Podcast appearances and mentions of adam harishon

David HaMelech tells us in Tehillim, וצדקתך ירננו , which the Sha'arei Chaim explains to mean that even when we face difficulties, we are meant to respond by singing to Hashem. How is that possible? The pesukim before reveal the secret: דור לדור ישבח מעשיך —each generation should relate to the next the chesed they have seen from Hashem in their lives. ודברי נפלאותיך אשיחה —David HaMelech would constantly speak, even in everyday conversation, about the wonders of Hashem. וגדולתך אספרנה —he would speak of the endless greatness and kindness Hashem bestows upon the world. זכר רב טובך יביעו —our mouths should overflow with praise for Hashem's goodness like a spring that never runs dry. If a person constantly talks about Hashem's kindness, then when something happens that appears negative, it won't shake him. He'll already be fortified with the understanding that Hashem only does good. The Midrash says that from the day Hashem created the world, no one sang shirah until Bnei Yisrael sang אז ישיר at Keri'at Yam Suf. The Sfat Emet asks: we know Adam HaRishon sang shirah— מזמור שיר ליום השבת —as did others. What does it mean that no one sang until Az Yashir? He explains that until that moment, people only sang about the salvation after it came. But at Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael reached a higher level—they sang about the difficulties too, because they saw that even the hardships were part of Hashem's goodness. אמר אויב ארדף אשיג —they sang about Pharaoh chasing them. מי כמוך באלים ה׳ —they declared; Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem? Chazal explain on this phrase: מי כמוך באלמים ה׳ —Who is like You, Hashem, who remains silent when the worst seems to be happening? How could Hashem be silent when the enemy entered the Beit HaMikdash to destroy it? When Titus HaRasha stabbed the parochet and blood came pouring out? When the resha'im tormented His beloved people in Mitzrayim and, centuries later, in Nazi Germany? At Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael understood the greatness of Hashem: that He could remain silent because only He saw the ultimate good in every moment. Even the most painful events, seemingly caused by human actions, were all orchestrated by Hashem for our benefit. In the Haggadah, we say: לבן ביקש לעקור את הכל -וירד מצרימה . The mefarshim ask, what's the connection between Lavan wanting to destroy Yaakov and the descent to Mitzrayim? They explain that Lavan's switching of Rachel for Leah led to the shevatim being born from different mothers. Rachel, being the more beloved wife, caused the brothers to feel resentment toward her son, Yosef. That led to Yosef being sold—and eventually to the entire family descending to Egypt. This wasn't really Lavan's doing. Hashem had planned it from the time He told Avraham Avinu that his children would be strangers in a land not their own. Nothing is random. People are not in control—only Hashem is. And He does everything for our good. The more we speak about His hashgachah, His chesed, and His love for us, the more these truths will sink into our hearts. Then, when difficulties arise, we'll have the strength to sing even through the pain. In the future, Hashem will reveal to us all the good behind every event. But if we can trust Him now—before the light shines through—and sing in the darkness, we will reach the highest spiritual levels.

In this shiur, delivered in Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning of the Niddah cycle. The halacha of the mother who gives birth to a baby boy and gives her son a Bris represents the Torah of man. We are not meant to live in a state of Tahara but to achieve a state of Tahara. In this way we rectify the sin of Adam HaRishon.

Want to understand the depths of the song that Bnei Yisroel sang after the splitting of the sea? Want to have an opportunity to totally clean your sins away? If so, this podcast is for you. It will IY"H help you connect to the epitome of Shevi'i Shel Pesach through the profound wisdom of Shirah Sayam. Rav Aaron Kotler reveals the dual nature of spiritual song—not merely as heart-driven gratitude, but as a mind-anchored recognition that transforms us into new beings. Discover why Hashem yearned for this specific song that even Adam Harishon and Avraham Avinu didn't provide. Learn how reciting Shirah Sayam daily with tremendous simcha can make you like a Bria Chadash—completely renewed—with all sins forgiven. Experience why Shvi'i Shel Pesach centers on midnight song and how applying this understanding will fundamentally change your spiritual reality, bringing us closer to Bias Goel Tzedek.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are now in Chol Hamoed Pesach , if you're up to date, and we're still going through the Haggadah . Haggadah is not just a one-night event. We're at the point of בָּרוּךְ שׁוֹמֵר הַבְטָחָתוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּרוּךְ הוּא. Baruch Shomer Havtachato L'Yisrael Baruch Hu . Blessed is He who keeps His promises to Israel, Blessed is He Hashem keeps His promises Again the question is, what are you telling me? Isn't that obvious? And the Bet HaLevi has a beautiful explanation in Parashat Bo , where he tells us, which many of us might know, that if HaKadosh Baruch Hu didn't take us out of Mitzrayim , we would have mixed with the Egyptians, entered the 50th level of Tumah , and we would have lost our yichus , we would have lost our lineage , our connection to our forefathers. Therefore, we would no longer be the seed of Abraham . The Abraham inside of us would have disintegrated. That's what it means that if Hashem didn't take us out of Mitzrayim , we would still be there, because the promise was to the seed of Abraham . And once we lose our Yichus and we're no longer recognizable as the seed of Abraham , it's all over. Just like Esav and Yishmael are no longer a seed. The same thing could have happened to us. And that's what it means, Baruch Shomer Havtachato L'Yisrael . God kept His promise to Yisrael . If Hashem hadn't worked it out, there would be no Yisrael left to keep the promise to. This concept shows up very much in the Sfat Emet , where he talks about the concept of Magen Abraham . The Sfat Emet in Likutim Parashat Vayigash says the following, in the name of the Chidushei Harim : Magen Abraham means, Hevtichoh Hashem Yitbarach , Hashem guaranteed him (Interesting, it's the same word as Shomer havtahato L'Yisrael ) Lhiyot nish'ar nikudah achat tamid . There will always be a little dot, which we call the Nikudah HaYehudi , that little dot. In Yiddish they say the pintelle yid , the point of the Jew that will never be destroyed. Rvery Jew has in him a little bit of that Abraham Avinu DNA, which is never lost. The Sfat Emet in Bereshit Parashat Lech Lecha tells us that that's what it means when we say a person is chayav to say matai yagil ma'asai le ma'asai avotai ? When will I reach the levels of my forefathers? How in the world could we ever discuss that? Could we ever reach the levels of Abraham , Yitzchak and Yaakov . And the answer is we have that little bit of them inside of us. And he says that special spot helps every Jew to reach the levels that he needs to reach. The Sfat Emet again in Parashat Lech Lecha says that this drop inside of us, this spirit inside of us, can never be extinguished. And every Jew has that connection and that love. And that's what it means. Mayim rabim lo yuchlu lechabot et aAhava . All the oceans and waters of the world will not extinguish that love. The Sfat Emet in Devarim Parashat Vayelech says that the terms in Shir Hashirim that refer to the Jewish people, such as Gan na'ul/A sealed garden and Mayan chatum/ A sealed wellspring indicate certain areas that are sealed, where no danger, or negativity can impact. It's always protected and saved, and that's Magen Abraham, because Hashem is always looking out to make sure that we don't get lost, that we don't get tainted. There's always something left behind. This concept goes back all the way to the beginning of creation. There's a certain part of our body called the Luz bone that will never be destroyed. At the time of Techiat HaMetim / Resurrection of the dead comes, it's going to start from that Luz bone that will never be destroyed. So even when a person is buried, there is still something left, that bit that was never impacted by negativity, and from which we will be reborn. How does that work? The commentaries explain that Hashem built a safety system into creation. When Adam HaRishon ate from the Etz Hadaat , the decree was, if you eat from it, you will die. What was the safety plan? There's a part of us that only benefits from what we eat on Motzei Shabbat on Saturday night, and that's the Luz bone. And therefore, when Adam HaRishon ate on Friday from the tree, that bone wasn't impacted, so that bone did not get the decree of death on it, because it only benefits from food eaten on Motzei Shabbat . That's why it's so important to eat Seuda Reviit , the Seuda of Motzei Shabbat , which is also called Seudat David HaMelech . The three meals correspond to Avraham , Yitzhak , and Yaakov . And David HaMelech is the fourth meal, which symbolizes Mashiach . We're going to survive because of that Luz bone that Hashem put into creation, that we will never be destroyed, because there's always a spot that remains clean inside of us. And that's the safety plan. The Ramchal , in one of his sefarim , says something fascinating. He says, everything shows up in time, place, and person. There's a Luz in the person, that's their Luz bone. There's a Luz in time, and there's a Luz in place. The Luz bone in place is the Kotel HaMaravi , that will never be destroyed. That's a spot that always has in it the Shechina , and from there, everything will be reborn. That's why every Jew who goes to the Kotel HaMaravi , feels that special connection, because that spot hasn't been tainted. The Luz bone in time is Yom Kippur . That's the day that wasn't tainted. That's the day we can come back and rebuild from, because we rebuild from health. You have to have healthy skin. You have to have a healthy spot. There's always that healthy spot. That's the Magen Avraham . Hashem protects that healthy spot inside of us that will never be destroyed. It's interesting that the final prayer of Yom Kippur is called Ne'ilah / sealed , like Gan Na'ul . It's the part of the Jew that was sealed and was never tainted or affected by sin. When that is revealed, we can rebuild. And that's what happens by Ne'ilah . And everything goes back to Yetziyat Mitzrayim . Everything is Zecher L'Yetziyat Mitzrayim . Is was at Yetziyat Mitzrayim that Hashem first revealed to us how He is Shomer Havtachatol Yisrael , how He protects the Jewish people. And at the last moment, when He realized that if we didn't get out now, we would never get out, He made sure to guard that Nekudah , that spot, that Magen Avraham , so that the Jewish people wouldn't get disintegrated and get lost. That's why, to this day, there are some Jews that only keep the Seder or Yom Kippur , because these are the times where that Nekudah , that Pintele Yid comes out and is revealed. The Seder night is one of those nights. And that's Baruch Shomer Havtachatol Yisrael . And even though the Seder is over, if you listen to this after the Seder , it's not too late. Because we say Magen Avraham every single day, three times a day. Magen Avraham / God protects Avraham, doesn't only mean He protects Avraham . Of course, it means that too, He protects the Avraham of old. But it also means He protects the Avraham inside of you. There's a little dot called Avraham inside of you. And that inner Avraham is always protected and will never be destroyed.

התוכן הכרת הטוב הוא ענין עקרי בישראל – תבעו זאת מאדם הראשון וזהו גם תוכן מצות ביכורים. וזהו בנוגע לטובה שהקב"ה משפיע לנברא, ועאכו"כ שצ"ל כן על הטובה שנברא עושה לנברא. ולכן, כאשר יהודים באים לכבד או להביע תודה ברכות ואיחולים וכו' ליחיד, הנה אע"פ שכבר נאמר בתורה "ואברכה מברכיך", ה"ז גם חובתו הנעימה להביע בעצמו את תודתו החמה מקרב ולב עמוק, ושיתברכו בכל המצטרך וכו'. אע"פ שמובן שכוונתם בזה אינם אליו בתור איש פרטי אלא בתור זה שזכה ויכול לסייע לההולכים בדרכי תומ"צ לעודדם שיוסיפו בזה או למסור מ"ש בספרים ומה ששמעו מכ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר, שבזה מביעים הם את הברכה להצלחה בכל הפעולות שנקודתם היא הפצת היהדות בכל מקום ולכל א' בלי הבדל בין "חוטב עציך" ו"שואב מימך" ל"ראשיכים שבטיכם" (שגם הם צריכים סיוע להעלות בקודש), ושהברכות יגיעו לכל אלו שעמדו עומדים ויעמדו בקשר עם יחיד זה, שיתוסף ב"לשמש את קוני" להקריא "בשם ה' א-ל עולם" בכל מקום.משיחת י"א ניסן ה'תשל"ז ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=08-04-2025 Synopsis Gratitude is a fundamental thing for Jews, as we see with Adam HaRishon who was called upon to express gratitude, and as we also see with the mitzvah of bikkurim, whose purpose is to express gratitude. If it is important to express gratitude to Hashem for His kindness, then certainly one must express gratitude for the kindness he receives from another person. Therefore, when Jews come to show honor or express gratitude, blessings, and good wishes etc. to an individual, then, although the Torah already says, “I will bless those who bless you” – it is also his pleasant duty to personally express his heartfelt thanks, and his blessing that they Hashem grant them all that they need, etc. Though it is understood that their intent is not directed at this person as a private individual, but as someone who has merited the ability to assist those who follow the path of Torah and mitzvos, and to encourage them to strengthen their commitment, or to transmit to them what it says in sefarim and what was heard from my father-in-law, the Rebbe, and they are expressing their blessing for success in all matters of spreading Yiddishkeit to every place and every Jew, without distinction between “your woodcutters” and “your water carriers” and “your heads of your tribes” (who also require assistance in order to ascend in holiness). May these brachos extend to everyone who is, was, and will be connected to this individual – so that they increase in “serving their Maker” and “calling out in the name of Hashem, G-d of the world” everywhere.Excerpt from sichah of 11 Nissan 5737 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=08-04-2025

