75

MEDITATION / ACTION

The Mitzvah of Hachnasas Oirchim / inviting in guests cheerfully, joyfully and with respect; merits that a couple will have a good son (born.)

 

 

77

MEDITATION

 

The letters of Divine speech which really is the creative energetic force which brings matter from its not existent state, into existence – these letters, for-example “Let there be a sky” continuously are “said” (for if not, as the only existence of the sky is these creative letters (e=m, so though we see matter it is really energy, and as we know, energy must have source) so if God would God-forbid stop saying these letters, even for an instant, the sky would simply disappear.)

 

78

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Just as your shadow mimics your every move – so too whatever we do on earth gets literally mirrored in heaven (in other words, if our energy – desire – emotions are positive, our heaven / destiny, becomes positive – what is amazing about this teaching is, that irrespective of who you are, simply by choosing to believe that G-d, hence reality is good, it will become.)

 

79

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

If after Davening (our daily prayer/s) we feel low (crushed,) then our prayers will have a good effect (however if we feel great – buoyed by how good our prayers were – they become useless.)

 

80

MEDITATION

 

Whatever God does is truly miraculous, but the only one who realizes – is God.

 

81

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Fortunate is a man who is their true self.

 

82

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Whoever rejoices in the study and sharing of the Torah (studies,) is fortunate that their children and grandchildren will likewise.

 

83

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

When a person only learns nigleh (the Talmudic studies) they can delude themselves that their brain is wise, hence as they become self-centered, they seek not the fulfillment of it, rather the leniencies (as we see with misnagdim rachmanah litzlan;) however one who studies Chassidus (the inner dimension, the soul of Torah) such a person remains faithful (and seeks to follow correctly, and even more so! (hence the name Chassidim, which means “go beyond the letter of the law.”)

 

84

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Who is a Yiras Shamayim? (a notable accolade, literally “one who fears God” – does good…) one who has self-control – But one who merely studies Torah (and this is their sole occupation) stay far away!

 

85

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The harder your beginning(s,) the greater your end(s).

 

96

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Everyone has a specific Mitzvah in which there is a Divine feeling.

 

97

MEDITATION

 

The following is a commentary of the Friedikeh Rebbe based on the famous story that one of our great sages came to another in a dream – in fulfillment of a promise to demonstrate what he feels/recognizes in heaven (after he passed on.)

 

So he said – “I see an opposite, topsy-turvy world, those who were below below, are above above; and those who were above below, are below above.”

 

The Baal Shem Tov teaches us, that our eyes lie.

 

In truth, those who seem on top are below, and those who seem humble, are really high.

 

 

99

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Talmud states that one who learns Torah and is meritorious, it becomes a potion of life, but if in the reverse… death.

 

The Gemarah explains, this depends on a person who studies with faith.

 

Asks the Baal Shem Tov… what is the connection between belief and knowledge?

 

On the contrary, belief refers to what you cannot understand; versus Torah study, which you must.

 

Now in Gemarah Shabbos, Rava explains this: that those who believe, means those who strive and through their toil, they come to proper conclusions.

 

Whoever studies Torah must be cognizant that in every concept is a deep secret.

 

Hence, one must work very hard to discover this hidden wisdom.

 

Such a learning, creates a refinement, and merit to the studier.

 

This is the explanation of “merit” which in Hebrew is Zocheh, which also means refined; so if Torah refines the person, then it is a merit.

 

However if God-forbid the reverse, namely the Torah contributes to arrogance, ego, hence evil, then it is pure poison.

 

100

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

“Whoever reads the story of the meggila in reverse order does not fulfill the obligation (Jewish Law.)”

 

Explains the Baal Shem Tov, whoever reads the story of the meggilah (which primarily applies to all our festivals and Biblical stories) and thinks this is history, not realizing this is guidance, misses the point.

 

101

MEDITATION

 

There is a daily heavenly announcement, “return wayward children.”

 

Queries the Baal Shem Tov – but who hears it?

 

He replies, as we have a part of our soul in heaven, and this part hears it, this inspires us on earth.

 

102

MEDITATION

 

When we randomly get thoughts to come close to God, this comes from the heavenly announcement (see 101.)

