The beginning of our parsha talks about the laws of vows and oaths.  “Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel, saying: This is the thing that Hashem has commanded:  If a man takes a vow to Hashem or swears an oath to establish a prohibition upon himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth he shall do.” (Chapter 30, Verses 2-3)    What can we learn from this parsha for our lives today?

Reb Noson teaches that we can learn from this parsha the incredible power of speech, because immediately when a person expresses a vow or an oath he is obligated to fulfill what he just said.  This mitzvah of making a vow is something lofty and wondrous.  We learn from this parsha the great power that a person has to create new mitzvahs which he was not commanded to do!  For example, a person can prohibit himself from eating or doing something which is permitted by the Torah, and immediately this object is prohibited to him as a Torah prohibition (until he nullifies his vow).  This is amazing.  Reb Noson emphasizes that we see from this special mitzvah of vows and oaths the power of a person’s choice, and the main aspect of his power of choice is through his speech and his heart.  When someone desires in their heart to make themselves holier or to distance themselves from something negative and they express their desire with their words, this expression becomes a law of the Torah (vows).  He forbids himself from something and it becomes a Torah prohibition.  The main aspect of vows and oaths is helping oneself become holier and to distance a person from negative desires, as the sages taught in Pirkei Avot- vows are a protection for abstinence.  The vow is fulfilled when a person expresses it with their mouths.   (Likutei Halachot, Laws of the Morning Blessings, 5^th teaching)

We have begun this week a three week time period of mourning over the destruction of the Temple, culminating with the fast of Tisha B’Av.  Rebbe Nachman teaches in the 7^th teaching of Likutei Moharan, Part One, that the main reason for our being in a state of galut (exile) is a lack of emuna (faith).  Therefore the redemption, the coming of the Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Temple will come when true faith spreads in the world.  What is a practical way that we can work on increasing our faith during this special time period of the Three Weeks?  Prayer.  Prayer is the most powerful expression of our faith in Hashem.  I can’t see Hashem, I can’t hear Him speaking to me, yet I turn to Him in prayer and converse with Him, because I believe that He hears and answers my prayers.  Rebbe Nachman teaches in another lesson, the 44^th teaching in Part Two that our faith depends on our mouths.  When we speak words of faith with our mouths, this in itself is faith, and also through the words of prayer and faith which we express, we will merit to increase our faith.

He teaches as well regarding the custom of saying a special order of prayers called Tikun Chatzot, which are psalms and lamentations about the exile and the destruction of the Temple, that a person can express themselves and whatever difficulties they might be going through currently through the words of Tikun Chatzot, as if they were their own words.  Rebbe Nachman says further in this teaching that the main advice and the most fundamental advice to come closer to Hashem is only through reading psalms and other supplications, and speaking to Hashem in our own words in personal prayer.  Only by way of prayer can a person win the battle with the yetzer hara (evil inclination).  Don’t rest and don’t give up until you see that Hashem answers your prayers!  Reb Noson adds that prayer is something which the Sages said always needs strengthening, as it says in Tehillim (Psalms): “Hope to Hashem; strengthen yourself and He will give you courage, and hope to Hashem.” (Chapter 27, Verse 14)  Reb Noson concludes that even though we have spoken about prayer several times before in our teachings, nevertheless we need to speak about it again and again, to remember it every day, in order to strengthen ourselves against all the different types of confusion and weakness which try to stop us from praying. (Likutei Moharan, Torah 101, Part Two)

When I read the teaching above on the parsha above about the power of speech, I asked myself maybe I shouldn’t write again about prayer and the power of speech, since I’ve already written about the same subject recently in these articles.  Look for something else to share, I heard a voice inside saying.  Nevertheless, as Reb Noson emphasized, prayer is something which we always need to strengthen, and these three weeks of mourning are a special time of prayer, longing and reflection.  Even though this is a spiritually and emotionally difficult time of the year when many tragedies happened to the Jewish people, it is also a very powerful time for connecting in a deeper way to our faith and to longing for what we are still lacking as individuals and as a people.  When we lament what we are lacking during this time of the year, we will also merit the joy of the redemption to come, speedily in our days.

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“Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: “Pinchas son of Elazar son of Aharon the Kohen, turned back My wrath from upon the Children of Israel, when he zealously avenged My vengeance among them…” (Chapter 25, Verses 10-11)  At the end of the previous parsha, Balak, Pinchas put an end to the plague which killed 24,000 people as a result of the immorality and idol worship some of the Jewish men were seduced into with the Moabite and Midianite women.  Here at the beginning of our parsha, Hashem declares that Pinchas committed an act that saved many lives (Artscoll commentary).

