Shivchei & Sichot Haran

128: Rabeinu studied the writings of the Arizal, the Zohar, and the tikkunei Zohar all while he was still a child. Rabeinu used to study the tikkunei Zohar throughout the entire year as well, not just the month of Elul. 129: Rabeinu explains that depression is the main reason a person falls into sexual immorality… happiness is the only way to combat this desire, as well as screaming out to G-d con...

126: Rabeinu warns the generations before the coming of the Mashiach that there will be a very big downfall in faith, many false leaders, and few people who desire the truth… Rabeinu, though, is telling us this to reinforce us that when we see this, we remember that we heard it before the fact. 127: It is very great to study the holy tikunei Zohar during the month of Elul. This holy sefer possesse...

Rabeinu teaches us about the beauty and spiritual significance of the etrog. He explains the deep importance of this mitzvah and the lengths we need to go to perform it properly.

123: Even if someone is close to G-d for a brief moment or period time and later falls off the path, G-d still takes great enjoyment from the time when this person drew close to Him. 124: Rabeinu was unable to give off words of musar/reproof (explicitly) because he’d be so emotional that he wouldn’t utter a word… We discuss a bit about the musar of Rabeinu and how all his teachings are filled with...

121: Rabeinu rebuked his students, saying that their prayers were like an act, pretending to put their energy into the words. Rabeinu emphasized that one must out all their force in the words of prayer. 122: When we need a salvation, especially when it comes to livelihood, the main thing is to wait patiently with trust in G-d that he’ll send you the salvation in the the right time.

Rabeinu gives us beautiful words of reinforcement. He encourages us with words that provide strength amidst all the chaos and difficulties that the evil inclination tests each and every one of us with. Rabeinu also emphasizes the importance of reinforcing our friends, regardless of how successful we are in serving G-d, for it is much easier to encourage others than ourselves.

Rabeinu emphasized with great passion the importance of wanting the best for another Jew even if you yourself aren’t attaining what your striving for. This is a very high level!

117: Rebbe Nathan describes Rabeinu’s avodat HASHEM as a child. We understand from this how a person must always look up to G-d and rely on Him no matter what the situation is. 118: Rabeinu explains that many people have questions on G-d… but there are those who have perfect consciousness and know/see that everything G-d does is just and right and good!

Rabeinu teaches us that it is not fitting to call a Jew “ethical” or “moral.” The reason for this is because ethics and morality are dictated by reason, logic, and fairness. But even those mitzvot G-d commands us which are rooted in logic (do not steal, do not murder), we do not perform them because they make sense but only because G-d told us to. This is what makes a true ADAM- man.

112: Rabeinu explains that the Torah isn’t written in order because if it was, we’d know the punishment and reward for every commandment. Rabeinu then goes on to explain how the punishment for a certain sin is falling into constant debt… 113: The world says: when G-d wants to make someone a fool, he takes away his wife. Rabeinu then explains why… 114-115: Rabeinu goes in depth about the text for s...

108-109: Rabeinu speaks about the greatness of the holy Zohar! 110: The confusions bound up with the mind are subdued when one sleeps, especially when the confusions have to do with faith. 111: Rabeinu explains how a person’s outrage against the tzadik prevents him from truly serving G-d, and makes him like a monkey mocking a human being.

106: Rabeinu explains that the true essence of faith is when your faith is not dependent on miracles or signs or wisdom… this is the Faith mentioned in the verse of Psalms “and Your faith in the night.” Rabeinu also talks about Torah sages that don’t have faith. They have heresies deep in their mind. We must distance ourselves very much from these people. 107: Rabeinu explains why Esther was neith...

103: Better to be a fool that believes in everything than to be someone sophisticated who also will end up denying the truth. 104: Rabeinu says that when the evil one accosts a person, it’s better to drag him to the house of study than the house of prayer. Rabeinu explains this according to the language in the Gemara Kiddushin. 105: Rabeinu discusses what gives a person the strength to stand in th...

When one breaks atheism, then he reveals the Godliness within that place. Rabeinu uncovers why one who has faith lives a truly good life whereas one who doesn’t believe in G-d is always in pain simply because he believes that there’s no greater purpose to all his afflictions/troubles… Rabeinu also discusses why having faith makes it easier to accomplish a true and balanced Teshuva! We also mention...

101: Simplicity is the highest way to serve G-d… 102: When one breaks atheism, then he reveals the Godliness within that place. Rabeinu uncovers why one who has faith lives a truly good life whereas one who doesn’t believe in G-d is always in pain simply because he believes that there’s no greater purpose to all his afflictions/troubles…

99: There’s what we call direct and reflected light. When a person converses with his friend on the subject of fear of Heaven, it can happen that the wisdom being shared by one is absorbed/accepted by his friend (what we call direct light). There’s also a possibility that the reflected light precedes the direct light… 100: Clothing can be a very great distraction in serving G-d! The evil inclinati...

In these two lessons, Rabeinu reveals awesome secrets about the book of Tehillim composed by David Hamelech, the bitachon/trust in G-d one gains when he recites Psalms, and the greatness of doing hitbodedut in the fields especially when vegetation is sprouting.

A person should accustom himself to be in the world to come. How? By separating himself from the physical desires of this world. If we were to remember just one delight of the world to come, we wouldn’t be able to tolerate this world whatsoever. This is why forgetting can be good… Each tzadik is granted 310 worlds as a gift… but the tzadik builds these worlds through strife! The tzadik judges all...

A person should accustom himself to be in the world to come. How? By separating himself from the physical desires of this world. If we were to remember just one delight of the world to come, we wouldn’t be able to tolerate this world whatsoever. This is why forgetting can be good… Each tzadik is granted 310 worlds as a gift… but the tzadik builds these worlds through strife! The tzadik judges all...

Rebbe Nachman teaches us that a person is given their name according to their mission in this world. Sometimes, a person must be given a new name if he finishes his mission early…

93: Rabeinu describes the qualities necessary for a scholar/tzadik to divide this awesome light that shines in a 1,000 worlds into small pieces for those who are at low levels to understand. Rabeinu also explains the relationship between different Tzadikim and the mashiach. 94: When there’s peace in a city, it’s because there’s a lack of intelligence/Da’at, for Da’at creates separation…

Rabeinu describes the qualities necessary for a scholar/tzadik to divide this awesome light that shines in a 1,000 worlds into small pieces for those who are at low levels to understand. Rabeinu also explains the relationship between different Tzadikim and the mashiach.

“When a soul comes down to the world, the destined task associated with that soul begins to rise and ascend in the world…” Rabeinu also discusses the nature of the years of a man’s life, the waning and waxing of the moon, and benign speech…

90: Rabeinu teaches us that just as we know that when a person is about to die he sees the dead souls that share the same root and the souls of his dead relatives/close ones, the same is true when a person is about to sleep… 91: In order to attain diligence in Torah study, one must make sure not to speak badly about another Jew and not to search for any Jew’s flaws. Doing so ensures the Torah rema...

88: Rabeinu explains why we turn the tables over on Shabbat Hagadol. He connects this with the idea of speech and how the main idea of leaving Egypt was redeeming dibur/speech from the exile 89: Rabeinu delves into the pattern of one sin leading to another, creating a bundle of sins. He explains that each sin leads to another sin that is related to it, creating a bundle of sins all in the same cat...