The Four Questions

Chag sameach!

The Secret of the Ten Plagues

[Hat tip: Dudi]

The following [extracts of a] letter are taken from a pamphlet written by the Tzaddik, Rebbe Shimshon from Ostropoli. He writes at the end of the pamphlet that anyone who studies the wondrous and awesome secrets written here, even one time in a year, and especially Erev Pesach, is guaranteed that he will be saved from any kind of accident or disaster or strange death for the whole of that year, and that everything that he turns his hand to will be successful!

"....as briefly as possible I will answer Your Honor’s question regarding that which I wrote about the symbols DaTSaCH ADaSH BeaChaB  דצ"ך עד"ש באח"ב) ) etc. and how the Redemption is hinted at by these symbols..."

".....all these words of the Ari z”l are obviously the most wondrous and awesome secrets, sealed , closed and locked away from the slightest understanding, for who is there that could explain them? And, in fact, I have been asked many times by some of the greatest Rabbis to explain these words to them, and I refused. However, because of my great love for Your Honor, I will explain them to you as they were revealed and explained to me in a dream."

To read the entire letter go to: Shuvubonim

An Infinite Light is Coming....

Art: Aura Liliane Ritchie

I've had two "Sydney tsunami" dreams in the past few weeks, other people I know have also had "Sydney tsunami" dreams...   and although we don't get a lot of quakes here, Australia has had three earthquakes (on each side of the continent) in the last two days.    I don't think my dreams were prophetic or anything like that, but I do know that the weird weather is terrifying a lot of people.   Some New Zealanders moved out of Christchurch and over to Australia, and now the ground is shaking here as well. 

Meanwhile, an email came in overnight from someone who has contributed to this blog in the past:

"The reason for the severe weather in the world.....
An Infinite light, is coming into, a finite world."

That's all it said. 

Pinchas and Eliyahu HaNavi: The Same Soul

There is a midrash that states that Pinchas and Elijah the Prophet are the same person. 

According to the Midrash, Pinchas and Elijah the Prophet are the same person. The simplest meaning is that the same soul descended to the world twice -- once in the body of Pinchas and once in the body of Elijah.

The same statement can be found in a number of places in Midrash. What is interesting is that "Pinchas is Elijah" and "Elijah is Pinchas" are written interchangeably. When Pinchas is being discussed, the Midrash says that Pinchas is Elijah. When Elijah is being discussed, the Midrash says that Elijah is Pinchas.

Since Elijah the Prophet lived hundreds of years after Pinchas, it would apparently make more sense to say that "Elijah is Pinchas", and not the reverse. After all, Pinchas lived before Elijah, and was Pinchas before he was Elijah.

According to an explanation in the Zohar, the soul of Elijah was actually created during the Six Days of Creation. He has existed ever since as an angel, but on occasion, he descends to the world in human form, born of a mother and father.

This is why the Midrash sometimes uses the phrase "Pinchas is Elijah", even though Pinchas was born first. The essence, the soul of Elijah existed before Pinchas was born.

Elijah and Pinchas led similar lives and their paths complement each other. Pinchas is a symbol of zealousness for G-d and His commandments. He displayed self-sacrifice to prevent G-d's name from being desecrated. Elijah the Prophet is a guest at every circumcision, to witness the Jewish People imprint their bond with G-d in their flesh.

Through our single-minded commitment to fulfilling G-d's will, as epitomized by the deeds of Pinchas and Elijah, we will merit the ultimate Redemption, which will be heralded by Elijah the Prophet, who is Pinchas.

[Bereishis 1:20. Yalkut Simoni, Pinchas. Zohar, 3:15,1; Igrot Kodesh, vol. III, p. 160. Likutei Sichot vol II, p. 343]

Source: Chabad World

On Pesach The Door is Opened

"On the first two nights of Pesach the door is opened." [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 480]

Our Sages state: "That which He does, He commands His children to do." [Shemos Rabbah 30:9, Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShanah 1:3]   Since G-d commands us to open the doors on the nights of Pesach, it is obvious that He does so Himself.

