Is there a specific method to learn Sippurey Ma’asiyos (Rebbe Nachman’s Stories)?

(Click on image above)

Question & Answer with Rabbi Dovid Sears: How to Learn Likutey Halachos

How to Learn Likutey Halachos

Taivos Olam Hazeh

ועמך לא חפצתי בארץ

And when I am with You, I do not desire anything on earth. (Tehillim 73:25)

And when I do desire and partake of things in this world, do I do so in a way in which I still remember You, Hashem?

Video - Likutey Moharan English Edition Siyum: A Gala Celebration

Taking the King's crown

לא לנו ה' לא לנו כי לשמך תן כבוד

Not for our sake, Hashem, not for our sake, but for Your Name's sake give honor. (Tehillim 115:1)

My mouth recites these words, but to what extent am I speaking the truth in my heart? As much as I would like to deny it, am I not seeking kavod (honor) on a daily basis and defending against every affront to my kavod?

When will I realize that all the kavod in the world belongs to Hashem? When will I finally realize that when I insist on my kavod instead of remaining silent, I am thereby decreasing Hashem's kavod in the world.

Passing along the little I know about how to learn Likutey Moharan

(Click on the image above for my article on Breslov.org)

Tachlis

חיים שאל ממך נתתה לו
Life he requested of You, You gave it to him. (Tehillim 21:5)

Hashem, You have given me life, but You keep the tachlis of why you sent my neshamah down into this world hidden from me! How can you expect me to fulfill my mission if you don't even tell me what that mission is? What will I be accountable for once I return my neshamah to You? What is my true potential that You want me to live up to?

Hashem, I am asking for life from You - but not the life of an animal who merely exists to fulfill its bodily desires. I am asking for a life in which each day I can work to fulfill the tachlis of why You put me here in this world.

Blind with eyes wide open

My posting this week can be found over at Breslov.org here

The gate of the mind

שאו שערים ראשיכם והנשאו פתחי עולם ויבוא מלך הכבוד

Lift up your heads, O gates, the uplifted, O eternal portals, so that the King of glory may enter. (Tehillim 24:7)

Commenting on this verse, the Degel Machaneh Ephraim explained that the mind is the gate through which a person can enter to approach the King.

This gate is never locked yet we always seem to get side-tracked from ever setting foot on the other side of the threshold. Inside this gate we can approach the King and ask him the question we have always wanted answered. The fact that He may not answer us today should not discourage us. The gate is always open. Perhaps He may answer when we return tomorrow.

A daily kavanah

I said: you are angelic, you are sons of the Most High. However, like men you shall die. (Tehillim 82:6-7)

In Tiv HaTehillos, Rabbi Gamliel HaCohen Rabinowitz commented:

“You, Jews, have the ability to rise to the level of angels and “sons” of the Most High. On one condition, though: “however, like men you shall die,” i.e. provided you always reflect upon the day of death, and you do not distract your thoughts from this. With this power, you will conquer the yetzer hara, as our Sages advises us in the Talmud (Berachos 7b): “If you conquer it, good for you – but if not, remind yourself of the day of death!” Remembering the day of death is a weapon of singular power, with which one can crush the yetzer hara completely, so as to rise higher and higher to the highest levels of spirituality.”

In order to ingrain this teaching into your daily life, take a moment before putting on your tallis each morning and reflect on the thought that the tallis you are holding is the only physical possession (aside from your kittel) that you will be allowed to take with you to the grave.    

The Shabbos Storm

דמינו אלקים חסדך בקרב היכלך
We hoped, O God, for Your kindness in the midst of Your sanctuary. (Tehillim 48:10)

A few weeks ago, a ferocious storm swept through the area and knocked out the power for over a million people. Aside from the Shabbos candles burning in the dining room, our house was pitch black. My family and I quickly made our way down to the cool basement because of the intensity of the lightning and violently howling wind outside.

The next morning, the power remained out as well. Without air conditioning, the temperature inside slowly started creeping up degree by degree. Yet it was Shabbos, and the fact that we wouldn't have electricity and air conditioning on a hot summer day did not mean that Shabbos would be cancelled that week.

