כדאי To See Inside

Reb Hillel Particher- Outflank the Yetzer Hara!

2008-12-31T20:07:00.000-08:00

"I heard from the son of the Maggid, the Malach Reb Avraham, that Kaiser Fredrich used a new tactic, that instead of charging the enemy, they would run away, circle back and surround them, so that they must surrender.
Sometimes, a person can be overwhelmed and ecstatic about Hashem and fight the yetzer straight on. By meditating on the love and of Hashem, we can fight against and defeat the yetzer Hara. But this is something which is higher amount of accomplishment. The rest of us who cannot defeat our Yetzros Hara, we need a new strategy. The strategy, is to circumvent the yetze hara by meditating on secrets of torah, the inner light of mitzvos, and memaileh, surround him, such that he has to give up."
R Hillel says that this is the idea behind Pesach Sheni, that there is still Chametz in the house with you. The Chametz, the yetzer Hara is still with us. But we have matzah! Chochma,Bina and Daas! Pesach Sheni, our second chance, gives us an alternate way to serve Hashem and fight the Yetzer with a different strategy.

Out flank the Yetzer Hara!

Rav Kook- torn souls

2008-12-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

Years ago I heard Rabbi Weinberger quote this piece from Rav Kook-
I had never found it. Until this Shabbos, in Rav Tzuriel's Peninei Reiyah- p384-
It was never written down by Rav Kook, he said it once to Az"ar- Alexander Zuskind Rabinovich:

"The one that said about me that my soul is torn, spoke correctly-of course it is torn. It is impossible to conceive of someone whose soul is not torn. Only inanimate matter is whole. But a person... is made of so many contradicting desires, and there is an inner battle which rages constantly within him. The entire divine service of a person is to connect the opposing sides within his soul through an all embracing thought, one so great and so uplifted that it incorporates everything within it and brings all to total harmony. It is understood, this can only be an idea which we all look toward, but to actually achieve it is outside of the reach of a mortal. But through our strivings, we move closer and closer. This is what the Mekubalim refer to as Yichudim-unifications."

new shiurim from school

2007-11-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

The Following are Shiurim in Halacha and Hashkafa that I've given the last three weeks:

Birkas Hatorah #1
http://www.esnips.com/doc/ca7d70cf-f144-46ea-95c5-1113b12d8ab2/birkas-hatorah

Birkas Hatorah #2
http://www.esnips.com/doc/2415381b-c23f-4d81-a7bb-0628984127c4/learning-with-your-mindand-heart

Birkas Hatorah #3
http://www.esnips.com/doc/452c9adc-2202-446d-92f8-3465aa7744d0/learning-with-your-mind-and-heart2

Elokai Neshama
http://www.esnips.com/doc/c980ea6b-ad72-4a96-96c7-1360a44e90a6/Elokai1

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.

2007-10-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

We moved across country, and our internet is still not working at home.
But in the meanwhile, check out some of these Shiurim I have given as part of my new job.

http://www.esnips.com/web/bosh20-Shiurim

פנימיות ההלכה : הלכות תשע באב

2007-07-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

שו"ע אורח חיים סימן תקמט
(א) חייבים להתענות בתשעה באב ובי"ז בתמוז ובג' בתשרי ובעשרה בטבת מפני דברים הרעים שאירעו בהם:
(ב) אע"ג דכתיב בקרא בחדש הרביעי בתשעה לחודש הובקעה העיר אין מתענין בט' בו אלא בי"ז מפני שאף על פי שבראשונה הובקעה בט' בו כיון שבשניה הובקעה בי"ז בו תקנו להתענות בי"ז בו משום דחורבן בית שני חמיר לן:

During the days of the fasts of the Churban (9th of Av, 17th of Tamuz, 10 of Teves, Tzom Gedalia) the Sitra Achra is at peak strength, and because of this, the disasters and churbanos occurred on those days. It is for this reason which we fast on these days, to do awaken our hearts in Teshuva and weaken the hold of Eisav and his domain. The main area where Eisav and his side have rule over is in eating and drinking, as we all know that eating and drinking is a great Taiva for everyone. This can be seen from the Zohar (3:198a) which links the Ben Sorer u Moreh to exile- through his eating and drinking he causes destruction and exile.
On Tisha B'av his hold is even stronger as Tisha Bav corresponds to the place on the thigh where Eisav (or his Malach) struck Yaakov. The Zohar (1:170b)says "it is for this reason the children don't eat the gid hanashe which is Tisha Bav that they don't eat on." The Nachas Hashulchan explains; Who was greater than Yaakov Avinu who included within him all of the Neshamos, and fought the Yetzer Hara (who is the Malach of Eisav and the accuser) for all of the Jewish people? Yaakov Avinu won, but as the Yetzer Hara saw that he could not triumph, in order to try and flee, damaged Yaakov Avinu in the thigh, and this is the cause of the tragedies, Churbanos and the fast of Tisha B'av that why it is the most stringent of the fasts of exile.

שו"ע אורח חיים סימן תקנ
(ב) צומות הללו חוץ מט' באב מותרים ברחיצה וסיכה ונעילת הסנדל ותשמיש המטה ואין צריך להפסיק בהם מבעוד יום
(שו"ע אורח חיים סימן תקנא
(א) משנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה ובר ישראל דאית ליה דינא בהדי נכרי לישתמיט מיניה דריע מזליה: הגה מילה שהיא מר"ח עד ט' באב נוהגין שהמוהל ובעל ברית ואבי הבן לובשין בגדי שבת (מנהגים) אבל בלאו הכי אסור אפילו בשבת של חזון אין מחליפין ללבוש בגדי שבת כ"א הכתונת לבד (מרדכי הל' תשעה באב והגהות אשירי פ"ב דתענית ואגודה ורוקח) אבל פורשין פרוכת של שבת אם לא שאירע ט' באב בשבת ונדחה שאז אין פורשין פרוכת של שבת ומי שיש לו נשואין בשבת נחמו מותר ללבוש בגדי שבת בשבת של חזון (מהרי"ל):
The five Inuyim of Tish Bav and the fact that we begin fasting while it is still day, as well as the rule that when Av enters, we decrease our happiness, is to continue weakening Eisav and the other side's hold on us.
The reason why we try to avoid court with a non Jew, after what we have spoken about is very clear, that these are days that Eisav has a strong hold over.

שו"ע אורח חיים סימן תקנא
(יז) טוב ליזהר מלומר שהחיינו בין המצרים על פרי או על מלבוש אבל על פדיון הבן אומר ולא יחמיץ המצוה (וכן בפרי שלא ימצא אחר ט' באב מותר לברך ולאכלו בין המצרים) (בנימין זאב סי' קס"ג ותשובת מהרי"ל):

We are do not make a Shehechiayanu on new fruit during this time as the Chochma, (the inherent divine wisdom in all things) is not as perceivable due to Eisav's hold over these days. However during any mitzvah we can perceive the Chochma, and therefore may make a Shehechiyanu. Even more so a Pidyon haben- a mitzvah whose opportunity to perform it has clearly has been given from Hashem, allows us to see the Chochma. The mitzva of pidyon haben as well as that stresses the idea of holiness of the Bechor and all beginnings. The wisdom which is in everything was the starting point for its creation; one does not build without a plan.

Fixing the moon -Gur Aryeh Bamidbar 28:15

2007-07-06T04:40:00.000-07:00

The Midrash records that although the moon and sun were originally the same size, and they were told to rule over day and night, the moon had complaint before Hashem, "Two kings cannot rule with one crown." Hashem responded, "You are right, so make yourself smaller." Rashi to Bereshis 1:16. After this Hashem commanded that we bring a sin offering "for Him” because He made the moon smaller. Rashi to Bamidbar 28:15.
The Maharal (Gur Aryeh Bamidbar 28:15) explains, Hashem’s actions are perfect, but they don’t always look that way to us. It is true that a king has to rule in entirety, or he is not a king. However, its not fair that the moon had to be made smaller. The maharal introduces us to the inner idea of what a Korban is. It is brought to repair what's missing things in the world. Any time there is sin, a distance was created, and therefore Korban comes from the word to make close. The Korban repairs this distance, created in the world by the act of making the moon smaller, the "unfairness."
In this lies the story of the Jewish people as a whole, the story of David Hamelech, the story of Moshiach and the story of all of our lives as a whole, especially when things don't look fair...

