Popular Shows by Thank You Hashem: Page 4

301

Part 2

Sep 10, 2024

23:51

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

302

Part 3

Sep 11, 2024

27:54

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

303

Part 4

Sep 12, 2024

16:11

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

304

Part 5

Sep 13, 2024

23:12

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

305

Part 6

Sep 16, 2024

26:07

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

306

18 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Sep 17, 2024

45:26

Faigy Blumstein

307

Part 7

Sep 17, 2024

27:22

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

308

Part 8

Sep 18, 2024

23:01

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

309

Part 9

Sep 19, 2024

24:30

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

310

Part 10

Sep 20, 2024

15:29

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

311

Part 11

Sep 23, 2024

22:59

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

312

Part 12

Sep 24, 2024

20:27

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

313

Part 13

Sep 25, 2024

29:36

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

314

If you can fall, that means you can jump

Sep 26, 2024

7:48

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita Welcome to The Inner Light of Shabbos, a podcast Shiur dedicated to delving deeper into the beautiful and familiar aspects of Shabbos. Harav Yussie Zakutinsky invites you to explore the profound significance behind the rituals, traditions, and experiences that shape our weekly celebration. From the serene lighting of the Shabbat candles to the soulful melodies of Zemiros, and from the sanctity of the Kiddush to the reflective moments of Havdalah, we uncover the layers of meaning that can often be overlooked in our routine observance. Take another look at these cherished practices, uncovering the spiritual insights and historical roots that enrich our connection to Shabbos. Tune in to discover the inner light that Shabbos brings to our lives, and how each element of this sacred day can elevate our spirits and bring us closer to Hashem.

315

19 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Oct 8, 2024

49:56

Faigy Blumstein

316

Part 14

Oct 8, 2024

29:17

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

317

Part 15

Oct 9, 2024

31:43

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita

318

20 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Oct 10, 2024

53:00

Faigy Blumstein

319

Teshuva | Tanya with Faigy

Oct 10, 2024

35:49

Faigy Blumstein

320

21 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Oct 15, 2024

49:36

Faigy Blumstein

321

Succos

Oct 16, 2024

13:42

Faigy Blumstein

322

22 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Oct 29, 2024

1:01:06

Faigy Blumstein

323

23 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Nov 5, 2024

47:33

Faigy Blumstein

324

You are your soul - The Inner Light of Shabbos 9

Nov 7, 2024

4:37

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita Welcome to The Inner Light of Shabbos, a podcast Shiur dedicated to delving deeper into the beautiful and familiar aspects of Shabbos. Harav Yussie Zakutinsky invites you to explore the profound significance behind the rituals, traditions, and experiences that shape our weekly celebration. From the serene lighting of the Shabbat candles to the soulful melodies of Zemiros, and from the sanctity of the Kiddush to the reflective moments of Havdalah, we uncover the layers of meaning that can often be overlooked in our routine observance. Take another look at these cherished practices, uncovering the spiritual insights and historical roots that enrich our connection to Shabbos. Tune in to discover the inner light that Shabbos brings to our lives, and how each element of this sacred day can elevate our spirits and bring us closer to Hashem.

325

24 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Nov 13, 2024

54:19

Faigy Blumstein

326

Shabbos during the six days of the week

Nov 14, 2024

3:51

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita Welcome to The Inner Light of Shabbos, a podcast Shiur dedicated to delving deeper into the beautiful and familiar aspects of Shabbos. Harav Yussie Zakutinsky invites you to explore the profound significance behind the rituals, traditions, and experiences that shape our weekly celebration. From the serene lighting of the Shabbat candles to the soulful melodies of Zemiros, and from the sanctity of the Kiddush to the reflective moments of Havdalah, we uncover the layers of meaning that can often be overlooked in our routine observance. Take another look at these cherished practices, uncovering the spiritual insights and historical roots that enrich our connection to Shabbos. Tune in to discover the inner light that Shabbos brings to our lives, and how each element of this sacred day can elevate our spirits and bring us closer to Hashem.

327

25 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Nov 20, 2024

54:29

Faigy Blumstein

328

The secret of the Friday night davening

Nov 21, 2024

5:21

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita Welcome to The Inner Light of Shabbos, a podcast Shiur dedicated to delving deeper into the beautiful and familiar aspects of Shabbos. Harav Yussie Zakutinsky invites you to explore the profound significance behind the rituals, traditions, and experiences that shape our weekly celebration. From the serene lighting of the Shabbat candles to the soulful melodies of Zemiros, and from the sanctity of the Kiddush to the reflective moments of Havdalah, we uncover the layers of meaning that can often be overlooked in our routine observance. Take another look at these cherished practices, uncovering the spiritual insights and historical roots that enrich our connection to Shabbos. Tune in to discover the inner light that Shabbos brings to our lives, and how each element of this sacred day can elevate our spirits and bring us closer to Hashem.

329

26 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Nov 27, 2024

52:29

Faigy Blumstein

330

The Relationship of Kavod and Oneg Shabbos

Nov 28, 2024

4:26

Harav Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita Welcome to The Inner Light of Shabbos, a podcast Shiur dedicated to delving deeper into the beautiful and familiar aspects of Shabbos. Harav Yussie Zakutinsky invites you to explore the profound significance behind the rituals, traditions, and experiences that shape our weekly celebration. From the serene lighting of the Shabbat candles to the soulful melodies of Zemiros, and from the sanctity of the Kiddush to the reflective moments of Havdalah, we uncover the layers of meaning that can often be overlooked in our routine observance. Take another look at these cherished practices, uncovering the spiritual insights and historical roots that enrich our connection to Shabbos. Tune in to discover the inner light that Shabbos brings to our lives, and how each element of this sacred day can elevate our spirits and bring us closer to Hashem.

331

27 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Dec 3, 2024

1:01:17

Faigy Blumstein

332

28 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Dec 11, 2024

58:25

Faigy Blumstein

333

Tanya with Faigy: Chanukah Pride

Jan 1, 2025

28:05

Faigy Blumstein

334

29 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Jan 7, 2025

1:01:12

Faigy Blumstein

335

30 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Jan 17, 2025

46:35

Faigy Blumstein

336

31 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Jan 22, 2025

51:08

Faigy Blumstein

337

32 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Jan 28, 2025

46:42

Faigy Blumstein

338

33 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Feb 6, 2025

11:07

Faigy Blumstein

339

34 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Feb 18, 2025

46:08

Faigy Blumstein

340

35 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Mar 4, 2025

59:13

Faigy Blumstein

341

36 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Mar 13, 2025

51:29

Faigy Blumstein

342

37 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Mar 18, 2025

45:59

Faigy Blumstein

343

38 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Mar 26, 2025

58:51

Faigy Blumstein

344

39 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Apr 1, 2025

50:09

Faigy Blumstein

345

Pesach Prep

Apr 3, 2025

29:58

Faigy Blumstein

346

40 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

Apr 22, 2025

47:25

Faigy Blumstein

347

41 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy Audio episode • 47:25

Apr 29, 2025

51:41

Faigy Blumstein

348

42 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

May 12, 2025

51:29

Faigy Blumstein

349

Lag Baomer thoughts 💭

May 16, 2025

9:45

Faigy Blumstein

350

43 - Delve into the text | Tanya with Faigy

May 20, 2025

52:32

Faigy Blumstein

351

Tanya with Faigy: delve into the text 44

May 27, 2025

51:14

Faigy Blumstein

352

Tanya with Faigy: Shavous

May 29, 2025

1:00:27

Faigy Blumstein

353

Tanya with Faigy: delve into the text 45

Jun 10, 2025

58:29

Faigy Blumstein

354

Tanya with Faigy: delve into the text 46

Jun 17, 2025

45:23

Faigy Blumstein

355

Whats the Avoda of Tisha B'Av?