We put on our Shabbos clothes and walked to shul. We immediately noticed that even though the shuls in the neighborhood did not have power, they were all full as if nothing happened. Sitting in the darkness listening to the Haftara being chanted, I couldn't help but think that Hashem must be getting so much nachas from His people on this day. While the rest of the world was out in search of gasoline and stocking up on food supplies at the grocery store, His people were in shul davening as they always did on Shabbos.

That Shabbos showed me that no power in the world can come between the Jewish people and their Father in Heaven. I may even venture to say that we may have accomplished more on that Shabbos than what we accomplish davening for a whole day on Yom Kippur.

Relying on your own ideas

ה' ידע מחשבות אדם כי המה הבל
Hashem knows that the thoughts of man are futile. (Tehillim 94:11)

You will find that solely relying on your own ideas and efforts to attain your goals will ultimately be a recipe for frustration. If my children only learn one thing from me, I hope they learn that everything I attained in life of lasting value came about only because I davened long and hard for it.

Review - Bnei Avraham Ahuvecha: Gerim in Chassidic Thought

Modern Uberdox: Review of Bnei Avraham Ahuvecha

A thunderous reply

אענך בסתר רעם

I answered you when you called privately with a thunderous reply. (Tehillim 81:8)

Just because you are alone, doesn’t mean that you cannot be heard.  Every word you speak directly to Hashem in hisbodedus in your room or walking through a park makes a profound difference. These words are so powerful that your yetzer hara will fight you tooth and nail to stop. One rabbi who has been spending an hour in hisbodedus for over 30 years told me, “I haven’t missed a day in 30 years, however, there wasn’t a day in which the yetzer hara didn’t battle me and try to convince me to do otherwise. There wasn’t a day where initially I felt like doing it and it came easy for me”  Another rabbi half-jokingly told my chavrusa,  “Do you know how you can become a masmid? Commit yourself to hisbodedus everyday and your yetzer hara will convince you that you could better use your time learning Torah!”

When you call upon Hashem privately, He will answer you with a thunderous reply – giving you more than you could ever have imagined.  All it takes is to start with a small daily commitment of time – just 10 minutes.  No matter how busy you are, you certainly can devote 10 minutes each day to a relationship that will continue long after you have taken your final breath.

From a place beyond words

נשאו נהרות קולם

Rivers raise their voice. (Tehillim 93:3)

Sit next to a river and it will reveal to you how it overcomes all the obstacles in its path; easily, effortlessly - over the top, around the side. Never ceasing.

New Book from Breslov Research Institute: Between me & You

From Breslov.org:

We are proud to announce our first ever woman’s publication entitled Between me & You, Heartfelt Prayers for Each Jewish Woman.  Based on Rebbe Noson’s Likutey Tefilot, (translated as the Fiftieth Gate) these short excepts are grouped by the subjects most important to Jewish Woman. This beautifully designed prayer book features the original Hebrew text, with a facing English adaption. Connect with your Creator like never before!

“A book such as this can give you access to your own inner life”
-Tziporah Heller

“As I recite the words of these prayers, I can almost feel a Divine smile”
-Sara Yoheved Rigler

Click Here To Order

Our weekly "base"

"ליום השבת טוב להדות לה
For the day of Shabbos it is good to give thanks to Hashem. (Tehillim 92:1-2)

Isn't every day a good day to thank Hashem? It is especially appropriate to give thanks to Hashem on Shabbos because Shabbos is our weekly "base". It is our safehaven where the outside world cannot tag us and we can take leave of the chaotic concerns of the world for one day each week.

Since that time

After telling my father that I had finally released my book to the world, he commented:

"You know it doesn't even matter if the book doesn't even sell one copy. The most important thing is that you have grown through the course of the project and that now you are not the same person who started the project. You have certainly grown since that time."

Bnei Avraham Ahuvecha: Gerim in Chassidic Thought

I am pleased to announce the release of a book that will enthusiastically be sought after by Jews who were not born Jewish, and those on the path to becoming Jewish. It has received glowing approbations from the Sudilkover Rebbe, Bostoner Rebbe, Hornsteipler Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Morgenstern, Rabbi Dovid Meisels, and Rabbi Lazer Brody.

Unlike numerous books already published in English on conversion to Judaism, this book is not a personal narrative, how-to manual, digest of relevant laws, or academic historical overview. This book presents the story behind the story — the mystical teachings found within Chassidic literature that illuminate the hidden inner world of the ger.

