Captain Ziv Shilon

ביקרתי היום את קצין צה״ל סרן זיו שילון, שנפצע בשבוע שעבר ברצועת עזה. במהלך הביקור אמרתי לזיו: ''כל העם מחבק ומחזק אותך. אני אומר לך תודה בשם כל עם ישראל. אני מאוד מתרגש מהעוצמות שיש בך''.
במהלך הביקור הענקתי לזיו את הספר ׳מכתבי יוני' עם הקדשה אישית בה כתבתי: ''חייל ומפקד נערץ, על אומץ ליבך והקרבתך על שמירת המולדת עם ישראל כולו מצדיע לך''.

Today I visited IDF Captain Ziv Shilon, who was wounded last week on the Gaza Strip border, at Soroka Hospital. In the course of the visit I told Ziv: The entire people embraces and encourages you. I say thank you in the name of the entire Jewish people. I am very moved by your inner fortitude
In the course of the visit I presented Ziv with the book Yoni's Letters and wrote a personal dedication that said: "Venerated soldier and commander the entire Jewish people salutes you for your courage and sacrifice in protecting our homeland
Benjamin Netanyahu

our Jewish little place: parashah VaYera 2

our Jewish little place: parashah VaYera 2: He said, 'Sir, if you would, do not go on without stopping by me.  Let some water be brought, and wash your feet. Rest under the tree....

a little bit of music...

 

Shlomo Katz and Lazer Brody - The Joy of the New Year

A vote for happiness

Rabbi Shalom Arush teaches us that positive thoughts are all truth, while negative thoughts are all lies. Happiness is the greatest mitzvah, but sadness is the worst transgression, to be avoided at all costs.

VaYera

Don't look back!  By rav. Kook
The depravity of the inhabitants of Sodom was so monstrous that it was beyond all hope of reformation. G.d decreed that the city needed to be destroyed. Angels were sent to save Lot's family , not in their own merit, but for Avraham's sake. The rescuers warned Lot and his family not to watch as the city was leveled. Unfortunately, Lot's wife did look back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Why did Lot's wife need to pay such a heavy price for her curiosity? Why wasn't Lot's family allowed to observe the destruction?
The Misguided and the Incorrigible
Just as there are levels in righteousness, so too there are levels in wickedness. Some unscrupulous individuals are in fact good people who came under the influence of unprincipled friends and a milieu of crime and corruption. These misguided individuals are receptive to change. If they witness the just punishment of the wicked, their innate goodness is awakened, and they are encouraged to return to the proper path.
On the other hand, some people are so incorrigibly evil , psychopaths and hardened criminals, for example , that they cannot be helped. The only thing restraining their evil excesses is fear of punishment. This was the state of the residents of Sodom, who were perfectly comfortable with their evil ways.
When the incorrigibly wicked witness the downfall of evil, it has the reverse effect on them. It actually reduces the fear that holds their vices in check, since imagined punishment is more frightening than the real thing. When they observe havoc and devastation, they become less inhibited and pose an even greater menace to society.
Lot's Wife
Lot's family did not deserve to be saved. They lacked moral resolve, and were drawn to the malevolent and degenerate ways of their evil neighbors. Only fear of Divine retribution kept their immoral tendencies in check.

boker tov!

Yaffa Tevuah and Kever Rachel

Rachel imeinu yahrzeit

On the 11th of Cheshvan, our matriarch, Rachel, passed away and was buried on the way to Efrata, which is Bethlehem.

“So says the Lord: A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping- Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children for they are absent. So says the Lord: Refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is reward for your work, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for your future, says the Lord, and the children shall return to their own border.” (Jeremiah 31:14-16)

Shavua Tov!

If you feel blessed that if you feel that Hashem has bestowed you with extra tov you should feel obligated to pay back a little more by adding something to your avoda, be it an extra twenty minutes of learning, a little more kavana in davening, or perhaps resolving to put more effort into doing chesed.
(emunah Speak)

Shabbath Shalom

Your name will no longer be Avram, but Avraham." (Bereshit. 17:5)

The Midrash already stated that when Avram cited that he had seen that he would not father any children, G-d agreed with him and told him that he was correct, since as "Avram" he would not father children but as "Avraham" he would. The same would apply to "Sarai", as opposed to "Sarah". (Bereishit Rabba 44:10)

Ashod market!

