The Personal Spiritual Journey of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author

One of the most inspiring drashos given by Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, was one he gave during his trip to the U.S. last year. He spoke to a group of young men, and for reasons that only he knows, decided to speak about his own personal, spiritual journey.

Fortunately, simultaneous translation was set up for that shiur so as the Rav told his story, Rabbi Reuven Boshnack translated. Reb Tuvia split up the audio into Hebrew and English parts so you can listen to either one individually, and posted them on the Bilvavi.net site. These are definitely worth the listen to get an insight into how an Ish Emes reaches the Emes, so that you (and I) can hopefully do the same.

The Rav's Spiritual Odyssey
האודיסיאה הרוחנית של הרב

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The Bilvavi Author's Main Nekudah on His Trip to the U.S.

When Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim came to the United States in September, he challenged many people to rethink their priorities in life. Many of us may have had difficulty hearing this message. It wasn't only a message of chizuk and hisorerus, but a call to deep and difficult action. I found a section from the beginning of the 5th Chelek of Bilvavi which explains the basic message along these lines. It would be kedai for us to read what he writes here and think about how it may be applicable to ourselves. I have translated part of what I think is a very relevant portion here:

The R"I writes (Sh"T P"1 11) "Know that one who sins by happenstance because he has a desire which overpowers him and his inclination grips him , which he cannot remove from his mind and senses when he encounters it... The beginning of the Teshuva for this person is regret and placing sadness in his heart for his sin etc... But one who is constantly and firmly planted on a path that is not good, whose sins overcome him and he walks in them every day and repeats his iniquity... the beginning of the Teshuva for *this* person is to abandon his [all of] his evil path and thoughts..."

The R"I is speaking on an external level, of one doing actual aveiros (sins), G-d forbid. However, the same thing applies to inner work. Let us explain: Their are those whose actions are entirely tied to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, who just has one detail of his life in which he forgets his connection to the Creator. Then his Tikun is just to fix and tie that detail to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. However, there are others who, even though they observe all of Torah and Mitzvos, lack the inner essence of Torah. They feel no love and they do not have the requisite joy [in doing Mitzvos] and they feel no connection in their souls to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, to their Father in Heaven. He feels no parent-child connection between himself and Hashem. This person's entire path in life is wrong! He is cut off from the true essence of life, from the true essence for which he was created. Therefore, for a person of this type, doing teshuva by taking on some additional stringency or this like will not be enough. Rather, he must change his whole approach to life. He must go out of the world of externality and enter into the world of connecting to the "One Who spoke and the world came into being." If someone doesn't feel love for Hashem burning inside of him enough, and doesn't feel longing for his Father is surely still entirely on the wrong path.

This point is one which is very important and which many people fail in. Let us explain: If someone decides to do Teshuva, especially during these days of Elul and the 10 days of Teshvua. He contemplates his way of life and examines his actions. In general, if he finds that he is afflicted in guarding his tongue, wasting time from learning, davening without thought, saying brachos merely out of habit, etc. What does this person do? He accepts upon himself all sorts of commitments in each of the areas in which he is afflicted. It is obvious that the majority of the time, these commitments do not last long. And even if they last for a long time, a true growing person does not sprout from this process. What is the root of the problem? This is exactly what we have been speaking about! This person is doing the first type of Teshuva from the R"I in the aspect of one who sins "by happenstance." However, in truth, he needs to do the second type of Teshuva for a person who is planted on the [wholly] wrong path.

-Dixie Yid

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My Kasha on Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai & Emerging From the Cave

There's something about the story in Shabbos 33b that I couldn't understand. Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the holy Tanna, had to hide in a cave for 12 years so that he would not be killed by the Romans for speaking against them. During that time, he and his son devoted all of their time and kochos hanefesh into learning the deepest secrets of the Torah. So much so, that when he came out after 12 years, he couldn't fathom how regular people could waste their time working instead of learning. The gemara says, "חזו אינשי דקא כרבי וזרעי אמר מניחין חיי עולם ועוסקין בחיי שעה כל מקום שנותנין עיניהן מיד נשרף." They saw people planting and seeding. He said, 'They abandon the eternal world and engage with the transient world?!' Everything they looked at was burned up."

Hashem did not like this so He sent down a heavenly voice to say, "חיזרו למערתכם!" "Return to your cave!" My question is this: The whole source of the problem with the Tzadik's attitude toward Jews' involvement in worldly things was the fact that he was immersed in the holiness of plumming the depths of the secrets of the Torah and learning the secrets of what would become the Zohar Hakadosh, the holy Zohar! And he was in this for so long that he was unable to fathom how anyone could live in anything other than this most exalted state. So why does Hashem tell him to go back into the cave?! This was the very source of the problem to begin with!

