Breslev Tsfat

Nachman Fried speaks about Reb Gedaliah

 

 

Rabbi Yaakov Klein talks about Nachal Novea Tsfat

tapestry of wisdom quote: on renewal

2 Av 5770

When you are speaking to God, it is good to say: "Today I am beginning to attach myself to You." Start anew each time, because everything goes according to its beginning... If things were already good, they will be even better now. And if they weren't good before, obviously you should make a new beginning!

Chayey Moharan 437

online tzaddik: harav elazar mordechai kenig on desire

The Baal Shem Tov had an only son and daughter. He greatly praised the level of his daughter, Udel, since all day, her heart was directed Above. Her only yearning and desire was to please God. Every Jew should merit such a high level, that his heart be constantly directed towards God.

There is a fundamental element to serving God called ratzon, desire. One’s desire to come close to God and please him should always be strong and powerful. Although everyone desires to do what God wants, not all desires are equal. Within one person, even during each moment, there are tremendous differences and distinctions in desire. Nonetheless, the guiding principle is constantly to desire and yearn for God.

Reb Noson says that it is impossible to describe in writing the greatness of one’s desire and yearning to do the Will of God (Likutey Halachot, Arev 3). He explains that the entire reason a soul is forced to descend from the upper worlds into this physical world is only for the sake of desire. It is only here that one can merit complete and perfect desire.

God wants the Jewish people to receive the true complete good, which is worth more than anything. Since the ultimate good is attaining the level of complete desire, the soul is coerced to come here in order to attain a strong desire for God. The farther away from the object of love, the greater the desire. While the son is with his father, even though his love is very strong, one cannot say that he desires and yearns for his father, since he is right next to him. But, when the son travels away from his father, he then begins to miss and strongly desire him. The further away the son is from his father, the stronger his yearning and desire. This is why the soul must travel and leave her elevated place to enter this physical and material world. It is only here, in a world of free choice, that we can achieve completion and perfection of desire. When one overcomes the distance and arouses his inner desire for serving God, then precisely through this, he perfects his soul.

Rebbe Nachman states that the soul, the neshama, is hewn from beneath the Heavenly Throne. The soul constantly yearns for her root and wants to be connected to her source. Reb Noson discusses at length in Likutey Halachot the definition of a “soul root.” He explains that the souls of the Jewish people have an exalted origin. This is the place of the Upper Will and Desire called “Desire of Desires,” and is the spiritual root of the Jewish people. Every soul returns there, and it all depends upon desire.

harav elazar mordechai kenig: video in yiddish

HaRav Elazar Mordechai Kenig, shlita: "On Higher than Time." Yiddish shiur to a group in Monsey, New York, recorded on Rosh Chodesh Av 5767 / 2008. He speaks about the power of the tzaddikim and their constant efforts to strengthen emunah (faith) in the Jewish people during this long bitter exile, as well as about the level of consciousness "above time," since God is above time. Although great tzaddikim have attained this level, every Jew can attain it through their attachment to the tzaddikim. All bitterness, difficulties and yissurim disappear if we can bind our minds to this level.