103

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Baal Shem Tov explained the teaching of our sages that there are three signs (qualities) of the Jewish people: merciful, bashful and kind.

 

Merciful, that we have mercy upon our soul which descended from the heavenly highest heights to be clothed in the world of darkness, in a physical corporeal body. (Which for her is an extraordinarily painful experience, like going from being a prince to a beggar.)

 

Bashful – they feel bashfulness in the face of the Divine light which hovers over their head, and hence they improve.

 

Kind- that they allow the Divine Being on the heavenly throne to inspire, educate and guide them.

 

104

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Baal Shem Tov distributed all his money to charity, so he was queried – doesn’t the Talmud say, one who distributes lavishly should do no more than 1/5^th?

 

Explained the Baal Shem Tov – the wording of our sages is “hamivazvez,” which refers to money that one finds difficult to give and must force oneself, “however I love to give!” (hence it is no different to my ability to spend.)

 

105

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Avrohom Avinue recognized God when he was three, however his greatness lies in the fact that he had genuine self-sacrifice to teach others.

 

106

MEDITATION

 

The explanation of the Mishnah, “when two people holding onto a Tallis come into a court, each claiming they found it (in a permissible way, which would allow them to keep it) so the court causes each to swear they “possess no less than half” and they divide it.”

 

The Baal Shem Tov explained how this Mishnah is studied in heaven.

 

Everything that exist in this world contains a Divine spark (which is its direct cause, from non-existence to existence.)

 

When one uses that item for a Mitzvah, one elevates this holy spark back to the Divine source.

 

Now for doing so (which is literally like saving a prince) he merits a great reward – now if one Mitzvah was done through two people then this reward is divided.

 

In heaven they deduce the following – two people who were engaged in bringing a third to Teshuvah, (repentance) so say Rueven tells Shimoin about Levi, and then Shimoin goes and he inspires Levi, and Levi becomes a full-fledged Baal Teshuvah, hence for the rest of his life he elevates many sparks – so now both Rueven and Shimoin wish to claim some of the reward, so the answer is that they will split.

 

107

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Talmud states “Jerusalem was destroyed, for the Jews were pedantic to only follow the Torah law.”

 

Yerushalayim is made up of two words, Yirah-Shalaim “complete fear of God” – hence one who fears God, goes beyond the letter of the law (indicating their joy not compulsion.)

 

108

MEDITATION

A Jew never converted, neither did a gentile (to Judaism.)

 

Whoever converts out of Judaism lacks Yechidah, the quintessential Jewish soul, and conversely whoever converts to Judaism has this soul; it’s only that through circumstances God removes the barriers.

 

109

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Our Sages teach, “whoever delves into Torah, his possessions become successful.”

 

The Baal Shem Tov teaches, the possessions of a Jew are his mind and his heart.

 

Avrohom Avinu was both a Torah scholar and fulfilled all the Mitzvos before they were given.

 

However the reason he was chosen was because God saw that his sincerity and true faith was absolute.

 

And this comes about through studying Torah.

 

110

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

“Whoever says I have only Torah – without work – even Torah lacks.”

 

The Baal Shem Tov explains – work refers to “Loving Ones Fellow” – doing everything to assist with love – only then does one’s Torah bear fruit.

 

111

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Baal Shem Tov taught, when people are happy because of you, so is God.

 

112

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Mishnah says “man is punished with and without his knowledge.”

 

Explains the Baal Shem Tov, with his knowledge refers to when sometimes a person is very bitter and says that “he prefers death…”

 

And without his knowledge, is when man judges another person (believing for his sin he deserves punishment) this then is visited upon him.

 

113

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

(another explanation of the above 112 Mishnah)

 

When we arrive to heaven, we are shown scenes of someone’s behavior and asked to pass a verdict.

 

If we (God-forbid) find the behavior as warranting punishment, this then becomes our own judgment, for we are shown scenes which we ourselves did.

 

 

 

114

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Mishnah says – Who is wise, whoever learns from everyone, as the verse states, “from all my teachers I became wise.”

 

The Baal Shem Tov queries – is everyone truly a teacher?

