Ahavat Yisrael
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Chanukah Everlasting Unity
December 02, 2022 13:00 - 4.81 MBToday we will share one last Ahavat Yisrael thought related to Chanukah. As we mentioned, we read the Nasi’im/princes on Chanukah. One of the reasons for this is that right after the 12 Nasi’im comes Parashat Baha’alotcha , which talks about the Menorah. What's the connection between the lighting of the Menorah and the Nasi’im ? Rashi tells us, in the beginning of Baha’alotcha that Aharon HaKohen had what is called Chalishut HaDa’at. He was down. He said, “ My tribe is not connected to the 12...
Chanukah No Jealousy
December 01, 2022 13:00 - 5.09 MBToday we will share a Hanukah related thought from the great Klausenberger Rebbe. The Rebbe points out that the miracle of Hanukah took place during the era of the second Bet Hamikdash, as we know. He says that the issue of Sinat Hinam was already brewing then, and that was part of the reason they got into trouble. Therefore, after the miracle of Hanukah, they strengthened themselves in the area of Achdut/ unity. He says there are two very interesting things about the mitzvah of the Menorah. ...
Chanukah Achdut
November 30, 2022 13:00 - 6.03 MBToday we have another thought about Ahavat Yisrael in relation to the holiday of Hanukah, which comes from the sefer Akedat Yitzhak Al HaTorah , from one of the Hasidim. He writes that Matityahu was the Sadik HaDor, and the job of the Sadik HaDor is to unite the hearts of Jewish people. That's why Matityahu’s cry was, “ Mi L’Hashem Elai/ Who is to Hashem come to me.” When he gathered together the Maccabim , he was trying to gather Jewish people together. He says that the only reason they won ...
Giving Charity on Chanukah
November 29, 2022 13:00 - 5.21 MBMoshe Rabbenu, in Shemot 33,16 says וְנִפְלִ֙ינוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמְּךָ֔ We ( the Jewish people) should be separated from the rest of the world. And right after that, God introduces the 13 Attributes of Mercy, which is a special covenant called the Covenant of the 13 Attributes that is made specifically for the Jewish people. This is what bothered the Greeks. They were bothered by anything that made the Jewish people stand out, apart from the rest of the world. These 13 attributes are what separa...
Chanukah 13 Breeches 13 Attributes
November 28, 2022 13:00 - 7.45 MBAs we're now in the month of Kislev, we will speak a little bit about Hanukah in order to get ready. The Ben Ish Chai quotes the Arizal that when one says the berachot of the Nerot Hanukah, he says LeHadlik Ner Hanukah, unlike Shabbat when we say LeHadlik Ner Shel Shabbat . He answers with a Kabbalistic reason: Because we want to spell out the letters נחל N a H a L (using the first letters of each word L eHadlik N er H anukah) which means stream . And this stream is a two way stream- One stre...
Bring your Relatives Close
November 25, 2022 13:00 - 6.04 MBWe continue with the trait of God called She’erut Nachlato, that God views the Jewish people as relatives, and it hurts God when we're in pain. The Gemara In Masechet Hagiga says When a man is in pain, what does God say? My head hurts. My arm hurts. And that's talking about sinners . So it’s surely so when a Sadik is suffering. Rav Chaim Volozhin, in his Sefer Nefesh HaChaim ( Shaar ב perek יא ) says, “What does it mean, ‘My head hurts and My arm hurts?’ He says, that connects to the tefilin ...
Power of Tzibur
November 24, 2022 13:00 - 5.16 MBWe're continuing this concept that the Jewish people are connected to God cause we're related. The pasuk in V’Etchanan 4,7 says כִּ֚י מִי־ג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל אֲשֶׁר־ל֥וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים קְרֹבִ֣ים אֵלָ֑יו כַּיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ בְּכׇל־קׇרְאֵ֖נוּ אֵלָֽיו Who is a great nation that God is related to? Whenever you call out to Him, He responds. Which means that because we're related, He responds to our prayers. Asks the Brisker Rav on Shemot 33,19, What do you mean? Goyim can also pray and Goyim can do teshu...
