Podcasts about nefesh hachaim

The Essential Theme of Humility in the High Holidays The Bent Shofar: A Symbol of Humility On Rosh Hashanah , we blow the Shofar . The Halacha emphasizes the importance of a bent Shofar. Even if we have a choice between a bent Shofar from a goat and a straight one from a ram ( Ayil ), we choose the bent one. Furthermore, if the choice is between a straight Shofar with a great sound and a bent one with a lesser sound, the bent Shofar is still preferred. Why? The Mishnah Berurah explains that the essential requirement is for the Shofar to be bent, as the Gemara states. The bent shape symbolizes humility ( Anavah ). Rosh Hashanah is a day for humbling ourselves before God, and this principle of "bending" carries through the entire High Holiday period. Ne'ilah and the Essence of Awe This concept of humility extends directly to Yom Kippur , specifically during the concluding Ne'ilah prayer. The Gemara teaches that the core of the Ne'ilah service lies in the words: "Mah anachnu, mah chayeinu, mah kocheinu, mah gevurateinu" — "What are we? What is our life? What is our strength? What is our power?" We are declaring that we are nothing on our own. Why is this fundamental declaration of powerlessness so central to both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? The Desire to Be the Boss: The Original Sin The answer goes back to the Original Sin . The Serpent ( Nachash ) told Adam and Eve, "The reason God commanded you not to eat from that tree is because He ate from it and it made Him a boss. He doesn't want you to be a boss, too." We bought into the lie and ate. This event reveals a fundamental human flaw: a person's deep-seated desire to be in charge , to be the boss, and to reject the authority of anyone else. The "Curse" as a Correction ( Tikun ) To fix this innate arrogance, God instituted what is commonly called a "curse," but which the Nefesh HaChaim interprets as a correction ( Tikun ). God told man, "B'zeat apecha tochal lechem"—"By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread." And to the woman, "B'etzev teldi banim"—"In pain you will give birth to children." Why these two specific things? Because when is a person closest to feeling like a creator? When a man plants a seed in the ground and out comes a tree. When a woman conceives a seed in her womb and out comes a baby. In these moments, one is most likely to exclaim, " I'm the boss! Look what I just did! " God's wisdom ensures that precisely in these areas—your business and your family—where you feel most in control, a curveball will appear: a setback in your work or a difficulty in raising your children. The purpose ( Tachlit ) is to force us to cry out to God and declare, "I realize I'm not in charge; You are in charge." This is the meaning of the Tikun —the correction. The entire season of the High Holidays, symbolized by the bent Shofar , is designed to help us internalize this essential truth of humility and dependence on God.

Nefesh Hachaim

Nefesh Hachaim

Nefesh Hachaim

Nefesh Hachaim

Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We continue with pesukim of chizuk that are given in Megillat Eicha . We're now in Perek ג , Pasuk 24 : חֶלְקִי ה׳ אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לוֹ . Hashem is my portion says my soul, therefore I hope in Him. The Sefer Yedei Moshe points out something interesting. In the original words of Yirmiyahu when he speaks of hope, he says: זֹא ת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי, עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל "Yet this I bear in mind, therefore I still hope." But in our current pasuk it says: עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לוֹ *"Therefore, I hope * to Him." Why the difference? Why does the first phrase say simply "I hope," and the second say, "I hope in Him "? The Yedei Moshe , if you remember, pointed out that the term ochil means not only " I hope for the future, " but also "I hope for a future that actually turns around the past." We gave the mashal of a man whose building was destroyed by a missile, and then the government came and rebuilt it—even better than before. In the original hope mentioned earlier— חַסְדֵי ה׳ כִּי לֹא תָמְנוּ —the Yedei Moshe explains that Yirmiyah was referring to physical hope : hope in the face of physical difficulties and challenges that can be reversed and transformed. But now, in this pasuk , we're talking about spiritual challenges . No matter the negativity that occurred in the past, I can now reconnect to Hashem in a way that restores me—not only to where I was, but to something even greater . That's why this time it says: עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לוֹ " Therefore, I hope in Him ." This expresses my hope that I can reconstruct the relationship I once had with Hashem—only deeper, more complete. And why is that? Because: חֶלְקִי ה ׳ / My portion is Hashem What does that mean? It means my neshama is a chelek Eloka mi-ma'al —a piece of Hashem above. I am inherently connected to Hashem. And because of that deep connection, it's always possible—and even natural—to return. Although it may be hard to imagine how a destroyed home, building, or life can be rebuilt—when it comes to spiritual failure , that spiritual lapse can indeed be reconstructed and rejuvenated . There's a lot of depth to this piece. The sefarim HaKadoshim tell us—particularly the Nefesh HaChaim in his first section—that the neshama has many parts. Some parts are within the body, and others are above us. We have five levels of the soul: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, and Yechidah. Nefesh – the nefesh habehemit , the animal soul, the instinctual side of us—fight or flight, physical drives. Ruach – located in the heart, representing emotion. Neshama – in the brain, representing intellect. Chaya – soul that's above us, a that constantly feeds us inspiration from beyond. Yechidah – the highest part of the soul, rooted directly in Hashem. At that highest level, there is only One . Yechidah , from the word yachid —one, indivisible. Of course, Hashem is always One, but at that level, we recognize it clearly. There's no illusion, no separation. We're plugged in to absolute truth. And that's the source of all teshuvah —rejuvenation flows from this untouched, pristine connection that is never severed. Rav Wolbe explains that our five tefillot of Yom Kippur correspond to these five levels of the soul: Maariv Shacharit Mussaf Minchah And finally: Ne'ilah At Ne'ilah , we reach that final level— חֶלְקִי ה׳ אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי /I realize my soul is rooted in HaKadosh Baruch Hu . That's the moment when true teshuvah happens. A place where sin cannot touch. A place where spiritual renewal is not only possible—but inevitable. And that is the deep hope that Yirmiyah speaks of in our pasuk —not just a hope for physical renewal , but a hope for spiritual return . The first time: זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל This I bear in mind—therefore I hope. The second time: חֶלְקִי ה׳ אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לוֹ Hashem is my portion, says my soul—therefore I hope in Him . And the Yedei Moshe ends this beautiful idea by saying: והוא דקדוק נכון – This is a precise and meaningful nuance (between these two pesukim).

Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We continue with important lessons about the Three Weeks and how we should view them. Midrash Rabba in Eicha the introduction, letter four, Chazal describe a powerful correlation between Adam HaRishon being sent out of Gan Eden , and the Jewish people being sent out of Eretz Yisrael . It goes like this: Adam HaRishon —I brought him into Gan Eden . I commanded him. He transgressed My command. I judged him with gerushin and shiluchin . The word gerushin literally means to be thrown out, while shiluchin means to be sent out . And I bemoaned and lamented him in him Eicha . So too, his children—I brought them into Eretz Yisrael . I commanded them. They transgressed My command. And I judged them with being thrown out and sent out. For each of them, the midrash brings pesukim : Regarding Adam, it says: וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת הָאָדָם / – He was thrown out . וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ ה׳ מִגַּן עֵדֶן / Hashem sent him out And for the Jewish people as well, it says : מִבֵּיתִי אֲגָרְשֵׁם / – I will throw them out of My house . שַׁלַּח מֵעַל פָּנַי – Send them out from before Me . And also: אֵיכָה / Eicha – I lamented: אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד / So what are these two terms— thrown out ( gerushin ) and sent out ( shiluchin )? The Shelah HaKadosh on Masechet Ta'anit tells us that the purpose of creation was to serve Hashem . As it says in Bereshit 2:15 , when Adam was still in Gan Eden before the sin: וַיִּקַּח ה׳ אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ / God placed Adam in Gan Eden to serve and to guard it. That was the reason he was put there. When he was sent out, nothing changed, says the Shelah . It says in Bereshit 3:23 : וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ ה׳ אֱלֹקִים מִגַּן עֵדֶן לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה / – He was sent out to work the land. Again, he was sent out for the same purpose . He was sent out to work. So although he was thrown out , he wasn't just thrown out. As the Shelah HaKadosh and the Sefer Si'ach Yitzchak by Rav Yitzchak Isaac Chaver (quoted by Rav David Cohen) explain: Shiluchut ——means a message, a mission . A shaliach is a messenger. He's on a mission. We were thrown out, yes—but not in a negative sense, like "I don't want to see you." We were thrown out, but we were actually sent out on a mission . This is an important principle: God never punishes the way a human being punishes. God's "punishments" are really tools to fix. It's a tikkun for repair. This is a crucial idea during the Three Weeks, as we commemorate the suffering of the Jewish people. It's all there for the purpose of tikkun . The Sefer Nefesh HaChaim , Sha'ar א , Perek ו , says something beautiful. When God told Adam, " On the day you eat from the tree, you will die," He still had mercy. It wasn't a literal day. God said, " One of My days is like a thousand years" —so you will die within a thousand years of eating it. As we know, Adam gave up 70 years of his life to David HaMelech . He says: this death was not a curse or a punishment. God does not bring bad upon people. Rather, because of eating from the Etz HaDa'at , a certain negative force mixed into man. And the only way to fix that, to separate the impurity from him, was through death. That way, the body could decay and later be recomposed in Techiyat HaMeitim . That's why, after Adam eats from the Etz HaDa'at , God says: "… lest he eat from the Etz HaChaim and live forever ." The Nefesh HaChaim asks: What's wrong with that? Let him eat from the tree and live forever! Isn't that the antidote? God only wants good—so what's the problem? The answer is: if Adam eats from the Etz HaChaim , he'll live forever without fixing the damage. The evil will never separate from him. He'll never be able to see light and goodness. So, for his benefit , he was sent out of Gan Eden , so that he could ultimately reach complete tikkun gamur when all the negativity would be separated from him. Imagine: Adam HaRishon was 1,000 feet tall before he sinned. Now, after the sin, he shrinks to 100 feet. The goal is to bring him back to 1,000 feet. But if he eats from the Etz HaChaim , he'll be locked in at 100 feet forever , and never die—and thus never grow again. That's not good. That's why the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat says there were four people who died " because of the snake" —even though they didn't sin. What does that mean? It means that even though they didn't sin, there was still a negativity mixed into mankind. And for them to reach their ultimate perfection—they had to die. This is an extremely important point to appreciate in our own lives as well: Whenever we feel like we are in a state of gerushin /being thrown out —we must realize that we're really being sent out on a mission . This reminds me of the famous dvar Torah —that when Davis Hamelech was being chased by Shaul , it says: לֵךְ כִּי שִׁלְּחְךָ ה׳ / " Go, for God has sent you ." Even when you feel like you're being chased and thrown out—know this: it's a shlichut . A mission. you are being sent by God.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Today's class is dedicated le'ilui nishmat Rachel bat Jamila, Grandma Rachel Ruby A'H by her grandchildren. In our previous lesson we spoke about the words Habotchim b'shimcha be'emet/Those who rely on Hashem in truth, as we say in our Amidah. We quoted the Avudarham, who explained that "in truth" means recognizing God's name in truth —but what does that mean? Let us go back to the opening words of the Rambam in the laws of Yesodei HaTorah/The Foundations of Torah, chapter 1, halacha 1. He begins with the words: י סוד ה יסודות ו עמוד ה חכמות —the foundation of foundations and the pillar of wisdom (note that the first letters of each word spell Hashem's name) is to know that there is a מצוי ראשון , a Primary Existence —we say God is the kadmon , the First, and He is the mamtzi kol nimtza/ the One who brought everything into existence. כל נמצא וכל הנמצאים משמים וארץ ומה שביניהם לא נמצאו /And