Until now, these teachings were scattered in an unorganized manner throughout countless volumes and inaccessible to those unfamiliar with the Hebrew language. With this book, Bnei Avraham Ahuvecha: Gerim in Chassidic Thought, relevant Chassidic teachings are collected, translated from Hebrew into English, organized topically, and further elucidated, when needed. Interspersed with these translated teachings, stories- both old and new - are included to help bring them to life. In addition, this book includes supplementary essays written by Rabbi Chaim Kramer, Rabbi Ozer Bergman, Rabbi Dovid Sears, and Mrs. Talya Lipshutz (based on conversations with Rav Elazar Mordechai Kenig of Tsfat).

Excerpts from the book’s haskamos (approbations):

• A jewel in any Jewish bookcase for generations to come, [this book] will greatly benefit all those who study it. -- Sudilkover Rebbe

• I am delighted to recommend the book as a meaningful contribution to the growing body of Torah information available to the Chareidi world. Indeed, the project is intriguing both for its timeliness and for its superb scholarship. -- Hornsteipler Rebbe of Milwaukee

• Well researched ... provides many novel ideas from primary sources that are not available to the general public. -- Bostoner Rebbe of Jerusalem

• I have one blessing for my precious friend [the author]: may he see blessings from what he has accomplished and increase the honor of God in the world with his great book. -- Rabbi Dovid Meisels

 • This wonderful book is unique in the world of Torah literature. -- Rabbi Lazer Brody

 • It is my hope and prayer that learning and internalizing the teachings in this book will sensitize our community to the greatness of the mitzvah to love gerim. -- Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Morgenstern

Bnei Avraham Ahuvecha: Gerim in Chassidic Thought is now available for purchase online here. It is also available on Amazon.com here.

On top of my head

שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד
I have placed Hashem before me always. (Tehillim 16:8)

Often the yarmulke’s message remains on top of my head and does not penetrate inside. I understand that Hashem is always with me no matter where we go, but I rarely say, “You are right here with me, Hashem.” I rarely take the opportunity to attempt to ingrain this fundamental belief in my mind throughout the day or during the occasions when I visit a new place.

Why do I fail to say this to myself before learning Torah or doing a mitzvah? The whole purpose of these things is to connect to Hashem, yet I rush into them without stopping for even a few brief seconds beforehand to say these words,

“You are right here with me, Hashem.”

The yetzer hara waiting at a project's completion

Received via e-mail:

I suggest you keep pushing yourself with such details to the very end.

There is a special "yetzer hara" that comes along at the end of a project! I have seen again and again that there is a certain klippah of impatience and fatigue that I have felt at the end of every project -- and that's where the mistakes get a foot in the door. You have to be patient and take the time to review things and stay on top of the project right until the very end.

Which path to go

אשכילך ואורך בדרך זו תלך איעצה עליך

I will make you wise and enlighten you in which path to go, I will advise you (Tehillim 32:8)

Flooded to capacity, my mind worked overtime to process all the thoughts racing through it when I returned home from spending Rosh Hashanah in Uman last year. Once my mind had calmed down somewhat, I sat down and wrote the following note to my roomate in the Uman about the conclusions I had drawn from my trip:

Dear ____

It was an absolute pleasure to be able to spend Rosh Hashanah with you in Uman!

Being in Uman by the Tzion far exceeded my wildest expectations. I truly sensed an incredible power there that shattered the hard casings surrounding my heart and really opened me up; giving me insight into the essence of my being.

I would not trade this experience for the world and I now have a tremendous sense of satisfaction that I was able to accomplish one of my own personal goals before I die. That said, despite all of this, I cannot see myself going to Uman every year as loyal Breslover Chassidim do in fulfillment of one of the Rebbe’s central directives. Additionally, I do not regard myself as a Breslover.  Though I am not sure if I will feel differently in a 6 months, a year, or two years from now.

After 10 years of desiring to go, I went this year with the intention that I was embarking on a once in a lifetime epic journey. Both then and now, I could not see going back every year and being away from my family every Rosh Hashanah.  My wife and kids certainly understood this year and were encouraging since they knew this would not be a yearly occurrence.

