Why Tanis Of Esther?

Esther's fast.

When we have Emunah in Hashem, and Emunah in the Tzaddik and Faith in ourselves we have no need to fast (Liktey Moharan II, 86; Rabbi Nachaman's wisdom #140).

Let's for the sake of conversation for a moment just let go of this life this earthly life. Let's mentally leave behind all the earthly goals and take leave of the material all our worldly aspirations to raise above all the transient temporal desires all of them riches power, pleasures, prestiage, all of this 'the olam' the world we live in with all of it's t'aivah 'lusts' and enter a more permanent eternal, more meaningful exisitance. To a state of life where there is solitude, to a place where we can see the vainity of 'this normal life' to a vantage point from where we can see the total futility of the this world and this life, with it's social standards and it's peer presures. We rise to a perspective to where we can clearly see the futality of and insanity of a "Jewishness practiced only to attain empty vain goals of such a life. from this point, detacted from from and unmoved by these earthly goals, it's only from this eternal panorama that we can focus on the the "Ultimate goal of the life", 'THE EMET' And from here, undisturbed by the distraction of the transient, vanity of this world, we can concetrate enough to yearn for and long for and come in touch with the deepest longing of our real selves our souls and it's only desire that being to cleave to Hashem, to be one with our source. From here we can can see the and feel the harmony of creation with our souls we then can sing in the this celestral symphony. Our souls sing all in unision, they sing they parts their song to Hashem the master of all. And at this point we can experience Hashem only and we can only manifest Him... This is Joy... and now we can only stay here for a short while, in this ecstatic moment, feeling no experiencing a fortaste of the life eternal. This is the goal that we each long for. and now as we begin to return from reallity to this temporary experience that we call life this earthly relm, we want to take all this that we have gain the insights and all the feelings we have had, ingest them and let them enter deep into our souls so that whem we return to our fleshly material selves we will remember what we saw and learned and now that we are back here in this reality that hides the truth to this mundane, we promise ourselves that we will stay above these earthly goals that we will stay awake and aware of the truth and that we will always focus on the the ultimate goal of this exisitance in every thing we do. But most of us aren't really yet to make this leap of faith. we are are distracted and overwelmed by the colors tastes and sounds of this earthly life that we identifty so strongly with this earthly life, that we afre unable to unplug, that without it we see no point in living. we feel earthly goals are all there is and to give them up is to be left with nothing. this begs at us in it's self it asks, Who are we?... What is life?... and where is Hashem? What is my part if any in this?

We can never answer these objective questions as long as we are blinded by the subjective needs. by those desires for riches... and pleasures.. power and prestige... these were all that Haman and Achashverosh had and longed for. The earthly he ruled over the whole world. They had it all, but what? They wanted more they wanted, what the Jews had too. To answer these questions we need to set our sights on the 'ultimate goal' to be able to even catch a glimpse to be able to even set our sights we need to the Tzaddik who can help us raise above the earhtly goals.
We must connect and link to the the Tzaddik who has no subjective goals, who can answer our questions and guide us to the ultimate goal. we must follow and relate to his teachings, and allow the to restructure our lives a refocusing as it where. But to do this we must have faith in the tzaddik and in ourselves, but it is only through the tzaddik that we can begin to have faith in ourselves this in turn builds our faith in the tzaddik that he knows the true answers and that we can raise to the goal. and we ourselves must take the frist step of showing our desire, because by doing so Hashem sees that we seek the truth and He will guide us to the tzaddik. But until then, we are as blind to the tzaddik as we are of the ultimate goal (Likutey Halakhot, Hilchos shabbos 6:3).
And in the time of Haman, as is the case now, we had lost faith in the tzaddik, we ignored Mordechai's plea not to attend the orgy. We had lost faith in ourselves that being that we could withstand temptaion and raise above, to the goal (Likutey Halakhot, Yibum 3:15).

So Esther decreed a fast she enjoined us to make a vow (Rokeach, Esther). She told us to raise above the need to eat she proclaimed a 3 day fast. and making the vow to fast, we showed our desire to transend the earthly needs. We showed faith in ourselves, that we could and would keep the fast. Hashem them helped us to see that we really do not need all those "needs". And He brought us in touch with the Tzaddik with Mordechai who could then tell us the truth about ourselves. Who are we What is life and where is Hashem. And then we will have no need to fast. Rather, at the Purim Banquet we can serve Hashem with feasting and drinking even more than we serve Him with fasting (Likutey Morharan I, 58:2-6 also Lm II, 86). Beacuse the The "ULTIMATE" GOAL IS EARTHLY SERVICE. BUT WE MUST FAST TO GET THERE. So every year on the eve of Purim, we keep Esther's fast.