everything in the heavens and the earth and all that is in between does not exist אלא /except, -and this is the key phrase- מאמתת המצאו: / from the truth of His existence. "T ruth " here doesn't simply "true vs. false." In this context, " true " means absolute , not dependent on anything. Something that is true is real —it's reality. What does reality mean? It means it exists —it's not imaginary. When you say someone is a real person versus a fake person, you're distinguishing reality from illusion. And the only true reality is God, because everything else exists only because God wills it. If He stops willing it, it ceases to exist. So it's not really emet . Nothing else is " true ." אמת Eme t is spelled with an א alef (first letter of Alef Bet), מ (middle of the Alef Bet ( and ת tav (last)—which means Emet is means something that spans the beginning, middle, and end. That's God: Hayah, Hoveh, Veyihyeh. He is the only true existence. Rambam continues: If one could imagine the impossible—that God did not exist—then nothing else could exist either . But if everything else ceased to exist, God would still be the same. שכל הנמצאים צריכין לו והוא ברוך הוא אינו צריך להם ולא לאחד מהם לפיכך Everything depends on Him. And He doesn't need them at all. Therefore, אין אמתתו כאמתת אחד מהם: His truth is unlike the truth of anything else. This is a fundamental concept in our understanding of God—and we say it every day: Hu shehanavi omer: VaHashem Elokim Emet—God is truth . This is the source for the words in Kriat Shema: Hashem Elokeichem emet. He is the only emet— no other existence is true in the same way. That's the meaning of En od milvado—there is nothing but Him. En sham matzui emet milvado kemoto—there is no other true existence besides Him. This concept underpins the teachings of Nefesh HaChaim—God is the only real existence. He is the source of everything. He makes everything happen. He's infusing everything with energy. How could He not know what's happening in the world? That would be absurd. He is the world. People ask about hashgacha—"Does God know when a leaf falls from a tree? " There is no leaf or tree without God! Of course He knows the leaf is falling off that tree! So, going back: Habotchim b'shimcha be'emet/To rely on Hashem's name in truth means to understand the truth of His name, according to this explanation. The Hovot HaLevavot writes that the reason people lack bitachon is because they don't know who God is. This is who God is. There is nothing else but Him. Now of course, we can't truly comprehend that. The Nefesh HaChaim says that if we dwell on that idea for too long, we could lose our minds. That's why God created the concept of tzimtzum —a perceived contraction —where it seems as though the world exists independently. But we must recognize that our world is like virtual reality. Just like a hologram, it seems real—but behind it is a truer reality, which is God. This is why the term emet ke'amitato is used. There is a level of " truth " in the world, but it's not truly real —it's contingent on God. You may think, " This is deep and philosophical." Well, yes—it's the foundation of our world.. God is the Manhig hagalgal beko'ach she'ein lo ketz vetachlit/the One who moves the cosmos with infinite power. He spins the sun, the stars, the orbits. Without Him, they can't move. Hu Baruch Hu mesovev oto—He spins them, belo yad uvelo guf—without a hand, without a body. He drives everything. Understanding this is the first commandment: Anochi Hashem Elokecha—I am Hashem your God …..Who took you out of Egypt- ( because we learned it from Yetziat Mitzrayim). We paused our long stint of Yetziat Mitzrayim lessons because someone said, " How long can you talk about this? It's already Shavuot!" But sorry—we're back. Because Yetziat Mitzrayim showed us that blood isn't blood, water isn't water, the sea isn't the sea. That's Anochi Hashem Elokecha. If you think there is any other power besideGod, you're transgressing a commandment: Lo yihyeh lecha elohim acherim al panai. That's kefirah be'ikar—denying the fundamental belief. What does " denying the fundamental" mean? It means denying the principle on which everything depends. The Rambam continues onto his 13 principles of faith, all grounded in this foundation. We won't go through the entire first chapter of Yesodei HaTorah, but know this: it's fundamental. If a person doesn't know this, they're missing out. Veten sachar tov lechol habotchim b'shimcha be'emet—Give good reward to those who rely on You in truth. You can't rely on Hashem if you don't know who He is. Hashem is full of kindness. He created the world to do good because He is good and wants us to benefit. He's not an angry, vengeful God looking to punish us. He didn't have to create the world. He didn't do it so we could suffer. Hovot HaLevavot says this explicitly in Sha'ar HaBitachon, Chapter 7, when speaking about what prevents people from having bitachon. What is the primary obstacle? Hasichlut be'inyan haBorei—ignorance regarding God's nature, uv'midotav hatovot—and His good attributes. God has good middot. We are meant to emulate them: ma Hu rachum af ata rachum—just as He is merciful, so should you be. His middot are rachum ve'chanun—compassionate and gracious. If we don't understand that, if we don't understand how God watches over us, cares for us, and controls our lives—then we're like prisoners in His jail ( keshurim be'asurav) without awareness. Lo yanuach libo velo yismoch alav—how can the heart be at ease, how can you trust in Him, if you don't know who He is? How can you rely on someone you don't understand? Botchim b'shimcha be'emet—trusting in His name in truth. " Shem "—a name—represents the essence of a person. Knowing someone's name means knowing their essence. Hashem's primary name— Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh— is not His essence, but it's how He reveals Himself to us: Hayahhoveh veyihyeh mehaveh kol hahavayot , and rachamim / The One who brings all existence into being, and who is full of mercy. That name represents mercy. You must know Him, because if you don't know Him, how can you rely on Him?

Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We're on our final pasuk of Bikurim quoted in the Haggadah shel Pesach , "ויוציאנו ה׳ ממצרים" . Finally, God took us out of Egypt . "ביד חזקה" – with a strong hand, " בזרוע נטויה" – with an outstretched arm, " במורא גדול" – with great fear, " באותות" – with signs, and " ובמופתים" – with wonders. The Ba'al Haggadah explains " ויוציאנו ה׳ ממצרים ," with a very long description before proving it. He tells us there was no other force—not an angel, not a "fiery" angel, nor a messenger. Rather, it was " הקדוש ברוך הוא בכבודו ובעצמו" – God Himself took us out of Egypt. This refers specifically to Makat Bechorot , as the pasuk says, " And I passed in the land of Mitzrayim on this night, and I hit every firstborn in Mitzrayim , from man to animal, and with all of the gods of Egypt, I judged, Ani Hashem." This pasuk definitely requires explanation and understanding, as we have to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim every single day. God took us out of Egypt at midnight on that night. Why does it say midnight? There is a discussion about when the main Yetziat Mitzrayim was. Was it at night or by day? The reason we say Kriat Shema both at night and during the day is because there was an aspect of Yetziat Mitzrayim both at night and by day. There are two important lessons based on what happened at that moment. As mentioned previously, the Egyptians worshipped the sheep. The reason they worshipped the sheep was because the sheep was called Bechor Lamazalot . It was the firstborn of all the symbols of the horoscope. Sheep, or Aries as it's referred to in Latin, is why the month of Aviv, springtime when we got out, is called Aviv. It's a contraction of two words, " אב י"ב," the father of 12. The ram symbolizes the father, the first of the 12 symbols. Therefore, the Egyptians worshipped the ram and the sheep, due to their belief that this was the mazal that was in charge of the world. Furthermore, they respected the firstborn children because they were also connected to the horoscope of the sheep. The reason for Yetziat Mitzrayim was to take the Jewish people out from under mazal and have us deal directly with Hashem. This originated with Avraham Avinu. When he didn't have any children, God said, " צא החוצה" / " Go outside". Rashi says this meant, "Go out of the horoscope". We are above the horoscope. In order to portray this concept that God is the only force in nature and all other seeming forces do not have independent power, it was God Himself that wiped out the Egyptian gods and showed the world that the Egyptian horoscope symbol had no force. The reason it happened on the 15th of the month is because that is when the moon is fullest, which is the most powerful time. And Chatzot Laila , midnight, is the "power of the power". So at the point when the sheep was most powerful in the month of Nissan, its own month, we were going to bring her to her knees. And that's what happened. We have to always remember Yetziat Mitzrayim . There is a famous Nefesh HaChaim ( Shaar Gimmel, Perek Yud-Bet ), where he cites the Gemara of a certain witch that was trying to cast a spell on Rav Chanina ben Dosa, and he said, "You're wasting your time. אין עוד מלבדו" – " There is nothing else but Him". The Gemara says, "What do you mean? Kishuf / witchcraft, is able to undo things that seemingly are against God's decree!". To which the Gemara says, Rav Chanina ben Dosa had great zechut . The Nefesh HaChaim says that doesn't mean he had a lot of mitzvot . It means he had the clarity that there's nothing else but HaKadosh Baruch Hu , and he realized that this kishuf was created from God, and nothing exists other than God, and everything here comes from God. With that, he was able to undo any kishuf powers. That's the same Rav Chanina ben Dosa who said, "No problem," when his daughter complained that they had no oil to light the candles, only vinegar. "What's the difference? The One that said oil should light, [can also say] vinegar should light". That means it wasn't a miracle for him; he didn't see a difference between oil and vinegar. It was all Hashem. There are many such stories about Rav Chanina ben Dosa. The Nefesh HaChaim applies this to us and says, "This is inyan gadol v'segulah nifla'ah " – A wondrous segulah to remove all judgments and negative wills of others against you, so that they can't affect you, won't impact you, and won't make an indent at all. If a person says in his heart, "I know Hashem is in charge, and He's the only true force, there's nothing else but Him, and everything in the world only comes from Him," and he annuls in his heart a total annulment and does not pay attention to anything else in the world but God's will, and subjugates himself and connects the purity of his thoughts to God, insofar as he does that, God will annul all those negative forces so they can't impact him at all. This is easier said than done. But the point is that this revelation of " אין עוד מלבדו" ) Ein Od Milevado ) happened at the time of Makat Bechorot . It was totally revealed later on at Har Sinai, where it says, " אתה הראת לדעת כי ה׳ הוא האלקים אין עוד מלבדו" . There they actually saw it. God , it says, split open the heavens and showed them that there's nothing in the world but God. But the beginning, so to say, of God showing us this was at Makat Bechorot at Chatzot Laila . Furthermore, the Nefesh HaChaim in Shaar Gimmel, Perek Gimmel , tells us that it says, " ה׳ הוא מקומו של עולם" – " God is the place of the world," and " ואין העולם מקומו" – " and the world doesn't hold Him". One of God's names is Makom , which means that nothing else exists without Him. He's the place ; everything is within Him. It's interesting that the term Makom is used in the Haggadah shel Pesach , possibly more than any other place, when talking about God. ברוך המקום ברוך הוא. ברוך שנתן תורה לעמו ישראל ברוך הוא". "ברוך המקום ". "ועכשיו קרבנו המקום לעבודתו" – " And now the Makom (God) brought us close to His service" . "כמה מעלות טובות למקום עלינו" – " How many great qualities is it to God," referred to as Makom . "על אחת כמה וכמה טובה כפולה ומכופלת למקום עלינו" – four times it says Makom . Because this is the night that we understood this important lesson. Rav Shimshon Pinkus, in his book Tiferet Shimshon on Devarim , in Parashat Re'eh where it says " בנים אתם לה׳", says that's why, heaven forbid, when someone passes away, the custom in many communities is to say, " המקום ינחם אתכם" / God, who is called Makom , should bring you comfort" . But why is the term Makom used here? Because of this concept that God is Mekomo shel Olam , God holds everything , there's nothing there but Him. And therefore, Lo Alenu , with a problem or without a problem, with a parent or without a parent, HaKadosh Baruch Hu is the constant in their lives, and that concept should bring nechama . May we all hear nechamot from all the tzarot that we go through, and have the ultimate revelation of Makom in the future.