Pinchas merited to continue the leadership of the Kohanim after his father and grandfather, says Reb Noson, because he was zealous to stop the sexual immorality of Zimri and those who followed him.  He helped bring back to the Jewish people the aspect of guarding their covenant with Hashem, which means conducting themselves with faith and holiness in relationships, especially in marriage.  This is the aspect of the Kohen, and therefore Hashem blesses Pinchas in the next verse: “Behold! I give him My covenant of peace.”  Pinchas’ act of zealousness helped to subdue the negative influence of the wicked Bilam, who was steeped in impurity, as we discussed last week.  Rebbe Nachman explains in Likutei Moharan in the 34^th teaching in Part One, that by way of speaking holy words before Hashem in personal prayer, with a close friend, and by learning the teachings of the Tzaddik, any person can leave their lowly, fallen state of sin and truly return to Hashem.  Every person needs these three aspects in their service of Hashem.  Bilam did not want to nullify his desires with holy speech.  He did exactly the opposite- he tried to use his impure speech to cause damage to the Jewish people.  The Tsaddikim on the other hand bring out the good points of each and every Jew through their good words and they give strength to our souls. (Likutei Halachot, Laws of the Priestly Blessing, 5^th teaching)

Rebbe Nachman explains in the teaching mentioned above that each and every Jew has a special point, a point where they too are a tsaddik.  “Because in every Jew there is something precious, a point which cannot be found in his friend… And this special point which each person has, it influences, shines and awakens their friend’s heart…”  He explains also in this teaching that when a person’s heart in sunken in negative, false aspects of love, meaning that their heart lusts after negative desires, then a person’s heart is broken in shame and they are far from the pure love which truly exists between Hashem and each and every Jew.  Therefore a person needs to speak a lot of words of prayer before Hashem in personal prayer, so that their special point, the light of their soul, will begin to shine again to their heart.  This will help them return to the pure love of our covenant with Hashem.  A person also needs to help their friend by speaking with them words of faith and awe of Heaven, in order to awaken the special point in their friend’s heart.  How do we find our special point of light and begin to share it?  This process of awakening our hearts and being able to give from our special point to our loved ones and friends comes as a result of connecting to a great Tsaddik and learning their teachings and advice.

This past Shabbat I went to a neighbor’s house after Mincha to pick up my daughter.  When I knocked on the door the father said hello and asked me if we had any plans this summer to go on a trip.  I answered, that yes in a month we’re going to the Ukraine.  He asked me, ‘do you have family there?’  I answered him that no, we are going to the grave-sites of the tsaddikim who are buried there.  He gave me kind of a surprised look and said, ‘okay enjoy.’  I know it seems hard to understand for many people, why travel all the way to the Ukraine to pray by the graves of tsaddikim?  We go to these true tsaddikim because they return to us all of the gifts, all of the spiritual treasures which we’ve lost along the way- faith, happiness, yearning, knowledge, trust, renewal, comfort and hope.  Their light gives us the strength and good advice we need to begin making changes in our life and to discover who we truly are, as we learned above regarding the three key points which we need to be able to return to Hashem.

Reb Noson writes at the end of Likutei Moharan that Rebbe Nachman spoke with him once about the grave-site of the holy Baal Shem Tov, and how it’s very good to go to his grave to pray there, (Rebbe Nachman would pray there a lot, even as a young child when he lived in Mezibuzh).  The true tsaddikim merit that their burial site has the holiness of the land of Israel, and Rebbe Nachman says that the land of Israel has the power to return us to our covenant with Hashem. (Likutei Moharan, Part Two, 109^th teaching)  Just as Pinchas merited the covenant of peace and shined Hashem’s love to the Jewish people, so too the great tsaddikim of recent generations have this power to help us return to Hashem’s love and closeness, and to help us discover that point inside where we too are a tsaddik who has a beautiful, unique light to shine.

(In memory of my grandfather, Berel ben Yaakov Moshe haKohen)

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Balak, the king of Moav, was afraid of the Jewish people, who were approaching the boundary of his kingdom on their journey to Eretz Yisrael.  He sought someone who had the power to curse the Jewish people, and he sent messengers to Bilam, a prophet of the gentile nations.  “He sent messengers to Bilam son of Beor of Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the members of his people, to summon him, saying, ‘Behold! A people has come out of Egypt, behold! It has covered the surface of the earth and it sits opposite me.  So now- please come and curse this people for me, for it is too powerful for me…” (Chapter 22, Verses 5-6)

Reb Noson teaches that we can learn an important lesson about the power of choice based on the story of Bilam’s attempts to curse the Jewish nation.  Hashem gave us so much power and potential in our ability to choose to the point that a person has the power to drawn down holiness from above, or the opposite, God forbid.  Therefore, even a person who is very far from holiness can obtain a level of spiritual vision (which is called רוח הקודש), because the power of choice and a person’s ability to focus on a thought and desire are very great.  Bilam was a wicked person steeped in sin and impurity, nevertheless he was able to obtain a level of spiritual vision until he became known as a prophet of the gentile nations in the region.  Consequently, as long as a person sees in himself that he’s still far from being as holy as he can be, he needs to be very careful humble himself before Hashem and the Torah, and not to seek greatness and spiritual visions which are beyond his level.  He should just walk in simplicity and ask Hashem to help him leave his low level and to become holier.  He should use his amazing power of choice only for this purpose, and his only intention should be to merit to subdue his evil inclination completely, in order to truly serve Hashem.  This is the opposite approach to Bilam and his followers, who were very strong in their desire to hold onto their wickedness and impurity.  By obtaining high spiritual levels, while staying impure, they wanted to help evil overcome good.  Just like we learned last week about the power of speech, Reb Noson concludes here also regarding this powerful lesson from the story of Bilam that the main principle is to know that we have a lot of power in our speech to express our choice to serve Hashem and to return to Hashem. (Likutei Halachot, Laws of the New Grain, 4^th teaching)  Reb Noson adds in another teaching that we learn from the Sages a major principle- the way that a person wants to walk, meaning the way that they want to live their life and the goals which they set for themselves, that is the way they will be led from Heaven.  This is the main aspect of our ability to choose.  (Likutei Halachot, the Laws of Impure Wine, 4^th teaching)