Tzom cal, Happy Purim from Reb Nati and family from the Holy city of Jerusalem.

Parshas Mishpatim ''The Catch 22''

Shemot 21-22 "And these are the Ordinances That you shall place before them";

These laws were given close to the giving of the ten commandments and the laws of the altar to give us insight into Judaism, it is not just a religion it applies to all areas of life and to be holy one must conduct himself from within the frame work of Halachah no less in our business dealing than in the areas of purity or matters of ritual. This the civil law, the Tort, these were to set up zedek justice, equality, fairness. these are the laws regarding the Jewish bondsman, the sale of a daughter, murder and manslaughter, killing of a slave, penalty for bodily injury, negligent death, whether by your animal or a pit laws of property damage, and responsibility of a borrower, seduction, sensitivity to the helpless and abandoned, theft of livestock, self-defense, payment for theft or damages by livestock and the laws of custodians,... and now to the point which I wanted to get to,

The commandment to extend free loans.

Why? Perek 22 Pasuk v24; ... אם כסף תלוה את עמי "When you lend money to my people, to the poor person who is with you, לא תהיה לו כנשה, do not act toward him as a creditor, do not lay interest on him." I want to explore the likutey Halachot that Reb Nosson connected to the this parsha. it is found in Choshen Mispat chalaha haloah Hashem [otiot; א, (A) ב (B) l'phei ozter Hayirah mamon and parnusha פה, #85]. on the verse, אם כסף תלוה את עמי- 'there are days of good and days of bad these are the aspect of; "ביום טובה היה בטוב וביום רעה ראה" On the good days go with the good and on the bad days look. Ok it is pashut, on the good days, but what this, on the bad days... look? what does it mean to Look?
Thus one has to, see and to look very deeply and very well to find the good inside the bad days, thus a person will find the good even inside the bad days. Why? "because the whole world is full of his glory", כי מלא כל הארץ כבודו, Even in the the tongues or the languages of the nations. Because enclosed and cloaked in them are the letters of the Torah. And they are the aspect of 'Good days' It is only because they are so cloaked, covered with the bad days or they are so many more of them, and it makes it hard to find them or to see them. For nothing even the evil can exist for it is sustained only by the good that is cloaked inside of it.

However, the one who merits, he who has so destroyed his Yeitzer HaRah, or one who has attached himself completely to a Tzaddik who has completely subdued His Yeitzer HaRah. which by the way is the easier of the two, then that person can and will be able to find all of the letters of the Torah that have been cloaked in the languages of the nations. ie.'the bad days'. From this aspect of 'that person is able to find and extract all the good in these bad days', and if a person can do this, 'to mamash' to find the good from amidst the bad days he will never have a problem with or be lacking in parnusha. why? Because he by his being attached to the Tzaddik or by subduing his Yeitzer HaRah, has brought down for himself Bracha and Shefa Tovah. And he is about to receive spiritual bounty dafka though the letters of Torah which he was able to discover and uncover though his finding of the good in the bad. Because the letters of Torah are the building blocks of everything. And as such the Torah is source of all Bracha and all Shefa! That means when a person is able to attach himself to the letters of Torah, when he has found the good in the worst he therefore has attached himself to the source of all blessing and bounty!

Now when a person has not merited to this because the bad days have become so strong or numerous that they completely hide and cover over the good days he cannot find any letters of the Torah, which are really hidden in all of his day to day actions, and his business dealings. And now the Bracha and shefa can only come down, through a Tzimtzum gadol, a very very great and powerful constrictions and difficulties, thus this person will be forced to take loans to live. Because when he is not seeing the good in even the worst of days, and only seeing bad he then is 'not' connecting to the source, ie. 'the Otiot ha Torah' for they are source of all Blessing and Shefa.

For the whole idea of taking loans is from the concept or aspect of that there are 'good and bad days'! He says to himself "I'll barrow on the bad days 'today', and hope to pay it back when the good days come." the whole reason a majority of people take loans is because they have a lack or Hashem forbid no parnusha. 'Ain Lo Attah' he dos not have right now but he hopes to have in the future. So instead of praying and T'shuvah where he would reconnect with the Torah, he instead wants to short cut Hashem and barrow his way out of this situation. He just puts himself in a worse situation, then by complaining, and focusing on the negative, its a catch 22, because by focusing on and speaking about the negative we increase the covering and we distance and detach ourselves further from the Bracha and Shefa. its a vicious cycle because if he does not see the good on these days he brings more bad on himself Hashem forbid! He must stop and find the good before its covered to deeply. that why we should all live by the klal "Ain shum y'ush b'olam klal" there is no such thing as despair in the world at all!!! But instead we live by this klal 'the lie'... how is it usually said? This is the "normal" way we all say it "I'm going through rough times". Because he feels he is having bad days he goes to his friend and barrows for now and hopes that his friend will wait til the good days return. the only reason a person barrows is that he feels he is in a period or having bad days thus he cuts himself off from the blessing and shefa.