Nefesh HaChaim #6- Shaar 4 Perek 1-2 (5785)

Welcome to our Daily Bitachon class. We are now on the Haggadah shel Pesach series, in the unit of Mitechila, Ovdei Avodah Zarah, Hayu Avoteinu. Originally our forefathers were idol worshipers, and Hashem brought us close to him. We quote a pasuk in Yehoshua ויאמר יהושע אל כל העם Yehoshua tells the people that going back in history,, , כה אמר יי אלהי ישראל: בעבר הנהר ישבו אבותיכם מעולם, תרח אבי אברהם ואבי נחור, ויעבדו אלהים אחרים. ואקח את אביכם את אברהם מעבר הנהר, ואולך אותו בכל ארץ כנען. J את זרעו ואתן לו את יצחק. Our forefathers lived on the other side of the river, Terach the father of Abraham and Nachor worshipped other gods, " And I took your father, Abraham, and I took him throughout the land of Canaan." V'arbe et Zaro , and I increased his seed, V'eten et Yitzchak, and gave him Yitzchak . V'Ekach/ Hashem took Abraham Avinu, throughout the land. It sounds like He was holding his hand, walking him through the land, but that's not really what happened. There were trials and tribulations. It was a lot more than just He took him, so to say, and brought him. Rav Yehezkiel Levenstein says that in life, there are many events that make things happen, whether it's a famine, or a wife being kidnapped, or a war with four kings and five kings, but what is really is going on is Ve'ekach / Hashem is taking us by the hand and bringing us step by step. V'arbe et Zaro . Now simply, V'arbe means to make many. Hashem made him have many children. But Rashi on this pasuk in Yehoshua ( 24,3) says that the word וארב V'arbe is spelled without a ה hey , and therefore could be read as V'arev , which means merivah , fights. Kama merivot v'nisyonot asiti imo . There were a lot of fights, a lot of tests, until I gave him children. So we see that Hashem is telling us a very important concept through Yehoshua. Look back at history. Look at the trials and tribulations and the tests that Abraham went through before he got Yitzhak . Why was that? Rav David Cohen quotes Rav Chaim Volozhin who tells us, in his commentary, Ruach Haim on Perkei Avot , Perel 5 Mishna 3 , that Asara Nisyonot nitnaseh Avraham Avinu / Avraham, our forefather, received ten tests. The Nefesh HaChayim asks, Why does it say Avinu here about Avraham, whereas in a previous Mishnah, when it talks about the ten generations from Noah to Avraham , he's not called Avraham Avinu ? Rav Chaim Volozhin tells us an important principle, which is that when a tzaddik toils and works on a certain middah , that Middah becomes natural for his children-with just a little bit of work, they'll get there. He says, Avraham Avinu's tests gave us a certain spiritual DNA. He says, for example, that it's natural for a Jewish person to die Al kiddush Hashem . We see that simple people have given up theirs lives, Al kiddush Hashem . Why? Because Avraham Avinu was ready to jump into the fiery furnace. Additionally, Avraham Avinu picked up and moved to Eretz Yisrael . That test, of Lech Lecha became inherited. The fact that we Jewish people say Kol Ma D'avid Rachmana L'Tav Avid/Everything that Hashem does is for the good, is because Avraham Avinu didn't question God when he had to leave the land after the famine. So we see an unbelievable concept- that Hashem purposely made Avraham Avinu go through these tests so that his spiritual genetics would be stronger, and he'd be able to pass that inheritance down to the Jewish people. This is not only true of Avraham Avinu. The Ruach Haim quotes a pasuk in Mishlei 20,7, מִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בְּתֻמּ֣וֹ צַדִּ֑יק אַשְׁרֵ֖י בָנָ֣יו אַחֲרָֽיו׃ / The Sadik goes in his simplicity . Fortunate are his children afterwards . According to this Nefesh HaChaim , this is a huge hiddush , that it's not just a zechut that the Sadik does something when he's 70 and it's going to help his children. That also might be true. But the Hodesh is the concept that you're bequeathing your accomplishments to your children. So, if a man gets married at 24 and went through a lot of tests before that and then has a child when he's 30 or 33 or 40, or if it's child number 8 that's born into old age, that child has in him all of the tests that the father and mother overcame. It's now built into him. So sometimes we have all kinds of tests and trials and tribulations. We don't realize what it's doing for us, and what is going into our spiritual makeup that we're going to pass down to our children. Everything Hashem does is measured. Avraham Avinu had to wait until he was 99 years old to have a child. Why did he have to wait so long? So one answer is that Hashem wants to hear the Tefilot of Sadikim . Another answer that is brought down in early sources, is that Avraham Avinu was Mekarev people, but he couldn't have a child until he had a brit milah , because he had to be perfect in that way first. And once he had a brit milah , he was somewhat separated from the rest of the world. So therefore, Hashem pushed it off as late as possible. There are all kinds of answers, but now we're hearing a new answer. Avraham Avinu had to be of that age because he went through so many tests, and then he was ready to give that spiritual DNA over to his future children, and future generations.