Reb Noson tells in Likutei Moharan that somebody once asked Rebbe Nachman how does free choice work?  He answered him simply: Choice is in a person’s hand, if he wants to do something he does it, and if he doesn’t then he doesn’t do it.  Reb Noson adds: I wrote this down for myself, because these words are very important.  There are some people who are very confused about this subject, due to the fact that they have had the same behaviors and actions since they were young, and therefore it seems to them that they don’t have a choice to change their actions, God forbid.  However truthfully this is not the case, because certainly every person always has a choice regarding every matter in their life, and what he wants he does.  Reb Noson concludes, you should understand these words very well. (Likutei Moharan, 110^th teaching, Part 2)  Rebbe Nachman also says in Rebbe Nachman’s Wisdom that everything you see in the world is there only for our choice and to challenge us, this is the reason that Hashem created the world. (300^th teaching)

We can learn from this teaching about the story of Bilam and how he chose to seek spiritual levels while holding strongly to his wicked ways an important lesson about the choices we make every day in our lives.  Rebbe Nachman stated above that we have the power to choose in everything and every area of life; nevertheless a person can mistakenly think, ‘what can I do, this is who I am.’  Or, ‘I’ve been stuck in this sin or bad habit for twenty years, how can I ever make a change!’  ‘There’s no way out of this situation.’  Truly though, if we really want to change, we have the power to make a better choice in every part of our life!

I’ve mentioned before in these parsha teachings that I’ve been learning this year a book as well as a workshop about breathing and its spiritual and physical healing qualities.  The teacher, Doron, taught us that the environment and the surroundings which we find ourselves in have an influence on us, whether for the good or the opposite.  In Hebrew the word atmosphere comes from the word air.  When we breathe in the air of a place, we are also breathing in the atmosphere and the influences of that place.  Therefore in every moment of our day we should to try to have awareness of how we are feeling and how our surroundings are influencing us, in order to try to choose good in that moment.  If we feel fear for example, we can choose in that moment to take a deep breath and turn to Hashem in prayer to help us face our fear and to know that he is with us; or we can choose to act in a negative manner because we feel fear.  In every moment we have the power to choose.

(The image is courteous of Chabad.org)

The first chapter of our parsha discusses the mitzvah of the Para Adumah, the red heifer.  This completely red cow was brought as a special sacrifice whose ashes had the power to purify a person who had become impure due to contact with a dead body.  This chapter also talks about the laws of a person who was contaminated in a tent or another type of covering.  “This is the teaching regarding a man who would die in a tent: Anything that enters the tent and anything that is in the tent shall be contaminated for seven days.” (Chapter 19, Verse 14)

The verse above in Hebrew states- זאת התורה אדם…, which literally means this is the Torah (the law, teaching) of a person, etc.  The Sages learned from this verse that a person needs to have self-sacrifice in order to learn and fulfill the Torah.  Therefore, Reb Noson teaches regarding this verse, that a person needs to make himself holier with words of Torah and prayer as much as possible, to the point that his being is nullified before the words of Torah completely.  This means that a person’s physical being is connected and included in the holy words, just like the parchment of the Torah scroll is connected to the letters of the Torah to the point that the parchment and the letters become truly one entity.  The same is true regarding our physical bodies- they need to be connected and included in the words of Torah until the words become imprinted on the body.  When this happens, Reb Noson says, this person becomes holy like the holiness of a Torah scroll, and even more than a sefer Torah.  He himself is like a Torah scroll.  This is the aspect of the verse in Proverbs, “inscribe them (the words of Torah) on the tablet of your heart.” (Chapter 3, Verse 3)  The words of the Torah can become written upon us, just like the letters of the Torah are inscribed onto a Torah scroll. (Liktutei Halachot, Laws of the Synagogue, 4^th teaching)

This is an amazingly powerful concept- the more that we speak good words, words of Torah and prayer and faith, the more that they become imprinted into us and purify even our physical being.  We merit to reveal our eternal connection to Hashem and to the Torah.  However, sometimes we are in situations where we feel like we are so far from Hashem and from His Torah.  How can we all relate to this teaching on whatever level or situation which we might find ourselves in?

Rebbe Nachman says in the book Meshivat Nefesh (Restore My Soul) that speech has amazing power to help us find strength.  Even if a person has fallen to a very low place spiritually, nevertheless if he continues even from that low place to speak words of truth, words of Torah and prayer, the holy words that he says will remind him of his eternal connection to Hashem.  This can give a person strength in any situation, even in those places which are very far from holiness.  Our words are the aspect of a mother and her children (Psalms 113, 9^th verse).   Just like a mother goes with her children, even to lowly and dirty places, and never forgets about them, so too, a person’s words go with them always, even into very low spiritual places, and they remind him of God.  His words of Torah, faith, and prayer don’t allow him to forget Hashem.  You should understand from this teaching, Rebbe Nachman says, the incredible power of speech.  This is an incredible and awesome piece of advice for a person who truly desires to find Hashem and not lose themselves, God forbid. (21^st teaching, Part One)