In Torah Daled (Likutey Moharan I:4) – which I have been learning/living now for over a month – the Rebbe says once a person comes to the tzaddik, he will reveal to the person the path connected to his shoresh neshoma.  One of the hasagos that I received very strongly at the Tzion in Uman was that was that the derech of the Degel Machaneh Ephraim and current Sudilkover Rebbe were much more connected to my shoresh neshoma.  This certainly doesn’t mean that I now regard Rebbe Nachman’s teachings as something only for other people and not for me.  Chas v'shalom, the Sudilkover Rebbe once told me that Breslover Chassidus is the form of Chassidus today most closely related to the derech of the Degel.

I certainly intend to continue learning and living Rebbe Nachman's teachings every day, however, I know now that they are more of an amazing source of inspiration for me rather than my sole path in avodas Hashem.  In addition, another reason I will continue learning Likutey Moharan is that it one of the four Chassidishe seforim that the Sudilkover Rebbe instructed me to learn everyday without fail.

Perhaps it is still too soon after returning from Uman and my head is still spinning and trying to draw conclusions prematurely.  Yet, you have often told me that it is very important for me to be myself, so I am very interested for your thoughts after reading this.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

In response, I received the following response:

Glad to hear that you found this experience to be so profound, and I feel the same way about sharing your company!

As for your question (if it is a question) -- by all means, "be yourself." Labels are not so important; pnimiyus is important.

The Rebbe once said that he had three types of Chassidim: those who come for "shirayim," those who come for Torah, and those who are "baked in his heart." Yes, Breslover Chassidim stress the last category; but all three are nevertheless called "Chassidim." You came to Uman for Rosh Hashanah and that's a heroic journey, whether you ever come again or not!

Chazak ve'ematz

Through simplicity

ואני בתמי תמכת בי ותציבני לפניך לעולם

And as for me, because of my simplicity, You supported me, and You always stood me upright before You. (Tehillim 41:13)

Everything I have accomplished in my life of lasting value is due to the fact that I have repeatedly relied on emunah peshutah (simple faith) when confronting obstacles that loomed largely in front of me.

17 Iyar

Leaving the Kiev airport on the way to Uman for Rosh Hashanah last year, the driver of our van offered to first take us to visit the kevarim of other tzaddikim in Vilednik, Berditchev, and Mezhibuz for a very reasonable additional cost. We immediately agreed and drove through the night on bumpy Ukrainian back roads without sleeping; arriving in Vilednik at midnight, Berditchev at 2:00 a.m., and Mezhibuz at 4:00 a.m.

In Mezhibuz, I spent a lot of time by the kever of the Degel Machaneh Ephraim. I had last visited Mezhibuz 10 years previously and had not expected that I would have time to visit his kever during this visit. I was absolutely amazed how circumstances presented me with this opportunity.

Since the time of my last visit, not a day had gone by in which I hadn’t learned Degel Machaneh Ephraim. I couldn't help but conclude that there was something symbolic about the fact that I had to first go to Mezhibuz before I could go to Uman during this trip. It was as if the Degel himself was saying, "Let me get this right, there is a person who learns my sefer everyday and tries to connect to my derech avodah and he is not going to visit me after he flew thousands of miles across the ocean??? I will simply not permit it!! He must first come to me, and then he can go to Uman to see my nephew."

Today, on the yahrzeit of the Degel Machaneh Ephraim, I am taking it upon myself to learn his sefer just five more minutes a day. I am doing this because I have recently concluded that it is my natural inclination to take on things in a big manner. However, I have found that it is best to do things by starting very small but with consistency every day.

A garment can always be removed

מה תשתוחחי נפשי ותהמי עלי

Why are you downcast my soul, and why are you bewildered on my account? (Tehillim 42:6)

Anytime I feel a wave of depression or sadness wash over me, I must remember that my essence is pure; Hashem created it and placed it within me. If I regard something about myself as “bad”, I must remind myself that it is only a garment that I can still remove from over me. Nothing that I do can tarnish the purity of my soul. 

