Breslov Blog

The word "ערוה" ("lewdness", "illicit relations") is very interesting. It has four letters, like the Name of Hashem יהוה; moreover, its last two letters are the same as the last two letters of this Name. As for its first two letters, if rearranged, they spell the word "רע" ("bad"). So it can be seen as a  special Name of Impurity because, as it says in " Koheles ", Hashem "created one opposite the other". As is known, the first two letters of the Name יהוה signify the level of the mochin (spiritual intellect). So this is what ערוה really is: replacing the spiritual intellect, the higher consciousness with the overwhelming desire for illicit relations. That's why it is said that the main פגם הברית (damage of the Covenant) occurs on the thought level. 

As always, the preparations for Pesach bring with it a powerful feeling of renewal, which reminds me of Torah 6 in "Likutei Moharan" with its haunting message of " ana zamin lemehavei " - "I'm preparing to be". This Torah is about teshuvah , and it teaches us what teshuvah is all about: realizing that the way we've been living is very far from true being; it's just barely functioning and existing, like we're not even there. And, of course, true being means living our lives with awareness of Hashem and letting it affect everything we feel, think, say, and do. It's interesting that the words "I'm preparing to be" - "אנא זמין למהוי" in Hebrew - have the gematria of 250, the same as the word "נר" - "a candle". So when we go searching with a candle during bedikas chametz , this is what we should have in mind: that we're looking for the last traces of what is holding us back from true being. It

 T orah 31 starts with the following enigmatic request that the Wise Men of Athens made to the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya: "We have a well in the desert, Bring it to town." At the end of that Torah, Rabbeinu explains what they were really asking:  how can a person who believes that their sustenance (signified by the well) can only be found in the desert (that is, in a place devoid of holiness) attain a level where their livelihood is directly governed by Divine Providence?  Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chanany answers (as interpreted by Rabbeinu) that this person should observe Shabbos, which will bring them to  emunah , and also guard the Covenant. Then they will gradually reach a level where all their sustenance will be connected to holiness, like l echem hapanim  in the  Bais HaMikdash . It's good to realize that ultimately even very high levels are within our reach. But for this, we need tzaddikim that can teach us which steps we need to take to get there, and ho

In Torah 31 Rabbeinu explains that, if a person wants to accomplish a davar sheb'kedushah (a holy thing), this thing will also long to be accomplished by that person. When I read this, this filled me with hope. Perhaps this means that, if I want to do something good and holy, this "something" will daven to Hashem, asking Him to help me achieve it as soon as possible. Maybe, just maybe, it will also send me hints about the best way to get to it. So, from now on, I'm going to be on the lookout for those hints, and stop feeling so lonely in my striving... It's so gratifying to feel that one's efforts are important and welcome!

What can possibly be inspiring about Pesach cleaning? A lot, if you ask me. Over the years, I've tried to come up with many ways to make this yearly undertaking more meaningful and even enjoyable. My latest inspiration comes from a shiur by R' Nasan Maimon. R' Nasan was explaining the famous idea from Torah 54 in "Likutei Moharan" that all things contain sparks of holiness, and a person's nefesh , too, contains these sparks. So, if a person acquires something containing holy sparks that share the same root with the sparks in their soul and then uses this thing in their avodas Hashem , all these sparks become elevated so that both the person and the thing receive their t ikkun .  So, for example, if a woman is suddenly drawn to a dress in a store window and feels she absolutely  has to buy it, this could mean that this dress contains the same kinds of holy sparks as her soul. If she indeed buys this dress and wears it for Shabbos or Yom Tov, this will help ele

Rabbeinu explains in Torah 119 Tinyana that this world doesn't exist as a separate entity. If a person's thoughts are connected to the World-to-Come, then they actually live in the World-to-Come even in this world. But if a person wants to live a perfect life in this world, with everything going exactly as they want, then, contrary to their wishes, they'll find themselves in Gehinnom. Since it is impossible for everything to always be just so, this constant frustration actually turns one's life in this world into hell. A contemporary Breslov Rav, Rabbi Shmuel Moshe Kramer, brings this idea a little more down to earth. Here is the essence of what he says: since the reward of the World-to-Come is impossible to fathom while in this world, here we have to concentrate on serving Hashem, which will enable us to merit this future reward. This avodah should be the end goal of what we are doing down here. So what should a person do if they feel they are living in Gehinnom? If we

Torah 25 starts with the following quote from the Talmud (Sotah 48a): "Ever since the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash , the shamir worm, the honey of Tzufim, and men of faith have ceased to exist." Then Rabbeinu proceeds to relate these three items to the three stages of developing the sechel (a person's holy mind). It's interesting to note that the first letters of the names of these extinct items in Hebrew: " א מנה" ("faith"), " נ פת" ("honey"), and " ש מיר" ("shamir") make up the word "Anash" (" anshei shlomeinu " - "the people of our brotherhood"). This how Breslover chassidim are called.  This probably goes to show that, if you have merited to be a follower of Rabbeinu, you can indeed attain the abilities that he discusses in this Torah, even if for everyone else they have been irretrievably lost. 

This post is for those brave and tenacious souls out there who consistently learn "Likutei Moharan". Now that Purim is over and we're heading towards Nissan, which new Torah should we be learning? Personallly, I'd rather choose something that would help me prepare for the coming Pesach. Like Torah 25 that explains how every person, regardless of where they find themselves, has to constantly advance from level to level. But each new level is surrounded by klipos (literally "shells"), very much like a fruit is surrounded by peel. Before we can enter this level, we have to conquer the klipos . Practically this means that we find ourselves suddenly assaulted by confusion, obstacles, and wrong desires, which all have to be conquered prior to getting to the desired level. But was does this have to do with Pesach? Last week I was listening to a class on this Torah by R' Nasan Maimon, and he used preparing for Pesach as an example to illustrate this dynamic. B

When Amalek attacked the Jews soon after they left Egypt, Moshe Rabbeinu commanded Yehoshua, "Go out to war with Amalek - tomorrow!" Rav Levi Yitzchak Bender explains in one of his talks that "Tomorrow" is actually a nickname of Amalek. He is the one who convinces us to push things off : "You don't have to rush, even if it's really something good. You can always do it tomorrow... or the day after... or maybe never!" As we all know, Purim is the time to fight Haman-Amalek. So, before the day is over (at least here in Jerusalem), let's pack in as much simcha as we possibly can, without  leaving anything for tomorrow! After all, tomorrow it won't be Purim anymore, and the simcha won't come just as naturally. But today - with every laugh and every dance, we won't give Amalek another chance!

Reb Noson said that, if a person starts to call our to Hashem forty days before Purim, "Save me from the klipah of Haman-Amalek!", he can merit seeing Mordechai and Esther during the reading of the Megillah on Purim. Now it's already too late to start screaming like that, but we can still learn an important principle. Rabbi Levy Yitzchak Bender used to say, "If a person didn't see Mordechai and Esther during the Megillah reading, it's no big deal. After all, not everyone is found worthy. But if he in fact didn't see them yet has convinced himself that he did, this is a real problem!" By remaining honest and not fooling ourselves, we can access the light of Purim even without having any visions.

On Pesach, we will go out of the exile, so now it's time to prepare. The Prophet Yeshayahu says, "With joy, you will go out." But what if we don't have any joy? How will we go out then? Reb Noson explains that our joy is also in exile - among the other nations. Somehow it is easier for the non-Jews to relax and have a good time, while we, the Jews, are forever burdened by our obligations, problems, and imperfections. Purim is the time to change all that! On Purim, we are going to redeem simcha from its exile. We will have a big, loud party - just like them! - because this is what Hashem commands us to do. We will not only eat, drink, and be merry, but also sing happy Jewish songs and have lively Torah discussions around the table. In this way, we will capture the joy of the non-Jews and bring it into our lives! Although Purim will end, the joy will hopefully remain. Then we'll discover that, with this  simcha , we can do anything, Including preparing for Pesach a

It is interesting that the Hebrew words "שנה" ("a year") and "שנה" ("sleep") are spelled exactly the same way, with only the vowel points being different. There is something in the predictability of time, with spring and summer always coming after winter and never vice versa, that lulls us into sleep. Then comes Rabbeinu and says that the year starts with Purim, when "Megillah Esther" jolts us out of our slumber. The Megillah is one of those "stories from ancient times" that wake people from spiritual sleep, as Rabbeinu explains in Torah 60. Each year on Purim we, as Breslover chassidim, are supposed to wake up a little more and become at least a tiny bit better, so that our years are also transformed and become associated not with sleep but with change - שינוי.

Why did Rabbeinu say (in Torah 74 in the second half of "Likutei Moharan") that now all beginnings are from Purim? One possible answer can be found in a different lesson - Torah 15 that starts with the words, "Anyone who wants to experience a taste of the Or HaGanuz (the Hidden Light) - the mysteries of the Torah that will be revealed in the Future..." It is well-known that Reb Noson once said, "Rabbeinu is the Or HaGanuz !" This means that a person who merits to be attached to Rabbeinu can get a taste of this Hidden Light even now. Now, on Purim we read the Megillas Esther , and this title can be translated as "A Revelation of the Hidden". Although in the Or HaGanuz of Rabbeinu another word for "hidden" is used, perhaps this is not so important. Purim is a particularly auspicious time for the revelation of everything that has been hidden, including the light of Rabbeinu. What could be a better way to begin the year than tasting this p