Under daily rocket attacks

At least 80 rockets Targeted Israeli Civilians in the space of 12 hours on Oct. 24, 2012.

Incoming mortar fire at 09:30 Thursday

Following yesterday's terrorist violence and drama (more than eighty missiles, five people injured on the Israeli side, eight residences directly hit) there has been either a lull or a ceasefire, depending on how optimistic you are, in the fire-zone of southern Israel. But after lasting ten hours or so, it ended this morning.
At about 09:30 am, a mortar exploded in the Eshkol region. Times of Israel says there were no injuries to add to the ongoing total, and no significant property damage but there was certainly more terror in the lives of the people living in the 14 kibbutzim, 13 moshavim and three villages that make up Eshkol.
The location is unstated for security reasons, but this residence in
southern Israel was one of eight that took a direct rocket hit yesterday.
[Image Source:  AP Photo/ Tsafrir Abayov]

thisongoingwar

a little bit of music...

Naftali Kalfa ft Shlomo Katz - Zion

our Jewish little place: parashah Lech Lecha

our Jewish little place: parashah Lech Lecha:  we are precious stars  

Sefer Torah dedication to IDF army base

Zikim, Israel - Succot
Oct 2012

Lone tree brewery

Lone Tree Brewery

http://www.lonetreebrewery.com

Kosher mehadrin, pareve

Lech Lecha. The tougher test

By Rabbi David Charlop
The downward spiral of the beginning of world history changes course in this week's Parsha. The first twenty generations of mankind, dating from Adam, angered Hashem until Abraham came onto the scene. This spiritual giant, who is the founder and foundation of the Jewish people, plays a primary role in correcting the mistakes and shortcomings of all of the previous generations. His importance can be readily seen by the fact that the Torah summarizes the first two thousand years of history in only two Parshiot (weekly readings) while the following two Parshiot are dedicated solely to Abraham's achievements and greatness. However, as we learn about this towering figure, it is essential to keep in mind that his personal development and accomplishments were the products of years of work. It took ten major tests over the span of decades for his spiritual potential to be realized.
Let's delve into the wording and nature of these tests and try to uncover some fascinating and important insights. In the first of his tests, Abraham was commanded to leave his homeland. Hashem obligated him with the words "Lech Lecha" - literally "go for yourself". What is meant by this seemingly superfluous wording? Why isn't it sufficient simply to say "Lech"- "go".
The simple explanation of the obligation to "go for yourself" is that Abraham was commanded to disassociate himself from the constrictions and limits of his birthplace and place of upbringing. The challenge was formidable: to leave friends and family and to sojourn to a foreign, potentially hostile land.
Curiously, at the end of next week's Parsha, after years of growth and self-development, Abraham was charged with one final test. This final hurdle on the road to becoming the father of the Jewish people was known as the Akeida, the binding of Isaac. As is well known Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac. (We will try, with Hashem's help, to discuss this story next week.) What is relevant to our present discussion is that this final command was also introduced by the words "Lech Lecha". Why are both the first and final command phrased in this way?

Shavua Tov!

Shabbath Shalom

Noah walked with G-d" (Bereshit. 6:1)

The difference between the verses "Noah walked with G-d" (Gen. 6:1) and "G-d before Whom I [Abraham] walked" (Gen. 24:40) is as follows: Noah needed G-d to "hold his hand", so to speak, whereas Abraham was self-propelled and always took the initiative. Noah was afraid to mix with the corrupt society he lived in and isolated himself with only G-d as his companion because he was afraid of contemporary society's possible influence. Abraham was not only confident that he would not succumb to the corrupt society around him, but he tried to lead his fellow-men back to the path of monotheism and a life of good deeds. I have elaborated on this elsewhere. This is the plain meaning of those verses.

(Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz was born in Prague around the year 1565. He served as Rabbi of Cracow and other congregations before he was appointed as the Rabbi of the community of Frankfurt on Main in the year 1610. In 1916, Rabbi Horowitz moved to Prague where he became the Chief Rabbi of the city. He moved to Eretz Yisrael about 1621. He was rabbi in Jerusalem and in Tiberias, where he died in or about 1630. In addition to his magnus opus, Shenei Luchot HaBrit, he also compiled an edition of the prayer-book with a comprehensive commentary. Many of his innovations, including his formulation of the Kol Nidrei prayer, have become part and parcel of the Ashkenazi Siddur. )

friday in Yerushalayim...

a little bit of music...