This past Shabbat I read a powerful teaching together with a friend by Rebbe Nachman about strengthening and encouraging ourselves, the 48^th teaching in the second part of Likutei Moharan.  In Breslov tradition the Chassidim call this teaching the Letter, because Rebbe Nachman speaks in a very personal language, something which is uncommon in Likutei Moharan.  He says there that we should know that every effort we’ve made in our lives to come closer to Hashem, they all come to help a person at a time of need, when they are in distress.  Every good desire and every good deed we’ve done are a merit for us, and they help us in times of need.  If every movement and every effort we’ve made to improve ourselves in order to come closer to Hashem comes with us, this is especially true about words of Torah and prayer as we learned above.  Whenever we are in a time of trouble, God forbid, or just struggling spiritually, every word of holiness which we can speak helps us remember that Hashem is with us.  In addition, every good word of Torah and prayer which we have spoken in the past also comes to help us in a time of need.

When we accustom ourselves to speaking words of Torah and prayer on a daily basis, each person on their level, we will begin to see the incredible power of our words also in those situations which seem so difficult.  Even the few words of prayer and faith which we are able to say in those hard times can help us feel Hashem’s love and help.  They remind us that Hashem is always with us, and they will help us see things differently, with eyes of faith, even when we feel like we have fallen so far.

(The image is courteous of Chabad.org)

We learn this week about another difficult parsha in the Torah, the rebellion of Korach and his followers against Moshe Rabenu.  After Korach’s initial words, the Torah says: “Moshe heard and fell on his face.  He spoke to Korach and to his entire assembly, saying, ‘In the morning Hashem will make known the one who is His own and the holy one, and He will draw him close to Himself, and whomever He will choose, He will draw close to Himself.”  (Chapter 16, Verses 4 and 5)  In contrast to earlier instances when the people complained about specific problems, in this Parsha there is an outright rebellion against the leadership of Moshe and his brother Aaron. (Artscroll commentary)  What can we learn from this difficult incident?

Rebbe Noson explains that Moshe used the word morning specifically.  Moshe saw that Korach was very persuasive in his argument, so much so that most of the Jewish people were being swayed to follow him.  It seemed to those who were still supporting Moshe that it was impossible to stand up against him.  Therefore Moshe said: “In the morning Hashem will make known…”  Every day the truth overcomes falsehood, because every day Hashem renews in His goodness the act of creation, the sun rises again from the East, etc.  The main aspect of spiritual light is the truth, which is Hashem himself.  The morning light represents the light of truth.  Hashem is the essence of truth, as King David says: “Hashem is my light and my salvation…” (Tehillim, Chapter 27, Verse 1)  (Likutei Halachot, Laws of Kashering Vessels, 4^th teaching)

Rebbe Noson adds in another teaching that sometimes there is a person who elevates himself and wants to lead the Jewish people, claiming that his intentions are pure; however, in truth, he is trapped by arrogance.  This was the case with Korach.  His argument against Moshe and Aaron stemmed from arrogance, he was jealous of their leadership and their greatness.  Therefore Moshe said to him: “In the morning Hashem will make known…”  Rashi explains that Moshe was saying to Korach, ‘Hashem made boundaries in His world, day and night, etc., and you want to turn everything upside down.’  Korach claimed that he had the best intentions of the Jewish people in mind, and he even accused Moshe and Aaron of arrogance, G-d forbid, as the verse says: “why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem?” (Verse 3)  Therefore, Reb Noson says we need a lot of help from Hashem to distinguish the truth, to distinguish between darkness and light.  (Likutei Halachot, Laws of Tefillin, 6^th teaching)

Korach was blinded by arrogance and falsehood.  Rebbe Nachman says in a very clear and powerful way in Lesson 51 in the first part of Likutei Moharan that lies are evil and they come from the side of impurity.  When a person lies they remove from themselves God’s providence, because as we learned above truth is the light of Hashem.  However, by living a life of truth and speaking the truth, Hashem’s divine providence is with a person entirely.  Truth is one of the attributes that Rebbe Nachman said everything depends on.

A major principal which I learned at the workshop Shakuf was opening up and sharing and telling the truth.  The whole truth.  The teacher there taught that when something is left in the darkness, that causes negativity and even evil to become stronger.  When we hide something from the past, an incident or a negative emotion, it doesn’t disappear, it just gets buried inside.  However, when we speak the truth we bring Hashem into the picture, and we shed light on things from the recent or distant past which we had kept in the darkness.  We feel a feeling of relief that we have returned this part of our past to the light of Hashem.  Many times we have a voice which says, ‘That part of your past, that incident you can never tell anyone!’  We never truly want to lie, we lie because we are afraid of what will be revealed when we tell the whole story or because we are afraid of facing a certain feeling.  There are things which we might be hiding even from ourselves.  However, the more that we work on being truthful and real, whether about our past or in the moment, so to the fears begin to fade away.  Part of the learning and personal development we experienced at the workshop was meeting with a counselor once a week for an hour, as well as participating in a one hour group meeting.  In these meetings the goal was to share in a real and open way about whatever was going on in our lives at the time, an issue, relationship or emotion that we wanted to work on, in order to understand ourselves better and what Hashem was trying to teach us.

In personal prayer and with the help of our spouse or a good friend, we need to practice being truthful and real.  It can be painful at times but this is how we return to the light of Hashem.  This is also how we really want to be- basking in the light of truth!

