is careful about everything he understands needs caution. How careful is he? To the extent that it is clear to him that he must be careful. And to the extent that it is not clear, he is not careful.

Our free choice today always involves things on which we are unclear. We think another way is possible... The point where it is unclear to us, or not clear enough, is the point where free choice exists. Because whenever the danger is obvious, we are careful according to the information we have about the greatness of the danger. We thus act with the appropriate measure of caution.

After the exodus from Egypt, Am Yisrael saw all of the miracles and no doubt they were on an extremely high level. So what happened? Amalek came along and minimized all of the great and awesome things. He simply minimized them, putting on them something like a half question mark. He cooled off all of their excitement and spiritual awakening.

We are in the same situation today. Whatever we think we need to do, the thoughts come: "...but it's possible to do it another way..." or "...it's not so much like that..." It is precisely here where we need to put things in their place in a very clear way, in a way that won't shift into two sides. What do we really need to do? What is our role?

When you are clear about your role or function, then you can adjust yourself accordingly. But if you are not so clear, then you lack the basic tools to cope. The completion to this situation generally comes through learning halacha, Jewish law, regularly. This is how we can know exactly what HaShem wants from us. We do or don't do... Whatever is written in the halacha is exactly what we need to know in order to do or not do. Halacha is a revelation of what HaShem wants. Happy is the person who is not drawn after all the doubts and thoughts that cool off his spiritual awakening. Instead, whenever he is unclear, he knows to quickly run and check the halacha for clarity.

When we do this, there is now a chance to exit from the difficulties inherent in free choice. We see within the process of how the Torah was given to us, that it was davka in a way that grants us free choice, not the opposite. HaShem indeed wants us to serve Him out of free choice, and to clarify for ourselves in the Torah exactly what He wants from us in every situation. We do this by learning halacha and seeing how it holds in any circumstance. Through this, we will not have the difficulties that come with free choice.

HaShem should be our help, and may we hear many good tidings.

hebrew shiur: kabbalat hatorah & free choice

Rav Ephraim Kenig during Parshat Yitro 5770, based on Likutey Moharan 190.

hebrew shiur: splitting the red sea, arrogance & humility

Rav Ephraim Kenig during Parshat B'Shalach 5770.

rav ephraim kenig: what happens to the holiness on shabbat?

The difference in the levels of holiness on Shabbat is revealed to us through the variation of wording in the three times we pray the shemoneh esrei on Shabbat. For example, on Shabbat evening, we say, Ata kidashta, during morning shacharit we say, Yismach Moshe, and during afternoon mincha, we say, Ata Echad, etc. This is not the case during chag, when each shemoneh esrai has the same wording.

According to the Holy Arizal, the difference in the level of holiness between Shabbat evening and Shabbat day, is like the difference between the level of holiness during the week and Shabbat evening. During mincha on Shabbat, the Jewish people receive a tremendous surge of blessing, called shefa, from the holiness of Shabbat. During Shabbat, this specific time during mincha is called in Aramaic, ra'ava d'raavin, "desire of desires." Yet during the week, this same hour during mincha is termed dina takifa shalta bey, a time when harsh judgments rule.

God helps a Jew enter from the six weekdays into the holiness of Shabbat evening, with all of its profound holiness and restrictions. Afterwards, he receives the holiness of Shabbat day through shacharit, kriat haTorah, mussaf, as well as all of the Shabbat meals. The force of the holiness of Shabbat then reaches its peak during mincha, the time of ra'ava d'raavin, "desire of desires."

The question is, how is it possible that a person can then go on to pray maariv on motzei Shabbat on the same spiritual level as before Shabbat, and then begin the week with the same feeling he had the week before, or two weeks before, etc.? What happened to the surge of all the different levels of holiness he absorbed during Shabbat? To where did it all disappear?

May HaShem grant us the ability to renew ourselves to retain and ascend with the holiness of Shabbat each week.

[Rav Ephraim Kenig, shlita, speaking this past Shabbat in Cedarhurst, New York]

rav ephraim kenig: on lending money to a poor person

 

"If you lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with you..." (Exodus 22:24) Our sages explain here that what needs to be with the poor person, is with you.