This means that on the nights of Pesach, G-d opens all the doors and portals for each and every Jew [see Pirkei d'Rebbe Elazar ch 32: 'The treasures of Divine dew are opened on this night']. 

No matter what our actions were during the past year, we are then all able to attain the most lofty and rare spiritual heights, in a manner of "Pesach"  and "leaping" infinitely higher than anything we have ever previously attained. [the deeper meaning of the word "pesach" is 'to leap over']

[From a sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe - second night of Pesach 5711 - Likutei Sichos Vol. IV, p.1298]

Redemption on our Doorstep

Yud Alef [11th] Nissan is today: [Friday April 15] - it is the birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.  In this video from 20 years ago, dated 5 Cheshvan 5751-October 13, 1991, the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l  meets with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt"l [Hebrew with English subtitles] 

Ya'alili

Band: 8th Day

Song: "Ya'alili"

Album: Chasing Prophecy

Directed by: Larry Guterman

Produced & Written by: Chaim Marcus

This is the official music video featuring "Ya'alili" from 8th Day's new album called ''Chasing Prophecy'', composed by Shmuel Marcus, produced & arranged by Bentzion Marcus.

Alon's Near Death Experience [Video]

Alon Anava shares his near-death experience in depth. A must see video if you are interested in life after death. After his clinical death, Alon experienced a reality that is both frightening and hopeful. Alon was truly given a second chance. See what Alon has done with a second chance. This experience led Alon down a completely different path, allowing him to truly choose life - eternal life.

[Hat tip: Andrew]

Watch the entire video at: AlonAnava

Rebbetzin Jungreis: the Birth Pangs of Moshiach

by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

Several weeks ago, I published a letter from a woman who expressed fear regarding the world situation – the escalation of anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel that is reminiscent of pre-Holocaust Europe. Her letter provoked a torrent of e-mails from young and old, quite a few of which I published, but I had yet to respond to her specific questions regarding her fears which, B’ezrat Hashem, I will now do.

My Dear Friend:

Firstly, allow me to apologize for the delay in responding to your specific questions, but since you are familiar with my columns, you are aware that I always allow my readers to respond to the challenges that are under discussion. However, I have not forgotten your original question and will devote this column to it..

I wish that I could tell you that your fears are unfounded, that your imagination is running away with you, and that reality proves you to be wrong, but sadly, you are right on target and those who make light of your worries are sleeping, even as our people slept in pre-Holocaust Europe.

That which we are witnessing today was all predicted by our prophets and sages, but alas, we are no longer familiar with their teachings. Ours is a generation that the prophet Amos described: “And days shall come upon you, saith the L-rd, and I shall send a hunger into the land – not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water – but a hunger for the Word of G-d.”.... It is this spiritual famine that we are witnessing today. We simply do not comprehend and we continue on our merry way with business as usual.

Maimonides taught that, when suffering is visited upon us, we are commanded to cry out and awaken our people with the sound of the shofar. Everyone must be alerted to examine his or her life and commit to greater adherence to Torah and mitzvos. Maimonides warned that if we regard the tragedies that befall us simply as “the way of the world” – “natural happenings”. We will be guilty of achzarius – cruelty.

At first glance, it is difficult to understand why Maimonides would choose the term “cruelty” to describe those who view trials and tribulations as “natural happenings”. Such people may be unthinking, apathetic, foolish, blind or obtuse, but why accuse them of cruelty?

The answer is simple. If we regard our pain and suffering as “mere coincidence,” we will feel no motivation to examine our lives, abandon our old ways, and change. So yes, such an attitude is cruel, for it invites additional misfortune upon ourselves and others.

It would be the height of cruelty to dismiss that which is occurring in the world today as mere happenstance. Great Torah luminaries of past generations, such as the Chofetz Chaim and Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman, told us that we are entering the final stages of history – a period in time called “Ikvesa D’Meshicha” – “Footsteps of the Messiah”. Our Torah foretells four exiles through which our people would suffer: Egypt, Babylonia – Persian-Mede Empires, Greece and Rome – the exile in which we presently find ourselves, for it was the Romans who exiled us when they destroyed the Second Temple.

In Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, an early Midrashic work, it is written that, before the coming of Messiah, we will have to contend with a fifth source of tribulation that will come from Yishmael – the Arabs -- who will inflict terrible suffering on the world and on our people. This teaching is reaffirmed by Rabbi Chaim Vital, the illustrious disciple of the Arizal, who wrote that before the final curtain falls upon the stage of history, Yishmael will inflict torture on our people in ways the world has never before seen.

One need not have great powers of discernment to recognize the painful veracity of these predictions. Consider only the suicide bombers, the decapitations, the hijackings, the missiles, the rockets, and the constant, senseless brutal acts of terror.

We are the generation that has been destined to witness the fulfillment of the prophecy given to Hagar [Genesis 16:11-13]. “Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you shall name him Ishmael....and he shall be a wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him, and over all his brethren shall he dwell.....”

The long arm of Ishmael’s terror has indeed reached every part of the world.

There is yet another amazing prophecy in the Yalkut Shimoni – a Medieval/Midrashic compilation that eerily foretells the events of today and should give us all pause. Rabbi Yitzchok said, “The year in which Melech Hamashiach will be revealed, all the nations of the world will be provoking each other...The king of Persia (Iran) will provoke the King of Arabia. The King of Arabia, will go to Edom (the leader of the Christian nations) to take counsel and the King of Persia (Ahmadinejad) will threaten to destroy the entire world.

“The nations of the world will be outraged and panic. They will fall on their faces and will experience pains like birth pangs. Israel too, will be outraged and in a state of panic ask, “Where do we go?”

“But say unto them, ‘My children, do not fear. The time of your redemption has come... And this last redemption shall be different from the first that was followed by further bondage and pain. After this last redemption, you shall not experience any further pain or subjugation” [Yalkut Shimoni, Isaiah 59]

The Klausenberger Rebbe Z’tl, referring to this teaching, said, “Remember these words. They are perhaps not understood now, but in time they will be, and will be a source of strength to our people.”

Had you heard these prophecies centuries ago, when they were written, you might have laughed and scoffed – even if you read them as recently as 1970, you would have been hard-put to believe it, for of all the Moslem countries the Shah’s Iran was probably the friendliest. But today, the impossible has become possible and events are unfolding so rapidly that we have difficulty absorbing their impact. So how are we to understand it all?

The Yalkut compares our suffering to birth pangs. But birth pangs are deceptive-- when the contractions begin, it’s easy to ignore them since they are mild and occur between long intervals. As the birth becomes imminent however, the contractions intensify and the pain becomes more intense. And just when it appears that the woman can no longer endure the pain, the baby is born and new life enters the world. It is these labor pains to which we are witness today.

How long will the labor last? It’s anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain – please G-d, the birth is sure to take place. In the interim however, we may very well ask, “Is it possible to ease the suffering? Is it possible to protect ourselves from these painful contractions?”

The answer to that is a most emphatic “Yes!”

[To be continued]

Source: Hineni

Click here for Part 2: The Birth Pangs of Moshiach

The Scapegoat

The he goat shall thus carry upon itself all their sins to a precipitous land, and he shall send off the he goat into the desert. [Acharei 16:22]

For what sins does the scapegoat atone?

Rambam: The scapegoat atones for the entire Jewish people...for all transgressions of the Torah, both severe and less severe sins; those violated intentionally and those violated unintentionally, whether the person was aware of his sin or not - all are atoned for by the scapegoat.  But this is provided that one does teshuvah.  If one does not do teshuvah, the goat atones only for less severe sins.

Which sins are considered "severe" and which are considered "less severe"?

The "severe" sins are those for which a person is liable either for execution by a court or soul excision (kares)... Other prohibitions and all positive commands that are not punishable by soul excision are "less severe sins".

Now that the Temple no longer exists and there is no Altar to atone, there is only teshuvah, and teshuvah atones for all sins.  [Laws of Teshuva 1:2-3]

Redemption 5771 - Torah Codes....