Welcome to our Pesach Bitachon series. We continue with another thought on the portion of Maaseh B'BRibi Eliezer Bribi Yehoshua…. discussing how they spent the whole night talking about Yetzyat Mitzrayim . The Sefer Ateret Yeshua says that these Hachamim taught us that even in the exile, (which is compared to night), we have Yetziat Mitzrayim , because Mitzrayim refers to the Yetzer Hara which is always out to ambush a person. And every time we overcome our Yetzer Hara , that's a Yetziat Mitzrayim . That's what it means that they were telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim that whole night. So even at night, which is the Galut , the entire night, we have a responsibility to uproot the Mitzrayim inside of us. That's why we have a commandment to get rid of the Chametz before Pesach - because the Chametz refers to the Yetzer Hara . That is why the students came and said the time of Shacharit has come. The ultimate goal of Keriat Shema shel Shaharit is to gain the clarity of Hashem Echad and overcome the Yetzer Hara . He says something unbelievable, that the pasuk Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokenu Hashem Echad has the same numerical value as Srefat Chametz (I didn't add it up). So when it says we reached Kriyat Shema shel Shacharit , it means that we've reached the point, through telling the story of the night, that we've gotten rid of the Yetzer Hara . That's the goal of the night of the seder -to reach the concept of Hashem Echad . That's why the sefarim say that at the end of the Seder , we say Echad Mi Yodea / Who knows One? Hashem is One . The goal of the night is to get that clarity, which we call Yechudo Yitbarach , the Oneness of God. As long as there are other forces, God is, so to say, not One. But in the future, Hashem Echad U'shmo Echad . The goal of the Yetziat Mitzrayim is to reach Hashem Echad U'shmo Echad , which was the level of Adam HaRishon before the sin, and it's the level that the Jewish people reached at Matan Torah , if not for the sin of the golden calf, which eradicated it. The point is to realize the power of telling the story that night; it rids us of our Yetzer Hara , because although we thimk of the Yetzer Hara as out to do evil (and all the other things, which is true) the fundamental point of the Yetzer Hara is denying God's Oneness. That's why the snake said, " God ate from the tree, so can you eat from the tree. " It's denying God's Oneness. Kriyat Shema shel Shachrit , is God's Oneness. Kriyat Shema throughout the year is actually a continuation of the message of Yetziat Mitzrayim . It's not a coincidence that we talk about Yetziat Mitzrayim in our Kriyat Shema . The end of Kriyat Shema talks about Anochi Hashem Elokecha Asher Hotzeticha M'Eretz Mitzrayim . We talk all about the Geula , and all about Mitzrayim every single night in connection with Kriyat Shema . It's not just a side point. Yetziat Mitzrayim is the source for Hashem Elokenu Hashem Echad . The Ramban says that when we say Hashem Elokenu , how do we know He's our God? We know He's our God from Yetziat Mitzrayim . This was not just a haphazard, random wake up call for the rabbis, telling them it was time for Kriyat Shema shel Shachrit , as if they were saying the rooster is crowing or something like that. No. Reaching Kriyat Shema shel Shachrit means we've reached that revelation, that clarity, which is the goal of the night. The sefer Imrei Emet says a similar thought: that Kriyat Shema shel Shachrit symbolizes the Geula of the future- LeHagid Ba'boker Chasdecha . Ba'boker Chasdecha is the Kriyat Shema of the morning, which is light and Geula . We're currently in the era of Kriyat Shema shel Arbit , which is Emunatcha Ba'lelot . Throughout the night, we need to have Emunah . The ultimate is the time of Kriyat Shema shel Shachrit , when, as the Gemara says, Misheyakir Ben T'chelet Lavan , you can differentiate between T'chelet and Lavan . T'chelet symbolizes the heavens and brings us up to the Kisei HaKavod , up to God. So the Kriyat Shema shel Shachrit , the morning Kriyat Shema is said when there is clarity, when there is light. Many of the mefarashim say the word Sipur is fr the lashon of Safir , which means sapphire . The Or HaChaim HaKadosh says this on Sefirat HaOmer , that when you count the Omer , it causes the person to shine. Similarly, the Imre Emet says, they were Misaprim B'Yetzyat Mitzrayim , and the Safir is the shining ; that through the telling of the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim , we're turning the lights on, lighting up the night, and that clarity comes by telling over the stories and the Nissim . Getting back to where we started, although we're in Galut now, even in Galut you can bring the light in- the light of clarity that can give us the ability to survive the Galut , and this is what happens on the night of the Seder . We have to appreciate what these great rabbis were doing, spending the entire night on all these details of the miracle. The Chida, in his sefer Simchat HaRegel points out that these rabbis knew Kol HaTorah Kula , and yet they spent the entire night staying up, not sleeping. We should get Chizuk from this, that we also have to strengthen ourselves and put all our energy in giving over this message and gain the clarity that we can attain on this one night a year. Bezrat Hashem , we will all be successful.

B"H One of the most underrated facts about Judaism — and one that inspires me to say Shana Tova to you right now — is that we actually have more than one New Year. Of course, we all know Rosh Hashanah in Tishrei, the 7th month, which is the New Year for all of humanity, marking the creation of Adam HaRishon and celebrating human potential in Hashem's world. But the Jewish New Year — the one for the nation of Israel — actually happens right before Pesach, on the 1st of Nisan. And the first mitzvah we ever got as a people was about TIME. Before leaving Mitzrayim, before freedom, Hashem tells us: If you want to be free, you have to learn to count time, to renew time, to start fresh. This is the secret of Jewish time — you can always begin again. Every day, every prayer, every moment. Even 15 million times a day if you need to. So wherever you are right now, take a deep breath and remember: Today is a new day. Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat HaChodesh Shalom, and may you have a beautiful, new beginning. To watch Torah Thoughts in video format, click HERE Subscribe to the Torah Thoughts BLOG for exclusive written content! Please like, share and subscribe wherever you find this!

Welcome to our series on humility. Yesterday we spoke about the concept of Rommemut HaNefesh/ an exalted uplifted soul . Today we'll continue with that topic, starting with a quote from Rabbenu Yonah in Shaare HaAvoda. It's worthwhile to read every word. He says, " The first opening of serving Hashem is that the person who's serving Hashem should know his value and realize his qualities, and the qualities of his forefathers; how great they were, how important they were, how dear they were to Hashem. And they should try and strengthen themselves constantly to keep themselves on that high level and to act on it constantly. And every day, continue to add strength to get even more qualities to connect to their Creator. It'll be slow at the beginning, but he will get even greater as time goes on." And then he says, " This will cause him that when he has a desire to do something negative or he becomes arrogant and wants to do something improper, he'll be embarrassed of himself and of his forefathers and he'll tell himself, 'Somebody great and important like me, with is so many wonderful qualities…I'm the children of the greats of kings of old, how can I do such a thing like this?'" And he quotes a term used by Yosef HaSadik, " איך אעשה הרעה הגדולה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים /How could I do a sin like this and sin to God?" hinting to that's what saved Yosef. And the word that he uses in Hebrew is, I have qualities that are exalted… And he says the opposite: If heaven forbid, you don't realize your qualities and qualities of forefathers, very easily you're going to go in the ways of the Pritzim/people that breach the proper ways. He says The one that wants to serve Hashem has to constantly try to realize his qualities and the qualities of the Sadikim and Hasidim and how important and endearing they are to Hashem. He has to realize that he too can reach those levels of importance and endearment, as long as he serves Hashem the way they did and uses his time and abilities according to his strengths and talents . As the pasuk says in Devarim 30,14, כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ / It's extremely close to you, in your mouth and your heart to do it which means Hashem is not asking you more than you can do. And our great forefathers Avraham Yitzhak and Yaakov served Him according to their abilities." Unbelievable words of hizuk from Rabbenu Yonah, That the first step towards serving Hashem is realizing your hashivut / importance . And again, that's not a contradiction to being humble. On the other hand, Rav Chaim Vital in his sefer Shaare. Kedusha , section 2 gate 4 says almost the same words in contrast, that being down on yourself is the gate of the beginning of the seduction of the Yetzer Harah. Even if you're a sadik, the Yetzer Hara will come to you as a pious man and say, 'How could you even entertain coming close to the Holy King of the world, you piece of dust, worms and maggots?' These attitudes come from the original snake that interacted with Adam and Chava. Last class we spoke about Amalek. Amalek is the evil force that tries to tell us, Rak Rah Kol HaYom/ You're only evil, all day . The pasuk in Yeshaya 14,29 says ךְ כִּֽי־מִשֹּׁ֤רֶשׁ נָחָשׁ֙ יֵ֣צֵא צֶ֔פַע וּפִרְי֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ף מְעוֹפֵֽף׃ / From the root of the Nachash/snake will emerge a Sefa/viper. These are 2 different types of snakes. And our rabbis tell us that from the root of the snake (referring to the original snake, the sin of Adam HaRishon) will come out a viper- referring to Amalek. The Chida says in Nachal Eshkol , his commentary on Kohelet 10,11, that the numerical value of צפע is 90 + 80 + 70 = 240, the same numerical value as עמלק Amalek. Amalek is that continuation, the embodiment of the snake. And that's why just like in the future it says the snake will be wiped out, so too, Amalek will be wiped out. As we mentioned previously, the epitome of Amalek was Haman . And that's why the sefer Kehilat Yaakov, written by Rav Yaakov Tzvi Yalish (1777- 1825), one of the students of the Chozeh of Lublin tells us that Haman is Rasheh Tevot for ה וא מ שרש נ חש . He comes from the root of the snake. The opposite is Mordechai HaSadik. Haman was there to bring down the exaltedness of the Jewish people and Mordechai brought it up by not bowing. The snake is told, in Bereshit 3:15 וְאֵיבָ֣ה ׀ אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה I will put hatred between you and the woman. The word איבה spells is א יש י הודי ה יה ב שושן. Wonder of wonders, that we have this concept clearly brought out that it goes back to the snake who started all our problems. The snake tried to introduce the false Rommemut/ arrogance into man and he continues his mission with Amalek, and with Haman. Let us again go a little deeper into our story: As the Jewish people are leaving Mitzrayim, they're going out ביד רמה with an uplifted hand, with Rommemut. Amalek can't stand that. Amalek can't swallow the fact that we're coming out with Rommemut . Amelek's numerical value 240 is רם as well. Every concept has a negative and positive. The Jewish people are the Rommemeut of Kedusha/ the holy aspect of exaltedness, whereas Amalek is the opposite. He's the contaminated aspect of exaltedness. He misuses this concept of Rommemeut . He's a fraud. He's Haman who makes it look like he's רם Ram/exalted , important. But it's fake, because he is dependent on the world to give him that importance. It's not inherent. He goes wild when he doesn't get his importance because he's not really internally great. He doesn't have internal qualities of greatness. The Elder of Kelm in Shemot , essay 253 tells us that true honor cannot be taken by anybody else. As it says in Mishleh 3,35 כָּ֭בוֹד חֲכָמִ֣ים יִנְחָ֑לוּ l The wise inherit honor. Because they have wisdom, they have inherent greatness. If a person is always complaining and in pain because they don't get outside recognition and constantly feel chased by others, that is a sign that other people own his honor and they can give it or take it away from him. But not the Chachamim . They have inherent honor and no one can take it away from them. Look what Haman ended up saying. When one person, Mordechai, doesn't bow down to him, he says, " כל זה איננו שוה לי This is all worthless to me ." Of course, he can't show it, as it says, VeYitapek Haman. Haman holds himself back. He controls himself, but he knows, inside of him, how much it hurt. The rabbis tell us, based on Gemara in Masechet Megila that Yaakov Avinu requested from Hashem, " Don't let Esav HaRasha get his will. " And that refers, it says to גרממיא של אדם If Hashem would not have held them back, they would have destroyed the whole world. Rav Yaakov Emden, hundreds of years before the Holocaust, says there's a mistake in the text- It shouldn't say גרממיא , it should say גרמניה , Germany . So the Gemara clearly says that Germany is this force that comes from Esav (as does Amelek) that could wipe out the world. The Germans mimic the fake concept of Rommemut as well. As we know, Hitler professed the Aryan race, his pseudoscientific superior race concept. Now that we have DNA and RNA, there's nothing to support this claim. It's what we called pseudoscience. But they believed that they were some special, superior specimen of humankind. They thought they were a master race and they believed that non-Aryans were racially inferior. The term that Hitler used was Untermentsch/subhuman, and he claimed they were an existential threat that had to be exterminated. That was the state ideology that led to the Holocaust. Blonde hair, blue eyes- a made-up, fake Rommemeut . There's nothing there. It's Pseudoscientific. Rav Wolbe writes in his sefer at the end of Parashat Beshalach where it talks about Amalek's attack, that the Jewish people have quality . That we have what's called Azut D'Kedusha. We have a strength of brazenness, of holiness. We don't give up. Like Mordechai, we aren't impacted by outside world opinion. That's why we're still here today. We're called Azin Sh'bUmot the most brazen of nations , and we wouldn't survive without that. But Amalek has the Azut of Tum'ah. As it says, Every nation is in trembling, they were all impacted by the event of Keriat Yam Suf. And who was the one that said, I'm going to be brazen I don't care… That was Amalek. He's not impacted. He doesn't change from anything around him, from anything outside of him. He continues to do what he wants to do. That's the ultimate evil. As long as Amalek is around, Hashem's throne is not complete. He is the antithesis of a Hashem. Shaul Hamelech was the first king to take on Amalek but he didn't do it. Why not? In Shmuel 1, perek 15:24, Shaul excuses himself and says חָטָ֔אתִי כִּֽי־עָבַ֥רְתִּי אֶת־פִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֖ה וְאֶת־דְּבָרֶ֑יךָ כִּ֤י יָרֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וָאֶשְׁמַ֖ע בְּקוֹלָֽם׃ I sinned. I didn't listen to Hashem and to you. Because I was afraid of the people. You were afraid of the people? That's a lack of Azut D'Kedusha. You can't take on Amalek, the Azut of Tum'ah unless you possess Azut D'Kedusha. Lastly, we said there's difference between Ga'ava , which means you think you're great because you're above somebody, and Rommemut , which is inherent exaltedness. We say Romemtanu Mikol Leshonot/God lift us up/exalted us, above all other tongues. But why do we have to be above all other tongues? It should be inherent, shouldn't it? And the answer is, it is inherent. We are greater than all other tongues doesn't mean that we're just greater than all the nations. It means our language is greater, not by comparison, but it's inherently greater. The building blocks of creation were the 22 letters of the Alef Bet. Just like we have a periodical table elements, we have the 22 letters. They call water H2O, two hydrogen and one oxygen. But if you could look with spiritual glasses, you would see water is מים . Mem Yud Mem. That's the spiritual makeup of water, and that's why it's called the Mayim . When you call it water or agua or any other name, it's just a made up word to refer to it. It's not the inherent essence of the word. So the only language that is inherently exalted, because it's talking about the thing itself, is Lashon Hakodesh . That's why we're not just being arrogant about our language, like, " My language is more poetic than yours ." Or, " My language is richer than yours." No, it's inherently exalted. It's Rommamtanu M'kol Leshonot. This concludes our lesson on the contrast between exaltedness and arrogance.

