Rabbi Mendel Kessin – Shares why over time there has been an increase of mitzvot, customs, and extras in those who practice authentic Jewish observance and how this spreads the spiritual light and brings down the presence of Hashem and the original reason the World was created.
Rabbi Mendel Kessin – Fascinating (final) class on the Pesach/Shavuot role in the tikun process which culminates this Saturday night on Shavuot. Rabbi Kessin explains how Adam (HaRishon “the first”) was so closely connected to Hashem at the very beginning of his existance until he lost that connection after the sin of eating of the fruit of the tree of good and bad. After that sin, he was then separated from Hashem. Before the sin he knew at an intrinsic level that he was nothing and there is only Hashem, after the sin he lost that knowing. Then not only was (and the rest of mankind subsequent to that) required to work for their sustenance, unlike before when work was not necessary at all, but that very work has an additional punishment in that it causes man to thinking that its him alone providing his sustenance and Hashem is separate from that process. Man lost his very knowing that there is only Hashem. To try to claw that knowing back we now need to do mitzvot (which were given on the original Shavuot and through the 2nd set of tablets) and/or through suffering. The mitzvot help us to reconnect and humble ourselves to do Hashem’s will even if we don’t “think” its the right thing to do which gets us closer to fixing our reality that there is just Hashem. Then there is suffering which does the same thing because it forces us to know we are nothing because we cant help ourselves out of suffering which makes us feel powerless and again gets us closer to know that there is only Hashem. Both are the tikunim collectively and individually for that original sin of Adam HaRishon. Shavuot is the giving of the Torah which is a gift to get back to the original state before the sin.
Rabbi Mendel Kessin – Really interested class on the Ramchal (in honor of his Yahrtzeit – day of his passing) and the Kabbalah that he taught that we reference today. He did this while being under pressure not to share Kabbalah.
The first video focuses on a commonly discussed topic, Tzedaka (Charity). It’s always good to get several different viewpoints to learn the various aspects of this important mitzvah.
The second video focuses on the Sfira (the current daily counting period we are currently in between Pesach and Shavuot) and what the Jews are trying to rectify during this time period.
Tzedaka – Charity | Rabbi Dr Akiva Tatz
Weekly Hashkafa Shiur #94 | The Tikun Process of Passover – Part 4 – Removing the Zohama | Rabbi Mendel Kessin
After several days without video posts – here are plenty of good videos about various topics including of course the upcoming Pesach holiday. Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz mentioned in one of the videos below that Jews tend to (overly/obsessively) focus on cleaning for Pesach to find every last crumb of chametz in a physical sense. However, that’s only half the battle – it’s also important for Jews to uncover and clean the “spiritual” chametz inside of us to help us come to Pesach spiritually clean from our yetzer harah (our inclincation towards evil thoughts and actions).
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz: The Haggadah – The Plan to Achieving Spiritual Liberation
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz: Ask the Rabbi: Modern Orthodoxy & Modesty Rules, Pesach Cleaning, Does God Regret & More
Rabbi David Yisrael Kalmus: This Could Change Your Life
Rabbi Mendel Kessin: Weekly Hashkafa Shiur #91 | The Tikun Process of Passover – Part 1 [AUDIO]
Rabbi Mendel Kessin – A really nice shiur (class) about not only the importance of Rav Kanievsky and his most recent passing but the heavy ramifications of that event and the possibility that this could be the trigger event to bring Moshiach (the Messiah) – may it happen speedily in our days.
Rabbi Mendel Kessin – Shares some deep concepts about Purim and how important it is to the Jewish people and how to approach it to get the most out of it. The power of Purim can change our whole perspective about our past, our present, and our future.
Rabbi Mendel Kessin – Shares a unique perspective about Eisav (Jacob’s twin brother) and how he was originally supposed to be one of the Avot (Forefathers) and even be responsible to bringing forth the six of the twelve tribes. He had the spiritual potential to actually do this but due to his sins this never manifested and Jacob ended up being the father of the twelve tribes. Haven’t heard this part of the story before and how it affects us today.
Here are two classes on Chanukah from Rabbi Kessin and Rabbi Breitowitz. Both are very interesting with lots of information on the customs and origins of Chanukah.
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.