Aug 11, 2024

50:14

Episode 5: What's the Avoda of Tisha B’av?In this Special Edition episode of “Tachlis, What’s my Avodah”, we get to hear from Reb Yussie Zakutinsky about Tisha B’av.It is a time of many questions and confusing practices and Reb Yussie is insightful and practical in talking about the themes of this very important day.We discuss the following topics:•⁠ ⁠Practically, how can we rebuild the Beis Hamikdash?•⁠ ⁠What is the meaning behind all the mourning and unique practices of this day?•⁠ ⁠Why do we start lightening up on our mourning at exactly the moment when historically the Beis Hamikdash began to burn?We hope you enjoy and gain from these ideas.------------- HaRav Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky Shlita is the Rav of Khal Mevakshei Hashem, in Lawrence NY and a major Mashpia on the lives of all who know him and learn from him. He always encourages his talmidim to recognize the deeper and hidden element of life. He teaches that all of our experiences are lessons in Avodas Hashem, and that even in the regular everyday moments, we have to constantly be asking what’s my avoda? What does HASHEM require from me? Listen in as Yakov Wohlgelernter and Reb Yussie explore various areas of life through this perspective. Each episode will examine different aspects of everyday life and help us uncover the meaning and beauty within them. Lisen on Apple Podcast - https://l.tyhnation.com/3BBSZit Listen on Spotify - https://l.tyhnation.com/3oTkL29 #thankyouhashem #tyhnation

356

Tanya with Faigy: delve into the text 48

Jul 8, 2025

42:20

Faigy Blumstein

357

Tanya with Faigy: delve into the text 49

Jul 16, 2025

38:00

Faigy Blumstein

358

Tanya with Faigy: delve into the text 47

Jul 16, 2025

48:17

Faigy Blumstein

359

Tanya with Faigy: delve into the text 50

Jul 23, 2025

47:34

Faigy Blumstein

360

The Month of Av

Jul 27, 2025

26:40

Faigy Blumstein

361

Delve into the text 51

Aug 7, 2025

43:22

Faigy Blumstein

362

Delve into the text 52

Aug 7, 2025

48:44

Faigy Blumstein

363

Delve into the text 53

Aug 12, 2025

42:43

Faigy Blumstein

364

Ways to connect to each other

Aug 9, 2025

7:16

TYH Nation Presents Hold on to Shabbos with Stories of Tzadikim with Harav Yussie Zakutinsky / Farbrengable Studios ---- There is a tradition amongst Jews, that on Motzei Shabbos, we get together and share stories of Tzadikim. These tales of holy people, from times long ago, can have a profound effect on our week. On Shabbos we rest from our weekday activities, and we have an opportunity to reconnect with who we really are. The energy and spirit of Shabbos enables the ultimate rendezvous with our true selves and deep moments with our Father in Heaven. And then, right before we re-enter the world of action, we sit together and recall the lives of our exalted Tzadikim, gleaning lessons, morals, and values to carry this spirit of unity forward with us…Until next Shabbos…. ---- Listen on Apple Podcast https://l.tyhnation.com/3nLiuWq Listen on Spotify https://l.tyhnation.com/3PaVGLp

365

Accepting with Simcha

Aug 30, 2025

4:05

TYH Nation Presents Hold on to Shabbos with Stories of Tzadikim with Harav Yussie Zakutinsky / Farbrengable Studios ---- There is a tradition amongst Jews, that on Motzei Shabbos, we get together and share stories of Tzadikim. These tales of holy people, from times long ago, can have a profound effect on our week. On Shabbos we rest from our weekday activities, and we have an opportunity to reconnect with who we really are. The energy and spirit of Shabbos enables the ultimate rendezvous with our true selves and deep moments with our Father in Heaven. And then, right before we re-enter the world of action, we sit together and recall the lives of our exalted Tzadikim, gleaning lessons, morals, and values to carry this spirit of unity forward with us…Until next Shabbos…. ---- Listen on Apple Podcast https://l.tyhnation.com/3nLiuWq Listen on Spotify https://l.tyhnation.com/3PaVGLp

366

Appreciating the Answer

Sep 6, 2025

3:17

TYH Nation Presents Hold on to Shabbos with Stories of Tzadikim with Harav Yussie Zakutinsky / Farbrengable Studios ---- There is a tradition amongst Jews, that on Motzei Shabbos, we get together and share stories of Tzadikim. These tales of holy people, from times long ago, can have a profound effect on our week. On Shabbos we rest from our weekday activities, and we have an opportunity to reconnect with who we really are. The energy and spirit of Shabbos enables the ultimate rendezvous with our true selves and deep moments with our Father in Heaven. And then, right before we re-enter the world of action, we sit together and recall the lives of our exalted Tzadikim, gleaning lessons, morals, and values to carry this spirit of unity forward with us…Until next Shabbos…. ---- Listen on Apple Podcast https://l.tyhnation.com/3nLiuWq Listen on Spotify https://l.tyhnation.com/3PaVGLp

367

Delve into the Text 54

Sep 11, 2025

47:56

Faigy Blumstein

368

Delve into the text 55

Sep 16, 2025

54:46

Faigy Blumstein

369

Delve into the text 56

Oct 28, 2025

41:54

Faigy Blumstein

370

Delve into the text 57

Oct 28, 2025

54:05

Faigy Blumstein

371

Delve into the text 58

Nov 11, 2025

1:01:31

Faigy Blumstein

372

Delve into the text 59

Nov 18, 2025

1:00:07

Faigy Blumstein

373

Delve into the text 60

Dec 2, 2025

47:37

Faigy Blumstein

374

Delve into the text 61

Dec 2, 2025

58:10

Faigy Blumstein

375

Delve into the text 62

Dec 9, 2025

46:02

Faigy Blumstein

376

Delve into the text 63

Dec 30, 2025

59:06

Faigy Blumstein

377

Delve into the text 64

Jan 13, 2026

55:48

Faigy Blumstein

378

Delve into the text 65

Feb 9, 2026

48:09

Faigy Blumstein

379

Delve into the text 66

Feb 10, 2026

42:06

Faigy Blumstein

380

Delve into the text 67

Mar 17, 2026

45:13

Faigy Blumstein

381

Delve into the text 68

Mar 17, 2026

55:18

Faigy Blumstein

382

Between me and Hashem

Feb 26, 2022

3:44

Gut Voch everybody, they say a maaseh that the Baal Shem Tov once said the following story. He said there was once a yid going back a few hundred years before the Baal Shem. This yid lived in Eretz Yisroel, a very simple jew. G-d fearing, good jew, and the Baal shem Tov said that in shamayim there was a huge commotion going on around this person. What was the issue? When this person became bar mitzvah, he did a particular mitzvah that mamash shook up shamayim. And in shamayim the malachim were talking about it for years. As years went on it was forgotten what the mitzvah was, but the residual effect and impact of the fact that this guy was mamash shining with this light he was the talk of the town for years in shamayim, even though they didn’t know exactly what the inyan was. The Baal Shem Tov said Eliyahu Hanavi is in shamayim also and he hears this commotion and sees that this person is mamash the center of the universe. Eliyahu Hanavi tries to do some investigation to figure out what this mitzvah was, what did this person do that he became such an amazing radiant neshama? No one really knows, until Eliyahu Hanavi decides that he’s going to pay this guy a visit and find out for himself. Eliyahu Hanavi shows up to this guy’s house, knocks on the door and introduces himself and proves he’s actually Eliyahu hanavi. He says to this yid that in shamayim they’re mamash talking about you all day, because there’s something you did when you became bar mitzvah and no one knows what it is. “Can you please tell me what it is?” The person answers that he’d rather not say, “it’s between me and the ribono shel olam.” Eliyahu says “listen, I understand and appreciate that, but you know, if you tell me I promise I'll give you brachos, shefa. Hatzlachah and all good things.” The person looks at Eliyahu Hanavi in the eyes and say “listen to me, what I did was between me and the ribono shel olam, you can offer me all things of this world, it doesn’t make a difference to me, things of this world and the next. What I did was for G-d and for Hashem Himself, nobody else.” We live in a generation where everyone is in everyone’s business, we see what everyone else is doing. Sometimes that’s good but very often it’s not. Even if it’s good things, it’s important to have that private relationship with G-d and once in a while do something that is just for Him. Not for anyone else, no one has to know about it, just between me and the Ribono Shel Olam. That’s how the Baal Shem Tov develops, that’s how a big tzadik develops, by having that personal, intimate, privacy between you and the Ribono Shel Olam. You do a mitzvah, no one has to know about it. You have a good thought, say a good word, no one has to know about it except for you and G-d. That’s how you build that relationship. Hashem should bless us with a week that’s full of that, that deep Hiskashrus, personal attachment between us and G-d that comes with being modest and internally pnimiyusdik. Hashem should bless us with a week of Pnimiyus, a week of bracha and hatzlachah, on all madreigos, b’gashmius and b’ruchniyus ad bli dai.

383

a Jewish game

Apr 30, 2022

3:37

Gut voch everybody. Let me tell you a Maiseh. One of the great tzadikim was the holy Ruzhyner. Reb Yisroel of Ruzhyn. He was a unique tzadik even since he was a child, the truth even from before he was born. Tzadikim say that when his mother was pregnant with him whenever she would go to a chashuv tzadik, they would stand up for her. The tzadik would say I don’t know who it is that you’re carrying, but whoever you’re carrying is a big neshama. From the time he came to the world he was mamash Kulo Ohr. There’s a Maiseh we have from the Ruzyner from when he was 7 or 8 years old. His father took little Yisroel to the side, and told bhim you’re already 8 years old and very smart. I want to teach you something. He asks what is it? His father says I want to teach you how to play chess. Listen, it’s a really interesting game, it challenges the mind, many tzadikim would play so he wanted to teach his son. Yisroel the little Ruzhyner is sitting next to his father who’s going through the chess-board introducing all the pieces. After Yisroel gets a handle of all the pieces and how they move around, what the objective of the game is, he asks his father a very innocent question. What happens if we’re playing, I make a move and then I pull back and I realize that it was a mistake. Can I go back and undo the move? His father says, Yisroel’ke that’s not how this game works. If your finger is still on the piece you can put it back. But if you took it off then you can’t take it back. Yisroel’ke then says, Tatte with all the respect, I never want to play chess for the rest of my life. Chess is not a jewish game. Such a thing that when a mistake is made you can’t undo it, that’s not a jewish game. A yid shouldn’t be playing such a game. That’s what little Yisroel’ke said. Listen, chess is an okay game to play. But the lesson to learn from that, that a game where we can’t undo a mistake isn’t jewish. The whole tachlis of yiddishkeit is to fix. Moshe Rabbeinu gave us a Torah that was taken from the Malachim. How was he able to take it? BEcause we have challenges, we have taivos, the whole essence of Torah is fixing. If a person realizes he has what to fix then that’s good, that’s exactly why we're alive. As long as we’re alive we’re here to fix something. To think that we can’t fix, it’s the opposite of what it means to be a yid. This week Hashem should bless us that we have a week of fixing, of Tikkunim. As long as we’re here there’s what to fix. We should grow, with tikkunim, shefa bracha Ve’Hatzlachah.

384

Delivering a package

Nov 3, 2022

7:43

TYH Nation Presents Hold on to Shabbos with Stories of Tzadikim with Rav Yussie Zakutinsky ---- A gut voch everybody. It once happened that there was a group of chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek, the 3rd Lubavitcher Rebbe. They were sitting amongst themselves and they were talking about stories of mesirus nefesh. Stories about how jews sacrificed their lives, if need be sacrifice their time, their money to help other yidden with mesirus nefesh. So the Tzemach Tzedek was there and he heard what they were talking about and he said obviously any level of self-sacrifice that a jewish person offers, is of great value. But the Rebbe said the truth is, sacrificing your money or your body for Hashem’s sake or for the Jewish people’s sake it’s a big deal but that's not how far reaching mesirus nefesh can be. You want to kn ow what mesirus nefesh really is? I’ll tell you a story about Reb Boruch of Medzbyzh. He was a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov. He was known to be very fiery. It was well-known that it wasn’t so simple to be in his presence; he was very very strong. Only a select few were able to claim the title of being his chassidim. It was a particular shabbos that he was in town leading Tish and there was a guest in the neighborhood for that shabbos. A chossid, but no one knew who he was, he came for shabbos. All of a sudden when this guest walked in Friday night for the Tish, Reb Brouch’l looked at him for a few seconds and saw something. The rest of the night at the Tish he was just making fun of this guy. Talking about his chesronos, his deficiencies, his aveiros, mamash embarrassing him in front of everyone. He was mamash a guest. So that was very odd, chassidim were used to strange things with Reb Boruch’l and his fire but this was something very difficult to hear. To be a part of, And the next day, the same thing repeated itself by shalosh seudos and the whole shabbos Reb Boruch’l is making fun of this yid. Really being mevazeh him. To thi schossid’s credit he didn’t leave, he just stood there and took it but it was very very strange. That shabbos, besides this particular guest that was there there was also a visiting tzaddik that was with Reb Boruch’l the whole time as well and he was also taken aback by this experience until after shabbos was over. This tzaddik went over to Reb Boruch’l, Rebbe if you don’t mind me asking, doesn’t the mishna say that if a person embarrasses another jew in public you lose your portion in the world to come? Reb Boruch’l said I know the mishna. But let me explain. This jew, I never saw him before I don’t know who he is. But when he came, I looked at him and I saw something. What he does for a living, for his parnassah is that he’s a courrier. If a person has to take a product, something of value that has to get to a particular place, they hire this jew as a courier to bring the object or the money whatever it is from point A to point B. This jew he says as a courier right before shabbos he was given a package by a jew to deliver to a particular place. The problem was, he planned on being able to get to the town of Medzbyzh where Reb Boruch’l was with enough time before shabbos to make the proper arrangements to have this package with product was sent and protected in a particular way. The problem was there was traffic, the weather was not good and they ended up coming to town extremely late. They had no time to set up arrangements to make sure this package that was given to him by this yid was going to be safe. So what did he do, he wanted to come to the tish. He was a little bit negligent. He went to the first place he saw, the first inn that he found which was owned and run by a goy. He takes this particular object that this yid gave him to bring to another place, it was of great value and he went to the owner of the hotel, i’m here for the weekend, if you don’t mind keeping...

385

A few candles to fix a soul

Mar 5, 2022

5:57

Gut Voch everybody, they say a Maaseh that there was was once a yid that came mamash panic stricken, completely tzebruchen to a particular Rov of his town. And he knocks on the door frantically. The Rov opens and asks What’s the problem? He says I need a tikkun. Can you help me out? So the Rov asks again What’s the problem? He says that this past Shabbos I was away, and I was traveling to a neighboring village for Shabbos. I’ll tell you the truth, maybe it was my fault, I got a late start Friday afternoon. The weather wasn’t good, traffic or whatever and I got stuck on the road in my horse and wagon on erev Shabbos. I drove and broke Shabbos for the first time in my life, I was stuck in a position where I felt it was too dangerous to just stop in the middle of the woods. I had no choice but to move and continue riding. But I still felt like I broke Shabbos, what do I do? How do I fix myself? The Rov looked at him and said I'll tell you the truth. It’s a big problem to desecrate Shabbos, even though you were in a position where you had no choice and your life would be in danger spending Shabbos in the woods like that. But putting yourself in a situation like that is a serious thing you know? I think you should begin to fast Monday and Thursday, say sefer Tehillim everyday, commit yourself to learn more. A whole regiment. The guy is listening to this and he’s thinking to himself, okay you know maybe a second opinion could be helpful. He says thank you very much. Meanwhile this person is looking for a second opinion and a week or two later he finds himself in the audience by the Baal Shem. So he goes to the Baal Shem Tov and doesn’t tell him that he had this whole regiment from the Rov and just tells him the story how he was stuck in the road before Shabbos, and he feels terrible, what can he do now to fix his neshama. The Baal Shem Tov looks at him and he says, you know Shabbos is a very serious thing, it’s a very serious aveirah of having to drive on Shabbos. This guy is thinking to himself, now he’s going to have double the regiment, to say Tehillim twice every day. So the Baal Shem says maybe this Shabbos you could donate the candles for the shul. The guy is like just that? Nothing else? The Baal Shem Tov said if you do that you'll be okay. So this guy goes home, he tells the guy in the shul he wants to donate, he asks how much money it is and gives the money. Meanwhile before he leaves, the Baal Shem Tov says, do me a favor, when you go home tell your Rov that I want him to be my personal guest this Shabbos, he should come to me. The Rov is happy because he’s invited to the Baal Shem Tov’s house for shabbos. The Rov gets on the horse and wagon on Friday, all of a sudden the weather turns, there’s traffic and the Rov is stuck on the road. He has no choice but to drive because it’s dangerous to be in the woods all Shabbos. When he comes to the Baal Shem Tov Friday night he’s mamash beside himself. The first time in his life to break shabbos like that? He comes to the Baal Shem Tov and says “Rebbe, what am I going to do, I broke Shabbos, I can’t sleep, I can’t face myself. The Baal Shem Tov says, I caused you to break Shabbos, I changed the weather, I put the traffic there. Why? Because when that yid came to you a few weeks ago, complaining and bemoaning the fact that he broke Shabbos, you never tasted the bitterness and the guilt, that that jew was feeling over the fact that he broke Shabbos. So to you, you had to give him this big Avodah, davening, Tehillim, Mikvas, fasting, a whole thing. But if you appreciated what he was going through in his own mind, the guilt that he was feeling, then you would’ve realized the guilt itself that he was feeling wiped away four fifths of the aveirah. All that was left was a little inyan that he has to be mistaken, so I told him just to light candles and that will be enough. The truth is even that

386

Seeing beyond the smack

May 21, 2022

5:58

A gut voch everybody, let me tell you a maaseh. There was once a yid who was a chassid of the great Chozeh of Lublin. A custom amongst the chassidm was, that before you undertook any business proposition you would get a bracha from the Rebbe. Not every tzaddik would be willing to give advice when it came to business, some tzadikim were purely focused on ruchniyus of their chassidim. The Chozeh and the entire Shalsheles were comfortable giving eitzahs about gashmiyus as well. So someone goes to the Chozeh about a business deal with a particular on-jewish person and it looks like it should be successful. The chassid is telling me to do it, but I wanted to come to the Rebbe first. The Chozeh looks at him, looks at the Kvittel and says I don’t think you’ll be matzliach. I don't think you should do it? The chassid says really? I’m shocked because it seems like it’s a perfect opportunity and all signs point to hatzlacha. The Chozeh says ya, I don’t see it as being matzliach. But you know, like things in medicine sometimes we need to get a second opinion. The Chozeh was a talmid of the great Noam Elimelech, Reb Meilech of Lizhensk. It happened to be that this chassid was going to Lizhensk soon anyways, so he figured he’ll push off this business venture until he sees Reb Meilech. So the time comes and he goes, he doesn’t tell him about the interaction with the Chozeh. He tells Reb Meilech that he has this opportunity that he thinks will be successful but he wants a bracha from the tzadik and the Rebbe says Bracha Vehatzlacha. He got his heter, finally. After a few months of being involved with this non-jew he saw real signs of how difficult of a person his new business partner was. Not only was his personality overbearing but he wasn’t as honest as he thought he was. Not only that, the business began feeling apart. There weren’t any profits and even many losses. He also began having a lack of hatzlacha in his other business dealings as well. It seemed like the Chozeh of Lublin’s eyes saw the truth and his prediction was correct. This was going on for a couple of months, and this chassid’s whole life was beginning to be affected. Until finally after about half a year, slowly but surely the tide begins to turn and things begin to pick up. After another few months everything goes back to the way it was. He even begins to make greater profits than ever before. There’s a change in personality with this non-jew and that business begins to turn-around as well. Then it seems that Reb Meilech was actually correct, it’s a funny thing. About a year or so later, there was a chasuna where the Noam Elimelech and the Chozeh were at a wedding together and this chassid was invited as well. He was a little bit awkward because he asked both of them for eitzah on the same thing, but to his knowledge they both didn't know that he spoke to the other one. He goes to say hi to both of them. When the tzadikim both look at the yid, they understand what actually happened. The Noam Elimech turns to the Chozeh and tells him that he has very good eyes. But you only saw the difficulty. I saw further, until after the difficult patch. That’s how we have to think about the Ribbono Shel Olam towards us. It’s one thing to see until the difficulty, but we have to work to see beyond it. B’ezras Hashem we should be blessed with no difficulties at all. But if there is, even on any level b’ruchniyus or b’gasgmiyus we should be zocheh to have the eyes of Reb Meilech. To see, to hope and to wait for the menucha and the nechamah that will come after the difficulty. Hashem should bless us to have a mazaldik voch, a geulahdik voch, we should be zoche to celebrate this week with mashiach tzidkeinu bimherah beyamenu amen.

387

A high pain tolerance

May 14, 2022

3:34

A Gut Voch everybody, I’ll tell you a Maaseh. There was a great tzaddik from the town of Hornosteipel. There was one time when the tzaddik was very ill and he needed a procedure done, what doctors would call a minor surgery. The problem was he was at an old age, his medical situation wasn’t great so Anesthesia wasn’t an option for him. The Doctor’s don’t want to operate on him without it, it would be extremely painful but the Rebbe is in danger if he doesn’t get it. The rebbe says it’s okay, I’m used to pain just do what you have to do. They're saying well, a person can’t really tolerate this but the tzadik insists, no I can handle it. The Doctors begin and want to test out if he’ll be able to handle it. First they take a metal rod, they heat it up a little to see his tolerance and the Rebbe doesn’t make a sound. They go a little more painful, still no reaction. Finally they’re confident enough to actually go through the procedure. They do it, and the whole time he was learning, davening without a krechtz, a moan or a cry. After this, the goyish Doctors were very shocked and awed that this person was able to experience such pain. They said, Rabbi, we have determined that it can’t be that you’re a regular human, you must be an angel of some sort. The Rebbe answers, no not at all. I just developed a high-tolerance for pain. How is that possible? What suffering do you have in life that makes you equipped to handle a surgery like this? The tzaddik explains, when Jews come to me everyday with their tzaros, oftentimes I look at the kvittel and there’s nothing I can do. I have to hold in the pain that I’m feeling and give a bracha that Hashem should help, give some kind words and hope because I know that there’s nothing I can do to help. That’s how I learned to withstand pain. That’s the highest madreigah of a tzaddik. Caring so much for other yidden, that seeing their pain and being unable to help hurts them more than having an intense surgery. Hashem should bless us, we shouldn’t have any pain at all, but to feel the life of another yid, feel their pain, feel the simcha of another yid, like it’s mamash ourselves, it’s the biggest madreigah in the world. Hashem should bless us with such a jewish heart. We should be zocheh to have a lichtigeh Voch, a mazal’dik Voch, a Geulahdik Voch.

