Nitzotzos: Inspiration to Keep Your Spark Alive with Rav Mordechai Burg

NCSY Kollel ran a program called Great Debates. In this debate, featuring Rav Yosef Hirschel vs Rav Burg, the topic debated was should a Rebbe know what his talmid is doing on a Saturday night. Rav Hirschel argued the affirmative and Rav Burg argued the negative. At its core the issue being debated was, what is the role of a Rebbe.

In this shiur, delivered at NCSY Kollel Mishmar, Rav Burg told over an exceptional story of Chesed in Beit Shemesh involving a family that is struggling with a rare genetic disease. With Chesed like this happening in our community how is it that Mashiach hasn't come yet?

In this shiur, delivered at NCSY Michlelet, Rav Burg explores the bracha of V'haarev Na. Only through finding the sweetness of Torah can we ensure transmission of the Jewish mission to the next generation.

In this shiur, delivered at NCSY Kollel on Tisha B'Av, Rav Burg explains how we are all very busy trying to tap into our own loss on Tisha B'Av but what about feeling Hashem's Pain for His loss. It's His house that was destroyed and only through feeling the pain of another will we merit to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash.

In this shiur, delivered at NCSY Michlelet to both TJJ and Michlelet girls, Rav Burg explains how each one of the five tragedies that occurred on Tisha B'Av further our destruction until we are completely annihilated. But, at the point of complete annihilation, we discover that we have not been destroyed we have been planted and we are in the process of growing.

In this shiur, delivered in NCSY Kollel at Mishmar, Rav Burg explains (based on a sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe) why Hashem allowed Klal to make the totally free choice to send Meraglim to spy out Eretz Canaan. We are naturally pulled to do a Mitzvah but when given an option we are totally free to do as we please. In this way we can truly invite Hashem into our lives.

Chazal teach us that anyone who mourns the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash will merit to see it in it's state of Simcha. In this shiur, delivered to the Nshei of Neve Shamir, Rav Burg explores the vulnerability of Aveilus - the physical loss and the geographical disorientation, and how only through a true mourning process can we come to discover the completion that exists within our state of inc...

In this shiur, delivered at NCSY Kollel Mishmar, Rav Burg (quoting from Rav Lopiansky shlit"a) explains why the last battle that Moshe Rabbeinu fought was specifically with Midyan and Bilaam. Why was this a condition for Moshe to move on to the next world? Furthermore, what was the significance of the Tzitz in the battle with Midyan? Are we serving Hashem or serving ourselves? Do we learn Torah in...

In this shiur Rav Burg explains, based on a sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the connection between the Masei and the reason why these Parshios are read during the three weeks. We must live with the paradox of becoming hard enough to survive Galus, drawing from wellsprings of faith that we did not know existed, and at the same time understand that this all taking us to Eretz Yisrael, a time of Ge...

In this short shiur, delivered at the grand banquet of Mevaseret, Rav Burg addresses the Talmidim for the final time of the year. In this shiur he defines the difference between a Malach who is an Omed and a human being who is a Mehaleich. An Omed can be defined by his fall but a human being who is in process can never be defined by what he does.

In this shiur, the last of the year in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg addresses the inverted nuns that we find in this weeks Parsha. What are they doing in this week Parsha? Why a Nun? Why inverted? Why do we recite these pesukim at least three times a week? A Jew is called upon to swim upstream in life. To go against the current. And as we rebound for our state of Nefillah we climb higher than ever befo...

In this shiur, delivered in Michlala, Rav Burg explains (based on the Torah of the Nachlas Yosef) the first several Pesukim of Megillas Rus. Understanding the inner story of how Naomi came to be in Moav allows us to understand the heroism of her return to return to Eretz Yisrael. Indeed from her return comes Dovid HaMelech and ultimately Melech HaMashiach.

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the topic of seeing the sounds by Har Sinai. The Zohar HaKadosh takes this literally. The inner message of this teaching is that Yiddishkeit needs to be something visible and visceral. We cannot teach the menu of Shabbos without teaching the majesty of Shabbos. If we are going to be Hashem's loyal servants, when the mountain of Har S...

When we know deeply that we matter, that our actions matter, we are capable of doing incredible things. The Medrash teaches us that had Boaz known that his actions were being recorded he would have served Rus a fleishigs seuda. This was not because Boaz wanted to look good for eternity but because he did not know that his actions mattered eternally.

In this shiur, delivered to the Nshei of Rechavia, Rav Burg explains (based on the Torah of the Nachlas Yosef) the first several Pesukim of Megillas Rus. Understanding the inner story of how Naomi came to be in Moav allows us to understand the heroism of her return to return to Eretz Yisrael. Indeed from her return comes Dovid HaMelech and ultimately Melech HaMashiach.

In this shiur, delivered to the Nshei of Neve Shamir in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Rav Burg explores the concept of Chazal's explanation thatthe destruction of the Beis HaMidash was destroyed because of the fact that they did not make a Birchas HaTorah before davening. Could it be that they did not make a Birchas HaTorah before learning? Even if it did happen, is that something worthy of the destruct...

In this shiur, delivered in Aish HaTorah to the Chizzuk Mission led by Barrie Feld, Rav Burg addresses how the physical and spiritual can be fused with each other only from the perspective of the essence. This concept can be used to understand how men and women can find each other in relationships. At the end of the shiur there is a question and answer from Rav and Rebbetzin Burg.

In this shiur, delivered in the Jerusalem Gold Hotel in Yerushalayim to NCSY Summer advisors, Rav Burg addresses the topic of Chinuch and how it is an expression of our Avodas Hashem. The shiur was followed by a question and answer session about practical topics regarding dealing with NCSY'ers in the summer.

In a consumeristic culture we have lost sight of what our relationship with Hashem is all about. In this shiur Rav Burg explains how we tend to "sell" Judaism to our youth rather than teach them that they have obligations and reponsibilities to participate in our relationship with Hashem. Each of us has a unique Godly soul and we are meant to contribute to this world.

For several years Tomer Devorah runs a DIF (Dignity in Focus) challenge that culminates with a dinner for the winners. The dinner is highlighted by a short shiur from Rav and Rebbetzin Burg on the topic of dignity and is followed by a Q&A on the topic of dignity. Rav Burg spoke about dignity as a shemira and Rebbetzin Burg spoke about Tznius as creating space for another.

In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the Mitzvah of Shemitta. Why does the Torah indicate that Shemitta was to be kept immediately upon entering Eretz Yisrael when in fact it was only kept seven years later? What is the inner connection between Matan Torah and Har Sinai? Why does the Torah record the question of those Jews who wondered what they would eat after the Shemitta...

This episode contains the full shiurim of Rav Aryeh Cohen and Rav Burg (previous uploads are missing a couple of minutes of Rav Burgs shiur) shiurim as well as a question and answer on a variety of topics.

Part 2 of the shiurim on exploring a woman's role in Torah as we draw close to Shavuos and a question and answer with Rav Cohen and Rav Burg on a variety of topics.

These shiurim, delivered in Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, was a night of Chizzuk to explore the role of women as we draw close to Shavuos and Matan Torah. A special thank you to all sponsors. Shiur begins from Rav Cohen and is followed by Rav Burg at 41:30.

In this shiur, delivered on the NCSY staff training Shabbaton, Rav Burg explains the secret story behind the Mekalel and what led him to curse Hashem and scoff at the Lechem HaPanim. It is imperative for us to ensure that our children feel that they have a deep sense of belonging which leads them to see Hashem as a warm and safe place. The opposite Chas V'shalom can lead to cursing Hashem.