 

We find a teacher must be qualified!

 

How can you say one who learns from everyone… – does everyone have teaching qualities?

 

And furthermore what is the proof from the verse, “from all my teachers I became wise.”

 

This seems to refer only when one delves deeply into the teachings of the teacher.

 

So how does this compare to someone who learns from anyone?

 

The answer is, it states, “the candle of God is man’s soul,” a candle has both light as well as a shadow; now the light comes from the candle, while the shadow comes from the candle-holder which blocks the light rays.

 

Similarly, everyone’s soul shines light, but is blocked in life by the body.

 

Hence when one is in the presence of a Tzaddik whose soul is shining, he receives positive thoughts; but in the presence of a rasha whose body is obscuring and hence he radiates darkness he receives negative thoughts.

 

Hence the goal is to learn from the Tzaddikim, while rejecting the way of the wicked.

 

 

115

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

We must learn from everyone even a bad person (for there is some good in everyone.)

 

116

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

It doesn’t take a genius to break one’s instincts; for this, any normal mind dictates! however what a wise person does, is harness (the yetzer hara); for as it states, there is much power in the impulse, therefore through guiding one’s emotions, one is granted extraordinary energy.

117

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The word Olam (world) in Hebrew also means (helem) concealment, this world conceals; and the goal is to reveal (olam,) which refers to the Helem Haatzmi, the Divine (which is hidden.)

 

118

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Baal Shem Tov teaches, when a person is arrogant, hence desires superiority, hence instead of loving, they look askance at anyone who they deem unworthy; this causes that their Torah study – itself limited to the simple meaning, not the remez, drush and soid – is worthless.

 

119

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Jewish people are compared to a vine – just as the vine’s leaves protect the delicate grapes, and as we know, the power of the protector is greater than the protected; thus within the Jewish people there are the laypeople (pasheteh-yidden) and the Torah scholars – the former are the vine leaves.

 

120

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The Baal Shem Tov explained the Mishnah, that “Lashoin Hara kills the speaker, the listener, and the conceiver,” for this refers to their spirituality – which is much worse than physical annihilation.

 

121

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

When a child is in the womb they are taught the entire Torah – on Thursday nights they are taught the Chumash with Rashi – he who has a good memory, when he studies the Chumash with Rashi on Thursday nights, remembers the sweet pleasure of that previous study.

 

122

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

It states in the Holy Zohar, “the master of the academy said, ‘he who is small is great, and he who is great (in his own estimation) is small’.”

 

The master of the academy was precise in his wording – he begins with the organized mentality in tikkun (our world).

 

For even in the spiritual realm of Tohu there is big and small, however in Tohu, it begins from big to small, this we see empirically, that he who begins in his Divine service when young and mistakenly assumes himself great, when he is older he is truly small

 

However he who is small is great.

 

For in Tikkun the order is from small to great.

 

In the beginning of one’s service one must feel like a nobody – meaning, “this that I understand is nothing” – the main thing is the sense (in other words, to understand how much one lacks.)

 

123

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

“The lower waters cry, ‘We wish to be before the king.’”

 

Explains the Baal Shem Tov, from when the waters were separated – during creation – the lower waters weep with an incredible yearning that a Jew should come by and use them for something spiritual – be it washing one’s hands (for prayer) a mikvah etc.

 

This weeping may continuously go on for hundreds if not thousands of years.

 

124

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

The soul of Moses in every generation (in the leader – the Rebbe) Every Jew, man or woman is a generation – when they join in marital unity according to the Torah, they become blessed by the Moses of the generation; He is totally a Divine light – however his light is the light that shines from the radiance of Moses found in each and everyone, in the three loves: the love of God, the love of Torah, and the love of ones fellow.

 

125

MEDITATION / ACTION

 

Until Abraham the world was dark, for though there were Tzaddikim (righteous people) they did not bother teaching the way of God, and did not request God’s mercy for them- however with the arrival of Abraham all that changed.

 

He taught his generation the way to serve God, and sacrificed himself to arouse God’s mercy for his generation, to the extent, even for the wicked evil sodomites and amorites he prayed and requested Divine mercy.