388

It's not too late

Mar 12, 2022

12:38

A Gut Voch everybody, they say a story that there was a particular wedding that was going to take place and everyone was super excited about it. For the usual reason, but this wedding in particular because the Baal Shem Tov was going to be mesader Kiddushin. The Baal Shem Tov knew the family and he was going to be mesader kiddushin. The way chasunas would work in the old country is that they were usually done outside, by the river and the whole town was invited. The day of the chasuna came the whole town was there, everyone was super excited. They waited in anticipation for the Baal Shem Tov and his people to come with the Chassidim. Finally the Baal Shem Tov arrives, the music playing and the chuppah is beginning. It was an unbelievable sight. Meanwhile the Baal Shem Tov is standing under the chuppah going through the process of the chasuna. All of a sudden there’s a wagon that was passing by, because it was outside by the river. All of a sudden a person in that wagon sticks his head out to see what’s going on to see the chasuna a little. The Baal Shem Tov takes notice of that person in the wagon, the Baal Shem Tov turns to the chosson and kallah and says excuse me I have to to take care of something I’ll be one minute. They stop the chasuna and he runs to the wagon, says something to the person in the wagon for 30 seconds. The wagon goes on, the Baal Shem Tov comes back and they continue with the wedding. All the Talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov were confused by this, to interrupt a chasuna it must be that the person in the wagon was one of the 36 hidden tzadikim. The chassidim decide that they want to find this person to get a bracha and hadracha, to connect to another tzaddik. They wait until after the chasuna is over, they start going around the town trying to find that wagon. They can’t find it at all, one day goes by, then another and they keep circling the area. They keep taking walks and rides around the area they can’t find it. About a week or 2 later these chassidim happen to be traveling to a neighboring town and they see that wagon that was by the chasuna in the driveway of a particular house. They get out, they knock on the door and a regular looking jew opens the door. The Chassidim asked him, sorry to bother you, but is that your wagon outside? He says yes, They say let me ask you a question. Were you in that town for a chasuna about a week or 2 ago? The man tries to think but doesn’t recall. They specify that there was a chasuna, maybe you passed by and the Baal Shem Tov came to talk to you? He jogged his memory and he remembers, “Yes, that was actually me.” The chassidim ask “Please give us a Bracha!” He answers, “I’m just a normal guy you don't want my bracha” If the Baal Shem Tov was willing to stop the chasuna and speak to you,clearly you're not just a regular yid. “I’m telling you I'm a nobody and am just a regular guy you don’t want a bracha from me.” “So then if you’re a regular person what’s your story, why would the Baal Shem Tov stop the chasuna what did he tell you?” He begins to blush a little and says he’d rather not talk about it. The chassidim say “We were looking for over a week, we're not leaving until we hear this story. Who are you, what did the Baal Shem Tov say to you?” He says okay if you need to know here’s the story. I have a neighbor across the street. We get along nicely but aren’t the best of friends. The way his business runs is that he’s out for business for 3 to 4 months a year and whatever he brings back in that time is how he supports his family for the rest of the year. It happens to be that a couple of weeks ago I was at home, a day just like today. And it happens to be the day that my neighbor came home from his business trip. I see from my window that this man came back with a big sack with all the money he made on this trip. I see that he puts this bag on the front porch and walks into his house. I assumed that he was

389

The Hidden Talmid Chacham

May 7, 2022

5:57

A gut voch everybody. The Baal Shem Tov had many students, there were 2 particular brothers who were absolutely brilliant people, huge talmidei chachamim. Not only that, they also came from a family of rabbis, judges, dayanim, a very illustrious family of torah and they got connected to the Baal Shem. These 2 brothers had a younger sister and she was getting to the age where she could get married. They figured they’d go to the Baal Shem for a bracha for shidduchim that their sister should get married without any problems. So they go and ask for a bracha, the Baal Shem says you know what? I’ll do something even better, instead of just giving a bracha I'll tell you who the chosson is and where to find him. The Baal Shem takes a paper and writes down the name and the shtetl where he could be found. In those days things were a little different, when these brothers told their sister that the Baal Shem Tov has a chosson she said okay gevaldik let’s get married. The 3 siblings travel to the shtetl, they’ve never been there before and start asking around. Let’s call him Moishe so they begin asking around for Reb Moishe. People are thinking Reb Moishe? I’m not sure. Finally people say you mean Moishe the peasant? So they meet this Moishe, he’s a sweet guy, delightful middos and is a complete am ha’aretz. Doesn’t know the alef beis, his family is all the same way as well. It seems like it’s not a good shidduch for this illustrious family of talmidei chachamim but the Baal Shem Tov said it’s a shidduch so they listen. The chasuna was held back by the girl's family where the Baal Shem Tov was. By the sheva brachos the chosson is sitting next to the Baal Shem Tov. The minhag was that the chosson says a deep torah by the sheva brachos. The Baal Shem Tov turns to the chosson and says nu, say a vort a torah. The chosson answers I don’t know anything, not even the alef beis. The Baal Shem Tov took his handkerchief and waved it over the face of the chosson, all of a sudden the chosson’s eyes lit up and he began saying the most beautiful and deep torah for half an hour. Once he finishes his eyes go back to normal and he asks what just happened? The sheva brachos the next day the Baal Shem Tov asks again, nu, share a torah? The chosson has the same answer and says he doesn’t know anything. The Baal Shem Tov waves his handkerchief, the chosson lights up and shares incredibly beautiful and profound torah for a long time. Once the shiur is over he’s back to being the same ignoramus. This follows itself every single day of the sheva brachos. After the week is over the Baal shem Tov brings the chosson into his office and says I’m not stupid, I understand that the family you married into has a different background than you. I understand that you’re not as learned and you probably think that the miracles that took place over the week with the handkerchief is just a miracle that I caused. You should know that you are a talmid chochom, you have the soul of a talmid chochom, you have lots of Torah inside of you. It happens to be that the Torah is covered by years of ignorance. All I did in those times was uncover the Torah you already have. Now after sheva brachos, that you now know what kochos you have inside of you, go to yeshiva, go learn and discover the words of Torah that are beneath your surface. That Maaseh is not only true for that chossid, it’s true for every single one of us. A yid is overflowing with torah and kedusha. A person doesn’t have to acquire Torah or Madregos from the outside. You have a neshama, a chelek eloka mima’al mamash it means you are a lebedig, living piece of dvar Hashem. Avodas Hashem is about uncovering that, the chosson was able to realize that with the handkerchief of the Baal shem. We have to realize that from the story of the handkerchief of the Baal Shem Tov to remember who we are and the kochos we have. Bezras Hashem to uncover...

390

a Jew eventually comes home

May 28, 2022

6:48

A gut voch everybody, I’ll tell you a maaseh, I think it was in the early 1920’s. The 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, the rebbe Rayatz made a short trip to Eretz yisroel. There’s an interesting story that took place when he was there. When he was staying in Yerushalayim for about a week or so, he stayed at a particular hotel and that was his home base while there. It happens to be that there was a yid who was living in Yerushalayim in that time who knew the Frierdiker Rebbe. This yid, let’s call him Yankel knew the Rebbe, he grew up in Chabad going to the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivos and at some point something happened in this guy’s life, he took a turn and he was no longer connected at least in an outer way from Torah and Mitzvos. Very far from Yiddishkeit, being a Chassid. But he was in Yerushalayim and he heard that his old Rebbe the Rebbe Rayatz was in town. He had fond memories of him and didn’t have personal issues with him. This jew didn’t want to go visit him, to bring that up again. He was comfortable in his life, just wanting to close the chapter of his old life in Europe and continue on. His mazal was that the street he had to travel by to get to work he would pass by that hotel. He was always concerned that as he passed by, maybe the Gabbaim or the chassidim might recognize him. Or even if they don’t they’d invite him in. What this Yankel does is he dresses in the opposite of his finest. Wearing short shorts, sandals, a tank top trying to be as opposite of a chassidishe yid as possible. To the point that all the chassidim would assume that he doesn’t want to visit the Rebbe. The first day he passed by, went unnoticed and it was great. The second day the same thing happens but he thinks to himself maybe he should go say hi to the Rebbe. The days go by and no one is inviting him in, but he himself is finding a part within him to go to the hotel and say hi to the Rebbe and that’s what he’s fighting, himself. On the last day that the Rebbe is in Eretz Yisroel, as he’s passing by the hotel in his non-chassidish clothes. He knows that since it’s the last day he can’t hold himself back anymore and decides to go see his Rebbe. He goes in, opens the door and all the chassidim see this guy come in without a head-covering or anything pushing to go see the Rebbe. The Rebbe is in the room by himself, despite the gabbaim’s best efforts to hold him back he opens the door and goes in. He sees the Rebbe Rayatz in all his glory. The Rebbe looks at him and has a big smile on his face. He says Ah, Yankel he recognized him. The chassid looks at him and says yes Rebbe, I’m here. The Rebbe looks at him and begins to cry. He says that sometimes we go in circles and circles but eventually we come home. A few years later the Rebbe Rayatz passed away and throughout Eretz Yisroel they all made gatherings to share divrei hesped. There was one particular gathering in Yerushalayim where chassidim got together and out of nowhere this chassid comes out with a beard, a kapote is pushing his way up to the front. He takes the mic, begins to talk and says this story about the israeli guy who passed by the hotel, and saw the Rebbe. He told him we go in circles and circles, but eventually we come home. And that was me. The moment the Rebbe said that sentence, that alone completely changed my life around. That’s why I am who I am now, because of that story. That’s the story of yidden, the story of klal yisroel in Galus, we go around in circles, go like this, go like that and eventually we come home. It’s true for klal yisroel and it’s true for each and every one of us. We know what we're supposed to do, we know who we’re supposed to become, it's a matter of getting there. Of going home to the place we’re supposed to go. Hashem should bless us with a mazaldik voch, a lichtigeh voch a geztuntike voch.

