Hidden Lights of Torah: Recent Episodes
Simon Kofman/ שלמה יצחק
Trying to Reach and Teach The Inner Worlds of Torah. Activist. Student. Working on Listening. Trying to Heal. (He/Him)
Niggun Havayah is a journey of the soul wrestling with uncertianly and awakening to the Divine saftey, love, presence and comfort that is Havayah, this moment.
Hayayah is all of us: our deepest selves, our innermost light and our innermost reservoir of healing and wholeness.
As the mind slips into "hayah", the past of what was and "Yiheyeh" the future of what will be, we gently remind the mind to withdraw from the center to allow the soul's timeless light of present moment awakening and wholeness to permeate our being.
In doing so, we land in Havayah.
Here, and only here, do we encounter our innermost selves & innermost light.
Torah on Parshat Behar how Shmitah is anticapitalist by nature and challenges us to create an equal society where all have access and plenty.
Brief Shiur on two paragraphs from Rebbbe Nachman's Likutie Moharan Torah 112, where we learn about how accepting our limitations and leaning into our discomfort creates for us the portals to transform our darkness into light.
What relevance does Purim being the holiday focused on the acceptance of Torah She B'all Peh have for our generation? This shiur explores how Purim is a time to continue the tradition of Torah She B'all Peh through creative halachic rulings rooted in the tradition of the Oral law.
Rav Eliezer Berkowitz Agunah solution!!! https://elmad.pardes.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/4-Saba-just-divorce-pardes-header.pdf
Purim as the Acceptance of the Oral Law: See Rav Tzadok Pri Tzadik, Purim, Chapter 2: לעשות אותם ימי משתה ושמחה. העיקר בימים האלה המשתה והוא עפמ"ש (זח"ג רעא ב) לכו לחמו בלחמי דא אורייתא דבכתב ושתו ביין מסכתי דא יינא דאוריתא דבעל פה. ועיקר קטרוג המן נתעורר על ידי שהגיע אז זמן התפשטות תורה שבעל פה. וכמו שזכו אחר כך לאור תורה שבעל פה שנקראת אורה וכמ"ש (שבת פח.) הדר קבלוה בימי אחשורוש והיינו התורה שבעל פה שע"ז היה הכפיית ההר כגיגית (כמו שנת' זכור מא' יד). ואיתא בגמרא (חולין קלט :) משה מן התורה מנין כו' המן מן התורה מנין כו' וצריך להבין למה נצרך לפרש רמז על משה רבינו ע"ה בתורה וכל התורה מלא משמו ונקראת ע"ש תורת משה.
https://www.sefaria.org/Pri_Tzadik%2C_Purim.2.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
Torah on Parshat Metzorah from the sefer Aish Kodesh, the Pieseczna Rebbe's collection of near weekly sermons to his holy flock from within the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto, on Yom Hazikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah, a day that celebrates the inner strength of the survivors and those who fought back against the Nazi destruction.
The Rebbe discusses how concealed within destruction is Redemption, and one must try to believe that everything that happens is for the good. We also looked at 2 Torah teachings from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov who reiterated the Rebbe's messages regrading the limits of knowledge and the power of faith in G-d's goodness. (Sichot Haran 3; Likutie Moharan 4:1)
We learned Torah 6 and 8 from Rebbe Nachman's Likutie MoHaran where Rebbe Nachman discusses in Torah 6 how one must embrace from the offset that Teshuva/Repentance/Returning to G-d and our essential selves, is a two pronged process of failure and success, of ups and downs, of doing more but also accepting just being where we are at.
In Torah 8, Rebbe Nachman talks about the importance of the breathe, of breathing, pausing, living in the now and accepting our lack.
Inspired after the recent Zusha song Basi Lgani, we learned the Mamar, Bati L’gani, that the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave over upon accepting the mantle as the 7th Rebbe of Chabad on the 10th of Tevet, 1951.
The Rebbe reminds us how G-d’s presence is abundantly found even in the lowest chambers of existence, and how it is a Jews responsibility to reveal this Divinity that exists wherever they find themselves.
A Torah from Reb Natan of Breslov's Likutie Halachot in honor of his Yertzite, on how we need to look for the good within ourselves, why the Jewish people's first mitzvah was to sanctify the moon, and how there's no such thing as a Jew having gone to far.
We learned a piece from the sefer Aish Kodesh on this weeks Parsha, Parshat Cheyei Sarah, while also looking at a piece in Rebbe Nachman's Likutei Moharan Tanyana 12 on screaming out to G-d.
Rebbe Nachman and Rav Kook's conception of who and what is the Tzadik. Pulling from Shmoneh Kvatzim, Rebbe Nachman's Stories and Likutie Moharan.