Today we start a new topic, as we enter the third week of שובבים / Shovavim , which is an acronym for שמות Shemot, וראה Vaera, בא Bo, בשלח Beshalach, יתרו Yitro, and משפתים Mishpatim, the six weeks that go through the exile and eventual redemption from Egypt. So for the next few weeks, we will discuss this topic. It's important to note that it has strong kabalistic ramifications. There are people that fast during these days and people that say Tehilim. We should at least know these days exist. For our level, we will focus on the simple concept of one of the main messages of Yetziat Mitzrayim, which is humility. Kabalistically, the days of Shovavim are there to fix the sin of Adam HaRishon. In Bereshit 3,4 the snake approaches Chava and tells her, Don't worry about eating from the tree. You won't die if you eat from the tree. כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֗י בְּיוֹם֙ אֲכׇלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם וִהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹדְעֵ֖י ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃ The whole reason why God doesn't want you to eat from the tree is that God knows that the day you eat from the tree, your eyes will be opened up and you'll be like a God who knows good from bad . So the snake's selling point was, ' Eat from the tree, you'll be Godly.' Rashi adds, " All craftsmen hate their fellow craftsmen, " due to competition. And therefore, the snake says, God ate from this tree and He doesn't want you to eat from it because He doesn't want you to be Godly. And if you eat from the tree, you'll be Godly. You'll be able to create worlds. (It's worth noting here that the snake was the first to speak Lashon Hara , as he spoke Lashon Hara against God. That's why the snake has the eternal punishment of Tsaraat/ leprosy , a type of skin ailment which is spiritual. As we know, the snake sheds his skin constantly because he is the eternal leper.) Back to our story: The snake sells Chava and Adam on Eat from the tree, you'll be a creator. What does that mean? It means that man, because he's so great, he was created the image of God, he really is Godly. Not in the sense that he's in competition with God, but in that he has powers in this world. Man is powerful. Man impacts the world. But he has to know, at the end of the day, that he's a creation, and therefore he has to humble himself to God. But the snake was selling this concept to man and man bought into it because we have that nature of gaava/hautiness . We want to be in control but we have to humble that to God. Interestingly, The Gemara in Masechet Chulin says on the pasuk in Devarim when God describes why he loves the Jewish people, לֹ֣א מֵֽרֻבְּכֶ֞ם מִכׇּל־הָֽעַמִּ֗ים חָשַׁ֧ק יְהֹוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם וַיִּבְחַ֣ר בָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אַתֶּ֥ם הַמְעַ֖ט מִכׇּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃ / God doesn't love you because you are so great in numbers. We're not so great in numbers. Rather, He chose you because you're less than all the nations . You have a smaller populatio n, simply speaking. But the Gemara says that's not what it means. Chulin 89A tells us, Hashem says, You know why I love you? Because even when I give you greatness, you humble yourselves. I gave greatness to Abraham, and what did he say? 'I'm ash and dust.' I gave greatness to Moshe and Aharon, and what did they say? ' What are we?' I have gave greatness to David Hamelech and what did he say? ' I'm a worm not a man.' The three greats were all tremendously humble, and that's why God loves us. The Shelah HaKadosh adds that the word Adam אדם , stands for the three people that reached humility and fixed that fundamental sin of man A vraham, D avid and M oshe . And that's why it says in Pirkei Avot, be extremely humble. מאד מאד - and the word מאד has the same letters, M em A lef and D aled- Moshe Avraham and David! Moshe was the most humble of men and so on. So people have a built-in struggle between being humble and arrogant. The Shelah Hakadosh says ( Parashat Ekev ) that is why Adam was called Adam - Adama /dirt, Like it says, נפשי כעפר לכל תהיה My soul should be dust to everybody. We say that every day in our Amida before we walk back our three steps. So God built into man, so to say, an advantage by calling him Adam . ' You come from an adama and therefore don't become arrogant. ' And yet the snake was able to convince him. So how do we fix this? God punished Adam and Chava, but he didn't punish them because he wanted to take revenge. Punishments from God are intended to fix us. So man's, so to say, punishment was ' You're going to eat from the ground through hard work, your whole life.' You're going to work hard at the land. As for Chava, ' You're going to have a difficulty in childbirth. You're going to have difficulty in pregnancy. You're going to have difficulty in raising your children.' How is that measure for measure? The answer is, when are man and his wife closest to being creators? Man is a creator when he puts a seed in the ground and it grows fruit. When is woman a creator? When she gives birth to the fruit of her womb. Children are called the fruit of the womb. And when a man and his wife are close to becoming creators, Hashem makes it difficult. A lady goes through a difficult childbirth and says, Please Hashem, help me get this baby out. Hashem says, " One more time, what'd you say? " I need you. "Aha, you need Me? You can't do it on your own. You're not a creator." And man, whether he is in the office or on the field, says, ' Hashem, I need you. I need the order to go through. I need the order to get here. I need them to pay. I need you. ' That is the humbling experience of childbirth, child rearing and bringing home a livelihood. And the purpose of it all is to fix the original sin of man, which is the thought that I'm in control and I'm in charge. Interestingly, the snake who came to Adam and Chava stood upright. He didn't want to bow down to God. He didn't want to humble himself to God. That's why the Gemara in Bava Kama 16A says that the spine of a deceased person, after seven years, become a snake. But the Gemara says this only happens to someone that did not bow down in his prayers when he said, Modim . What exactly is the connection between the two things? The Torat Chaim says that we bow at Modim because the purpose of it is to humble ourselves. We thank Hashem for all the wondrous things that God does us every single day. The snake is the antithesis of this. So that person who doesn't bow at Modim is following in the ways of the snake, who didn't want to humble himself to God, and he sells that attitude to humanity as well. So the job of each one of us, individually, throughout these 6,000 or so years- is to fix that sin of Adam. And we do that by working on our humility.

The three opinions, and the depth of his mistake. Source Sheet: https://res.cloudinary.com/ouinternal/image/upload/outorah%20pdf/ic0hqt3gaiywktsrhunj.pdf

What does the teaching mean that Adam Harishon "stretched his foreskin"?

*Chof Daled Teves, Today, is the Alter Rebbe's yartzeit, and is a day of tremendous joy._* He was a “neshama chadasha”, beyond the general soul of Adam HaRishon. His neshama is connected to Moshiach, and his birth made Moshiach's revelation possible. *What was the Alter Rebbe's message?* When facing a conflict don't break anything- Not yourself and not others. *Disconnect from the negative voices around you and within you, and tap into your neshama's truth.* *If you're not sure which voice is your neshama's- speak to your mashpia.*

Today's class is donated by the Shalom family Liluy Nishmat Chanita Chana Bat Simcha Simi. Today is the song of Behama Gasa Teme'ah the large unkosher animal, for example, the horse and the like. It says, . יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ: (תהילים קכח ב) You're going to eat from your hard work, fortunate you are and it's good for you. What's the message? First, the simple explanation: The Sefer Birket Hashir says that the wild animals and the wild birds attack. For example, lions, tigers, and bears are wild animals. They live outside in the field or the forest and they have some way to survive. Yet comes the winter time, it says, the lions are impoverished and they are hungry. The bears are lucky. They hibernate. But the docile, non-attacking unkosher animals work hard for a living and their owners feed them. The lesson for us is Baruch Hagever Asher YivtachB'Hashem /Fortunate is the one that trusts in Hashem. That means these animals, so to say, trust their owners. Like our owner is Hashem. Yada Shor Konehu… the cow knows its owner, the donkey knows the source of its food . It goes on to say that the Jewish people don't know Hashem , as the complaint of the Navi. But the Behema Gasa teaches us the lesson: work hard, rely on your boss and it'll be taken care of . Rav Chaim Kanievsky quotes a Midrash (he says that he was not able to locate it st that moment, which is a little odd, as Rav Chaim knew everything). But he says the unkosher domesticated animals came to Adam HaRishon and said, " Who's giving us food? You'll feed the kosher animals, and the wild animals take care of themselves. But who's taking care of us?" So they made a deal. Adam HaRishon told them You work hard and we'll support you. And that's our pasuk . יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ: (תהילים קכח ב) / You'll work hard, it's good for you. The Sefer Yeshua V'Rachamim by Rav Yehoshua Sofer offers a beautiful thought: The kosher animal says, "I'm good, because eventually they'll slaughter me and eat me. But it's an uplift an animal to be eaten. Contrary to the belief of the vegetarians, We're doing the animal a favor, w hen we eat the animal because the animal will go from the stage of an animal to becoming a human being. But now should the horse do? We're not eating him. What's his opportunity for greatness? The answer is, he's pulling our carriages. He's allowing us to ride on him and that's his part in the picture . And, he helps us get food and whatever else it may be. So, Hashem has a plan for everybody. That's another important mussar point here. This is an important lesson, that in general, Hashem made all kind of creatures and they all have to do what they have to do. When they do what they're supposed to do, and they do it properly, that's their perfection. There is a beautiful story about Rav Wolbe and a student, Rav Wolbe was once sitting with one of his students by the ocean and where beautiful birds were landing in a very elegant way. The student commented, " Look how graceful these birds are. Look how they're landing so gracefully on the beach." Rav Wolbe said, "Do you know why they're graceful? Because it does what it's supposed to do." Rav Wolbe continued, " If you do what you're supposed to do, you'll also be graceful." That's important. There is a similar story, that is obviously fictitious, about two cows. They were a discussion and they looked in the sky and they saw an eagle flying. One said, " Wow! Look how that eagle's flying! It looks like it's floating… I can't fly at all! You know what? I'm going to try!" His friend said, "Oxen don't fly- You're silly." So the first cow went up the mountain and said, " Let me see what I can do!" Of course, this would not end very well. The other cow thought to himself, " I may never be able to fly and be graceful like an eagle, but I can do other things. An eagle cannot. I can plow the earth, I can run, I can pull wagons." It would be silly for me to try and be something that I'm not. I'll continue what I was created to do. And that's the message of the horse. Other commentaries add that not only is the cow is able to be eaten by Jewish people, but the cow goes on the mizbe'ach . Poor horse. He never got anything this bad. But the horse sings the song. This is his song. This is our song. Sometimes you're not the famous one and sometimes you're not the glamorous one, but you know what? . יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ: You work hard and you eat. Your fortune is good to you. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot 8A says on this, it's good for you in this world . Good for you in the next world. That's the important lesson of the domesticated unkosher animal.

Today's song is the song of the Behema Daka Teme'Ah, the Small Unkosher Animal , and it sings the Song of Tehilim 125,4: בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה טְמֵאָה אוֹמֶרֶת. הֵיטִיבָה יְיָ לַטּוֹבִים וְלִישָׁרִים בְּלִבּוֹתָם: (תהילים קכה ד) (David Hamelech makes a request) Do good Hashem to good people and to the upright in their hearts. Who is this small unkosher animal? Rav Chaim Kanievsky says it refers to the hyrax and the hare, which are listed in the the unkosher animals in the Torah. Why are they singing this song? He brings down from Bereshit Raba 12,69 on the pasuk where David Hamelech says that God created rocks as a protection for the hyraxes and hares. There's a type of bird from above, like a hawk or a falcon, that wants to come down and prey on them. What protects them? Rock-crevices and cracks, that they run into for protection. Says the Midrash, If this is the case for an unkosher animal, that God created these cracks in the crevices for them to protect themselves, what do you think Hashem created in the merit of Avraham Avinu, as it says the world was created for Abraham Avinu. The midrash says, Abraham , rescrambled means the world was created for us. God made so many good things for the unkosher animals, which symbolize the nations of the world. We see from here that the purpose of the rocks is just for them. So when the hyrax and the hare see that Hashem created these rocks, he's the one that says, "Oh , You created rocks for me? Surely you have to do good for the good people." That is his song. This is truly a fascinating concept! Although this is the song of the hyrax and the hare, the pasuk also talks about how God made mountains for the mountain goats to run on. This is a concept that we see repeatedly. Every animal has its habitat, and every animal has its protection. A Machseh is a shelter. God creates shelters of protection. As we say, Ki Atah Machsi /HashemYou are my refuge. Hashem built places for things to run to. We can say the hole in the wall is for the mouse to run into. For all creatures that are hunted, Hashem created that trap door, that protective haven to run into. And as we say, it's not only the rabbit that's singing the song. When we look into creation, that creature causes us to sing the song. The Chovot Halevavot talks at length about this in Shaar Bechina . We are always supposed to look into creation and learn things from creation. This is a huge lesson of looking at the protective systems . Hashem built in, for all species, ways to be protected, and ways to run away in time of danger. This is similar to a statement of Mishna at the end of Masechet Kiddushin, where one of the Tanaaim says, Did you ever see a lion that had to work? Did you ever see a tiger that had to work? Did you ever see a fox that had to work? The animal kingdoms don't work, and yet Hashem gives them Parnasa. They're all created, He says, to serve Me. Shouldn't I not need to work? But what am I going to do? Adam HaRishon sinned and there was a curse. But barring that curse, whatever Hashem does for the animal world, He will surely do for our world. That's really the Mishna's point here. If that's what He did for the hyrax and the hare, what's He doing for me? We have to look and see, says Hovot Halevavot, that Hashem created for every animal, the proper tools for his parnasa . For example, the anteater has a long sticky tongue that ants get stuck to, and so on. This is the beautiful, eye opening concept of the rocks of refuge for the hare.

