Learn Talmud - Berachot - Lesson 22 Daf 8a Part 2 (Koren Talmud Bavli) -...

Our Gemara speaks about the love that God has towards the area of Torah known as Halachah - Jewish law. Halachah - from the root "Walking" refers to the way in which we walk with God - the way in which we "go" with God. Of course we mean to say the love He has towards those who are going to be studying it and putting it into practise. The Torah is God's manifestation of His essence brought down using ink onto paper. God certainly loves all of Torah. But there is something special about the Halachah - the law itself.



God loves those who engage in the study of Halachah over all other areas. It is here - in the four cubits of Halachah that God can be found most - ever since the time of the destruction of the Temple.



We learn about the importance of action - of doing things with our hands. Having fear of Heaven is important. It's important to connect with God in every spiritual way we can. Its important to meditate and connect with God. But the one who uses his hands, his physicality to involve himself in the goings-on of this physical world is one who has happiness here and in the World to Come.



We learn about the importance of a pupil being close to his teacher - his Rebbe.



The Gemara then goes onto a very serious case discussing the issue of leaving a synagogue at the time the Torah is being read.



Thereafter we learn the importance of studying the Torah portion twice in the original Hebrew and once in the Aramaic (SheM'O'T) each week so that one completes the learning of the weekly Parshah each week with the community.



We learn a fascinating teaching that tells us that when we eat on the 9th day of Tishrei - God considers it as if we have fasted on both the 9th and the 10th day. What an we learn from that?

Derech Hashem - The Way of God - How Moshe's Prophecy Differed Part 2 - ...

The Ramchal continues teaching us the difference in the way that Moshe experienced his prophecy to the way the other prophets would experience their prophecies.

Moshe was able to see his vision directly. He did so while he was wide awake! He also saw things through a clear lens - and there was only one. It wasn't a refracted / reflected image.

Lessons in Tanya - Lesson 26 - The Rasha (the "Evil" Person) - Chapter 11

Having concluded his discussion about the Tzaddik (the righteous person), the Alter Rebbe continues into chapter 11 with the theme of the Rasha (the "evil" person).



The Rasha is not exactly the type of evil person we think of in a general sense. Certainly not in terms as relates to Rosh HaShanah when God judges us based upon our Mitzvah performance. Rather, the Rasha is a person whose good inclination is subjugated to his bad inclination.



Each Rasha has his own level with the level of bad influencing him to a greater or lesser extent. We now have a situation whereby one's city (the entire body) has a main rulership of evil influencing a person to commit various infractions against the Torah. Now, the citizens of the city (the limbs) will become chariots in order to serve the needs of the king who sets about influencing one on a path that goes away from the path that God wishes us to be on.



One is influenced through one's thoughts, one's speech and one's deeds to commit aveirot (sins). One is dominated by the side of evil - even though it is that there may be some good which indeed will express itself at times too. But in general, the main influence of the Rasha is the evil animalistic soul swaying over the judgment for the particular behaviour of a person.



Nevertheless, whatever the case, forgiveness from God is always available. Through the different ways of teshuvah (repentance) one can always be forgiven from God. This is indeed what happens to the Rasha - who will go through his life with this movement of being swayed into the ways of evil, and thereafter regretting what he has done, asking God to forgive him, and then starting again.

Learn Talmud - Berachot - Lesson 21 Daf 8a Part 1 (Koren Talmud Bavli) - Pray at a "Time of Finding"

#torah #judaism #berachot #gemara #talmud #bathroom #prayer #andsomuchmore





Our page of Talmud discusses the importance of praying with a Minyan and if one cannot for any reason - there is another solution to be a part of the Minyan when not actually with the Minyan...



Who is the "evil neighbour" of a neighbourhood? The Gemara goes into further depth about being part of the community by taking a part in the prayers of the community - in the same place as they all pray.



Our page tells us how we should treat the privilege of being able to pray in a synagogue. It's not enough to just get oneself into the shul, but rather, one should enter a certain distance to show one's love for the place of worship one will be praying in. It shouldn't have to look like a burden.



The Gemara teaches us about the different types of women one can marry. There is a man who "finds a find!" and then there is a man who may find himself with a different type of marriage partner. Well - that's what they used to say in Israel in any case. Listen in to the Shiur to find out more!



The Gemara goes into some depth explaining the benefit of praying at a "time of finding". What exactly is it and when does it occur? There are various interpretations that are given. One such interpretation speaks about death and the different types of death that occur in the world.



There are other approaches taken to understanding this expression - each as wonderful as the next. But if you'd like to know the types of things we need to pray for - a "time of finding" - you'll need to listen in. There's certainly enough material here to really make us think about what prayer is all about and just how important it is to pray for all our needs!

Derech Hashem - The Way of God - How Moshe's Prophecy Differed - Lesson...

The Ramchal Section Three - Part 4 - discusses how the prophecy of Moshe (Moses) differed from all the other prophets.

He begins by sharing with us the usual way of prophecy. The prophet sees his vision through various "mirrors" which each reflect off each other. The vision itself is somewhat murky. But at the end of the day, the prophet knows that it is God Who is talking to him.

In our next lesson, we will see more about the way in which Moshe prophesied.

Lessons in Tanya - Lesson 25 - The Complete Tzaddik - Chapter 10 Part 2

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liady (1745-1812) teaches us in this amazing chapter the different types of Tzaddikim. In today's lesson - the second half of chapter 10, we learn about the Tzaddik Gamur - the complete Tzaddik.