391

The Race Horse

Jun 11, 2022

5:41

A gut voch everybody. I’ll tell you a maaseh. Nowadays if kids want to get in trouble there’s plenty of opportunities unfortunately. But if you go back a few hundred years in the shtetlich of Europe you have to go find trouble it won’t find you as much. If you have a teenager 200 years ago in the town of Lubavitch, if he’s looking for trouble what can he possibly do? There’s a story of a kid like that who is working and saves some of his money . He’s not in yeshuva, he’s barely frum at this point. He saves up money to buy a race-horse. It’s the equivalent of a motorcycle today. So what does this kid do? He spends his afternoons and nights racing kozaks, racing goyim with his race-horse. And he’s pretty good. But everyone in the city is looking at this kid as a nebuch, it’s a shame on his whole family. The kid feels the eyes of the city looking at him and judging him and he’s being pushed further and further away because of that. There was one Shabbos morning where this kid was feeling extra rebellious and he happened to take a ride outside the shul on shabbos. The halacha is that you’re not allowed to ride a horse on Shabbos and he’s doing it just to spite the people.In a few minutes everyone is going to come out of shul including the Rebbe who at the time was the Tzemach Tzedek. When everyone sees this kid trodding up and down on the street in front of the shul people are getting angry saying what are you doing! You’re going to make the Rebbe see chilul Shabbos. Finally the Tzemach Tzedek comes out and sees the kid. He knows what's going on with him and comes directly to him. Let's call this kid Moishy. He immediately gets defensive and assumed to be upset by this conversation. The Tzemach Tzedek goes “That’s such a beautiful horse, where did you get it?” Moishy answers I saved up some money and I bought it. “Wow what a gevaldig horse. It’s probably fast right?” asks the Tzemach Tzedek. By now Moishy is proud and answers Yes it’s very fast! “And do you race the kozaks with it, do you win?” Moishy answers yes, it’s great. I win all the time. It's a very good horse! “Gevaldik I’m so happy you win. The Tzemach tzedek adds but i’m just nervous about one thing. If the horse is so fast and it’s used to racing, I’m afraid what’s going to happen if you’re trodding down the street and the horse thinks it’s a race. It could use its speed to get lost and it’ll travel very quickly. If you look for it you can get lost in the woods very quickly. Moishy says it’s not really concerning, the horses don’t act like that they know i’m in control. The Rebbe answers but it still could happen, what’s going to be if it does? Moishy says you know what it’s actually a good point I guess it could happen. The Rebbe explains but you know what? I’m not really that worried. Because the same speed that the horse has to get so lost so quickly, the horse could use that same speed to find his way back so quickly. There’s no such thing as a character trait in a yid that’s bad. It’s just a matter of harnessing it the right way. If we have a part of ourselves that’s a little wild, untamed or out of control that got a jew lost very quickly. That same exact energy can get a jew to become an even greater person back on the path in a stronger way quickly as well. Hashem should bless each and every one of us to be able harness our kochos in the right way in the same zerizus and hislahavus that sometimes the yetzer hara uses. That fire is not in the yetzer hara’s jurisdiction; it's for the neshama’s sake. To use that fire for excitement for avodas hashem and to grow. It should be a mazaldik voch, a Geuladik Voch, a simchadik voch, Amen.

392

What the Baal HaTanya learned by the Maggid

Jun 16, 2022

7:11

A Gut Voch everybody. The Baal Hatanya the first Lubavitcher Rebbe was a talmid of the Maggid of Mezritch.The maaseh goes that it was during sukkos one year, on Chol Hamoed and the Baal Hatanya found himself traveling for a particular issue was traveling to a certain town. On his way he happened to stop off in a certain shtetel. In those days it wasn’t like his face was so well known like it would be today and he looks like a normal yid. So he goes to shul like everyone else and it happens to be a Friday, about to be Shabbos Chol Hamoed. He finishes, he doesn’t really know where he’s going to stay. The minyan in those days was that there was a corner where people who needed a place would stand and after davening people would come and invite them. So that’s what the Baal Hatanya did. Someone comes up to him and says Reb Yid, do you need a place to stay? So he brings the Baal hatanya home, they bring him into the sukkah and right away this host can tell that this guest is a very special person. The way he davened, the way he just held himself. Then something stranger takes place. They’re in the sukkah and all of a sudden they hear strong thunder, lightning in the entire sky. In a moment they heard the sound of an intense downpour. Despite the fact that it was pouring, there was thunder and lightning and their sukkah was completely dry. The Baal Hatanya wasn’t surprised by this, but the host was mamash shocked. He walks outside and he’s soaking in the rain. A step into the sukkah and he’s completely dry. He knows that it’s not because of him and it’s because of his guest. So what does he do? Nowadays he would take a selfie or something and post it online. He decides to run to tell the Rov, and what type of thing I have here and that he should come over and eat in my sukkah. So he runs over and he tells the Rov what’s going on, that he has this guest who must be a tzadik nistar and it’s not raining in my sukkah. The Rov says come on, it’s not possible. The hose says no I’m telling you, come and see. So the Rov says fine, if you’re telling me you didn’t lose your mind. So he puts on his coat and they head back and he sees no rain in the sukkah. The Rov has an eye for these things and can see that the guest is really a special yid. Yankel (the host) moves to the side and lets the Baal Hatanya and the Rov talk on the side. They’re talking in learning and the Rov is beyond shocked to have such a great person in his midst. In the middle of the conversation the Rov asked why he was traveling. The Baal Hatanya said I was doing something for my Rebbe. The Rov asks, do you have a Rebbe? You’re such an impressive and talented yid! You could be the Rebbe of all of us. The Baal Hatanya answers yes I have a rebbe, The Mezritcher Maggid. The Rov asks, you already know kol hatorah kula, you’re obviously a really big tzaddik. What can you possibly be learning from the Mezritcher Maggid that you don’t already know? The Baal Hatanya doesn’t answer. They continue schmoozing and in passing the Rov says that he has a daughter who’s looking for a shidduch. At that moment the Baal Hatanya notices a jew passing by outside the sukkah, and the Baal Hatanya says, nu how about that yid? Does he have a son? The Rov looks at him and he says he actually does have a son. This Rebbe also has ruach hakodesh. The Baal Hatanya asks, what about him for your daughter? The Rov answers that he doesn’t think it’s shayach. So why not? If you must know, I’m the Rov, and he’s a bagel salesman. He has a push-cart and he walks around selling bagels to the townspeople. It’s not a shidduch. The Rov’s daughter and bagel salesman’s son it’s not kavodik. The Baal Hatanya was taken aback by that. He said, you asked me what I learned from the Mezritcher Maggid. I can’t tell you what I learn from the Maggid. But I could tell you that I learned that I could never say such words about another jew. What I learned is what...

