Teshuva: The True Meaning of Repentance

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, latest shiur

Chessed Shel Emmet

Text by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto 

The month of Elul is at our doorstep, these are days of mercy and supplication as we prepare for the approaching Day of Judgment, the day we will cry out and beg our Creator: ‘Inscribe us for a good life, all the sons of your covenant!’

Rav Eizik Sher Zatzal explained that in order to merit ‘a good life’ in this world we have to keep those Mitzvot in which we specifically eat of it's fruit in this world – such as Chessed, kindness. Of particular power is Chessed Shel Emmet, true kindness, which is the type of kindness where the giver doesn’t expect anything in return. A kindness where the recipient doesn’t know that any kindness was done to him. Such Chessed is termed ‘Chessed for the sake of Chessed’, and it is through this that a person can earn himself a ‘good life’.

During the month of Elul there was a notice hung up on the front door of the Talmud Torah, which read as follows: “A king’s rulership is established only when his servants are united in serving Him, so the way to achieve ‘shetamlichuni Aleichem’ (you shall crown me King over you) is to form a united front. It is incumbent upon us to accept on ourselves that the entire year we will busy ourselves with loving our fellow. And that is how we will crown Hashem king. Let none of us say this is too difficult, because when a person gets involved in various ideas [of chessed] it will slowly become easier, and especially if one follows the path [presented in the book] Tomer Devorah."

Rav Simchah Zissel of Kelm told his students during the final semester of the Talmud Torah in Grubin, that the main Avoda of the approaching month of Elul is to make efforts to tolerate even those with outlooks and opinions differing greatly from our own. “This is our prime obligation this Elul” he instructed.

In a discourse presented by Maran Rosh HaYeshiva HaRav Ahron Leib Steinman, zatzal, during the days of Selichot, he mentioned that it is Hashem’s desire that each individual arrives at Rosh Hashana with the recognition that Hashem is king and that he wants to serve Him. The words ‘vetamlichuni aleichem’ (crown me king over you) means we must resolve to think our every thought through the prism of the Torah, whether in matters between us and our fellow man or between us and Hashem.

If we would stand back and observe the quarrels and fights going on around us, what are they fighting about? Why is it worth their while, what do they gain from it? Don’t they realize that for every ‘Vitur’ (concession to the other) they would reap enormous gains, as Chazal tell us ‘One who goes against his natural tendencies of character Hashem will remove all his sins’. And who amongst us would say we don’t need atonement… for there is no such thing in this world as a perfect Tzadik who has never sinned…

Those who stubbornly stand firm and insist on their rights, not giving in an inch, what do they gain? One must constantly ‘weigh the loss of a Mitzvah against its reward, and the reward of a sin against it’s losses’. When we think along those lines we will see right away when the calculation is not quite right. One must accept the yoke of Heaven in all matters – and when a person makes the correct cheshbonot he will only stand to gain, and perhaps even be saved from dispute, slander or gossip and other types of sins.. it is an unlimited gain. That is how a person should crown Hashem king over himself, and he will merit a good year.

Rabbi Moshe Aharon Pinto, ztk"l

by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

The tzaddik constantly anticipated the coming of Mashiach. In addition, he actively sought to hasten his coming. He would tell everyone who came to see him that he should wait for and anticipate with complete faith the coming of Mashiach, who will redeem us.

He explained his move to live in Eretz Yisrael in the following way: The main purpose of establishing the Jewish State was so that Torah would flourish within it preceding the redemption. He would always say, “Too bad that the State was not established by Mashiach, bringing the world to its perfection under the Kingship of Hashem, following the devastating Holocaust.”

He also added, “We live in the State of Israel, but the true State will be established only when everyone will coronate Hashem as their King and will engage in Torah and mitzvot. Then, Mashiach will come and bring the world to perfection.

“Meanwhile, it is preferable to live in Eretz Yisrael as it says, ‘I am an alien and a resident among you.’ Those living in Eretz Yisrael possess an added merit over those outside it. People living in the Diaspora are in a darker exile, as opposed to those residing in Eretz Yisrael, who become imbued with its holiness. How fortunate are we, and how fortunate is our lot.”

Rabbeinu added that his father would often repeat that if not for all the Torah learned in the yeshivot and kollelim in Eretz Yisrael, the State would not be able to exist. It is only the Torah that protects and rescues the Jewish people from all those who rise against them, especially in these days.

