Chassidus to Nourish Your Soul: Recent Episodes
Rabbi Shmuel Zirkind
Teachings from Chabad Chassidus to inspire you to accomplish your mission and illuminate the world! Please send comments and feedback to rabbishmuelzirkind@gmail.com
On Rosh Hashana we blow the Shofar announcing the coronation of Hashem as our king. This is a call from a Jew’s essence to Hashem’s essence. We then translate this call into an awakening to return to Hashem, which fixes all blemishes caused by our negative behaviour. Then finally it reminds us to make practical resolutions to do more Mitzvos for the coming year!
Higher Teshuva is when you recognize the you are a soul that is a part of Hashem. You are always close to Hashem! All of reality is within Hashem even the negativity of this world. When you find yourself in a negative space, open up your eyes to see that from there, you can reach the ultimate closeness with Hashem! That will bring you to the ultimate simcha and joy!
Teshuva is done through removing the energy from our animalistic side and adding it to our Godly side.
A parallel from the Alter Rebbe: A creditor who is willing to forgive some of the debt and can accept a payment plan, obligates the debtor to do everything in his power to pay up the debt. So too Hashem’s graciousness to forgive causes us to put in all our efforts to do Teshuva (return to God).
The Baal Shem Tov the founder of the General Chassidus gives us the general positive attitude, while the Alter Rebbe the founder of Chabad Chassidus goes in the details.
The Shofar in Elul is different than the Shofar on Rosh Hashana. The Shofar on Rosh Hashana is a biblical commandment, but in Elul it is merely a custom to help us prepare for the new year. But there is a power in a Jewish custom that surpasses even God’s commandments!
The King - Hashem is in the field and we need to go out to greet and accept Him. This is a combination of love and awe.
On Rosh Hashana all Jews are equal in front of Hashem. Because He looks into and reveals the core and essence of every Jew soul.
Lesson from the leaders of the tribes who brought their donations after all the rest of the Jewish people.
There different changes that the Jewish people went through at the time of the giving of the Torah. But most importantly it was that they became a Kingdom of Ministers. The ability to elevate to physical into the spiritual. ליקוטי שיחות חלק י״ח במדבר - ב סיון
Pharaoh, Bilam, and Sancheriv were from the most vicious enemies of the Jewish people. Each one represents a different type of evil.
Hashem’s love to the Jewish people is so powerful, it is greater than any limitations of 3, 10, or even 100 years. It is eternal! This love can only be revealed in this world. באתי לגני תשי״ט
Expand your self love that hides all your failings, to include all those around you, so that you love them as yourself despite all their faults. This unity attaches us with Hashem’s unity, so that His love covers over and hides all our misdeeds. דרך מצותיך , מצות אהבת ישראל
What is more powerful, the spiritual service of refining one’s character and elevating one’s soul, or doing physical Mitzvos? Chassidus teaches us the power of the physical Mitzvos have a greater impact than all the spiritual work. באתי לגני תשי״ט
To love a Jew unconditionally means to recognize his/her untainted soul as it is one with the essence of Hashem. At the same time empowering him/her to maximize the soul’s potential by making efforts to bring him/her closer to Torah and Mitzvos. ליקוטי שיחות חלק טז קדושים שיחה ג
Hashem has the unique ability to combine the opposite forces of the infinite and finite together. A Jew has a similar power to bring the infinite light of Hashem into every mundane action. מים רבים תשי״ז
A Jew Chooses Hashem not for any self benefit even the most spiritual such as Gan Eden. Rather his/her connection comes from the soul’s essence connection with Hashem. ביום עשתי עשר תשל״א
Everything that ones has comes directly from Hashem without any intermediary. מים רבים תשי״ז
