Slichos Last Night at Aish Kodesh - Video

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Bilvavi Author Schedule in Toronto on Sunday

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Rav Itchie Mayer Morgenstern On Vayeilech - Full Text & Translation

A selection from Rav Itchie Mayer Morgenstern's Torah this week discusses an inyan in Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech. That piece follows and Rav Itchie Mayer's full Torah from this week on the Parsha is availible for download after this selection in pdf format below:

...This explains why we say Selichos. We admit the truth and tell Hashem that we recognize the magnitude of our sins and that we wish to refrain from such negative behavior in the future. And Hashem says, “I have forgiven in accordance with your words.”

Although Hashem is with us wherever we may be even when we sin, we must take care not to allow this to serve as an excuse for continuing negative behavior.[1] Instead, one should think simply that Hashem wishes us to acknowledge our sins, not to falsify His Name. We must do teshuvah with clear understanding and honest acceptance to change for the better.

This is similar to the famous gemara that if even a completely wicked man asks a woman to marry him on condition that he is a completely righteous person, she must get a divorce from him, since perhaps he had honestly entertained a thought of teshuvah at the time.[2] We see that teshuvah is a process in the mind, in one’s Da’as.

This is how the verse in Parshas Vayeileich will be fulfilled: "כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם אֶת-הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת"—“Write for yourselves this song...”[3] Although this verse is referring to Parshas Ha’azinu which is to follow, we can also understand this as an exhortation to restore the letters [of the commandments that were violated, and which are “etched on one’s bones”[4]] to their original place, so that the beautiful fourfold song of the ultimate future will ring out.[5] [Our sages teach that when a person develops true understanding it is as though the Beis Hamikdash has been rebuilt in his time.[6] We see that, for him at least, the rectification has already materialized. It follows that one who restores his understanding by doing teshuvah accesses this song to a certain extent.]

This is why it is important for a person to travel to the tzaddik on Rosh Hashanah so that he can search for what he has lost. He does this by searching out his heart to ensure that he speaks truthfully from his heart. This is the only way to complete one’s mission in Divine service by truly returning to Him, heart and soul, and meriting redemption, speedily in our days, Amen!

[1] Tomer Devorah
[2] Kiddushin 49b
[3] Devarim 31:19
[4] Likutei Moharan I:4
[5] Ibid., II:8:1
[6] Berachos 33a

Click on the following links to get Reb Itchie Mayer Morgenstern's Torah on Parshas Ki Savo:

Toras Chochom on Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech
Toras Chochom on Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech in English

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Learning How to Listen - An Elul Audio Shiur by R' Reuven Boshnack

Rabbi Reuven Boshnack, the campus rabbi at Brooklyn College, gave a shiur this past Wednesday night on "Learning How to Listen" in Elul.

CLICK HERE to listen.

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Kol Brisk on Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech

לעלוי נשמת הגאון הר"ר אהרן בן הר"ר משה הלוי סאלאווייציק זצ"ל

Parshas Nitzavim-Vayelech

תשנ"ט

(this was written exactly two years before 9/11)

"For this mitzvah that I am commanding you today, it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in heaven, to say, who will ascend to heaven for us and take it for us, and instruct it to us and we will fulfill it. And it is not across the ocean, to say, who will traverse the ocean and take it for us, and instruct it to us and we will fulfill it. For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart to fulfill it."

What is the meaning of "it is not in heaven?" Rava said, it is not to be found in someone who raises himself through it like the heaven, and R' Yochanan said, it is not to be found in the arrogant.

Today, the world in which we live places great emphasis on the superficial; on buildings, on numbers. Success and development are defined by the popularity polls, by the ratings, by the whims and tastes of the masses. Someone affiliated with one of the very large and affluent Jewish institutions recently remarked that today, what is significant is no longer I.Q., intelligence, but E.Q., "effectiveness quotient." Meaning, that was goes today is flattery, glib talk, appeal to the ego; psychological tactics that soothe people's tensions.

In this context, the expression of lo bashomayim is reminiscent of the dor haflaga, who erroneously thought that they could succeed in ascending the heavens by building a tower, hava nivneh lanu ir umigdal v'rosho bashomayim. They looked for solutions to their mortal limitations through an enormous tower of bricks and mortar.

What a mix-up!