On face value, this is difficult to understand. Why would the money you have belong with the poor person? Without getting into a discussion about reincarnation or the heavenly constellations that channel shefa, sustenance, from here to there, our sages provide us with a straightforward explanation based on two consecutive verses in the Torah: "You have declared this day that the Lord is your God..." etc., and "...the Lord has declared this day that you are His people..." etc. (Deuteronomy 26:17-18)

Our sages explain that God said to the Jewish people, "Since you made Me a single unit in the world, I will make you a single unit." In other words, the Jewish people unify God's name through every single detail in Creation and serve as witnesses to the Oneness of HaShem. There is nothing else but Him, and there is nothing without Him. Every detail of the world is filled with His vitality to the extent that anyone with clear pure vision can see the Godliness in everything. Each according to their level will see and sense the Divinity in every aspect of Creation. This is what God will do for the people who make Him One in the world.

Thus, looking on a higher level, we can now understand the deeper meaning of our Sages' explanation of the verse, "...even the poor with you..." stated in the beginning where what needs to be with the poor person, is with you. It is here, between you and the poor person, where the Jewish people are made into a single unit in the world through the mitzvah, "If you lend money to any of my people..." (Exodus 22:24)

[Taken from talk by Rav Ephraim Kenig, shlita, on this past Shabbat Parshat Mishpatim / Shekalim 5770 in Cedarhurst, New York]

parshat yitro & the war of the convert

"...and Yitro heard..."

Yitro was a ger tzedek, a righteous convert, who converted after hearing about the splitting of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek. He heard and understood something about conversion: Not only is it a great and mighty battle to return to holiness through a true conversion, but it is fundamentally connected to the war with Amalek, a tenacious ongoing war that overwhelms a person each time they seek to enter into the side of holiness.

The splitting of the Red Sea and Yitro's conversion shared the same impossible obstacles. Yet, God preceded the problem with a solution by the retrieval of Yosef's casket by Moses, who had it brought to the shore of the Red Sea. It was only in the merit of Yosef that the sea finally split open. The power of Yosef moved aside a colossal amount of turbulent water in the physical world. This caused a corresponding phenomenon in the upper worlds, as the "springs of wisdom" split wide open for the people of Israel. Thus it is written, "...a maidservant saw more than the prophet Ezekiel..."

As Pharaoh and his forces were subdued, falling completely, the people were able to begin their journey to the Land of Israel. On a spiritual level, this is all considered the subduing of the klipa called Amalek--manifested as obstacles that stand in the way of achieving anything holy. The strength of these obstacles comes from the "unclean garments" created by one's misdeeds. However, even though these obstacles rise up with renewed force each time a person wants to progress spiritually, they can always be subdued through the spiritual power of Yosef. This is the message that Yitro heard and understood, causing him to convert, since the essence and ability of converts and baalei teshuva to remain sustained in the holiness they have attained is through the power of Yosef.

Based on Likutey Halachot, Orach Chaim, Betziat HaPat 5:47

parshat b'shalach / shabbat shirah

[Resting place of Yosef HaTzaddik during better days in Shechem] 

"...and Moses took the bones of Joseph with him..."

In every generation, there is a Tzaddik who draws the Torah into the world by attaching himself to the Tzaddik who has already left the world. This union of "Upper" and "Lower" brings abundant physical and spiritual blessing, called shefa, to the world.

While the rest of the Jewish people were occupied with the mitzvah of taking Egyptian booty, as commanded by God, Moses, who was the aspect of "Lower Tzaddik," was occupied with retrieving the bones of Joseph, the aspect of "Upper Tzaddik." In this way, Moses drew down great wealth and livelihood precisely while the Jewish people, now purified from exile via the Exodus, were involved with collecting the Egyptian booty. Thus, it is written, "...and afterwards, they exited with great wealth." (Likutey Halachot)

almonds blossoms in tsfat & korach

In Israel, the flowering of the almond trees normally coincides with Tu B'Shevat and is found growing wild around much of the country.

What do we know about the almond tree? After the whole episode with Korach, who led a popular rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, God commanded the head of each of the twelve tribes to take their staff and put it in the ground to demonstrate who He chose to lead the Jewish people. It was only the staff of Aaron the Priest that miraculously sprouted the almond blossom. Rashi explains that the almond was chosen since it sprouts quickly and easily, signifying the rapid end to any opposition to God's chosen leaders.

Here in Tsfat, we witness all around us the flowering of the almond trees firsthand. For all those who are currently experiencing a different season, come and visit us in Tsfat to see for yourselves the beauty of the almond blossom. (Given over this week by Rav Ephraim Kenig, shlita)