A Jew chooses to serve Hashem because of his/her soul connection to Hashem but he/she is wise and comes to that conclusion logically. ביום עשתי עשר תשל״א
The purpose of man in this world is to elevate himself to experience the connection to Hashem as in the hidden worlds. הפך ים ליבשה תשכ״ז
There is a lot more to the question than why do we do these Mitzvos on the night of Pesach. כי ישאלך בנך תשל״ח
There are 2 steps in the process of the connection Chassan and Kallah. An external connection and an internal connection. לכה דודי תשי״ד
How to explain the evil inclination that doing a sin is not worthwhile. מכתב יו״ד כסלו תשי״ד
The Godly soul entering the animal soul is a state of exile. Our mission in this world is to exit this exile. דרך מצותיך מצות השבתת חמץ ואכילת מצה
Matzah gives us a new level of faith in Hashem, how He is totally above and beyond creation. Just like a toddler learns to call to his father and mother. דרך מצותיך מצות השבתת חמץ ואכילת מצה
The Jewish people are commanded to believe in one God. The Gentiles may believe the Hashem is God of all gods. באתי לגני תשי״ג
The ritual of the Parah Adumah was a combination of fire and water. Representing the yearning of the soul as the fulfillment of the mission in this world. Teshuva even for Tzadikim. משיחת פרשת פרה תשמ״ט
The Rebbe is a continuation of Moshe Rabeinu. Just like Moshe Rabeinu is eternal because his essence is Torah. The same is true about the Rebbe. ליקוטי שיחות חלק כו פרשת שמות
How can we fulfill the Mitzva of bringing sacrifices when we don’t have a Bais Hamikdash? By bringing your own animal soul closer to Hashem. באתי לגני תשי״ב
Your words of Torah and prayer are so powerful that the souls from Gan Eden come down to listen to you! מאמר היושבת בגנים תשי״א
Amalek is the negative force that creates doubts in our mind. We can only combat this force with simple faith. משיחת פורים תשל״א
A thief may have faith in Hashem but still will go ahead and steal. By Connecting to the Rebbe one can internalize this faith to affect his practical life. מאמר ד״ה ואתה תצוה תשמ״א
Specifically during the time of the decree of Haman did the Jewish people truly accept the Torah! מאמר ד״ה ואתה תצוה תשמ״א
One of the faces described by Ezikiel in the Heavenly chariot is that of an Eagle. The Eagle represents the ultimate power of Teshuva. מאמר ד״ה כנשר יעיר קנו תשכ״ט
Hashem told Moshe to place the broken Luchos in the Holy of Holies. This demonstrates the value that Hashem has for the service a broken soul. משיחת כ מנחם אב תשכ״ה
Understanding the power of service of the Ketores in the Bais Hamikdash. When Hashem awakens our Essence then we can create the same effect. מאמר ד״ה כי תשא תשכ״ח
After Reaching the ultimate understanding of Torah and Godliness when Moshiach comes, we will reach a new understanding that comes from our essence as it is connected to Hashem’s essence. קונטרס כב שבט תשנ״ב
True novel ideas in Torah are already etched within Hashem’s essence before the creation of time. קונטרס כ״ב שבט תשנ״ב
How can one be anchored in life despite all the ups and the downs the we go through? We need to access the power of the inner soul! משיחת ש״פ תצוה תשמ״ט
The ideal way to serve Hashem is when there is pleasure in the service. Even when you are doing something uncomfortable that too is with pleasure. ואלה המשפטים תשמ״א
Three types of slaves in the Torah and how they reflect in our service of Hashem. ואלה המשפטים תשמ״א
Torah should not only be studied for the knowledge it provides rather to connect to Hashem within the Torah. One needs to acquire the Torah and become one with it. מאמר ואלה משפטים תשמ״א
A Sin that a Jew may commit is like dust on a letter engraved on the Luchos. Teshuva has the power not only to remove that dust but to add infinite value to the soul. Thank you to Rabbi Moshe Shur for some of the content of this episode.
A Jew that gives in to the temptation of sin always has a part of soul that remains loyal to Hashem. ליקוטי שיחות חלק טז משפטים שיחה ד
Lesson from the Lubavitcher Rebbe to strengthen our belief in the imminent arrival of Moshiach.