How does Yir'as Shomayim or mesirus nefesh or tikun hamidos figure in the E.Q.? Is Yahadus synonymous with big buildings? With large followings, great fame and broad popularity?? With psychological maneuverings?

Nowhere in the our sources do we find such conclusions; only to the contrary. We are the smallest of the nations, we were chosen not for our great numbers, we received the Torah in the desert, as a nation divested of any concrete home or building. Throughout the generations, our Gedolim always stood firm and uncompromising in their beliefs, fearless and unimpressed by any mortal. Chanifa, flattery, we are taught, is abhorred by G-d.

So, to the innocent Jew, looking to advance himself spiritually, in ruchnius, the scene can be very puzzling, frightening, intimidating. As he immerses himself in limud haTorah and kiyum hamitzvos in a sincere way, at best, he finds little applaud and attention and recognition; and often, he may find himself an object of disregard and derision and abuse in the community. His E.Q.??? Don't ask..

Lest this confusing state be chas veshalom a cause of despair, Moshe Rabbainu comes, in his parting words to Am Yisrael, and tells us, unequivocally,

Lo bashomayim he - You don't need to part of large enterprises, have great talent and fame and tall achievements to be an accomplished Jew!

Lo maiever layam he - You don't need extensive connections to get ahead in life's tasks!
Ki karov eilecha hadavar me'od bficha uvilvavcha laasoso - If you only try to utilize all the tools granted to you through your words, your thoughts and your deeds, then all your goals will be made attainable to you.

For before Hashem, the Ein Sof, the Infinite, the greatest height is insignificant. In His Eyes, the vastest distance is nil. However, if we truly humble ourselves, with complete surrender and acceptance of His Will, we make ourselves into instruments for the true refinement and advancement and building of ourselves and of our world. Not through compromising our values, not through diplomatic maneuvering our way through the powers that be, and not through watering down our ideals to make them pleasing and digestible to the opinion polls.

The great inspiration and example of this very profound theme, says R' Tzaddok miLublin, is Dovid HaMelech. Dovid Hamelech is the "stone despised by the builders who became the foundation of the building." Shmuel HaNavi was told that man sees only superficially when trying to determine who is fit to be Melech Yisrael. Dovid Hamelech, who is Moshiach, is the quintessence of utter nullification, of total surrender before HaKadosh Baruch Hu and His Torah. This bitul, submission to Hashem's Will, and taken nothing at all for granted is expressed primarily through tefillah, prayer.

Ki karov eilecha hadavar meod ..

It is accessible to all of us, especially now, in Chodesh Ellul.

The last Shabbos of the year, let us take advantage..

A gutten Erev Shabbos,
from Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh

Picture courtesy of folk.uio.no.

The Uman Experience - By Menachem Herman - Video

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How Can I Daven For Parnasa When Parnasa Will Distance Me From Hashem? - Guest Post

Here is a guest post by Reb Levi Grunhaus:

Shalom all,

I wanted to share with you a question and later on an answer based on some things I've learened in Bilvavi Vol. 4. Note: At the end, I am also attaching links to the scanned sections from Bilvavi as well as from the Beer Mayim Chaim. (DY: I did some minor, non-substantive editing.)

QUESTION:

We are learning here in the 4th sefer of Bilvavi about the correct way to daven. The Rav discusses how all 18 berachos are really part of a whole. Since the goal of all the berachos is one, to unit us with Hasehm. It follows that one needs to have kavanah, and understand, how each distinct beracha applies. In other words, how the lack creates a separation between Hashem & me and how the fulfillment of the request will bring us closer.

I understand the concept and it makes sense to me. However, we are going through a very difficult time, economically, for while now. I feel that this time and experience has done wonders in bringing us closer to Hashem. I have never, in my current life, felt as close to Hashem on a daily basis, as I do now. This creates a problem for me in my davening. I know I should be asking hashem for parnassa as a way to get closer. I want and I am asking for parnassa. But I cannot see or understand how this parnassa will help us get closer. I actually worry that it may do the opposite chas v'chalila. So, we need parnassa, we daven for it, but not in the right way according to what the Rav says. I have been asking Hashem to enlighten me so that I could daven properly. Obviously, it's one of the 18 berachos, so we need to daven for it. I have also been asking Hashem to accept my tefillah as if I am doing it correctly since my desire is to do it so, I just don't know how right now.

Unfortunately, it always seems that we are closest to Hashem when we are in some sort of tzara. So, if we want to be close to him, can we honestly ask him to take the tzara away? I know I am missing something here, I just don't know what it is.

