online tzaddik

reb gedaliah on the perfection of man

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:07:56 PDT

The following is a translation of a talk given by Reb Gedaliah over a New York radio broadcast in 1979 on Rebbe Nachman's role in tikkun olam, repair of the world through the perfection of man. Everyone desires to attain perfection. We have spoken about the name Adam as being the term for the perfect Man. Many have attempted to attain this level through many different exhausting ways, but few knew the secret of the right path. Fewer still were those who merited to actually travel the entire distance in order to reach perfection. Rebbe Nachman merited to completely traverse...

reb gedaliah on rav avraham sternhartz

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:08:48 PDT

In 1979, Reb Gedaliah Aharon Kenig, zt"l, traveled to the United States to publicize the building of Kiryat Breslev in Tsfat, marking a new entrance for many into a previously closed Breslev world in Jerusalem. After speaking about the soul's longing for closeness to HaShem, the interviewer, by way of a translator, asks Reb Gedaliah what drew him to Breslev Chassidut. Reb Gedaliah then describes his teacher, Rav Avraham, and in an unprecedented disclosure, reveals his deeper connection to Rav Avraham. Can you tell us a little bit about when you first experienced this kind of longing as a young...

harav elazar mordechai kenig: on desire

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:11:25 PDT

The Baal Shem Tov had an only son and daughter. He greatly praised the level of his daughter, Udel, since all day, her heart was directed Above. Her only yearning and desire was to please God. Every Jew should merit such a high level, that his heart be constantly directed towards God. There is a fundamental element to serving God called ratzon, desire. One’s desire to come close to God and please him should always be strong and powerful. Although everyone desires to do what God wants, not all desires are equal. Within one person, even during each moment, there...

seeking the good point

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:13:10 PDT

There is a single point in the universe that attracts us with an irresistible force. It is a place of ultimate desire and yearning, where Man and God merge, the “meeting place.” It is here where all existence is nullified, since it is from here where the entire Universe burst forth. It is the place of teshuva, which precedes the Creation of the world. It is an all-inclusive point, encompassing all souls and is the essence of being realized during hitbodedut, the practice of speaking to God in your own words. This same point is the good point within yourself...

rav ephraim kenig: the power of vision

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:15:10 PDT

We learn from the Torah about the power of the eye. In the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), God informs Moses that he is going to die and instructs him to bestow the special qualities of leadership upon his student Joshua, enabling him to lead the Jewish people. Moses then gave Joshua a lot more than what God told him to give. The commentaries remark that Moses gave him with a "good eye." This doesn't mean that what he gave, he gave with a good eye, but rather that he actually gave Joshua a "good eye." This was one of the...

the evil eye

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:16:16 PDT

What your grandmother never told you about the evil eye... The evil eye, also known in Hebrew as the ayin hara, is usually seen as a mysterious external force, lurking around, waiting to pounce on innocent victims. Some of us are familiar with phrases such as bli ayin hara or k'nayna hara, which are said in an attempt to ward off the influence of the evil eye. Other protective measures against the evil eye include the wearing of special amulets or visits to those who perform various practices using oil, mercury or eggs in an attempt to shatter the effects...

bringing down the light

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:17:02 PDT

Chanukah is a festival of light and spiritual perception of God. The kingdom of Greece wanted to overpower us with foreign philosophies, in order to make us forget the Torah. The Greek ideology represented a spiritual force operative even today: The belief that there are more enlightened ways than the Torah, in particular, the conviction that external form and beauty are the highest value. The Greeks believed that the world runs autonomously, according to the laws of nature. They also believed that man is independent from God, and maintained that human reason is the highest expression of wisdom and knowledge....

reb gedaliah aharon kenig: limits of the mind

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:18:20 PDT

We are called by the name Man (Adam) by virtue of our intellect and wisdom. It is impossible to separate intellect from the concept of Man. Without intellect, the concept of Man does not exist, since knowledge is what defines Man. Because of this, we possess a will and desire to know everything. Therefore, Man and intellect are one and inseparable. In this light, Rebbe Nachman writes in Likutey Moharan 62: "The truth is that it is a great mitzvah to sharpen the intellect in order to understand perfectly and completely what God has limited to the human mind." It...

a prayer for chanukah

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:18:56 PDT

God, in Your tremendous compassion, help us to properly perform the mitzvah of kindling the Chanukah lights at the proper time, in holiness, purity and with powerful kavannah, intention. Let our mitzvah be considered perfect before You, with all of its minute details and intentions. May the light from the holiness of our mitzvah illuminate and repair the entire world. Through Your compassion, enable us to completely fulfill all of the Torah's mitzvot with love, awe and tremendous joy, until we are able to draw down peace from You into all of the worlds. Then the prophecy will be fulfilled:...

holy vessels

breslev tsfat — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:20:41 PDT

If someone were to ask you, "What is the purpose of life?" what would you answer? This question can surface during times of crisis or transition. If you are fortunate, it is also a question that can catalyze a shift in lifestyle. The bottom line is that the nature and direction of our lives depend upon how we answer this question. Rebbe Nachman emphasizes throughout his teachings that the ultimate purpose of life is to come to know God. In Hebrew, knowledge of God is called Daat. "Knowledge of God might sound a bit irrelevant and unattainable for the average...