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Our parsha tells mainly about the sin of the spies, one of the most difficult tests which happened to the Jewish people during their time in the wilderness, and a tragedy which is connected to the destruction of the Temple, whose results we feel until today.  What can we learn from the sin of the spies which applies to our lives today?  “They reported to him and said, ‘We arrived at the Land to which you sent us, and indeed it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.  But- the people that dwells in the Land is powerful, the cities are fortified and very great, and we also saw the offspring of the giant.” (Chapter 13, Verses 27-28)

Rebbe Noson teaches that the main aspect of will, wanting to serve Hashem and to return to Him, a person can merit in the land of Israel, as it says in Tehillim, “Hashem, You have favored Your land…” (Chapter 85, Verse 2)  Therefore several of the tribes were blessed that their portion in the land will be full of desire, as it is written “Naphtali, satiated with favor…”, “and by the favor of He who rested upon the thorn bush…” (Devarim, Chapter 33, Verses 16 & 23)  The main place where a person can merit strong will and longing for Hashem is in the land of Israel, because there Hashem’s presence shines in a stronger way.  The illumination of our will is the aspect of a good smell, and the main place of the incredible scent (so to speak) of Godliness is only in Eretz Yisrael.  The land of Israel is called ארץ המוריה, the land of Moriah, because of the pleasant smell of the incense offering which was brought in the Temple.  The Holy Temple was the main place where the will and love and longing of the Jewish people for God was revealed.  From there the illuminated will shines to each and every person according to how much they try to connect themselves to the holiness of the land of Israel.  However, the spies were tainted in this matter, because they said that the obstacles were greater than the power of their will, which is not the case.  Therefore they first praised the land of Israel, “and indeed it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit,” and after that they spoke about the tremendous obstacles to come to the land.  They made a (true) statement, and then said the opposite.  “This is its fruit”, alludes to the tremendous illumination of will which shines in the land of Israel, however they said afterwards “But the people that dwells in the Land is powerful.”  The obstacles are too great!  They did not believe in the incredible power of their will to reach the land of Israel and settle it, which could overcome any obstacle.  This was their mistake.  This sin caused crying for many generations, because Hashem said to the spies: You shed tears in vain, therefore there will be crying for generations (over the destruction of the first two Temples).  (Likutei Halachot, Laws of Blessings on Smell, 5^th teaching)

Rebbe Nachman teaches something incredible about the power of will in Likutei Moharan, in the 31^st teaching in Part One.  He says the main way our soul is revealed and comes into being is through our longing and good desires to come closer to Hashem and to serve Hashem.  Every person, on their level, according to how much they long and yearn to reach a higher level of closeness and knowledge, by way of this their soul becomes holier and more refined.  (Adapted from Likutei Eitzot, Advice)

Ratzon (will) is also the vessel which brings down the blessings that we want.  A friend of mine talked about this subject a few years ago when he hosted a dinner celebrating the completion of a tractate of Gemara which he had just finished.  He gave a few examples of desires which came to him during personal prayer.  He said, ‘I want to play piano’, even though at the time he didn’t have a piano or know how to play it.  He kept on expressing his will.  Afterwards, he received a piano from a family member who didn’t have room for it and he began taking lessons with a friend to learn to play piano.  It became a reality.  He said, ‘I want to learn Gemara’, even though he didn’t have a study partner or seemingly time in his schedule at the time.  When he talked about this example at the dinner, he had already finished several tractates of the Talmud.  Things which might seem completely unrealistic at the time can become a reality if we connect to all of the dreams and good desires that we want.  Nothing in the world can stop us from wanting something.

What do you want?  This is what really matters.  The holiness of our soul becomes more and more revealed according to how much we are able to strengthen our will.  Wanting good, still wanting to do whatever good that we can, no matter where we might find ourselves in life, this is what is truly in our hands.  We all know that life is full of ups and downs.  Therefore, even when we make mistakes and become discouraged and maybe even think about giving up on something, we need to always return to what we truly want.  A practical step which we can practice on a daily basis is to set aside time to ask ourselves, ‘what do I want?’  The more that we express our good desires, to ourselves and before God, the more that they grow stronger inside.  This gives us the strength to overcome the obstacles that we face in life.  Where ever we might find ourselves in the world, we can connect to the shining power of will which comes from the land of Israel, from the illumination of the Holy Temple.

(The image is courteous of Chabad.org)

“Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light.” (Chapter 8, Verses 1-2)

Rebbe Noson explains that the light of the Menorah represents the light of the Tsaddik, who reveals the light of the Torah to each person on their level.  It’s explained that the light of the pure candles of the Menorah represent the light of the Torah, as it says in Proverbs, “For a commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light;” (Chapter 6, Verse 23).  The Torah contains within it all of the levels of prophecy, like it says about Moshe’s prophecy: “Face to face did Hashem speak with you on the mountain” (Devarim, Chapter 5, Verse 4); Hashem’s speech represents prophecy.  Prophecy, which is a clear understanding and vision of the word of God, is the main vessel for a person to purify their power of imagination and their perception.  By way of this a person will merit complete faith, which is faith in the renewal of the world and a person’s ability to be renewed.  This is why the verse above comes right after the verse at the end of Parshat Naso, “When Moshe arrived at the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the Voice speaking to him…” (Chapter 7, Verse 89), which talks about Moshe’s receiving prophecy from Hashem.  This teaches us that the main aspect of the mitzvah of lighting the candles of the Menorah was in order to reveal the light of the Tsaddik, which is the light of prophecy to all of the world, in order to illuminate the light of faith in the world. (Likutei Halachot, Laws of Honoring a Rabbi, 3^rd teaching)

Rebbe Noson explains further in another teaching that Aharon, who was also a great teacher and Tsaddik, was commanded in this Parsha to light the candles of the Menorah; meaning that he should bring the souls of the Jewish people closer to Hashem by revealing to them the light of the true Tsaddik, Moshe.  Moshe is the aspect of the face of the Menorah, because he encompassed all of the seventy ways in which the Torah can be interpreted.  Therefore he was able to shine the light of the Torah to all of the souls of the Jewish people, who represent the seven candles of the Menorah.  (Likutei Halachot, Laws of a Meal, 5^th teaching)

The tsaddik lights our candle, our soul.  He has the power to reveal the Torah to every different type of Jewish soul and help them come closer to Hashem.  How can we be a part of this, how can we also shine the light of our candle to other people?

This week I attended the end of the year dinner at the yeshiva where I have taught the past two years, Ashreinu.  I wasn’t able to attend last year’s dinner so it was special for me to hear the students and the other teachers share their feelings of gratitude, their perspectives and their experiences about the year.  Pretty much every one of the students who spoke shared how their lives had changed during the year in some way.  I was asked to say a few words as well.  After thanking the Rabbis who run the yeshiva as well as the night seder program, I spoke about how amazing it was for me to able to teach and be a part of the program.  Many times in my experience teaching at Ashreinu I have left at the end of evening feeling amazed and excited to be able to teach and to connect to the students.  I mentioned (as I did last week in the parsha article) that I’ve been blessed with many wonderful teachers and mentors during my journey to returning to the Torah, and now Hashem has blessed me with an opportunity to teach as well.  I then shared some of the special qualities about my student this year and how he had grown.

I learned once in the counseling program which I used to learn at, Shakuf, that a lot of the healing which a person needs is just someone who looks at them with love, acceptance and the goodwill to help them however they can. A lot of times it’s not the words we say, but the way we look at someone and relate to them.  When you give your love and time to another person in a simple way, they will grow and shine.  This is part of the light of the Torah I believe.  The Tsaddikim teach us to look at others in this way, because every Jew’s soul is one with the Torah.  When we follow the great Tsaddikim, when we learn their teachings and advice, the light of the Torah begins to shine through us too.  Just as they have the power to shine the light of the Torah to all of the Jewish people, we too can shine light to others in our own way.  When you give your love and time to someone else, they will grow and begin to shine their light!

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Every Friday night before making Kiddush we bless our children, “May Hashem bless you and safeguard you.  May Hashem illuminate his countenance for you and be gracious to you. May Hashem lift His countenance to you and establish peace for you.” (Chapter 6, Verses 24-26)  In this week’s parsha Hashem gave Aharon and his sons the special mitzvah of blessing the Jewish people.  Regarding the verse of the priestly blessing, “may Hashem illuminate his countenance”, Rebbe Noson teaches that the main avodah (service) of a person is to draw down into the world and to illuminate Hashem’s countenance, just as it says in Tehillim (Psalms), “Search out Hashem and his might, seek His presence always.” (Chapter 105, Verse 4)  The main way that we can seek His countenance is by sitting with a friend and speaking together with יראת שמיים, the awe of Heaven.  Speaking about our lives and serving Hashem, with respect and love for each other.  What is the connection?  When friends sit together and seek to shine to one another from the special good points in their heart, this is the aspect of Hashem’s countenance.  They are revealing Hashem in the world.  Because the good points which each person has are the aspect of being a tsaddik.  A person’s good points come from their neshama, from their Godly soul.  Therefore, when friends sit together and try to share from their good points, from their good qualities and from their understanding of faith and Torah, by way of this they merit that Hashem shines his countenance upon them with love.  The more that people try to engage in this, to connect as friends and share from each other’s good points, so to their good is illuminated more and more.  By way of this, the splendor and the grace of the Jewish people as a whole are revealed more in the world, and this is the aspect of “May Hashem illuminate his countenance for you and be gracious to you.” (Likutei Halachot, Laws of the Priestly Blessing, 5^th teaching)

It is customary in many communities to read each Shabbos during this time period of the counting of the Omer a chapter each week from Pirkei Avos, the Ethics of our Fathers, as we prepare to receive the Torah anew on the holiday of Shavuos.  There is a Mishna in the last chapter of Pirkei Avos (Chapter 6, 6^th Mishna), which lists forty eight ways in which the Torah is acquired.  One of them is דיבוק חברים, clinging to friends, having close friends in life to learn Torah with.  Another attribute is נושא בעול עם חברו, carrying the burden with a friend, helping them in times of need.  We see from Rebbe Noson’s teaching above and from this Mishna the importance of seeking out friends to learn Torah with, to learn together and receive an illumination from their good qualities and from their unique perspective.  Many times your study partner has a different understanding and a different way of learning which helps you to comprehend the Torah better.

