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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Parsha Balak – The Twelfth and Thirteenth of Tammuz It is incredible that the Previous Rebbe—as well as the Rebbe, his successor—in addition to their leadership of the Jewish people in all matters, have produced an unprecedented amount of scholarly literature as well as voluminous correspondence with tens of thousands of Jews. It is estimated that th Parsha Balak – The Visually Challenged Seer Moses and Moshiach’s commanding the respect of the entire world lies in their ability to see with “both” eyes. This clarity of vision is also what will characterize the entire world in the Messianic Era that will be ushered in by Moshiach. Parsha Balak – Torah, Gold and Silver Torah must be augmented by good deeds. However, the emphasis on Mitzvos over Torah study is not because Torah study is less significant than other ideals of Judaism. On the contrary, Torah study is the greatest Mitzvah of them all. Parsha Balak – Two Scenarios There are two distinct scenarios for the unfolding of the Messianic drama. If we are not worthy, Moshiach will still come, but his coming will be at the appointed time, rather than sooner, and will also occur in a natural and non-dramatic way. If we are meritorious and deserving, Moshiach’s coming w Parsha Balak – Two Tiered Conquest Jealousy will only be erased in the more advanced stages of the Messianic Age. Nevertheless there are ways of tempering it even now, in these last moments of exile. When a person is engaged in the higher form of conquest and seeks to spread the awareness of G-d to the entire world, that individual w Parsha Balak – Walk! The last generation of exile has been compared by our Sages as the “heels of Moshiach.” Our generation is paradoxically the lowest generation of history, being the farthest removed from the defining experience of Sinai. It is also the most powerful generation that can uplift and bring fulfillment to Parsha Balak – What Can We Accomplish in One Instant? In the current “bridge” to the Messianic Age we have the accumulated good of the past at our disposal. All it takes to finally cross the bridge and enter into the Age of Redemption is one seemingly insignificant mitzvah that takes perhaps one moment to do. That lone mitzvah can be the proverbial “st Parsha Chukas – A Play on Words Even the “third class copper” Jew who was bitten by the serpent, the symbol of the evil inclination within us, is not beyond hope. Just harness your weaknesses for something higher and more sublime, and even that copper snake will cure you from your spiritual malady. Parsha Chukas – Aaron and the Clouds of Glory How do we prevent assimilation? How can we remain impervious to all of the alien influences of the outside world? It is through genuine Jewish unity. When we recognize that we are essentially one people, because we share a common soul, background and destiny, we can withstand any physical or spiritu Parsha Chukas – Catching Up The Torah, which comes from one G-d, is the very source of unity in our lives. Nevertheless, the Torah itself recognizes the legitimate division that exists between holy and the ordinary. The world was designed to have times, places, personalities and experiences that are special and holier than oth Parsha Chukas – Keep Your Mouth Open! Misplaced humility that minimizes our ability to generate positive energy is a denial of G-d’s power. Never underestimate the power of positive speech and the power to correct the past when the power of speech was abused. Parsha Chukas – Love Peace and Pursue Peace Aaron taught us the true definition of love and unity. It is not just a means to an end; it is an end. We must be proactive in pursuing it. Love of the other is based on an understanding of the essential nature of the human being. Aaron also taught is that pursuing peace cannot be at the expense of Parsha Chukas – Moses’ Obsession with the Complete Geulah Moses’ life was dedicated to removing the scourge of death from the earth. His quest will not be complete until he fully succeeds in the Messianic Age. The final Red Heifer in the Messianic Age will epitomize the completion and fulfillment of Moses’ life-goal of making this world G-dly by removing t Parsha Chukas – Mr. Dichotomy We must seek to translate the highest and most spiritual ideals into action. This provides us with a taste of the World-to-Come, where eternal life will be the norm. By introducing an element of consistency and durability in our own lives, we reveal that part of our soul that connects to our body th Parsha Chukas – Positive Reinforcement When the Jewish people are exalted and seen in their true spiritual light nature “feels” comfortable and more than willing to acquiesce to their needs. In this way, nature facilitates their dedication to the ideals of Judaism they so strongly identify with and for which everything was created in the Parsha Chukas – Restoring Normalcy The word tamei can be understood as a mindset that alerts the person to the true nature of life and to the utter absurdity and enigma of death. It is a stark reminder that while G-d creates everything normal, we were given the capacity to either preserve the normal status of the world or corrupt it– Parsha Chukas – Speak to the Rock! Jews who seem to be as “hard as a rock” should not be helped by using the “striking” method. In the past, the hardness of Jews who grew up in an environment saturated with Jewish knowledge and warmth, derived from their rebellious spirits. Nowadays, the hardness is a result of generations of benign Parsha Chukas – The Confident Spies The Jewish people have been compared to the human body. A healthy human body is one where all of its organs and limbs work in concert because their connection to the brain is intact. Similarly, the Jewish nation is spiritually healthy when all of us are united under the direction of our head; its Mo Parsha Chukas – The Logical Mystery Logic cannot capture everything just as a cup cannot contain ideas or feelings. In the words of the Tanya: To state that G-d is unfathomable is the equivalent of saying that one cannot touch wisdom with hands. G-d is inherently beyond the realm of logic. Parsha Chukas – The Mother of All Existence When G-d gave us the Torah, He gave us the capacity to bring eternal life to the world. The physical dimension of life would exist in tandem with the spiritual. As a result of the sin of the golden calf failing we will not be able to restore eternal life until the Messianic Age when the world will b