Once a person comes into the situation where he takes loans it's very hard for him to come out from this. and the majority of people can not pay them back on time. It is like the Rabbis o.b.m. teach that "the giver of the loan says to himself "ha la vie, I hope he'll pay me back on time" the gemorra asks ha la vie? why doesn't he say v'die, surely! he should pay me back on time" But because the giver knows that after he the borrower does not have Emunah sh'leima, and he cannot see, 'that even in the bad days there is really good', he asks himself how will he ever reach the good days? How if he never sees the good, how will he ever have the money to pay me back the loan?

Because the truth is! good days and bad days are in every single day! to the extent that a person is able to overcome the Yeitzer Harah and strengthen the good over the bad.

It is only by a person overcoming his Yeitzer Harah and or by attaching to the Tzaddik, that he can see! "That the whole world is full of his glory" and that he whole world is full of good! by this he will be able to look very well. This is the only way for him to bring about the good days. once a person can do this and focus on the good, When he has come to do this he will certainly be able receive his parnusha each and everyday and we will never have to come into debt or to take loans.

But the person who, was forced to fall into debt and take loans, because he has damaged his Emunah, and it is only because he could not find or see the good in the bad days, because it also works in the reverse Hashem forbid, that if person chooses to see only the bad he will bring on more and more bad days. And it will become very very difficult to come out of the debt/loan cycle. The reason is because he can now only focus on the bad so that the bad get stronger and stronger everyday. The truth is, it is because a person is not making the effort to find the good in the bad days. as explained above, 'to see that" the whole world is full of his glory"!!!

Therefore in truth a person has to be very very careful not to fall into debt, specificality a person who has already sinned and he has caused damage and has not overpowered his Yeitzer Harah and has let the the evil overpower the good, and now! This person he wants to return to Hashem in T'shuvah. And what is the main part of T'shuvah? It is precisely in finding the good that is concealed in the bad. He has to believe in himself, and that there is for sure a measure of good letf inside himself. And that there is still hope for him to return to Hashem. Like it says, "you requested, 'from there', Hashem your G-d, 'mi sham dika' from there! what does it mean from there? from all the places where you were pushed amongst the Goyim, not just where he lived, but where one has fallen, and from and mainly from the mindset of the Goyim! which comes about through sin that damages the Emunah.

Therefore someone who wants to be a Baal T'shuvah he needs to be very very careful not to fall into debt because when he falls into debt he cannot possibly see the good! It becomes very hard, but it is possible if he will work hard. "l'veh rasha... any time the rasha is doing evil, 'he is escorting the evil' ie."me-'laveh' hamalka" to escort the queen, the"lo'veh to lend so "lo'veh rasha" can also mean 'he barrows evil' The main source of evil comes from your allowing the aspect of the bad days to overpower the aspect good days. this is how we come to this level of debt and of borrowing. Therefore the pasuk warns if you loan a person money do not run after him! If the poor person cannot pay we have to have Rachim and chessed on him to take him out of being a baal choev.

In short we have to help him see the good!

May it be that the K'dosh one bless us, that we see and can focus on the good, and attach ourselves to the 'otiot ha torah', the source of all blessing and bounty and to be able see the letters of Torah in every thing, and all the chessed that Hashem does for us each and everyday, even in these the darkest of days in this world for if we can see the light in the darkness, for the light sustains the darkness there is no darkness with out light may it be that we can enable the overpowering of the the bad, so we can attach ourselves to the light and to the source of all speedily in the these days at our time Amen!

Gut Shabbos Reb Nati

"And they believed in Hashem and in His servant
Moshe" (Shmos 14:31).

The midrash tells us: "whoever believes in Hashem is as if he believes in the true shepherd Moshe, and whoever believes in the true shepherd is as if he believes in Hashem, Creator of the world" (Mechilta, Beshalach).

The Talmud teaches: The Torah is acquired by means of 48 qualities. One of these is emunas chachamim, "faith in the tzaddikim" (Avot 6:6)

The vast majority of these qualities focus on one's diligence and efforts in pursuing Torah study and rectifying bad character traits. However right in the middle of all of these 48 is faith in the tzaddikim. The Tzaddikim are the ones who transmit the Torah to us, so without faith in their teachings we will never be able to acquire the Torah. That being the case, of what value is intellectual pursuit and diligent study?