AN ANSWER:

On Friday night (a few days after I eamiled this question to Reb Tuvia), I was looking in the Beer Mayim Chaim. I had previously placed a book mark in a certain page. So, this Friday when I opened the sefer, it opened where the book mark was. I am a link to the pdf file with the scanned pages below. If I understand correctly, R' Chaim says that if a person davens, asking Hashem for parnassa for himself, he is not a true "Eved Hashem". He is an eved of himself, since he is coming to the king to ask things the he, himself wants/needs. What a person should be davening for, says R' Chaim, is "tzorech gavoha". Meaning a person should daven that Hashem should give parnassa to the whole of creation, BECAUSE IT'S THE "RATZON HASHEM" TO GIVE PARNASSA. However, it's also Hashem's will that the way this works is through tefillah. So, Hashem wants us to daven for HIS sake, Kiveyochol. Like it says about Chana that she davened "Al Hashem" (about Hashem and FOR Hashem).

I was very moved by this. I kept thinking about it throughout Shabbos. I knew that there is an answer here to my question. Yet, what was it exactly? I thought, how could I truly attempt to daven, just for Hashem's sake, that he should provide me with parnassa, when I feel that I desperately need and want it so much? R' Chaim says how praiseworthy it is to cast aside your own needs & desires and daven only for Hashem, for HIS ratzon. I feel I am not capable of honestly doing that at this point in my life. Right now I am in great need and I don't feel I can overcome and cast this need aside and ask Hashem for the exact thing that I need, but yet for HIS sake. This is what Chana did. She wanted a child so much, yet she davened for Hasehm!

However, only when I was actually davening Shacharit on Sunday, did it become clear to me. That is exactly the point. The fact that I lack parnassa, puts me in a situation where I cannot daven properly, the correct way we learned in Blivavi. I wish to daven only for Hashem's sake, but since I am "nogea b'davar", I can't do that. Hopefully, one day, I will be zoche to be able, like R' Chaim says, to cast away my desires, and daven purely for Hashem's sake. But, now, today, I ask Hashem for parnassa so that this barrier will be removed and I would be able to get closer by davening properly. In other words, in my current situation, the lack of Parnassa is a real barrier for me in getting closer to Hasehm through proper davening. When Hashem removes this barrier by filling the need, I will be able to get closer to him through proper davening. I will be able to, B'ezras Hashem, daven for the whole of creation and daven for the right reason (because it's the Ratzon Hashem).

The Bilvavi piece on Tefilla

the Be'er Mayim Chayim piece on Tefilla

-Levi Grunhaus

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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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Restoring Hashem's Kingship Part II - Breslov Chassidus on Elul - Audio Shiur

I am happy to present Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky's shiur for this week on Breslov Chassidus for women. In this shiur, Part II in her Elul seies, the Rebbetzin gives over her second shiur on Likutei Moharan II:82, regarding restoring Hashem's Kingship.

CLICK HERE to listen!

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The Bilvavi Has Landed!

The Rav's full speaking schedule for this week is available HERE.

Picture of Rav Itamar Shwartz after davening Shacharis at Cong. Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, talking to Rav Moshe Weinberger, courtesy of Dov Perkal. Click here to get Dixie Yid in your e-mail Inbox or here to subscribe in Google Reader.

Tefillas "Shema Koleinu" and How We Can Listen To His Voice - Audio Shiur

Reb Yerachmiel has treated us to his fourth audio shiur on the topic of berchas "Shema Koleinu" in Shmoneh Esrei.

In this shiur Reb Yerachmiel steps back and advises that together with asking Hashem to listen to our voices, we must be sure that we are listening to Hashem's.
In addition to compliance with Torah and Mitzvos, Reb Yerachmiel discussed how in the month of Elul we can better listen to our own voices, better listen and connect to the "Niggun" of the Yomim Noraim, and better listen and react to the "Bas Kol" which beckons us all.

CLICK HERE to get the shiur by either left clicking to listen right away or right click and select "Save Target As" to download.

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Rav Itchie Mayer Morgenstern on Parshas Ki Savo - Text & Translation

A selection from Rav Itchie Mayer Morgenstern's Torah this week on Parshas Ki Savo:

“You Have Avouched Hashem This Day to be Your G-d”

"אֶת ה' הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹקִים וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו, וְלִשְׁמֹר חֻקָּיו וּמִצְו‍ֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְלִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ. וַה' הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר-לָךְ; וְלִשְׁמֹר כָּל-מִצְו‍ֹתָיו."—“You have avouched Hashem this day to be your G-d, and that you would walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and hearken to His voice. And Hashem has avouched you this day to be His own treasure, as He has promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments.”[1] In Likutei Moharan, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov explains this concept of “avouching” or separating and designating Hashem for our G-d and ourselves as His people in a very inspiring manner. [The word has the Hebrew root of אמר, whose main meaning is speech.]

When a person pours out his heart before Hashem, telling all of his pain to the Creator, and when he confesses and regrets his many sins, the Shechinah stands opposite him. She also speaks out her pain and comforts this person who pours out his heart, since every sin also blemishes the Shechinah. The Shechinah encourages him to seek out effective stratagems to rectify what he has blemished, and in this manner he is comforted.

But this seems difficult, since of what value can these words of comfort be to us if we cannot hear them? We can understand the answer through a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov on the verse we say immediately before the Amidah: "ה' שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח"—“Hashem, open my lips...”[2] The Baal Shem Tov explains that the moment one intones even these preliminary words of prayer, the Shechinah enclothes herself within him and speaks from his throat. This means that all prayer is really an influx of prophecy through which the Shechinah communicates. [This means that one who prays in a way that is heartfelt and truly directed to the Creator will find the encouragement to truly change his sins from within. Of course, as with every other spiritual level, this takes time and effort.]

[1] Devarim 26:17-18 [2] Tehillim 51:17

Click on the following links to get Reb Itchie Mayer Morgenstern's Torah on Parshas Ki Savo:

Toras Chochom on Parshas Ki Savo
Toras Chochom on Parshas Ki Savo in English

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The Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author Speaking Schedule For Next Week is Out!

Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim will be arriving in the U.S. next week for about one week. He will be speaking in Lakewood, Boro Park, Flatbush, Monsey, and Toronto. The following is the schedule of his public speaking engagements.

Lakewood:

• Sunday, September 6th - 2:45 PM - Ateres Yesheya, Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen's Shul - 908 E. County Line Road
• 6:40 PM: Rav Shmuel Luria's Kollel: 14 14th St (off Princeton Ave.)
• Shabbos, Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeleich (Sept. 11-12th) Lakewood Schedule:
• Friday afternoon Parsha Shiur - 2 PM, September 11th at Rav Strulowitz's Beis Medresh (Corner Madison Ave. & 8th Street)
• Shalosh Sheudos at Tiferes Shalom (Rav Berel Leifer's Shul: Corner Monmmouth Ave. & 4th Street)

For information on Slichos and other drashos in Lakewood, please call R' Avigdor Jerusalem at 732-363-2453

Monsey: Tuesday night, Sept. 8th 8:30 PM at Yeshivas Ohr Someach, 244 Route 306, Monsey - Call or e-mail R' Doniel Coren for private appointments before or after the drasha: 914-645-4199 or dcoren@aish.com
Flatbush: Wednesday night, Sept. 9th - 8:30 PM, at Bnei Binyamin Torah Center, 727 Ave. O (corner E. 8th)
Toronto:

• Sunday September 13th:
• CLICK HERE for the full schedule

Boro Park: 6:45 PM Drasha: Belzer Simcha Hall: 5015 15th Ave. (corner of 50th Street).

In addition to these public drashos, the Rav will be availible for an all day workshop on Labor (Avodah, v'havein) Day, September 7th in preperation for the new year 5770. Spots are still available for that. Please CLICK HERE for more information and registration.

The Rav will also be available for private appointments in Woodmere, NY on Labor Day night, this coming Monday, September 7th. For an appointment, or more information about the trip in general, please call Benyomin Wolf at 516-668-6397 or e-mail him here.

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Restoring Hashem's Kingship - Breslov Chassidus on Chodesh Elul - Audio Shiur

Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky's shiur of the week on Breslov Chassidus for women.

In this shiur, the Rebbetzin gives over her first shiur for Chodesh Elul on Likutei Moharan II:82, regarding restoring Hashem's Kingship.

CLICK HERE to listen!

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Guess Where Which Store I Went Shopping at on Sunday...

We got some things we needed at the "Silent Hippopotamus."

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