......but only if the Jews do teshuvah.
Rabbi Glazerson's latest Torah Code videos.

Smaller

[by Tzvi Freeman]

"Rebbe!" the man cried. "Nobody gives me respect! Everybody steps all over me and my opinions!"

"And who told you to fill the entire space with yourself, so that wherever anyone steps, they step on you?"

Regarding Predictions of Future Events

The following was written by "YK":

As you may know, key Israeli government ministers and individuals from time to time consult with Tzaddikim and Mekubbalim. Key military figures, individuals from the Mossad, and others, for example, used to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe now and then [see the sefer Sippurim Meheder Harabi, available from Chish in Kfar Chabad].

Here is a true story from an excellent two volume set about the Abuchatzeira dynasty of Mekubbalim that sheds light on various predictions that have been floating around of late. [The sefer is called Abir Yaakov by Chanoch Regal, and is available in the US in English from Z Berman books - they have the best price]. It is also available in Hebrew. It was printed with the bracha and encouragement of "Rabi David" Abuchatzeira, the Mekubbal in Nahariya, who is "the real deal" and is respected and accepted across the board. The story is related by Rabi David:

"Tzaddikim Determine the Future"

One day the Baba Sali was dining with some people who regularly came to greet him and receive his blessing. An important minister of the government entered, wishing to consult the venerable sage regarding "something of extreme importance to the entire nation." As he began to speak, one could hear the hesitation and confusion which had almost completely overtaken him. "Honorable Rabbi," he said slowly, "the seer whom I consulted told me that she was able to see..." The Baba Sali cut him off in mid-sentence, shouting: "it will come onto her, null and void, null and void, it will come onto her."

The confused minister who was not accustomed to such shouts and was still influenced by the black forecast told him by the seer, tried to present the situation again. "But honorable Rabbi, the seer said..." The Baba Sali continued shouting, "It will come onto her, it is null and void."

As the minister attempted to speak once more, the Baba Sali saw that he was not satisfied and said to him: "My son Rabi Meir resided in Ashdod. He has expertise in such matters and understands about forecasting the future. Go to him and tell him your story."

The minister did not wait even a moment. He parted from the Baba Sali and set out for Ashdod. There, he thought he would meet the true "expert" in matters of the future. Perhaps this Rabi Meir whom the Baba Sali recommended so highly would be able to deal with the difficult prophecy which the seer of the future had told him.

He made sure that this was indeed the home of the son of the Baba Sali from Netivot and went inside in obvious hesitation and confusion. He described his visit to the seer and what she had told him. Rabenu Meir did not permit him to even complet his sentence and interrupted him, shouting, "It will come onto here, null and void, null and void, it will come onto her."

The minister was shocked and began to wonder why he had even made the journey. He attempted to explain to Rabenu Meir that he did not go to just any seer who had no previous reputation. He began to tell Rabenu Meir her entire "resume" and her vast experience. Many politicians and people of wealth came to her door and she prophesied with precision about what is destined to happen. Rabenu Meir was not convinced and he insisted that her terrifying prophecy would happen to her. "Null and void, it will come onto her."

The man now understood that it was not for nothing that the Baba Sali instructed him to travel to Ashdod. He asked Rabenu Meir, "Can the honorable Rav explain something to me? Today I went to see his father in Netivot and he responded with the same expression. I then came to see 'his honor' ['kvodo'], who repeated the same words verbatim. On the other hand, the seer is not just making things up. Her reputation and experience are certainly worth something. May the Rav tell me, who really knows the future - you Rabbonim or this seer who was never mistaken in her forecast?

Rabenu Meir smiled at this innocent minister and said to him, "Let me explain something to you. This seer is aware of what will happen in the future. Tzaddikim, however, determine the future... now, choose as you wish."

Also, those of you who remember, during the Gulf War a certain well respected and influential rabbi was making dire predictions about what would happen as a result of the war, and it scared a lot of people. The Lubavitcher Rebbe mentioned these "predictions" during a number of farbrengens, in which he rejected the predictions completely, and said, "chas veshalom to scare people who survived the Holocaust with such stories". The Rebbe then said how there would be no poison gas, and that the war would go well for the Jews.

