Alei Shur 2: Recent Episodes
Moshe Rubin
R' Moshe Rubin's Wednesday night mussar va'ad.
Please reach out and let me know how you are enjoying the vaadim or just to say hello: MRubin214gmail.com. Would love to hear from you! (My apologies if I do not respond immediately.)
Feel free to donate to Kollel HaShechuna (the beis medrash where we learn); http://www.kollelh.com/
Credit to R' Yoram Bogacz who's shiurim have been a huge help along the way.
Have a fabulous day!
Further discussion of building structure and framework for avodah - With Purim discussion at end!
For more Purim shiurim:
323-Alei Shur Sheni Gate 3 Perek 23
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BRdtst9dEI45KJ0KWJavM?si=sfiP0EWvQ8SzhrJe5L0FZA
324-Alei Shur Sheni Gate 3 Perek 24
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6u2AU4tttsVk62qi6iWcxZ?si=6aEw5vifQPiA0OOVeGM6bw
Defining Gaaveh; balancing investment in growth and chashivus for accomplishment with arrogance...
Excellent follow up of discussion from last week re: being a "ben olam haboh" and viewing this our role, thoughts, speech, actions, in this world in the context of a much 'larger' existence
Significance of Emunah in Olam HaBoh in every day avodah: understanding the eternal quality of our thoughts, speech and deeds and why it is important.
Emunas Chachamim - part 3
Would love to hear from you if you are enjoying - mrubin214@gmail.com; please just reference alei shur in the subject!
The "obligation" of Hakaras Ha'Tov;
Hakaras HaTov as the foundation of avodah and k'fias haTov as the basis for kfirah
The "midah" of Kakaras HaTov in the context of interpersonal relationships; in the context of one's relationship with Hashem
2 reasons why, despite the fact that Hakaras HaTov is intuitive on the most basic level, people steer towards being Kafui Tov:
Vaad 2: entitlement
Vaad 3: recognition of hakaras ha'tov creates an obligation and shift of a power dynamic
Vaad 4: Hakaras HaTov is most challenging in the context of our closest relationships
Excellent!!! If you are loving these and growing, please pay it forward and share the wealth - ltoeles!
Have a fabulous day
(would love to hear from you mrubin214@gmail.com)
Welcome Back!!! Vaad 4 on Machshava as the nexus between Ruchnius and Gashmius; Relating to pleasure (eating); and honing the ability to focus...
Have a fabulous night!!! MR
see also previously posted Yom Kippur: Practical Points for Focus - standalone shiur from last year!
Final thoughts to RALLY around going into Yom HaDin; Define MISSION STATEMENT; CLARITY of purpose; creating SEEDS OF POTENTIAL for the year; CAPTURING BACK LOST GROUND from the other side; CONFUSING THE SATAN
Discussing the tekufah we are in and how we can relate to Malchus; Building on the last several vaadim that are totally perspective changing; These come together for a down to earth "forward looking" approach to Yomim Noraim that is accessible and real for everyone. Understanding how every Rosh HaShonoh can be (and should be) different without getting caught up in distraction.
Finishing the last shiur: Advancing on the last two weeks to understand avodah as an individual and in the context of the greater structure specifically as relates to Torah
Advancing on the last two weeks to understand avodah as an individual and in the context of the greater structure specifically as relates to Torah
Ideas were discussed in the last 2 Alei Shur vaadim; (this excerpt from another shiur)
Feel free to drop me a note; I would love to hear from you!
mrubin214@gmail.com
Part two from last week. Amazing pieces to start focusing for elul and start creating a framework for a meaningful cheshbon ha'nefesh
I would love to hear what you think or if you had any additional insight. MRubin214@gmail.com. Please feel free to drop a quick note.
!!!!!!!!!!!! Great Piece!!!!!!!!!!!! Totally perspective changing...Building yourself as an individual...while understanding the significance of your role in the broader context of the klal; Beginning to understand our avodah as we work towards Rosh HaShonoh; Please feel free to reach out or share this link
Continuing from last week; developing as an individual and engaging one's personal avodah; practical exercises
312.1-Perek 12 Chodesh Rachamim
K'bnei Maron: Avodah as an individual: The world was created for me: Accountability (and being Empowered!!!)
Practical exercises coming next week
Some thoughts if helpful towards developing a central theme, and a trip through maggid as a window into defining our role as a member of the Jewish nation.
Fantastic! Patience and tolerance in:
Vaad 4: specific issues of tolerance and patience in a family context; wife, children, other close relationships;
Vaad 5: Learning how to respond: B'nachas;
Vaad 6: Considerations in a position of being a mashpia/influence/educator etc.
Vaad 2: Taking responsibility for reactions, and interactions with others. Tolerance and consistency
Vaad 3: Must listen! Balancing being realistic (patience with self) in avodah with being unforgiving in approach to growth.