התוכן ביאור החידוש של רבינו הזקן בתורת חסידות חב"ד מצינו במאמר אדמו"ר (מהורש"ב) נ"ע מי"ט כסלו עטר"ת. ונקודת הדברים: התגלות פנימיות התורה בהתלבשות בהשגה, שיוכלו להבין בשכל אנושי. ודוקא ע"י הירידה הזו למטה נמשך בחי' העצם. ועי"ז נשלמת כוונה העליונה בבריאת העולם – הענין שהי' אדה"ר צריך להשלים בעבודתו, ולא אסתייע מילתא, ונשלם במ"ת. אלא שבמ"ת הי' זה בנוגע להעצם דנגלה דתורה, וע"י תורת חסידות חב"ד נעשה זה בנוגע להעצם דפנימיות התורה. וזהו החידוש בהמשכה פנימית דטיפה הגשמית שבנישואין, שבו נמשך העצם, לגבי אירוסין. ועפי"ז יובן גם שענין זה הוא בעיקר בהמשכת פנימיות התורה, בחי' החיות שבתורה – "אבר חי" וכו'. וכיון שענין חסידות חב"ד הוא המשכת העצם שבהטיפה, ולכן נוגע בזה בעיקר (לא כ"כ ההבנה, אלא) הקליטה, ואז תהי' הולדת אהוי"ר וכו'. וכ"ז שייך לכאו"א מאתנו. התנאי היחידי שניתן לנו – "אַז מ'דאַרף זיך אָנהאַלטן אָן דעם רבי'נס קליאַמקע", שאינה אפי' הדלת עצמה כ"א הידית בלבד, וענינה – גם כאשר עדיין אינו "בפנים" יודע הוא שיהי' מה שיהי' "וועט ער זיך אָנהאַלטן אָן דעם קליאַמקע", ואז יוציא אותו הרבי ויעלה אותו למעלה מעלה וכו'.כמה חלקים מהתוועדות י"ט כסלו, ה'תשי"ב ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=12-12-2024 Synopsis In a maamar of 19 Kislev 5679, the Rebbe Rashab explains that the Alter Rebbe's contribution through Chassidus Chabad was the revelation of the inner dimension of Torah in a way that can be grasped by human intellect. It is specifically through this descent below that the essence is revealed, thus fulfilling the ultimate purpose of creation – the task that Adam Harishon was supposed to accomplish but didn't, and that was completed at Matan Torah. Just that Matan Torah was primarily the revelation of the revealed dimension of Torah, whereas Chassidus Chabad reveals the inner dimension of Torah. This is akin to the effect of nisuin, where the father's essence is conveyed through a physical drop, as opposed to erusin. Accordingly, it is also understood that drawing down the Divine essence occurs primarily through the inner dimension of Torah, the life of Torah – a “living organ” etc. Since Chassidus Chabad draws down the essence in the “drop,” it is understood that the main thing here is (not so much the understanding, but) absorbing it, which makes possible the “birth” of love and fear etc. And all this is possible for every one of us. The only condition is to “hold on to the Rebbe's door handle,” that is, not even the door itself – so that even when one isn't “inside,” he knows that come what may, he will hold on to the handle, and then the Rebbe will extricate him and uplift him high above etc.Excerpts from farbrengen of 19 Kislev 5712. For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=12-12-2024

Parshas Bereishis. Empower Women. How is it that Adam Harishon tripped up and ate from Eitz Hadaas? How is it that we do the same thing - something that seems so easy to do right, and yet we find ourselves falling short? And what was Chavas role in the Eitz Hadaas? What has changed since Matan Torahs time? This is a very empowering Sicha and a beautiful start to a new year! Going strong into Parshas Bereishis, making time to learn and making time to strengthen us women! Likkutei Sichos, Chelek Gimmel, first page

Normally, when we recite Habdala on Mosa'eh Yom Kippur, we recite the Beracha of "Boreh Me'oreh Ha'esh" over a "Ner She'shabat" – a candle which had been burning since before Yom Kippur. We light a 26-hour candle before the onset of Yom Kippur, and then use that flame for the Beracha of "Esh" during Habdala after Yom Kippur. This practice is followed even when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat. Despite the fact that on Mosa'eh Shabbat we generally light a new flame to commemorate the discovery of fire by Adam Harishon, nevertheless, when Mosa'eh Shabbat is also Mosa'eh Yom Kippur, we use a preexisting flame. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules that if one does not have access to a "Ner She'shabbat" when Mosa'eh Yom Kippur is also Mosa'eh Shabbat, then he may recite the Beracha of "Esh" over a new flame. And thus although one should use a "Ner She'shabat" like on an ordinary Mosa'eh Yom Kippur, if one does not have access to such a flame – which often happens – he may light a new fire and use that flame for Habdala. This ruling appears in Hazon Ovadia (p. 384), Yehave Da'at (1:63), and Yalkut Yosef (p. 423; listen to audio recording for precise citation). Besamim are not used in Habdala on Mosa'eh Yom Kippur, even when it falls on Mosa'eh Shabbat. Although we generally use Besamim in Habdala on Mosa'eh Shabbat, this is not the case when it is also Mosa'eh Yom Kippur. Hacham Ovadia Yosef writes that it is preferable to make a Beracha over Besamim and smell them after reciting Habdala and drinking the wine, but this should not be done as part of Habdala. One may not eat on Mosa'eh Yom Kippur before reciting or hearing Habdala. Even once it has become dark and Yom Kippur has ended, one may not eat before Habdala. Although the other prohibitions of Yom Kippur no longer apply once it has become dark – such as bathing, wearing leather shoes and applying creams – eating and drinking remain forbidden until Habdala. However, somebody who is very thirsty may drink water before Habdala (even if he has yet to recite Arbit), just as on Mosa'eh Shabbat. A woman whose husband has not yet returned from the synagogue after Yom Kippur may recite Habdala so she can eat. If one has access to a preexisting flame, but it will take time for somebody to bring it, he may recite Habdala without the Beracha of "Esh" so he can eat, and then recite the Beracha of "Esh" later, when the flame arrives. Summary: When Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, the Habdala recited after Yom Kippur is the same as Habdala on an ordinary Mosa'eh Yom Kippur – Besamim are not used, and the Beracha of "Esh" is recited specifically over a fire that had been lit before Yom Kippur. However, when Mosa'eh Yom Kippur is also Mosa'eh Shabbat, one who does not have a candle that was lit before Yom Kippur may recite the Beracha over a new flame. Once Yom Kippur ends, all the activities forbidden on Yom Kippur become permissible, except for eating and drinking, which remain forbidden until Habdala, though one who is very thirsty may drink water before Habdala. A woman may recite Habdala before her husband returns from the synagogue so she can eat.

We are now on our 6th pasuk of the pesukim of Shofarot . And it's talking about the shofar that we blow. It's from Tehilim 81,4 תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ׃ Blow in the month the Shofar, on the covering of the holiday. The midrash explains that this is one of the hints to blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. It's called the month ( where there's a holiday) when the moon is covered . On other holidays, like Sukkot and Pesach (that are on the 15 th of the month) the moon is very open; and on Shavuot, you see some of the moon. But on first day of the month, you don't see a moon at all. So bakeseh , when the moon is covered, b'chodesh refers to when the new moon is covered , that's when we blow the shofar. The midrash says on this pasuk that on Rosh Hashanah, it doesn't say Tiku shofar b'chodesh/blow the shofar in the month, but rather it says Tiku B'chodesh shofar. The words chodesh and shofar need to be explained in a midrashic approach. Chodesh means chiddush , and shofar means le'sha'per is to beautify. Shifra was the name of the midwife Yocheved because she was mishaperet / she beautified , she cleaned up. So there are two things that we need to do on Rosh Hashanah, Shifru and chidshu . What's the difference? Chidshu means there's certain things that you have to totally renew. This is teshuva . We have to totally renew our acts. We have to stop the bad things we're doing and renew our acts. Rav Wolbe says that's the segula of Rosh Hashanah. At the beginning of a new year, you have the chance to renew yourself and renew your deeds. That's one aspect of Rosh Hashanah. I'm a new person, I'm born again. Adam HaRishon was created,I'm created. And I could start fresh and new. The other aspect is the good things that I'm doing already, that I don't need to do new, but that I can make better . I can smooth them out. I can shine them up. What do these two activities of Chidshu and Shifru do? The midrash continues and says, if you do that, then shofar Teku bachodesh shofar, What does that mean? Just like the shofar is a tube that you blow into on one side and it comes out the other, So too, I am going to have all the complaints against the Jewish people go in through one side and out the other, like the famous saying, In one ear and out the other. The power of the shofar is that we do both these things, we renew and we beautify . That's why we're supposed to be thinking about Teshuva at the time when the shofar blows. This is an important lesson within our shofar pesukim . Rashi, in the sefer Pardes HaGadol, chapter 170 quotes from the Geonim that cite this pasuk as a source that we can't fast on Rosh Hashana, which is called Yom Chaggenu . It's our holiday. Why is it a holiday? We talked about this before, but we'll quote a Seforno in Vayikra 23, 24 that explains that it's a holiday because we're celebrating that He's our king, and when we celebrate that He is our king, He will tilt towards kindness and we will have a good judgment. And he quotes a pasuk in Yeshaya 33, 22 Ki Hashem Shoftenu/God is our judge/Hashem Mechokekenu/He gives us our rules . Hashem Malkenu/Hashem is our King, Hu Yoshienu/He will save us. And that is the holiday. It's a holiday because we're celebrating Hashem's Kingdom and therefore we're going to get a good judgment. He's going to save us. I once saw that there's a custom to sing, especially on Rosh Hashanah after Musaf, En Kelokenu , because on Rosh Hashanah, En Kadonenu/ There's no one like our boss, En Kamalkenu/ There's nobody like our King . En Kemoshi'eno/There's no one like our Savior. And that goes back to this pasuk Hashem Malkeno/ God is my king, Hu Yoshieno/He will save me. On Rosh Hashanah, God is saving us. We don't realize what's going on. On Rosh Hashanah. Its like you just got pulled out of a fiery furnace. You were saved from Gaza. It's feeling of those hostages. That's the feeling of Hu Yoshienu. God is saving us on Rosh Hashanah. We have to celebrate that. It's a great day. Miracles are happening on Rosh Hashanah. And that's a holiday. תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ But what makes this holiday happen? What empowers the shofar? Chidshu Shifru - Renew our deeds, beautify our deeds, and celebrate Hashem as our kingdom.

We are in the 7th pasuk of Shofarot , in the unit of the shofarot of the future . As we mentioned, Shofarot is broken into 3 sections- the shofar of Matan Torah at Har Sinai is what the first three Pesukim are about. The next three are about the shofar that we blow on Rosh Hashana, and the final three talk about the shofar of Mashiach's times. Here we quote a pasuk in Yeshaya 27,13 וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִתָּקַע֮ בְּשׁוֹפָ֣ר גָּדוֹל֒ וּבָ֗אוּ הָאֹֽבְדִים֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְהַנִּדָּחִ֖ים בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲו֧וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֛ה בְּהַ֥ר הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם It will be on that day, he will blow on a large shofar. And that shofar will cause all the people that are lost in distance to come back and to bow to Hashem on His holy mountain in Yerushalayim. What is this Shofar Gadol ? The Yalkut Shimoni tells us in Bereshit 22, that no part of the ram that Avraham Avinu slaughtered instead of Yitzhak went to waste. The right horn will be blown at Mashiach's time, and the left horn was blown at Har Sinai. The right horn is the larger of the two. So we have these three units of pesukim , that we blow our shofar down here, and it arouses the two shofarot of the ram of Abraham Avinu, one of them for the horn of Har Sinai, and one of them for the horn of Mashiach. And it's not a coincidence, the rabbis tell us, the Ramchal especially, that when we blow the shofar down here, it arouses the forces of those other Shofarot , the tremendous revelation of Har Sinai, of the past. And it brings in the great revelation of the future of Mashiach, where this shofar will cause the evil to be suppressed and the good to come out and to return us back to the situation of Adam HaRishon before he sinned. Rosh Hashanah is the day Adam HaRishon sinned, and eventually we're going to come back to the perfect world. We were almost there at Har Sinai, but we sinned the sin of the golden calf. And we will get there when Mashiach comes. And we get there through the shofar that we blow every year on Rosh Hashanah. When the shofar blows, we are suppressing the evil inside of us and strengthening the good inside of us. There is a famous Tosafot on the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 16B, that when the Satan hears the shofar, he gets scared because he thinks it's the shofar of Mashiach's time. Of course everyone thinks, Come on, do you really mean that every year he falls for the same mistake? The answer is that we don't realize how real the shofar is and how when our shofar blows down here, he's not scared by our shofar that he hears, he's scared of the forces that are going on in the heavens, that are almost identical to what was going on at Har Sinai and will be going on at Mashiach. It's like someone who was in a war zone and has PTSD. When he hears a shot, he suddenly jumps because he thinks he's back at war, or like someone that went through some kind of other traumatic experience, and when he hears or smells something that reminds him of that trauma, he's back there. That's what happens to the Satan . He smells the smell of Har Sinai and he knows that's the smell of Mashiach, and it's real. And every year he gets scared because it is going to happen. He knows better than we do what's going to happen. Rav Yitzchak Hutner, in Sefer Pachad Yitzchak on Rosh Hashanah (essay 20) says something beautiful. He says, why is it called a large shofar ? It's not a new shofar. It's a bigger Shofar. Where does this big shofar come from? Sometimes you go to the Kotel and you see these very long shofarot that blow for the Bar mitzvahs. But what's this Big Shofar? He says that every year when we blow the shofar, we create a certain energy of holiness that goes up to the heavens and creates this big shofar. The shofar of Mashiach is going to be the cumulation of all of those blowings of the shofars of every year. Don't think that if Mashiach didn't come last year, that we wasted our time. No. Every single time that we blow the shofar, it's joining that shofar in Shamayim , and we're creating a bigger and bigger shofar. The Satan is scared on Rosh Hashanah because he sees the shofar growing. He sees the shofar getting bigger and bigger. Eventually it's going to reach the tipping point where it hits the size that it's supposed to be. We don't know what that size is, and he doesn't know what size is. But when that shofar becomes the shofar gadol , then we're ready for Mashiach. That's how close we are. Depending on how much teshuva we put in, that's how many inches the shofar grows each year. One year might grow a millimeter, one year a foot. We don't know. But we're bringing Mashiach closer every single time we hear the shofar and that is creating the Shofar Gadol. The Aruch LaNer says that this occurs especially when we read this pasuk , וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִתָּקַע֮ בְּשׁוֹפָ֣ר גָּדוֹל֒ וּבָ֗אוּ הָאֹֽבְדִים֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְהַנִּדָּחִ֖ים בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲו֧וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֛ה בְּהַ֥ר הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם When we say that and we pray for that, it gets the Satan scared, as we're praying for Mashiach. These are great kavanot to have when we say the 7th pasuk of, On that day, we will blow the shofar gadol. And the truth is, we say it every single day in our prayers. Teka BaShofar Gadol L'Cherutenu So every day of the year, we're talking about the shofar gadol , but especially on Rosh Hashanah.