We are all Related
November 23, 2022 13:00 - 4.87 MBAY 331 We are all Related We're talking about trait number four of God, called L’she’erit Nachlato, which means Hashem considers the Jewish people as His relatives. And regardless of what they're doing or not doing, or what they're deserving of, He can't see their pain and has to alleviate it. How does that apply to us? Says the Tomar Devorah, That's how we have to act with our friends, because we are all connected, our souls are connected. Our bodies might not be connected, but our souls are...
G-d’s Relatives
November 22, 2022 13:00 - 5.22 MBWe continue in the 13 attributes of mercy, as delineated by Rav Moshe Cordovero in his sefer Tomar Devorah . We are up to trait number four, L‘She’erit Nachlato . She’er means relative, like She’er Besaro , and Nachlato means an inheritance. God looks at us as if we are She’er Basar/ we are related t o Him, and Nachlato , we are His inheritance. And therefore, God says, What should I do to the Jewish people? They're My relatives. As God refers to the Jewish people in Shir Hashirim , They’re M...
God Cleans Our Sins
November 21, 2022 13:00 - 5.58 MBWe continue going through the sefer Tomar Devorah, which talks about God's Thirteen attributes of mercy and how we are supposed to emulate them. We are up to the third Middah, which is called the V’Over Al Pesha / He passes over sin. . “ This is a great attribute, ” says the Tomar Devorah, “ because God's forgiveness is not through a messenger. God Himself forgives ," as it says Ki Imcha Haselicha/With You, is forgiveness. And what is the Selicha ? God washes away the dirt of the sin… and he ...
The Positive Angels
November 18, 2022 13:00 - 4.16 MBWe've been talking about the concept of כל העושה עבירה קונה לו קטגור אחד Whoever does a sin buys (or creates) a negative force. But since we don't like to end on a negative, let’s flip to the positive side of this: When a person does a mitzvah, he creates a positive force. As the Mishna says, he gets a defense attorney. As we say in our prayers, “ There should stand up, a defense attorney for us .” An angel that’s a defense attorney is created from our Mitzvot. The Sefer Ya’avetz, from one of...
Sustain the Sin
November 17, 2022 13:00 - 5.16 MBWe continue in the Sefer Tomar Devorah, discussing the traits of God that we have to emulate. Trait number one was God's level of tolerance and patience, which we call Savlanut . Trait number two is called Noseh Avon , which literally means to carry a sin. The term first shows up when Kayin tells God, “ Is my sin too great to carry?” Simply, it's poetic, But the Tomar Devorah explains that when a person sins, he creates a negative force, like the Mishna in Avot 4,13 says, One who sins (buys o...
Incentive to be Easygoing
November 16, 2022 13:00 - 4.62 MBWe've been discussing the Middah of Savlanut , which means to tolerate or be patient . Another term for this trait is Ma’avir Al Midotav , which literally means someone who lets his Middot “pass.” Rashi describes it, in Masechet Rosh Hashana 17A, as Not being exacting, not being measure for measure to those that pain him. He lets his middot go, and he just keeps going. He just moves on. And if that is the way the person acts, then God's justice isn't exacting with him, it just keeps moving as...
Our Limbs Listen
November 15, 2022 13:00 - 5.15 MBWe've been talking about Hashem’s tremendous patience and tolerance, and how even though we sin, God continues to bestow His bounty and blessings upon us. The Hovot Halevavot, in his Shaar Cheshbon HaNefesh section (chapter 3, 6th calculation), says, “ If any of our limbs would not do what they're supposed to do, for example, if the ones that are supposed to be moving would stop, or the ones that are supposed to be stopped would move ( Like we say in Asher Yatzar, if one of them opens, that i...
