When a Jew cries out “enough with exile!” the Evil Inclination approaches him and argues: What are you screaming about? The Jewish people have demanded that before, but to no avail; the exile continued. Why is it that you think that you will be any different and succeed in securing your demands?!
The Rebbe Rayatz clarified the concept of long life – true life, which is free of interruption – in order that one would not consider it as it appears to the naked eye, but he should know that even after the histalkus there is the concept of uninterrupted life, eternal life, with regard to the nasi ha’dor, the leader of the generation, and through him eternal life is channeled to the entire generation.
How can we be discussing how the laws of Kiddush HaChodesh, the new moon, will take place in the times of Moshiach, if everyone knows that that in times of Moshiach that “the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun” (Yeshaya 30:26) and there will be no renewal?
Moving and naming the yeshiva. * From the life of R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman Serebryanski a”h.
These are men with exile in their spirit and hearts. Freedom of the body is not sufficient. The main thing is to expel the exile from within the heart, the Rebbe emphasized.
R’ Yosef Wineberg thought that his friend, the old Tamim, was killed in the war. A year and a half ago, he was discovered to be living in Tashkent. * The two of them passed away recently and are certainly happy to meet up above and reminisce about the time they spent in Tomchei T’mimim in Otvotzk.
Without oil, the wick will quickly burn out, utterly consumed by the intensity of the flame. It is the oil that enables the two to coexist, and fuels the flame while it is attached to the wick. So, too, the oil of Torah, especially the way it is illuminated by the mystical teachings of Kabbala and Chassidus, provides fuel for the Soul’s fiery existence and enables it to perform its ultimate mission – to remain united with the body and be spiritual within a physical world.
How could Jacob’s sons, who are all referred to Biblically as “G-dly tribes,” consider committing such a dastardly deed as murdering their own flesh and blood, especially considering Joseph was their father’s most beloved son?
The mashpia, R’ Yair Calev, speaks with Beis Moshiach about the personal significance of Tanya for each one of us. * He explains how the learning becomes alive within us, so that our avodas Hashem becomes a workshop for life and a Torah of life, that bestows meaning and clarity on every moment of our lives. * He shows how Tanya teaches us about relationships, giving us a new perspective.
A heartfelt, pain-filled letter to her best friend, Mira Scharf, may Hashem avenge her blood.
It is ten years since the passing of the Chassid R’ Zalman Levin a”h of Kfar Chabad. He walked among us but he belonged to the generation of giants, Chassidim who lived lives of mesirus nefesh. In a series of meetings with him, he recounted the story of his childhood in a Chassidishe home in the Soviet Union where children learned Torah and where kosher meat was secretly slaughtered.
Even if we do call it “Chanukah gelt.” Money is supposed to be the root of all evil, gelt is blotteh, and it is symbolic of everything that is negative in the world. This is not merely folklore; in Chazal we find that the title “Bnan Shel K’doshim” – basically a holy person – was bestowed on R’ Menachem ben Simai specifically because he refrained from even looking at money!
Chanuka is from the root “chinuch,” and from the youngest of ages we need to provide children with uncompromising chinuch. Yes, there are times when leniencies are permitted, but when it comes to chinuch, we shouldn’t rely on them. Chinuch needs to be uncompromising, pure olive oil.
December 7, 2012