The Ladder of Divine Consciousness

 The Ladder of Divine Consciousness

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַה': (בראשית יג:יח)
He built an altar to G‑d. Genesis 13:18

The three altars that Abraham built express the three levels through which we can ascend in our relationship with G‑d. Abraham built his first altar to thank G‑d for the promise of sustenance, children, and a land in which they could live. This corresponds to observing G‑d’s commandments, which gives life to the soul and sustains its connection to the body.

Abraham built his second altar to acknowledge the Divine gift of repentance. This altar expresses how we deepen our relationship with G‑d in order to restore it after having sinned.

Abraham built his third altar purely for the sake of glorifying G‑d. This altar expresses our ability to abandon our sense of independent selfhood and fuse with Him. All reality will fully attain this level of Divine consciousness only in the Messianic Era, but our awareness of this fact fuels our yearning for the Messianic Era, and G‑d will hasten its arrival commensurate with our yearning for it.1



Likutei Sichot, vol. 30, pp. 40–43.

"Why is so and so no longer a student in Bais Rivkah?"

   Reb Binyomin Silberstrom of Yerushalayim attended a bar mitzva of a Lubavitch family and the Bar Mitzvah boy related the following story.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe instructed Rabbi Chefer of Bais Rivkah in Kfar Chabad, to build another building to accommodate the growing student body, noting that the new building be built in Kfar Chabad Sheini. After obtaining a parcel of land, architects began drawing up the plans for the building. When the plans were finalized Rabbi Chefer decided that before he submits it to the authorities, he flew to New York in order to present it to the Rebbe. Only after the Rebbe approves or makes some suggestions and they will be incorporated, would he submit them to be approved.

When he entered the Rebbe's room for the Yechidus, he handed the Rebbe the folder that had all the plans. To his shock, the Rebbe moved the folder to a side, as if to say, "This doesn't interest me."

Looking at Rabbi Chefer, the Rebbe asked, "Why is so and so no longer a student in Bais Rivkah?"

Rabbi Chefer replied, "She left on her own accord, [as if to say that the administration didn't ask her to leave]."

"Do you know why she left," the Rebbe inquired. The Rebbe then added, "What is the need of a building, if a student is unhappy and leaves?"

Realizing that the Rebbe was unhappy, Rabbi Chefer said, "As soon as I return to Eretz Yisroel, together with other members of the administration, I will go to her house and ask her to return to Beis Rivkah."

Only then did the Rebbe retrieve the folder and examined it and then told Rabbi Chefer whatever he said.

The following day, Rabbi Chefer went to the airport and took a flight back to Eretz yisroel. When he landed,  he called the other members and they decided a time to meet and go to her house in Tel Aviv.

When they knocked on the door, it was opened by the girl who had left. She was startled to see them, but quickly composed herself and asked, “Why are you here now?”

I was by the Rebbe in New York, two days ago, and he asked me why you are no longer a student in Bais Rivkah, and I promised him that I and other members of the administration will visit you and see if we can resolve the problems or complaints that you have with the school.

The girl replied, since the Rebbe wants me to go back, I will give it a second try.  She then told them why she had left and they answered, we will make it a priority to take care of it.

The Bar Mitzvah boy concluded, how do I know this story? Because I am the youngest son of the girl. Because of the Rebbe's interest in one girl, all of her children are chassidim of the Rebbe!

mitzvos

 


​        The Chumash says to keep mitzvos. The Shema says to keep mitzvos. The Navi says to keep mitzvos. The Gemara talks all about mitzvos. As we learn in Tehillim, mitzvos are emunah. They bring us to emunah.

 

Thus, the Satan tries to trick us ​i​nto drop​ping them. First there was idol worship, a radical departure from Judaism. Some Jews fell for this while holding on to the other mitzvos, but many succumbed entirely. Then came Xianity which resembled Judaism in some ways. That tricked some more, but for many it was too much of a betrayal of their faith. Then came the haskalah. It didn’t appear to be a strange religion, but of course it was. That took many more. Then came Communism. You could still be an idealist. That took some more. Then came Zionism. You can still be with your people, just exchange those mitzvos for the land and the medinah. That took many more. At one point, all of Borough Park was Mizrachi.