God Clothed Adam and Chava
November 14, 2022 13:00 - 5.29 MBWe are now going through the sefer Tomar Devorah , which talks about God's 13 Attributes, as mentioned by Micha. The first is called Mi El Kamocha/Who is a God like You, the point being that God has tremendous tolerance and patience for His creations. Even though they act in a rebellious way against him, God continues to shower His kindness upon them. We will give some examples of what God does, in order for us to learn to emulate Him. In Beresheet (3,21) it says that after Adam and Chava sin...
Giving Manna to the Egel
November 11, 2022 13:00 - 4.92 MBWe continue to talk about God's tremendous tolerance, patience and acceptance of disgrace. We go back to the pasuk in Nehemiah (chapter 9), where he is giving a speech to the Jewish people and he says the words ואתה מחיה את כלם God gives life to all, and it continues on, as we know in our prayers, with: You are the one that chose Avram and took him out of Ur Kasdim and gave him the name Avraham, made a Brit with him.. and so on. until it says, You split the sea and the enemies were thrown int...
Praise God on Every Breath
November 10, 2022 13:00 - 4.8 MBToday's class is dedicated in memory of my uncle, Albert D. Sutton, Avraham Ben Emma a’h May this class should be an Ilui Nesham for him. We're discussing the trait of God, that He has tremendous tolerance because He’s constantly being disgraced. In his Sefer Shaar Hayirah, on the topic of fear (10th chapter), the Reshit Hochma, (a student of Rav Moshe Cordevero, author of the Tomar Devorah), says that a pious man once said, Don't rebel against your master when he is watching you . The only p...
Godly Tolerance
November 09, 2022 13:00 - 7.9 MBWe've been speaking about the concept of tolerance , to be Sovel . As we mentioned from Rav Wolbe, a lot of this comes from the beautiful sefer Tomar Devorah, by Rav Moshe Cordevero, on the 13 attributes of mercy, based on the pasuk in Micha , Mi El Kamocha. The Pele Yoetz, under the topic of Devekut , says that a person should read the Tomar Devorah once a month, and try his best to live up to these Middot of Hashem. In Arot Elim, another sefer by the Pele Yoetz, he includes a shorter versio...
Tolerance With Yourself
November 08, 2022 13:00 - 7.25 MBWe've been talking about the trait of Savlanut/ tolerance . Rav Wolbe, in his sefer Alei Shur ( vol 2 page 216), says that first a person has to condition himself to get the idea of tolerating others. But he says, a person also has to learn how to tolerate himself. What does that mean? Sometime a person is trying to work on a trait, such as tolerating people. He decided, “ Hey, that's a great thing to work on. I really need to work on tolerance. I don't have tolerance for people,” and he’s be...
The Sun was Quiet
November 07, 2022 13:00 - 8.73 MBWe continue to discuss the topic of Savlanut , which we translated literally as to carry, to tolerate and to be patient with situation s that not to our liking. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat brings the following braita: Those that are disgraced and don't disgrace back, that hear their disgrace and don't respond, that serve God out of love and are happy with yisurim/suffering. So these are three areas of tolerance; being tolerant of insults, or disgrace or tolerating suffering. And on them, i...
Tolerating Pain like the Shining Sun
November 04, 2022 13:00 - 7.48 MBWe've been talking about tolerating this week, and Rav Wolbe talks about how to view somebody who is suffering with physical or emotional distress. He brings the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat 88B that discusses.. those are disgraced and don't disgrace others , people that hear the disgrace and don't respond.. As two examples of people that tolerate. This term is used in connection with humble people like Moshe Rabbenu, that were disgraced and didn’t respond. It says, On God, he's disgraced . But...
Tolerance The Source of Shalom Bayit
November 03, 2022 13:00 - 8.14 MBThis week has been dedicated to the topic of Sevel/ tolerating. Rav Wolbe, in his sefer, Aleh Shor, says that we need to dedicate a special focus on Savlanut - tolerating situations or people- when it comes to our family. Because the more contact you have with somebody, the more you need to train yourself in tolerance. Your family is not like a friend that you meet from time to time, that occasionally might arouse some kind of uncomfortable feelings or frustrations. A family, and a household ...