KOL HA'OLAM KULO The whole World is a Narrow Bridge

Caught in the act!!!!

Everything the PLO says needs to be taken with a few grains of salt...especially, when this video was provided today by the Shomron Settlement Council of Palestinians and a Leftwing activist actively cutting down a Palestinian Olive Grove....

Parashah Noach

"I have placed My (rain)bow in the cloud…" [9:13] 
From the perspective of Kabbalah, the word keshti (my bow) is derived from kasha (hard, severe). It is a reference to the attribute of Justice, the "hard" attribute. G-d said that it should become the sign of the covenant, i.e., the sign of circumcision. The Torah very significantly did not say "the rainbow I have placed in the cloud," in other words "the well known rainbow." The reason G-d refers to "My rainbow," is to remind us that the cloud He speaks of is not one of the regular clouds that appear in the sky every day. He does not speak of the kind of cloud which discharges rain. G-d speaks of the ananeih hakovod (the clouds of glory) such as when we are told in Exodus 16:10 "and behold! The glory of G-d became manifest in the clouds" (the prelude to the Israelites receiving meat and bread from heaven at the hands of G-d.) The meaning of the words in our verse "and the bow could be seen in the clouds" is "the attribute of Justice will (then) become manifest in the cloud." Seeing that we have a verse in Ezekiel 1:28 "as the appearance of the bow which shall be on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brilliance all around. That was the appearance of the semblance of the glory of G-d" Our sages in Chagigah 16 interpreted these words as being a warning that anyone who looks deliberately at the rainbow will have diminished eyesight.
You should be enlightened by the following comment in Bereishit Rabbah 35:3 on the words "I have placed My (rain)bow in the cloud…" "The word keshti describes something that is an obstacle for Me." Is there then such a thing as an "obstacle"
for G-d? Is there anything that HE cannot overcome? We must therefore understand the word as derived from kash (straw) the pedicle of a fruit. Why did the Midrash repeat the same comment twice? Look at the conclusion of the passage! Here
G-d speaks to Noach alone (not to his children) when He says "this is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all of mankind." At this point G-d took Noach into His confidence and revealed a mystical aspect to him that He had not revealed to his children. This is the deeper meaning of the words, "this is the sign (visible symbol) of the covenant." [Gen.9:17]

Bachya - credits
Selected with permission from the seven-volume English edition of The Torah Commentary of Rebbeinu Bachya, as translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk. Rabbi Bachya ben Asher [1255-1340] of Saragosa, Spain, was the outstanding pupil of Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet (the "Rashba"), a main disciple of Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (the "Ramban"). Several books have been written about the Kabballah-based portions of R. Bachya's commentary.

Olive harvest a cover for incitement

Many Palestinian Authority Arabs in the Samaria and Binyamin regions are using the olive harvest as an excuse to provoke conflict and incite against Israel, says Saryah Demski, head of the Agricultural Committee for both regions.
“Like what happened just recently near Elon Moreh, when they tried to uproot trees in an attempt to accuse us of the uprooting,” he recalled. “Thank God, in that case we figured it out in time, but there are many attempts to provoke violence here, leftist provocateurs come and exploit the Arabs to try to start riots.”
The IDF has been alert and helpful, he noted. If violence breaks out, he said, “the army responds quickly and puts a stop to it.”
On Tuesday, Arabs in Samaria claimed that Jews from the town of Elon Moreh had uprooted their olive trees. However, a video released Tuesday evening shows that the trees were uprooted by the Arabs themselves.
The Samaria Residents Council and Samaria Regional Council have asked Israeli residents of the area to carry cameras with them so that they can film any similar incidents they witness during the olive harvest. 

a little bit of music...

מנעי קולך (מביטה בחלון) - אודי דוידי

11 Cheshvan 5770, Rachel Imeinu's yahrzeit.

11 Cheshvan - Rachel Imeinu Passes Away

On the eleventh of Cheshvan, while giving birth to her 2nd son, Binyamin, Rachel, the beloved wife of Ya'akov, died, and was buried on the road to Bethlehem.
The site of her burial in Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, known to us by tradition, is covered by a stone edifice.
For millennia, Jews have come to this site to pour forth their hearts in prayer, and to awaken her merit in any time of travail, for the community as well as for the individual.
Our mother Rachel was not buried in the tile cave of Machpelah in Hevron together with the other Matriarchs and Patriarchs of our people. Instead, she was buried on the road to Jerusalem, exactly where she died, while coming back to Jerusalem from the House of Lavan with Ya'akov.

Ashdod

Chodesh Tov!!!

The current Hebrew month, Cheshvan, is classically referred to as Marcheshvan, the prefix of which is the word mar. In Hebrew, this word means “bitter,” which our Sages connect to the fact that there are no special occasions that occur in this month. Even Av, the month when we mourn the destruction of the two Holy Temples, is not referred to as “bitter,” because the sad days of the year offer us an opportunity for introspection, to contemplate where we have gone wrong. Thus, both the festive days and the negative days can be used to connect to spirituality. A month that is bereft of any significant days, even sad days, is more bitter than anything, because there are no moments that arise to give us pause. 

It is significant to note that the original name of this month was not Marcheshvan. This Babylonian name was adopted when the Jews went through the 70-year exile between the first and second temples. The original Hebrew name for the month was Bul, which denotes the idea of “drying up,” as the leaves begin to decay with the approach of Autumn. 

Clearly, the month of Marcheshvan, or Bul, as its name suggests, is a month of darkness and decay. Indeed, the biblical Book of Kings cites Bul as the month when King Solomon completed the construction of the first Temple – though the dedication did not take place until a year later, in the Hebrew month of Tishrei. What is the deeper significance of this, and what can we learn from it? 

our Jewish little place: parashah Noach

our Jewish little place: parashah Noach: Colour clay doves for parashah Noach yonah

our Jewish little place: parashah Noach - Rainbow covenant

our Jewish little place: parashah Noach - Rainbow covenant: In the twenty-seventh day of the second month of the following year God told Noah "Come out of the ark with your family...

our Jewish little place: rosh chodesh Cheshvan - Mar Cheshvan

our Jewish little place: rosh chodesh Cheshvan - Mar Cheshvan:   children reproduction of Rachel Imeinu burial site 

Shavua Tov!

Shabbath Shalom

In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth (Bereshit 1:1)

 

The Torah says: "I was the tool of G-d's artistry." An architect who builds a palace does not do so on his own; he has scrolls and notebooks which he consults regarding how to place the rooms, where to set the doors. So it was with G-d: He looked into the Torah and created the world.

(Midrash Rabbah)

A Glimpse of Real Joy

Kinneret!!

Galilee

Defending Israel

a little bit of music...

 

Yonatan & Aharon Razel at Zedekiah's Cave presented by Ateret Cohanim, 2012

Wake the Dawn

The Story of Jerusalem's Holy Temple

have a joyfull and good autumn

The High Holidays have come to a close. Would like to wish everyone a healthy and joyous autumn and winter.

Bereshit

"..and fruit trees producing fruit according to its kind in which its seed is found.." (1:11)

The original purpose of man's creation was to have the body as perfect as the soul, the body being the "Sanctuary", and the soul the "the inner Sanctuary". Both body and soul would have enjoyed a life of intelligence. All other creatures on earth would have dwelled in a "higher" existence; there would not have been any trees that failed to produce edible fruit, for instance. When you look closely at the instruction issued by G-d to the Earth on the third day, you will find that the trees were meant to be edible themselves, i.e. the trunk, not just the fruit. (Gen. 1:11) Earth did not comply with G-d's command completely, since it was aware that G-d would have to hide the Original Light due to the eventual emergence of wicked people. This prompted Earth to withhold some of its goodness also.

(Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz was born in Prague around the year 1565. He served as Rabbi of Cracow and other congregations before he was appointed as the Rabbi of the community of Frankfurt on Main in the year 1610. In 1916, Rabbi Horowitz moved to Prague where he became the Chief Rabbi of the city. He moved to Eretz Yisrael about 1621. He was rabbi in Jerusalem and in Tiberias, where he died in or about 1630. In addition to his magnus opus, Shenei Luchot HaBrit, he also compiled an edition of the prayer-book with a comprehensive commentary. Many of his innovations, including his formulation of the Kol Nidrei prayer, have become part and parcel of the Ashkenazi Siddur. )

source

our Jewish little place: Bereshit

our Jewish little place: Bereshit: To be read on Shabbat Bereishit Shabbat Mevorchim 

our Jewish little place: Shemini Atzeret Tefillah Geshem

our Jewish little place: Shemini Atzeret Tefillah Geshem: As we have passed through all of the holidays and advance towards the winter we have begun to recite Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hageshem 

Simcha Torah

CHAG SAMEACH!!

our Jewish little place: Simcha Torah

our Jewish little place: Simcha Torah: Simchat Torah is a celebratory Jewish holiday that marks the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. Simchat Torah literally means ...

 

praying for rain - tefillah Geshem

Shemini Atzeret, meaning "the eighth day of assembly," is a Biblical Jewish holiday that follows the Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is written: "On the eighth day you should hold a solemn gathering; you shall not work at your occupation".
Shemini Atzeret marks the beginning of the rainy season following the harvest in Israel.
The prayer for rain, Tefilat Geshem, is the only ritual that is unique to Shemini Atzeret. In ancient times, an offering was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem on Shemini Atzeret. But once the Temple was destroyed, the only Shemini Atzeret ritual that remained was the liturgy requesting rain for a plentiful year.
After the prayer for rain is recited on Shemini Atzeret, the phrase Masheev HaRuach U-Moreed HaGeshem (He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall) is inserted into the Amidah prayer until Passover.
Ashkenazi Jews recite the Memorial Prayer, Yizkor, on Shemini Atzeret.

Even though Shemini Atzeret immediately follows the festival of Sukkot, it is a totally separate holiday. A new Shehechiyanu blessing is recited. And if one sits in the Sukkah on Shemini Atzeret, the prayer recited for sitting in the Sukkah is not recited.

lulav and etrog

bearing the lulav stamp

Shabbath Shalom

Each week of the year, another of the Torah’s fifty-four parshiot is studied, publicly read in the synagogue, and its lessons applied to daily living. Thus the Jew lives with the Torah: the Five Books of Moshè are his calendar, their chapters and verses marking, defining, molding and inspiring the weeks and days of his year.

Simchat Torah is the day on which we conclude the annual Torah-reading cycle. On this day, we read the Torah section of Vezot Haberachah (Devarim 33–34), and immediately begin a new Torah-reading cycle with the reading of the first chapter of Bereshit.

Simchat Torah means “the rejoicing of the Torah,” for the Torah rejoices on this day. The Torah is the stuff of the Jew’s life: his link to his Creator, his national mandate, the very purpose of his existence. But the Jew is no less crucial to the Torah than the Torah is to the Jew: it is he and she who devote their life to its study, teaching and practice; he and she who carry its wisdom and ethos to all peoples of the earth; he and she who translate its precepts and ideals into concrete reality.

source

A crown of slippers

From the writings of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch

One Simchat Torah, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem told his disciples: 
On Simchat Torah everyone sleeps in a little, because of the hakafot and the festivities of the previous evening. The heavenly angels, however, don't say lchaim on Simchat Torah, and they arose for the morning prayers at the usual time. But the angels found themselves with nothing to do: as the Talmud tells us, the angels cannot sing G-d's praises in the heavens until Israel sings G-d's praises on earth. So they decided to do some cleaning up in heaven in the meantime.  
They found heaven littered with strange objects: torn slippers and broken heels. The angels are accustomed to finding tzitzit, tefillin, and similar things up there, but they had never come across the likes of these. They decided to ask the angel Michoel, the supernal advocate of the Jewish people, if he knew what this was all about.  
"Yes," admitted Michoel, "this is my merchandise. These are the remains of last night's hakafot, at which Jews danced with the Torah. Michoel proceeded to sort the tattered shoes by community: these are from Kaminkeh, these are from Mezeritch, etc.
"The archangel Metat," boasted Michoel, referring to the most prestigious angel in the heavenly court, "ties crowns for G-d out of Israel's prayers. Today, I shall fashion an even more glorious crown for the Almighty out of these torn shoes."
source

The father of lone soldiers

Lt. Col. (res.) Tzvika Levy takes care of thousands of lone soldiers, doing whatever he can to alleviate the loneliness of serving in the military without one’s family

Author: Matan Galin

During Sukkot, thousands of lone soldiers- those serving without any immediate family in the country- make trips to their adoptive families in kibbutzim across the country. Lt. Col. (res.) Zvika Levi, the “father of lone soldiers,” is responsible for coordinating and mediating between these soldiers and their adoptive families.