393

Real Mesirus Nefesh

Jun 25, 2022

5:53

A gut voch everybody. I’ll tell you a maaseh. The tzemach Tzedek, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe was a tzadik yesod olam, a genius of geniuses in Torah, Nigleh and Nistar on of the gedolei hador on all levels. He was raised in the house of the Baal Hatanya. So the maaseh goes that after the Baal Hatanya passed away, every once in a while the Baal Hatanya would visit his grandson the Tzemach Tzedek in a dream at night. Some questions that the Tzemach Tzedek would have in learning the Baal Hatanya would give answers to. Sometimes they were clear and sometimes not so much. There was a time when Tzemach Tzedek was learning a hard topic and he had many kashyas on it. He davened very much that his grandfather should visit him, no anwer. No one’s answering him, the Baal Hatanya doesn’t answer. It goes on for weeks like this and it’s eating him up inside that for whatever reason the Baal Hatanya isn’t coming anymore. He’s staying with these questions: it is what it is. It happens to be one particular morning the Tzemach Tzedek was walking to shul and it was the shuk. The fair in Lubavitch where businessmen would come and do business. The Tzemach Tzedek is traveling to shul and there was a yid who the Tzemach Tzedek knew. Clearly it seemed like he was preparing himself to get involved with the shuk that day. He comes to the Tzemach Tzedek with an innocent question. I’m sorry to bother. I know you’re very busy, but is there any chance I can borrow 15 Rubles? It would be a huge help. There’s something I’m trying to purchase today. The Tzemach Tzedek said yes sure I’d love to lend it to you, I just don’t have it with me. I’m on my way to shul for shachris after davening I’ll stop at my house and we can meet there and I’ll give you the money. Okay fine, thank you very much and he goes on. The Tzemach Tzedek goes to shul, puts his talis over his shoulder, he's checking his tzitzis and he has this nagging feeling that maybe he did something wrong. This yid who needs the money, he’s trying to make a parnassah and working hard. Maybe by the time I finish davening and meet him, the deals will be missed. Maybe I should’ve taken care of it right away. He says you know what it’s not too late I’ll take care of it now. He takes off his tefillin and runs home, gets the money but he doesn’t know where this yid is. Because they were going to only meet later. But he says, this is the Yetzer Hora trying to prevent me from doing the right thing. And that’s what he does, he takes the money and runs to the shuk. He looks for this yid, and finally after some time he finds him. The yid is so thankful and says, thank you so much you could’ve waited from later. But I very much appreciate having the money now, like the Rebbe thought of and was concerned about. Thank you. The Tzemach Tzedek runs back to go daven, puts his talis on his shoulder, wraps himself with Tallis and tefillin. All of a sudden he has a vision with his grandfather. But this time it’s not when he’s asleep it’s when he is wide awake and he sees clearly. The Baal Hatanya answers all the questions with complete clarity, and gives advice for questions that will arise in the future. It’s mamash one of the greatest visions in his whole life. The Tzemach Tzedek was bothered, why did I merit this extreme nevuah right now? A person can do many mitzvos to open certain gates in shamayim. But the biggest key to open the biggest gates, is doing a Toivah for another yid. Doing a toivah with mesirus nefesh and l’shem shamayim, it opens the biggest doors in shamayim. That key that’s called ahavas yisroel, gemilus chassadim with mesirus nefesh. The Alter Rebbe says, I know how much davening with Kavannah and with a minyan means to you. For you to go out to help this yid and give him the money, was exxtreme mesirus nefesh and opens all the gates. We should be zocheh to be gomlei chassadim like that, we have it in our...

394

Why don't you like Jews?

Jul 2, 2022

4:10

Gut voch everybody, I’ll tell you a maaseh. Until the Baal Shem Tov was 36 years old he was very hidden, he didn’t publicize himself as a Tzadik yesod olam. But this Maaseh we have is one of the rare stories from before that point. Before his public display of greatness that is attributed to him. There was a big city that was experiencing a drought, and especially back in those days it caused great difficulty. These were frum holy jews, and they were trying to figure out what to do. Maybe we’ll make an asifa, everyone will get together one day we’ll make a taanis, daven slichos. What we’ll do is we’ll gather funds to hire one of the biggest maggidim to shmooze and to get everyone to do Teshuva. Back in that day they had Rabbonim and Maggidim. Maggidim were traveling darshanim, very often they were big talmidei chachamim and tzadikim. They would travel from place to place giving shmuezen and that’s how they made a parnassah. There was a stereotype about maggidim, not all of them were like this but stereotypes have truth to them somewhat. That the Maggidim were the opposite of the philosophy of the Baal Shem. The Baal Shem Tov felt that the way to bring yidden closer to Hashem was with love, telling them how great they are and showing them the power they possess. The Maggidim of old were the opposite, talking about punishments, Schar Ve’Onesh. So the city gets together to hire one of the biggest Maggidim, the whole city is there. The opening line the Maggid opens up with is “You guys are all Reshaim!” Why do you think this is all happening! The reason it’s not raining is because you guys are always sinning. You deserve this! Halevai you should suffer and die in this world, to take away the pain and suffering you’ll have in the next world. It happens to be the Baal shem Tov is in the crowd and he’s jumping out of his skin to hear this. At some point he can’t take it anymore, he jumps out and in front of the whole city he asks, why do you hate yidden so much? What did they do? They give you parnassah! The maggid says what are you talking about? I don't hate yidden. The Baal Shem Tov answers yes you do, that’s why you’re talking like this. You think that’s what’s going to bring the rain? I’ll show you how to do it! He takes the yidden on both sides of him, they make a little rikud, a few minutes later a storm comes, thunder and lightning and it begins to rain. There was a time in jewish history where the way to bring jews close to Hashem was with a stick. But the Baal Shem Tov revealed to us that there has been a change, that the way to bring geula and yeshua is with simcha, talking up to yidden, showing how much power they possess. To show them how unbecoming it is if they don’t live up to who they are, B'etzem. We should be zocheh to have a geulah in that way. A geulah b’rachamim, b’chassadim. A geulah where all the shefa comes not g-d forbid with the way of the old maggidim, but with simcha and the way of the Baal Shem tov.

395

As long as you live

Jul 9, 2022

4:21

Gut voch everybody. The great Rebbe of Radzin, Reb Gershon Henoch was a grandson of the Izhbitzer, Reb Mordechai Yosef of Izhbitz. The story goes like this. Reb Gershon Henoch, even as a tzaddik, an adult was a very fiery, confident, creative personality. People that are like that as adults usually start off like that as children as well. So when you have a child who has a big neshama like Reb Gershon Henoch coupled with that creative, energetic, confident changing the world type of personality it could sometimes become a difficult thing to manage. Reb Gershon Henoch was a little kid and he was walking in the city. In Izhbitz at the time, there was a stream, a river and there was a narrow foot-bridge to cross that stream. The width of the bridge was only wide enough for one person to walk at a time. It happens to be that Reb Gershon Henoch’l as a kid is trying to cross and to his mazel there’s a person walking in front of him. This was an elderly chassid who was walking very slowly. Reb Gershon Henoch’l is getting a little bit antsy so he starts pushing to try to get through. The older chassid turns around and says how dare you push me, do you know how I am? I’m an einekel of the chozeh of Lublin. Reb Gershob Henoch’l on the spot without flinching says so what, the Chozeh is dead. My grandfather is the Rebbe and he’s alive. The old man hears this and is shocked to hear such a thing so disrespectful about the Chozeh. After crossing the bridge the old man goes to tell on the little boy so he goes to the Izhibtzer. He knocks on the door, he goes in and tells the Rebbe what happened, he tried to cut me off and I told him I’m the einekel of the Chozeh and he says who cares the Chozeh is dead and my grandfather is the Rebbe he’s alive. The Izhbitzer was shaken up to hear that, he calls in his grandson and he says, nu is it true that you said that? The kid answers, yes I said it. The Izhbitzer begins to shake, to say such a thing and talk like that about the Chozeh? Who am I compared to the Chozeh. Reb Gershon Henoch’l as a kid begins to get nervous, feels a little bit bad and begins to cry a little. The Izhbitzer then says, but the truth is, the Chozeh is dead and I’m alive. And as long as I’m alive, I can be as great as Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai. That’s what he said to his grandson. That’s an amazing thing. Of course it goes without saying to respect gedolei hador. But as long as you’re alive, it means that you have a spark of the divine within you and the sky's the limit. Why limit yourself to the Chozeh, you can be as great as Rebbe shimon Bar Yochai. As long as you’re alive. The Chozeh was niftar, the Izhbitzer was niftar. Tzadikim of past generations are no longer here but we’re alive. As long as we’re alive we have to dream and aspire to be great people, if we aspire to be bigger then maybe we’ll become the people that we have to become. Hashem should help us that this week should be filled with Brachos, yeshuos and potential to be actualized. B’vias G’oel Tzedek B’mheirah B’yamenu amen.

