Rabbi Trugman – Tells us the significance of the small letters in the Torah. For example, the little heh at the beginning and how it foretold that its appearance would be put into Avraham’s name in the future. Additionally, the little aleph which is at the beginning of Leviticus which occurs on Rosh Chodesh Nissan and the many allusions of why its little including that Moshe wrote it small as an act of humility (Hashem is humble and Moshe emulates Hashem). If you would like to learn more about the small letters in the Torah please watch Rabbi Trugman’s video (~35 minutes).
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).
You’re Doing Something Big. Keep Fighting! by Rabbi David Yisrael Kalmus
Rabbi Kalmus shares with us how all despair comes from belief in nature versus belief in Hashem gives them life force. Anxiety and Fear versus Faith and Comfort. Hashem created nature and can change it if He chooses. Also, that all sadness comes from (excess of the mind) – like eating the peel instead of the fruit. Everyday in our prayers Jews say that Hashem re-creates the World everyday. Chassidus teaches that every detail is all Hashem (even including a simple leaf turning the air). If these concepts interest you watch the video (~34 minutes).
Newsletter – Rabbi Kalmus’s organization, Tzion Breslov Project, also started a newsletter that comes out before Shabbat – you can sign up for that free here as well:
Weekly Hashkafa Shiur #72 | The Blueprint of Creation – Part 1 AUDIO by Rabbi Mendel Kessin
Rabbi Kessin shares with us the buidling blocks of creation. For example, the seven attributes of creation “down here” so to speak and the real lack of knowledge we don’t have about the creation “up there” (fascinating discussion). Once we have the basics of creation down we can better understand what our role is and how we can do our responsibility to fulfill the purpose of creation.
Personal Thoughts – I like how the Rabbi doesn’t pontificate and claim to know about all the details of creation or what Hashem wants and quite humbly states there is a lot we just don’t know about the whats and whys of this very esoteric subject.
Rabbi Asher Baruch Wegbreit – Shares with us a way we can thank Hashem for all the good He bestows upon us and the subsequent connection that results from that thanks. Rabbi Wegbreit details a hypothetical situation of when you ask your Father for financial help to help one of your family members going through a health crisis and once the crisis passes you send your Father a telegram of thanks for his help. This can parallel our gratitude and thanks to Hashem when he gets us or those close to us through a crisis we can also send Him a thank you telegram by saying Tehillim Kuf (Psalm #100) with a sense of gratitude and thanks. By developing this two-way relationship with Hashem we can grow a deeper connection to Hashem (aka Devekut) which is an essential purpose of our life. Feel free to watch the Rabbi’s short video to get the whole story (~16 minutes).
Please note – Rabbi Wegbreit gave me permission to let our viewship know that in the video he mentioned both Tehillim Kuf (Psalm #100) and Tehillim Kuf Yud (Psalm #110) however Rabbi Wegbreit meant Tehillim Kuf (Psalm #100) in all cases for this video.
Rebbetzin Rochel Silber – Shares with us some very interesting concepts around names and letters in the Torah and how they relate to us. For example, she asks why do we say certain passages related to our name at the end of the Amida (the silent prayer we say three times per day)? It’s basically a way to put our signature on the prayer we just said to Hashem to personalize it specifically from us to the Creator of the World. What a nice concept and way to come closer to G-d. For a whole lot more fascinating words, letter, and name meanings and how your name may reveal more than you thought go ahead and watch the video.
Shulchan Aruch, Dinei Birkas haTorah 47:1 – Laws Relating to the Blessings for Torah Study, Part 1
Rabbi Avraham Meyer Zajac – The Rabbi explains why the Alter Rebbe insisted that we be very careful how we properly say the blessings before we start learning Torah. The reason is it was one of the reasons the Jews were driven into exile after the destruction of the 2nd Temple. How does this even make sense? He further says – the source of this is in the Talmud that it is as if Hashem Himself explained it directly to those learning his Torah. Chassidus explains that Torah is G-dliness en-clothed in words. It’s not that we didn’t learn Torah it’s that we didn’t keep it on the front of our mind that we are learning Hashem’s words and connecting with His very essence when we learn Torah.
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.
Rabbi Benyamin Vineburg – As some of us start feeling the winter blues, Rabbi Vineburg shares with some root emunah (faith) concepts and how everything that happens affects from the very beginning of the World itself. As the Rav said, “when you take time for someone else, Hashem will take even more time for you”.