Welcome to our Daily Bitachon series. We are now in the Haggadah shel Pesach, in the unit of: מתחילה עובדי עבודה זרה היו אבותינו. Originally, our forefathers were idol worshippers. This part of the Haggadah is extremely important. One of the fundamentals of the night of the seder is מתחילין בגנות ומסיימין בשבח. You have to start with a negative and end with a positive. There's an argument in the Gemara in Masechet Pesachim 116a about What exactly is the negative and what's the positive? Rav says the negative is that originally we were idol worshippers. Shemuel says the negative is originally we were slaves to Paroah. According to most opinions, they both agree. That's why we mention both. The question is, what is the main point and what do we start with? Is the main point the physical subjugation or is it the spiritual subjugation? To explain in a very simple way that they both agree, the Rambam says that the most fundamental way to explain the story is to say, See the housekeeper or slave working in the kitchen We could have been like that. But that's for the simple child that doesn't understand any real depth. The deeper concept, that we were idol worshippers and Hashem took us out of because we became idol worshippers once again in Mitzrayim, is something that's a little more complex. That's not something that the average child might understand. So they're both true. And I'll add, with the poetic license, that the more advanced student is still awake and participating at the point of Mitechila .. The child who asked Ma Nishtana and got his Avadim Hayinu answer may not still be with us at this point in the Seder, at the time to start getting a little deeper. The Rambam describes the seder in the laws of Chametz and Matzah chapter 7, Halacha 4, and says so beautifully, Children, originally we were Kofrim, we were deniers. We were mistakenly after hot air and nonsense,, chasing after idol worship. That's the beginning. And we end with Discussing the true religion, that God brought us close to that, and separated us from those that strayed, and brought us close to the understanding of His Oneness. That's the piece we are discussing now. We have to understand that there is more to the story than just physical slavery and physical redemption. There is a spiritual component as well. So here we go: מתחילה עובדי עבודה זרה היו אבותינ We were strayers, we were lost. And now, says Rav Wolbe is a powerful word. ועכשיו קרבנו המקום ברוך הוא לעבודתו And now , here, right now at the Seder, God brings us closer, every single year, to Avodat Hashem. Now is the time to pause and talk about the word that's used to describe Hashem, especially at the seder: Makom מקום . Why this term of Makom ? The Nefesh HaChaim, in Shaar 3, perek 1, tells us that the concept of Makom is a place, something that holds and enables something to stand. A table is a place for a glass. If you take away the table, the glass comes crashing down. So too, Hashem is the true Place for everything. He's holding everything. If Hashem takes away His energy for even for a moment, then there's no longer a space for anything and everything will just disintegrate. As it says, You, God give life to everything. The Rambam says in the beginning of his sefer, that this is the foundation of our Emunah. If, for a moment, Hashem would stop energizing the world, the world would cease to exist. The same Nefesh HaChaim in Shaar 1, perek 16 says If the whole world, from one end to the other, would be empty for one second from people toiling in Torah, the entire world, all the world, would turn back into nothingness. He says it again in Shaar 4, perek 10, and he adds the word, Mamash / literally, I'm not exaggerating. And in Shaar 4 perek 25, he says It's enough if just one Jew is learning Torah, the world will continue. That's the power of Torah. In other words, Hashem connected us to this concept of Makom . God is the Makom of the world, but He entrusted us, and empowered us to keep that energy going. That happened with Yetziat Mitzrayim, and with Matan Torah. We became the chosen nation and we were empowered. That's ועכשיו קרבנו המקום ברוך הוא לעבודתו God connected us in this aspect of Makom . We are now empowered with keeping the world going. It's not a simple task. No wonder Hashem is constantly making sure that we're in proper shape, and doing what we're supposed to be doing-Because we are necessary! As it says (and this is a hard concept to say) תנו עז לאלהים/Give strength to God. Kal v'yachol , Hashem set up the world after He gave us to Torah, that we are giving energy and power, so to say, to God, through our Torah learning.