Nesiv Haavoda Chapter 1 and 3

2007-07-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

The Maharal explains that Avodah is related to the word Eved, because just like a master owns the slave and the slaves entirety depends on the master, even more so, we are entirely dependent on Hashem... When we ask for something it is not that we do mitzvos on the condition to receive a reward... rather where else are you going to ask?

4 kingdoms 10 nations- Pachad Yitzchak Purim 3 (I think)

2007-07-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

Classically there are 7 nations which fight for the control of the land against the Jewish people. Add to that three nations (Edom,Ammon, and Moav) whose land is close by but the Jews are not allowed to conquer until Moshiach comes.
The 10 nations are parallel to the lower 7 midos (Chesed till Malchus) the three others are Chochma Bina Daas.
Each nation stands as an opponent to the jews in their land and to a jew in his life.
At the same time, there are 4 kingdoms who fight with the Jewish people over their status of a nation, or to be exiled. They fight a war regarding the Jewish people's right to be. and a Jewish person's right to be.

Moshiach's Torah

2007-05-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Pachad Yitzchak 43, Reshimos Lev Shavuos
The Torah is referred to as Mashal Kadmoni- the primordial allegory. David Hamelech is the one who uses this term. He says that it says in the Mashal Kadmoni that from evil people will come evil. Rashi asks, where is this written? When a person murders, and another person kills someone by accident, and there are no witnesses, then they will both end up at the same place, and the accidental killer will fall off of a ladder, on to the murderer, killing him. The people who are there will witness this and send the accidental killer to the city of refuge.
We see that Hashem steps in and nullifies free will in order to bring justice, in manipulating the circumstances to bring this together. This is a glimpse of the Torah of Moshiach, which removes free will through the powerful revelation of Hashem's will. It brings us into the world of the where the yetzer hara is destroyed.
We are told that Torah can repair the sin of misused speech. Marpeh lashon eitz chayim. Speech is the most powerful usage of bechira. The Torah, specifically as the Mashal Kadmoni is the repair for the most powerful display of misused bechira, a misuse of speech, as the overwhelming lack of free will can negate the most powerful misuse of bechira.
(Another piece to see inside:)
Therefore, we see that the luchos, were able to be read from ever to ever (side to side), the mei Hashiloach (Ki Sissa volume 1) explains that Torah has the ability to flip a person from one extreme (of bad) to the opposite extreme (of good). Again this Torah as an awesome revelation, can turn a person's life around in the most powerful way.
(Finally, a third piece, in Baal Shem Tov al hatorah, with the perush of the Bilvavi mishkan evneh)
Mashiach will come and explain all of the tzerufim (word combinations) in the torah. Then he will combine them all into one word. The tzerufim are the different ways which torah recombines to try to touch me in my place, with the choices I have made. The combination is how the Torah shows there really weren't any choices or changes- there is only unity.-

Pachad Yitzchak 41 Shavuos

2007-05-20T06:59:00.001-07:00

The talmidim of Rebbi Yisrael Salanter say that his Yahrtzeit is always on parshas mispatim.
While the mitzvos bein Adam L'chaveiro seem to be the ikar chidf the tenuas hamusar, there is a shelmus of Torah which impacted on. The Torah is in separable, and therefore the Chiudsh of the musar movement was in the entirety of Torah. Rav Hutner sums it up succinctly that it is not just the author of the sefer Chofetz Chaim and Ahavas Chessed which were direct products of the tenuas hamusar, but main point of what Rebbi Yisrael was mchadesh was that the author of the mishna brurah is the author of the sefer chofetz chaim.

