Rabbi Trugman – Shares so many interesting items relating the the Makom (the place) meaning Eretz Yisroel and also how it relates to the weekly parasha. It contains a lot of deep chassidic thoughts that present such a fascinating approach to concepts that most take for granted. For example, the relatively small size of the State of Israel and the relatively small Jewish population and their outsized Worldy significance (~51 minutes).
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz – Shares with us about how this week’s parasha can help us focus on what is really important in your life and is our purpose purposeful. Yaakov Avinu asks Hashem to protect him from Esav and protect him from his brother and what the deep meaning of this is since it appears like double talk since Esav is his brother. Also, there are many additional discussion points in this class.
Personal Thoughts – I have personally experienced a lot of what Rav Breitowitz with some flashbacks sprinkled in there. Why am I on this life journey? Money, profession, etc or is this a spiritual journey?
Rabbi Moshe Pinto Shlita – Shares some really deep chassidic teachings centered around our forefather Yaakov (Jacob) Avinu and how he infused the World to come in this World. Rabbi Pinto shares the story about Yaakov’s ladder dream and resting his head on the stone(s) and how he actually infused his life and brought up the life of the stones (very esoteric information).
Rabbi David Aaron – In this past week’s parasha (Vayeitzei) we hear about Yaakov marrying both Leah and Rachel and how their father (Lavan) switched Leah in place of Rachel. This has resulted in our current Jewish custom of “checking” the bride before the chupah (wedding canopy). Rabbi Aaron shares some of the deeper meanings of this custom and how we can learn the secret to a great marriage through this knowledge. Packed with wisdom and only 2 minutes.
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz – Great video going into detail about the three daily prayers and the source evidence of why we do it and where the sources for them. This is combined with the weekly Torah portion (Veyazei) that the Rav weaves into those sources.
Personal Thoughts – I learned a lot of new ideas that I can use in my daily prayers and the prayers in between. The more I learn the richer the experience which is why there is such a big stress to learn Torah because learning leads to new insights and new actions (mitzvot) which is what the whole World rests on.
Rabbi David Yisrael Kalmus – Shares with us how an attitude of gratitude for all the blessings in our life and how little we know can free us from all types of despair. The Rav’s example mashal of a seeing a bug on a leaf and how small it is in the vast universe that seems so big being analagous to us being that bug not knowing the vastness of Hashem and what He has in store for us and that its for our greatest good.
Rebbetzin Rochel Silber – Shows us the various ways to use gematria to find out the deeper meanings of our names. This is more of a participation video where you can find out more about the sources of your name and the nuances it can add to your life’s goals.
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz – Shares about the weekly Torah Parasha (Tolidot) and a lot of different viewpoints and in depth thoughts about many aspects of the story of Yitzhak, Rivka, Esav, and Yaakov. One example was when Rabbi Breitowitz shared that when Yaakov deceived his father to capture Esav’s blessing with his mother’s help that Yitzhak actually new that Yaakov was standing in front of him and still gave him the blessing. In a sense he was testing Yaakov to see if he had the ability to go against his nature (which was truth) to be able to deal with rough people he would encounter is his life and survive them. The downside is by participating in the deception it affected his future life greatly with many deceptions he had to experience (ie. Lavan, Yosef) in the future parashas we will read in the subsequent weeks. If you are interested to learn more in depth about this parasha please watch the video in full (about 1 hour).
Rabbi David Yisrael Kalmus – How much should you thrown yourself on Hashem? Completely! This video explains step by step how to do that according to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s teachings. Rabbi Kalmus also answers someone towards the end of video who asked why they are not getting what they are asking for. The answer is a bit blunt but the explanation was clear – because we don’t want it enough….yet. He further explains that we just recently read the weekly Torah portion where Sara Imenu finally has a child (after 90 years of praying). Why did it take so long? Because to have a child who becomes one of the most important persons every to walk the face of the Earth, who gives birth to the Jewish people, who Hashem uses as an example of why He constantly forgives the Jewish people for their transgressions it took an unprecedented amount of want.
Personal Thoughts – If you want to hear more about this important concept watch the video. It’s about 35 minutes at single speed and 17 minutes at double speed.
Newsletter – Tzion Breslov Project, also started a newsletter that comes out before Shabbat – you can sign up for that free here as well:
Rabbi Moshe Pinto Shlita – Miracles and Kindness and Strength. Three ways of the mechanics of how miracles can occur according to Jewish traditions and the approach to kindness and sacrifice that our Forefathers Avraham Avinu and Yitzchak Avinue and Foremother Sarah Imenu showed us.
Here is an written exerpt from one of the videos (paraphrased from the words of Rabbi Pinto):
What is a miracle? In the Zohar Hakadosh Hashem created the World He created malachim (angels) that represent laws of nature (angel of the sun, angel of the water, etc). The angel also protects the laws of nature that Hashem installed with that specific creation. The Zohar Hakadosh says a miracle is in and of its essence something above nature. In order for Hashem to create a miracle He needs to create a shift of nature for that miracle to happen. Many kabbalists say there are two ways to create a miracle.
Feel free to watch the first video (“The cost of a miracle!”) at timestamp 3:40 to find out how Rabbi Pinto explains those two ways. Very interesting stuff!
Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi – The first hour of this shiur (class) is packed with very helpful information of the blessings and prayers we say everyday and the actual sources in the beginning part of the Torah in Breisheit (Genesis).
Personal Thoughts – I have really been enjoying Rabbi Mizrachi’s shiurim (classes) on Breisheit (Genesis) and the vast knowledge the Rabbi brings to how it is really intertwined to my daily life.
Both these two videos teach us some concepts of the Jewish peoples’ root from a spiritual and practical perspective. We can see how these are actualized in the current events or our time. It’s amazing how things come full circle after literally thousands of years.
Weekly Hashkafa Shiur #69 | The Structure of the Neshama [AUDIO] (Rabbi Kessin):
The Unconditional Covenant with Abraham (Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz):
If you are interested in more videos from this Rabbi please visit his YouTube Channel: If you are interested in more videos from this Rabbi please visit this YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwd_5P2_hGVNkQfScEmP_w