396

My goy is bigger than yours

Jul 16, 2022

4:22

Gut Voch everybody. Let me tell you a maaseh. One of the great chassidim of the Baal Hatanya was a chassid, a tzadik by the name of Reb Shmuel Munkis. This Chossid Reb Shmuel was a huge eved Hashem, a huge tzadik, but he was a little mischievous and would do things in a funny way. He was a famous chassid, this is a maaseh that they say about how he originally became a chassid of the Baal Hatanya. He had heard about the greatness of the Baal Hatanya and he wanted to come visit him. He traveled to the Baal Hatanya’s city of Liadi. But in those days, he didn’t know what the Baal Hatanya looked like he didn’t have an address. He shows up at 3 o’clock in the morning and he’s planning to find the Rebbe. He looks throughout the city and sees there’s only one house where the light is still on. So he assumed that’s got to be the Baal Hatanya sitting and learning. He knocks on the door, the Baal Hatanya comes and Reb Shmuel falls on the floor. He says Rebbe i’m here, take me in, turn me into a chassid. So the Baal Hatanya stands up and says, how do you know that I’m the Rebbe. Reb Shmuel is taken aback by the question, and says you’re the only house still lit. The Rebbe says how do you know that the Rebbe’s house is filled with light? Reb Shmuel doesn’t know how to answer. After a minute, the Baal Hatanya says this place isn’t for you, get out. Reb Shmuel says no, I’m here. I want to be a chassid, I want to come in. The Baal Hatanya says no, this isn’t for you, I don’t know why you came here, go find some other Rabbi. Reb Shmuel says no, I’m staying, I'm going to learn by you, I’m not moving. So the Baal Hatanya says you’re not leaving from my house? This is trespassing, I’m going to get the goy and he’s going to pick you up and throw you out. At that moment, Reb Shmuel begins to cry and says, Rebbe, my goy is stronger than your goy. The Baal Hatanya smiles and says ahhh, then come in. What does that mean? What’s the Maaseh? What the Baal Hatanya was trying to say was you came trying to find me because my house was lit up. In other words, You came with the assumption that by a tzadik everything is light. And a tzadik doesn’t have a goy. Doesn’t have a yetzer hara, everything is perfect and fine. By you connecting to a tzadik and trying to become one you’re goal is to become a person that’s full of light, and light alone. But when Reb Shmuel said my goy is stronger, ah, now you have a goy inside, now you can serve Hashem. Without the fake face, pretending as if there’s just light. There’s choshech in the world, there’s choshech inside of us. And aderaba, with our choshech, with our darkness, with our goy inside of us that’s how we come to serve Hashem. We serve Hashem with everything we have, especially with honesty. That’s the ikkar avodah to become a chossid, to become a tzadik you come with you go, with everything you have that’s how you serve Hashem. Hashem should help us that this week should be a week of light, of Ohr. But if we have choshech within ourselves, in those situations we serve Hashem with that choshech as well. We’re honest with ourselves, we admit it and we do our best with that choshech. Hashem should bless us that it should be a lichtigeh voch, a mazaldik voch, a simchadik voch and with that we should be zoche to the great light of all lights b’vias goel tzedek, amen.

397

Carl the janitor says hello

Aug 20, 2022

8:32

Hold on to Shabbos with Stories of Tzadikim with Rav Yussie Zakutinsky There is a tradition amongst Jews, that on Motzei Shabbos, we get together and share stories of Tzadikim. These tales of holy people, from times long ago, can have a profound affect on our week. On Shabbos we rest from our weekday activities, and we have an opportunity to reconnect with who we really are. The energy and spirit of Shabbos enables the ultimate rendezvous with our true selves and deep moments with our Father in Heaven. And then, right before we re-enter the world of action, we sit together and recall the lives of our exalted Tzadikim, gleaning lessons, morals, and values to carry this spirit of unity forward with us…Until next Shabbos…. ------

398

The Badichever's letter

Aug 27, 2022

5:10

Hold on to Shabbos with Stories of Tzadikim with Rav Yussie Zakutinsky There is a tradition amongst Jews, that on Motzei Shabbos, we get together and share stories of Tzadikim. These tales of holy people, from times long ago, can have a profound affect on our week. On Shabbos we rest from our weekday activities, and we have an opportunity to reconnect with who we really are. The energy and spirit of Shabbos enables the ultimate rendezvous with our true selves and deep moments with our Father in Heaven. And then, right before we re-enter the world of action, we sit together and recall the lives of our exalted Tzadikim, gleaning lessons, morals, and values to carry this spirit of unity forward with us…Until next Shabbos…. ------

399

Staying warm through the winter

Sep 20, 2022

4:39

Gut voch everybody, I’ll tell you a maaseh. One of the great chassidim of the Tzamach Tzedek named Reb Hillel PAritcher and he would repeat this story that happened to him, in this time of Elul. And to him, this brought out what Teshuva and Elul is all about. He was walking on a late winter night in Russia somewhere. Those days, the Czar had a palace that he lived in, but the Czar had many different palaces. Even though the Czar was only in one palace at a time, every palace had to be guarded and respected because it’s still his palace and he coukld theoretically be there. One time, Reb hillel Parithcer was walking by one of these palaces, and he heard a lot of screaming and moaning, it wasn’t normal. He goes in to see what’s going on, he sees a young soldier who’s being beaten mercilessly by his higher ranking officer. It was a strange sight, he goes over and there’s a whole commotion over there. This young soldier was charged with standing guard and watching the place of the Czar. Most likely the Czar wasn’t even there, and unfortunately this young boy fell asleep and his officer cae around to check on him and caught him slacking off from his job. The proper mode of conduct is when the higher ranking officer walks by, he’s supposed to stand up. This young guy fell asleep and his boots froze to the ground, and this is why this kid is being beaten up. While this is happening this kid is begging for his life, please just have compassion on me. It’s so cold, I fell asleep for one minute and my boots froze. It’s so cold and i’m so tired it’s not my fault. The office said I was there 10 years ago when you took an oath to serve the Czar. That oath should keep you warm to this day. Reb Hillel Paritcher said nu, in the Tanya it says every single one of us before we come to the world we take an oath that we will be a tzaddik not a rasha. And even if the whole world is telling you you’re a tzaddik, don’t think your work is done. We take this oath then get sent to the world with all the coldness of the inter, the tough times, our oath has to keep us warm, an inner desire to be able to make sure our boots don’t freeze to the ground. Reb Hillel Paritcher says the avodah of Elul is to remember that oath that we took, Elul will help us dance, to go vaiter and fulfill that oath today, keeping us warm in the cold winter. Hashem should help us, this week as we get closer to the Yomim Noraim we should be zocheh to remember that oath, this is ultimately the secret of Teshuva, to keep us warm with this oath. We should be zocheh to have a week of yeshua and nechamos b’vias goel tzedek b’heirah b’yamenu amen.

400

Even Higher

Sep 20, 2022

5:31

A gut voch. Please check back soon for a transcript of episode 26!

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