Welcome to our special mini series of Pesukim of Musaf Rosh Hashana. We are up to our fourth pasuk (I went out of order yesterday- that was really the fifth pasuk) Tehilim 111,4 זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָ֑יו חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהֹוָֽה׃ / God made a remembrance for His wonders, Hashem is gracious and kind. What does that mean? Rashi says Hashem made for us Shabbat, holidays and many mitzvot that have the concept of Zechira / remembrance , because Hashem is Hanun and Rachum/gracious and kind, and He wants to give us the opportunity to become righteous- by giving us these mitzvot. In this context, Zecher means something for us to remember . On this pasuk , the Chida, in his sefer Yosef Tehilot and Chomat Anach as well, quotes the Arizal that any miracle that happens to the Jewish people, whether it's for the public or the individual, through God's great kindness a tremendous light breaks through all the negative forces. That's what brings about the miracle. Every year that light repeats itself, and that's what happens all the holidays. And that's what זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָ֑יו means. Every year, God gives us the opportunity to have a holiday and a way to recreate those same lights. Because Hashem's kindness is forever, He wants, every year, to give us those lights. Furthermore, when we remember them, that is what's going to save us. That's what's going to bring about the yeshua . So, because God wants to save us, He gave us the opportunities to remember the things of the past and bring us zechuyot . This is always important, but especially so on Rosh Hashanah. What are we doing on Rosh Hashanah? What are we remembering on Rosh Hashanah? It's Yom Hazikaron . We remember that Adam HaRishon was created. That was a great miracle. God came down to make a man that wasn't worthy of anything, that the angels said not to create him. But God created him anyway, and said, I have faith. God knew he would eat from the Etz Hadaat , and He created him anyway. That is, so to say, the miracle of Rosh Hashanah- that God didn't listen to the angels and created man- Naaseh Adam, We're going to make man. That repeats itself every year- for every individual. God will give us another year, even though we might not deserve it, He'll give us another chance. That's one aspect. Another aspect of Rosh Hashanah is that Adam HaRishon sinned and got out with mercy. He was supposed to die that day, but God turned that day into a thousand years (a day of God is a thousand years). He found mercy, a way to ameliorate the strict justice. And that also repeats itself. So that's an important concept of this זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָ֑יו And that is why every single day, we say Zecher L'Yetziat Mitzrayim- to invoke every single day that power of Yetziat Mitzrayim. This not a simple concept. As we've said before, every single day we pray Gaal Yisrael , and then we pray the Amida. As the Yerushalmi says, you have to mention Yetziat Mitzrayim before you pray, because according to the Arizal, it doesn't only empower you in your Emunah in God, but it gives you the zechut to have the same miracles happen to you. So before Shaharit and before Arbit , we talk about Yetziat Mitzrayim in Keriat Shema in Emet Veyatziv and Emet V'Emuna. Because of זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָ֑יו , the fact that God asked us to remember things, that's going to bring around Hanun V'Rachum Hashem. One last point, that the Midrash Tehilim tells us is that זכר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָ֑ז what God did is just a remembrance . It's just a souvenir, a token, says Midrash Tehilim. Everything we look at today is nothing . It's just a little bird feed. It's just the remembering . It's like Hashem is saying, Do you see the goodness that I have? Just wait until you see what I really have. This is the hors d'oeuvres. This is just a little taste of what is yet to come. But LaAtid Lavo, that's going to be forever and ever. This is just a little remembrance, a little token of what God can do. זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָ֑יו These are two beautiful thoughts for us to have in mind when we're saying these pesukim.

In this Episode, we delve into the teachings of the Ramban on Parshas Bereishis (Genesis). The Ramban highlights the significance of the Ten Utterances of Creation and the profound meaning behind the phrase "And Hashem saw that it was good."Explore how Hashem's judgment is reflected in each step of creation and its relevance to our purpose in life. What does it mean to fulfill our purpose? How are we judged on Rosh Hashana, and what is the essence of "life" that we seek during these Days of Awe?We also discuss the concept of Din (judgment) in creation and how it applies to human beings, starting from Adam Harishon. Through the lens of Chazal and the story of Yishmael, we understand the importance of being judged "as we are" at a given moment in time and the deeper meaning behind our actions and purpose.#Bereishis #Ramban #TorahInsights #RoshHashana #AseresYemeiTeshuva #PurposeOfLife #JewishWisdom

התוכן יום א' בשבוע קשור עם פ' ביכורים [שבתחילת פ' כי תבוא] שצ"ל "מראשית כל פרי האדמה". והענין: יום א' בשבוע קשור עם התחלת הבריאה, שהעיקר ו"ביכורים" של הבריאה הוא אדם הראשון. ובעבודה: כ"א מישראל צריך לעשות מכל דבר בעולם "ביכורים" לה'. והנה ב"ביכורים" נותנים לה' רק "מראשית ולא כל ראשית", אבל בנתינת הצדקה נותן האדם כל חיי נפשו לה'! אלא שנתינת הצדקה צ"ל בחביבות יתירה כאילו היא המצוה הראשונה שזכה לקיים בחייו! יום זה הוא גם יום "העשירי יהי' קודש" שבחודש אלול, שאלול קשור עם כללות עבודת האדם וכו' ואז נמצא "המלך בשדה". וההוראה: העבודה בחודש אלול בכל הענינים האמורים הוא באופן שמקשר עשר כחות נפשו עם הנקודה הפנימית (הראשון) שבנפש.משיחת יום א' דפ' כי תבוא, י' אלול ה'תשמ"ט ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=15-09-2024 Synopsis The first day of the week is associated with the mitzvah of Bikkurim [at the beginning of Parashas Ki Savo], which are brought “from the first of all the fruit of the earth”: Sunday marks the beginning of creation, including the “Bikkurim” of creation – Adam Harishon. In terms of Divine service: A Jew must turn everything in the world into “Bikkurim” for Hashem. While it's true that in the mitzvah of bikkurim one gives “from the first and not all the first,” whereas in the mitzvah of tzedakah one gives his entire soul to Hashem (by giving away money that he earned with his very life, and which he could use to purchase his needs) – even the mitzvah of tzedakah must be done in a manner of Bikkurim – as though it is the first mitzvah one merits to fulfill in their life. Today is also the tenth day – “the tenth shall be holy” – of the month of Elul. The lesson is that the service of the month of Elul must be done in a way that connects the ten faculties of the soul to the inner core (“first”) of the soul.Excerpt from sichah of Sunday, Parashas Ki Savo, 11 Elul 5749 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=15-09-2024 לזכות פריידא ברכה בת שיינא שתחי' ליום ההולדת שלה י"ב אלוללשנת ברכה והצלחה, ואריכות ימים ושנים טובות

RAB ISAAC AGMON- TESHUBA DE ADAM HARISHON by FOOD 4 OUR SOUL

We are now in a special miniseries of the 30 pesukim of our Musaf prayers. I went out of order yesterday. ש ְא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים is actually pasuk #6 Pasuk number five is יְהֹוָ֣ה מָלָךְ֮ גֵּא֢וּת לָ֫בֵ֥שׁ לָבֵ֣שׁ יְ֭הֹוָה עֹ֣ז הִתְאַזָּ֑ר אַף־תִּכּ֥וֹן תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל בַּל־תִּמּֽוֹט׃ (Tehilim 93,1) Hashem Malach Ga'ut Lavesh Hashem will have reigned,He donned or cloaked Himself in ge'ut/ grandeur (or literally arrogance ). Lavesh Hashem Oz Hitazar. Hashem will have girded Himself with might Af Tikon Tevel Bal Timot/He made the world firm that it should not falter. This is obviously a pasuk of Malchuyot (every pasuk of malchuyot / kingdom has the word melech in it except for the 10 th - Shema Israel). So, Hashem Malach/Hashem is King. We say this in our Shir shel Yom . There is a different song for each of the seven days of the week, and we say this song on Fridays because it was first said on a Friday, when Adam HaRishon opened his eyes and said, Hashem Malach. He opened his eyes on the first day and saw, Here I am, a creation in a world that was created by God, Who is the King. Rav Wolbe says, similarly on Rosh Hashanah, when we open our eyes, we should imagine that we just landed here for the first time. And when we look around, we should say, " What is this growing out of the ground? What's this hard, wood-like material? How is it growing? What is going on here ?" We should look at the world in that curious fashion, as if we just got here. And like Adam Harishon, we say, Hashem Malach Ge'ut Lavesh, God the King is wearing a coat of ge'ut , which sounds like arrogance - not a very good. Middah. Why are we calling God arrogant? The truth is, we say in Az Yashir, Ki Ga'oh Ga'ah /God was arrogant over the arrogant, and the explanation is that Arrogance means taking credit for what you did. The Mesilat Yesharim says, Machshiv et Atzmo/You are giving yourself importance, credibility, recognition for what you did. The only problem is you didn't do it. No one can take credit. It's arrogant to take credit for what you didn't do. Only God can take credit. The example that I like to give is a young child learning how to play baseball for the first time. His father lobs him these very easy pitches, and his brother stands behind the plate with the boy, holding the boy's hands around the bat. He gets this easy pitch lobbed to him by his father, and his brother swings the bat with the boy, and hits a line drive. The boy is thrilled. He hit a ball ! He bangs his chest with pride. Any bystander would say, Doesn't this kid get it? They lobbed him the ball. It was such an easy pitch to hit, and he didn't even hit it! His brother was holding his hands over the bat and the brother was the one that swung! That's really what goes on in our lives. I'm talking to myself. We have to constantly remind ourselves that we can't say, Kochi V'Otzem Yadi/My strength and My power caused me to be successful at war or anything else. No. It has nothing to do with you. God gives you the strength. And we know the famous Targum, God gives you the ideas. He gives you the ideas to amass wealth. So it's far, far from us doing anything. And therefore, only God has the right to take credit and, so to say, be arrogant because it's okay for God to be arrogant. There's nothing wrong with that. He is the One and the only one that can truly take credit for anything that happens. Hashem Oz Hitazar/ God girds Himself with Oz/strength Af Tikon Tevel Bal Timot/He made the world firm that it should not falter. This means that even when Hashem is using His power and His strength, at the same time He's making sure that the world continues to exist and run in a proper fashion. There's a beautiful Chida that quotes the Arizal that says the words Ge'ut lavesh גאות לבש rescrambled is go'el Shabbat גואל שבת God will redeem us in the merit of Shabbat. It's known that when Rosh Hashanah comes out on a Shabbat, it's either a great year or a very difficult year. This year was a year that Rosh Hashana came out on Shabbat. What is it about Shabbat that brings the Ge'ulah ? The Chida explains, in this pasuk, that when we keep Shabbat, we are being Modeh/admitting that Hashem created the world. He's king of the world, there's nothing else but Him and the world is all His. Well, if that's the case, and I really believe that, He can forgive any sin. That's why the merit of Shabbat, which is stating all those things, will bring the Geula . Shabbat strengthens that belief and all those beliefs in Hashem's Kingdom- and that causes our sins to be forgiven and that brings the Ge'ulah . The truth is, that's what every Rosh Hashanah is all about, and every Rosh Hashanah we proclaim, God is King, He's in charge , and He can do whatever He's like, and therefore we will be forgiven.