Nefesh HaChaim #5- Shaar 1 Perek 21-22 (5785)

Nefesh HaChaim #4- Shaar 1 Perek 12-14 (5785)

In this Question and Answer session on areas of Judaism and Jewish thought with Rabbi Daniel Rowe at Aish HaTorah Yeshiva, the following questions are raised and discussed: 00:00 How does prayer fit into our other service of Hashem? Why do we pray? 14:35 Can we feel or experience spirituality? 23:30 How do we motivate ourselves to bring God's light into the world? 28:20 Nefesh Hachaim vs Chassidus 37:30 When and how does hashkafah (philosophical perspective) impact Halacha (Jewish law)? 41:30 How is Halacha decided nowadays? Can we decide for ourselves? Be sure to subscribe to the channel for weekly videos on Jewish philosophy, wisdom and world-changing ideas. Rabbi Daniel Rowe is a popular Rabbi, philosopher and educator at Aish, who uses his deep knowledge of Judaism, science, and philosophy to captivate and educate audiences across the globe. Follow Rabbi Rowe on social media for regular new uploads and updates: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2IUE77xD5uF_1xmWxWoBSg Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qPQn7TIWdQ8Dxvy6RfjyD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabbidanielrowe/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cd5debfe-684c-411d-b0bc-223dcfa58a39/rabbi-daniel-rowe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabbi-daniel-rowe-23838711/?originalSubdomain=uk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi.daniel.rowe #jewish #rabbi #jewishwisdom #torah #philosophy #prayer #soul #chassidut #halacha

We discuss the Rambam and Nefesh HaChaim's perspectives on Yaakov's Ladder and the purpose of Mitzvos. We also mention that we should look to our parents as examples. This Drasha was given at the Yeshiva of Waterbury in תשפ״ה

Nefesh HaChaim #3- Shaar 1 Perek 8-9 (5785)

Nefesh HaChaim #2- Shaar 1 up to Perek 9 (5785)

Nefesh HaChaim #1- The Spiritual World and the Physical World (5785)

Nefesh HaChaim #1- The Spiritual World and the Physical World (5785)

Towards the end of this week's parasha, Chukat , there was a tragic incident in which the Jewish People spoke negatively against Hashem and against Moshe. Hashem sent fiery serpents to bite them and a large multitude of the people died. The remainder made teshuva and asked Moshe to pray to Hashem to stop the plague. Hashem then told Moshe to make a fiery serpent and place it on a pole and whoever would look up at it would be healed of his snake bite. The Gemara asks, do snakes have the power to bring life? And it answers, the idea was that the Jews should look up towards Heaven and subjugate themselves to Hashem and that's what would bring about their healing. The sefer Vaveh H'amudim brought a question, if the main thing was looking towards Hashem, then what was the point of putting the snake on the pole? They should have just been told, "look up and subjugate yourselves to Hashem." Rav Chaim Volozhiner answered this question based on the famous segula he brings down in his sefer Nefesh HaChaim , shaar 3. "Indeed, it is a great and wondrous segula to remove and nullify all strict judgments and wills of other people so they can have no power over him and no impact on him whatsoever, when a person decides in his heart, saying, 'Hashem is the true G-d and there is nothing besides Him in this world and the Upper Worlds. אין עוד מלבדו . Everything is filled with only His unity.' As well, the person nullifies in his heart with a complete nullification and does not pay any attention at all to any power or will in this world and submits himself and clings to the purity of his thoughts that the One and only G-d is Hashem. Then, Hashem will nullify for him all the powers and desires in this world so that nothing can be done to him whatsoever." With this in mind we can understand why the Jews had to look at the image of the very snake which bit them. They needed to stare at the object which inflicted harm upon them and then honestly believe that it had no powers of its own. That is how they subjugated themselves towards Hashem and in that merit they were healed. It's very easy to say the words אין עוד מלבדו , but to see in front of one's eyes something which appears to have power and then believe that it is nothing, that is where the great segula lies. When we could truly believe there is no such thing as nature, we could even see miracles. A man recently related that, when he was younger, he heard a powerful class about praying to avoid problems rather than waiting for the problems to come and then praying to get rid of them. He then started praying to get married and have children, way before he became of age. Baruch Hashem, he got married and had his first child within the year. And over the next years, he and his wife were blessed with a few more children. About a year after their last child was born, he went to the doctor because of a pain he was having. The doctor did a number of tests and, when the results came back, he called him and asked if he could come speak to him. The office was close to where he needed to drop off a couple of his children that day, so he brought them along. When the doctor called him in, he asked him when he adopted those children. The man replied they were his own. The doctor was stunned. He said based on the test results that he did, it would have been impossible for him to ever have children. Indeed, since that visit, he did not have another child. Because of his tefilot , Hashem gave him and his wife a miraculous family. Hashem could do anything and when we believe in His powers and nothing else, b'ezrat Hashem, we will see miracles.

