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.