Arizal--Chessed l'Avraham bringing Shabbos into the week 1

Kenaf Renanim Shabbos Rimon 26 (25 minutes) We can make havdalah until Tuesday since the influence of Shabbbos extends until then; One who focuses on the following throughout his week will not sin and shuts up the yetzer hara from any accusations; Sunday we bring in neshamah-thought, Monday ruach-dibur and tuesday nefesh, action; Pischei Sha'arim on what that is; Did Hashem make two equal light sources originally? Ibn Ezra: No merely two huge bodies that were the sun and moon; Maharal: yes they were equal; Pischei Sha'arim yes; the four yesodos of fire, air, water and earth and how they relate to the soul and the worlds; the meaning of the name Hashem told Moshe in our parsha and other names; the "seven Margalin, pearls"; the forty-two name in anah b'koach

Rav Tzaddok Komarna and Rav Nosson on Shemos and Shovavim

Rav Tzaddok Shemos (17 minutes long) Rashi says (from Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer) Moshe used the donkey that Moshiach will ride and that Avraham rode but how old can a donkey be? Rav Tzadok explains that chamor alludes to chomer materialism since they overcame their material selves. But what about when Avraham says to Eliezer and Yishmael to stay with the chamor implying that it is not good? the chamor was the body and it can be used for holiness or a person can let it bring him down; Maharal in Gur Aryeh and Gevuros Hashem makes very similar point but somewhat different and proves that Avraham, Moshe and Moshiach are exceptional since Hashem took them above the world; Maharal explains that the ability to transcend nature was created between weekdays-nature and Shabbos-above nature; How Maharal diverges from Rav Tzaddok; Possible explanation of the creation of the negative donkey bein hashemashos according to Rav Tzaddok that Hashem also created Sheidim bein hashemashos; Zohar that every person has shin daled in him that must be tempered with a yud to form Shakai holy limits by channeling the yetzer hara in the correct way Komarna Shemos (14 minute duration) Rav Tzaddok so much of Torah was is commemorating the exodus since we were slaves on the 49th level of impurity and G-d redeemed us nevertheless this teaches that we should never despair; Zohar about Yechezkel's prophecy in chutz l'aretz to encourage the Jewish people that Hashem was with us in exile; Komarna What is His name? Ehekeh asher Ehekeh; Ramban from MIdrash that this means how you act to Hashem He acts to you; Maharal in Gevuras Hashem from Midrash that Hashem revealed Himself in a bush to teach that the DIvine Presence is everywhere; The importance of marital harmony to bringing the geulah; Ish and Isha have the shem Hashem in their name since He is there when there is shalom bayis; We bring the redemption and rebuild the beish hamikdash by marital harmony; why one who is unmarried lacks completion--this is compared to how he could be at his best but an unmarried man could be way beyond his married friend Rav Nosson Shemos-Shovavim (11 minute duration) Everything that the Jewish people suffered in Egypt we endure in our spiritual exile; They got through it by crying out to Hashem and so do we; Crying out to Hashem is the main avodah of Shovavim; Shovavim is tikun habris but bris is synonymous with emunah, simcha and anavah; Ba'alei Tosefos that the Jewish people only cried out when the king died since they were relying on the old king's decree to die with him and this limited them; Rav Tzadok the main time to access the light of Shovavim is on Shabbos;

Likutei Halachos and Rav Tzaddok-Komarna on Vayigash

Rav Tzaddok and Komarna (13 minutes long) Alter of Kelm Yosef tells the brothers to go up to their father since Eretz Yisrael is the highest land; This means spiritually, not higher in physical space; Yosef sent the best of Egypt; We pick up the sparks in exile and redeem them; It's like wine that is good when used correctly but very detrimental when misused; Dispute between Chovos Hatalmidim from Rav Elimelech and Rebbe Nachman whether most should use alcohol in avodas Hashem except Kiddush, havdalah and very rare occasion; What is the main thing?Story about tikkun chatzos and l'chaims; Komarna Yosef tells the brothers to hurry several other examples of this; if we knew the Shechinah was in exile with us we would hurry to do whatever we could in avodah Rav Nosson (13 minutes long) The Secret of Galus; Hashem is always with us and difficulty is the pathway to redemption; Changing a descent into an ascent; How? Tzifsei Tzaddik parable how teshuvah completely cleans out the other side; Chofetz Chaim on why baalei teshuvah are higher that they can explain that material pursuits are empty from experience; Because we bring light into the far places we were in before; Since we need a descent before ascending we can transform any descent into ascent; Teshuvah from love; Every good thing is forever; teshuvah from love

Chanukah Continues after 8 Days and Parshas Vayigash

Expanding Chanukah (18 minutes long.) From Alter of Kelm that Chanukah continues to shine until 30 days after 8; Divrei Chaim and Yesod Yosef prepared for Chanukah from at least 30 days before; Chanukah is shining a light into the darkness by channeling the yetzer hara for good; Mekor Chaim that the yetzer hara ferments bread since it is the main element in our avodah and why; Zohar that every person has a shin daled inside that we need to imbue with a yud by channeling it correctly; Rav Nosson that even after the days of Chanukah higher supernal illumination is available but we have no vessel to receive it now so we cannot keep lighting; if Chanukah was less than we would like we can always fix this after; Alter of Kelm deeper reason why we light eight days even though we had oil for one--that nature is from Hashem; His lesson that we need to work on internalizing our avodah and not merely going on what we got naturally since this can easily be lost or diverted; Rashbam and Rashi on our Parsha's verse that Yaakov saw the wagons and was revived; That Rashbam merely revealed a pshat aspect but never meant to nullify drash or the words of our sages; Bris, emunah, simcha and anavah are all one aspect; Bris means connection and that is its main element