In this series, Rabbi Daniel Rowe learns and explains the classic Jewish mystical work, "Nefesh HaChaim" by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, touching on many deep Kabbalistic and philosophical truths in Judaism. This episode explores the power of speech and also the 4 Kabbalistic worlds, or layers of relality, known as 'Atzilut' (Emanation), 'Beriah' (Creation), 'Yetzira' (Formation) and 'Asiya' (Action/Completion)'. Subscribe for more videos about Judaism, Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah. Rabbi Daniel Rowe is a popular Rabbi, philosopher and educator in the UK, who uses deep knowledge of Judaism, science and philosophy to captivate and educate audiences on a daily basis. Follow Rabbi Rowe on Social media for regular new uploads and updates: YouTube: / @rabbidanielrowe. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qPQn7T... Instagram: / rabbidanielrowe. . Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cd5... LinkedIn: / rabbi-dan. . TikTok: / rabbi.daniel.. . #kabbalah #jewishwisdom #jewishphilosophy #jewish

In this series, Rabbi Daniel Rowe learns and explains the classic Jewish mystical work, "Nefesh HaChaim" by Rav Chaim of Volozhin, touching on many deep Kabbalistic and philosophical truths in Judaism. This episode analyses the 12th chapter that discusses how the world to come is composed entirely of our own actions; we literally live inside the acts and choices we make.

In this series, Rabbi Daniel Rowe learns and explains the classic Jewish mystical work, "Nefesh HaChaim" by Rav Chaim of Volozhin, touching on many deep Kabbalistic and philosophical truths in Judaism. Subscribe for more videos about Judaism, Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah. Rabbi Daniel Rowe is a popular Rabbi, philosopher and educator in the UK, who uses deep knowledge of Judaism, science and philosophy to captivate and educate audiences on a daily basis. Follow Rabbi Rowe on Social media for regular new uploads and updates: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RabbiDanielRowe?si=dLtRunDWpW0GbOkx Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qPQn7TIWdQ8Dxvy6RfjyD Instagram: https://instagram.com/rabbidanielrowe?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/LHRiZdB5EL2VdNaA/? Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cd5debfe-684c-411d-b0bc-223dcfa58a39/rabbi-daniel-rowe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabbi-daniel-rowe-23838711?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi.daniel.rowe?_t=8i87VmPNE7V&_r=1 #jew #jewish #judaism #light #happiness #pleasure #philosophy #chanukah  #hanukah

In this series, Rabbi Daniel Rowe learns and explains the classic Jewish mystical work, "Nefesh HaChaim" by Rav Chaim of Volozhin, touching on many deep Kabbalistic and philosophical truths in Judaism. Subscribe for more videos about Judaism, Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah. Rabbi Daniel Rowe is a popular Rabbi, philosopher and educator in the UK, who uses deep knowledge of Judaism, science and philosophy to captivate and educate audiences on a daily basis. Follow Rabbi Rowe on Social media for regular new uploads and updates: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@RabbiDanielRowe?si=dLtRunDWpW0GbOkx Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qPQn7TIWdQ8Dxvy6RfjyD Instagram: https://instagram.com/rabbidanielrowe?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/LHRiZdB5EL2VdNaA/? Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cd5debfe-684c-411d-b0bc-223dcfa58a39/rabbi-daniel-rowe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabbi-daniel-rowe-23838711?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi.daniel.rowe?_t=8i87VmPNE7V&_r=1 #jew #jewish #judaism #light #happiness #pleasure #philosophy #chanukah  #hanukah

We discuss the opinion of the Nefesh HaChaim regarding how the concept of God's concealment is an idea that can cause disillusionment. We specifically speculate that caution is being taken with the presentation of this concept in the Tanya. This class was given at the Phoenix Community Kollel on 11/29/23.

We read the Nefesh HaChaim that discusses the unique capacity of humans literally move worlds. This class was given at the Phoenix Jewish Community Center on 11/22/23.

  In this episode we take a deeper look at the potential benefits of proper Torah learning. How does this have the potential to give us the tools to deal with the challenges of maintaining commitment in our times?    We also look at how there are parallelisms between Tanya and Nefesh HaChaim in their understanding of high level Avodas Hashem.    We also examine if there is a connection between the Chassidic practice of wearing a bekesh or jacket when they learn and the Tanya's definition of Torah Lishma. Or is there another reason for this practice.  Nach Yomi: Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS  

 In this episode we look at how Tanya understands the process of learning Torah and how this is connected to Dveikus.  According to the Tanya, how do we understand the ideal of focusing on Dveikus when learning Torah? According to Tanya is there a connection between the process of understanding a sugya and Dveikus?   We also look at the Ramchal's statements about this issue.  Is Tanya closer to the Ramchal on this or to the Nefesh HaChaim? Nach Yomi: Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS  

In this episode, we start  looking at the famed machlokes between the Tanya and Nefesh HaChaim about Torah Lishma. In order to properly understand R Chaim Volozhin's approach it is necessary to understand what place, ‘Avodas Hashem', plays in the Misnagdic world. How important did the Vilna Gaon and R Chaim Volozhin think this was? We similarly examine the famed statement of R Yisroel Salanter on the obligation to learn Mussar. Would R Yisroel say the same thing today? Nach Yomi: Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. Click here to join!  For tours, speaking engagements, or sponsorships contact us at jewishhistoryuncensored@gmail.com PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS