Halacha Notes

Hi! I'm posting halacha notes as I study them...(from Sara Stevens notes):

SIMAN SHIN VOV

Cheftzecha:

Alef: What does cheftzcha (pursuing your needs mean)? You're not allowed to pursue your wants. Even if it's a not a melacha that can't be done on shabbos but it's something you want to do after shabbos you're 'preparing' - that's assur. 

Example: on shabbos you walk in the garden & see the work that has to be done after shabbos - even though you're not doing anything muktzeh it's assur. 

Beis: This applies when it is clearly noticeable that you are preparing for after shabbos-something that's  not allowed on shabbos. 

Example: on the way home take a detour & walk by stores which is out of the area because you want to see something you want to buy after shabbos - its obvious what you're doing so not allowed. 

Daled: You're not allowed to buy, sell, rent, or hire out on shabbos. It's decreed by the chachamim because they were concerned that it would lead to writing. 

Hey: The Alter Rebbe says - in sif alef when it says cheftzcha it only applies to something personal. If it's for the sake of a mitzvah it's ok. Why? Because it says cheftzCHA - YOUR wants. 

Ches: You're not allowed to work for earning on shabbos - even if the work is mutar b/c chachamim were concerned that it will lead to business transactions. 

Example: Hire a worker to be watchguard (mutar on shabbos) - it isn't allowed b/c his intention is to earn $$. The boss is not allowed to pay and the worker is not allowed to accept $$. The issur is if he's being paid specifically for shabbos. If he's  being paid weekly including the work he does on the other days, then it's ok. 

Tes: If a person is gonna be hired for an amount of time you can't specify how much you're being paid per day. You just lump the amount per week/month and then he can be paid a whole sum of $$ including what he did on shabbos. 

Yud Alef: It's forbidden to hire a chazzan to daven on shabbos or yomtov - even if you hire him before it's still assur. Some goes for blowing shofar, etc. Another opinion: some people permit it because it's for the sake of a mitzvah (so there is no concern of business transactions coming out of it). The A"R says minhaf is that we're lenient but according to ALL opinions you won't see a siman bracha from this money - because it's earned on shabbos.

If they're hired for a week/month etc and what they do on shabbos is part of it, then it's fine. 

Yud Beis: We are just forbidden to do personal wants. You're allowed to deal with community matters- it's not personal. 

Yud Gimmel: One is allowed to speak to a teacher (who teaches a sefer or a trade) when he's going to teach, but you're not allowed to discuss the wage/fee. A teacher who teaches torah is obviously ltzorech shamayim and not ltzorech atzmo. Also learning a trade is allowed to be arranges because it's not cheftzecha - it's cheftzei shamayim because if you don't know a trade it could lead you to steal. 

Tes Vov: There are thos who say when someone pledges $$ on shabbos you can't say the amount that you're going to give. But the minhag is to be lenient b/c you're allowed to say the amount you're going to give to tzedaka on shabbos. 

It used to be when a chosson got married he would make a speech & then ppl would pledge to the new couple. The A"R says this is a bad idea because it's not tzedaka - it's a present & not allowed to give presents on shabbos besides food, drink, or something to use that day. 

Tes Zayin: It's a minhag to auction off aliyos in shul. The A"R says the one who bids more merits it. It would've been better if it was prohibited b/c it can lead to transaction, but you can squeeze in a way to reason it's ok. 

Selling seats on shabbos isn't allowed because it's an object. Auctioning off mitzvos is ok because they don't transfer owners (doesn't take away from someone else). 

Yud Ches: Auctioning off esrog in a shtetel is not allowed to do because it's measuring on shabbos (string, tape, etc.). metzitza shel mitzvah is allowed - to measure for a mitzvah. 

Example: A meis with kohanim in the adjacent room & open doorways - you're allowed to measure the doorway to see if the tumah could have gotten through. 

SIMAN SHIN ZAYIN 

Speaking on Shabbos

Alef: Vdaber davar. regarding these words the chachamim explained that one should not say on shabbos 'tomorrow I will do ____'. If it's asur from the torah or midirabanan. The A"R says that if speaking out it today will help it's still asur. 

Example: asking someone to rent a care since you won't have time after shabbos - is assur. 

Example: on shabbos don't say 'on tuesday i'm gonna rent a car'

Even if it's about a mitzvah it's still assur. 

Beis: Even talking devarim beteilim - do not mention doing a melacha because it's assur to speak about them. People who discuss news & discoveries because it gives them pleasure is mutar, but talmidei chachamim shouldn't do that much. Someone who doesn't fine pleasure in talking about things isn't allowed to talk about it & even more can't discuss it with their friends. 

BACK TO SIMAN SHIN VOV

Chof Alef: It's muttar to think about your business on shaboos - even to think about doing a melacha, how it's going to be done, because the issur only went as far as speech. It says 'vdaber davar' not 'hirhur'. Nevertheless if his thinking brings unrest in his heart or a trace of worry it's assur. Even though if you don't worry then it's mutar- from a perspective of oneg shabbos - one should not think of his business b/c shabbos comes & one should think that all his work is finished. We learn this from 

"sheshes yamim taavod v'asisa kol melachtecha'. 

pshat=all types of work

drash= you should imagine that all the work is note & with that though the oneg is great. 

Chof Hey: Someone who lost something on shabbos - it's muttar to make an announcement. Even if the lost object is muktze because it's a mitzvah of hashavas aveida. It's not cheftzcha - but for cheftzei shamayim because it's a mitzvah. 

BACK TO SIMAN SHIN ZAYIN

Hey: You're not allowed to tell someone something that will cause them tzaar - like telling about the death of a close one. 

Yud Gimmel: IT's assur to speak about financial calculations, because it might come to writing --but you can think about it. Why? Because machshava => mayseh is much less likely than dibbur => mayseh. 

If it's a calculation in a mishna etc. that helps you understand it, not for your own needs, then it's fine. 

Even numbers where there's no concern of writing - it's inappropriate to discuss it because you shouldn stay away from devarim beteilim.  

Yud Daled: You're allowed to say to a worker "do you think you'll have some time tonight?" because it's not outrightly saying any assur and what was hinted out was only bmachshava. However, you can't say "I need you to be with me tonight, or I ned work from you tonight."

Tes Vov: There are things that are generally done in a way that is assur on shabbos, but they can be done without it being assur. 

Example: One shtetl to the other is usually tchum shabbos, but if there's huts on the way then it's not out of tchum Shabbos. So if you want to say something about something that will be done after shabbos, but there are ways of gettng out of the issur in certain scenarios, then you can say it because there's a heter. In halacha terms it's called tzad heter. 

So only type of activity where there's a tzad heter - way to be allowed - then you can talk about it, but should use a term that specifically indicates an issur. 

Chof Alef:

Shtarei Hedyotos- mundane documents. Documents of debt, transactions, mortgages, accounts, bills, etc. (not allowed on shabbos) You're not allowed to read them because it falls under mimtzoi cheftzcha. You're also not allowed to look at them (read only with eyes, not lips). The rule of machshava not being assur only applies when it's not obvious what they're thinking about. If looking at a bill and thinking it's obvious what they're thinking. 

Chof Beis: Chacham extended the issur to any written/printed material - not allowed with eyes or mouth. Why? because the chachamim were concerned that if you were allowed to read other things it would lead to reading shtarei hedyotos. 

Example: can't read a list of guests/menu on shabbos. 

Chof Gimmel: Now the practice is that the shamash does read the list that was prepared (menu, guest list, etc.) Once something because practice the chachamim have to find a way to justify it. Because it's usually done in relation with a seudas mitzvah - if it's for the sake of a mitzvah it's not mimtzo cheftzcha so it's ok. 

Chof Daled: Example: If there are announcements in shul like shiurim etc. it's muttar to read them because it's either ltzorech mitzvah or ltzorech rabim-both cases it's muttar. 

Chof Hey: Letters of greeting are assur to read (both with mouth & eyes) on shabbos b/c chachamim scared it could lead to shtarei hedyotos. There is a lenient opinion: if it's a letter that was sent & was never read yet, you're allowed to read it because maybe there's something in the letter that you really need to know. The A"R says that because it's a safeik drabanan were lenient. But even if you're reading it should read with eyes not lips. 

Chof Vov: The actual LETTERS of greeting aren't muktzeh - just reading them isn't allowed. 

Chof Zayin: A practiced custom is that when the mailman brings the mail we should say to him 'please put it down inside' because it's customary not to take it from his hand because we are concerned that a person might take it from his hand before he stopped walking & then it's considered that he helped carry it - (3 parts of carrying:uprooting, transferring, and bringing to rest) - so he would put it down with means bringing it to rest- and that is part of the aveira of carrying. 

Chof Ches: Reading material that we CAN'T read (bills, etc.) are muktzeh. 

Chof Tes: If there is a wall that has animals or pics of history & underneath it says what it is, it's assur to read it - not even with eyes. You can't even read history or poetry. You are allowed to read history books if they have a message. Even on a weekday you shouldn't read 'stupid' books. 

Lamed: Different poems & manuals are forbidden to read on shabbos, but if it has a message of mussar or yiras shamayim then it's ok. Things without tochen are even forbidden on a weekday because it's a waste of time. Also assur to read books with romance because they cause the yetzer hara to start up & make people sin. 

Lamed Alef: There are those who say that on shabbos & yomtov you're only allowed to learn divrei torah & yiras shamayim. Even in books of knowledge are assur, but every sefer that doesn't have a connection to kedusha fall under the category of shtarei hedyotos = muktzeh to even move. Some people do read books & medicing & so on because it's not something someone will refuse with shtarei hedyotos. We are lenient. You are allowed to look at the stars with a telescope though. 

SIMAN REISH MEM ZAYIN

Amira L'Nachri - speaking to a goy

Alef: The chachamim said: 'you can't tell a goy to do melacha for you on shabbos - whether for free or for pay, whether you tell him before shabbos or on shabbos'. Because when a goy works he does it as an aged of the yid & also so shabbos should feel different and not just have a goy doing any melacha for you while you're at work. 

Beis: The chachamim stretched the issur very far & decreed various decrees.

Example: If the goy went & did a melacha on his own for a yid, the yid can't have hanaah on shabbos or even motzei shabbos - unless he waits 'bichdei sheyaaseh' the amount of time it takes to do the melacha. It goes even further - that if you see a goy doing a melacha on behalf of the yid - even without permission - you must tell him to stop (in situations where they don't stop, if it's a worker you have to fire them).

SIMAN REISH NUN BEIS

Daled: It's mutar to give their clothes to a goyshe drycleaners & the goy on his own chooses to do it alone. But that is only if the Jew doesn't tell the goy to do it on shabbos. You can't give it right before shabbos & tell the goy you need it by Saturday night & Sunday or Monday if you know the only time he'll be able to do it is shabbos. If the goy on his own did that & the jew didn't tell him a specific time to do it - then it's fine & the jew doesn't have to protest. 

Hey: The above only applies when it's in the goy's domain - he's not allowed to do it in a yid's house because it's noticabe that it's for a yid and ppl may suspect that the yid gave the goy work to do on shabbos. There are some opinions that say even if the goy does it in his house it's not allowed. 

Tes: If you place an order with a goy- for example to sew a gown/build something (the halacha is different because with the drycleaning it's already yours, where here the goy is making something new for your). It's allowed because it's not chafeits shel yisroel (something that belongs to a yid) unless it's public knowledge. 

SIMAN SHIN ZAYIN

Vov: Anything that's assur to do on shabbos it's assur to tell a goy before shabbos that you need it after shabbos. 

Example: Can't tell a goy before shabbos that on shabbos he should hire workers for you. 

Zayin: Anything that's assur to tell a goy to do for you on shabbos, it's assur to hint/indicate for the goy to do it for you on shabbos. It's considered like a command because the goy will understand from it what he's supposed to do - that's assur to tell a goy to do a melacha. 

Exampl: You ran out of tissues & need a box of tissues opened. Can't say: Your nose is running, go get a tissue, so he'll go open the tissues because that's a command. Even if the goy is coming on his own to do a melacha, he's doing it for the yid which is assur. Even if the Jew didn't tell him anything, the Jew has to protest. You're allowed hint on shabbos that you'd like a goy to do a melacha after shabbos. It's not medaber davar because it's only thought- you're just hinting, not saying outright. Important: If someone didn't say any word of instruction but you tell a goy something and he understands to do a melacha on shabbos Example: a goy who is brought a sealed envelope. A yid can't open & read it. You can't say to a goy 'as long as it's not opened I can't read it'. But if the goy just opens it on his own without instruction or hint then its allowed. 

Ches: It's muttar to tell a goy after shabbos 'how come on shabbos you didn't do so & so?' even though the goy understands that you want this certain thing for next shabbos it's still allowed. Why? 1) Because you're talking to the goy on a weekday. 2) The wording isn't a command 'do this next shabbos'.

Tes: Let's say there is something that you could only get on shabbos, you're not allowed to give a goy money to go & buy that thing. Hoever, if it's available on other days of the week & he bought it, then you're allowed to use it, but you're never allowed to tell him to go buy it. If there's a village where marked day is on shabbos, don't live there. 

Yud Beis: Something that isn't assur from the torah, but the chachamim said that you can't is issur shivyus-something you can't do because of chachamim. 

Example: cutting fruits isn't allowed because of Torah, but the chachamim took farther & said that you can't touch it or anything to do with it. Something thats a melacha & the only reason you can't do it is because of issur shiyvus - the only way you could ask a goy to do it straight out is if a person is sick (even allergies) = sakanas eiver. 

Lamed Gimmel: If there's a flood & water's coming & ruining possessions, you can call a goy to help you - even though you know the goy will do a melacha. But you have to be careful not to say any instruction to the goy or hint that he has to fix anything - or do a melacha. You're just allowed to call him & say "whoever helps won't go unnoticed" - but can't say straight out that he'll be paid. 2nd opinion: this doesn't apply in a flood, only applies in a fire (stricter). A"R: someone who's lenient & goes by the first opinion is allowed if there will be great financial loss. 

Lamed Daled If a yid tells a goy 'do melacha for me on shabbos' you're not allowed to have hanaah from that melacha after shabbos for the amount of time it would take you to do the melacha. 

Exception: You can NEVER have hanaah if it was done publicly - bfarhesya - everyone knew it was done for a yid

Lamed Hey: What happens if you tell a goy to do a melacha for another goy because the yid will benefit? 

Example: The yid tells a goy to put out the goy's fire, so that the fire doesn't spread & affect the yid then it's allowed.

Lamed Vov: If a goy comes over to a yid's house to leave something for safe keeping - pikadon- it's muktzeh. As long as its an object that belongs to the goy the yid's allowed to tell him to move it to a specific place. But if the object belongs to the jew: if the goy's is still holding it, then the goy can move it, but if the goy already put it down you can't tell him where to move it. 

Lamed Ches: The goy is milking form milk that belongs to him & the yid watched in order for it to be cholov yisroel. Even if the yid is on the farm & he sees the goy is doing it only for the yid, it's still allowed because it's really for the goy- he wants things to sell to make money. 

SIMAN REISH AYIN VOV

Candle a Goy Lights on Behalf of a Yid

Tes Vov: All the issurim only apply to to countries that aren't cold. In countries where it gets cold you're allowed to tell a goy to heat up a fire on a cold day because the cold causes us to be considered a cholah - so it's allowed. This is on a very cold day. If it's not such a cold day it's assur to ask a goy unless it concerns small children. 

Alef (?): A goy that kindles a flame for the sake of a yid, the yid can't use it because the chachamim sain: because kindling a flame was a melacha gemura on behalf of yid - that yid or any yid can't use it on shabbos. Even if the goy did it by himself because he wants pay - a yid still can't have hanaah because the yid will have hanaah from a melacha that was done for a Jew (because once the goy lights it the jew enjoys it & pays him) bc it's a chance that it will lead the jew to tell the goy straight out what to do. 

Beis: Nevertheless, if the goy on his own kindles a flame - a yid doesn't have to leave his house so that he doesn't have hanaah. However, don't do things that will make you have hanaah (using light to read, etc). Midas chasidus = turn your back to the flame to indicate that you're 'not interested' in the candle. 

Gimmel: Although we said above that you don't have to leave your house, the A"R says it makes a difference who's candle he's lighting. If it's a yid's candle he has to protest & tell him not to light - if the goy ignored it & lit it anyhow then the halacha above stays the same. If the goy who ignores you - you mist distance him from your house. If the goy thinks the more he does the more he will get paid - so although he's doing it for the yid he also thinks about himself - you still have to distance him. Reason why we have to protest is because of maaras ayin - people can think the yid asked the goy to turn on the light. 

Daled: If its the candle of a goy - if he's doing it on his own - you don't have to protest - even if the goy knows you're not paying him - it's not totally for the yid - even if it's in the yid's house. 

Vav: All of the above (since the beginning) is talking about clearly for the sake of a yid. 

But if it's for a goy himself - or another goy - you're allowed to have hanaah eve if the candle belongs to a yid because there's no concern that a yid will come to ask the goy to do something assur for him. 

If someone is really sick (a cholah) you can ask a goy to do a melacha for the sake of the cholah - even another jew can get hanaah from it. 

If it's miktzas cholah - a little sick- you're allowed to ask a goy to do something that's assur midrabanan but not doraisa. 

If it's life threatening it's not even a question - of course you can do it. 

Zayin: 1. If the mahority of the house is jewish and a goy does something, you can't have hanaah from it. 2. If half is jewish & a goy does something you can't have hanaah from it (because done partially for a yid) 3. If the majority of the house is yidden but it's clear that the goy did it specifically for himself - it's muttar to have hanaah. 

Yud Alef: If a person says to their goy servant 'come with me outside at night' (friday night) The goy on his own kindles a flame. Although the goy kindles the flame for himself, nevertheless you can't consider this case that the goy did it only for himself. Why? Because the ikkar of going is for the yid's sake. So the yid can't go with the goy unless the goy leaves the candle indoors, even if the candle belongs to the goy. Protest when he's kindling it, but if it's already kindled then can't walk with him with light. 

Yud Bais: A cleaning lady is washing dishes - in order to wash she turns on lights/flames. Can a yid have hanaah? Yes! Why? Because she turned on the light for herself-not for the actual washing - which is done for the yid - so it's okay to open the light because it's not for they yid. The yid doesn't have to protest, even if the candle belongs to the yid (same example with cleaning lady using hot water to wash dishes - it's for her benefit).

SIMAN SHIN CHOF HEY

Tes: If a goy did a melacha for a yid or it's done for both yidden & goyim - you can't have hanaah - on motzei shabbos has to wait the time it takes to do the melacha. This always applies when a melacha is done from the TORAH. It's also not allowed for any yid to have hanaah on shabbos & after shabbos for the time it would take. But if you do divrei sofrim kind of melacha, then on shabbos you can't have hanaah, but other yidden could & after shabbos the other people could, but the person it was done for has the same rule as before. 

Yud Ches: Any melacha that a goy did on shabbos - clearly for himself, but there's a chance that it was done for himself but he went a little farther and did more than he had to for the yid - you can't have hanaah. 

Example: A candle in public. A goy lit it for many people, a crowd of people & a yid is in it. Since it's 'ner l'echad, ner l'meah' -- a candle for one a candle for many - he can benefit from it because there was no extra melacha for the yid. 

Tanya Review

I made this review/test for a girl I taught everything we learned in Tanya to. So if you want to use it to help you study, feel free. (she doesn't know Hebrew so it's all in English). 

TANYA REVIEW

Perakim 14-17 & 26-30

 SECTION 1: PERAKIM 14-17

 

Questions:

1. Why does a neshama have to promise be a tzaddik and don’t be a rasha?

2. How many levels of a Beinoni are there and what are they?

3. What is the simple meaning of “Hashem joins a good thought to the deed” and what does the Alter Rebbe explain that it means?

4. Why would mitzvos done without tevuna (intellectual love) even ascend to the level of Yetzira? What is making them rise?

5. Give one proof the Alter Rebbe brings why it seems like ‘ki karov elecha hadavar meod…’ is NOT close to us at all.

6. Does a Rasha have control over his heart? Why or why not?

Matching:

1. Beinoni

2. Tzaddik

3. The Jewish People

4. Tevuna

5. Teshuva

6. Kal Shebikalim

___Hates Evil

___Exiled ‘Hey”

___Maaminim Bnei Maaminim (believers sons of believers)

___Oved (he who serves G-d)

___Ruach Shtus (spirit of folly)

___Motivates Action

Connect to what we learned:

1. Avodas Matana Etein Es Kehunaschem (I shall grant you your priestly service as a gift)

2. Simchu Tzaddikim B’Hashem (Rejoice O’tzaddikim in G-d)

3. 101

4. “La’asoso” (That you may do it)

5. Lo dibra torah b’meisim (Torah does not speak of the dead)

Explain the Mashal:

1. The donkey that has to go farther than what it’s used to

2. The small city

3. Living Widow

4. Hugging the King

  

SECTION 2: PERAKIM 26-30

 Questions:

1. What profit is there from sadness?

2. What does the Arizal explain that ‘because you didn’t serve Hashem with joy’ mean?

3. Why should a person be happy that sinful thoughts enter his mind (when he’s not davening)?

4. How can we ‘be holy’ (according to what’s explained in chapter 27)?

5. Why should a person be happy if sinful thoughs enter his mind while he’s davening?

6. What does a person (besides tzaddikim) consider his “I”?

7. How can a person crush/humble himself if he’s never done anything wrong?

8. Why did Dovid Hamelech say ‘my sin is always before me?’ if he already did teshuva?

9. How can a person consider himself lower than even a kal shebikalim? (include 2 things he should think about)

 

Matching:

1. Children

2. Suffering

3. Beinoni

4. Davening

5. Tzaddik

6. A wooden beam that won’t catch fire--crush it

7. Doing an aveira

___Sharp/Spicy

___Simcha (joy)

___Timtum Halev

___Lower than a worm

___Higher good

___Physical Troubles

___Sweet

Connect to what we learned:

1. Tikkun Chatzos (the midnight prayer)

2. The sun being removed from its sheath

3. Kol Paal Hashem Lmaneihu, vgam rasha liyom ra’ah (Hashem made everything for His sake; even the wicked for the day of evil)

4. Scholars eat in the 6^th hour

5. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you too become like him.

6. “Rage, and sin not”

7. The meraglim (spies)

8. Rabbi Shimon saying he didn’t write the incorrect bill of divorce

Explain the Mashal:

1. A wrestling match with a sad person

2. A wrestling match with a dirty person

3. Darkness being nullified by light

 4. The king’s son and the zonah (harlot) 

Lord of the Flies

click here for notes :P

Maamer Level 2 - Yud Alef Nissan

Alef: Every nassi was given his name for 2 reasons: 1) for the geula of yisroel 2) for the praise of Yisroel. How do we see this in Asher? Geula: “Ishru” in the future all the goyim will praise you that you are the desired people of Hashem. Praise: “ashrei ha’am shekacha lo…” The only reason yidden are praised are because they chose Hashem as their G-d, and we praise Hashem that He chose yisroel out of all the nations. Most of the midrash talks about the greatness of yidden that they chose Hashem, and then it adds as a side thing that Hashem chose the yidden. But after that when it talks about why Asher brought up his korban, it was because Hashem chose us.
Q1: What is the main thing here? Us choosing or Hashem choosing?

Q2: A choice is between two equal choices, or if there’s one maalah that in one that the other doesn’t have, balances out, etc

Mashal about smart person that chooses the king over the officers because the officers change

Why is this so smart? Obviously the king is better, even if the officers don’t change!

Gimmel: Adam harishon was created from the hand of Hashem, next few generations knew for sure Hashem created the world – no concept of avoda zara. The first generation that served avoda zara knew that Hashem created the world,  but thought Hashem gave some kind of power to the teva in the world to determine how much hashpaa they give. Like you have a butler – you be nice to him because he has control over how much he pours you. They thought that if they serve them they’ll give them more hashpaa. The generations after that made an even greater mistake. They thought that Hashem left the world and made the nature in charge. The goyim call Hashem ‘The G-d of our gods’ – shows that he appointed the officers – their ‘gods’. But they’re still calling the kochavim & mazalos still with the name ‘god’.

Q: What is the smartness of the person who says ‘ana nasiv malka’ – ‘I want the king’?

A: That they know that everything in the world is like an ax in the hand of the woodchopper – we have the daas to see the pnimius of it that everything is Hashem.

Daled: In the mashal it implies that the officers are baalei bechira – you can get extra hashpaa by choosing the officers – it must be true about avoda zara. So the person that chooses the king does it because serving the king is dearer and more important to him than that hashpaa he’ll get from the officers. 

You get more hashpaa from klipa than from kedusha because it’s above seder hishtalshelus – it’s not dependant on what you do.

The king doesn’t change and the officers do – klipa has no kiyum – it just temporary so what’s the point in having it if it’s going to go away. Once the nitzutzos of kedusha are mevatel there will be no klipa.

Klipa comes from chitzonius hamakkif

Kedusha comes from pnimius hamakkif

 

Only now hashpaa from kedusha is limited – when moshiach comes we’ll get much more from kedusha

but this explanation isn’t enough – means he’s choosing the king because of all the hashpaa he’ll get in the future – the only difference between him & the one who chooses the officers is that one is focused on the present and one on the future. But a goy can think like this too.

We choose Hashem because we simply want to serve Hshem – not because of the reward that will come out of it. 

The hashpaa that the goyim and those that go against the will of Hashem like someone who throws it from behind his back -  he’s not interested in giving

What is the smart person saying when he says everyone changes?

Something that is going to change doesn’t have any kiyum in the first place – it just receives it’s chayus because the klipa is getting its chayus from kedusha

Kedusha is the number 10 – within kedusha chayus becomes one with the ten sefiros

Klipa is number 11 – the 11^th is the chayus from kedusha

The real existence is really death – these people while they’re alive are called meisim

The yid doesn’t want any kind of hashpaa coming from tumah and maves even though he could get more hashpaa that way.

A yid choosing Hashem is not based on seichel, it’s based on Neshama 

not only is the neshama accomplishing what it needs to accomplish by choosing Hashem, but when a person makes his seichen understand what his neshama really wants, then you’re adding to your neshama as well.

Avadim hayinu- the hashpaa that’s given to the slaves of paroh – the people that don’t serve Hashem – mashal of the king throwing a party & dogs get it

 

Mashal:

Sarim Gedolim

Avadim Chashuvim

(not invited:)

Servants- they serve the king out of fear of punishment, against their desire

Dogs- don’t serve the king- just want more and more food, doesn’t even have heart ruling over mind – there is no mind!

Avadim chashuvim: in the way of a son, know’s what’s going on, have some interest in it

Sarim: even get to make some decisions, have a great ahava

Within sarim there’s many levels, let’s divide it into 2 levels:

1. regular sarim

2. sarim gedolim

this can also include sarim that are always with Hashem and are constantly batul to Hashem

even the hashpaa he can get from malachim or sefiros of atzilus he doesn’t want

mashal- a king invites a person to visit him in his inner chamber, but first puts rooms and rooms of treasures & riches so he’ll be so glued to those rooms

ater rebbe: I don’t want Your gan eden, I don’t want Your olam haba, I just want You alone

even the things that don’t hide that it’s coming from Hashem, like the sefiros – still want only Hashem Himself

mashal: king gets mad at sheep – sends sheep away, abolishes their house, sends away the shepherd

wants them back – takes back the sheep, builds them a home, but doesn’t ask the shepherd back

kapitul ayin: lamnatzeyach lidovid lhiszkor

everyone is back, yerushalayim is rebuild – but everyone forgets about dovid hamelech

ratzon is makkif

ok....and that's when I got busy with yearbook and stopped taking notes :P good luck on the rest!

Maamer Level 2 - V'atah Tetzaveh

I didn't really take notes while we were learning it, but here are my notes from the summary Mrs. Wagner did of it. 

Vayikchu elecha…

1. Why does it say YOU should command?

2. Why is Moshe the one commanding not Hashem?

3. Why should they bring the oil to Moshe not Aharon who lights the menorah?

4. Why does it say crushed for the luminary not to illuminate?

5. Why does it say ner tamid here & in another place it says m'erev ad boker?

beis: Moshe is mechaber bnei yisroel with Hashem

gimmel: Inayan of raya mehemna – faithful shephard & shephard of faith – gives us emunah – we are maaminim bnei baaminim – rebbe makes our makkif emunah pnimius so it affects his whole life

daled: makkif is when it comes milmayla, penimi is when we work on ourselves – mattan torah it was on a makkif level because of all the giluyim & nissim, that’s why they do torah & mitzvos, in the times of haman it’s bpnimius because they awakened the koach of mesiras nefesh – coming from them – bkibel hayehudim asher hecheilu laasos – even though there was much greater helem & hester

hey: difference between emunah – roeh elokus  and emunah etzem haneshama – roeh elokus is makkif – we see a nes or something so we do mitzvos, etzem haneshama comes from the person himself –pnimius

Why does kosis l’meor come as a hemshech to raya mehemna? Through moshe revealing the etzem haneshama a yid can come to maor

Vov: Different raya mehemnas- moshe gave them torah through daas, mordechai brought out mesiras nefesh and brought the etzem haneshama in a much deeper way, when yidden are brought to a koach of mesiras nefesh, you see the raya mehemna on a much greater level than Moshe rabbeinu

Zayin: The raya mehemna is bgiluy over ALL yidden – Rebbe concludes that the Frierdiker Rebbe is the Raya Mehemna of the generation (and so too the Rebbe).

Ches: 3 stages of raya mehemnas: Moshe, connected bnei yisroel with Hashem, then the roeh yisroel who strengethened the emunah of yidden (like mordechai) and where through golus the rebbe arouses the koach hamesiras nefesh.

Moshe- roeh elokus

Mordechai – mesiras nefesh

Rebbe-etzem haneshama not through mesiras nefesh, but being crushed by golus

What does vayikchu elecha add? Symbolizes our avoda that WE have to work and bring and give to the Rebbe, the Rebbe is giving so much to us

Tes: Vkibel hayehudim – was it before the gezaira or after the gezaira? Before they were crushed because of the gezaira, and after they were crushed because they didn’t have giluy elokus – they were in golus – even thought it was a peaceful time

Every yid has to yearn for Moshiach – even you you reach the highest level – mem tes shaaire kedusha – mem tes is gematria cholah – sick – even so high we can get we’re still ‘sick’ and missing giluy elokus.

Yud: What’s the real maor – etzem haneshama. When it’s one with even our kochos hagiluyim – when someone goes on mesiras nefesh and it doesn’t affect his normal life afterwards, then it hasn’t affected his kochos hagiluyim, bypassed that. The more it comes from you the more it affects you – not coming from above/the outside. The tziyur is one with the etzem. Lower level is the inyan of mesiras nefesh – limited – and higher level is when it’s one with all my kochos.

Yud alef: v’atah tetzaveh – the Rebbe connects all yidden together (as well as with Hashem). The avoda of a yid is to permeate all of him with etzem haneshama – and that adds a hosafa in moshe rabbeinu.

Difference between erev & boker – 2 levels of mesiras nefesh – different time periods in our life – sometimes feel more connected & inspired, and then there are low peaks. The Rebbe wants to bring us to the level of ner tamid – that we are ‘charged’ and lit up at every moment – which will bring to MOSHIACH.

 

Navi Review

Here are notes from the in class review Mrs. Lezell did

Lama tishkalu kesef – why are you spending time & money on things that aren’t part of torah – foreign wisdoms.

Shimu – listen – learn divrei torah

Eat – learn torah

And you will have pleasure – the neshama in olam haba

 

Call to Hashem in a way that is close – with your whole heart

When he is close – in the aseres yemei teshuva – before decree sealed

Do teshuva before you die because you can’t after

 

A rasha will leave his bad ways – in thought speech & action. Need thoughts also because your thoughts affect your speech and action.

 

Ki bsimcha tetzeiu – go out from golus.

The mountains & hills will give fruits, and the people will sing and praise Hashem

 

Pikudei Hashem: know by heart

The laws of Hashem are just and they make the heart happy

 

Bishnas mos: not the year he died, the year he became metzora – uziyahu – metzora chashuv limeis

Radak: A person can’t se Hashem & live – how could yeshayahu say this? He’s talking about ispaklarya sheino meira – lower level of nevua.

 

Hashem’s glory is way above the world and so high – but fills the world – running the world – idea of Hashgacha pratis

 

When someone sends a messenger: 1. Has to be worthy to go (Hashem asks who should we send?) 2. Has to want to go (who will go?) Yeshaya responds that he wants to go, but it’s up to Hashem if he’s worthy.

 

Bnei yisroel didn’t want to hear the words of the navi – didn’t want to be proven wrong and have to change themselves

 

Pasuk: no order in torah

Pasuk: a person can not see Hashem and live

 

PEREK ALEF

Moshe says shamayim first & yeshaya says aretz first. In order for them to both be witnesses so they were  both called in different ways, they’ll both be saying the same thing.

 

Al meh tuku – like a person being beaten/punished, friend says why are you doing it again? Learn from what happened!

Radak: they left us as a remainder- left US as a remainder, navi includes himself even though he wasn’t a sinner out of kavod for bnei yisroel

 

Officers of sdom: their deeds were like officers of sdom, we learn that a person shouldn’t make an opening for the sattan – before they said we would have been like sdom – just mentioning it gives room for satan

 

Korban is supposed to make a connection between Hashem and bnei yisroel. Hashem says I don’t need your korbanos – right afterwards you go and serve avoda zara.

 

A kohen who killed someone can’t do birchas kohanim if he killed someone – hands are the channel for the brochos for bnei yisroel

 

Pasuk: great is tzedaka that brings geula closer – connected – vishaveha bitzdaka

 

Yitama chataim – not the sinners will die but they’ll change their metzius and not have sins

 

 

Odcha Hashem ki anavta bi – when moshiach will praise Hashem because we’ll see all the good that came out of suffering and why we had it

 

Kah – havaya – divided – when amalek came and attacked  bnei yisroel it caused Hashem’s name to be divided. From the time that amalek attacked bnei yisroel until Moshiach Hashem’s name isn’t complete – when Amalek is wiped out Hashem’s name will be complete

 

Ushavtem mayim – mashal – just like someone that draws water from a spring – doesn’t stop, steady source – also the brochos that come to bnei yisroel will be constant. Or – like learning torah – the water is like chochma, the spring is like the teacher, and the one who draws the water is the student – and you need all three.

 

Tanya Notes

Ok, so as usual the beginning ones are pretty good and then I sort of tuned out near the end....

PEREK YUD DALED
Animal= reacts to tayvos with no seichel
“Since I want to be the best person I can be, I’m above an animal, I won’t do what I feel like doing.” That  means you’re doing it for yourself. We have to do everything for Hashem-my wanting to connect myself to Hashem will motivate me not to give into tayvos. By recognizing that I have an ahava mesuteres- what every yid has even a kal shebikalim. 
But a kal shebikalim doesn’t overcome his tayvos, why is this hidden love not helping him to conquer his tayvos?
1. A ruach shtus comes into him, and he doesn’t believe that this aveira will cut him off from Hashem. 
2. We forget that we have this hidden love for Hashem. 

But something that has to do with the feelings of the heart, hating evil- the beinoni can’t do this, this is only by a tzaddik that has the ahava taanugim. 
Ahava and sinah go hand in hand- the greater love for Hashem=greater hate for things against Hashem. The tzaddik just has pleasure in ruchnius. And sometimes the tzaddik can experience part of that in this world. 

From 1^st pererk: “barasa tzaddikim, barasa reshaim”
We have free choice to control our thought, speech, and action and become a beinoni, but we don’t have the choice to be a tzaddik and control our emotions. 
There are tzaddikim that are created as tzaddikim.
Q1: So why does it say a double lashon by the promise “tehi tzadik v’al tehi rasha”?
A1: be a tzaddik, but at least if you can’t be a tzaddik, don’t be a rasha.
Q2: Why do we need to say don’t be a rasha if you already promised you’ll be a tzaddik?
A2: It’s not in your control, you might not be able to be a tzaddik. 

We can’t be a tzaddik on our own, only with Hashem’s help He can give us a matana. Like a baby taking steps, you know it can only take a few steps but you might stand farther away, and then draw the baby close once he takes a few steps. Same, when we start, Hashem can give us the matana. 
Torah is kneged kulan because he’s connected with a yichud nifla to hakadosh baruch hu. 
Q3: Why are we told to promise to be a tzaddik if we might not be able to do it?
A3: We should set aside times to contemplate and try to hate evil, etc. 
Example: There are all kinds of tayvos, they are vessels of garbage, only brings us to a much lower level
 And to try to train himself to have pleasure & simcha in ruchnius, through contemplation on the greatness of Hashem.
Even if you don’t think you’ll reach the level, you still have to do what you needed to do. 

Even though a person knows that I’m not a tzaddik and I can’t reach the level of despising the bad, because I enjoy it, a person has to be honest with himself. But I still have to try as much as I can to be mo’es bra. Same with asei tov- I still have to try as much as I can even though I know it won’t stay with me the whole day. I have to fulfill the promise “tehi tzaddik v’al tehi rasha” Hashem will do His part and do what He feels is best, the habits will become second nature. So when a person tries to make himself hate bad, then eventually he will have trained himself to hate it somewhat. 

Yes a person has to promise to be a tzaddik because we can reach that level- when a person does his part to be moes b’ra and try to cleave to Hashem (eserusa dletata), Hashem assists him (iserusa deleila) and Hashem will send down a neshama on the level of ruach that will be an extra neshama that can help him be a tzaddik. 