I asked this question to my rebbe last Shabbos. As I understand it, this is what he told me, primarily in the name of Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa:

Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai, through his learning and hisbonenus in the cave reached the deepest and biggest hasagos (comprehensions) in the world, the secrets of the Zohar Hakadosh. But, lulei d'mistefina, there was one thing that was so deep that he did not yet understand. The Neshoma of a Jew. He had to go even deeper and understand even more to understand that. This is why going back into the cave to understand even deeper depths was the tikun for his inability to fully understand the Neshoma of a Jew. The neshoma of a Jew is even deeper than all of the secrets of the Zohar Hakadosh.

Of course it does not bother us that the holy Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai, at that temporary point in his development, in his first excursion from the cave, did some damage. Because ultimately, without the whole process, Klal Yisroel would never have had the Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai that we now have. He transformed and deepened our understanding of Hashem, Yiddishkeit, the Universe and everything, B"H! Hakol haya l'tov.

-Dixie Yid

(Picture courtesy of Carol Darby)

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Bilvavi Author From Monsey Shiur - Video & English Summary

Rav Doniel Coren, a Talmid Chacham in Monsey, brought Rav Itamar Shwartz to Monsey on Thursday night September 11th, 2008 to speak at Rabbi Rudinksy's Shul. That shiur is available via video HERE and on mp3, along with all of the other shiurim from the U.S. trip HERE. He has been kind enough to briefly summerize the shiur below:

The pasuk says “תקעו בחודש שופר בכסא ליום חגינו כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלוקי יעקב” blow the shofar at the time of covering for our day of holiday.” Chazal ask which holiday has a covered up month. And they answer: the holiday of Rosh Hashana (since the moon is barely visible unlike other holidays which take place in the middle of the month)

The idea of covering up tells us a very important step as we approach the coming new year תשס"ט – if something is being covered up it means its still here. When a person enters the new year he needs to know that much of the success depends on the preparation he made in the end of the previous year. this is the main purpose of the month of Elul.

When one builds a building and finishes the first floor he then proceeds to build another floor the roof of the lower level is covered up but its there it’s the base of the next level.

Chazal say "תכלה שנה וקלולתיך תחל שנה וברכותיה." We want the curses of the previous year to end and the blessing to begin – this happens only if you end the year properly so the next year can begin on the right foot.

So what is Elul about?

We know the acronym אני לדודי ודודי לי im to my beloved and my beloved is to me – what does this mean?

How does this differ from what chazal say דרשו ה' בהמצאו קראהו בהיותו קרוב. This refers to the ten days of repentance. What doesElul have to offer that the ten days don’t?

The answer is the avoda ofElul is to understand that we are building our new year on the previous one.

What do we need to build in these days?

Ani ledodi vedodi li means as much as I feel and am aware of Hashem that is how much he will reveal himself to me –

Let's explain the process.

Ani ledodi – what is an uncle its a person who loves us generally but does not appear all the time – sometimes he shows up by a shiva and tragedies and sometimes he shows up for a wedding and a simcha

First step is to feel that Hashem is with you sometimes. This takes work.

You get up in the morning and thank God and become aware of all the gifts he gives us every moment.

Mode ani it's good to be alive – 12 second rule.

Don’t wait for tzaros to feel Hashem – its true god is with us in calamties – when a person is sick he feels god however many times a person is so troubled with the tragedy he misses out on the opportunity even then – really it’s a wake up call as we all see when people have a tragedy like getting sick etc they many times wake up buy god doesn’t want you to wait for that

Feel G-d with all the good you want have to feel him through the bad.

This is step one.

The idea of Elul being days of Ratzon is the idea that this month opens up the inner desire to want to feel G-d.

Then if a person works on this he receives a present vedodi li – G-d now reveals Himself to him much more often – you can be walking in the street and feel G-d.

As I write this I think to myself – until a person experiences this feeling, this might sound like fluffy words that just float in the air – But the truth is many people have had the moment which people call “it” where for a second they are mezmerized by a beautiful view or the setting of the sun or watching a very strong wind.

What is that feeling? It’s the trancendal. You feel like you're transcending the physical world. Our purpose is to feel all the time.

If you want to know if your Elul preparation is going well, check to see if you feel G-d not only when there is a tzara or a direct cause but just walking with him and feeling his presence

The ten days are ten days when you can feel God all the time – It's Gan Eden.

If your hachana of Elul goes right, you come to Rosh Hashana and you can say Avinu our father – our Father is always watching us

To be successful you need to decide what is our purpose in life why am I asking for life.

What type of life do we want?

When we say זכרנו לחיים מלך חפץ בחיים what are we saying – we saying give us life that you desire

What type of life does G-d want us to have?

ואתם הדבקים בה' אלוקיכם חיים כולכם היום

Only if your clinging to G-d are you really alive.

We ask for life that is eternally lasting not to be walking around sleep walking in a daze and actually be dead.

A person who is alive lives with what Dovid Hamelech said ואני קרבת אלוקים לי טוב the only good thing that is good for me is closeness to God

We ask for life that our neshama wants not our body

We should be zocheh to know what life is about and wants to have it very clear then learn how to get there.

-Dixie Yid

(Picture courtesy of Me and Tuvia)

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Inner Unity in the Machlokes Btw Ramban & Rambam Re "Dinim"

We've talked before about Toraso Shel Moshiach, and how one can discern the unity behind the various machlokes'n (disputes) between major Jewish authorities throughout history.

Tuesday night, September 9th, 2008, I was talking to Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim on the way back from Ma'ariv during his speaking trip to the U.S. We were talking about the fact that I was in law school we were talking about being Jewish in a non-Jewish court system and I brought up the opinion of the Ramban (on Breishis 34:12) that non-Jews must keep all of the civil laws that the Jewish people have to keep under their mitzvah of "Dinim" (which is one of the 7 Mitzvos for Bnei Noach). This is in contradistinction to the Rambam's opinion that under "Dinim" gentiles only have to enforce the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach.

The next morning on the way to Baltimore, I told him that I was curious whether or not he had a mehalech (method) of learning any inner unity between the opinions of the Rambam and the Ramban with regard to whether or not Bnei Noach's civil laws are simply an incorporation of the laws of the Jewish people. He asked me if I was asking this because I had my own mehalech or because I wanted to hear if he had one. I told him that I didn't have a mehalech, but that after learning many of the Torahs in Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Al HaTorah, I had a feeling that he would have a mehalech in learning what the inner unity in this machlokes is.

Without hesitation, he began to explain his pshat in this machlokes to me. He pointed out that there is a question; "How is it shiach (possible) for the Ramban to hold that gentiles have any shaychus (relationship) at all to the Torah's civil laws for the Jewish people, when they come from such a completely different reality than the Jewish people come from?"

He began to answer this by pointing out that in Yemos Hamoshiach, it is stated in the Rambam that on a certain level, the nations of the world will become Avadim to the Jewish people. Which Torah laws does an Eved Kena'ani have to keep? All of the negative Mitzvos and all of the positive mitzvos aside from time-bound commandments. So even though he is still not Jewish, he will keep almost all of the laws of the Jewish people, including the civil laws.

And it is this reality that Bnei Noach actually do have a relationship to the Jewish Civil laws because they will apply to them in the times of Moshiach that makes it possible for them to have any shaychus at all to those laws. And it is this reality that makes it possible for the Ramban to hold that our civil laws are applied to them within their mitzvah of "Dinim."

Amazing insight, eh? I asked him if this is written in any of the seforim and he said he didn't know. (!) Not sure if that's true, but it was certainly an amazing thing to see that he doesn't only unify dispirate aspects of Yiddishkeit in certain areas that he's pre-selected, but even in a machlokes that I just brought out at him from left field, he still had a mehalech at the ready. Ashreinu sheyesh lanu Madrich kazeh!

-Dixie Yid

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More Shiurim Now Available From Bilvavi Author's U.S. Trip

FYI, more shiurim have been added to the posting with downloads for the audio of several more shiurim now available. Also, several of the shiurim have been translated into English by an anonymous but very holy Yid. Several of those translations are now available in that post as well.

So click on over.

-Dixie Yid

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Raising Children the Bilvavi Way- Ideas From the Author

I was zocheh to drive Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, to his speaking engagements in Baltimore, Carteret and Ohr Someach Monsey during his recent trip to the U.S. At one point in the car, I asked him how he teaches his children how to get closer to Hashem and incorporate tefillah into every aspect of life, as he teaches us to do in his seforim.

He gave me a couple of examples of things that he does in order to slowly demonstrate to his children how Hashem should be made a part of everything one does. One example that he told me is that he is home in the afternoons several days per week when his children are still up. One thing he does with his children during that time is to sit with just one child at a time on the Mirpeset, porch, spending some quiet time together. As things naturally come up in the conversation between them, he slips in observations or questions that unobtrusively teach that one turns to Hashem for any given aspects of life.

At one point, he was talking with one of his daughters and he asked her if she remembers to say "Thank You" to Hashem for making her Jewish and giving her the mitzvos. She said that she doesn't. So he asked her if she wanted him to remind her about this from time to time. If she said yes, then he would. If she said no, then he wouldn't. She responded that she did.

As another example, he was recently talking to his son after Maariv on the first day of school for the year. He asked his son whether he davened to Hashem that he be matzliach (successful) in school this year. He answered that he had not. So Rav Shwartz told him that during his Maariv, he did shed a tear in davening that he would be successful in school. This way, even though other Rebbeim may not be teaching this way of life in school, his son is learning by example that this is the normal way of being.

The common denominator in his approach is that one should not force these ideas on his children heavy-handedly. He didn't go ahead and remind his daughter to say "Thank You" to Hashem without being asked to do so. The main thing is to work thoughts about the purpose of life and about incorporating davening into every part of life naturally and easy-goingly with one's children, so they will learn that these things are not even things that need to be "taught" per se, but that they will see that they are a natural and organic part of living as a Jew.

-Dixie Yid

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Bilvavi Author - Question & Answer Chaburah - Baltimore - Video

Here is a four minute video clip from the Shomrei Emunah Chaburah with Rav Shwartz in Baltimore, MD, taken on September 10, 2008. It features a question and answer format, including some questions by our very own Reb Yerachmiel. You can download the full audio of the whole shiur (& the other shiurim from the 2008 speaking tour) HERE.

-Dixie Yid

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My Meeting with Rav Schwartz by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

My Meeting with Rav Schwartz
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman (Author of Mapping Out Bilvavi)

You can hear the Shiurim from Rav Shwartz's U.S. 2008 trip HERE

We’ll call it “The Bilvavi Effect”. It’s what happens when you learn a Kabbalah work of Rav Schwartz (the author of the Bilvavi series): you suddenly find yourself going deeper and deeper inward, and moving in slow wonder through a level of your being you’d never been in before. I discovered where it comes from when I met with Rav Schwartz during his recent trip to America. But I’m getting ahead of myself; let’s see what it took to learn that.

“I’ll be meeting with a Rav from Jerusalem Thursday night” I’d said at the dinner table. My two marriage-age daughters turned around wide-eyed. They were hoping for a bracha (a blessing) for a good husband from a sage and they were sure that that’s where I was heading. But, no; one doesn’t meet with Rav Schwartz for such a bracha, though he’d certainly offer one. He also isn’t the sort of Rav one meets with to ask for a bracha for success, for children, for health or the like, though he’d certainly sense your need and say a tefillah (a prayer) on your behalf.

No, one goes to Rav Schwartz to learn how to draw closer to The Ribbono Shel Olam (G-d Almighty). And I was granted a chance to do that.

But you don’t just ask straight-out, “How do I get closer to The Ribbono Shel Olam, Rav Schwartz?” You also don’t ask it in English, since the Rav only speaks Hebrew. So, you have to phrase a conversation in your mind which may very well prove to be one of the most important dialogues in your life. And you have to find the right Hebrew words for it that would express what your soul needs to ask … and that would avoid your coming across like some poor dolt who can’t find his or her way around a dictionary, which is certainly a challenge. For even if you’re fortunate enough to be able to read Hebrew fluently, that doesn’t mean you’re able to speak it with any level of sophistication.

So, I dwelt on my question for a week. I worked on the wording, the bottom-line and details, and I also tried to explain to the Rav why I so admired his many, many works. I realized that there’d be things I’d need to say about how I’d gotten to the point that I am now, both in my studies and in my work on myself. I quickly became frustrated and decided to “call-in sick” and scrap my plans for a meeting.

But one doesn’t do that when it comes to an individual like Rav Schwartz, who lives thousands of miles away and is one of our age’s greatest spiritual teacher. So I struggled to gather my thoughts.

Then it occurred to me: I’d need to speak about IT -- my greatest spiritual challenge, the one bugaboo that has been holding me back for decades now. “Ribbono Shel Olam!” I called out, “would Rav Schwartz be able to rectify this, my thickest, ugliest, most chaotic and turgid challenge to closeness to You?”

I met with the Rav in the basement of a shul three-quarters of an hour before he was due to address us all. The room was large and all but empty, except for a long table, a couple of bottles of seltzer and cups, and the Rav.

I sat down before him and bared my soul in my poor Hebrew, and he listened intently. We needn’t go into the details; suffice it to say that my having realized that I would have to talk about IT and would have to express it clearly and fairly quickly, and the fact that I was able to reveal it to one such as he, was of infinite help.

Oh -- as to “The Bilvavi Effect”, it’s rooted in this. I caught sight of the Rav moments before he was to speak. He’d just been among a couple of people and pulled himself away to gather his thoughts. But rather than just dwell on what points he wanted to make, I noticed that he closed his ears and eyes, kind of scrunched-up his entire being to a ball, and concentrated deeply on what needed to be said. It was a sight to behold. It was as if he was somehow or another disappearing, for all intents and purposes, and entering into a very quiet place in his being. He then stretched himself out, and walked up to the spot he was to address us from and began.

And it occurred to me that that’s what I had done to some degree when I needed to get my thoughts together to address the Rav, and what I find myself doing when I delve deeply into the Rav’s Kabbalah seforim. “The Bilvavi Effect” comes down to entering the core of one’s being, step by step, losing all contact with your surroundings, and communing with your inner being.

May G-d Almighty grant us all the ability to set aside the time to do that regularly, and to draw close to Him in the process. And may Rav Schwartz continue to guide us in that for many, many good years to come!

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman’s translation of Rambam’s “The Eight Chapters” will soon be published by Targum Press. He offers two weekly email classes for http://www.torah.org/ entitled Spiritual Excellence and Ramchal.

(Picture taken at Yeshiva of Carteret Wednesday, Sept. 10th, 2008 courtesy of Me)

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Bilvavi Shiurim from U.S. Tour Now Available Online!

At 11:30 last night, b'ezras Hashem, Rav Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim returned to Eretz Yisroel. It was a mind bending experience for many of us in many different ways, but b'ezras Hashem, everything should be ultimately toward the purpose of brining more Yidden closer to Avihem Shebashamayim, their Father in Heaven.

IY"H, over the next few days I hope to put up a couple more shiurim (Englewood from yesterday morning at Rabbi Zev Reichman's Shul & the Boro Park shiur). Also, I hope to slowly start putting up some feelings, thoughts and observations on the trip. Additionally, several of the shiurim were recorded on video and I hope to post those as well, especially the shiur at Rabbi Rudinsky's Shul on Sept. 11th, 2008 & the historic spur-of-the-moment shiur givin at Madreigos in Lawrence, NY, where the Rav bore his heart and told over the story of his own personal journey to the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Boca Raton Synagogue - Sunday night, September 7, 2008 - In this discussion, the Rav explains the need to find your true inner ratzon (will), in order to live your life according to what you really want. Although we know that the inner ratzon is to become close to Hashem, if we do not become conscious of it, we will not grow much through the many positive actions that we do. This idea was very new to several of the attendants, and you will hear how the Rav deals with their questions and challenges concerning this idea.

Boca Raton Girl's High School - Monday morning, September 8, 2008 - English Translation: Do We Want All of Judaism? - Many of us go through life without really thinking about why we are here and why we act as we do. This thought-provoking class urges us to take time daily to decide what we really want in life and adjust our lives accordingly. In the context of this discussion, you will learn why Rosh HaShanah is a joyous day that we should really anticipate.

Manhattan Ramat Orah - Monday night, September 8, 2008 - Topic: Living in Manhattan - English Translation- This very powerful speech compares our society to the dor hamabul (Generation of the Flood). Mistakes in attitude and behavior have been compounding for generations, and very few people realize how low we have sunk from the way life was meant to be. We need to rethink our whole way of life and make major changes if we really want to be proper Jews.

Madgregos Kollel Far Rockaway - Tuesday morning, September 9, 2008 - Topic: the Rav's personal journey to avodas Hashem - Includes simultaneous English Translation by Rabbi Reuven Boshnack - A MUST LISTEN! - We all know and believe that Torah and mitzvos are what life is all about, but do we really feel that these are what make our lives meaningful? Listen to the Rav's personal account of how he searched and grappled with these issues, and how he came to feel these truths in his own heart. He promises that we can get the same results as he did. Presented with English translation.

MTA - YU's High School - 10th Grade Shiur

MTA - YU's High School - 12th Grade Shiur

Ner Yisrael - Baltimore - Wednesday afternoon, September 10, 2008- Ner Yisroel- A yeshiva student is not only someone who learns Torah a good part of the day; he has a special bond with Hashem through his constant involvement in Torah. This involvement is not only a matter of spending a lot of time learning, but a process of developing the mind through intensive thought about Torah, even when not in front of a sefer. This shiur explains how any yeshiva student can achieve this state, regardless of special abilities.

Yeshiva in Carteret, New Jersey - Wednesday morning, September 10, 2008 - A yeshiva student must understand that Torah study demands a lifetime commitment. Otherwise, even while he is learning, he does not respect the fact that Torah is life, and that everything else is only as substantial as an image on a movie screen. Although in earlier generations, there were some talmidei chachamim who took off time from learning for other endeavors, nowadays, it is much more difficult to maintain proper yiras shamayim and a real connectiion to Torah if one mingles with the secular world.

Baltimore Bilvavi Chabura - at Shomrei Emunah - Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - Bilvavi Chaburah in Baltimore- Learn about the dual nature of Rosh HaShanah: a time to cry and a time when we must not cry, a time when we rise to the heavens and a time when we descend to the depths. Discover how Tisha B'Av prepares us for Rosh HaShanah and how our relationship to Hashem on Rosh HaShanah is very different from that of Yom Kippur. This shiur not only explains these issues, but also gives guidance for dealing with the inevitable ups and downs in our spiritual lives.

Ohr Somayach Monsey - Thursday, September 11, 2008 - Topic: Practical Steps for the post-Baal Teshuva stage

Ohr Yisrael Monsey - Thursday, September 11, 2008 - This brief class contains a treasury of guidance for the newly observant Jew seeking to fully adjust to a Torah lifestyle. The primacy of studying and keeping halachah is explained, including the outlook we should have on its importance. There is also a discussion of the need to study Torah in depth, with suggestions for enabling this study to fashion a new way of thinking that will truly make one an "insider" in Judaism.

English Translation: Rav Rudinsky's Synagogue Monsey - Thursday, September 11, 2008

Rabbi Rudinsky's Shul: Monsey - Thursday, 9/1/08 - Chazal (based on Tehillim) refer to Rosh HaShanah as keseh, the time of covering. This can be explained to mean that the new year must be built on top of a basis from the previous year, so that it covers the previous year and rises above it. In Elul, we must fashion this basis through at least intermittent periods of sensing Hashem's Presence, and then, in the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, we can achieve this sense constantly.

Shor Yashuv Far Rockaway - Motzoi Shabbos, September 13th, 2008 at Yeshiva Shor Yoshuv in Lawrence, NY

Far Rockaway Melava Malka - Melaveh Malka by Danny and Yaffa Moskowitz, Motzoi Shabbos September 13, 2008 - Topic: Explaining the inyan of telling over stories of Tzadikim on Motzoi Shabbos

Englewood - Sunday morning September 14, 2008 at Rabbi Zev Reichman's Shul - Simultaneous trasnalation by Rabbi Reichman

Boro Park - At Blumenfrucht family - Sunday evening, September 14, 2008 - English Translation: Do We Want Closeness With Hashem? - We know we are judged on Rosh HaShanah, but what is the difference between the judgment of the two days? In this class, the Rav explains that each day has its own kind of judgment, and that we should strive to be among those few who are judged on the first day. In the context of this discussion, we learn how our own hearts can serve the function of the Bais HaMikdash -- a resting place for the Divine Presence.

-Dixie Yid

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Fear; Laziness' Excuse - Tzadik in the City

I have had a couple of experiences in my involvement with Rav Shwartz's (the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh author's) current visit to the United States, that have showed me how irrational people's fear of good things can be.

Shabbos morning, my Rebbe quoted the Midrash Raba's pshat on the pasuk in Mishlei 26:13, "אָמַר עָצֵל, שַׁחַל בַּדָּרֶךְ; אֲרִי, בֵּין הָרְחֹבוֹת, "The lazy man says, there is a cub in the road, a lion between the streets." In Parshas Nitzavim, it says in Midrash Raba, "אמרו לעצל רבך בעיר לך ולמוד תורה ממנו והוא משיב אותן ואומר להן מתיירא אני מן הארי שבדרך מנין שנאמר (משלי כו) אמר עצל שחל בדרך)" "They say to the lazy person, 'Your Rebbe is in the city! Go and learn Torah from him!' He answers them 'I am afraid of the lion on the road.' How do we know this? As it says 'The lazy man says, there is a lion in the street.'"

This made me think back on a couple of conversations I'd had the previous week. This is certainly the week for many of us where it can be said that "Our Rabbi is in the city!" Yet, I spoke to a couple of people who I know are sincere and would definitely want to meet with Rav Shwartz who hemed and hawed about actually meeting with Rav Shwartz. Whether it's a fear of not already having any questions for the Rav or a fear of being dissappointed, there were no shortage of excuses. There are no shortage of lions on the road and no shortage of excuses for people's fear of what they will encounter when meeting with a Tzadik.

Last year, my Rebbe gave me an opportunity to have Rav Shwartz over to my house for the Shabbos day seuda. At first, I wanted to refuse, thinking that I couldn't possibly handle the "pressure" I thought I would feel being with the Tzadik for so long. Luckily, Rav Shwartz's current host while he is in town and I were talking at the time and he talked some sense into me. I overcame my fears and we were zocheh to bring the Tzadik into our home. Meeting with such a person is a once-in-a-lifetime type opportunity for us here. We've got to "chap arayn" and take advantage of the opportunity!

Again, you can see the remainder of Rav Shwartz's schedule in Baltimore tonight, Monsey, Woodmere for Shabbos, Far Rockaway/Five Towns, Englewood, NJ & Boro Park HERE.

-Dixie Yid

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Bilvavi Author Speaking in Five Towns/Far Rockaway Motzoi Shabbos!

Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, will be speaking Motzoi Shabbos (Sept. 13th) in the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community at Yeshivas Shor Yoshuv at 9:45. You may click on the image above to get a better resolution pdf format version of the flyer. Enjoy!

-Dixie Yid

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Sanctifying the Heart - Having Breakfast With the Bilvavi

I was just speaking to a heiligeh Chassidisher Yid from Boro Park yesterday and he shared the following vort with me, as an explanation as to what he felt the gadlus (greatness) of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim in our generation is:

He asked a question in the name of the Bais Yisroel of Ger. Why does the pasuk say "וְלֹא-תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם, וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם," "You shall not stray after your heart and after your eyes" (Bamidbar 15:39) in that particular order? Doesn't one usually first see something that then stirs his heart to desire it? Shouldn't the verse place straying after one's eyes before the idea of not straying after his heart?

The Bais Yisroel explains that when one is working on guarding his heart, thoughts and eyes from focusing on the wrong things, it is best to first start by being mekadesh (sanctifying) his heart, his inner-most mindset, thoughts and feelings. Once his heart is purified, then that which he may see (by accident of course) will not draw him. It will not register, just as if he would be looking at a door or a mouse. (DY: This would be the pshat in the Gemara's statement that women seemed like white Geese ("קאקי חיורי") to Rav Gidel. [Brachos 20a])

My Chassidisher friend said that to him, when he learns the seforim of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, they are so clear and so illuminating, that they have the effect of being mekadesh his heart, sanctifying his heart. He said that now, he feels that shmiras ha'einayim, guarding his eyes, is 60-70% easier than it was 6 months ago because when one's heart is with Hashem consciously, there's just no attraction to retzonios kozvios, false desires.

Along these lines as well, I was zocheh to have breakfast with Rav Shwartz Sunday morning, after he arrived in New York. In response to a question, the Rav's host told him that that he felt that in the past year, he had improved in the area of shmiras ha'einayim, guarding his eyes. Rav Shwartz asked him if this was because he was fighting harder, or because he didn't have to fight as hard? He explained that although it's a madreiga, a level, to fight harder against the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and succeed more, the best thing is to bring Hashem into the consciousness to the extent that one doesn't need to fight harder to win against the Yetzer Hara.

Whether it be through the Bilvavi Seforim, or whatever other method, may we all bring Hashem into our thoughts and consciousness so that our hearts will be sanctified and we will no longer desire any of the false temptations of this world!

Rav Shwartz's schedule for the rest of the week in Baltimore, Monsey, Woodmere, Far Rockaway/Five Towns, Englewood & Boro Park is available HERE.

-Dixie Yid

P.S. After Rav Shwartz returns to Eretz Yisroel, I hope to post all of his shiurim online. Also, I may be able to post a couple of video recordings of some of the shiurim in the next few weeks.

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Bilvavi Author Lands in U.S. Yesterday - Matzav.com Feature Article

Matzav.com is currently featuring an article on Rav Shwartz's visit to the United States. Rav Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, just landed in the United States yesterday morning. Only a few hours later, he and his assistant headed off to Boca Raton for last night's Drasha at the Boca Raton Synagogue. There are still a few slots for appointments Tuesday night in Woodmere at Cong. Aish Kodesh. If you are interested in an appointment, call Benyomin Wolf at 516-668-6397. For a full schedule of Rav Shwartz's drashahs in the coming week in New York City, Baltimore, Monsey, Woodmere, Five Towns/Far Rockaway, Englewood, and Boro Park, CLICK HERE. And again, you can access Matzav.com's full article HERE.