Only for the sake of Torah did Hashem grant Divine assistance for the establishment of the State. In fact, until today people come from all over the world to learn Torah in Eretz Yisrael and to settle on its holy soil. The State’s existence is possible only through the mercy of Hashem, as it says, “The eyes of Hashem, your G-d, are always upon it [the Land], from the beginning of the year to the year’s end.”

Rabbi Moshe Aharon would always pray that Hashem would bring the leaders of the State to do teshuvah, since the redemption is so close, as it says, “He was standing behind our wall.” He expressed, “If only everyone would advance a bit more in Torah, teshuvah, and good deeds, we would merit witnessing that which we so yearn to see.”

When Moreinu v'Rabbeinu, the tzaddik Rabbi David Chananya Pinto, shlit"a expanded on the issue of the imminent geulah, he related pensively:

I remember that once my esteemed father, Rabbeinu Moshe Aharon Pinto, zya"a, called me and said: "Take a pen and paper and record the revelation that I am about to impart to you." Then father quoted to me the pasuk [Yeshayahu 52:7]: Ma navu al heharim raglei mevaser tov mashmia yeshua omer l'Zion malach Elokayich – How beautiful are the feet of the herald on the mountains, announcing peace, heralding good tidings, announcing salvation, saying to Zion, "Your God has manifested His kingdom." He repeated this pasuk again and again. I was confused and asked father, zt"l, "What revelation do we see here?" And he answered me, "Look closely at the plain meaning of the pasuk. Is there not an amazing revelation here before your eyes?!"… When I answered again in the negative, father repeated and told me that I should write the pasuk again. So it was repeated a few times. I know for a fact that for years father would repeat this pasuk to anyone who came by his way, and his message was hidden and concealed from us. I could not get to the bottom of his deep thoughts.

Only after many years, Hashem opened my eyes, and I clearly understood his message. It seems to me, with siyata d'Shemaya, that my father intended to convey, "mevaser tov – announcing peace" (lit. good), is referring to the holy Torah, which is called "good," as it is stated, "For I gave you good teaching; forsake not My instruction." This implies that when Mashiach will arrive, and he will "announce peace" (lit. good), and we will hear and be taught Torah directly from him, and we will merit learning from him the Torah of truth in purity, it will be crystal clear, as if strained in a sieve meant to strain flour from all rubbish, and there will be no inaccuracies; then Torah will flourish and shine in the world, and we will witness the fulfillment of "Your God has manifested His kingdom." This will be in the merit of the Torah that will be taught by Mashiach, and then Hashem will be King over the entire worlds, and His Kingship will be accepted universally, and all the inhabitants of the world will recognize that Hashem is G-d over the Heavens Above and the earth below.

Thus father, zt"l, longed and yearned for the coming of Mashiach, and his entire aspiration was to learn Torah accurately from Mashiach himself, and so that the Kingship of Hashem should spread throughout the world, because this is the quality of "Torah of Truth," that it flourishes and leads to more revelations, and consequently the Name of Hashem, Who is the giver of the Torah is glorified, and His Kingdom is recognized by all. May the merit of the Torah protect us and all of Klal Yisrael.

Tikkun Le'il Shavuot

Etsy Art

by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

The custom to learn Torah on the eve of Shavuot [also see here for more information]

Millions of people all over the world are eager to receive “only” one blessing from the Creator of the world. They are willing to work hard with all their heart and soul in order to merit being included in the category of fortunate people, who are listed in the sefer zichronot of Hashem. Of course, to merit receiving The ultimate blessing, with a capital “T”, is not simple. However, once a year a unique opportunity presents itself to receive not only one blessing from Hashem, but to receive a package full of blessings, with seventy blessings all together.

This unique opportunity will commence on Motzei Shabbat, on the eve of Shavuot, since on this night it is the common practice throughout the Diaspora to remain awake all night to study Torah until dawn.

What is the reward for those who learn Torah all night on the eve of Shavuot?

This is what the holy Zohar reveals [Introduction to the Zohar chelek I, p. 8]:

All those who complete the tikkun on this night and do so joyously, will be registered and recorded in the sefer zichronot, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu blesses them with seventy blessings and with crowns from the Upper world. Regarding them it says, “Then those who fear Hashem spoke to one another and Hashem listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear Hashem and those who give thought to His Name.”