One of the consequences of Adam HaRishon's sin was בזיעת אפיך תאכל לחם , which the Kuntrus Minchat Ezra explains to mean that from then on all of mankind had to live in the falsehood of what we call hishtadlut . Why is it a falsehood? If we were asked the following question, "A person takes medication and he gets healed. Did Hashem heal the person through the medication or did Hashem heal him without the medication?" The standard answer would be that Hashem used the medication to heal him. That is the falsehood of hishtadlut . It seems to us that there is some type of difficulty involved in removing a sickness and it's easier for Hashem to use medication to do it than to do it without medication. But in truth, in order for the sickness to even be there in the first place, Hashem has to actively decide to put it there. And the moment He decides it shouldn't be there, it's gone. The medication is only a camouflage for us to be tested with. It is up to us to see through the camouflage and believe אין עוד מלבדו . The more we recognize Hashem's involvement in the world and in our lives, the closer we'll feel towards Him. Every time we have to make a hishtadlut in any area, we first have to remind ourselves that it's a curse that we have to put in effort to accomplish what we need. Hashem doesn't need our help to give us anything. It is incumbent upon us to make a hishtadlut , but we should feel that by doing it, we are just fulfilling our obligation and the effort we make is not at all affecting the results of what Hashem wants to give us. The closer we get to that belief, the better we're doing with this very difficult test. Every time a person needs to make a hishtadlut , he should say the words, be'ezrat Hashem , or אם ירצה ה ' , to remind him that what he is trying to accomplish will only happen if Hashem wants it to happen. Many times Hashem shows a person clearly that his hishtadlut is not what brought about the results he desired. We need to use those instances to remind us that that's always the way it is. A man, who will call Reuven, told that he was in great need of funds to marry off his son. He traveled abroad to see if others would help him in the cause. In a particular city, he made a connection with a driver who knew where all the wealthy people lived. The driver had others with him. Reuven was sitting in the back seat, and he made small talk with another collector. They discussed how difficult it was to travel and ask people for money. They arrived at a very wealthy man's home, and the driver told Reuven he had to go in last. He also told Reuven that this wealthy man does not like people coming with a driver. He had to wait to go in and under no circumstances was he allowed to tell the man that a driver brought him. Eventually, each person came out with a nice sum of money. When Reuven finally went in, the first question he was asked was how he got there. Reuven did not want to lie, nor did he want to break his word that he gave the driver, so he just ignored the question. He said that he came to collect for his son's wedding. The wealthy man was not happy with that response, and Reuven left the home empty handed. When Reuven got back to the house he was staying at, he saw the man that he made small talk with in the car. That man said he went on his own for a couple of hours to a friend and mentioned to the friend how difficult it was for him to collect. The friend gave him a very large donation and then told him he wanted to help someone else who was in need as well and he gave him the exact same amount of money to give to another person. The man told Reuven, "The first person I thought of was you because we spoke about how difficult it was for us to go collecting." He then handed Reuven that very large amount of money. Reuven felt like Hashem was telling him, "You don't need any particular wealthy man to help you. You don't need to be intimidated by anyone because I'm the One giving you your money." Yes, we have to make a hishtadlut, but we must know the hishtadlut is a test and we must believe that the results are only in the hands of Hashem.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We should throw a little party, because we just finished the Pesukei Bitachon of the Maharal, after also going through the list of the Rabbi Yosef of Salant. We are now going to start a different list of Pesukim , Perek Shira , which, as we'll see shortly, is connected to our Pesukei Bitachon . Perek Shira is a compilation of Pesukim that are said by the animals and different creations of God, the songs they sing. There's an introduction to Perek Shira that says, in the name of the holy Rabbenu Hakadosh, that ‘ Whoever involves himself in Perek Shira in this world (and in some of the texts it says every day ) merits to learn, to teach, to keep the Mitzvot. It protects from the Yetzer Hara and from any bad occurrences, from punishment in the World to Come, and from the difficulties of the times of Mashiach (which we are currently in), he will live a long life, merit the days of Mashiach and Olam Haba. That's a mouthful of praise, but the sefer Eliya Rabbah , makes bit of a diyuk : it doesn't say whoever reads it, it says whoever involves himself in it. That means you have to delve into it to get the benefits of Perek Shira. The Eliya Rabbah says one benefit is learning the Mussar and the message of of these songs. The Eliya Rabbah also tells us ( Or HaChaim siman א ) that one does not have to finish Perek Shira every day. It doesn't say that. It says whoever involves themself in it. So, a snippet a day keeps all the bad things away. What exactly is Perek Shira ? The Arizal tells us, based on our rabbis, that every blade of grass (which really means every creature), has an angel that tells it to grow. That angel is in charge of the development and life of that creature. But he says the angel does not have the power to bestow life on this creature until it sings a song in front of God, and singing its song is what brings blessing down on this creation. Of course, grass doesn't sing, but rather, these are the songs of the representative angels of these creatures. Rav Chaim Volozhin says in Nefesh HaChaim (first gate, chapter 11), that when a man says Perek Shira down here, he is actually causing the whole world to be sustained, as he empowers the angels to sing these songs to God. The reason for this is that man includes all the forces in creation; man has inside of him a cow, a bear and a lion- every creation is inside of man. The Zohar says that when God said, Na'aseh Adam/ Let us make man Rashi says it means He was talking to the angels. But the Zohar says, Let us make man means God was talking to all of creation saying, Let's put a little bit of everybody into man. Therefore, man has all the creatures inside of him, and when he sings these songs, he gives the power to the ministering angels of all creations, so they can sing their songs and bring benevolence down into the world. The sefer Yad Mitzrayim, written by a student of the Gaon of Vilna, tells us that because man has all of creation inside of him, man was capable of naming every animal and every creature- because he was connected to it. He infused energy into creation. Furthermore, David Hamelech, who is a continuation of Adam HaRishon and came to fix what Adam HaRishon ruined, was the one that sang all the songs. So, because he brought life into creation, he was able to bring life into himself. David Hamelech was not supposed to live but his bringing life into the world caused him to have life as well. Thus, when David Hamelech says, Lo Amut/I will not die, Ki Ehyeh /I will live, it means, Even though I really do not have life naturally, I will live, because , as the pasuk continues, Asaper Ma'aseh Ya/ I will tell over the deeds of God, and that will give me life. Many commentaries say that after David wrote Tehilim , he wrote Perek Shira. And now that we've finished these many pesukim , primarily from Tehilim, which are mainly pesukei bitachon, of reliance on Hashem, we will go through Pirkei Shira, because that's what follows bitachon. As we once said, from Rav Chaim of Brisk, V'Ani B'Hasdecha Batachti/I rely on Your kindness. Yagel Libi B'Yeshuatecha/My heart will be rejoiced in Your salvation . Ashir LaHashem Ki Gamal Ali/ I will sing songs to Hashem because He's bestowed upon me. -So first there's bitachon, relying on Hashem, -and being happy with the salvation before it actually happens because you're a Baal bitachon. -And the ultimate is Ashira La Hashem/I will sing to Hashem. This is our introduction to Perek Shira. B'Ezrat Hashem , we will go through close to100 pesukim over the next few months, with Hashem's help.

Turning Earth into Heaven We read the various explanations discussing their intent, but something was still missing for me. If we look at Rashi, we see that at first, he praises the Meraglim quoting the Torah's description of them as anashim - men and telling how important each and everyone of them in fact was. The rabbis tell us that the Torah lists their names inorder of importance, and we don't find Joshua or Caleb until the middle of thelist. We have to ask, if these guys were so special, how did they mess up? So, when did they go from important,honorable, righteous people to people who went in with this evil intent? I don't think that anyone goes in withthe intent to derail a mission unless they think that they are totallyjustified and righteous in what they are doing. These ten must have thoughtthat they were doing the most beneficial thing for Benai Yisrael. Caleb tells them that we can surely goup and inherit the land because Hashem gives us the ability. We explained inthe class based on the Talmud in Sotah that he saying that even if you gave usladders, we could climb into heaven provided we have Hashem‘s assistance. Whenthey are afraid and the strength of those in the land. Joshua tells them:'Have no fear of the people of the country, for they are our prey: theirprotection has departed from them, but the Lord is with us' (14:9). If we say that they were righteous andsuddenly everything changed when they were ready to go into the land, thensomething happens at the time of their appointment. Perhaps until then theydidn't feel a responsibility for the nation as a whole, but at this point, asleaders, they became responsible and with that responsibility, tremendous feartakes hold. In our class on Shabbat, we quoted abeautiful thought of the Shvilei Pinchas who suggests that the first luchot -tablets were associated with the Etz HaChaim – The tree of life in the gardenof Eden. Those tablets were pure and the Torah within them was pure. Thosetables relate to Adam HaRishon before the sin. Just as Adam fell, we fell through theegel hazah, the golden calf, and the second tablets relate to the tree ofknowledge of good and evil which Adam ate from. Within the second set of luchotare good and evil. There is a mixture and with that the confusion it brings. After man's fall through the calf, thismixture of good and evil requires man to delve through and struggle in theTorah to bring out the truth relative to us. They could have and should have simplyrelied on Moses. Moses sent them as we discussed in the last class and it wasto Moses whom they should've reported to and Moses could have shown them theerror of their ways. Moses still had the direct connect. Perhaps theirappointments changed them. We say that power corrupts, and perhaps at the timeof the appointment, pride went to their heads and they felt that they couldindependently make decisions without Moses There are those that suggest that theydidn't want to lose their position. But let us not forget, that with theirtestimony, they not only quickly lose their position, they also lose theirlives in a most horrendous manner. They understood that in the desert theylived under a divine light and divine protection. Everything about theirexistence, from the moment the first plague descended on the waters of Egyptthrough the death of the first born was an entire year of miracles. Thiscontinued in an even greater revelation through the Exodus, the splitting ofthe sea and the Revelation at Har Sinai. The entire year in the desert was oneof miracles as we noted, maan, water, clouds, Moses and even defendingthemselves from attack. And I believe this was their fear. Theywere afraid that not only would they no longer be living a miraculous life, butthey would be completely on their own I believe their misunderstanding couldbe compared to the misunderstanding of the generation of Enoch. After creation,man knew Hashem was the Boreh, the creator, but they assumed he stepped backand did not realize Hashem is also the manhig – the one constantly running theshow. The meraglim appear to have assumed that Hashem would step back once theycrossed the border and they would have to deal with things on their own. believekochi VeOsem Yadi, that we are really doing things on our own. We too have toremember that Hashem promises us that a blessing will be on the work of ourhands. We have to make an effort, we have to turn on the switch below, but wehave to remember that there is no success without Hashem joining us. I think the big lesson of the spies isthat Hashem puts us here to work the land as he told Adam and the illusion isthat we are doing things on our own, but the lesson is that without Hashem wecannot succeed. We must have Emunah and Bitachon and partner with Hashem andknow that if we reach out, Hashem is never abandoning us. We see this allthroughout history. All of our victories are miraculous because Hashem is withus The failure of the spies was not beingable to see that their job was to take the physical and raise it to aspiritual. When later after entering the land an encountering our first battle,we circled Jericho, we blew horns, we were dressed for battle, when in fact, itwas Hashem who went in front of us and led us to a miraculous victory. They forgot the avot who made the rffortbut realized they were junior partners and it was Hashem who did the real work. May we all learn the lesson of thespies. May we remember Lo Yanum VeLo Yishan – Hashem neither slumbers norsleeps. Hashem watches over us and is with us. If we believe in hashem, Hashemwill believe in us! David Bibi

Hashkafa

Hashkafa

In this shiur, delivered in Sharfmans, Rav Burg explains the inner meaning behind the Halacha of Orla. Adam HaRishon did not wait to eat from the Eitz HaDaas because he prioritized his own creativity over the needs of the relationship with Hashem. Only when we are patient, allowing things to grow of their own accord do we see that our creativity is actually in the service of another. Link to source sheet: www.sefaria.org/sheets/563603

התוכן על האדם לנצל את הכחות שניתנו לו לטובת הבריאה כולה וכמ"ש "פרו ורבו ומלאו את הארץ וכבשוה". החל מקיום ציווי זה כפשוטו. ובקשר לטענה אודות הוצאות הפרנסה וכו' – אומרת התורה שכל יהודי הוא "עולם מלא" בדוגמת אדם הראשון ש"נברא בערב שבת . . כדי שיכנס לסעודה מיד", שהכל מוכן בשבילו!; ביחד עם לידת הילד נולדה עמו פרנסתו; על ההורים לחנך את הילדים באופן שגם הם "יכבשו" את ארציות העולם ולנצלו לקדושה; כללות ענין החינוך קשור עם יציאת מצרים שענינו הוא לידת עם ישראל שמיד התחיל ענין החינוך כמ"ש "בהוציאך את העם ממצרים תעבדון את האלקים וגו'" [וכן בנוגע לילדים כפשוטו – הרי הם "הכירוהו תחילה" וכן קרבן פסח הי' צ"ל באופן ד"שה לבית אבות...", "למשפחותיכם", כולל אפי' הקטנים וכו']. וכמו שאת ענין החינוך מתחיל באמת (לפני ש"הגיע לחינוך" כפשוטו) מרגע הלידה, שכבר אז נחקק בזכרונו כל מה שרואה ושומע (ואפילו לפנ"ז וכו').משיחת אור ליום ועש"ק, שבת הגדול, י"א ניסן ה'תשד"מ ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=16-04-2024 Synopsis A person must utilize the abilities Hashem gives him for the benefit of the entire world, as it says, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and conquer it,” beginning with the mitzvah of “be fruitful and multiple” in the literal sense. As to those who are concerned about livelihood and expenses etc. – the Torah says that every Jew is a “full world” like Adam Harishon, who “was created on Erev Shabbos…in order that he enter into a feast immediately,” with everything prepared for him. When a child is born, his sustenance is born with him. Parents must educate their children in such a way that they, too, will “conquer” the materiality of the world and utilize it for holiness. Jewish education is connected to the Exodus from Egypt, which was the birth of the Jewish nation. Just like the “education” of the Jewish people began immediately at “birth” (“When you bring this people out of Egypt, you shall serve G-d etc.”), so, too, a child's Jewish education begins long before the formal age of chinuch; it begins immediately upon birth (and even before that), because already then, a child absorbs everything they see and hear.Excerpt from sichah of Thursday night, 11 Nissan 5744 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=16-04-2024