So, the bottom line is - if you hear a scary prediction and are bothered by it, go to a real Tzaddik, a real Mekubbal and ask their eitzah and bracha....

To Bring the Redemption

The following story is attributed to Rabbi Yaakov Eizik Blatner of Tatrask, written by Rabbi Rafael Nachman Kahn, translated from the Hebrew by Basha Majerczyk

The tzaddik Rabbi Yisroel of Ruzhin related:

"Before he passed away my great-grandfather, the Maggid of Mezeritch, declared that he would refuse to enter Gan Eden until Moshiach redeemed the Jewish people from exile. And so it came about.  When the Maggid was nistalek (ascended to the upper worlds) the Heavenly Court had to convince him that the time was not yet ripe for the Redemption. The Maggid was ultimately won over, and he agreed to enter Gan Eden.

"His son, my grandfather Reb Avrohom "Der Malach" [the angel] insisted that he would not allow himself to be similarly seduced. "Under no circumstances will I enter Gan Eden until Moshiach comes!" he announced before his passing. But when G-d Himself dragged him by the arm and brought him inside, there was nothing he could do but go along with Him....

"My father, Reb Shalom [of Porovitz] declared himself immune to such tactics. "I will not enter Gan Eden until Moshiach comes, even if G-d Himself tries to force me!"  So what happened? When he absolutely refused to budge, G-d expanded the borders of Gan Eden so that my father suddenly found himself already there...

"As for me" the holy Ruzhiner concluded, "even that ruse will not work. I will merely jump out and flee until I succeed in bringing Moshiach."

Where Are You?

You are wherever your thoughts are.  Make sure your thoughts are where you want to be.

[Rebbe Nachman of Breslov]

Teshuvah: Transcending Time

Teshuvah has the power of retroactivity, for although the past is no longer under a man's prerogative, nevertheless G-d, Who is beyond any category of time and therefore transcends the categories of time and limitation - has endowed teshuvah with a special and wonderful quality, by means of which man can regain mastery over his past.

Moreover, by means of this special power of teshuvah, man is able not only to render the past neutral and ineffective, but he can even reverse it and turn it into something positive. as our Sages of blessed memory expressed it: "Willful wrongs become, in his case, as though they were merits" [Yoma 86b]

"This power of teshuvah, whereby man is enabled to regain control over the past, is possible because, on the one hand it is derived from a source which transcends the category of time, as mentioned above.....

"....and, on the other hand, it is drawn upon fully and implemented in a way that it permeats the whole being of the repenter, reaching to the very core of his Divine soul, which likewise transcends time and change, and always "remains loyal to Godliness" because it is "verily a part of Godliness above".

Source: Excerpted from a public letter written by the Lubavitcher Rebbe during the days of Selichos 5720 - [Gutnick Chumash]

The Video They Don't Want The World To See

The Truth About Israel: Trust in G-d, and you will have peace.

When the Jewish people will trust in G-d, that the Land of Israel belongs unequivocally to them, and are willing to declare this openly to the nations of the world, then “No one will contest the matter, and you will not need to go to war.” In fact, even weapons will prove unnecessary…” The Lubavitcher Rebbe, [Likutei Sichos, vol. 34, p. 8]

All the nations are one day going to come together and start talking peace amongst themselves. This talk of peace will have one underlying goal: to destroy Israel. And their rationale shall be: because they [the Jews] established for themselves their own government; and though the Jews will be in tremendous danger at that time, nevertheless they will not be destroyed; in fact, from that very situation they will be saved.  [Rabbi Moshe Cordevero (Ramak) on Zohar Bereishis, 199 - approximately 500 years ago]

Please visit The Truth About Israel to read more.  [Note: video is not connected to this website]

Barrels on a Riverbank

Told by Rabbi Y.S. Zevins in Sippurei Chassidim; translation/adaptation by Yanki Tauber

One of the central figures in the history of Chassidism was the famed "Seer of Lublin," Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Horowitz (1745-1815), who presided over the spread of Chassidism in Poland and Galicia; many of the great Chassidic masters of the time were his disciples. This story, however, is not about the "Seer" but about his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Kopel of Likova; in fact, it happened many years before the Seer's birth.