Regarding the segulah of learning Torah throughout the eve of Shavuot, the sefer on the customs of the Arizal, called Pitora d’Abba, states: All those who did not sleep in this night at all, not even for one moment, and was involved in the study of Torah the entire night, is promised that he will live out the year and no harm will befall him in that year. As Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai writes in his introduction to Bereishit, “He will live through the year in peace.” Moreover, a person’s life is determined according to this matter, because if he will not sleep at all on the eve of Shavuot, then he will surely not die that year. This is why it became a custom for Am Yisrael to delve in Torah the entire night of Shavuot.

Moreover, it is important to note that there are many communities that are meticulous about not speaking any mundane words the entire night until after the Kedushah beginning with “Keter” (כתר) in the tefillah of Mussaf. This is a special segulah, according to the Arizal, to be saved from death defined as “karet” (כרת), since the word “karet” (כרת) contains the same letters as “Keter” (כתר)

Befitting Teshuvah

The reason for learning Torah on the eve of Shavuot is explained in Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer. At the time of Matan Torah, Bnei Yisrael had slept throughout the night, since sleeping on the Atzeret is pleasant, and the night is short. Hashem had to wake them up from their sleep with thunder and lightning, which occurred prior to receiving the Torah on Har Sinai. In order to make amends, Chazal established, as befitting teshuvah, to be on duty that entire night and study the holy Torah in the way they outlined, until dawn, and hear kriat HaTorah and the Ten Commandments as if we had just received them on Har Sinai.

How to Ascend to the Heavens

Rabbi Anava has a very short video on how to pick yourself up after a bad day.

The Messianic Showdown

For those who can't listen to the video....the following is my transcript of the first half of Rabbi Mendel Kessin's shiur The Significance of May 12th and May 14th 2018 

The 2,000 year old Medrash says that at the end of time .....in the [seven year] cycle in which Moshiach comes, Paras [Iran] will make war with Arav [Saudi Arabia].... and Arav will seek counsel with Edom [America].... and Paras will instigate a war with the entire world.    Israel will be conflicted.... what will they do?.... the entire world will be frightened. [This obviously refers to the fact that Iran can go nuclear.]

And then there will be a Bas Kol [a Divine Voice] that is heard throughout creation for those that are able to hear it, and it will say ''The time of your Redemption has arrived.''  Which means that this war between Persia and Israel [and the world] is the last war.   The Bas Kol continues ''All that I have done is for the sake of purifying the Jewish people''.

So we can see that this final war is between Iran and the Jewish people.

This prophecy indicates that Iran will succeed with a nuclear bomb and they will use this to make war with the Jewish people and the entire world.

However, a change seems to be happening. We must remember that even if there is a prophecy where things can be very bad, this can change because we don't know what merit Jews can achieve that has the ability to influence a Divine decree.  We see this with Yonah who went to warn Nineveh that there was a prophecy, and Nineveh was saved because they repented.

President Trump is certainly going to create a showdown with Iran. Iran is very afraid of the extreme sanctions which he can issue against them which would destroy their economy.  This would lead to a rebellion, of which the Kohmeinis are very afraid.  Trump will demand a de-nuclearization, total transparency, prohibit the manufacture of missiles that carry the war-heads, and bring an end to the terrorism all over the Middle East, especially against Israel.

Either way there will be a showdown.  And this is the Messianic final war: Iran making war against Israel and the world.

This means that Hashem has changed the decree, and is getting President Trump, who represents the tov she'b Eisav - the good part of Eisav who makes teshuva at the end - to neutralize Iran.....  and now we can understand what Eisav will do [is doing] to help Israel at the end of days.

This is Messianic.  This means that Hashem has stopped the prophecy - we don't know exactly why and we don't know exactly what the Jews have done to merit this.  There could be many reasons why.  The amazing thing is that Hashem is using Eisav to achieve this.  President Trump is involved in the Messianic process and his job is to protect the Jewish people.  He is not just stopping Iran, he is stopping the war at the End of Time before the coming of Moshiach, and that is the most incredible thing.

....to be continued [if I have time!]

Olam Ha-Bo in An Instant

Unknown Artist

by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlita

Commenting on the verse that states, “the Children of Israel walked on the dry land amid the sea” [Beshalach 15:19], the author of Noam Elimelech writes, “Just as the Children of Israel did at the Red Sea, the great Tzaddikim managed to perceive the unlimited greatness of the Eternal, even as if they found themselves on dry land in the middle of the Red Sea.”

One may ask a few questions on this passage:

1. How can one imagine that, on the one hand, the Children of Israel had reached such a spiritual level that they saw the Divine Presence, could even point out G-d, and had Divine inspiration enough to sing the Shirah with Moses, yet on the other hand were forced to purify themselves of the forty-nine levels of impurity once they left the sea [Zohar, Yitro 39a]?

2. Why did they have the merit to see the Celestial Chariot when they passed through the Red Sea, while at the same time they were still stuck in their impurity and continued to worship idols? The Children of Israel should have normally purified and sanctified themselves first, having the privilege to see the Shechinah only after receiving the Torah.

It is because our Sages teach that one can merit the world to come in an instant [Avodah Zarah 10b, 17a]. Incidentally, one can also lose it in an instant. They could therefore not linger for a second longer, and well before reaching the threshold of the fiftieth gate of impurity, they reached elevated spiritual levels. “For they were driven from Egypt for they could not delay, וגם [and also] provisions they could not make for themselves” [Bo 12:39]. The word וגם has the same numerical value (49) as מט (forty-nine levels of impurity). Yet in their impurity, they nevertheless did offer the Passover sacrifice, and did circumcise themselves, mixing in this way (as we have seen) the blood of the Brit with that of the Passover sacrifice.

Even though they knew that they were not meritorious, they believed in G-d Who promised to strike all the firstborn of Egypt in the middle of the night [Bo 12:29]. If they sprinkled blood on the lintel of their doors, He would pass above them and spare them [v.13].

The behavior of the Children of Israel is thus unique in the annals of history. What other people managed to believe in G-d and offer Him sacrifices while wandering in the desert, in an uncultivated land, far from G-d and devoid of the Torah to guide them?

It was the survivors of the plague of darkness that repented and merited the world to come in a few moments. When the Eternal saw that they devoted themselves completely to Him, even thought they were still impure, He blessed them with shefa (abundance), with light and holiness, and enabled them to reach great spiritual heights in allowing them to witness the miracle at the Red Sea. It was because He looked into their hearts and knew that they aimed only to obey Him.

The Children of Israel nevertheless had to rectify all their sins in the desert. Imbued with holiness when then passed through the Red Sea, they knew exactly how to get rid of their impurity, and how to get closer to the Holy One, blessed be He.

But those who didn’t improve their behavior showed that, in fact, they refused to get closer to G-d and to leave Egypt. Therefore they died in the plague of darkness because they wanted to “help” the forces of evil that function in the night [Zohar II:164b]. It was thus the darkness that punished them [cf. Shabbat 105b]. The Eternal also revealed Himself as much to those that didn’t believe in Him, as to those that recognized Him without even having received the Torah or witnessed the miracle at the Red Sea. They could therefore rectify all their bad traits and merit the world to come in an instant.

T-E-S-H-U-V-A

Miriam Swerdlov spells out the word Teshuva - the Hebrew letters spell out different phrases that represent the word itself.

Converts and Soul Roots

 

And Abram took Sarai his wife, his nephew Lot, and all their belongings, as well as the souls that they made in Haran; and they left to go into the land of Canaan [Lech Lecha 12:5]

When a person is in a state of small-mindedness (mohin d'katnus), he gives birth to the souls of converts. (1) This is the meaning of: "the souls that they made in Haran," which is the three aspects of Elokim in Smallness, having the numerical value of the word Haran (2).

(1) This idea, found throughout the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, is based upon the principle of root and branch souls. When a root soul falls to a lower level, it is in order to raise up the "branch" souls that are connected to him, who themselves are on a low level. Although converts may have very high souls - according to the Talmud, they observe the mitzvos with more exactitude than born Jews - before their conversion, their souls are locked in a Gentile body. A similar teaching can be found in the writings of the Baal Shem Tov concerning ba'alei teshuva - returnees to Judaism. Their ability to repent comes from the influence of a Tzaddik who has fallen to a lower level and raised himself again.

It is necessary to understand why G·d created a situation in which a Tzaddik falls from his level. It would certainly be better for him to remain constantly on his level and serve G-d with an expanded consciousness and to love Him perfectly. The Baal Shem Tov and my Master, Rabbi Dov Baer (the Maggid of Mezritch) explained it as follows. When the Tzaddik falls from his level and endeavors to regain his strength, he creates the souls of converts. This is like someone who wants to take his friend out of the mud. He also has to go down into the muck to raise him up." [See Kedushas Levi, by R. Levi Yitzchok of Berditchov, on the verse: "Your ointments have a goodly fragrance" (Song of Songs 1:3)]

(2) G-d's Name "Elokim" has the numerical value of 86. When multiplied by three, gives the number 258, which is the numerical value of the word "Haran." The implication is that when Abraham and Sarah were in the land of Haran - in a state of small-mindedness - they gave birth to the souls of converts: "the souls that they had made in Haran."

[See R. Yitzchok Luria, Etz Chayim, Sha'ar HaKelalim, chapter 13.3]

Sefer Baal Shem Tov: The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah

Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore

One Small Step - One Giant Leap

Art - The Garden of Melancholia: Mike Worrall

from the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

There was once a tzaddik who became very depressed and melancholy. This depression caused the tzaddik great difficulty, and it became worse and worse. He fell into lassitude and heaviness, where it was literally impossible for him to move.

He wanted to make himself happy and uplift himself, but it was impossible for him to do anything. Whenever he found something that would make him happy, the Evil One would find sadness in it. Therefore it was impossible for him to do anything to make himself happy, since in everything he found sadness.

He pondered G-d's kindness that "He did not make me a heathen" and realized that this could be a source of great joy, without any sadness.

{The main thing is to make a small beginning. G-d said "Open for Me like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you like the gates of the Temple" [Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:3]. Thus, no matter how low a person is, if he makes even a single motion to serve G-d, it is something very great on high, and it can bring him back completely. [Likutey Halakhoth, Tefillin 5:43]  The main thing is to make the first move. If one begins even a little bit, one can go very high}

When a person tries to find joy in something that he himself did, it is possible to find sadness in every joy. No matter what he does, he can find shortcomings, and he will not be able to uplift himself and be happy. But in the fact that "He did not make me a heathen" there is no sadness. This is from G-d, G-d made him the way He did, and had pity on him, not making him a heathen. Since this was G-d's deed, there are no shortcomings in it, and hence there is no defect in this rejoicing. No matter what, there is an unimaginable difference between him and an idolator.

The tzaddik began to make himself happy with this. He rejoiced and uplifted himself little by little, continuing more and more, until he came to such a level of joy that he was on the same level of joy that Moses experienced when he went on high to receive the Torah. Through this uplifting and joy, he was able to fly many miles into the supernal universes.

He saw himself, and he was very far from the place where he had been originally. This bothered him very much. He felt that when he descended, he would be very far away from his original place. When it was discovered that he had disappeared, people would consider it a great wonder. The tzaddik did not want such publicity since he always wanted to "walk modestly with G-d". [Micah 6:8]

The joy came to an end, since joy has a limit. Therefore, joy begins automatically and ends automatically. When joy begins to end, it ends little by little. The tzaddik therefore descended little by little, coming down from the place to which he had flown during his time of joy. He eventually returned to the place from which he had ascended. He was very surprised, since he was in exactly the same place where he had been at first.

He realized that he had returned to the exact same place where he had been at first. Looking at himself, he realized that he had not moved at all, or if he had moved, it had been at most by a hairsbreadth. The hair on the head is the gate to the intellect. In Hebrew, the word sa'ar (hair) and sha'ar (gate) are the same. Therefore, if a person improves himself by a hairsbreadth, it can bring him back completely. Similarly, if a person strays from G-d by a hairsbreadth, it can do much damage [Likutey Halakhoth, Choshen Mishpat, Nezikin 4:3]

He had moved so little, that no one other than G-d could measure it. The tzaddik was very surprised at this. Here he had flown so far, through so many universes, and at the same time, he had not moved at all. This showed him how precious in G-d's eyes is even the slightest motion.

When a person moves himself even a hairsbreadth in this world, it can be considered more than thousands of miles, and even thousands of universes. This can be understood when we realize that the physical world is no more than the central point in the midst of the spheres. This is known to masters of astronomy. Compared to the supernal universes, the entire physical universe is no more than a dot.

When lines extend from a single point...

When lines extend from a central point, the closer they are to the point, the closer they are to one another. The further they extend from the point, the further such lines get from each other. Therefore, when the lines are very far from the point, they are also very far from each other. This is true, even though near the central point, they are extremely close to each other.

If one imagined lines drawn from the earth to the upper spheres (the orbits of the planets around the earth: a relativistic geocentric view of the universe) one would see that even if one moved a hairsbreadth, the movement would be reflected as a motion of thousands of miles in the upper spheres. It would be in the same ratio as the spheres are higher than the earth. The spheres must be very huge, since there are stars without number, and each star is at least as large as our planet.

This is all the more certainly true when one considers the supernal universe, compared to which, even the highest astronomical spheres are like nothing. Therefore, the distance between these extending lines in the supernal world is without measure. A movement of less than a hairsbreadth, so small that only G-d can estimate it, can consist of a passage through thousands of universes and thousands of miles in the supernal worlds. How much more so is this true when one travels a mile or more to serve G-d.

Where is the Satan on Yom Kippur: Fundamentals of Repentence

Rabbi Mendel Kessin, new shiur

Torah Codes for Irma

Rabbi Glazerson is sometimes difficult to understand, but here he is showing the following words encoded in the Torah, clearly showing the reason why we have the hurricanes, as well as the remedy.

• The hurricane
• Irma
• Yam Karriba [Caribbean Sea]
• Elul
• 5777
• Teshuva
• You are doing evil in the eyes of G-d and making Him angry 
• When you have troubles and all these things will befall you then it will be the End of Days - return to your G-d.
• Keep the commandments which I command you today....
• .....Geula.
• ben Yishai [son of Jesse] 

Purification requires Agitation and Confusion

I feel that the world is at a peak right now, in these two weeks before Rosh Hashanah.  It reminds me of these words by Rebbe Nachman below.... the world is on the cusp of Moshiach iy''H.... we are being agitated and purified.... and all the scum is rising to the top, ready to be skimmed off to make way for the pure.

from the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan


When one begins to attach to a great tzadik and truly serve G-d, he is often filled with great confusion and evil thoughts.

The evil was always there, but only now it is surfacing.

A pot of water may seem perfectly clear. But when it is placed on a fire and begins to boil, all its impurities are brought to the surface. One must stand by and constantly remove these impurities.

The original purity is merely an illusion. With a little heat the impurity surfaces. But when these impurities are removed, the water is truly pure and clear.

The same is true of a person. Before he begins serving G-d, good and evil are completely mixed together within him. The impurities are so closely united with the good that they cannot be recognized.

But then this person comes close to a true Tzadik and begins to burn with great feeling toward G-d. He is touched with the heat of purification, and all the evil and impurities come to the surface. Here again one must stand by and constantly remove the dirt and impurities as they appear. In the end the person is truly pure and clear.

Purification requires this period of agitation and confusion.

In the beginning a person is totally immersed in the material. He then begins to come close to G-d.

It would seem possible to remove this dirt and impurity at once. But his mind is completely intermingled with this mire. Were it to be removed immediately, his mind would be drawn out with it.

Therefore, one must be purified little by little, in gradual stages.

Blessings in Disguise

Art Mike Worrall

"See! I am giving to you today a blessing and a curse" [Re'eh 11:26]

Hashem did not want the soul to eat "bread of shame" [i.e. sustenance given gratuitously, without having been earned by the recipient]; He therefore made it possible for man to serve Him in a meaningful way with toil of body and soul. Through our endeavors in avodah [service of G-d] we are Divinely enabled to earn all manner of goodness.

The difficulties, trials, and tests of life are themselves the means by which we are to attain our ultimate objective - that the soul achieve the lofty spiritual level it once possessed before it descended into the body: "The soul that you have given me is pure."  The purpose of life is for the soul to regain that level of original "purity" and even transcend it - for one hour of teshuvah [repentance] and good deeds in this world is worth more than all the lifetime of the spiritual World to Come [Olam HaBa].

So you see that life's trials, tragedies, and difficulties actually bring us closer to our goal, our raison d'etre; they are part of the Divine system of toil and endeavour enabling us, finite mortals, to reach the highest levels of rewards and goodness - which can only be earned by meaningful "labor" and effort.  It follows that one must not allow the difficulties of life's trials [or even one's failure from time to time] to overcome the double joy of being G-d's children and of having received His promise "Your people are all righteous".

Source: Excerpt from a letter written by the Lubavitcher Rebbe

How to See the Geula

Other Peoples' Money

''He shall return the article that he stole, the withheld funds, the article left for safekeeping, the found article.... or anything else regarding which he swore falsely" [Vayikra 5:23-24]

Gedolei Yisrael have always exercised great caution when dealing with the money of others, so that they would not be guilty of the severe transgression of theft.

by Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

One erev Shabbos, when R' Isser Zalman Meltzer returned from the mikveh, he suddenly realized that he had used two clothing cubbies at the mikveh.