PEREK TES VOV
“Vshavtem ura’isem bein tzaddik lrasha bein oved elokeim l’asher lo avado”
seems like its just talking about 2 categories- tzaddik & rasha 
gemara ask a question: why does it have to say it twice?
Tzaddik: even Hashem
Beinoni: oved Hashem – presently working to serve Hashem, constantly working on himself
V’asher lo avadu: another level of beinoni-
Someone that reviewed 100 times- asher lo avadu
Oved: reviews 101 times- goes beyond the regular
The difference between oved elokim & eved- oved present tense, still in the middle of the fight- to get rid of the yetzer hara from the ‘ir ketana’
So that the nefesh elokis should be able to control the limbs of the body
Tzaddik- paste tense- a title, he already reached that point – 
Dovid hamelech: vlibi chalal bkirbi- he killed his yetzer hara – his neshama was the neshama of a tzaddik, but he did have a yetzer hara and he was able to get rid of it
2 levels of beinoni:
oved elokim- constantly working on himself
asher lo avadu- doesn’t work on himself but he’s still not a rasha, because he’s never committed even any small sins, and he’s keeping every single mitzvah he’s able to keep, constantly sitting & learning – but he’s not in any battle
this is how rabah was about to make this mistake and say he’s a beinoni- because he’s constantly learning and not fighting with the yetzer hara- so he’s a tzaddik but he could mistake himself for this level of beinoni
there’s not really a level of asher lo avadu- we need to bring moshiach 
anything that’s difficult for is what’s most nogea to our neshama

story in the gemara- r’ yossi, r’ chanina- a time when torah learning wasn’t allowed. R’ chanina went on mesiras nefesh and learned torah brabbim and gathered people. R’yossi says what mesiras nefesh you had to gather yidden to learn torah. Chanina says to him ‘im  not so sure. Will I receive olam haba? R yossi answers ‘is there any other deed in your life that you have done?’ and he says ‘I had a little money and I gave it to the poor.’ Then rabbi yossi says ‘yes you’ll have a portion in olam haba.’
What's going on here?
He wanted to know was this purely for the sake of Hashem, or is it because it’s part of my nature? 
Moreh shchora & moreh levona
Schora- loves learning- has hard time giving
Levona- makes himself learn- gives very easily
Therefore if he’s doing both it must be that he’s going against his nature and he deserves olam haba. 
Even asher lo avadu isn’t called a rasha because he never did an aveira and did all the mitzvos asei that he could 
Since he doesn’t have tayvos he doesn’t have to contemplate Hashem and work on his ahavas Hashem. 

Even someone who’s not a masmid by nature, and it becomes his second nature, it’s also not an avoda for him either. The ahava mesuteres, hidden love, is causing him to learn torah, but he’s not having any kind of milchama. In learning only if he makes himself go beyond when he usually learns is an avoda. 
Mashal in the gemara- donkey- pay twice as much to go 1 extra mille- out of its nature
Rebbe- every mashal in torah- every aspect is meduyak 
100 times- eser kochos hanefesh – x10 =100 – natural way
1 chad that’s not part of the calculation- echod- Hashem
an avoda that attached you to Hashem is the one that goes beyond the hundred – that’s why it’s worth double
v’hachochma m’ayin timatzei- when one breaks himself – comes from m’ayin
m’ayin gematria = 101
a chossid when things are difficult, have to work on myself
when you see your enemy’s donkey
chamor=chumrius 
1. ischapcha- transforming it (avoda of a tzaddik) 
2. iskafya- break it- using it to help us serve Hashem
therefore 101 time is when he breaks himself- that’s equal to the other 100 times – he’s called an oveid – he’ll be able to master his nature on his left side, perfect service- a beinoni

2 methods:
1. a wonderous avoda- way greater than any other kind- creates a love through hisbonenus
2. awakening the hava mesuteres- passed down as yerusha- he is able to go out and win a war- but this isn’t called an avoda 

PEREK TES ZAYIN
What is the avoda of a beinoni? 
Q: is the ahava the avoda or is it to fight over the yetzer hara?
A: The awakening or the hisbonen of the ahava are only a means to the end- the avoda that is demanded of every one of us is to rule over our yetzer hara.  To rule over the nature in the left side of our heart, when he contemplates in his mind the greatness of Hashem 
Through yiras Hashem (brain) & ahavas Hashem (heart)
The thing that keeps us strong and doing what we need to do is learn, learn, learn- Talmud torah kneged kulam
Even on the level of a beinoni, the ahava could still be hidden – you understand that you should love but you can’t reveal it to really FEEL it on an emotional level- a burning love 
Its not because he’s lacking in his avoda- it could be from the shoresh of his neshama 
someone on the level of beinoni- he knows it in seichel but can’t feel it in his heart 
important principal- the avoda of a beinoni- is to cleave to Hashem- even if one’s intellect is understanding is in a way that it’s not revealed in his heart – yad sichlo –
2 explanations: yad – 1. one can stretch out their hand and its too short- understands and feels in mind, but it doesn’t reach his heart- too short
2. spreads 5 fingers- when the understanding can spread into the heart
when one has a love in his heart, its there wich chayos- nothing that will stop a tayva- seichel- every yid knows that his neshama was waiting to come down into this world to do mitzvos- can understand it, want it, but it won’t necessarily make you feel it
brings about ahava in intellect- not practical- reason is that his neshama comes from the level of ibur- pregnancy- not leida- birth
seichel gives birth to middos 
mashal- poor person benefits from rich secret person- but when he meets him he can awaken a love based on seichel by knowing everything he gave him
everything we have is from Hashem, everything that happens, the more our brain will understand the more it will bring it down to middos- the more you bring to practical terms you don’t have a feeling for it
seichel is objective, middos are subjective 
love:
its worth it to totally give himself over, no gashmius will bother him
were stuck within our guf, like an almana chaya- has a desire for her husband but hes on the other side of the world
can embrace Hashem through torah & mitzvos like the mashal of hugging the king- no matter how many garments
even if the love’s not revealed in his heart, he’s still accomplishing- even if its more hidden 
ahava b’hisgalus libo- rerealed love- wants to back to its source to become one with Hashem -  he’ll be excited about the mitzvos because the mitzvos connect him to Hashem
ahava btaalumos libo- hidden in his heart- it’s an understanding and conviction, he knows what he’s supposed to be doing and feeling, but he doesn’t feel it – this conviction of knowing what you’re supposed to doing still brings about action
the first level- when he does a mitzvah it goes straight up- love & fear are wings of mitzvos
machshava tova hakadosh baruch hu mtzarfa lmaaseh
pshat: if you intend to do a mitzvah, then you don’t get the opportunity, it’s as if you did it
chassidus: mtzarfa- connects- why this word? 
In my mind I know I should have a love and fear- it’s making me do the mitzah- but it’s missing the actual feeling- ahava & yira, wings. So Hashem connects what's in your mind with the maaseh and then it has wings. 

If a person wouldn’t contemplate and learn about the greatness of Hashem, he would automatically busy himself with the needs of his body. Even if someone who naturally loves to learn, even though he’s learning, he’s just doing it because of his nature- because he loves his body more. 
All the limbs of my body are keilim to do mitzvos- also the heart is a keili for love & fear- it is also pnimius and gives chayus to the body. 
Tvunas mocho- the knowledge of his heart
Tvuna made up of 2 words: ben & bas 
The chochma, bina & daas give birth to children= ahava & yira
Zeyer anpin= 6 middos 
& Malchus 

Hashem will cause that the tvuna in ones mind will be connected to the action, to the mitzvah, in order to elevate the mitzvos that are brought about through his thought- brings it up to the world of briah, 

tvuna- medidation that a yid has about Hashem – zayer anpin- middos- (ahava & yira) malchus- nukva- poel mamash 
action: osios hatorah v’hamitzvos
ascends to olam habriah
sometimes it skips the ahava & yira and goes straight from tvuna to action- lacking the chayus
Hashem connects to thought to the deed-also ascends to briah (if you don’t have the tevuna, it could ascend to yetzira)
Tvuna is the osios of ben & bas- ahava & yira