This is a person who not only has no evil inclination, but that even the left ventricle of his heart - the area which houses the evil - has been transformed to good. He is completely involved with good in everything. He thinks good, speaks good, does good. These are truly the people who are known as Bnei Aliyah - Sons (Children) of Ascent - because not only are they so superior in their behaviour than the average person, but their whole being is to cause holy ascents through their service of God.



As they involve themselves in the 248 Mitzvot constantly, they awaken the feminine waters from below, causing them to ascent upwards, producing Yichudim - unifications, and causing the masculine waters of blessing to descend into this world.

Learn Talmud - Berachot - Lesson 20 Daf 7b Part 2 (Koren Talmud Bavli) -...

The Talmud Berachot 7b brings up a big debate in life itself. Is it permitted to provoke the wicked? Those who look at the general way of the world may notice how often those who commit atrocities - those who perpetrate evil - actually succeed. Actually, they seem to go on and on with their success.

The famous question of why the wicked prosper comes to mind. But what of those who have had an injustice done to them? Should they further antagonise the wicked? Are we allowed to provoke the wicked and should we in fact do so.

The Talmud brings up a variety of opinions on this delicate and sensitive subject. Some say that one can. Yet others even say we should. And yet others say to stay far from those involved in evil.

Distance yourself from an evil neighbour - says Pirkei Avot. Maybe it's best to just stay as far away as possible from them - because whenever they do bad - they succeed. Actually even when they are caught out, they may laugh at the judgment against them - laughing at everyone in the court room, at everyone who cannot understand the person's way of life.

So, if for some reason the evil person can get away with murder - is it worthwhile engaging in an argument when it could even be that for some reason, he is "blessed" by his "lucky stars" with good fortune of getting away with the evil he does? If so, then even when an injustice is done to the righteous person - perhaps it is better for him to stay away from the evil person - who, for all intents and purposes, will be successful in any case - even when he is involved in wrong...

What a troubling section of Talmud this is. It brings to mind so much frustration that many of us go through. At the end of the day, like so many things in life - these are just some of life's mysteries we will never get to understand adequately.

The Gemara continues, and tells us that it is important to have a fixed place to prayer. It then discusses another fascinating area of Torah life. It is greater to serve Torah scholars than it is to study Torah.

But listen in to the entire Shiur to hear more about these exciting themes discussed in our Gemara today!

Derech Hashem - The Way of God - How False Prophets Can Confuse Others ...

The Ramchal teaches us the story about the wicked King Achav. He had wanted to go to war with Ramot Gilad, but did not know if he would be victorious. As a result he employed some prophets to tell him that he would indeed be victorious!

The catch is the way in which they behaved. They were false prophets - seeking their ways through impurity. But worse - they all knew that what they were saying was false. But they still did their best to convince King Achav that he would be victorious.

King Achav was a little skeptical of them and so another prophet Tzidkiya ben Chaana came with a whole scene holding horns on his head and telling him that he would be victorious with those horns. But he too was fake!

Only Michiya was a true prophet, but King Achav was not prepared to hear him because a spirit from above was able to infiltrate through to the physical world to convince the king that he would indeed be victorious in his war.

Needless to say, he died in the war of Ramot Gilad.

But the point of the whole story was to share with us the mysteries behind understanding false prophets and what they can do, fake prophets, and then of course to get to understand that there are legitimate prophets too.

In the final section of Section 3 of the Ramchal's Derech Hashem - we will get to see what made Moshe (Moses) so different as a prophet than all the other prophets.

There are prophets... and then there is Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher)!

Lessons in Tanya - Lesson 24 - Two Types of Tzaddikim - Chapter 10 Part 1

There are two types of Tzaddikim (righteous people). There is one who is a Tzaddik Gamur (a completely righteous person) and there is the Tzaddik She'eino Gamur (the incomplete Tzaddik). What makes them different?

What exactly is the Tzaddik? Who is we? What makes him as he is? It depends on his love of God and it depends on the degree in which there still harbours within him an element of evil which has not been converted into good. These factors make all the difference in the type of Tzaddik that a person would be.

Learn Talmud - Berachot - Lesson 19 Daf 7b (Koren Talmud Bavli) - The Me...

We conclude Daf 7a regarding God's desire to destroy the Jewish people and make a new nation from Moshe (Moses). Though Moshe's prayer succeeds in annulling the first part of the promise, God still acts out on His good intention in blessing Moshe to become great through his descendants.

We then move on to Daf 7b. We learn some teachings that Rabbi Yochanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai - the author of the holy Zohar.

Did you know that until Avraham (Abraham), nobody referred to God as Adon?!

Another teaching we learn is that we should not try to placate another at his time of anger.

Did you know that until Leah - nobody gave true thanks to God?! When she named her fourth son Yehudah - this was her way of saying thank you. It is an inborn trait for a Jew to acknowledge the good that others do for him and to simply almost spontaneously thank they other when they receive a kindness. What a wonderful trait to have!

The Talmud thereafter speaks about the themes of the mysteries of names in the world. Why do each of us have a name and what do our names mean?! The Gemara sites certain people to show us the meaning of their names. We learn why Reuvein was called as he was, and Yaakov and also Rut!

Arguments in one's own home - from one's own children and really general family feuds can be much worse than even the war of Gog and Magog - the war preceding the arrival of the Moshiach.

Tune in to today's lesson to find our more about these wonderful teachings!