Reb Kopel earned a living by purchasing barrels of vodka and beer from the local distillers and selling his wares to the taverns in and around his native village of Likova. It was not an easy life, with the heavy taxes exerted by the government and the hostile environment facing a Jew in 17th-century Europe. Yet his faith and optimism never faltered.

Each year, on the morning before Passover, Reb Kopel would sell his chametz to one of his gentile neighbors. Chametz is "leaven" -- a category that most famously includes bread but also all food or drink made with fermented grain. The Torah commands the Jew that absolutely "no leaven shall be found in your possession" for the duration of the Passover festival, in commemoration of the leaven-free Exodus from Egypt. In the weeks before the festival, the Jewish home is emptied and scrubbed clean of chametz; on the night before Passover, a solemn candle-lit search is conducted for every last breadcrumb hiding between the floorboards. By the next morning, all remaining household chametz is eaten, burned or otherwise disposed of.

What about someone like Reb Kopel who deals in leavened foods and has a warehouse full of chametz? For such cases (and for anyone who has chametz they don't want to dispose of) the rabbis instituted the practice of selling one's chametz to a non-Jew. Reb Kapel's neighbors were familiar with the annual ritual. The Jewish liquor dealer would draw up a legally-binding contract with one of them, in which he sells all the contents of his warehouse for a sum equal to their true value. Only a small part of the sum actually changed hands; the balance was written up as an I.O.U from the purchaser to the seller. After Passover, Reb Kopel would be back, this time to buy back the chametz and return the I.O.U. The purchaser got a tip for his trouble -- usually in the form of a generous sampling of the merchandise that had been legally his for eight days and a few hours.

One year, someone in Likova came up with a novel idea: what if they all refused to buy the Jew's vodka? In that case he would have to get rid of it. Why suffice with a bottle or two when they could have it all?

When Reb Kopel knocked on a neighbor's door on the morning of Passover eve, Ivan politely declined to conduct the familiar transaction. Puzzled, he tried another cottage further down the road. It did not take long for him to realize the trap that his gentile neighbors had laid for him. The deadline for getting rid of chametz -- an hour before midday -- was quickly approaching. There was no time to travel to the next village to find a non-Jewish purchaser.

Reb Kopel did not hesitate for a minute. Quickly he emptied the wooden shack behind his house that served as his warehouse. Loading his barrels of chametz on his wagon, he headed down to the river. As his neighbors watched gleefully from a distance, he set them on the river bank. In a loud voice he announced: "I hereby renounce any claim I have on this property! I proclaim these barrels ownerless, free for the talking for all!" He then rode back home to prepare for the festival.

That night, Reb Kopel sat to the Seder with a joyous heart. When he recited from his Haggadah, "Why do we eat this unleavened bread? Because the dough of our fathers did not have time to become leavened before G-d revealed Himself to them and redeemed them", he savored the taste of each word in his mouth. All his capital had been invested in those barrels of vodka and beer; indeed, much of it had been bought on credit. He was now penniless, and the future held only the prospect of many years of crushing debt. But his heart was as light and bright as a songbird. He had not a drop of chametz in his possession! For once in his life, he had been given an opportunity to truly demonstrate his love and loyalty to G-d. He had removed all leaven from his possession, as G-d had commanded him. Of course, he had fulfilled many mitzvot in his lifetime, but never at such a cost -- none as precious -- as this one!

The eight days of Passover passed for Reb Kopel in a state of ecstatic joy. Then the festival was over, and it was time to return to the real world. With thoughtful steps he headed to his warehouse to look through his papers and try to devise some plan to start his business anew. Clustered in the doorway he found a group of extremely disappointed goyim.

"Hey, Kopel!" one of them called, "I though you were supposed to get rid of your vodka. What's the point of announcing that it's 'free for the taking for all' if you put those watchdogs there to guard it!"