An integral part of achieving faith in Hashem is by having faith in the tzaddik. After all, how can we with our defective sechal (intellect) and lack of Daat (knowledge, but knowledge of truth) in this ever confusing and changing world ever hope to come to choosing right from wrong, what is correct? How do we chose from pure and tamei (impure), kosher from traif (non-kosher)? For leading us through the confusion we have to rely on the Tzaddik.

These righteous individuals they who have risen above the mundane and physical restraints and limitations of the defective human sechal (intellect), they know. We can rely on them in much the same way as a child relies on a parent, to whom he look up as all knowing.

"Most sea men are Chassidim" (Talmud Kiddushin 82a). "This is because they are in constant danger and are always turning to Hashem" (Rashi) We can relate this to the crossing of the sea of reeds. The Jews believed in Moshe and followed him across. The sea was split like walls raising between the tribes, symbolic of the "sea of Knowledge" too dangerous to navigate across without the proper tools and navigational aides- these are the advice of the Tzaddik who guides us on the proper course.

Pharaoh on the other hand did not have any belief, he felt that he had the tools with which to cross on his own. As is the case today, with Artscroll and the many translations and incredible volume of holy seforim (Torah books), we have a ready access to the deep Ocean of the Torah. Yet we have to be even more careful than before as we sit at home without a Rav to teach us (with the rav was the only way until recent generations).

We must be aware that we are not properly equipped, and turn to those who are. Otherwise G-d forbid, like Pharaoh being ill trained and ill equipped to handle the turbulent sea, the walls came crashing down upon him and the Mitzrim [Egyptians] (Likutey Halakhot, Netilat Yadayim Li'seudah 6:39).

Rebbe Nachman said, From me you can begin to get a glimpse of the greatness of Hashem" (Tzaddik #284).

The Tzaddik is one who has attained Torah and has acquired Ruach HaKodesh (divine inspiration/insight). With faith in the Tzaddikim, they can help us achieve greatness in spirituality and closeness to Hashem.

"Even mentioning their names helps us draw from their Holiness." (Likutey Halakhot, Netilat Yadayim li'Seudah 4:6)

Photo: The Breslev Tzadik of Meah Shearim, my rav and teacher, HaRav Shalom Arush, shlita, author of the Garden of Emunah, dancing at the bar mitzvah of My son in Jerusalem.

Pesach Sheynei "A Second Chance"

Hashem told the the Jews to prepare for the Pesach Festival. There were Jews who were tamei (impure) and were not ready in time. They came to Moshe and asked, 'How can we still partake of Pesach, when it was too late for us to purify ourselves?' Moshe asked Hashem and He replied, 'They can have a second chance. Let them celebrate the holiday of Pesach Shaynei, one month later, on the fourteenth day of the second month the month of Iyar'(Bamidbar 9).

"How great these impure people must have been! they were able to initiate the revelation of a new law of Torah" (Rashi).

Reb Noson explains that this came about specifically because of their great desire to partake of the Mitzvah. These people were impure. It was their own negligence that brought them to be distanced from the rest of the Jews on Pesach and thus not being able to participate in the Paschal lamb. Still, they never gave up hope. They came Before the Tzaddik, Moshe, pleading, "We are impure, we know we are impure, but we do not want to fail to be included in the sacrifice to Hashem."

Similarly, continues Reb Noson, every Jew should come to the Tzaddik and say, "I'm impure. I know I'm impure. Still why should I be held back? Why should i not come close to Hashem, to learn Torah, to pray, to do t'suvah? Is it because I am to distant that there is Hashem forbid no hope for me whatsoever? Hashem can always help, even those who are very distant from Him." A person must know that if he always turns to Hashem and constantly searches for the true Tzaddik who can show him the right path, he will definitely come true repentance (Likutey Halakhot, Birkhat HaPeirot 5:15, G'viat Chov M'Yetomim 3).

So It was with me yesterday night on the 14th day of Iyar I got my second chance, as we preformed my pidyon Habechor. I had never been redeemed and was was in a constant state of issur mitzvah deriser, unknowingly. My father not begin religious had never redeemed me as I'm a first born son of first born son for five generations. and only last week I found out that I had chiuv to be redeemed without delay. As all that I had previously had done, yes every mitzvah I had done until yesterday was tied to the other side, because of this issur. Wow that explains a lot. The whole day from the first shiur at Rav shalom Arush's yeshieva to the shiur in zohar with Rav Teicher was screaming do this so we found a Kohain actually two and I and three others preformed the ceremony at the kotel on pesach shaynei, and yarzteit of Rebbe Meir Baal Haneis, seuda and all, right there in front of Hashem and all those who were present, several hundred who said amen. What a relief these people must have felt to know they had a second chance. I know what I felt, I felt relief as now I am able to draw even closer to Hashem. Thank you Hashem for being Loving and Compassionate to the poor and distant of Your people.
A Guten Yom Tov
Reb Nati

"Sefirah" Counting the Omer Part III

Reb Nosson teaches that the daily obstacles we encounter are in direct proportion to the spiritual levels and wisdom we seek to achieve. We should therefore not feel discouraged when we see our improvement in serving Hashem suddenly countered by difficulties. As long as we maintain our Mochin de'Gadlut, the forces opposing our advancement cannot affect us. For it is only when we descend to Mochin de'Katnut, to depression and despair, that we find it very difficult to stand up against these obstacles.

In fact, taking heart and strengthening ourselves each day is the one protection we have. Even when there are difficulties or obstacles, we have to realize that today is also part of the allotted time on earth. It, too, is a day during which we can and must accomplish whatever possible in coming closer to Hashem. If we cannot pray or study study Torah properly, then we should say tehillim (psalms) or perform other miztvot - doing whatever we can. For "Hashem wants the Jews to be rewarded; and therefore He gave them the Torah to study and many mitzot to perform."

In other words, we must never fool ourselves into thinking that since the day started wrong, today is a wasted day, G-d forbid! We must never allow ourselves to say that there is no point in trying to serve and to know Hashem or returning to Him on this day; that we are better off waiting until tomarrow. Rather, we must realize that every day is important and that every moment counts! And this is the lesson of Sefirat Ha'Omer, the 49 days of counting. It teaches us to make the best and the most of what we have, since every day does count! (Likutey Halakhot, Pikadon 4)

Have a great day, from Reb Nati

In The Cave Of Hillel

This is the torah we learned from the tzaddik (ben porat yosef) Shimon ben Miriam, may we merit to dance at his chuppah soon. (amein!) From Likutey Halachot - Hilchos Hashkamas Haboker halacha gimel:

'א)'יתגבר כארי לעמד בבקר שיהא הוא מעורר השחר
'Be as strong as a Lion that you will awake the dawn'

According to the torah "Vayasev Elochim", see there (Likutey Moharan, b'simman 62):

It is explained there, that there is a difference between questions. There are questions that man can understand and explain, and there are those we can not. On this was said in (avot perek bet): "ודע מה שתשיב לאפיקורוס". "And know what to answer the heretic".

In truth Hashem Yisbaruch has limited 'human sekel' and what it can understand. 'HU mitzvah gedolah' It's mitzvah gedolah to sharpen the sekel to understand completely. About this it has been said "know what to answer the heretic". And know the only way to sharpen the sekel is by solely relying on emunah.

But there are questions that are impossible for human mind to understand and explain, and only in the future time will the answer revealed. It is forbidden for a man to ponder, and anyone that relies on sekel and casually ponders them... about this it's been said in (mishleyBet :19): "כל באיה לא ישובון"... "and all who come to her(sekel) do not return, nor do they attain the paths of life". Because all these questons are forbidden to contemplate. On these we only can stand on Emunah, and even questions that we think we can understand, Because on this kind of question it is forbidden to rely on your sekel, and only stand on emunah and even the questions that there are answers for, just know sometimes the way of understanding is blocked. And we do not know how to answer them,"heresy is grabbing" etc. And this heresy it is for everyone according to their level or connection to Hashem and emunah we can either understand a little or a lot, because we need serve Hashem with both our yeizters etc. 'And that is a post of it's own'

And truly, if we know, really know with a full heart "that all the world is His" (Hashem's) Ein Milvado, and that HaKodosh Baruch Hu, is standing near in the time of tefilla,'when ever we come to him with a full heart' surely we would pray with excitement and enthusiasm and inspiration and fervor, and would pray precisely, and focus our words. But it is precisely because we do not believe this, we aren't praying with enthusiasm and without focus. All of this is coming because our knowledge is covered, and there is in the heart an aspect of meloiket... aspect (hosea yud:2) "חלק לבם"..."Their hearts have become detached [from Hashem]; now they will become desolate without hope.", this is the aspect of questions that are coming because the sekel defective, and continue til we do not how to answer the heretic in our own hearts. But do not despair there is a tikun and blei nader i'll post it motzei Shabbos.


Ka lakavod l'chem to all those who have given thus far for all the help please remember kimcha d' pischa it's a great miztvah to help those who have no way to make the seder Hashem's Blessings to all a kosher and joyful pesach.

Gut shabbos
reb Nati