PEREK YUD ZAYIN
Ki karov elecha- our avoda- having ahava & yira
Moshe said it
If Hashem put me down in this gashmius world how can He expect me to love & fear him?
Says if someone has a love for the world (gashmius) that same heart can’t love Hashem- can’t happen at the same time. I can do what I need to do, say what I need to say, but not feel what I need to feel. 
Fear is easier than love
By avraham it was machshava, dibbur, mayseh- by  us it’s the opposite order
In the pasuk dibbur, machshava, mayseh
Bilvavcha l’asoso= they go together, enough understanding to bring to mayseh
the only thing that’s asked of you is to have fear for Hashem
is it such an easy thing to have fear of Hashem? 
The gemara asked it about the generation of moshe rabbeinu, it was difficult then so much more so for now, and if yira is a difficult thing to acquire how much more so ahava
How can Moshe rabbeinu say this is all Hashem asks of us, ki karov elecha?
Bilvavha la’asoso
In your heart in order to do it
It’s a love that will bring me to do-which love?
Ahava bmocho- the love that he understands and learns and learns that brings him to an intellectual love 
By a tzaddik his heart is in his reshus 
It’s not a burning desire, Reusa dliba- the desire of one’s heart
It’s expected of us to have enough love to lead to action
someone who’s not a tzaddik does not have his heart in control
we’re not discussing machshava, dibbur & maaseh- everyone has control over that
reshaim are in the control of their heart
how do they serve Hashem bilvavcha if they don’t have control of their heart? It’s talking about enough love to make you do a mitzvah- ahava btaalumos libo. 
Its close and its easy
Any person who has a brain in his scull, because his mind is in his control, and he can contemplate with anything he desires- automatically this will cause him to have an ahava for Hashem to cleave to Him through doing torah & mitzvos. 
Devarim, zayin, yud alef: You should keep the mitzvos & chukim I command you today, to do them. Pshat
Rashi explains: hayom laasosam- the purpose you were created is so TODAY you do the mitzvos & lasid lavo you will receive the schar. 
Even if you don’t have this great love, your purpose now is to do the mitzvos, tomorrow you’ll receive the reward- this ahava. 
Levels:
Rasha: serving out of fear
Eved serving master at the highest level he can out of chayus
this is a punishent for the sins that they do- that they don’t have control over their hearts – rasha is considered meis
it’s impossible for a rasha to start serving Hashem the way he’s supposed to- has to do teshuva first- in order to break the klipos that 
1) masach - curtain – easier to get rid of 
2) mechitza shel barzel – iron wall that separate him from Hashem. Barzel- stands for bilha, rochel, zilpa leah- you have the pilagshos before the imahos- the servants come before the masters – first is nefesh habahamis & next is nefesh elokis. Separates us from Hashem. 
This comes about through breaking one’s heart- bitterness- 
Zohar explains: zivchei elokim- korbanos brought to havaya- zevach to elokim- breaking the heart – bring nefesh Habahamis as a korban

2 types of teshuva:
teshuva tetaah
teshuva ila’ah
teshuva= tashuv hey- havaya
Neshama is chelek eloka mimaal- the hey of Hashem – schina – 
When a person does teshuva he brings back the hey from the hands of klipos out of golus. When we do a sin- bring the schina down into golus – schina going into golus was a result of our actions. His nefesh habahamis takes full control of the person, and he doesn’t have the help of nitzus elokis because it fell into golus. His nefesh, ruach & neshama are now help captive in the hands of klipa. When a person will break his heart & break the klipa & sitra achra, the klipos will become dispiursed, and the hey could get up our of golus and stand firm. 

PEREK YUD CHES
1. What is the root of this ahava?
2. how to we come to inherit this ahava?
3. What is the nature of this ahava mesuteres?
4. How does it incorporate also a fear? 
In a nefesh of malchus d’asiya (lowest of the low) chochma of Hashem is enlcothed and gets its chayus from oh rain sof. So every neshama has the highest aspect within it. A neshama is brought down by parents- based on the parents conduct, that is the type of neshama they will draw down to their children- but we find that sometimes the lowest of the low people will bring down a neshama that is so high. How is that possible? The sattan wants that this holy neshama will go down and be influenced by the family and become a rasha. But sometimes an extra special neshama can overcome the situation and become a tzaddik and break out of the bounds of his family and become higher. Avraham, Rivka, Rabbi Akiva. The chochma is mislabesh in the neshama no matter what the level of the neshama is. Chochma is something that is higher than seichel – koach mah- first flash. The ohr ain sof is elothed in chochma. A creation can never understand it’s creator. “A foolish person believes, a clever person understands.”
Pasuk: “Ani vaer vlo eida bheima yishayisi imach” I am foolish & ignorant, I come to you like a beast & that is why I’m constantly with you
When something is on the level of seichel, its foolish to just believe- but if it’s something that’s above seichel- Hashem- we can only approach it with emunah. Someone who thinks he understands Hashem can never truly be close to Hashem. This emunah comes from the chochma he has from oh rain sof. That is why a kal shebikalim will give up his life for Hashem. A person has to think about that kal vchomer is someone so low can do this, we who do have some seichel we should be able to give up our lives for it and overcome our challenges. 

PEREK CHOF VOV
When 2 people are fighting the person who is enthusiastic and energetic will win and the one who is depressed & not into it will lose. It doesn’t have to do with how strong you are- it’s your feeling. 
You also have a nefesh hasichlis- it’s the deciding factor  between the 2 nefashos. It can either be lazy or strong and deal properly with the nefesh elokis then it has the strength to do that. 
Sadness & laziness comes from timtum halev- dullness of heart- person has to be happy, chayusdik, 
“bchol eitzed yihiyeh mosar” there’s some benefit in every sadness- can there be some advantage to sadness? No in essence there is no benefit from sadness itself- take a situation that could have put you down and see what you can learn/benefit from it & grow from it-elevate the situation
the sadness itself was never good- it’s what you take from it
True sadness is when a person is sad because his neshema went so low and was so into gashmius things- but he can only have that at set times when he’s not busy supposed to be doing other things (learning, shabbos, at a farbrengen etc). 
you can benefit from what happens after sadness, but there are some times we should never be sad, 
if something happens to you and you get angry it’s your problem – Hashem wants you to hear that message
2 categories of sadness:
milei dalma: health, children, parnassa
simcha is the only way you can do mitzvos properly with zrizus and chayus
i can control the way I think
the advice that razal give us on how to get rid of sadness/worry whether it’s gashmiusdike matters, even with children, health & parnassa, “just like when something good happens he says the bracha ‘hatov vhameitiv’ and when something bad happens you say ‘baruch dayan haemes’ with the same joy and acceptance a person has to make the brocha on the bad- but it’s not the same bracha. Because gam zu ltova, it’s just not revealed to us because, it’s really a higher good from olam diskasya – too high for us to see. 
In maariv say:
yotzer ohr - yetzira
uvorei choshech – beriah
lower level of good that we can see comes from yetzira
example: when a rav is trying to explain something to a talmid, and in his mind and its clear, but only when he brings it down to a lower level and explains it in mashalim the student can get it. The higher something is the more concealed, the lower something is the more revealed it is. 
Yud kay / vov kay ( atzilus, briah, yetzira, asiya)
The vov kay is revealed to us (olam disgalya), the yud kay it choshech, what’s too high to see. 
Ashrei hagever asher tiyasrenu kah – praiseworthy is a person that is happy with Hashem gives him yisurim – kah – higher level. 

Hashem gave the yidden 3 things and they all came with yisurim:
1. torah
2. eretz yisroel
3. bais hamikdosh
yisurim bring out a much higher light – you appreciate something so much more after yisurim

Milei Dishmaya: When someone is sad that their avodas Hashem is lacking, doesn’t feel something at 770, doesn’t feel prepared for a special day etc. 

reviewing milei dalma:
“meotzarcha hatov lanu tiftach”
minhag chabad: “meotzarcha hatov lanu / tiftach” it should be revealed to US that it’s good
everyone else: “meotzarcha hatov / lanu tiftach”
we don’t ask for yisurim – we want it in a revealed way. 

* * * *
if thinking about your aveira will just make you sad when you’re supposed to be bsimcha then you’re not supposed to think about it
if it will motivate you to take action, take on an extra hachlata, etc. – then you should deal with it then – positive outcome 
even a person that’s a business man (mother busy with everything she needs to do – not necessarily ruchniusdike things) that’s also not a time to be sad – a person has to realize if any sadness falls into his mind because how could sadness come to someone of he’s having true yiras Hashem and ahavas Hashem. When someone is sad, depressed etc. goes away from torah & mitzvos, gets into gashmiusdike things, etc. 
How do we know if the thoughts aren’t from the yetzer hara? I should try to better myself, coming from the fact that I am so far from Hashem. 
Specific times that are good to contemplate: krias shema, when he’s not busy with other things, 
And then he doesn’t have to be sad because he can know that Hashem forvage him and removed his sins, and this is the true simcha he has in Hashem. We said how a greater joy comes from sadness. 

