Chassidus Explained

Continuing along the theme of ירידת הנשמה למטה, the רבי uses the rule of "כל הגבוה ביותר יורד למטה יותר" - whatever has a higher source falls lower - to demonstrate how a נסיון requires the most strength from the person to overcome: Being that in a נסיון, the sparks of קדושה are the most concealed, they are on the lowest level, thus showing on the power of their source, and the power of...

Contrasting בירורים (even by מצות לא תעשה) with נסיונות, the רבי explains how נסיונות are not a true existence - as by the 'river' in the story of the עקידה - and that is how a איד passes tests - by remembering that they are only passing tests! This explains the עבודה of the פריערדיקער רבי in prison, making a firm resolution not to be intimidated by them - being that they are not a true ex...

The רבי finishes the מאמר's opening part by showing how אברהם's עבודה of מסירות נפש came from his יחידה. This opens up the מאמר's discussion of the difference between the עבודה of בירורים and that of נסיונות: While בירורים means to work with the object, נסיונות is to distance oneself from it. Whereas בירורים is engagement with this world, נסיונות is the disengagement from it.

This שיעור begins with a lengthy introduction to the מאמר's history, specifically connecting it with the miracle of the Entebbe raid that happened the week that this מאמר was said. (We also delve into the history of how מאמרים מלוקט began.) The מאמר begins with the פסוק of "נתת ליראיך", and how this פסוק is referring to the עבודה of נסיונות that demands מסירות נפש, which comes from t...

Continuing to explain the theme of rain vs. dew in תורה, the רבי explains how rain is a reference to נגלה, while dew refers to פנימיות התורה. While the main גילוי of טל תורה is only when משיח comes (connected to the dew of תחיית המתים), we already received it by מתן תורה, including the ability to understand it, just like נגלה! This explains why the dew is referred to as "גשם (נדבות)" - t...

In this מאמר of שבועות, the רבי explains the concept of the "dew" of תורה that was used to revive the אידן by מתן תורה, and, based on the fundamental teaching of the בעל שם טוב, we experience anew on שבועות every year. It begins with understanding the difference between the concepts of rain - Hashem being משפיע to us reciprocally - and dew - Hashem giving us irrelevant of how we are.

Finishing the מאמר, the רבי explains the connection between ל"ג בעומר and "עד הגל הזה": The whole point of the barriers of סדר השתלשלות is for the איד through his עבודה (through the גילוי of פנימיות התורה beginning on ל"ג בעומר) to break those barriers, thus showing the true intent and reality of the צמצום. That explains the connection between ל"ג בעומר and "גל עיני&q...

The רבי continues to show the theme of the מאמר - the "עליונים" being expressed from the "תחתונים" - within the כונות of מצות, as well as in Davening: No matter how high the כונת המצוה is in חסידות and קבלה, the ultimate goal is to show it from the simplest parts of תורה, as well as in the simplest כונות. This is also why the צמח צדק talks about the importance of simplicity in...

The point of מתן תורה - and, by extension, the point of ל"ג בעומר - was not the גילוי מלמעלה as much as that the גילוי should be מלמטה ("getting down to the bottom of it"). Thus, the רבי explains the דיוק in the פסוק of "גל עיני " - it is about the person seeing the נפלאות of תורה. On a תורה level, this means seeing the נפלאות of פנימיות התורה from נגלה (as will be explained more in the next שיעור...

Beginning this ל"ג בעומר מאמר, the רבי quotes a מאמר from the רבי מהר"ש that explains the connection of ל"ג בעומר - the day celebrating רשב"י's revelation of פנימיות התורה - to this פסוק of גל עיני. We also bring from the צמח צדק who quotes the של"ה that "נפלאות מתורתך" means the כוונות of מצות, and now we need to understand the connection between the secrets of תורה and the כוונות of מצות.

To better understand the wisdom of the one who chooses the King, the רבי analyzes a משל from the אלטער רבי about the various levels of people (and dogs) who benefit from the king's feast. What emerges from the רבי's דיוק is that the מדרש's משל of the ministers who are with the king do not only mean קליפה, but actually include מלאכים and ספירות! The פקח who chooses the king sees through...

Continuing with the 3rd step of explaining the wisdom of the אידן in their choosing קדושה over קליפה, the רבי explains how it is not about making a choice for a better return, it is rather about purely choosing the King! But not because it makes sense: the profundity of this choice, the רבי continues in the 4th step, is that it does not originate from intellect; it emerges from the נשמה. At the sa...