We continue in Pesukei Bitachon starting with the letter Vav , Melachim א 5,5 discussing the era of Shlomo Hamelech: וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לָבֶ֗טַח אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵנָת֔וֹ מִדָּ֖ן וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ (The Jewish people) Yehuda and Yisrael dwelled in security , a man under his grapevine and under his fig tree. We have previously discussed the other-worldly level of tranquility that comes to a person through bitachon. We said that you really need to be in Olam Haba / the world to come without interferences, evil, or death, in order to have that level of tranquility, which is Olam Haba on Gan Eden, and this is why we're always yearning for tranquility. God put that into us in order to endear to us the ultimate tranquility of the future. However, there were times in history that we reached that, such as the time of Shlomo Hamelech. That was the ultimate era of shalom , where even in this world, everyone reached that future level of each one sitting under their grapevine, or fig tree. This is the term used in the sefer Beer Mayim Chaim on Yitro (perek י״ח ) where he says, “In the time of Shlomo Hamelech, due to the building the Bet Hamikdash, everyone sat under his grapevine and fig tree, me'en Olam Haba. Shlomo Hamelech's era was an era similar to Olam Haba. The Chida , in his sefer Chomach Anach, points out that it says, וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל when they dwelled Israel, in the singular form rather than plural. There are two parts of the Jewish people, Yehuda and Yisrael. But here it says vayeshev in the singular because there was peace among them. They were one and that's why they had this peace in serenity. We've been discussing peace a lot. The shalom of the future, the Brit shalom , the covenant of the future . And this comes about interestingly, through Shlomo Hamelech. The root of his name is shalom . Due to that shalom, the people got along. Where does that shalom come from? The Midrash Rabba in Shir Hashirim says in 1,69, that until the Bar Hamikdash was built, we were bouncing from place to place. Once the Bet Hamikdash was built, the Bet Hamikdash allowed us to sit in peace and therefore to have this security and tranquility. There are a few more nuances to, “Each man under his grapevine and under his fig tree. ” Rashi discusses this in Devarim , 33,28 where it says the Jewish people in the blessing of Moshe Rabbenu will be secure and alone. Normally, in order for people to feel secure, they need a lot of people together. They can't be alone because they need someone to protect them. But here it's saying each man can sit alone under his grapevine and fig tree, because we don't need to gather together. We're not afraid of the enemy. What is so special that we single out the grapevine and the fig tree? אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵנָת֔וֹ /Each man under his grape vine and fig tree. This is a famous term of security that shows up quite a few times in the Navi . The Arizal says, as we've mentioned the past, in order to have the perfect peace and tranquility, there has to be a situation where there's no Satan , there's no evil, like in Shlomo Hamelech's times. He says, we use these two trees because the opinion in Chazal is that these were possibly the tree of the Etz HaDaat , where Adam and Chava sinned. Either the grape vine, because it says all woe comes to the world through wine, or the fig tree, because it says Adam and Chava covered themselves with fig leaves from the tree that they sinned with. And in that era, where the contamination left the world, we'll be able to go back to that Etz HaDaat in the proper way without any evil. We will have the ultimate Gan Eden from before Adam HaRishon. That's what we're trying to get to. And the truth is, as we've said, we can get to it in this world. We say to every chatan and kallah , “ These beloved friends should be happy like God made you happy in Gan Eden of old.” We bless every couple that they can create their own Mishkan , their own Bet Hamikdash in their home, which has in it peace and serenity, which is focused on the Torah ideals, which frees itself from the evil of the Satan of the Yetzer Hara; a home built on Bitachon, on realizing that I get exactly what I need and exactly what I want. That household of peace and shalom that is the goal of every Jewish household. We are trying to get that to the level of the וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לָבֶ֗טַח This is, of course, the future in Olam Haba and it was in the time of the Bet Hamikdash of Shlomo Hamelech, that's all true. But we have the ability to build that in our own home. The Maarit, in his Derashot in Parashat Beshalach of Shabbat HaGadol asks why it says, “ a man under his grapevine,” in singular. It should say a man under his grapevine s . He says it's because they're going to get enough parnasa from that one grapevine. Again, this is the life of tranquility where I'm happy with less. It's me and my wife and our own little surroundings. I don't have to be like the Joneses. That is the ultimate level of peace and tranquility that comes through a Bet Hamikdash, whether it's the actual Bet Hamikdash or one that comes through a husband and wife that are able to use their Etz Hadaat properly, and eat it at the right time. Adam and Chava could have waited until Shabbat, and everything would've been fine, saving their delicacies and enjoyments for Shabbat. That's the perfect home that we can reach in our times אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵנָת֔וֹ of man under his grapevine, under his fig tree.

We continue in Pesukei Bitachon starting with the letter Vav , Melachim א 5,5 discussing the era of Shlomo Hamelech: וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לָבֶ֗טַח אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵנָת֔וֹ מִדָּ֖ן וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ (The Jewish people) Yehuda and Yisrael dwelled in security , a man under his grapevine and under his fig tree. We have previously discussed the other-worldly level of tranquility that comes to a person through bitachon. We said that you really need to be in Olam Haba / the world to come without interferences, evil, or death, in order to have that level of tranquility, which is Olam Haba on Gan Eden, and this is why we're always yearning for tranquility. God put that into us in order to endear to us the ultimate tranquility of the future. However, there were times in history that we reached that, such as the time of Shlomo Hamelech. That was the ultimate era of shalom , where even in this world, everyone reached that future level of each one sitting under their grapevine, or fig tree. This is the term used in the sefer Beer Mayim Chaim on Yitro (perek י״ח ) where he says, “In the time of Shlomo Hamelech, due to the building the Bet Hamikdash, everyone sat under his grapevine and fig tree, me'en Olam Haba. Shlomo Hamelech's era was an era similar to Olam Haba. The Chida , in his sefer Chomach Anach, points out that it says, וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל when they dwelled Israel, in the singular form rather than plural. There are two parts of the Jewish people, Yehuda and Yisrael. But here it says vayeshev in the singular because there was peace among them. They were one and that's why they had this peace in serenity. We've been discussing peace a lot. The shalom of the future, the Brit shalom , the covenant of the future . And this comes about interestingly, through Shlomo Hamelech. The root of his name is shalom . Due to that shalom, the people got along. Where does that shalom come from? The Midrash Rabba in Shir Hashirim says in 1,69, that until the Bar Hamikdash was built, we were bouncing from place to place. Once the Bet Hamikdash was built, the Bet Hamikdash allowed us to sit in peace and therefore to have this security and tranquility. There are a few more nuances to, “Each man under his grapevine and under his fig tree. ” Rashi discusses this in Devarim , 33,28 where it says the Jewish people in the blessing of Moshe Rabbenu will be secure and alone. Normally, in order for people to feel secure, they need a lot of people together. They can't be alone because they need someone to protect them. But here it's saying each man can sit alone under his grapevine and fig tree, because we don't need to gather together. We're not afraid of the enemy. What is so special that we single out the grapevine and the fig tree? אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵנָת֔וֹ /Each man under his grape vine and fig tree. This is a famous term of security that shows up quite a few times in the Navi . The Arizal says, as we've mentioned the past, in order to have the perfect peace and tranquility, there has to be a situation where there's no Satan , there's no evil, like in Shlomo Hamelech's times. He says, we use these two trees because the opinion in Chazal is that these were possibly the tree of the Etz HaDaat , where Adam and Chava sinned. Either the grape vine, because it says all woe comes to the world through wine, or the fig tree, because it says Adam and Chava covered themselves with fig leaves from the tree that they sinned with. And in that era, where the contamination left the world, we'll be able to go back to that Etz HaDaat in the proper way without any evil. We will have the ultimate Gan Eden from before Adam HaRishon. That's what we're trying to get to. And the truth is, as we've said, we can get to it in this world. We say to every chatan and kallah , “ These beloved friends should be happy like God made you happy in Gan Eden of old.” We bless every couple that they can create their own Mishkan , their own Bet Hamikdash in their home, which has in it peace and serenity, which is focused on the Torah ideals, which frees itself from the evil of the Satan of the Yetzer Hara; a home built on Bitachon, on realizing that I get exactly what I need and exactly what I want. That household of peace and shalom that is the goal of every Jewish household. We are trying to get that to the level of the וַיֵּ֩שֶׁב֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לָבֶ֗טַח This is, of course, the future in Olam Haba and it was in the time of the Bet Hamikdash of Shlomo Hamelech, that's all true. But we have the ability to build that in our own home. The Maarit, in his Derashot in Parashat Beshalach of Shabbat HaGadol asks why it says, “ a man under his grapevine,” in singular. It should say a man under his grapevine s . He says it's because they're going to get enough parnasa from that one grapevine. Again, this is the life of tranquility where I'm happy with less. It's me and my wife and our own little surroundings. I don't have to be like the Joneses. That is the ultimate level of peace and tranquility that comes through a Bet Hamikdash, whether it's the actual Bet Hamikdash or one that comes through a husband and wife that are able to use their Etz Hadaat properly, and eat it at the right time. Adam and Chava could have waited until Shabbat, and everything would've been fine, saving their delicacies and enjoyments for Shabbat. That's the perfect home that we can reach in our times אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵנָת֔וֹ of man under his grapevine, under his fig tree.

We continue with Pesukei Bitachon, and we are now starting אות ג , according to the list of the Maharal. Tehilim 41,10 גַּם־אִ֤ישׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֨י ׀ אֲשֶׁר־ . בָּטַ֣חְתִּי ב֭וֹ אוֹכֵ֣ל לַחְמִ֑י הִגְדִּ֖יל עָלַ֣י עָקֵֽב Also, the man that I was at peace with, that I relied on, that ate my bread (simply this means we ate bread together, but it's deeper than that) has increased histrickery upon me. The Malbim explains the background: In the olden days, the most common way of assassinating a king was through poisoning his food. Therefore, the person that served him the food would taste it first to show that he didn't poison it, because he wouldn't kill himself. So, David Hamelech says that Even the man that I was at peace with, that I relied, even he came to ambush me . He came to assassinate me. There's an l important lesson here, about not relying on people. David Hamelech is saying, גַּם־אִ֤ישׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֨י ׀ אֲשֶׁר־ . בָּטַ֣חְתִּ The only One to rely on is God, because even the most reliable of people might be ambushing you. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 7A quotes a saying that people used to say, “ The man that I relied on, he broke his fist and got up.” The Gemara says this refers to our pasuk, that sometimes the people that we rely on, that we think are going to take care of us, break their fists. Meaning they don't do what they said they were going to do and they end up working against us. The Midrash Tehilim says that David HaMelech was actually learning a lesson. People would visit him and say in their mouths, “ God should have mercy on you, ” and they would pray for him. “ But in their hearts, they were out to ambush me.” Therefore, the Midrash Tehilim says that David Hamelech ends off saying איני נותן את דבריהם בלבי אלא אני בוטח בך / I'm not going to pay attention to what anybody says to me. I'm relying on You because I know there is no one to rely on, even those people that I relied on. This is reminiscent of something I learned in Mirrer Yeshiva (so it must be kosher). In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, just as Julius is about to be assassinated by his good friend, Brutus, he says, “ Et Tu, Brute,” which means, ‘ Even you, Brutus? You're out to get me too?' This is similar to David Hamelech telling us, Even the man I relied on, that I thought I could count on, was out to get to me. The Chida, in his sefer Petach Eyanim (Sanhedrin7A) , offers a deeper explanation: In this world, the one we rely on is the Sitra Ahera / the negative forces. People rely on their cunning . Sometimes they'll do a deal that might not be so straight. They sort of ‘ sell their soul to the devil,' and count on the devil. He makes promises and he'll come through, but we don't realize that the one that we relied on will end up backstabbing us. The ultimate back stabber is the Yetzer Hara . He looks like he's your friend, but he is your ultimate enemy. Eventually, he will prosecute against us. This goes back to the original sin, when we had a choice between the snake and God, and we believed the snake. We bought into the snake saying, “ No, the tree is good for you. ” We relied on him. He was a good salesman. David Hamelech was actually a gilgul of Adam HaRishon. (David Hamelech's 70 years came from Adam HaRishon's 1000. Adam lived 930 years and David for lived 70) and he learns his lesson, ‘ The one that I relied on, the one that I counted on, he back stabbed me.' Who's the one to rely on? Who's the one that will take care of you? Hashem. Have a wonderful day.