-Dixie Yid

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Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author Speaking on The West Side!

Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, will be speaking on the Upper West Side at Congregation Ramath Orah at 8 PM on Monday evening, September 8th. They are located at 550 W. 110th St. (Corner of Broadway). For a larger version of Ramath Orah's flyer, click on the image for a higher resolution pdf image. For more information, please call the Shul's number on the flyer or Benyomin Wolf at 516-668-6397. See you there!

-Dixie Yid

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Bilvavi Author Available for Personal Appointments Tuesday Sept. 9th

Rav Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, will be available for personal appointments with people next Tuesday night (Sept. 9th) from 6-10 in Woodmere, NY at Congregation Aish Kodesh, 894 Woodmere Pl (corner of Woodmere Blvd. and West Broadway). Rav Shwartz will be available to discuss eitzos in Avodas Hashem. Appointments are in 10 minute increments.

No solicitations will be made, though donations would be appreciated toward an upcoming project to print many more seforim and greatly increase people's access and exposure to them.

For an appointment, please call Benyomin Wolf at 516-668-6397.

-Dixie Yid

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Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author U.S. Tour - Elul/September 2008 Schedule

Rav Itamar Shwarz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim (many of which are available HERE), will be in the United States for a speaking tour. The following is a list of the venues which are open to the public. Please attend! If you haven't heard him speak or learned his seforim before, you're about to experience a perspective on Avodas Hashem, and learning how to attain closeness with Hashem, which is different than what you may have experienced or learned before. All of his Drashahs will be given in a clear and easy to understand Hebrew. The Rav will be available for private appointments on Tuesday night, September 9th at Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY. Call Benyomin Wolf at 516-668-6397 for appointments or more information about the trip or the Boro park location as it becomes available.

Boca Raton, FL
Sunday, September 7th, 8-10:15 PM
Boca Raton Synagogue, 7900 Montoya Circle

New York City
Monday, September 8th, 8 PM
Congregation Ramath Orah, 550 W. 110th St. (corner Broadway)

Baltimore, MD
Wednesday, September 10th, 8 PM
Congregation Shomrei Emunah, 6221 Greenspring Ave.

Monsey, NY
Thursday, September 11th, 8 PM
Kahal Ahavas Yitzchak (Rabbi Rudinsky's Shul), 73 Forshay Rd.

Woodmere, NY - Shabbos Sept. 12th
Friday Night Tisch at the Perkal home - 9:30 PM - 858 Fiske St.
Shabbos Hashkafah Shiur at Cong. Aish Kodesh - 5:35 PM (Corner W. Broadway & Woodmere Blvd.)
Mincha/Shalosh Sheudos Drashah at Cong. Aish Kodesh - 6:35 PM

Five Towns/Far Rockaway Motzoi Shabbos Drasha
Motzoi Shabbos, September 13th, 9 PM
Yeshivas Shor Yoshuv, One Cedar Lawn Ave, Lawrence, NY

Englewood, NJ
Sunday Morning, September 14th, 9:15 AM (After 8:30 Shacharis)
East Hill Synagogue, 255 Walnut St.

Boro Park, NY
Sunday Evneing, September 14th, 7:30 PM
Blumenfrucht Home, 1615 40th St.

For high resolution pdf of the below image, click on the image

-Dixie Yid

(Pictures courtesy of Bilvavi.net)

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Bilvavi Author in Monsey on Thursday September 11th!!!

Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim will be in Monsey, NY on Thursday, September 11th at 8 PM at Rabbi Rudinsky's Shul, 73 Forshay Rd. Above is the flyer. You may contact Rabbi Doniel Coren at dcoren@projectunite.com for more information!

-Dixie Yid

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Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author in Baltimore September 10th!

Thanks to the hard work of Reb Yerachmiel, Gad Frenkel and Rabbi Yaakov Drang, and a number of sponsors in Baltimore, Rav Itamar Shwartz will be speaking in Baltimore at Congregation Shaarei Emunah on September 10th at 8 PM. I hope everyone in the Baltimore area will be able to make it! You may see a larger version of the flyer by clicking on its image above. And you can get more information on that event by contacting the three aforementioned contact people whose phone numbers are on the flyer. Kol tuv!

-Dixie Yid

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Bilvavi - Only a Couple of Spots Still Open for Sep./Elul Visit

(Click to enlarge)

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