Bli neder will try and put up a fuller synopsis.
Synopsis coming soon. Hadran alach Chessed Vaadim; Purim vort at the end, and please see the other purim shiurim as well.
Thank you!
...fuller synopsis coming soon; discussion of creating a framework for self development light of ones tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses; understanding that different people are coming from a different place and being wary of judging others through ones own perspective; breeding sensitivity in avodah without breeding intolerance to others who may be working on something else; being dan l'kaf zechus; the shoresh of Lashon Horah
—- feedback has been that this week was great ☺️——enjoy! Self knowledge; engaging ones Neshama and the activating chiyus/breaking routine; Bringing Shechina into the the world through maasim; hachnasas orchim;
Tuning into ones inner world rather than living a reactive life;
Dei Machsoro and learning to empathize
Ezehu chocho, ha’lomed m'kol adam.
Cultivating a perspective of learning to be sensitive to positive behaviors in others and our surroundings
Practically working towards not not being something you do, but integrating it into your personality and interface so that jt becomes oart of your personality.
Connecting the sechel and lev through the medium of emotion; hergel -opposite if “hispa’alus”- as the enemy of growth; understanding the root/motivations of our behaviors to understand where we are truly holding and whether (and whether it is sustainable)
August 2, 2021.Define yourself by your unique charater and G-d given ability to accomplish rather than by the baggage and chisronos in place for us to rectify and overcome. Shiur given on August 2, 2021
Discussion of concept of Shiur Komah and working towards shelimus through the taryag mitzvos
Synopsis coming soon: The function and power of spoken word; Koach Ka'dibur as going to the essence of man, and specifically Yisroel.
Setting out amazing yesodos! (....As we go back to fill in the shaar 1 shiurim)
Chochmo: relating to things external to us
Binah: using our power of abstracting the truth of a concept (without being distracted by a particular application or set of circumstances) to be able to apply elsewhere
Daas: to integrate knowledge into ourselves such that we develop our middos and become G-dlike
1.
The 2 primary functions off the intellect are 1. Cognitive (Hakara) and 2. Evaluative (Ha’aracha).
HAKARA: acknowledge information; verifiable; objectively right or wrong. The 2 possibilities of error relate to A. Mistake (not “Yashar”) ; or B. Bias (not “tahor”).
HA’ARACHA: Evaluative; Subjective; Yes me'ayin; (the "value" of memorabilia) Most of us spend more time using our koach of evaluation than of hakara, i.e. what we eat, where we shop.
Note that these operate independently as a baby may evaluate what (s)he likes without a basis for understanding; and an adult may have distorted values notwithstanding understanding something intellectually. Ultimately a friction develops where one’s (subjective) system of values and his understanding of (objective) reality are inconsistent.
Therefore, developing ones value system to be in line with the truth is at the heart of what we are trying to accomplish with our use of bechira and what we are trying to accomplish as humans beings – central to the purpose of creation!
2.
The tachlis of Man is to be G-d-like. While this relates to “middos,” we brought sources to show that this occurs in the intellect. Therefore, we must understand the nature of the intellect interacting with middos, which is the basis of our Avodah: This is the world of Daas!
3.
Daas is the “place” where ideas translate into middos; the actualization of potential. There are 2 parts to Daas:
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Daas is the ‘muskalos rishon’, the aspect of the intellect which is internal, and fills a persons consciousness, and not an idea that is external to the thinker. Think in terms of ‘common sense’ or an axiom on which a mathematics equation is based that does not have to be ‘proven’ (anything time zero is zero)
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Daas penetrates into a persons most inner self;
Through the examples of Bilaam who had the first type of “daas” we explained that the daas that can penetrate a person’s most inner self is unique to the Jewish people. (story: one does not have to be a triangle to teach geometry, no matter how true it may be; compare a “ben” torah)
Daas is the middah that is at the core of what makes us “Odom."
When we use daas to develop our middos and internalize truth and ratzon Hashem, we become Gdlike;
This is what we are ultimately setting out to accomplish
Understanding what an "Odom" is through the lens of chazal;
Please feel free to drop me a note: mrubin214@gmail.com; also, let me know if you would like a link for all of the shiurim that have been posted.
MR
[September 14, 2021] Areas where we have become desensitized, and fail even to relate to as shortcomings, are the biggest barriers between us and fulfilling our potential to come close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. While it is tempting to focus on the “bigger” aveiros that we do in fact regret, it is the areas of subtlety where we have created a new framework that does not include G-d and it is from this mindset, however small the move, that we must break out of.
We explore the connection between the intense technical Pesach preparations and the Leil Seder, what it really means to compare the Yetzer Hara to Chametz, and explain how delaying a mitzvah robs it of its essential ingredient.