At the height of preparations for the holiday, Tzvika Levi decided to start his day with a visit to the northern base of Mikve Alon, where new immigrants begin their army service. Tzvika sees a mission in these visits. For him, the greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that every single soldier will have a sukkah in which they can have a holiday meal. Tzvika himself celebrated the holiday in his own sukkah hosting five lone soldiers, just a few of the many that his family has embraced over the years.

Tzvika, who served in the paratroopers, is no longer in active service. However, to this day he continues to have daily contact with soldiers. Every new immigrant in Mikve Alon knows his name, and almost all will remain in contact with him throughout their service. During each new round of enlistment, Tzvika makes sure to visit the soldiers in order to answer their questions and allay their fears. His phone never stops ringing, whether it is concerned parents in Australia who have yet to hear from their son, or the soldiers themselves seeking help adjusting.

Holiday hospitalit​y in Beit Shemesh

Ambassador Shapiro had the pleasure of being hosted by local officials, female entrepreneurs and American residents in the rapidly growing town of Beit Shemesh. The first stop was the Mayor Abutbul's sukka and the nearby synagogue. In recent years, Beit Shemesh has become increasingly religious and the Ambassador had the opportunity to hear how different sectors are living together. Later he toured Mahuta, a women's health center, and learned about innovative business projects of about a half-dozen women. In the afternoon, he stopped by the home of David and Ziva Shapiro and talked with a group of Americans living in Beit Shemesh. To top off the day, the Ambassador brought Embassy staff to the local Schapiro brewery to sample several popular beers. Many thanks to the gracious hosts of Beit Shemesh for their hospitality

G-d Said, "Be Happy"

Try and do every mitzvah with simcha. 
Thank you rabbi Gutman!

Strengthen yourself over and over again

One begins to sense G-d's direct supervision over every detail. Anything that seemed unjust or unfair is now understood as being orchestrated in a wondrous way for the good. Only by passing through darkness and obstacles can we draw closer to G-d, which is a fulfilment of the Divine will.
Sometimes during difficult times we say ''Oy! This is too much! I've had enough obstacles and darkness! I'm finished!'' 
This way of thinking is erroneous, since we were not created to remain on a single level. 
On the contrary, we were created to continually ascend from level to level.  Difficult situations are necessary in order to progress and come closer to G-d.  The message of Rebbe Nachman is that it shouldn't even occur to a person to despair and think ''I can't go on''.  Strengthen yourself over and over again, and eventually you will make it through.
There is always a limit to difficulties because G-d doesn't leave us in difficult straits forever. 
The only purpose of obstacles is to create a vessel to receive light.
Material obstacles and the vessels they can create have measure and definition. However, G-d's light is unlimited.  We need only to strengthen ourselves and not give up. Sometimes one becomes so weak in the last moment and loses everything. This is a shame, since at that very moment a vessel is being completed to receive a higher light. At the end, the darkness can become so overwhelming that we think we are lost and give up completely, G-d forbid.
Constantly strengthening oneself is the secret to our existence. 
There is no book in the world that can tell the entire awesome story of what the Jewish people have undergone since inception. Yet, despite everything, we continue to exist.
This is only because of our patience, trust and will to strengthen ourselves anew each time, despite constant suffering.  We will continue to develop, and with the help of G-d, we will exist until the end, when the purpose for which we were created will be fulfilled. To know the unlimited light of the Infinite One.
Vessels to receive light are formed through obstacles. By overcoming the obstacles, the obstacles themselves are transformed into vessels of pleasantness.  Rebbe Nachman calls this pleasantness ''supernal delight'' which can now flow into completed vessels.  The delight that the upper intellect can experience is more pleasant than anything in this world. This is the meaning of ''May the Compassionate One raise for us the Fallen Sukkah of David.''
There is no such thing as despair! There is no situation beyond hope! The Jewish people have always found themselves in difficult situations, and today is no different. Instead of losing hope, we must strengthen ourselves with perfected faith, especially during the days of Sukkot, when we bring our entire physical being into the sukkah.  We will then be worthy of being illuminated with a new light, which will reestablish the ''Fallen Sukkah of David forever''.  Amen.

Translated and adapted from a shiur given in Tsfat.

a little bit of music...

Chilik Frank - Breslev version of "Dror Yikra

Birkat Kohanim

Chag Sameach