Friday, October 27, 2017

Videos of Rav Nosson and Komarna; Write Up of Rav Tzaddok on Lech Lecha

Here is the first video: Rav Nosson on Lech Lecha
The Seven Nations were in Israel before Yisrael to reveal deep divine kindness. This is also why we leave the arla seven days before doing a bris milah
Here is the second: Komarna on Lech Lecha
The common denominator between Kayin, Korach and Sedom: Justice without Mercy

Never Despair!

Rav Tzaddok Hakohein of Lublin, zt”l, explains that one should never despair. “We may wonder why the Exodus is such a central part of the Jewish experience. It is the foundation of every holiday and we are supposed to feel this in the deepest part of our heart. What is the lesson from these numerous halachos?
“The answer is that in Egypt we were in the lowest possible place, the forty-ninth level of defilement. One would have thought that our situation was hopeless but Hashem delivered us from bondage and made us His nation. Our very first lesson at the inception of our peoplehood was that one should never despair, no matter what. G-d took us out then, and He can deliver us from any spiritual bondage no matter how hopeless it seems. No matter how depraved a Jew may be, what he has done or where he has been, it is never too late. He is definitely not as depraved as the hopeless slaves in Egypt. We need to know completely that Hashem will definitely deliver us, just like He delivered them!
"This was one of the lessons of Avraham's actions in Parshas Lech Lecha. There we find that Avraham pursued the powerful armies of the four kings with only three hundred and eighteen men. It seemed that he was doomed to lose, yet somehow he prevailed. This happened to Avraham, the father of the Jewish people to teach an important lesson. The quintessential character of a Jew is that we never give up, no matter what the odds. It is certainly singular that the numerical value of yiush, the Hebrew word for despair is 318, the number of men Avraham took on this seemingly hopeless quest. ”
(Pri TzaddikParshas Mishpatim)