Shabbath Shalom

There are two types of "sparks" which a person redeems in the course of his life. The first are those which he consciously pursues, having recognized the potential for holiness and goodness in an object or event in his life. The second are opportunities whose potentials are so lofty that they cannot be identified by his humanly finite perception. His redemption of these "sparks" can only come about unwittingly, when his involvement with them is imposed upon him by circumstances beyond his control. 
The Lubavitcher Rebbe

Shabbath Shalom

 

Baal Shem Tov:Hear Israel, G-d Who transcends the rules of nature, is our true life-force & strength. We are far more power than we realize! 

Shabbath Shalom

From the time that G-d said to our father Abraham "Go from your land..." and "Abraham went on, journeying southward", began the process of birurim -- of extracting the sparks of holiness that are scattered throughout creation, buried within the material existence.
By the decree of Divine providence, a person wanders about in his travels, as the Cause of All Causes brings about the many circumstances and pretexts that bring a person to those places where the sparks that belong to his or her soul await their redemption.
(Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch)

Shabbath Shalom

For mankind to exist in harmony, we must listen to the voice that Noah heard after the flood.
We must accept that there is a set of absolute values set by the Creator of the world, values that we cannot play with to suit our convenience.
Values from beyond the subjective minds of men.
From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. 

Shababth Shalom

Few professions are as cruel and inhumane as the fattening of calves for slaughter. So when Pinchas slew Zimri, many said: "Look at this holy zealot! He acts as if motivated by the desire to avenge the honor of G-d and save the people, but, in truth, he has merely found a holy outlet for his cruel and violent nature. After all, it's in his blood--just look at his maternal grandfather..." So G-d described him as "Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron" in order to attest that in character and temperament he actually took after his paternal grandfather--the compassionate and peace-loving Aaron.

The true greatness of Pinchas lay in that he acted in complete opposition to his nature, transcending his inborn instincts to bring peace between G-d and Israel.

(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

Shabbath Shalom!

We came to the land where you did send us, and indeed it flows with milk and honey... (13:26)

Such is the way of defamers: they start off by saying something good, and conclude by saying evil.

Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Meir: Any piece of slander which has not some truth in the beginning, will not endure in the end.

(Midrash Rabbah; Talmud)

Shabbath Shalom

"Your main weapon is prayer. You may have to fight many battles, both with the Evil Urge and with many things that prevent you from serving G-d. With prayer you conquer them all"

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

Shabbath Shalom

This battle between body and soul is constant. There is hardly a situation in life in which the two do not have diametrically different preferences. We are faced with constant turmoil. It is peace from this turmoil to which the Priestly blessing refers.

Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt

Shabbath Shalom

G-d created man and his spiritual light shone from the highest to the lowest worlds. But Adam sinned and his two sons, as well. Abraham connected the world to the sefira of chesed on the Right. Isaac connected the world with the sefira of gevura and Jacob connected the world to the center.

When Jacob's descendants received the Torah at Mount Sinai and erected the Tabernacle, the world was finally established, and all the worlds, physical and spiritual, were completed and in harmony again.

From the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; translation and commentary by Shmuel-Simcha Treister, based on Metok MiDevash

Shabbath Shalom

A common misconception is that teshuvah is simply an antidote to sin, and thus applies only to sinners and lowly people. In truth, teshuvah is the soul's return to and restoration of its original purity, and applies to every soul that has descended into the human state.

– Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi

Shabbath Shalom

These are the appointed times of G-d, callings of holiness, which you shall call in their appointed time (23:2)

The festivals are "callings of holiness" (mikra'ei kodesh), in the sense that each is a landmark in time at which we are empowered to call forth the particular holiness or spiritual quality imbedded within it.

Shabbath Shalom

You shall be holy (19:2)

Sanctify yourself also regarding that which is permissible to you.

(Talmud, Yevamot 20a)

The meaning of this is that since the Torah has warned against forbidden sexual relations and forbidden foods, while permitting relations with one's wife and eating meat and wine, the lustful person can find a place to wallow in fornication with his wife or wives and be of "the guzzlers of wine and the gluttons of meat", and converse at will of all licentious things (since no prohibition against this is specified in the Torah). He can be a hedonist with the Torah's permission. Therefore, after enumerating the things which it forbids entirely, the Torah says: "Be holy." Constrain yourself also in that which is permitted.