They all began speaking at once, so it took a while for Kopel to learn the details. For the entire duration of the festival, night and day round the clock, the barrels and casks on the riverbank were ringed by a pack of ferocious dogs who allowed no one to approach. Reb Kopel rode to the riverbank. There the barrels stood, untouched.

But he made no move to load them on his wagon. "If I take them back," he said to himself, "how will I ever know that I had indeed fully and sincerely relinquished my ownership over them before Passover? How could I ever be sure that I had truly fulfilled the mitzvah of removing chametz from my possession? No! I won't give up my mitzvah, or even allow the slightest shadow of a doubt to fall over it!"

One by one, he rolled the barrels down the riverbank until they stood at the very brink of the water. He pulled out the stops in their spigots and waited until every last drop of vodka and beer had merged with the river. Only then did he head back home.

Potentially Great

וְאִם דַּל הוּא "And if he is poor" [Metzora 14:21]

[Written by Rabbi Yisroel Bronstein]

The offerings of a wealthy man and that of a poor man, remarked the Chofetz Chaim, are not equal.  A wealthy man brings an offering in accord with his wealth, while a poor man brings an offering that is within his means.

The Mishnah is Maseches Nega'im states that a wealthy metzora who brings a poor man's offering does not fulfill his obligation with that offering.

The same thing applies, said the Chofetz Chaim, to a Jew's spirituality.  A person must put forth the utmost effort when it comes to serving Hashem, and he must utilize the potential that Hashem has granted him.  For example, Hashem demands much more from a talmid chacham than from someone who is ignorant in Torah learning.  Each individual must harness his own potential and level to its maximum.

There are times when you pray or study Torah and you think to yourself:  "I may not be totally focused during my prayers and learning, but compared to my friend, I am far superior."

This is a grave error.  The friend may fall into the category of a spiritually "poor man" - perhaps he never learned how to pray properly; perhaps he has worries that gnaw at his peace of mind; or perhaps the friend does not possess the same intellectual capabilities that you do.

Your friend's deeds may appear inferior to your own, but Hashem, Who knows and understands the hearts of every man, sees that your friend is praying and studying Torah to the best of his ability, thereby satisfying that which is required of him.  It may very well be that it is you who are the inferior one!

Reb Zusha was on his death bed, and tears were streaming down his face. "Why are you crying?" asked his disciples. "If God asks me why I wasn't like Moses or Maimonides," answered Reb Zusha, "I'll say, I wasn't blessed with that kind of leadership ability and wisdom.

"But I'm afraid of another question" continued Reb Zusha, "what if God asks: Reb Zusha, why weren't you like Reb Zusha? Why didn't you find your inner being and realize your inner potential? Why didn't you find yourself? That is why I am crying."

Faith and Feet

A man wrote to the Lubavitcher Rebbe that he was having problems with his feet, and how he should go about rectifying the problem from a spiritual point of view.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe replied: "The Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya, in the first letter of his fourth section of the Tanya, that the feet of a person are symbolic of the mitzvah of tzedakah.

Just as one's feet support the entire body (without them one would not be able to stand), so too with the mitzvah of tzedakah. Without it, the Jew and the Jewish world would not be able to survive. Therefore I suggest you increase your giving of tzedakah. This should be done not only with your money, but also with exerting yourself physically for another Jew.

Additionally, the Alter Rebbe compares the feet to emunah (faith in G-d). Just as the feet hold up the entire body, so does the mitzvah of emuna support the entire Jewish nation.

In the Zohar it says that eating shmura matzah on Pesach strengthens one's emunah. Therefore I suggest that you eat matza and study by heart the first few chapters of the second section of the Tanya, known as Sha'ar HaYichud v'HaEmuna, where it discusses at great length the fundamentals of faith. These spiritual remedies will bring a cure to your aching feet."

To another person the Rebbe wrote a more simplified version of the above:

"Feet symbolize faith in G-d : emunah. Therefore putting your simple faith in G-d's hands that He will remove the footaches is the only thing you should do."

Based on Igros Kodesh, Lubavitcher Rebbe

translated by Rabbi Chaim Dalfin