Parashas Ki Savo - Rejoice with all the good the Almighty has given you.

"V'samachta bkol hatov asher natan lecha Hashem Elokecha/And you shall rejoice with all the good that the Almighty has given you" (Devarim 26:11)

This is a mitzvah. We are obligated to feel joy with what we were given by Hashem the Almighty. Why do we need a directive to rejoice since we should automatically be happy when we have good things? Man's nature is to constantly want more than he presently has. "He who has one hundred wants two hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34) Our moments of joy are always mixed with a certain amount of sadness over what we lack. The Torah, therefore, commands us to rejoice with what we have. We should always strive to feel a joy that is complete. Lack of joy with what we have is destructive both physically and spiritually. (Rabbi Mordechai Gifter; Pirkei Torah)

It's like Rebbe Nachman always said"Mitzvah Gedolah Lehios B'simcha tamid/It is a great mitzvah to always be happy!!!!!"

Have a wonderful Shabbos and please join me in welcoming The Family Jewels back to the blogging world!!!!
Etan

Dvar Torah for Parshat Tzav

Taken from The Breslov Research Institute

Based on Chayey Moharan/Tzaddik #172 (46)

...the Altar’s fire shall be ignited with [the offerings’ remains]...he shall remove the ashes of the burnt offerings consumed by the fire...he shall take [them] to a ritually pure place outside the camp. The fire of the Altar shall be ignited...Each morning the kohen will kindle...In this way, there will be a constant fire burning on the Altar; it will not be extinguished (Leviticus 6:2–6).

We all have a very human problem: the initial enthusiasm runs out. This is not a bad thing when it comes to a poker game, but for a Jew serious about his Jewishness, it is an occupational hazard. Even we, as holy as we are, can’t capture lightning in a bottle. But there are solutions.

Most of forget that we serve as kohanim (priests) in God’s Temple. True the Temple, the Beit HaMikdash, is in ruins, and maybe you’re not descended from a kohen who served there (or are otherwise ineligible), but nonetheless, a kohen you are (see Exodus 19:6)in the temple that is the world (Zohar, passim). Part of a kohen’s job is keeping the fire on the Altar burning at all times. That entails removing the ashes and lighting it anew every morning or, in our situation, as often as necessary.

Where does the fiery heat, the inspiration, come from? Motion generates heat; thought generates motion. Holy thought generates holy motion (Likutey Moharan I, Lesson #156). To keep the fire burning in our heart, we have to keep our minds regularly engaged in Torah study.

There is no expiration date on the information, faith, holiness or anything we’ve gained from our Torah study. So even after its inspiration has burned out and turned into “ash,” we use the embers to kindle a new round of inspired, inspiring Torah study. After that, the pile of ashes that has grown on the Altar is treated with great respect. Instead of dumping it unceremoniously, we make sure to take it to a “ritually pure place.” That’s the simple meaning.

The Hebrew word for ashes, deshen, also means richness, fatty (Metzudot on Psalms 23:6 and Proverbs 15:30)and elevated (Likutey Moharan II, Lesson #80). On a deeper level, the “ashes” are so rich with holiness we have to elevate them to a higher level, “outside the camp” and realm of ordinary life, to a dimension that is completely pure, untainted by the vagaries of the physical.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that it’s not good to be old, that at no point can we let the fire go out (Rebbe Nachman’s Wisdom #51). We need to perpetuate our initial enthusiasm, a la the Rebbe Reb Zusha, so that it infuses our entire Jewishness (Tzaddik #518). Our Torah study is necessary, a solution that will definitely help.

And so will this second solution: plugging into Rebbe Nachman’s teachings and path. As the Rebbe said (Tzaddik #172), “My fire will burn forever. It will never be extinguished. It will burn until Mashiach comes”—may it be swiftly and soon, in our lifetime. Amen.

Pesach is here! Lets start with some Reb Nosson!!!

