Session 78: Introduction to Third Parsha of Shema (Parshas Tzitzis)

in

You've been there, done that, paid the price, pulled yourself together again. And you want to make sure you never, never go there again.

How can use your God-given intellect and free will to ensure you make the right choices?

Make your choices when you're thinking straight, when you're not under the influence of passions beyond your control. And tie the fire of your emotions to something tangible, to remind you of your choices, and keep you going through the harder times.

Session 69: VeOsafta Deganecha VeSiroshcha VeYitzharecha ואספת דגנך ותירשך ויצהרך

in

"...and You shall gather your grain, your wine and your olive harvests."

Remember that the Water Cycle your first grade teacher was so excited about? What if I told you that it is actually the model for our relationship of prayer and receiving blessing from God?! Get a new appreciation for that chart with the clouds and water table, and see how you can be a Giver into the system, not just a taker.

Bonus!
New insights into Me'Ein Shalosh (also known as Al HaMichya, the blessing said after eating foods of the seven special species) near the end of this class!

Session 68: Metar Artzechem Be'Ito Part I ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו

in ,

"Everything relatively רע only appears רע when looked at alone, by itself, in a fraction of time and space. But this disappears, yea itself becomes טוב — …even temptation, suffering, death — and then because we did not expect it, even טוב מאד — as soon as we broaden our minds and look at the whole.

Just in the real "goodness" of these apparently "bad" things in life not only the טוב, but the טוב מאד of all that God created shows itself. …Could we but see at one glance the whole picture of God's management of events interworking with and on each other in all time and in all spheres even as He sees it, we should indeed agree with His verdict: VeHinei Tov Me'od! והנה טוב מאד! (—Rabbi SR Hirsch, Commentary on Bereishis)

Session 67: Teshuva: Returning to our Roots with All our Hearts and All our Souls

in

Real purity is not a return to the innocence of childhood. Real purity is born of the struggle to grow and learn from our mistakes. בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם — turning inspiration into resolve, and resolve into deed. 

"In tefillah, you gather the strength of dedication for life, allowing this life to become the fulfillment of the Divine will, the furthering of Divine purpose — a contribution to the success of that purpose which God has set for humanity and Israel ...realizing that this is the purpose of the gifts God grants as a result of your wishes and strivings." (—R' S.R. Hirsch, Horeb, pg. 475)

This class builds a new angle of the Avoda of Teshuva on Yom Kippur upon the foundation of recognizing our inherent imperfection and vulnerability introduced in the YAYOE session on Chai-18.

 

Session 66: "Bechol Levavchem uVechol Nafshechem" - בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם

in

Serving Hashem with all our hearts, means serving Him with tefilla, prayer. "The purpose of tefilla is the elevation of the thinking, feeling, and desiring inner being of Man to a state of being worthy of getting near to God and His benevolence." — Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch

Note: This shiur was given as a zechus for Eyal, Naftali and Gilad. The first 15 minutes include a discussion of what it means to daven to Hashem for somebody or something — how do we reconcile accepting God's Will with asking for our own needs and desires?