Perhaps I took someone else's space, thought R' Meltzer. I might very well owe the mikveh attendant twice the amount that I usually pay!

One of his family members saw how much the matter was troubling R'Meltzer, so he offered to go to the mikveh and pay the attendant for the extra cubby.

"It is I who must go" replied R' Meltzer. "For the halachah states explicitly that one who steals from his fellow must not only repay him, but he must verbally appease him as well. The responsibility to appease the attendant is my responsibility alone."

Communal Benefits

Art: Xinature

by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlita

One of the questions often asked of the great poskim is how a person can atone for the sin of theft if he cannot remember the people from whom he has stolen!

In the book Tuvcha Yabiu, Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein Shlita advises one who wants to repent and atone for the sin of theft to donate some money for the needs of the community.

The Rav Shlita cites an amazing incident that occurred in Israel, an incident that he himself witnessed:

“Someone had placed some comfortable benches next to the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron. A few years ago, when I went to Meron, I saw a Jew who was lying down on one of these benches, and when he got up he said something like, ‘Oh, how it’s good to relax on these benches!’

“As it turned out, the man who was responsible for placing the benches there had sinned against the very same Jew relaxing on them. Since this Jew had benefited from these benches, it was considered as if the transgressor had atoned for his sin, thereby erasing it. The same applies to returning a stolen object: If we do something for the community by donating things that the public needs, and if we also pray to Hashem so that those against whom we have sinned will forgive us, we will attain atonement and forgiveness for our sin.”

Why We Cling To Tzadikim

Art: SRG

This is a re-blog from 2012, as once again we have had commenters who are confused about why we pray at the graves of tzadikim.


The Lubavitcher Rebbe would often answer requests by saying that he would pray for the person at the grave of his father-in-law, the previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak.

The following is extracted from "Not Just Stories" by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski MD

Published by Shaar Press

Every person has a direct line with G-d, and we are not permitted to pray to intermediaries. Indeed, the propriety of prayers where we appear to be asking for blessings from angels or for their intervention on our behalf, is the subject of debate, and must be interpreted in such a way that does not violate our basic belief that we relate only to G-d as the One from Whom everything emanates.

Yes, there is also the concept of faith in a tzaddik, which is derived from the verse in Exodus [14:31] "They had faith in G-d and in Moses, His servant". The sages derived from this verse that believing in the leader of Israel is equivalent to believing in the Creator [Mechilta]. In addition, the Talmud states that if there is a sick person in one's household, let him go to a chacham [a wise man] to pray for his recovery [Bava Basra 116a]. Inasmuch as everyone has a direct contact with G-d and we do not work through intermediaries, why is the prayer of a tzaddik more potent that one's own prayer?

There are several ways in which we can understand the concept of faith in a tzaddik. First and foremost is that the opinion of a wise man, a tzaddik, as a Torah authority, must be accepted and followed even if we are in disagreement with it [Sifri, Deut 17:11].

There is also a concept of receiving a blessing from a tzaddik and this has its basis in a statement from G-d to Abraham "And you will be a blessing" [Gen 12:2] which the Midrash interprets to mean that G-d gave Abraham the power to bless people, and that gift has been given to other tzaddikim as well. Nevertheless, a person must understand that even though the tzaddik conveys the blessing, the origin of the blessing is G-d.

A woman once came to Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobel, pleading for a blessing to have a child. To the amazement of the bystanders, the Rabbi, who was exceptionally kind and benevolent, said brusquely to her "I'm sorry, I cannot help you". The woman left the room tearful and broken hearted.

Noting the bewilderment of his chassidim, Rabbi Mordechai said "Just wait a few moments, then go find the woman and bring her back here." The chassidim did as they were told and when the woman came back, the Rabbi asked her "What did you do when you left here?"

The woman replied "I turned my eyes to Heaven and I said "Dear G-d, the Rabbi refuses to help me. Now You are my only hope. Bless me that I have a child."

Rabbi Mordechai said to the chassidim "This woman believed that I had magical powers, and she was trusting in me rather than in G-d. When I refused her request, she placed her trust in G-d where it belongs. She will now be blessed with a child."