The Ability to Tolerate Uncomfortable Situations
November 02, 2022 13:00 - 9.69 MBWe are talking about the trait of Sevel , which is important for good middot/character traits. We have also discussed that it’s important for menuchat hanefesh/serenity . But when we talk about the term Menuchat Hanefesh , it’s not just about the concept of the peace of mind. There’s a term choli hanefesh/ referring to someone whose soul is sick, which is a term for mental illness. And Menuchat Hanefesh is the ultimate mental wellness. So let us discuss the concept of tolerating , as it refer...
Tolerate Discomfort the Source of Serenity
November 01, 2022 13:00 - 8.67 MBWe are continuing with the theme of being Sovel / Tolerating x. We quoted the Elder of Kelm who said that the trait of Sovel is the source of all good character traits (as we discussed in the past two lessons) and it's the source of menucha / serenity and peace . How so? A pasuk in Bereshit says, יִשָּׂשׂכָר חֲמֹר גָּרֶם רֹבֵץ בֵּין הַמִּשְׁפְּתָיִם: (טו) וַיַּרְא מְנֻחָה כִּי טוֹב וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ כִּי נָעֵמָה Yisachar is like a donkey with strong bones, he sees that serenity and tranquility is...
Tolerance A Trait of God
October 31, 2022 13:00 - 7.16 MBIn our previous lesson, we spoke of the trait of being Sovel , which we said has different meanings in English- either patience, tolerance of pain or carrying a load . And we explained from Rav Wolbe that there's really one theme. One who is patient, or one who is tolerating pain is, in essence, carrying a load. There's that that need to react, that uncomfortable feeling that you're just holding inside of you and being Sovel , carrying the fact that this person is dealing with you in a certai...
Noah Tolerance
October 28, 2022 13:00 - 6.87 MBToday we will share an Ahavat Yisrael thought related to Parashat Noah. The Torah describes Noah as a Sadik and a Tamim / righteous and perfect . The Gemara in Masechet Zevachim 116A says the word Tamim refers to his character traits and the word Sadik refers to his deeds. So he was perfect in his character traits and righteous in his deeds. That means he keeps the seven Mitzvot of Noah, and he had good character traits. Rashi, in Zavachim, when describing his good character traits (Tamim mea...
The Contaminating Force
October 27, 2022 13:00 - 4.53 MBWe're continuing in chapter one of the Chafetz Chaim’s sefer Ahavat Yisrael, talking about the negativity of Sinat Hinam/baseless hatred . He says, If we look deeply into this sin, we'll realize how detrimental it is, because it causes a spirit of contamination to come upon him . He continues, It's known that for every limb that a person does a Mitzvah with, a spirit of holiness rests upon that limb, and the opposite- If you do a sin, a spirit of contamination comes upon it. The source for th...
Love ALL Jews
October 26, 2022 13:00 - 5.85 MBWe continue in the Chafetz Chaim’s Sefer Ahavat Yisrael, chapter one, where he explains Don't hate your brother . Who's your brother? He says it’s Kol Adam B’Yisrael/all Jewish people , as it says in Avot D’Rebbi Natan, “ Don't say, “This Jew, I like; this one, I don't like… I like Torah scholars, I don't like ignorant people..” Rather, love all of them. One exception, is to hate the heretics. And actually in our prayers, every day we say Laminim V’Lamalshinim… to the heretics and the slander...
Clarify Things
October 25, 2022 13:00 - 6.18 MBWe are now in chapter one of the Chafetz Chaim’s Sefer Ahavat Yisrael. We mentioned yesterday that the Chafetz Chaim is of the opinion that if a person hates his friend in his heart, that is transgressing the negative commandment of Don't hate your friend in your heart, but if you tell him that you hate him, then you aren’t transgressing that negative command. To be clear, that is still something wrong. The Rambam says it’s an annulment of the positive commandment to love your friend like you...