In this part of the מאמר, the רבי continues with the 2nd step of explaining the wisdom of the אידן in their choosing קדושה over קליפה: Choosing קדושה requires real sacrifice in commitment, ביטול, and sufficing with limited ROI. Whereas קליפה is a free-for-all, no commitment needed, offering a heavy commission fee as well! Why would a איד choose the King? Because the King never leaves. It's abo...

What is the fundamental difference between עבודה זרה and, להבדיל, belief in Hashem? In this part of the מאמר, the רבי breaks it down by delving into the nuanced differences of שיתוף and עבודה זרה, thus uncovering the core mistake of עבודה זרה and how אידן know better. This is the 1st step in explaining the wisdom of the אידן in their choosing Hashem over the forces of nature. In this שיעור, we del...

Beginning this landmark מאמר, the רבי seeks to understand the nature of us choosing Hashem and Hashem choosing us. The מדרש says that choosing the king over the ministers is wise, because only the king lasts forever. What is so wise about choosing the king, and what does that have to do with the reason of the king's eternity?!

Finishing the מאמר, the רבי explains why we refer to the יום טוב's miracle as "פורים": When the truest בחירה of עצמות comes through the גורל, then Hashem's ultimate choice in the אידן is expressed even in סדר השתלשלות, and we see how the lottery was for our good the entire time!

If אחשורוש is already a level above השתלשלות - where the גזירה can take effect - why did המן need the גורל? The רבי explains that while in the "אחשורוש" plane of above השתלשלות there are no differences of levels, there are still levels. Whereas on the "גורל" plane, there are no levels at all. Only from that place can המן plan his גזירה.

If גורל is such a high level, what was המן thinking to use it against the אידן ח"ו?! The answer is, specifically from such a high level of סובב did המן think that his plot can take effect. Because within השתלשלות, even המן understood that he does not stand a chance against the אידן. This is connected with אחשורוש, which is the level of סובב. That is where the silence of קדושה can become silence of...

In this historically famous מאמר (in connection with Stalin ימח שמו's death - see videos below ), the רבי begins by explaining the power of a גורל: Not only is a גורל higher than שכל, it is higher than - and controls - רצון as well, by connecting to the בעל הרצון. This explains the connection of פורים to יום כיפור - and how פורים is in fact greater than יום כיפור! - in their ability to attain כפרה...

View the PDF of the מאמר booklet ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Finishing the מאמר, the רבי explains the experience of מקיף הרחוק - through משלים and the stories of תורה. Specifically through the 'low' level stories of תורה and the 'simple' מעשה המצות we tap into the deepest level of the עצם and תענוג הפשוט - and that's the אוצר!

View the PDF of the מאמר booklet ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ . To contrast מקיף הרחוק with מקיף הקרוב, the רבי quotes the אלטער רבי's משל of a house vs. garments, the צמח צדק's explanation of נעשה vs. נשמע, and the unique experience of מצות that can only be done unintentionally! However, the רבי points out, all this shows on the experience of מקיף הרחוק - as the רבי מהר"ש points out about the shelter...

View the PDF of the מאמר booklet ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . Continuing through פרק ט"ז of the פריערדיקער רבי's מאמר, we are introduced to the משל of the רב and תלמיד, analyzing three levels of knowledge within that relationship: פנימי, מקיף הקרוב and מקיף הרחוק. The רבי sets out to explain how even מקיף הרחוק is an אור being imparted. To understand that, we explore the topic of מקיף in the צמח צדק's מאמרים, using...

View the PDF of the מאמר booklet ⁠here⁠ . Quoting the אלטער רבי, the רבי explains that the term "אור אין סוף" brings out the central idea of this פרק, that while we are not discussing Hashem Himself (מאור), this אור still has the infinite quality of being both מעלה and מטה. This is referring to Hashem being "secret" even within Himself כביכול, as the רבי quotes from the מיטעלער...

View the PDF of the מאמר booklet here . Following the yearly cycle of באתי לגני, in this מאמר the רבי is explaining פרק ט"ז of the פריערדיקער רבי's מאמר, discussing the line from זהר that "אור אין סוף למעלה עד אין קץ". After catching us up in סעיף א, the רבי uncovers the חידוש of the פריערדיקער רבי about this line, that we are discussing two opposites within the אור itself, and...

Finishing the מאמר, the רבי explains the connection between חנוכה and סוכות, specifically the 70 bulls of the קרבן מוסף: With חנוכה being the celebration of יחידה, we see how יחידה is used, not only as a defense against darkness, but as the key for transforming the darkness, which is also the idea of the 70 bulls, corresponding to the 70 nations.