 

So what is to be done with the rest, with those who are staying strong? Ah, dress it up even more. Give them one mitzvah to obsess over and tell them that it represents all the others. It is so much better than the others that you can forget about them. That we call contemporary Yeshivism. They call themselves Litvacks, but they are not Litvacks. The Vilna Gaon was a Litvack. He said, “Just as the prime purpose of a tree is its fruit, so is the study of Torah secondary to its fulfillment. Only the fulfillment of mitzvos qualifies a man as one of the righteous upon whom the world depends.” (Vilna Gaon, Even Sheleimah 5:6) That’s a Litvack. Today we have Yeshivists. So many are stumbling in the final days before Moshiach.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Theory of Education

 The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Theory of Education - The Lehrhaus



Divrei Chaim

 Rabbi Soloveitchik said that the Divrei Chaim was one of the two greatest Torah luminaries of the 19th century. The other was also a Chaim, the Rav's grandfather Chaim Soloveitchik. 


Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (1793–1876) (Hebrew: חיים הלברשטאם מצאנז), known as the Divrei Chaim after the title of his writings, was the rabbi of Sanz (Polish: Nowy Sącz), and the founding rebbe of the Sanz dynasty of hasidic Judaism.[1]

Life[edit]

Halberstam was a pupil of Rabbi Sholom Rokeach of Belz,[2] Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Heshl Orenstein and Rabbi Naftali Zvi of Ropshitz. His first rabbinical position was in Rudnik. In 1830 he was appointed as the town rabbi of Sanz,[1] where he founded a Hasidic dynasty. He attracted many followers and students, due to his piety and greatness. Sanz has been succeeded nowadays by the Sanz-Klausenberg, Sanz-Zmigrad, Tshakover (Chokover) Hasidic dynasties, and the Bobov Hasidic dynasties, among others.

Family life[edit]

Halberstam was born in 1793, in Tarnogród,[1] today Poland. His first wife Rochel Feyga was the daughter of Rabbi Boruch Frenkl-Thumim (1760–1828), the rabbi of Lipník nad Bečvou (לייפניק Leipnik) and author of the work Boruch Taam. She bore him five sons and three daughters. When she died he then married her sister, who died childless. His third wife was Rechil Devorah Unger, daughter of Rabbi Yechil Tzvi Unger, son of Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Unger of Dombrov; who bore him three sons and four daughters.

Halberstam had eight sons and seven daughters. His eight sons were:

Halberstam's sons all became famous rebbes (except for Myer Noson, who predeceased him). His seven daughters all married Hasidic leaders.

Halberstam died in Sanz, Austria-Hungary (now Poland) in 1876 (25 Nisan 5636).

Leadership[edit]

Halberstam was acclaimed by the leading rabbis of his generation as one of the foremost Talmudists, poskim and Kabbalistic authorities of his time, he received queries from Rabbis and communities from all over the world. His responsa, as well as his Torah commentaries, published under the title Divrei Chaim, reflect his Torah greatness, his humility, and his compassionate nature. He was a champion of the poor and established many organizations to relieve them of their poverty. He was the first Honorary President of Kolel Chibas Yerushalayim. His compassion and generosity was legendary; he literally gave away everything he had for the needy; and went to sleep penniless.

During his 46 years as Rabbi of Sanz; that city was transformed into a vibrant center of Hasidism, attracting tens of thousands of followers. Among his many disciples, are counted such leaders as Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Friedlander of Liska, the Tiferes Shlome of Radomsk, Rabbi Abraham Judah ha-Kohen Schwartz, Rabbi Meir Horowitz of Dzhikov, and the Kedishes Yom Tov of Sighet. He studied with his brother-in-law, Yosef Babad, author of the Minchat Chinuch.

guess who is chassidish

 Rosh Yeshivah HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman on Wednesday made his annual visit to the Tiv HaMatzos matza bakery, run by ba’al chessed and askan Reb Aharon Yosef Kornitzer.

In the course of the visit, Reb Kornitzer asked the Rosh Yeshivah, who grew up in a Chassidish home, if he eats gebrokts.

When HaRav Badani, Z'tl "Fought" With HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman - The Yeshiva World

belz

 Who else does kiruv in the Chassidic world, Belz?