A young man went to his rabbi complaining that he found out something about his new bride that had he known before he wouldn't have even gone out with her. He said they didn't hide anything from him, he just forgot to find out this piece of information about her. He is happy with everything else. Just this one thing bothers him. The rabbi told him, it says by Adam HaRishon when he had a piece of his insides removed to create his wife Chava, ויפל ה' אלוקים תרדמה על האדם - Hashem put Adam in a deep sleep before he did it. The rabbi asked, why Hashem had to totally put Adam to sleep? Why couldn't he give him local anesthesia and do the operation while he was awake? The rabbi said, “It was to teach us a lesson. It happens very often in shidduchim that people “fall asleep” regarding certain matters. Things that meant so much to them, somehow they forgot to inquire about. The reason was because Hashem put their minds to sleep in that area, because He wanted the shidduch to take place. He knows better than anyone who is meant for who and He is the one making all the marriages.” The rabbi concluded, “You married the perfect person for you. How do I know? Because Hashem let it go through and He is the One who makes marriages.” The young man felt much better and with his new attitude was able to have a great marriage. A woman said there was one thing she would never accept when it came to shidduchim: Somebody who smokes. Yet, when it came time for her to get married the person she married was someone who smoked a lot. She later said, “I couldn't believe that I forgot to ask that question before I went out with him.” For every other boy that she ever dated, that was her first question. But when it came to this person, her zivug , she totally forgot to ask. And baruch Hashem, today they have the happiest marriage, and by now the man quit smoking. This was ויפל ה' אלוקים תרדמה על האדם because he wanted the shidduch to happen. A man said his wife told him, there was one thing she would never settle on when it came to marriage. She had to have someone with a college degree. This man did not attend college even for one day, and he became her husband, and they couldn't be happier today. The woman admitted later how strange it was that when it came to him, she totally forgot to ask about his education. מה' אישה לאיש - Hashem is in charge of marriages. We should never feel that we forgot to ask certain questions and now we're stuck with who we got. And even if it was a very important matter, the reason we forgot is because ויפל ה' אלוקים תרדמה - Hashem put us in a deep sleep because he wanted the shidduch to take place. Everyone gets the shidduch that they're meant to get.

Shearim b"Tefillah 85 - We Can Be Like Adam HaRishon (Before The SIN)

התוכן עה"פ "קרית ארבע היא חברון", שנקודתה היא מערת המכפלה שבה קבורים הד' זוגות, איתא בזהר שזה קאי על גוף האדם שמורכב מד' יסודות, ובאופן שלא רק שאינם מנגדים זל"ז אלא שמתערבים ומתמזגים יחד עד שאא"פ להבחין מה זה עפר, אש רוח או מים – "חברון". התאחדות כזו בין כל הד' מינים דבנ"י זהו"ע אהבת ישראל לאמיתתה. וזהו גם שבמערת המכפלה מתאחדים כל הד' קצוות – אברהם (חסד), יצחק (גבורה), יעקב (רחמים) ואדה"ר (יציר כפיו של ה'); איתא במאמר "להבין ענין הההשתטחות" ש"כל התפילות צריכות לעלות למעלה דרך פתח של ג"ע הארץ וע"כ התפילה שמתפללים אצל מערת המכפלה היא רצויה ומקובלת מאוד לפי שיש קבלה בידינו ששם הי' פתחו של ג"ע ממש", אף שבגמ' ובשו"ע איתא שבתפלה צריך לכוון לירושלים. ולהעיר ממ"ש בדא"ח שרק לאחרי שדוד מלך ז' שנים בחברון הי' יכול למלוך בירושלים. וזהו מה ששלחו שלוחים לערוך הקפות מיוחדות בירושלים ובמערת המכפלה.ג' חלקים מהתוועדות אור ליום ועש"ק פ' נח, ד' מרחשון ה'תשל"ז ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=05-11-2023 Synopsis On the verse, “Kiryas Arba, which is Chevron,” the Zohar states that Chevron represents the human body, which is comprised of the four elements, and in such a way that the elements not only don't oppose one another, but rather they are mixed and united (bechibur). This unity between all four categories of the Jewish people is true Ahavas Yisroel, and thus, Chevron is the location of Me'aras Hamachpelah, which encompasses the four extremes of Avraham (Chesed), Yitzchak (Gevurah), Yaakov (Rachamim), and Adam Harishon (who was formed by Hashem's hands). The maamar Lehavin Inyan Hahishtatchus states that “all tefilos must ascend on high through the entrance of Gan Eden on earth, and therefore, a tefilah recited at Me'aras Hamachpelah is very much desirable and accepted, because we have a tradition that this was the location of the entrance to the actual Gan Eden.” And this is despite the fact that it says in Gemara and Shulchan Aruch to face Yerushalayim during tefilah. Additionally, Chassidus explains that it was only after David served as king in Chevron for seven years that he was able to be king in Yerushalayim. This is why shluchim were sent to arrange special hakafos in Yerushalayim and at Me'aras Hamachpelah.3 excerpts from farbrengen of Thursday night, Parashas Noach, 4 MarCheshvan 5737 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=05-11-2023

One of the punishments that Adam HaRishon received for his sin was that the ground became cursed. The sefer Moshcheni Acharecha writes that before the sin of Adam, if he would've seeded the Earth, it would've produced 40 years' worth of bounty, and the crop would have been the most robust and tasty possible. After the sin, however, the ground would only produce after much effort on the part of Adam, and even after all of his efforts, it would only produce a small amount, and the crop would be much more inferior than it used to be. This was a terrible curse. Now Adam had to spend hours upon hours of his time working, and after it all, he would still get much less than he used to get when he only had to put in a little effort. The Chiddushei HaRim says this curse was given with an abundance of mercy, as illustrated from the following story: One of the Chiddushei HaRim's students had a prosperous business and was very wealthy. However, one day the business went sour, and the man lost all his money. In a short amount of time, he found himself struggling just to put food on the table. The man went to the Chiddushei HaRim, his Rebbi. The Rebbi told him, Hashem is big. Pray hard for help. The man said he would, but then he asked the Rebbi if he should get in touch with his relatives in America to ask them for help. They were extremely wealthy and could easily help him. The Rebbi told him, A bsolutely not . The man listened and continued praying for a yeshua , but the situation got even worse, so the man went back to the Rebbi, this time in tears, saying he couldn't continue on without money. He begged the Rebbi to allow him to send a letter to his relatives to ask them for help. The Rebbi stood his ground and once again told him not to. He then gave his student chizuk to turn only to Hashem for help. The man went back home and, seeing his hungry children, was not able to withstand the test, so he went against what his Rebbi told him and wrote a letter to his relatives in America. He described what had happened to his business and how dire the situation had become. When they received the letter, their hearts opened up and they sent him an exorbitant amount of money. He had enough to open a new business, and in no time it became successful. But then, a new issue arose. The man got sick and had to go to the hospital. While there, his condition kept worsening until the doctor said there was no hope. He called for the Rebbi to come to give him a beracha. When the Rebbi arrived, he said, “ I don't think I can help you. I knew that in Shamayim, it was decreed that you were supposed to die, but Hashem, in His infinite mercy, took away your business and your money instead. I told you not to go to your family for help because I knew what this kapara was doing for you.” Imagine, when this man was crying out day and night for help with his parnasa and never saw an answer, he must have felt that Hashem wasn't listening to his Tefilot . He may have even become angry seeing how his family was suffering. But little did he know, Hashem was giving him the ultimate help. He was giving him life, and that's the biggest blessing he could have gotten! Hashem told Adam that if he ate from the tree, he was going to die. But then instead, Hashem gave him a lot of kapara , including cursing the earth, and that enabled Adam to live for hundreds of more years. It seemed harsh, but it was filled with mercy. We don't know what's good for us. It is incumbent upon us to always pray hard for what we need, but at the same time, we must know that Hashem is always acting out of love and mercy, whether we get the salvations we're hoping for, or not.

00:00 Could Isaac have failed the test of the binding and died as a result? 03:15 What would it have meant for the Jewish people if Abraham and Isaac failed the test of the binding? 07:17 How to defeat the category of simulation arguments? 16:53 What is the halachic status of music? 20:38 How do we rectify the sin of Adam HaRishon? 35:03 Are we responsible for our thoughts? 41:07 How do we understand the planets in the sense that we were given the Torah for where we are, not there? 47:59 Follow-up on mechanics of sin. Is the yetzer hara growing in anticipation of messiah?  51:13 We have a saying 'I saw you at Sinai', how are we 15 million Jews now if we were 600,000 at Sinai? Having received his Ph.D. in mathematical logic at Brandeis University, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb went on to become Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. Today he is a senior faculty member at Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. An accomplished author and lecturer, Rabbi Gottlieb has electrified audiences with his stimulating and energetic presentations on ethical and philosophical issues. In Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Dr. Gottlieb, we are invited to explore the most fascinating and elemental concepts of Jewish Philosophy. Would you like to sponsor an episode? A series? We'd love to hear from you : podcasts@ohr.edu  Visit us @ https://ohr.edu ! Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel​ whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today!  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS  

David Curwin, author of "Kohelet: A Map to Eden," shares his reasons for choosing to write a book on Kohelet and explains how Rabbi David Fohrman of Aleph Beta influenced this project. In his book, Curwin uncovers various intertextual insights in the Kohelet narrative, providing a unique perspective on the life of Shelomo HaMelekh. From a biblical narrative standpoint, Kohelet presents us with a unconventional view the human experience, offering wisdom on the pursuit of meaning in the face of the harsh realities of life, and the transient nature of our existence. By way of intertextual analysis, Curwin proposes Adam HaRishon as the embodiment of Kohelet, drawing parallels to the Gan Eden narrative. He discusses how the resemblance highlights themes of loss and the search for purpose. He gives his take on meaning behind Adam naming his son Hevel. He also showcases the thematic similarities between Kohelet and the story of the Spies. He elaborates on how both narratives explore the impact of perspective, challenging the way we perceive our circumstances. Addressing the Ashkenazi custom of reading Kohelet on Sukkot, Curwin points out how the themes of the book and the holiday align. Our conversation illuminated the profound connections between Kohelet and various biblical stories, offering fresh insights into the human condition, the sobering realization of the impermanence of life, and the pursuit of wisdom through our challenges. You don't want to miss this fascinating discussion. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/judaismdemystified/support

The Gemara in Chulin 60a discusses strange features of the bull that Adam HaRishon brought as a korban. This episode analyzes this Gemara with an eye towards methodology of interpreting cryptic Aggados.

Shiur from Rabbi Elimelech Kohn Ztl on חנוכה and December 25th. Discussed: Four themes that we find in the Sefarim for Chanukah: 1) The physical salvation of the Jews and military conquest, celebrating when the Jews reconquered Eretz Yisrael and the establishment of Jewish independence, free from foreign influence. 2) A celebration for the rededication of the Bais Hamikdash. 3) The spiritual salvation from Greek assimilation & Shmad and the eternity of the Torah. 4) The miracle of the burning oil. The Gemera says that Adam Harishon celebrated the first winter solstice for eight days. The Maharal writes that this 8-day celebration took place on Chanukah and December 25th, and like Chanukah, Adam celebrated the empowerment of light over darkness. Contrasting the approach of the Yidden in establishing Chanukah and the Christians in establishing Xmas.

Throughout the Epistles of Paul, he makes frequent references to the Rabbinic traditions regarding Adam HaRishon, the first Adam. As is the case for many Torah Jews, this tradition heavily influences Paul's worldview, both eschatologically and practically.In this episode, we explore how a Midrash might be the key to understanding Paul's words For a Written version:https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/who-is-the-new-man-in-ephesians/ "Into the Orchard" will serve as a guide from which readers can become acquainted with the socio-religious milieu of the New Testament and late Second Temple Judaism. Most importantly, this book may serve as an interface to begin a productive inter-faith dialogue that leaves polemics and antagonism behind.Visit our website:www.thehiddenorchard.comFind us on FacebookNew book available on Amazon:Into The Orchard - The Midrashic Tradition in the New Testament...

Chelek 15, Breishis 3 - Rabbi Binyomin Bitton The Rebbe and the Rogatchover on Adam Harishon's ‘Naming Ceremony' - Footnote 11 Deciphered

A tangible approach to one of the most difficult parshiyos in the Torah. How could Adam Harishon make such a mistake, what was he trying to accomplish? Based on ideas from the Ramban, Rav Simcha Zissel Broide, and Rabbi Akiva Tatz. Have a wonderful Shabbos, and thank you for listening.

Rav Haim Palachi (Izmir, Turkey, 1788-1869), in his work Mo'ed Le'chol Hai (8:6; listen to audio recording for precise citation), mentions a custom to set aside money for needy and humble Torah scholars on Ereb Shabuot. Specifically, one sets aside 91 coins, and then adds an additional thirteen coins, one at a time, for a total of 104 coins, which is twice the numerical value of "Ben" (son). The money, as mentioned, should be given to humble and needy Torah scholars. Rav Haim Palachi writes that this custom serves as a Tikkun (rectification) for the sin of Adam Harishon, the sin of the golden calf, and the desecration of the Berit. Additionally, following this practice is a Segula ("charm") for childless couples to have children.Our custom is to use US dollar coins for this purpose, and on Ereb Shabuot we designate these coins and the Rabbi then distributes them to needy Torah scholars on behalf of those who made the donation.When Shabuot falls on Mosae Shabbat, this custom is observed on Friday, the day before Ereb Shabuot.

Deeper then what I normally do, but I hope I was able to break it down enough. An idea based on the Midrash and the Gra about the root of all souls in Adam HaRishon, and how we all fit into the puzzle of what the world needs accomplished.

“Yaakov was left alone and a man wrestled with him!” Who Fought with Yaakov and what was at stake? Based on Rav Pinchas Friedman Esav's Guardian Angel Fought with Yaakov Avinu on Account of the Third Bet HaMikdash Why does the gemara write an obvious grammatical mistakewhen it writes: “Rabbi Yaakov Pays Half-Damages”? Why does Yaakov not take in Timna and how does that relatethe the Two Letters “Samech-Mem” of סמא'ל? Yaakov Avinu Was the Tikun of Adam HaRishon Who BroughtDeath to the World! What does the midrash mean when it tells us that HKB”H minimizedthe Stature of Adam HaRishon to One Hundred Cubits?