Don't Hate Your Friend in Your HEART
October 24, 2022 13:00 - 8.87 MBNow that we have finished the holiday season, we are starting on a regular track of using a specific Sefer written on the topic of Ahavat Yisrael called Ahavat Yisrael, written by the Chafetz Chaim. The Chafetz Chaim wrote many, many books. He’s named after his Sefer about Lashon Hara, entitled The Chafetz Chaim, based on the pasuk, “ Mi Ha’Ish HaChafetz Chaim/Who is the one who wants life? The pasuk answers, “Guard your tongue from evil. ” His real name is Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan. He wrote th...
The Cream Rises to the Top
October 21, 2022 13:00 - 5.94 MBParashat Bereshit has the first story of murder. Kayin kills his brother, Hevel because he's jealous that his brother's offering was accepted. Since everyone was new to the game, when God saw Kayin’s jealousy, He came to give him a little pep talk after his korban was not accepted and said, “ Why You angry and why has your face fallen?” Why do you look despondent?” What kind of question is that? He just tried to bring an offering to God, and God didn't accept his offering while his brother's ...
Religious Dissension
October 20, 2022 13:00 - 5.23 MBYesterday we quoted how the continuation of the holiday of Succot is Shemini Aseret, and the concept that God says, קשה עלי פרידתכם Kasheh Alai Pridat’chem It's difficult on Me, the separation.” We discussed that it’s not just that God separates from the Jewish people, but also when the Jewish people start separating from each other after the holiday. The sefer Ahavat Shalom , in Parashat Emor adds an additional piece: Why does it say Kashe Alai Pridatchem/ You're separating is difficult on M...
It’s Hard to See You Separate
October 19, 2022 13:00 - 4.69 MBToday we have a post - Succot, Ahavat Yisrael thought. Shemini Aseret is called the Eighth Day because it's a continuation of Succot, but really, it's its own holiday. We don't sit in the Succah (in Eretz Yisrael) and we say Shehechiyanu because it's a separate holiday. What is the purpose behind the holiday? Rashi brings down that it’s like a king that invited his children to a meal for a certain amount of time, and when came time to leave, He said, “My children stay one more day.” קשה עלי פ...
Hoshana Raba- Fix Your Lips
October 14, 2022 13:00 - 8.02 MBThis Saturday night is Hoshana Raba, which is connected to Achdut . Rav Yerucham Olshin, in his Sefer Yerach L’Moadim (page 533) explains a fascinating concept. In Parashat Ki Tetzeh (21/13) the Torah tells us about the Yefat Toar, וּבָ֥כְתָ֛ה אֶת־אָבִ֥יהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּ֖הּ She cries over her father and her mother. The Zohar tells us that this is symbolic of the Jewish people doing teshuva , crying in the month of Elul. The father refers to God and the mother refers to Knesset Yisrael, which lit...
The Four Species- The Jewish Body
October 13, 2022 13:00 - 4.99 MBI'd like to put together two famous midrashim , to come away with a beautiful lesson in Ahavat Yisrael. The first midrash, which we've mentioned before, is that the Arba Minim/the four species correspond to four types of Jews. One of them, the Etrog, has taste and smell, which corresponds to a Jew who has Torah (which is taste) and good deeds ( which is smell). The Lulav , which comes from a date palm. It has flavor (from the date) but no smell, corresponding to our Jew who learns Torah, but ...
Succah after Shemitah
October 12, 2022 13:00 - 7.31 MBThis Succot is a very special Succot, because it's a Succot that comes after Shemitta . The pasuk tells us in Devarim 31/10 וַיְצַ֥ו מֹשֶׁ֖ה אוֹתָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים בְּמֹעֵ֛ד שְׁנַ֥ת הַשְּׁמִטָּ֖ה בְּחַ֥ג הַסֻּכּֽוֹת Moshe commanded them saying, “At the end of seven years, on Succot (in the year after Shemitta) gather the people.” So there's a special mitzvah, once in seven years, to gather the entire Jewish people. The king gets up and reads to them from Sefer Devarim . It...