The primary function of a tzaddik is to assist people in the proper service of G-d, to help them recognize their character defects and show them how to do teshuvah.

The power of a tzaddik is in his strong belief in G-d, and anyone who has that strong a belief can bring about similar results. When the tzaddik prays for a sick person, for example, and says that G-d is the healer of the sick, his belief is so strong that it actually brings down the Divine healing upon the person. In fact, said Rabbi Mordechai, the prime reason for having a relationship with a tzaddik is to learn how to perfect one's belief in G-d.

Why Is This Exile So Long?

Photo Tim Wolverson

by Rabbi David Pinto Shlita

One day the maggid of Radin, Rabbi Binyamin HaTzaddik, went to see the gadol of the generation, the Chafetz Chaim Zatzal.

The Chafetz Chaim said to him, “Alas, Rabbi Binyamin, what will happen? Such a long exile, such a dark night!”

Rabbi Binyamin responded with a vivid explanation:

“Rabbi, I will give you an analogy: During a rough winter, several ba’alei batim undertook a long journey from Petersburg to Odessa, which was to last several days. Since it was the middle of winter, the journey took place in a special sled that was harnessed to two strong and healthy horses. 

The travelers in the sled were well-prepared for the cold, and they wore heavy coats. The journey began at night, and they traveled for a long time. To occupy themselves, they recited a few psalms and talked among themselves, during which time several hours passed. At that point they took out some wine, and everyone drank to warm their bones. Then they slept. 

In the meantime, morning had come. However in the Russian winter, there were very few hours of daylight, and our travelers slept deeply for more than 12 hours. In fact when they awoke, they noticed that it was still dark out, and they again recited a few psalms, chatted among themselves for a few hours, and took out some more wine. Then they drank and slept once again for another day. This repeated itself, for whenever they awoke, it was dark.

“The travelers started complaining to the driver, ‘Hey, what’s going on here? The night can’t be so long!’ The driver replied, ‘What long night? Day has already come, several times in fact, but you were sleeping!’

“The lesson to draw from this,” said Rabbi Binyamin HaTzaddik to the Chafetz Chaim, “is the following: The prophet Isaiah said, ‘ “Watchman, what of the night?” The watchman said, “Morning has come, and also the night. If you will request, request. Return and come” ’ [Isaiah 21:11-12]. We ask the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is the Watchman of Israel: ‘What of the night?’ Why is this night – this exile – so long? The Watchman replies, ‘Morning has come.’ It was already morning – there was already an end to the exile, several ends to it – ‘but also night.’ You delayed the morning and night came again. Rabbi, what can we do? The only answer is to pray!”

This is how the verse ends: “If you will request” – this represents prayer, as Rashi explains: If you present your requests to hasten the end (“If you will request”), then you must do teshuvah (“Return and come”)!

The Severity of the Sin

Art by Nick Gustafson

Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs that He had brought upon Pharaoh....And the Lord did according to Moses' word, and the frogs died .... [Va'eira 8:8-9]

Why is it, asked the Chofetz Chaim, that at the Plague of Frogs, Hashem accepted Moshe's prayer as soon as he uttered it and immediately stopped the devastating plague, yet when the Jews were in the wilderness and were attacked by fiery serpents, Moshe's prayers did not have an immediate effect?

For, in that case, Hashem told Moshe: ''Make yourself [the image of] a venomous snake, and place it on a pole.'' [Bamidbar 21:8]   Only by gazing at the copper ''snake'' did those who were bitten survive.

Why was it necessary for Moshe to perform an action here in order to save the Jewish people in the wilderness, yet in Egypt, no additional action was required?

This is meant to teach us, answered the Chofetz Chaim, the severity of the sin of speaking lashon hara.

As a rule, prayer is effective for removing all misfortunes and calamities.  Therefore, when Moshe beseeched Hashem to remove the frogs from Egypt, Hashem accepted his prayer and instantly stopped the plague.  However, the fiery serpents were sent to attack the Jewish people as a punishment for speaking lashon hara.  

Since they had committed a sin which the Heavenly Court judges with exactitude, Moshe's prayers were not immediately effective.  Instead, Hashem instructed him to make an image of a venomous snake for the people to gaze at.  This way, each Jew would think of his Father in Heaven and personally repent for his sin.  Each Jew would then be forgiven and granted life.

Source: Rabbi Yisroel Bronstein