Mei Marom 30:1

2007-05-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Mekallel's cursing of Hashem was because of the Lechem Hapanim. Rav Charlop explains that the Mekallel had established in his mind a reality that bread gets colder and staler as it sits, and he refused to move from this perception. In his mind, it was impossible for a nes to take place and allow it to remain fresh for days. In doing so he cursed Hashem- literally he was yikov Hashem- he "threw Hashem out of the world" by saying that Hashem is limited to his version of reality. Therefore we undertand that he was a ben ish mitzri- mitzri implies boundaries- he was confined by his version of reality, and refused to see any other way of the world functioning.

Mei Marom Vayikra 30:3

2007-05-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

Why are there divergent minhagim regarding saying laomer or baomer? Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlop compares the difference to the counting for a nidah versus the counting for a zavah. Niddah, you count every day as the tumah leaves and after seven days they are tahor, and zavah you count every day one becomes more tahor, bit by bit.
The phrase Baomer (corresponding to nidah) means the lessenning of the tumah, slowly, whereas the phrase laomer (corresponding tozavah) means the entry of purity into the person's life.

Ed Hagal Hazeh

2007-04-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

1rst Maamar in this unbelievable sefer from Yaakov Moshe Hillel, Rosh Yeshiva of Chevrat Ahavat Shalom. It describes:
- the penimi'is of the first half of sefira,
- the gravity of the loss of R Akiva's students,
-the maylah of Rebbe Akiva's Torah
- the maylah of the five new students of Rebbe Akiva.
-What actually happened on Lag B'omer
-The custom of visiting the Tziyun of Rebbe Shimon on Lag B'omer

http://mysefer.com/product.asp?P_ID=2619&strPageHistory=search&strKeywords=ed%20hagal%20hazeh&numPageStartPosition=1&strSearchCriteria=exact&PT_ID=all

Likutei Halachos Shomrim/pikadon 4:5

2007-04-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Sefiras Haomer teaches us that all of our days are numbered. We are enjoined never to give up on a day and decide that today it is not good to serve Hashem, nor should we think that a day which we had to deal with things of this world is a lost day either.

Emunas Itecha Shemini 5664

2007-04-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

What was the machlokes between Aharon and Moshe?
After the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon was an onen. We know that the psak that even though an Onen doesn't eat Korbanos, however, korbanos for the miluim were eaten. Aharon held that the Seir of Rosh Chodesh was burned because it was a korban for doros.
Moshe believed that the Seir was supposed to be eaten. Why? Moshe believed that with the construction of the mishkan, the world's repair was complete and this was the last seir to be brought as there was no more chet to be nischaper, therefore this was a unique korban only for the miluim.
After Pesach, we hoped that this would be the nisan that we would be zocheh to be nigal, this would be the final tikun. However, this was not the case.
The entire parsha deals with reminding us that there will be a geulah and a final tikun, even if it doesn't always look like it. This ultimate tikun, is irrepressible, and even would a person fall deep into the tumah, we will be saved.

Pachad Yitzchak Shavuos 38

2007-04-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

When R Akiva was imprisoned, R Shimon ben Yochai came and asked to learn from R Akiva. R Akiva refused. R Shimon threatened to have his father report R Akiva to the authorities. R Akiva said (a famous statement) more than the calf wants to nurse the cow wants to feed it. R Shimon said, so is the calf in in danger? Rashi and the Rashbam say this means, so what is it to you.
Rav Hutner asks, R Akiva was already in jail, so what was R Shimon threatenning? Where do we ever see a punishment of death for learning? Rav Hutner says answers that personal learning is one thing, but in case where the masores is going to be lost, that is something entirely different. We know that R Akiva was in prison because he gathered masses together to learn. So why would this be any different. R Akiva believed it was necessary that he teach the masses, lest torah be forgotten, but to teach a single pupil it was not worth endangering R shimon's life. R Shimon said that this is learning which would be forgotten otherwise, and what's it to you as it is my choice to be moser nefesh for to keep the change of the mesores

Pachad Yitzchak Shavous 37

2007-04-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Rav Hutner explains that there is a unique essence of the bris of the aseres hadibros, which requires that we know specifically that it is a bris, and it is nogea to schar v'onesh