Video Audio Text ובפרט בחוץ לארץ, שאויר ארץ העמים טמא, ומלא קליפות וסטרא אחרא This is especially so in the diaspora, where the atmosphere is unclean and is filled with kelipot and sitra achra. ואין שמחה לפניו יתברך כאורה ושמחה ביתרון האור הבא מן החשך דייקא There is no greater joy for G‑d than the […]

Video Audio Text No text was read

Video Audio Text והנה מודעת זאת שהאבות הן הן המרכבה It is known that “the Patriarchs constitute the Divine Chariot.“1 שכל ימיהם לעולם לא הפסיקו אפילו שעה אחת מלקשר דעתם ונשמתם לרבון העולמים Throughout their lives, they did not cease even momentarily from binding their mind and soul to the Master of the universe, בביטול […]

Video Audio Text From the end of Ch. 30 up to this point, the Alter Rebbe discussed various forms of joy which one ought to strive to attain when saddened over his spiritual shortcomings: the joy of one’s soul on its being released from exile within one’s body and animal soul; the joy of being […]

Video Audio Text שאינו מאיר ונאחז בפתילה בלי שמן that it does not shed light nor is it retained by the wick, without oil, By nature, fire strains upward; it will not remain below unless restrained by a wick or wood, for example. But a wick alone is rapidly consumed, and the fire vanishes quickly. […]

Video Audio Text The Alter Rebbe will now proceed to explain why good deeds can serve as oil for the light of the Shechinah, whereas the divine soul cannot. The explanation in brief: Man’s soul is not, after all, completely nullified before G‑d and one with Him to the extent that it is capable of […]

Video Audio Text ואף שמהותה ועצמותה של נפש הבהמית שבלבו, שהן מדותיה הרעות, עדיין לא נכללו בקדושה Although the substance and essence of the animal soul, in his heart, i.e., its evil middot (its evil emotional character), have still not been absorbed into holiness, As explained in ch. 12, only in the case of tzaddikim […]

Video Audio Text In the previous chapter, the Alter Rebbe began to explain why the observance of the practical mitzvot is the ultimate purpose of Torah and of one’s spiritual service to G‑d. (This practical aspect is underscored by the conclusion of the verse, “For the thing is very near to you, in your mouth […]

Video Audio Text A question arises, however. How is it possible (even upon subjugating the kelipot and transforming them into holiness) that we in this world should experience a revelation of the Ein Sof-light without veil or concealment, when even the higher worlds cannot receive such revelation without dissolving into nothingness? In answer, the Alter […]

Video Audio Text וגם כבר היה לעולמים מעין זה, בשעת מתן תורה A glimmer of this revelation which will take place in the future has already been experienced — at the time of the Giving of the Torah at Sinai, כדכתיב: אתה הראת לדעת כי ה׳ הוא האלקים, אין עוד מלבדו as it is written:10 […]