At times we struggle with doing the right thing. At times we are successful and at times we fail. Is it all worth it?! תניא פרק כז
Two types of energies - the natural and the super-natural. Moshiach is more of a reality than what is reported on the News! משיחת יתרו תשמ״ט
Even the highest levels of Gan Eden is totally insignificant in comparison to Hashem Himself. All I want is You alone! באתי לגני תשל״ב
Humility from the realization that you did not perform the Mivtza with devotion. Humility from the realization that Hashem being so great yet created the world and brought your soul into your body. Can you justify this descent?! באתי לגני תשל״ב
First step in prayer is to realize one’s own humble existence before Hashem. Then one can be elevated through deep thought about the greatness of Hashem and become totally attached to Him. באתי לגני תשל״ב
The advantage of iskafya (submission to Hashem) over ishapcha (transformation of evil to holiness). באתי לגני תשל״ב
Lessons from the fruit tree, to constantly grow and beautify our study of Torah and performance of Mitzvos. משיחת שבת בשלח תשנ״א
Three Miracles that teach how to fulfill our mission in this world. Which then makes so happy that it brings us to song. משיחת שבת בשלח תשנ״א
Once a week we can experience time without time! Following which time begins anew. באתי לגני תשכ״ב
Lessons we can learn from a tile on the wall to enrich our service of Hashem. לעילוי נשמת צבי יעקב בן יצחק
Understanding the truth of Torah even when science seems to contradict the facts that the Torah establishes ליקוטי שיחות חלק טו פרשת בא שיחה א
The infinite power of Hashem can be seen in the finite creation, by looking at the fact the world is as strong today as the day world was created! באתי לגני תשכ״ב
Unity and multiplicity seem like two opposites. But when we understand that the many elements that exist are all synchronized with each other, they all express Hashem’s ultimate Unity. באתי לגני תשכ״ב
We can understand Hashem through creation and then we can understand Hashem through Torah. This we untimely be revealed in the times of Moshiach! הדרן על הרמב״ם וארה תשמ״ח
A king fights two kinds of wars. One where he is conquering more land and wealth. The second where he is fighting back an attack that threatens the entire kingdom. באתי לגני תשכ״א
A discussion on the meaning of the term “Hashem’s Light” and Hashem’s Essence. באתי לגני תשכ״ב
Just like a father who lowers himself to play with his child, so too does Hashem contract and minimize His infinite light to have a relationship with us. באתי לגני תשמ״ב
The light and energy of Hashem as it comes down to create and energize this world, must go through a tremendous process of contractions and concealments. However Hashem’s Essence is within that light! באתי לגני תשמ״ב
It’s not enough to learn Torah and do Mitzvos on a rational level. Rather we need to reach the level of the supra rational! באתי לגני תש״י
We need to search to find Hashem in creation. We need to search to find the inner soul of another. We need to search to see redemption within the darkness of exile. משיחת פרשת שמות תשמ״ו
Bringing an idea to action connects you the real purpose of the idea! קונטרס ענינה של תורת החסידות
After understanding the true definition of good and evil, we can reach the ultimate goal of transforming evil into good. קונטרס ענינה של תורת החסידות
There is a dividing energy and a unifying energy. Let’s focus to be united! קונטרס ענינה של תורת החסידות
Often we wonder if Hashem is with us. One must understand that He is the essence of reality! קונטרס ענינה של תורת החסידות
Does a Jew do Mitzvah out of habit or because he/she understands the purpose behind it? Ultimately a Jew does a Mitzvah because it is the will of Hashem! קונטרס ענינה של תורת החסידות
A Jew has the ability to help another just for his sake without expecting any returns. By tuning in to his Godly soul! מאמר ד״ה ודוד עבדי תשל״ב
Recognize that Hashem is creating you every moment and don’t let the past affect the present. קונטרס ענינה של תורת החסידות
When we say Mode Ani every morning, we are not only thanking Hashem for life; but more importantly we are thanking Him being Jewish. קונטרס ענינה של תורת החסידות