As I reflected this week about the upcoming holiday of Shavuos, I realized how much it has been a blessing and a gift for me to have good mentors and good friends to learn Torah with during my life in Israel since making Aliyah.  I had friendships also before I made Aliyah and began learning Torah, but they were not much deeper than a surface level social relationship.  There was no soul connection which bound us together.  My experience has been that learning Torah together and sharing our thoughts and experiences with each other helps create a much deeper connection than just ‘hanging out’ together.

With several friends we have maintained a strong connection by learning together once a week on the phone.  With one friend we were able to finish learning one of Rebbe Nachman’s books together after five years, learning a little bit each week over the phone!  Many times it is difficult to be consistent learning on our own, due to different challenges in life.  However, when we have a friend to study with it can help us stay consistent and committed to the learning.

In the very first teaching in Likutei Mohoran Rebbe Nachman talks about the Torah, about how it helps a person see Hashem in their life in every situation, and how it helps them to overcome the evil inclination.  He says that the grace and the importance of the Jewish people are elevated when they learn Torah.  By way of the Torah all of our prayers and requests which we pray before Hashem are answered.  This experience of learning Torah and trying to grow in our knowledge and closeness to Hashem is even more powerful when we learn together.  We should all merit to receive more of the light of the Torah this Shavuos, and in the merit of connecting to the Torah all of our prayers should be answered.  Chag Sameach!

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We begin this week the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar.  The beginning of the parsha gives a counting of each of the tribes.  God commanded Moshe and Aaron, along with the tribal elders, to take a census of all males above the age of twenty.  Rashi explains that it was due to Hashem’s love for the Jewish people that He counted them frequently: when they left Egypt, after the sin of the Golden Calf and now as He rested his presence amongst them. “From twenty years of age and up- everyone who goes out to the legion in Israel- you shall count them according to their legions, you and Aaron.” (Chapter 1, Verse 3, and Artscroll commentary)

Regarding teshuva (returning to Hashem), Rebbe Nachman explains in the 6^th teaching in Likutei Moharan, Part One, that a person needs to be an expert is ascending and descending, running and returning; they need to know how to serve Hashem and return to Hashem whether things are going really well or the opposite.  When a person merits to ascend and achieve a new spiritual accomplishment, they should not stay there and rest on their laurels, rather they need to keep climbing and strive to reach new levels.  On the other hand, when a person has fallen into a negative spiritual state whether in their actions and emotions, God forbid, they should never let themselves despair.  They need to keep searching and calling out to Hashem and find strength and encouragement in whatever way possible.  They need to know that tomorrow can be a completely different from today.

Rebbe Noson explains why Hashem commanded Moshe to count the Jewish people now in the second year of their Exodus from Egypt.  We can learn from this counting an important principle in our lives as Jews today, long after the journey in the wilderness.  Each and every person who was eligible to go out to battle (specifically) was counted.  This teaches us that each and every person needs to be ready to go out to battle in their life- when they are in a state of יוצא, going out, when they have fallen from their level; they need to know how to fight the battle in this situation and keep searching for Hashem.  Rebbe Noson asks however, we still need to understand why Hashem commanded Moshe to count the people here, because we find in another verse in the Torah that counting causes danger to the Jewish people: “When you take a census of the Children of Israel according to their numbers, every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul when counting them, so that there will not be a plague among them when counting them.” (Shemot, Chapter 30, Verse 12)  He explains that after the sin of the Golden Calf Hashem was forced to count the Jewish people, because a sin is the aspect of a lost item.  When we sin we have lost something in our connection to God.  In a situation where something is lost a counting is needed, just like items are counted and labeled in a store or warehouse so that they won’t go missing.  The counting is a rectification for what was lost spiritually.  Therefore we always read this parsha before the holiday of Shavuot.  Now when we don’t have the Temple and we don’t have the Tribes organized according to their flags and families, and the Jewish people are scattered in the exile, our only source of life is the Torah.  By reading this parsha before Shavuot we receive the holy influence of the Jews who left Egypt and travelled in the desert, who surely knew the paths of teshuva.  They knew how to serve Hashem in every situation.  The main aspect of being able to receive the Torah is knowing the paths of teshuva. (Likutei Halachot, Laws of Blessings on Fruits, 5^th teaching)

This principal of always finding the path of teshuva in every situation and knowing how to connect to Hashem no matter what is discussed a lot in Rebbe Nachman’s teachings.  He stresses the importance of renewal and only focusing on today, all we have is today and this moment.  How can I connect to Hashem in this moment?  This applies to both situations which a person might find themselves in, whether things are going great or everything seems really terrible.  When things are going really well and I feel happiness and success, what is my next step?  What new goal do I need to strive for?  There is always more to strive for.  And the opposite is true- when things feel down in the dumps, what good points can I find right now?  What good can I hold onto?  I want to search for Hashem in this difficulty and discover what He is trying to teach me.  The Torah teaches us what Hashem wants from us, and Rebbe Nachman explains that knowing the paths of teshuva, knowing how to keep going and stay in the battle, is an important aspect in being able to receive the Torah.

Each and every year the special light of each yom tov comes down into the world again.  We are not just celebrating what happened to our people in the past.  Right now we are counting the days of the Omer in anticipation of the approaching holiday of Shavuot, day after day.  On Shavuot we received the Torah at Mount Sinai.  So too this year, we have the opportunity to receive the Torah anew, every one of us on our level.  It doesn’t matter where we were a year ago at this time.  Right now we can strengthen our connection to learning Torah and trying our best to live the teachings of the Torah.  We can find more pieces of our good attributes which we might have lost during our journey.  The light of receiving the Torah, and finding our special path of teshuva, our special letter in the Torah, is here right now!  Let’s embrace the opportunity.

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This week we celebrate the holiday of Lag B’Omer, which marks the celebration of the yahrzeit of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the greatest Tsaddikim and Sages from the time period of the Mishna.  It also marks the end of the mourning period for the thousands of students of Rebbe Akiva who passed away in a plague during Sefirat Ha’Omer.  Why do we celebrate the day Rebbe Shimon passed away as a holiday?  Why do thousands upon thousands of Jews travel to Meron in Northern Israel to pray by his gravesite and celebrate?  Why do Jews all over the world light bonfires?

In a special and interesting way, Rebbe Nachman opens his main book of teachings, Likutei Moharan, with a teaching about Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, hinting at the special connection which exists between the souls of these two tsaddikim and the teachings which they revealed.   Rebbe Nachman explains that Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai promised that the Torah would not be forgotten through him, in his merit.  This is alluded to in a story in the Talmud, Tractate Shabbos.  When the Sages gathered together in the town of Yavne, the only place in the land of Israel where the Romans still permitted Jews to learn Torah in public, they declared in their discussion that in the future the Torah will be forgotten from the Jewish people.  They saw with their spiritual vision the length of the exile which had begun at that time and all of the sorrows which the Jewish people would suffer during the long years of exile.  Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, who was present at the gathering, replied to the other Sages that G-d forbid, the Torah will not be forgotten, as it says in the book of Devarim, “For it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of its offspring…” (Chapter 31, Verse 21) כי לא תשכח מפי זרעו.  Rebbe Shimon supported his words that the Torah would not be forgotten with this verse specifically, because the final letters of each word in the verse spell the name Yochai in Hebrew, יוחאי, who was the father of Rebbe Shimon.  Through the offspring of Rebbe Yochai, Rebbe Shimon, and his work, the Zohar, the Torah would not be forgotten.   Rebbe Nachman explains that it says in the Holy Zohar, authored by Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai, that through his book they (the Jewish people) will leave the exile.  The light of the Holy Zohar will keep the Jewish people connected to the Torah during the long exile.  For most of his life, except for a small group of students, nobody knew that Rebbe Shimon was learning the secrets of the Torah.  On the day that Rebbe Shimon passed away, Lag B’Omer, he revealed to his students hidden secrets of the Torah.  The whole room became filled with light, and this is how he passed away.

However, we need to ask ourselves a question- how are the secrets of the Torah connected to me on my level?  What do they have to do with me?  Many of us have trouble understanding these deep teachings.

A tsaddik like Rebbe Shimon has tremendous power on the day of his passing to reach even higher spiritual heights and to sweeten any harsh decrees which might be upon the Jewish people.  The Sages said that a tsaddik is even more alive and present spiritually in the world after he passes away.  Furthermore, several Chassidic masters teach that the power of atonement of Yom Kippur is also happening for the Jewish people on Lag B’Omer, in a more hidden way.  Rebbe Shimon also reveals the secrets of the Torah to each person on their level.  He reveals to them how much Hashem loves them and wants each and every Jew to be close to him.  He reveals that this is truly the thing which we all want most in the world, a life of revealing our connection with Hashem in our own special way.  He shows us what our special path in this world is, and his light gives us the strength to keep walking on that path.  The special attribute of the day of Lag B’Omer is הוד שבהוד, glory of glory, and it is the week of Aharon the Cohen.  Each week of the Sefirat HaOmer is connected to the special attribute of one of the seven shepherds of the Jewish people, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef and David.  Rebbe Shimon too possessed the special attribute of Aharon, and he is able to shine the light of love into every person’s heart, especially on the day of his passing, just as Aharon brought love and peace between people in his time.

From my personal experience, almost every time I have traveled to Meron for Lag B’Omer or to Uman for Rosh Hashana, at some point along the way I think to myself, ‘what I am doing?’ I don’t want to go through dealing with the long hours of travel, the masses of people, the weather conditions, the lack of sleep, etc.’  But when I return I understand exactly why I went.  I feel inside renewed with the light of faith which these great Tsaddikim are shining to each person who comes to them to pray by them and seek their guidance.

The light of the fires on Lag B’Omer is the light of the Torah, the light of Hashem.   It represents our true will to serve Hashem and return to Hashem.  This light is in our souls, and it’s truly burning inside.  Lag B’Omer has the power to show each person that this is who we truly are- burning with love and good desires to come closer to Hashem and to live a life of helping others.  Rebbe Nachman said, ‘My fire will burn until the coming of the Messiah,’ he is continuing the path of Rebbe Shimon, revealing the fire of the Torah, the secrets of the Torah, in a way that each and every Jew can find their path to return to Hashem.  These tsaddikim light the fire inside of us which has always been there, it just became extinguished at some point in our lives, like a secret which becomes revealed.  Through their light we are able to begin to see our own light.  Happy Lag B’Omer!

(Inspired by a short class on Lag B’Omer given by Ohad Tennenbaum, a teacher at Shackuf, the workshop I used to learn at; and a class by Rav Shlomo Katz)

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