For Music From Rav Dovid'l: https://soundcloud.com/dovidl-weinberg/eder-hayakar-rough-acoustic (Rav Kook-Tzadikim Hatihorim)
https://soundcloud.com/dovidl-weinberg/baal-hasadeh-pre-production-chorus (Rebbe Nachman-Ba'al Hasedeh)
Source Sheet https://docs.google.com/document/d/198VWPmbomx8JlYrYlc9QInw14BrCeAIf8G64C0NbWWw/edit?usp=sharing
Shiur looking at the story of the heart and the wellspring from Rebbe Nachman as an expression of the finite yearning for that which is infinite. We also looked at a song by Rav Kook where Rav Kook describes the souls desire to move beyond its bodily limitations and boundaries.
We had the privilege on Chai Elul י"ח אלול , the birthday of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe of Chabbad, of connecting to G-d in the way that the Ba'al Shem Tov taught us how to: through song.
We delved into the meaning of some of Ishay Ribo's songs in addition to showing how his lyrics and ideas are deeply rooted in the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav.
אשרינו שזכינו...
hiur on the kabbalistic sugya and machlochet as to whether the generations experience yeridot hadorot (a falling of generations, I.e as the generations go on we become farther removed from G-s and the revelation at Sinai) or whether the generations experience aliyat hadorot (as time goes on, we increase in holiness) as expressed in the writings of MaRan Ha Rav Kook and Rav Chaim Moshe Luzzatto, the Ramchal.
On how all of Israel is really one soul manifest through different bodies throughout space and time and the ramifications therein!
This shiur given at the Kever of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in Uman attempts to do the impossible and introduce the Tzadik and Spiritual enigma that is Rebbe Nachman. We looked at a number of teachings from Rebbe Nachman's hassidic masterpiece and magnum opus, Likutei Moharan, in addition to painting the picture of the Tzadik through looking at his parables and recalling his legends.
Rebbe Nachman said that if it weren't for his scion and primary disciple Reb Nosson of Nemoriv later known as Reb Nosson of Breslov, none of his teachings would be known. Reb Nosson, in the aforementioned spirit, recalls in Sichot haran 48, how Rebbe Nachman would insist on starting over anew in his service of G-d multiple times a day. Rebaynu would fall and start over, fall again and start over, refusing to relinquish his spirit while forbidding himself to fall into despair. We should draw the strength to follow in the path of the Tzadik as we take our brokenness and recreate ourselves anew bigger and brighter day after day...
Part One of the Pre Pesach Shiur given at Lincoln Square Synagogue on Belief in the Self as the central redemption of Egypt. Teachings and Chassidut from Rav Kook, Rebbe Nachman, The Chalban and Rav Natan of Breslov on the importance of not only believing in Hashem but also believing in the fact that Hashem loves us, even when we think that we are dirty and unlovable.
Sources: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lP65R5XeAOSmC_jMdRvK3l7ADOKt5X79/view?usp=sharing
Selections from the book "Torah From the Years of Wrath," giving the historical context behind the Rebbe's Torah in addition to then seeing the Aish Kodesh on Purim, as the Rebbe implores his Chassidim to find joy amidst their suffering.
Also an amazing teaching from Rav Kluger on why we flip our garments on Purim and why Yaakov gets the blessing from his father Yitzchak only when dressed up in the garments of Eisav.
Torah and Tefillah with my Sam Jaron from the streets of Jerusalem...Niggunim and Torah Teachings on the Parsha as inspired by our Rebbe Rav Dovid'l Weinberg
He should have a Refuah Shelemah דוד הנך מרדכי בן פרידה שמחה
Shiur on the Kabalistic concepts of Tzimtzum, Shvirat Hakalim, the Nessirah in relation to Purim, and Rav Kook's understanding of Being and Becoming.
Second half of the Aish Kodesh Chabura on Parshat Mishpatim; on how our pain is G-d's pain...
Fifth installment of the Aish Kodesh Chabura, an in depth look at the awe inspiring writings of Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, The Piasezner Rebbe, and his sefer Aish Kodesh that he wrote and delivered to the suffering members of the Warsaw Ghetto from 1940-1943.
Fourth installment of the Aish Kodesh Chabura, an in depth look at the awe inspiring writings of Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, The Piasezner Rebbe, and his sefer Aish Kodesh that he wrote and delivered to the suffering members of the Warsaw Ghetto from 1940-1943.
Third installment of the Aish Kodesh Chabura, an in depth look at the awe inspiring writings of Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, The Piasezner Rebbe, and his sefer Aish Kodesh that he wrote and delivered to the suffering members of the Warsaw Ghetto from 1940-1943.
This week we will look at the Rebbe and his understanding of Eishet Chail while reading a first hand account of the Rebbe's Simchat Torah in the Warsaw Ghetto following the death of his only son and his daughter and sister in law.
Second installment of the Aish Kodesh Chabura, an in depth look at the awe inspiring writings of Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, The Piasezner Rebbe, and his sefer Aish Kodesh that he wrote and delivered to the suffering members of the Warsaw Ghetto from 1940-1943.
First installment of the Aish Kodesh Chabura, an in depth look at the awe inspiring writings of Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, The Piasezner Rebbe, and his sefer Aish Kodesh that he wrote and delivered to the suffering members of the Warsaw Ghetto from 1940-1943.