ב"ה
A child survivor of Auschwitz
Rabbi Nissen Mangel was a 10-year-old child when he came to the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz. There he witnessed unspeakable atrocities, but he also witnessed amazing acts of faith. In this moving and powerful talk, Rabbi Mangel tells his firsthand account of what he saw. (Many viewers may find details described to be extremely disturbing. Viewer discretion advised.)
Marriage thrives on a healthy flow of giving and receiving. Drawing from the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, this class explores how true receiving activates giving, and why the giver must first create safety and leadership. You’ll learn how a wife invites giving by becoming a willing receiver, and how a husband strengthens the relationship by initiating and leading with responsibility and respect.
Like G-d, who gently asks to be welcomed, a strong marriage begins when both partners understand how to start the flow.
Studying Rashi: Parshat Va'etchanan
The Torah describes the revelation at Sinai by saying: "You have been shown, in order to know that the Lord He is G-d; there is none else besides Him." (Deuteronomy 4:35) Rashi explains that the way G-d showed the people is that "He tore open the heaven and earth." How are we to understand this unusual imagery?
Analysis of Rashi’s (seemingly superfluous) elucidation of the verse on Tefillin, quickly leads into broader exploration presenting a profound understanding of this foundational mitzvah. Discover defining differences between the hand and head set; and a fascinating duality of dimensions encoded into it. Revealing eye-opening legal, philosophical and mystical insights, this rumination will forever change the way you view the mitzvah of Tefillin!
The Torah commands us to “love G-d with all your heart”. The Hebrew word for 'heart' is spelled with an extra letter: the letter 'vet' appears twice. Our Sages explain that this means that we are to love G-d with both inclinations of the heart, the good (yetzer tov) and the evil (yetzer hara). But how can one possibly love G-d with one's evil inclination?! This class offers three answers in ascending sequence and offers a parallel model for a blissful marriage.
Parsha Va'etchanan
The final Mishnah of Tracate Shabbat concludes with the law that one may "close up [a window], measure [an object needed for a mitzvah], and tie a [non-permanent] knot on Shabbat." What do each of these three ideas represent in our spiritual service of G-d? (Based on Likutei Sichos vol. 14)
Letters and Numbers of Torah - Va'etchanan
In the verse “Hear O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One,” (Deuteronomy 6:4) the letter Ayin in the word Shema (Hear) and the letter Daled in the word Echad (One) are both unusually large. Ayin and Dalet spell Ayd (witness) to teach us that when we recite the Shema we should bear witness to G-d’s Oneness.
The Twelve Steps: Lesson 8, "Veshinantam"
The eighth step is based the verse “And you shall teach the Torah...and you should speak…when you are at home and when you travel, before you lie down…and when you wake up.” Discover, how we are not only instructed to study Torah, but rather to view every moment of life as a teachable opportunity; potentially impactful on a global scale. See how every casual encounter or situation may become transformative. Learn how you can elevate our world, accelerating universal redemption. Regardless of circumstances, we are each empowered to transcend the challenges and bring about a world of difference!
The 15th of Av
On the 15th of Av young men and women would meet in the vineyards of Jerusalem for the purpose of finding their soul-mate. The beautiful girls among them would declare that a young man aught set his eyes to beauty alone. The Talmud does not censure them, even mildly. But surely, as Scripture states, "Charm is false and beauty has no substance"?! (Likutei Sichos vol. 19, p. 80)
The fifteenth day of Av
“There were no greater festivals for Israel than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur. On these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out . . . (for matchmaking).” This cryptic passage of the Talmud—like many others—requires further study, elaboration and context to better understand its meaning and significance.
The full moon’s mystical message
The fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Av is described as a great festive day. The mystics explain that its specialty is connected to coinciding with a full moon (similar to the holidays Passover and Sukkot). Discover a life-changing insight gleaned from the full moon.
The Talmud on the 15th of Av
This Talmud class is about the 15th day of Menachem-Av. This date is identified in the Gemara as the holiday once celebrated as the happiest of them all! The final Mishnah in tractate Taanit states that Israel has no days as festive as the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur! The Gemmara asks for an explanation for this surprising statement about the festive nature of the fifteenth of Av. Initially, we may find the Talmud’s answers somewhat perplexing, but with proper analysis and the deep insight provided by our Rabbis, especially the brilliant explanation by the Rebbe, we'll find it totally enlightening and truly uplifting!
We see that the more necessary something is for survival, the more available it is. For example, a house can be expensive, clothing is more affordable, food even more, and air which we need to breathe, is free. The same is true with Torah and commandments. While commandments have their limitations in time and other requirements, Torah study is something which can always be done, pointing to how necessary it really is for our survival.
Learning Likutei Sichos vol. 33 Shelach sicha 2
The spies were deeply spiritual people with high ideals, yet they were misguided and missed the point. This leads to fascinating dive into the Rambam’s definition of attaining the ultimate level of love of Hashem. A lesson from the spies: The goal of Juda
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