Wielding the sword of prayer

הנה יביעון בפיהם חרבות בשפתותיהם כי מי שמע

Behold, they spew with their mouths, swords are in the lips; for they say “Who listens?” (Tehillim 59:8)

Depth of communication is a characteristic of a strong relationship. Conversely, superficial communication is often a characteristic of less genuine relationship. With this in mind, how would you characterize your communication with Hashem?

In the midst of a deep conversation with a best friend or spouse, your complete attention is on the person you are speaking to. When you fail to communicate with Hashem in this same close and open manner, it is as if you are simply spewing forth words from your mouth. Hashem is forced to conclude that you don’t think He listens to every word you say to Him. He sees that is possible for you to place your whole being into your words when communicating with another person, yet He is hurt that this depth of communication is primarily reserved for other humans while your superficial communication is reserved for Him.   

Back down on earth

לדעת בארץ דרכך
To know Your way on earth (Tehillim 67:3)

There is a powerful story in Sichos HaRan #292 that sheds light on these words,

"A somewhat notable Chassid, came to see the Rebbe. He was an older man and was knowledgeable in the writings of the holy Ari. Wanting to enter the Rebbe's circle, he spoke in the manner of the important Chassidim, saying, 'I would like the Rebbe to teach me the way to serve G-d.'

The Rebbe looked at him with wonder and quoted the verse (Tehillim 67:3), "To know Your way in the earth.'

The Rebbe meant that he was still 'in the earth' - immersed completely in earthiness - and still he wants to "know Your way" - he wants to know the way to come close to G-d.

We see from this anecdote that the Rebbe was provoked because the man spoke haughtily, saying that he was seeking the way to G-d. He spoke as if he had already perfected himself to the extent that he lack nothing else but to choose the appropriate way and walk up to G-d.

The Rebbe saw through this and wanted him to speak sincerely."

After reading and re-reading this story a few times, I was finally forced to admit that I was no different than the Chassid that Rebbe Nachman chided. Too often I have taken upon myself new things that are up and above the standard practices of the community in which I reside; whether it is wearing a gartel for davening, putting on Rabbeinu Tam teffilin, keeping Cholov Yisroel, using the mikvah on a weekly basis, or wearing a black hat on Shabbos.  

Perhaps I was initially drawn to do these things because they were things I ultimately chose to do, and not things that I felt were halachically required of me. They were things that gave expression to my individualist and non-conformist temperament. It is always easier to do something when you want to do it rather than when you feel you are obligated to do it.

These words in Tehillim, along with the story from Sichos HaRan, reminded me of the conversation I had with the Sudilkover Rebbe three years ago (5769) about the need to progress one small step at a time in my avodas Hashem without overzealously attempting to skip levels. They remind me that whenever I have the inclination to take upon another avodah that may be above my reach, I may need to return my focus to “bread and butter Yiddishkeit” and invest my burst of enthusiasm into something that will place both my feet back down on earth - along with the rest of my community. 

Singing another person's song

אזכרה נגינתי בלילה
I recall my melodies at night (Tehillim 77:7)

During the times when darkness descends upon me and I am troubled that I have not lived up to the high standards I set for myself, I must remember not to sing someone else's song.  I need to start singing "my melodies"- composed of all my good points; strung together as musical notes.

The afikomen

When Hashem views the world, He sees the entire globe in its totality. We, on the other hand, only see the small piece that is immediately in front of us. We are lacking the larger piece – the context – that puts everything into perspective and provides us with complete understanding. This larger piece is hidden away, and we with only our small piece in hand must have emunah that the larger piece exists; we must be willing to give something precious in order to finally taste it. 

The realization of intellectual knowledge

תשב אנוש עד דכא 

You reduce man to pulp (Tehillim 90:3)

There are times when knowledge, which has long lingered in the recesses of our mind, penetrates our being and impacts us in a very deep and profound way. Following a week in which my mother had to go to the emergency room after experiencing an irregular heart beat while exercising, these four Hebrew words sent a current through me. Intellectually, I have always understood that one day my parents will die, however, it wasn’t until reading these words on the morning of Shabbos HaGadol did I truly “know” it.

These four words brought to mind the gradual deterioration of my parent’s physical health. During the course of the past decade, my mother has been diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and now this issue with her heart. My father once prided himself for never missing a day of running. At one time, he routinely got up early and ran before work and played tennis once he got home. Slowly over the past several years, the arthritis in his back has forced him to reduce the frequency of his runs. Now, he only runs on weekends and rides his exercise bike during the week due to the pain he experiences.

The four words from this kapitel brought the knowledge that has always lingered in the recess of my mind to the forefront. These words reminded me that I can no longer go on just assuming that there will always be a future visit with my parents. 

Now that I know, I cannot not know. 

Hiding in plain sight

Sefer Tehillim is not just another volume in Tanach. The entire Torah is encapsulated in coded form within Tehillim.

Ideas that would take pages to fully explain are hiding behind one word or phrase, just waiting to be discovered. These ideas are hiding in plain sight on every page, yet we overlook them imagining that they only recount the travails King David was experiencing thousands of years ago.

With the knowledge that the words of Tehillim are essentially passwords that unlock hidden doorways, perhaps it would be more appropriate for us to read and contemplate a single kapitel 150 times a week rather than quickly reading through 150 kapitlach to complete the entire book in a week’s time.

I am not sure. Maybe both methods have their merit…

With Each Advance

'מבקשי ה
Those who seek Hashem (Tehillim 105:3)

It may appear that this kapitel is simply describing the story of the Exodus of Egypt. However, you also may notice upon a more careful reading of it that it describes the progression of events you will experience advancing from level in your avodas Hashem. Each advance you make will eventually be met with an overwhelming period of opposition. [1]

Furthermore, you may notice that like Tehillim 78, this kapitel does not record the plagues in the sequence they are recorded in the Chumash. The order of plagues in this kapitel begins with the ninth plague – the plague of darkness. Perhaps this is hinting to the fact that when you first make an effort to come closer to Hashem the first obstacles and opposition you must overcome will be the feeling that the lights have been turned out. Neverthless, you must keep walking - even without the sense of vision - until you eventually see a tiny glimmer of light ahead.

-----

[1] The verses in Tehillim 105 can be divided as follows:

1) Beginning: 105:1-15

2) First opposition: 105:16-19

3) Overcoming first opposition: 105:20-24

4) Second opposition: 105:25

5) Overcoming second opposition (exponentially more intense and lasting longer than the first wave of opposition): 105:26-36

6) Hashem’s assurance if you remain steadfast: 105:37-45

Google’s firm grasp

If someone were to ask me if I would willing to lose the ability to maintain focus when reading long pieces of text, subject myself to countless distractions every hour of every day, and develop a compulsive tendency to check for bits of information that ultimately have no bearing on my daily life, would I agree to this proposition?

I don’t think any sane person would agree, yet my actions revealed that I had already agreed wholeheartedly.

After learning before work, I use to check my Blackberry for new Gmail messages. I checked again (perhaps maybe even a few times) when taking public transportation to my office. Once I got to my office, I used to rush through my work in order to once again access my Gmail and read through the latest postings from my 232 subscriptions on my Google Reader. Keeping my Gmail and Google Reader open throughout the entire work day, I subjected myself to constant distraction from my work. Commuting home each night, I would resume repetitively checking my Blackberry and pick it back up once again after putting the kids to bed. (Interestingly, I never had a problem turning my Blackberry off before Shabbos or limiting usage on Sunday when spending time with family).

I never considered just how much the Internet affected me until I read a book which detailed its impact on how the brain functioned and described phenomena that I inherently knew were true in my own life.

On Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Nissan, I described the extent of my Internet usage to my wife and asked for her advice how to control this technology and not be controlled by it. Surprised by just how much I used the Internet throughout the course of the work day, my wife suggested that I begin by strictly limiting my access to Gmail and Google Reader to just three times - 10:00 am (30 minutes of access), 2:00 pm (1 hour of access), and 8:00 pm (15 minutes of access).  I started adhering to this new regimen this past Sunday and I have already noticed some immediate positive results. Limiting my access to Gmail and Google Reader has clearly shown me that I receive very few important e-mails and relevant Google Reader items each day. It makes me wonder why I needed to spend so much of my life for a miniscule amount of true information.

In a future posting, I will plan to share my observations of other benefits I notice from my attempt to reclaim my mind from Google’s firm grasp.