Succah of Peace
October 07, 2022 13:00 - 7.37 MBToday we have another class on connecting the holiday of Succot to Achdut/unity . Yesterday we spoke about the actual Succah. But as we know, there's another Mitzvah on Succot, which is the Arba Minim , and they also symbolize unity. The four species, as the midrash tells us, correspond to four different types of people. Like the four species, there are some people that have taste and smell- Taste referring to Torah, smell referring to Mitzvot. Then there are people who have taste and not sme...
Succah Unity
October 06, 2022 13:00 - 4.33 MBRav Chaim Pilaggi, in his sefer Moed L’Kol Chai ( chapter 20) discusses a beautiful concept connecting Ahavat Yisrael to the holiday of Succot , quoting from a rabbi called Lachmei Todah . He says that the Succah symbolizes unity, because it comes to remind us of the clouds of glory that engulfed the entire Jewish people and carried them as one unit . And that's why it says, “ The entire Jewish people can sit in the Succah.” The Gemara learns from this that technically, if you have a large en...
Kippur Connect to the Jewish People
October 04, 2022 13:00 - 9.97 MBThis is our final class before Yom Kippur, The Meshech Hochma in Vayikra (8,7) tells us how the process of the Kohen Gadol/ the high priest, brings the Kapara/atonement on Yom Kippur. He says that when the Jewish soul is disconnected from its physicality, automatically it connects to its source, which is God and this purifies, just like the law that impure waters that connect themselves to pure waters in a mikveh become purified (there's a concept called hashaka - they sort of say, kiss each ...
Teshuva on Midot
October 03, 2022 13:00 - 6.87 MBAs Aseret Yeme Teshuva wind down, we have to realize how important our middot are. The Rambam ( in Laws of Teshuva chapter 7 Halacha 3) tells us, “ Don't say, ‘I only need to make teshuva from something that has an action such as …. I stole, I did ate something unkosher…’ That’s a mistake. “ Just like you need Teshuva from those, so too, you have to check your bad De’ot/mindsets.” We've mentioned in the past that the Rambam calls middot ‘De’ot/mindsets’ because, as Rav Wolbe explains, it's re...
A Flock of Sheep
September 30, 2022 13:00 - 6.64 MBIn this week's perasha Vayelech , ( Devarim 31 6), Moshe Rabbenu says חִזְק֣וּ וְאִמְצ֔וּ אַל־תִּֽירְא֥וּ וְאַל־תַּעַרְצ֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּ֣י ׀ ה אֱלֹקיךָ ה֚וּא הַהֹלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א יַרְפְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א יַעַזְבֶֽךָּ Strengthen yourself and have courage . Don't be afraid, don't be broken in front of them, God is going with you. He won't let you go. And He won't forsake you. The Alshech points out that the pasuk starts off talking in plural. Hizku V’Imsu/ You should be strong, you should be co...
Get Sick over Someone’s Problem
September 29, 2022 13:00 - 5.85 MBYesterday we mentioned the importance of praying for people in need during Aseret Yeme Teshuva. Someone told me a beautiful thought: On fast days, we read Vayechal Moshe et Pene Hashem, Moshe prayed to Hashem (after the sin of the golden calf). The Rishonim discuss the exact etymology of “ Vayechal .” Normally, the word “ Vayitpalel” is used to indicate prayer. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot 32A explains that the root of the word Vayechal is chol/sickness, and that Moshe Rabbenu prayed until...
Pray for your Neighbor
September 28, 2022 13:00 - 4.19 MBI'd like to share a beautiful thought that Rabbi David Ozeri said over before the blowing of the shofar. Although we're past Rosh Hashana, we have Aseret Yeme Teshuva, just in case we didn't fix it all on Rosh Hashana. In the last year of the life of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, he got up to speak before the blowing of the the shofar on Rosh Hashana, and he said, “Do you know what kavana/ intent you should have when the shofar is sounded?” Most peop...