My beloved son,
On erev Shabbos I sent you a lengthy letter I'm certain you enjoyed it. And thanks to Hashem the letter I wrote you has helped me as well, with the help of Hashem. Pay heed to those things, and you will pleasure forever.
For now there is nothing new to bring up.The joy of the chag that is upon us for good should be pleasant for you. And you should merit to be constantly renewed from now on and forever, to escape from slavery to true freedom forever, from chametz to matazah and you should not let your mind turn sour, anymore G-d forbid, with any foreign thoughts, or even worse any forbidden desires chas v'shalom. And you should fulfill: "Rebuke ChayaT (the beast) of the reed" as explained in Siman 5, look there {But the most important thing is that a person safegaurd his mind from being chametz. This is (Tehilim 68:31) "Rebuke ChayaT (the beast) of the reed" As the Zohar (3, 252a) states; Break the reed of the CheT and make it a heh, thus transforming the letters Chametz into Matzah. Your wisdom will then not turn sour. Lekutey Moharan #5:4, pg: 208 in the BRI edition.} Alim L'trufah. Letters of Reb Nosson

Happy Tu B'Shevat everyone!!!!!!

Based on Likutey MoHaran I, Lesson #224
Based on Rabbi Nachman's Stories; The Exchanged Children

Tu b'Shevat (the 15^th of Shevat), is the New Year for trees. (Fruits blossoming prior to Tu b'Shevat are tithed separately from fruits blossoming from Tu b'Shevat on.)

In honor of this occasion we will present two short pieces. The first is a translation of Likutey MoHaran I, Lesson #224. In addition to portraying the tzaddik as a tree, it offers some insight as to how we are all connected as part of a larger scheme of things, even if we may not be aware of it.

'Even those who are distant from the tzaddik receive vitality and light from him by his shading them. This is like a tree, which has branches, bark and leaves; they each draw life from the tree. There are also grasses that are distant from the tree, so that it seems as if they receive no vitality from the tree. But in truth, they too receive vitality from it, because the tree protects them and shades them from the sun.

'Similarly, in relation to the tzaddik there are those in the aspect of leaves, branches, etc., as is explained in Likutey MoHaran I, Lesson #66:1. And even those who are distant receive vitality from him, by his shading them, like the tree, as explained above.Ó

From The Exchanged Children:

The true prince and his slave are lost deep in the forest. They are found by the forest man who takes them to his home to be his guests. At night they heard the sounds of the beasts: lions roaring, leopards growling, birds chirping and whistling, etc. Initially they were quite frightened and could not concentrated on the sounds. However, when they were able to concentrate, they realized it was an awesomely beautiful song, a very wondrous chant that was a tremendous joy to hear.

When they asked the forest man about the song, he told them it was a melody that the animals had composed in honor of the moon. The forest man also told them that he had an instrument, a family heirloom. This instrument was a box made of wood, leaves and colors. 'When the box is placed on any animal or bird, it immediately begins to sing the songÓ that the animals in the forest sing. The forest man gave the prince the wooden instrument and brought him and the prince's slave back to civilization.

It often seems that we live deep in the forest. It's hard to get our bearings, we wonder what's lurking behind the next tree, what's underfoot, what is making all those sounds and if we'll make it out alive and in one piece! We may be distressed by an upcoming payment for which there are insufficient funds, confused by competition in the workplace or dismayed by personal relationships. We are bombarded by reports of newsworthy and non-newsworthy events. How do we get our bearings?!

As frightened as we may be, we have to do our best to listen. We must make harmony out of cacophony. The 'birds and 'animals may not know that their voices are joining to form a song, but God the Conductor does. We must strain–and train–our ears to make out the melody.

If we appreciate the melody sufficiently we may be fortunate enough to find ourselves presented with a Divine gift: the ability to help others be more in harmony with themselves, so that their lives become part of the Divine song.

May God bless us that the trees grow stronger and produce evermore beautiful fruit and may we be branches of the tree that is the tzaddik. Amen!