Bamidbar - In the Desert.....

"Vayidaber Hashem el Moshe Bamidbar Sinai...../And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai desert...(Bamidbar 1:1).

Its the 40th day of the Omer, just a bit over a week away from Shavuos, Kabalas Ha'Torah, when we as the Jewish people received the Torah from Hashem. At this point in our lives we have matured enough to know that the Torah is the central point in our lives, our instruction book, our history book, the book of our future, and everything else in between.

We read the parasha of Bamidbar every year before Shavuos and the reason can be given when we understand why the Torah had to be given in the desert. We know that there are no coincidences, and no happenstances. If the Torah was given in the desert, then there must be a lesson for us to learn. Reb Nosson teaches us in the name of Reb Nachman z"ya, that this comes to teach us that both on a national and on a personal level, if we dont accept the Torah upon ourselves then we become "hefker/owner less". Owner less at first sounds appealing, we could do what we want, when we want, how we want, with who we want, etc... In short ,the good life. But many of us can hopefully contest that, and say that hefker/ owner less really isn't that great. No point, no purpose, no real goals, no fulfilment. In short, not such a great life. What's more hefker/ owner less than the desert.
One of Reb Nachman's greatest teachings is "Ayeh?/ Where is the place of Hashems honor?" We find Hashem in the place when we feel the most lost, the most hefker. The desert again. Ok, so what do we do? Do we give up all of our worldly posessions and take a 40 year trek in the desert? Accept the Torah again? That would be nice, but thats not the lesson. We were put into this world to live, with everything that we have. To raise the sparks! The lesson is to make ourselves like a desert, hefker / owner less to all and everything but Hashem. The we can really accept the Torah on ourselves and really start living "the good life"!!!

Have a great Shabbos!!! And remember "There is no despair in this world at all!!!!!"

Lag BaOmer - The day we've all been waiting for

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai alone was given permission to reveal the great mysteries contained in the Hidden Teachings. (Zohar III:124b)

Prior to Rabbi Akiva's passing, this great teacher of the Jewsih people summoned his two beloved disciples, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Meir. They asked Rabbi Akiva which of them would be replacing him. Rabbi Akiva said "Rabbi Meir shall take over the position as head of the Yeshiva." Then, turning to Rabbi Shimon he said, "It is sufficient that your Creator and I knopw the level of your greatness" (Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 2).

Rabbi Shimon said, "I have the power to correct the entire world; I can exempt the whole world from judgment" (Sukkah 45b).

Rabbi Shimon was leaving the cave where he and his son Rabbi Elazar had been hiding from the Romans for thirteen years. They were talking about the righteousness which exists in the world when Rabbi Shimon said, "It is enough that you and I are in the world." Another time he said, "I myself have sufficient merit for the entire world" (Shabbos 33b, Sukkah 45b).

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was the Foundation of the world, the True Tzaddik.

These teachings reveal only a small degree of Rabbi Shimon's greatness and give only a partial glimpse of the true benefit that he brought to the world. This being the case, Reb Nosson asks the following question: On the 33rd day of the Omer Counting we celebrate the passing of the True Tzaddik, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. This in itself is a great wonder, and obvious contradiction. How can we celebrate and enjoy Lag BaOmer, when it recalls the day when such great good and benefit was taken from the world? What kind of celebration is this? On the contrary, we should rend our garments, as for the destruction of the Beis Ha'Mikdash; as our sages taught, "The passing of a Tzadik is more severe than the Beis Ha'Mikdash's destruction!
To answer this, Reb Nosson quotes the passuk, "The Tzaddik is lost; yet nobody bothers to note what has happened. People of kindness are taken away; yet no one understands. It is because of the evil that approaches, that the Tzaddik is lost" (Isaiah 57:1). Our sages teach that the very great Tzaddikim pass away prior to the onset of terrible evil in the world. For them, this is a blessing; so that they should not have to witness the great suffering which Heaven has decreed, so that their eyes should not have to see all the multitude of troubles that is about to befall the Jewish people (Sanhedrin 113b).
Reb Nosson then goes on to explain that the powers of the "Tzaddikim are greater after their passsing then when they were alive" (Brachos 18a). If we examine the Tzaddik's main purpose in life, we see that all of his efforts are devoted to rectifying the Jews and bringing about goodness, both physical and spiritual. Through the Tzaddik comes an abundance of wealth and livelihood, an abundance of Torah and repentance. However, as long as the Tzaddik's sould is housed in a body, he is restricted. This is because the body, by defenition, is a physical limitation. The Tzaddik is therefore prevented from rising to the greatest heights, and even the abundance which he does bring is governed by thsi restriction. His influence can only go so far, until such a time that his soul is divested of its bodily enclosure.
This why there is cause for celebration on Lag Ba'Omer. True, it is the day that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai passed away from this world. But, Rabbi Shimon is in heaven; Rabbi Shimon is spiritual. if during his lifetime he had sufficient merit to keep the world in existence, how much more so now that he is no longer restricted by the physical! His powers can now reach such incomprehensible heights and levels that the abundance and benefit he can now bring to the world far surpass whatever had been possible while he was alive.
This is the explanation of the passuk, "The Tzaddik is lost...because of the evil that approaches..." The Tzaddik's entire being is devoted to combating and destroying evil. However, his ability to do so is limited by his physical body. Therefore, Hashem removes this Tzaddik from the world prior to the evils coming. thsi is so that the Tzaddik's body will no longer restrict his efforts to help the Jews. In heaven he is free to mitigate the harsh decree. And this is the true reason for celebration on Lag Ba'Omer. On the 33rd day of the Omer, many many years ago, Rabbis Shimon bar Yochai's powers to bring help and salvation to all of Israel increased manifold (Likutey Halachos, Hechsher Keilim 4).

The gretaness of Lag Ba'Omer is that it represents the conclusion of the period of mourning for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva. Through the spiritual strength and power of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and through the unity and peace between all Jews, it is possible to rectify even the greatest losses and tragedies that befall the Jewish people (Likutey Halachos, Rosh Chodesh 6).

That's all for now. If I don't get back here before Shabbos , that have a great one . Till next time.....

16th of Iyar-Ma,Man,Manna....

The 16th of Iyar (today) was the day on which the Jews began to receive the miraculous Manna from the heavens. We will leave the in depth study for another time, I just wanted to point out the date and a few quick points.

(Taken from the book Let My Nation Serve Me by Yosef Deutsch)
The manna did far more than sustain the Jewish people physically in the desert. It also had a profound impact on their spiritual condition. It provided food for their bodies so that they would not die of starvation, but it also provided food for their souls, so that they would grow in stature and come closer to Hashem.

The manna established the singular relationship between Hashem and His chosen people. Ordinarily, one would expect the servant to procure food and prepare it for his master. Yet Hashem said, "I took the Jewish people out of Egypt so that they should serve Me. Nevertheless, even though I am the Master and they are the servants, I will tend to them. I will prepare the food and serve it to them.


Hashem also showed His love for the Jewish people by reversing for them the manner in which food is produced. Ordinarily, food grows from the ground, and the dew that falls from the sky covers it. With the manna, Hashem brought forth food from the sky and placed dew on the ground underneath it.

The manna also provided the first opportunity for the first blessing related to food, the Bircas HaMazon, the Grace after Meals.

The many phenomena of the manna were also a metaphor for life itself. Regardless of how much a person gathered, be it a lot or a little, in the end everyone was left with the same amount, an omer measure per person; no matter if he was rich or poor; he was left with the same omer measure. In life as well, people may exert huge efforts to accumulate much wealth, but in the end, all die and leave the world with the same amount. Only the accumulation of spiritual wealth is lasting.

The Many Miracles of the Manna:
The very fact that the manna fell.
The manna fell from the sky even though food is normally derived from the ground.
The manna's two major tastes of oil and honey depended on the individual.
Manna left from one day to the next rotted and filled with worms.
The manna had numerous interchangeable tastes.
The manna was completely absorbed into a persons body, producing no waste products.
The spiritual essence of the manna prepared the Jewish people to receive the Torah.
The spiritual nature of the manna shielded the Jewish people from evil thoughts.
A vast amount of manna fell every day.
The manna only fell near the Jewish encampment.
The manna accompanied the Jewish encampment on all its travels.
After the morning gathering, the remaining manna melted into a stream of liquid from the heat of the sun.
The manna never spoiled before it liquefied.
Regardless of how much or how little one gathered, the final amount was always one omer measure per person.
A double portion fell on Friday, one for that day, the other for Shabbos; it was as though the manna itself kept Shabbos.
Unlike the rest of the week, no manna fell on Shabbos.
Manna left over from Friday to Shabbos did not rot.
The manna of Shabbos had a distinct taste.
The manna was able to adjudicate disputes.
For 900 years, the manna remained fresh in the Ark.

Pesach Sheini!!! Theres always a second chance!

Hashem told the the Jews to prepare for the Pesach Festival. There were Jews who were tamei (impure) and were not ready in time. They came to Moshe and asked, 'How can we still partake of Pesach, when it was too late for us to purify ourselves?' Moshe asked Hashem and He replied, 'They can have a second chance. Let them celebrate the holiday of Pesach Shaynei, one month later, on the fourteenth day of the second month the month of Iyar'(Bamidbar 9)."How great these impure people must have been! they were able to initiate the revelation of a new law of Torah" (Rashi).

Reb Noson explains that this came about specifically because of their great desire to partake of the Mitzvah. These people were impure. It was their own negligence that brought them to be distanced from the rest of the Jews on Pesach and thus not being able to participate in the Paschal lamb. Still, they never gave up hope. They came Before the Tzaddik, Moshe, pleading, "We are impure, we know we are impure, but we do not want to fail to be included in the sacrifice to Hashem."Similarly, continues Reb Noson, every Jew should come to the Tzaddik and say, "I'm impure. I know I'm impure. Still why should I be held back? Why should i not come close to Hashem, to learn Torah, to pray, to do t'suvah? Is it because I am to distant that there is Hashem forbid no hope for me whatsoever? Hashem can always help, even those who are very distant from Him." A person must know that if he always turns to Hashem and constantly searches for the true Tzaddik who can show him the right path, he will definitely come true repentance (Likutey Halakhot, Birkhat HaPeirot 5:15, G'viat Chov M'Yetomim 3).