TAKE THE COVERS OFF THE NESHMA IT WILL BURN VERY STRONG

THE YOKE OF HASHEM WILL TAKE AWAY REST OF YOKES

HAMKABEL UUL MALCHUS SHOMAYIM MAVEREN MALAV AUL DERECH ERETZ

THE FIGHT BRINGS NACHES TO HASHEM

I Already Blew It!(Part 1) 

Someone posted the following Chizuk on the forum from a Shmooze by R' Tzvi Meir Zilberberg:

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The Chozeh from Lublin, The Beer Mayim Chaim, R' Hershele of Ziditshov, R' Tzadok Hacohen and other tzadikim all said:

When a person feels "I blew it already, I messed up this time", and yet he still doesn't give up and keeps trying to salvage what he could - ignoring the fact that he already failed (R' Tvi Meir calls it "Kum B'palgus Laila - getting up in middle of the night" in the words of the Zohar Hakadosh), then the Nachas Ruach that he makes for Hashem is even greater than when one is completely successful. And this is the epitome of Shechina Ba'tochtonim (bringing the divine presence into the lower world) which we know is the purpose of creation.

This type of Avodah is the greatest form of mesirus nefesh, because it is completely against human nature, as there is no short term satisfaction.

This yesod is hinted to in parshas Vayishlach. The Pasuk says "Vayei'avek ish emo ad alos hashachar - and the Malach faught with him until the morning broke". Chazal say that the Lashon of "Vayei'avek" comes to teach us that "He'elu avak ad kisei hakavod - they lifted dust until the Throne of Glory". R' Tzvi Meir explains that through the struggle that Yaakov Avinu had with the "other side", he uplifted the lowest situations - the dust of the earth - all the way to the Kisei Hakavod!

As a matter of fact, we don't find any hint in the pasuk that Yaakov overpowered the malach. On the contrary, the malach actually wounded him. But because Yaakov wouldn't give up even after he was wounded, the "other side" was forced to "agree" to bless him. This is to show us (Maseh Avos Siman La'banim) that the tikun hashalem will ultimately come through our not giving up, even in a generation that is wounded by the Yetzer Hara! (According to many sefarim, the wounding of Yaakov's thigh symbolizes the difficult tests of our generation in the area of Yesod). 

SMALL MOVE HOW POWERFULL

The P'nei Menachem once related that after "The Big Fire" in Ger (I don't know when that was, but apparently it was a big fire) which burnt down the Sefas Emes's house and extensive library, the insurance company sent down assessors to determine the cause of the fire and to put a price tag on the damage.

Passing by them in the courtyard the Sefas Emes saw them conversing among themselves, and sent one of his aides over to see what they were discussing. The aide came back, and reported that in their professional opinion the fire was started by a carelessly discarded cigarette butt.

Said the Sefas Emes, "If one careless - seemingly insignificant - mishap, can wreak such destruction and devastation - How much more powerful and far reaching must the effects of a few small - but meaningful - steps taken in Avodas Hashem be!"

HASHEM IS IN THE DRIVER SEAT

Category: 12-step Attitude, Testimonials

Hashem is Holding Me
 

By "Hashem's Soldier"
 

I'm sure you've heard the famous poem about two sets of footprints in the sand... This guy died and went up to heaven and was looking back at his whole life and always saw two sets of footprints. And G-d told him that one of them is yours and one of them is mine, I always walked beside you. And the guy sees at one point only one set of footprints and says, "I KNEW IT, I KNEW THAT AT THOSE TIMES THINGS WERE SO DIFFICULT THAT I WOULD CRY OUT TO YOU AND I WOULD TRY SO HARD TO DO BETTER AND GET YOUR ATTENTION, BUT I NEVER GOT YOUR ATTENTION, I KNEW THAT YOU HAD LEFT ME!". And G-d responded to him and said, "those footsteps aren't your footsteps, they are my footsteps. I was holding you in my arms".

After years of trying to take control of my life and throw away this addiction, I joined the phone conferences with Duvid Chaim, and I am growing so much. I am learning to surrender to Hashem. I feel like the guy in the story, the only difference is that I don't feel abandoned by Hashem anymore. Now, instead of Hashem picking me up, I'm crawling onto his shoulders before he even needs to pick me up.

I have been doing much better this time around, I'm actually flying through the days. I'm not white-knuckling. I'm giving all of my struggles over to Hashem.

HOW TO RISE OUT OF THE 49 SHAR TUMAH AND FLY

Rav Moshe Weinberger - Shabbos Morning Drasha - Parshas Yisro - Learning to Fly

Below, please find a write-up of Rav Weinberger's Shabbos morning drasha from this Shabbos, Parshas Yisro. He has not yet reviewed this version so any mistakes are due to me. See here for past write-ups. Also, thousands of Rav Weinberger's shiurim are available online HERE.

Rav Moshe Weinberger

Parshas Yisro 5772

Learning to Fly

We know that the הקדמה, the introduction to a sefer is the נשמה, the soul of the sefer. Therefore, the psukim that introduce קבלת התורה, the Jewish people’s acceptance of the Torah, are the essence of what it means to receive the Torah. They teach us what we need to know to personally receive the Torah.

The הקדמה, introduction, to קבלת התורה, our acceptance of the Torah are the psukim (Shmos 19:5-6), “וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים ... וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ-לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ,” “and you shall be a treasured nation to me from all of the nations... and you shall be to me a kingdom of kohanim, a holy nation.” But the נשמה of the נשמה, the soul of the soul of our acceptance of the Torah is (Shmos 19:4) “וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל-כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וָאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי,” “and I will lift you up on eagle’s wings and bring you to me.” We know how Rashi says that that this means that just as an eagle carries it babies on its back to protect them from arrows, Hashem protected us from the Egyptian’s arrows with the cloud of glory, but there is also a deeper message as well.

There is a seeming contradiction between the navi Yeshaya’s description of the angels in our Haftara and Yechezkel’s description. In Yeshaya 6:2, it says “שְׂרָפִים עֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם לְאֶחָד בִּשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה פָנָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה רַגְלָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְעוֹפֵף,” “the Seraphim stand above him with six wings for each one, he covered his face with two, he covered his feet with two, and he flew with two.” In Yechezekl 1:6, however, it says about the angels, “וְאַרְבַּע כְּנָפַיִם לְאַחַת לָהֶם,” “and each one had four wings.” How do we reconcile the four-winged angel of Yechezkel with the six-winged angel of Yeshaya?

The Gemara in Chagiga 13b answers this apparant contradiction by saying that “כאן בזמן שבהמ"ק קיים כאן בזמן שאין בית המקדש קיים כביכול שנתמעטו כנפי החיות,” “These [the six-winged angels of Yeshaya] were at the time when the Beis Hamikdash stood and these [the four-winged angels of Yechezkel] were at the time when the Bais Hamikdash no longer stood, because the wings of the Chayos had been diminished.” The angels had lost their wings. The Gemara continues by discussing which of the three sets of wings were lost. The mekubalim accept the opinion that it was the wings that allowed the angels to fly which were lost. It was this set of wings that they used to say שירה, their song to Hashem.

The seforim hakedoshim teach us that this teaches us not only about the status of the angels since the חורבן, the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. It also teaches us that since that time, we have also, for the most part, lost the ability to fly, to soar above physicality and elevate ourselves above the world. There have been certain tzadkim, however, who have managed to get their wings back and soar. Rav Uri of Strelisk was known as the “Seraph,” the fiery angel. Rav Mendel of Kotzsk was also known as the “Seraph,” the fiery angel. In fact, there is a story that when Rav Mendel of Kotzsk’s son-in-law, the Avnei Nezer, lost his wife (the Kotzker’s daughter), the chevra kadisha brought him a sample text for her מצבה, headstone, which read “בת השרף,” “daughter of the Seraph.” The Avnei Nezer told them to make one change. The מצבה, headstone, should say “בת השרף המעופף,” “daughter of the flying Seraph.” As the Gemara in Sanhedrin 93a says, “גדולים צדיקים יותר ממלאכי השרת,” “tzadikim are greater than the ministering angels.” Human beings therefore can fly, just like the angels, if they guard their wings.

The misha in Avos (5:18) commands us, “הוי עז כנמר, וקל כנשר, ורץ כצבי, וגיבור כארי--לעשות רצון אביך שבשמיים,” “be as brazen as a leopard, as light as an eagle, run like a deer and be strong like a lion to do the will of your Father in heaven.” Why does it say to be as light as an eagle? There are many other birds, like the sparrow, which are lighter than an eagle. It must mean that despite the heaviness of the eagle, it is considered lighter because it has the strongest wings. The Mechilta D’Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai explains, “מה הנשר הזה עולה ממטה למעלה בשעה קצרה, כך ישראל עולין ממטה למעלה בשעה קצרה,” “just as the eagle goes from below to above in a very short time, so too the Jewish people go from below to above in a very short time.”

Hashem says “וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם,” “I will lift you up” from the lowest point on the thirty-ninth level of impurity to the point of receving the Torah on Har Sinai in just a few weeks. This is the introduction to our acceptance of the Torah. Hashem is telling each one of us: “You are a Jew! You can fly! Despite all of the heaviness of the world, you have powerful wings and you can fly above everything. There is no website in the world that can tie you down. “אתה בחרתנו מכל העמים, אהבת אותנו ורצית בנו, ורממתנו מכל הלשונות,” “You chose us from all of the nations, you loved us, you wanted us, and you lifted us up from among the nations.”

The Alshich makes the following point: “קל כנשר, הנה ידענו כי אין בעוף יפרח כל כך גבוה מעל גבוה כנשר... והנה מי הכריחו לנשר לעשות מעל כולם, אם לא שרצה שיה"י הוא גבוה מכל יתר העופות. ואם כן, גם אתה כמו דרכיו... צא ולמד הנשר אשר לא ישקוט מלעשות, עד שיהי"ה למעלה מכל עוף כנף, ועשה כן גם אתה!!.” The eagle flies much higher than all other birds. But who told it that it could or should fly higher than everything else? It must be therefore that it possesses the inate knowledge and confidence that it cannot rest until it is flies higher than every other bird. You too must learn from the eagle, and must not be satisfied until you rise up above everything around you.

The Ramchal explains that because a person comes from dust and earth, there is a natural heaviness to a person. He feels weighted down and doesn’t want to trouble himself or do any hard work. So Hashem calls out to us, “Be as light as an eagle! Even though it is heavy, it has strong wings and it shakes off the dust and rises straight up to the heavens. You have wings and you must use them.

Rav Chaim Vital wrote in Shaarei Kedusha that the rectification for the element called “earth” is to be (Avos 4:1) “שמח בחלקו,” happy with one’s life. When a Jew rejoices in the mitzvos, these are the wings that will lift him out of the heaviness and allow him to fly.

My children once had a story book about an eagle’s nest high on a mountaintop. Something happened and the eagle’s egg rolled down to the bottom of the mountain to a chicken coop. One of the chickens sat on the egg until it hatched. The little eagle was different from the other chickens and didn’t quite fit in. He tried to peck at the ground and do what the other chickens were doing, but he just could not become like them. He was having a difficult time getting along with his adopted parents and siblings until one day, when he met an eagle family. Essentially, they asked him what he was doing hanging around with chickens pecking at the ground. “You’re an eagle! Why aren’t you flying to the highest heights?” Ultimately, he discovered that he could fly and left with his fellow eagles.

We are Jews. We must realize that we are not chickens. We do not need to peck around in the dust. Every adult should read Rav Kalonymous Kalmish Shapira’s introduction to Chovas Hatalmidim before becoming a parent. And every boy should read the first perek of Chovas Hatalmidim to learn what it means to be a Jew. There, the Rebbe writes:

We know that you’re still not quite sure about everything we’re saying here. We know that you’re still asking youself, “How is it possible to make such an elevated person out of me? Not only that, how can it be that while I am still young, I will become Hashem’s special, beloved child like they’re telling me? My parents and grandparents were not like that and I’m just a plain, ordinary child” But this way of thinking is also mistaken, and we can’t leave you with it, either... If you feel discouraged because your parents and grandparents were simple people, then elevate you viewport and look farther back. Who were your forefathers? The holy ones, the Nevi’im, Tanna’im, Amora’im, the Geonim and [many other] tzadikim. The Gemara (Pesachim 66a) says “If the Jews are not prophets, they are the children of prophets.” The Gemara is not talking about the distant past. It is teaching us that even now, today, in your heart and in the hearts of all Jewish children, there lies a spark that came from the Nevi’im. All you have to do is search for it and discover it in yourself.

Yechiel (?) (the Bar Mitzva boy), I have known your parents before you knew them. They have been flying and soaring higher and higher for a very long time. And I have talked to many of your father’s students and their parents and I know that he teaches Jewish children that they can fly.

Always remember that you can rise above the world around you and become great because you are a Jew and you have wings. Don’t be a chicken pecking around on the ground. Set your sights high and become great. אי"ה, you and all of us together should be זוכה, merit to return to ארצנו הקדושה, Eretz Yisroel, on eagles wings בבאת גואל צדק שיבא במהרה בימנו אמן.

HOW TO WIN THE WAR AND KILL THE YH

How to get Hashem to Fight for Us

The Yetzer Hara is stronger than us. We have no hope of beating him alone. After all, he was created by Hashem, so it's like trying to fight Hashem himself! The only way we can win him over, is when Hashem himself steps in to fight for us. But how do we get Hashem to do this for us? 

I saw a beautiful piece in the Sefer "Shamati" from the Ba'al Hasulam that sheds light on this great question. David Hamelech writes in Tehillim, "Ohavei Hashem sinu Ra, shomer nafshos chasidav miyad reshayim yatzeileim - Those who love Hashem hate evil, He guards the souls of his righteous, from the hand of the Reshayim he saves them". The Ba'al Hasulam explains that "evil" refers to the Ratzon Lekabel which is "the desire to receive" that was implanted in every person by Hashem so that He can ultimately bestow all his good upon us. However, it is this very Ratzon Lekabel that separates us from Hashem, since it makes us "wanters" and "takers", while Hashem is the very opposite of that, He only wants to "give". Just like two people who like opposite things can't be friends, and conversely, two people who like exactly the same things, become very close. Therefore, explains the Ba'al Hasulam, true Deveikus with Hashem can only be achieved when a person breaks his Ratzon Lekabel and insists that he wants to be like Hashem. This means not to be a "taker" but only to be a "giver", to give of himself to others, and to live for Hashem and give Him a Nachas Ruach.
 

The problem is, no one can break the Ratzon Lekabel. It is the very nature of our existence and it was put in place by Hashem himself. How can one break his very nature? So the Pasuk reveals to us the secret: "Those who love Hashem", says the Pasuk, "hate evil". Hashem doesn't ask of us to break the Yetzer Hara, he asks us only to HATE IT. When we recognize how this Ratzon Lekabel has been the cause of every misfortune and evil that has ever befallen man, we begin to HATE IT. When we realize that it is only the Ratzon Lekabel that seperates between us and Hashem - like a stone wall, we begin to HATE IT. And when we finally hate the Ratzon Lekabel with a passion, the Pasuk continues: "He guards the souls of his righteous, from the hands of the evil ones he saves them".