עַל עֲרָבִים בְּתוֹכָהּ תָּלִינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ

On the willows within it we hung our harps. For there our captors requested words of song from us, with our lyres playing joyous music, "Sing for us of the song of Zion." (Tehillim 137:2-3)

At times, the yetzer hara becomes the captor of your mind. It wants to control the song you sing and humiliate you at the time it has subjugated you.

Here you can benefit from your inherent stubborn nature by turning it against the yetzer hara. Knowing that your yetzer hara doesn’t have your best interest at heart, you must remind yourself that everything that it tells you is wrong - and conversely, everything it tries to dissuade you from is correct.

When the yetzer hara tells you to stay at home and daven Ma’ariv instead of davening with a minyan, you need to force yourself to do the opposite. Tell yourself, “The yetzer hara doesn’t want me to go to shul now!” Hearing yourself say these words will give you the stubborn resolve to do just the opposite! In this way, you will hang up your harp on the willows, and refuse to play the yetzer hara’s song.

The Breslov Center's New Site

Received via e-mail:

Just in case you didn't know -- the Breslov Center of New York has switched to a new format at a new URL:

http://breslovcenter.blogspot.com/

We now integrate announcements with original essays and translations of Breslov texts on a wide range of topics, including Breslov customs (work-in-progress).

A new series of postings related to Pesach will begin next week.

Check it out!

הַלְלוּהוּ כְּרֹב גֻּדְלוֹ

Praise Him as befits His greatness (Tehillim 150:2)

Sitting in the Kloiz in Uman last Erev Rosh Hashanah at 3:30 am, I suddenly broke out in tears before Selichos even began. Crying oceans of tears, I had an overwhelming feeling of the greatness of Hashem. How was it possible for me to serve Hashem according to His greatness? He is so big, and I am so insignificant in comparison. Pulling myself back together, I was comforted in the thought that Hashem, in His supreme compassion, regarded the little things that I did - such as saying Selichos - as my service of Him. At that moment, I first began to have an understanding of the extent of Hashem’s love for me.

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No man serves Hashem according to His greatness. If you have some conception of Hashem’s greatness, you will not understand how one can claim to serve Him. The highest angel cannot say that he truly serves Hashem. (Sichos HaRan #51)

התבודדות על ספר תהלים

(Picture by Yaakov Klein)

In the introduction to his commentary on Sefer Tehillim Tiv HaTehillos, Rabbi Gamliel HaCohen Rabinowitz wrote,

“It is to be regarded as a great and precious accomplishment to have the privilege to produce your own, new commentaries on the verses of Tehillim, drawn from the roots of your soul during the recitation of the chapters of Tehillim, when you uplift yourself to a high spiritual level. One may then discover ideas and nuances, new insights into the holy verses, and even new ethical concepts. Such new commentaries and discoveries are sent to a person by the Almighty Himself, while the person is reciting Tehillim.”

With these words in mind, I initiated a project on Erev Shabbos Tetzaveh to spend time in hisbodedus and focus on the meaning of a single kapitel of Tehillim each week; asking Hashem to reveal its personal meaning to me.

In order not to get frustrated and overwhelmed by the size of a project that will take a minimum of 150 weeks to complete, I decided not to begin with the first kapitel, but rather start at kapitel 150 and proceed in no particular order – other than by first focusing on the kapitlach that make up the Tikkun HaKlali.

I plan to write down the thoughts that come to me during hisbodedus and post them on a weekly basis, beginning next week. With Hashem's help, I hope to spend time on all 150 kapitlach and share my thoughts with you.

A Subconscious Connection

Subconsciously, a person will often reach for something sweet or savory to eat when experiencing feelings of unhapiness. The pleasurable experience of eating becomes a mechanism to help a person to forget what is presently bothering him.

However, a person does not just forget his feelings of unhapiness while eating. Caught in the physicality of food, a person also temporarily forgets Hashem.

A craving to snack may not be a true expression of the body's desire for nourishment. It may be the neshamah's call to remind us to connect with our Creator.

"Divrei Avodah"

I would like to offer a suggestion.

Let's begin speaking divrei avodah instead of (or if would make you more comfortable, perhaps "in addition to") divrei Torah at the Shabbos table.

How does one speak divrei avodah?

Simply by relating how an event or interaction with another person made a positive impact on your avodas Hashem and caused you to do something you previously did not.

When speaking divrei avodah you do not need to know how Rashi, Ramban, or the Abarbanel commented on a particular verse. You do not need to give a summary overview of the events in the parsha or ask questions about the parsha's details. You may not need to even mention the parsha at all!

You do, however, need to be aware of all the messages that Hashem sends you during the course of the week in order to try to internalize them and share them with the people sitting around your Shabbos table.

It will be these personal divrei avodah that your guests take with them when other divrei Torah are long forgotten. Perhaps they will even become seeds that others plant and nurture in gardens of their own.

Identity: A Year Later

Answering the question I posed a year ago, I would now say,

"I am not a chassid, but my Rebbe says that I am. That said, my Rebbe also says that he is not a chassid."

Do you really believe He hears you?

I have been taking a break from regular posting for the last two years in order to devote time to my book project, yet I have still been receiving numerous requests to post something over the past few months - both while I was in Uman and also during my annual visit last month to Boro Park to meet with the Sudilkover Rebbe.

In response to all of these requests, I would like to share the contents of a letter I received from the Rebbe:

Before Rosh Hashanah, the Sudilkover Rebbe sent out a letter containing his blessing for the new year along with a request that each person resist the urge to talk to others in shul during davening. It is known, the Rebbe wrote, that our main avodah in Elul and Tishrei involves the mitzvos bein adam l'chaveiro (mitzvos pertaining to our interaction with our fellow man). Indeed, these mitzvos should be the focus of our generation for the rest of the year as well in order to rectify the sinas chinam that destroyed the Beis HaMikdash.

Yet, how are these two ideas connected? If mitzvos bein adam l'chaveiro should be the focus of our generation, what is the purpose of placing our primary focus on a mitzvah that appears to fall into the category of bein adam l'Makom (between man and G-d)?

The Maggid of Koznitz wrote that a person who talks to others during davening can be compared to a person speaking with a king and suddenly diverts his attention to say, "Your Majesty, I can no longer speak with you, I must speak with someone that I desire to speak to." This, the Maggid of Koznitz taught not only causes the Shechinah to depart from him but also prevents the tefillos of the entire congregation from being received. From this story, the Sudilkover Rebbe said that it is apparent that talking to others during davening is not just an aveira bein adam l'Makom, it is also an aveira bein adam l'chaveiro.

The Sudilkover Rebbe wrote that he heard from the previous Lelover Rebbe (Rabbi Shimon Noson Nuta Biderman of Lelov) that the words "this time" (בעת הזאת) in the verse, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will arise for the Jews..." (Esther 4:14) refer to the time of prayer. And as such, the Lelover Rebbe said that this verse teaches that if a person makes himself silent during davening, relief and rescue will come to the Jewish people both in gashmius and ruchnius.

Furthermore, the Sudilkover Rebbe pointed out that the word "this" (זאת) has the same numerical value as the three things that the Machzor says averts an evil decree, "Fasting, Voice, Money" (צום קול ממון). With this in mind, the verse from Megillas Esther can now be read to teach that when people take it upon them selves during this time of teshuvah not speak to others during davening, then relief and recue will certainly arise for them and their descendants.

After reading and reviewing the Rebbe's letter and also the advice of the Degel Machaneh Ephraim, I resolved to put it into practice. I davened each day not to be put in situations where someone would try to talk to me during davening or the reading of the Torah.

I was fortunate to speak with the Rebbe this week on this topic at length. During this time, the Rebbe told me some amazing personal stories and stories from other tzaddikim regarding the importance of not talking to others during davening. At the end of our conversation, he asked some questions that have remained with me and given me pause,

"If we are given 22.5 hours a day when we are permitted to speak with others, why must we encroach on the 1.5 hours that are set aside solely for our conversation with Hashem? Isn't it He alone who provides for all our needs? If we really believe Hashem hears the words we say, how could we ever even think of speaking to others when we are standing before Him in His house? We need to stop speaking to others when we are speaking to Him!"

The Sudilkover Rebbe finished by saying that if we are to display any type of chutzpah before Hashem, it should only be the type of chutzpah that the Degel Machaneh Ephraim wrote about - chutzpah to hold a strong conviction in the efficacy of prayer at specifically those times when we may have doubts.