PEREK CHOF ZAYIN
if depressing thoughts fall into his mind when it’s not a time of avodah (davening or learning) but when he’s busy with – he should rejoice in the fact that he has hirhurim ra’im that he can push away – not be sad about them – every time a person has hihrurim ra’im he has the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of lo sasuru acharei livavchem vacharei einechem – a mitzvah chance to connect to Hashem

we have to know that our avoda is a different avoda than a tzaddik – our avoda is iskafya – theres no greater pleasure Hashem gets than from us doing iskafya
a person shouldn’t be sad because of hirhurim ra’im – if the person would recognize that he’s NOT a tzaddik that doesn’t have hirhurim ra’im – and he shouldn’t think he’s so great that he shouldn’ t have hirhurim ra’im 

a person should want all his life to be a beinoni and not be a rasha for even a second
when you push hirhurim ra’im away  you squash the sitra achra
when we dwell on hirhurim raim were giving chayus to klipa
when we push away the sitra achra down here – the root of the sitra achra above is also pushed away which soars like an eagle
like It says in zohar ‘ the tremendous satisfaction Hashem gets from when we suppress the sitra achra, the kudhsa brich hu will be able to rise higher and higher more than all the praises of tzaddikim and malachim
sicha: istalek – leaving, going higher. From such a high level that’s where Hashem will receive the nachas ruach, and it will come back down to us – Hashem will give us kochos & rewards 
“you shouldn’t be VERY depressed” – but it has to trouble you still a little bit, just not get depressed from it
if someones feeling bad that he’ll never get better, always the same struggle – know that that could be what you were created for- that specific struggle
a person can never really get rid of the sitra achara except tzaddikim
matamim – lashon rabim because of the 2 kinds
everything was created for Hashem- gam rasha lyom ra
not created to be punished – created so reshaim can create yom – light, kedusha
every time a person shechts his yetzer hara – example – he wants to eat and he delays his seuda 
everyone eats in the 4^th  hour – talmidei chachamim eat in the 6^th hour – would push it off for 2 hours, even though after they eat they’re going back to learning 
someone who restrains his mouth from sayinig 
mitzvas asei – hiskadashtem bmutar lo
then Hashem makes you holy and gives you this holiness as a present

PEREK CHOF CHES
if a tayva came to a person during davening or learning he could come to the conclusion that there’s a reason that he should be upset
when a person has tayvos he cannot elevate his middos – only a tzaddik can – because he’s nogea bedavar - 

he should try to daven with stronger concentration 
a person has to realize that davening is a time of battle – that a person comes to fight a person when he’s doing the right things - 

PEREK CHOF TES
timtum halev
beinonim have to look for ways to figure out how to deal with difficulties in his life – timtum halev – hard to daven – avoda sheb’lev – or doesn’t have strength to overcome yetzer hara in things that are mutar
when there is a piece of wood that won’t catch fire, you have to splinter it

a person also has to look at his dreams – if he cant find anything else bad, that can crush him if he’s not having good/ruchniusdik dreams. By him crushing himself, the klipa will be pushed down as well, 

there’s another way for a person to crush the yetzer hara in order to serve the way he’s supposed to – to scream (in his mind) you are bad – a rasha – 

Question: Why is it that when I’ll scream, how is it possible that I’ll accomplish anything? Hashem’s the one giving chayus to the nefesh habahamis! Really the sitra achra has to substance to it

when we say I we talk about our nefesh habahamis
neshama shenasata bi – put nefesh elokis into ME (guf)

Every single yid believes in Hashem and in essence want to give ourselves over to Hashem—so then why does a person feel such an ego? 

Has to look at his dreams, whether they are kedusha or not – 

Why will yelling at our nefesh habahamis get rid of klipa? Just like darkness – has no real existence – when we bring light it automatically leaves 
It might seem like klipa has so much chayus – but all the chayus that the nefesh habahamis has doesn’t come from itself – comes from kedusha
Our nefesh elokis has power of our nefesh habahamis – my nefesh habahamis can control my nefesh elokis, but can’t control someone else’s nefesh elokis

so if klipa has no existance then why is it so hard to take control over my nefesh habahamis? Hashem has given klipa extra koach, but when there’s isarusa delatata Hashem takes away that koach and makes it easier for the nefesh elokis to rule over. 
We see this by the meraglim: they said ‘ki chazak hu memenu’ – the’re stronger than Hashem – they didn’t believe in Hashem’s power
They went back on their words – we’re ready – we’ll do whatever Hashem wants. Where did this emunah come from? Once they were reprimanded they were crushed and then it crushed the klipa and revealed their emuna
A person has to know that all doubts are from the sitra achra
Like the mashal of the king who hired a zona to tempt his son – but the zonah knows that he wants the son to resis

PEREK LAMED
How can we accomplish feeling lower than everyone, even kal shebikalim? He sees these temptations all day, and his yetzer hara burns like a fire
Then there are people that are mostly at home and they’re not constantly encountering these things. Or someone who is in that situation, who is in the marketplace all day, but he still doesn’t have such a stron tayva. And someone who is in the marketplace all day, and does have a strong tayva, 

When a person realizes that he probably doesn’t have the same kind of fight the other person’s having, doesn’t have the same desires, doesn’t have as strong a yetzer hara, etc. – am I having a milchama in the things that are difficult for ME? So then I’m really no better than him. 

Why should one use sadness (klipas noga) to break klipa? Like the ax handle has to be made from wood to chop down the tree- you can only crush the klipa through klipa itself
There is a gain from every sadness – the happiness that comes out of it – uses the time of sadness to come closer to Hashem and take stock of himself
Here we’re talking about merirus – not atzvus – you’re supposed to take action



SUMMARY OF PEREK CHOF ZAYIN
If a person has depressing thoughts while he’s doing mundane things, he shouldn’t be sad CH”V, but it’s a reason to be happy because he has the chance to fulfill the mitzvah ‘lo sasuru acharei livavchem vacharei livavchem”. When he pushes away this thought he should know he’s actually fulfilling a mitzvas asei! If he’s depressed that he’s not on the level of a tzaddik, this is from his gayva, because he doesn’t know his place and he thinks he’s on the level of a tzaddik. He should realize his place and know that the avoda of a beinoni is iskafya, and this iskafya gives great nachas to Hashem. This is why it says ‘barasa reshaim, barasa tzaddikim’ means that Hashem created us so that we can battle with our yetzer. There are two types of pleasures Hashem gets from us: Ishapcha – transforming darkness to light – and iskafya – pushing away the sitra achra. Just like there are two good flavors of food – one sweet and one that’s more of a spicy taste that has a sharpness to it. The avoda of tzaddikim has no connection to sitra achra and is totally sweet, but the avoda of a beinoni brings great pleasure to Hashem also. Iskafya also includes holding yourself back from your tayvas for permissible things as well. Like it say, “mikadesh atzmecha bmutar lo’ that through having iskafya with permissible things.
Lessons:
1. We should always be b’simcha except for specific times.
2. Realize that hirhurim raim really give you a great opportunity.
3. Have iskafya, even with things that are permissible.

SUMMARY OF PEREK CHOF CHES
If hirhurim raim come to someone during learning or davening one should push them away. He shouldn’t think he can elevate them through thinking about them, because that’s the avoda of tzaddikim. He should know that these thoughts come from klipa to make him sad, but he has to be serving Hashem with simcha! He should be happy that he has these hirhurim raim, because it means that since he’s having good kavana, his yetzer hara has to also counter back with something stronger. So these thoughts are really a sign that he’s davening with a lot of kavana! So he should push the thoughts away and  continue davening with stronger kavana.
Lessons:
1. Push away bad thoughts during davening.
2. We have to be b’simcha when we daven,