So once again, we find somebody who is doing something interesting had a connection with the Rebbe.


gradual

 

The strategy of “little by little” is a lesson for us in our spiritual battles , as well. In our struggle to banish our spiritual enemies from within, patience is the greatest virtue. Tackling all of our obstacles at once will almost certainly end in failure; the methodical and gradual line of attack has much great hope for success. We must begin with easier steps, banishing first the most obvious forms of evil, and only then advance to subtler struggles. (Daily Wisdom, Vol. 2, p. 148)

Compare and contrast

 Here are two divrei Torah that I read yesterday, one from a neo-Litvish Rosh Yeshiva and one from a Chassidic Rebbe. Take a guess, which is which. 

1) Yosef Hatzadik was alone for nearly twenty two years with no chavrusa, no shiur, no Daf, no kehilla, no shul, yet he maintained his madreigah. This shows the koach of a Yid. 

2) This week’s Vort – פרשת שמות ותקרא שמו משה (שמות ב:ו) And she called him by the name Moshe. Moshe Rabbeinu had ten names; if so, why does the Torah refer to him by the name of Moshe? Especially if Basya, the daughter of Pharaoh, named him this name, why does Hashem refers to him by this name?

The Torah wants to teach us the value of an act of chessed - doing kindness to someone. Basya gave the name” משה - כי מן המים משיתהו”- because I pulled him out of the water - which was an act of חסד. 

The name משה רבינו and the word בגמילת חסדים are both equivalent to 613 – the amount of mitzvahs in the Torah.  This comes to prove that all mitzvahs revolve around chessed.

-------------------------------

So what do you say? Which is which?

Here's two more that I heard recently.

1)  Famous American 'gadol' to visitors (I believe they might have been children):

Do you await Moshiach?

Yes.

Do you want him to greet you?

Yes.

Then you must learn the laws of brochos because he won't greet you if you don't know them.

2) ואלה שמות בני  ישראל הבאים מצרימה (שמות א:א)

Why does it say these are the children of Yisrael (Yaakov Avinu) who are coming to Mitzrayim - הבאים is present tense – versus אשר באו - they came, which is past tense?

Because during the 210 years that the Jews were in Mitzrayim, they kept themselves estranged from the Egyptians, as if they had just arrived.  They didn’t change their attire, language, or names.  Therefore, it says ‘הבאים’, since they kept to their traditions each day anew, as if they had just arrived.

A chassid was struggling with parnassah (finances), and he asked Reb Yehoshua of Belz zt’’l for a blessing for good livelihood.  Reb Yehoshua advised him to travel to America, where he will be very successful, on the condition that he should send the Rebbe letters from time to time and share his financial and spiritual status.

The chassid followed the advice from the Rebbe, and at first sent letters depicting his struggles in America.  He was struggling both financially and spiritually –Shabbos, Kashrus, and Torah were a tremendous challenge.  The chassid concluded each letter asking the Rebbe, "Should I remain in America, or return home?"

With each letter, Reb Yehoshua replied with words of encouragement and told him to stay living in America.  After a while, the chassid finally saw success in business and he started becoming acquainted with his environment.  He made good friends and he was satisfied with life in America. When he shared the good news with Reb Yehoshua of Belz, the Rebbe replied, commanding him to leave America and his business and return back to Galicia.

The chassid listened to his Rebbe and returned home to Belz.  When he arrived, he asked Reb Yehoshua to explain, "Why when times were difficult you encouraged me to stay, and when I finally started being comfortable, you told me to return?"

Reb Yehoshua answered, “Yes, you're right! As long as you felt like a stranger, and the American culture didn’t pull you, I wasn’t worried about your spiritual state.  But as soon as you became successful, and you started acclimating to your surroundings, I was afraid you’ll assimilate in the ‘melting pot’ of (then) America.”

----------------------

So what do you say? Which is which? I'll tell you. The ones that are only about Torah study and knowledge are the neo-Litvish ones. The one which wonders how Yosef could survive in Egypt without the daf is neo-Litvish. The daf. The one where Moshiach is portrayed as a redeemer who could easily reject you is the neo-Litvish one. The one about Chesed is Chassidish. The one about a Rebbe caring about his chossid, encouraging the earning of parnassah, giving chizuk, not being terrified of going out into the world yet paying attention to general kiddushah is Chassidic. That one that references power is neo-Litvish. That one that references spirituality is Chassidic. 

You see where I'm going with this?

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