Sweet Actions
September 22, 2022 13:00 - 5.35 MBRav Wolbe, in his sefer Alei Shur (vol 2, page 430) talks about what we're supposed to do as we prepare for the high holidays. He quotes a Ramban on the pasuk when God revealed Himself to Moshe and said one of His names, אהיה אשר אהיה “I will be that I will be. ” The Ramban says it means, “ The way you act with Me, I act with you. ” If you open your hands to give charity, I open My hands to give you. If you don't open your hands, I close My hands… it’s the concept that God is called your Shad...
VeNakeh Change the Diaper
September 21, 2022 13:00 - 4.17 MBWe are in our final middah called V’Nakeh , which means to clean; God cleans the sin. The Tomer Devorah explains that when God forgives, it's not through a messenger. God Himself forgives, like it says, “ With you is forgiveness.” Which means that God cleanses the sin. As it says in Yeshaya (4,4), אִ֣ם ׀ רָחַ֣ץ ה׳ אֵ֚ת צֹאַ֣ת בְּנוֹת־צִיּ֔וֹן "God cleanses the excrement of the daughters of Zion. That means God Himself, for lack of a better term, is, kal v’yachol, so to say, changing the diape...
VeNakeh Forgive and Forget
September 20, 2022 13:00 - 4.1 MBWe are up to the final attribute. V’Nakeh which means that He cleanses . Nikayon means to clean. Rashi says that it means He cleanses those that sin from their punishment and from the sin, Rabbenu Bachye adds that it means that even if a person goes back to sin after teshuva and God had forgiven him, and he repeated this sin, God doesn't go back to the sin. Those sins have been forgiven and we start a clean slate. That's important, because although we don't plan on sinning again after Yom Kip...
Three Levels of Sin
September 19, 2022 13:00 - 4.2 MBWe continue with our 13 attributes of mercy. We last spoke about Noseh Avon, which means that God carries the sin; after we’ve sinned and created a negative force, God is the One that gives nourishment to the negative force. But, as we said, there are three terms for sin- Avon, Phesha and Chata’ah We say that in our confession Hatati, Aviti, Pashati, and we will explain how they’re different: The commentaries are basically agreement a Chet is a sin that is done B’Shogeg/It was done by mistake...
You made your bed don’t sleep in it
September 16, 2022 13:00 - 4.57 MBYesterday we spoke of the trait called Noseh Avon , which means God sustains the sin. And the Tom er Devorah that told us that when a person sins, he creates a negative angel . God, instead of unleashing the negative angel on the person that sinned ( who is the creator , so to say of this negative force ) , God H imself sustains that negative force. He goes on to explain that that was the statement of Ka yin in Bereshit 4, 13, where he tells God, “ Is my sin too great to hold?” The M i drash ...
Trait Ten Sustain the Sin
September 15, 2022 13:00 - 5.42 MBWe're going through the 13 attributes of mercy of God that are listed in the pasuk of El Rahum V’Hanun. We are now up to the middot of Noseh Avon, V’Phesha, V’Chata’ah, which are three separate Middot, the 10 th 11th and 12 th. V’Nakeh is the 13th. Avon , Phesha and Chatah are three different types of sins, so what exactly does Noseh Avon mean? (There are actually two listings of the 13 attributes. One shows up in the Torah and the other one shows up in the Navi. We say that one during Tashli...
The Mental Filter 2000 Generations
September 14, 2022 13:00 - 5.84 MBWe are now on Middah number nine. As we said yesterday, eight and nine are connected. Eight is Noser Hessed/ God watches over kindnes s. Nine is L’Alafim/ for 2000 generations . How is that a separate Middah? The answer is that although we read them as once sentence- Noser Hessed L’Alafim/God watches kindness for 2000 generations, there is a difference between God's watching the kindness versus God watching sin. The pasuk, when it refers to sin, says, “ God remembers the sins of the fathers o...