(Nachmanides)

Shabbath Shalom

Everything is by Divine Providence. If a leaf is turned over by a breeze, it is only because this has been specifically ordained by G-d to serve a particular function within the purpose of creation.

Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov

Shabbath shalom

Any Jew alive on the face of this planet today is a walking miracle. Our mere existence today is wondrous, plucked from the fire at the last moment again and again, with no natural explanation that will suffice.
Each of us alive today is a child of martyrs and miracles.

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman.

Shabbath Shalom

Shabbat of Love

Song of Songs This Shabbat is Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach, the interim Sabbath of Passover

Shabbath Shalom

On Shabbat eve, G-d imparts an additional soul to the person, and at Shabbat's end, He takes it away

 Talmud, Beitza 16a

Shabbath Shalom

Moshè could not understand: How could a mere coin serve a person as "a ransom for his soul to G-d"? G-d answered him by showing him a "coin of fire." G-d was saying: When a person performs even a modest act of charity with the fire of passion and enthusiasm, he is indeed giving a piece of his soul.

(The Rebbe of Kotzk)

Shabbath Shalom

"Zachor Et Asher Asa Lecha Amalek BaDerech Betzetchem MiMitzrayim"

"Remember what Amalek did to you on your way out of Egypt! (Dvarim 25)"

On the Shabbat that precedes Purim, two Torah scrolls are taken from the ark; one for the regular parsha and one for the Maftir - 'Remember what Amalek did to you' (Dvarim 25). Because of this reading, it is called, Shabbat Zachor (Remember). The Haftorah also deals with Amalek.
There is a mitzvah in the Torah to remember Amalek and his descendants and to orally recall their iniquity. We are to tell our children in each generation what the people of Amalek did to us during our departure from Egypt. This mitzvah will be fulfilled completely only when we shall have caused Amalek's memory to perish, and their name to be erased from the world, together with the slightest remnant of anything that bears their name. As the Torah says: 'Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, upon your departure from Egypt'... 'You shall erase the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens, you shall not forget.' Upon which the Sages have expounded: 'Remember,' orally - 'You shall not forget,' in your heart.

Shabbath Shalom

בִּלבָבִי מִשְׁכַּן אֶבְנֶה לְהַדַר כְּבוֹדוֹ, וּבְמִשׁכַּן מִזְבֵּחַ אָשִׂים לְקַרְנֵי הוֹדוֹ, וּלְנֵר תָּמִיד אֶקַח לִי אֶת אֵשׁ הָעַקֵדָה, וּלְקָרְבַּן אַקְרִיב לוֹ אֶת נַפְשִׁי הַיְחִידָה

Bilvavi mishkan evneh lahadar k'vodo, Uv'mishkan mizbei'ach asim l'karnei hodo. Ul'ner tamid ekach li ess aish ha'akeidah, Ul'korban akriv lo ess nafshi, Ess nafshi hayechidah.
In my heart a sanctuary I shall build, to the splendor of His honor, and in the sanctuary an altar I shall place, to the rays of His glory. And for an Eternal Flame I shall take me The fire of the Akei'dah [Yitzchak's would-be sacrifice]; And for a sacrifice I shall offer Him my soul, My one and only soul. (A piyut from "Sefer Chareidim" by R' Elazar Az'kari- author of Yedid Nefesh)
source

Shabbath Shalom!

עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן "An eye for an eye" [Mishpatim 21:24]
The term "eye for an eye" explain Chazal [Bava Kamma 84a] is not meant to be taken literally - one who causes another the loss of an eye is not punished by having to lose his own eye. Rather, it means that the responsible party must pay the monetary value of an eye.
Chazal's interpretation of this halachah, said the Vilna Gaon, is alluded to in the words of the verse. Why does the verse state "Ayin tachas ayin" - which literally means "an eye beneath an eye" - and not "Ayin be'ad ayin" - which means "eye for an eye"?
The Torah, explained the Gaon, is hinting to us that in order to discover the true meaning of the verse, we must look at what is "beneath" the ayin, that is the letters that follow the word "ayin" עין:
The letter ayin ע is followed by the letter pei פ
The letter yud י is followed by the letter kaf כּ
The letter nun is ן followed by the letter samech ס
These letters form the word keseph - כּסף - money !
Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein