tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72428782012-02-16T16:26:42.482-05:00Hashkafa, Mussar, Kabbalah as set down first thing in the morning, with tea and low music. Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comBlogger6241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-17173077597596147022007-09-23T08:35:00.001-04:002007-09-23T08:42:10.889-04:00

I've been waiting a very long time to use that title; it seemed so appropriate for this blog which is isn't at all personal and bloggish. It's a shame it had to wait so long, and to make it into what's very likely my final entry here.The crisp Elul morning has turned old and cloudy, and it's now winter. The truth is that very few people read it (some regularly -- and you both know who you are …)

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX (Continued):So you see, the way you obtain this trait is with a lot of abstention, with serious reflection upon the mysteries of G-d's great involvement in the world and the secrets of creation, and with the sure knowledge of G-d's exaltedness and praise. Only then will you have become attached to Him strongly and know how to concentrate your thoughts while moving through the

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:Holiness is a two-fold matter: it begins in effort, and ends in recompense; and it begins in striving, and ends in being given as a gift. That is to say, its beginnings are your sanctifying yourself, and its conclusions are your being sanctified. Our sages referred to this when they said, "A person only has to sanctify himself a little and he is sanctified a lot-- he need only

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR (Continued):There are two subdivisions of this sort of fear: the first is in regard to the present moment and the future, and the second is in regard to the past. In regard to the present it implies that you should fear and worry about what you are doing or are about to, lest there be or come to be something in it that is not fitting for G-d's honor, as we have explained above

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE (Continued):Another deterrent to humility is the association with flatterers who steal your heart away with their praise. They will praise and exalt you for their own ulterior motives by expanding upon the good points you possess to the hilt, and then praise you unjustifiably in addition. And sometimes the very thing you are being praised for is what you should not be praised

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“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's ongoing series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Eight (Part 6)Some believe that G-d compels each and every step we take; that “our rising up, our sitting down, and all our movements are dependent on G-d’s

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (Continued):We have thus explicated the general aspects of modesty, but their particulars are so numerous that you must use your own judgment about them as the situation would indicate. (Proverbs 1:5) "Let the wise listen and take more." One thing is sure-- modesty removes many stumbling-blocks along the way, and brings you closer to the great good. The modest person is little

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (Continued):To this point we have spoken about humility in our thoughts. We will now concentrate upon humility in our actions, which can be divided into four subsections: conducting oneself in a humble manner; enduring insults; detesting power and avoiding honor; and attributing honor to others.The first-- conducting oneself in a humble manner-- should show in your speech, the

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Klach Pitchei Chochma -- 138 Openings to WisdomBy Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzattoas adapted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman----------------------------------------------------------------------------Petach One (Part 3)3.Now on to the role of wrong and injustice in the grand scheme of things.We’re liable to reason that since G-d is said to be utterly beneficent, and given that there’s nonetheless wrong and

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:We have already spoken of the disgrace of arrogance, from which you can infer the praiseworthiness of humility. We will now focus more on humility itself and will, as a result, come to understand arrogance. The general rule in regard to humility is that you should not consider yourself important for whatever reason whatsoever. That is the very opposite of arrogance. What

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CHAPTER TWENTY (Continued):You are duty-bound to follow the mitzvot as strictly as possible, no matter who is watching you as you do, and are to neither be afraid nor embarrassed. This is what the Torah means when it says, "I will speak of Your ordinances (even) before kings and will not be ashamed" (Psalms 119:46), and "Be as strong as a lion..." (Pirke Avot 5:23). But even this requires

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CHAPTER NINETEEN (Continued):Our sages said about the verse, "And I have come because of your words" (Daniel 10:12), that Gabriel did not go through the curtain again until he acted as an intercedant for Israel (Ain Yaakov, Yomah, Ch. 8). It is said that Gideon was allowed to "Go with this, your strength" (Judges 6:14) because he had acted as an intercedant for Israel (Yalkut Shimoni).G-d only

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CHAPTER NINETEEN (Continued):The reason for this is obvious. One who loves his friend could never endure seeing him attacked or abused. He would certainly come to his aid. Likewise, one who truly loves G-d could never endure seeing His name being profaned, G-d forbid, or His commandments being overrun. Solomon was referring to this when he said, "Those who abandon Torah would praise the wicked,

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CHAPTER NINETEEN (Continued):One thing is certain: the love of G-d should not be the sort that is dependent upon something. It should not be that you love G-d because He has done good for you, given you wealth, or made you successful. It must be the kind of love a son has for his father-- a visceral love that just naturally overtakes you. The Torah refers to it when this when it says, "Is He not

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CHAPTER NINETEEN (Continued):Since it is clear that honoring the Sabbath is a mitzvah, and there are many ways to honor it, we should do anything that would bring out the importance of the Sabbath. The early sages would each prepare for the Sabbath in their own way. "Rabbi Abbahu would sit on a stool of ivory and stoke the fire; Rav Saffra would singe the head of a cow for the meal; Rava would

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CHAPTER NINETEEN (Continued):The second aspect of piety involves how actions are performed. This too can be divided into two aspects, which can themselves be further subdivided into many, many subsections. But the primary subsections would be reverence and love, the two pillars of true Divine service, without which there can be no content to the matter whatsoever. Under the heading of reverence

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Klach Pitchei Chochma -- 138 Openings to WisdomBy Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzattoas adapted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman----------------------------------------------------------------------------Petach Two (Part 2)2.Ramchal first discusses the idea of wrongdoers having to suffer (even justifiably).He revealed elsewhere that G-d wants everyone to enjoy His benevolence in full [2] and that He takes no

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CHAPTER NINETEEN (Continued):Corporeally involves helping all people as much as possible and easing their burdens. This is what our sages were talking about when they referred to "bearing a friend's yoke with him" (Pirke Avot 6:6). And should any physical harm threaten to come to a person when you are able to defer or prevent it, you should try as much as you can to do so.Monetarily involves

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:Piety actually requires a lot of explanation. There are many people doing a lot of things in the name of piety which are in fact only pale and irreparably formless, shapeless shadows of the real thing. And that comes as a result of improper understanding and analysis on the part of the people who act this way. They have not bothered to delve deeply, with clarity and determination

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN (Continued):Just as a sacrifice is not acceptable on the altar unless it is of the finest flour that has been sifted through thirteen sieves and smelted of all dross (Menachot 76b), so too is it impossible to raise yourself upon the altar of His Will and be amongst the whole and choice servants of G-d without the choicest of actions-- those purified of all sorts of dross. But I am

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-79419850706421771842007-09-06T10:21:00.000-04:002007-09-06T10:22:50.156-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter Two: The Spiritual World (Part 6)Most of us have barely an inkling of the depths of our souls. People think their souls are their hearts perhaps, or their

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN:The best way to acquire abstinence is to realize the crassness of the pleasures of the world and their inherent inferiority, as well as the great bad that can so easily result from them. What inclines us towards these pleasures so much that we require a lot of strength and ingenuity to escape from them is their seductive powers. The eyes are seduced by things that seem to be good

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN (Continued):Should you ask, "If it is true that abstinence is such a necessary and important thing, then why didn't our sages institute more protective "fences" as they so often did?" The only clear and forthright response to this would be that our sages only instituted the sorts of protective fences the majority of the Jews could abide by (Baba Kamma 79b). Most people cannot be

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-78845011995087657232007-09-04T09:47:00.001-04:002007-09-04T09:55:31.531-04:00

Klach Pitchei Chochma -- 138 Openings to WisdomBy Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzattoas adapted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman----------------------------------------------------------------------------Petach Twoרצונו של המאציל ית"ש הוא רק טוב, ולכן לא יתקיים שום דבר אלא טובו. וכל מה שהוא רע בתחלה, אינו יוצא מרשות אחר ח"ו, שיוכל להתקיים נגדו, אלא סופו הוא טוב ודאי. ואז נודע שלא יש רשות אחר אלא הוא: The Emanator

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN (Continued):You will note that there are three levels of things to be avoided: those things actually forbidden by the Torah; the "fences", that is, the ordinances and preventive measures enacted by our sages for all of Israel; and the "safeguards", those optional prohibitions taken on as personal protective walls by anyone who wants to practice abstinence, which include those

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CHAPTER ELEVEN (Continued):Many have slipped and been lost in this matter. Jeroboam ben Nevat, for example, was driven away from his place in the World to Come because of his thirst for respect. As our sages said, "The Holy One (blessed be He) took hold of Jeroboam by his coat and said to him, 'Repent, and you, I and King David will stroll in the Garden of Eden.' Jeroboam said to God, 'Who'll

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CHAPTER ELEVEN (Continued):There is a different type of angry individual-- one who is not as easily brought to fury if something or another is not done exactly as he would like it. But when he gets angry, he gets very angry. He is referred to as "difficult to anger, but difficult to appease" (Pirke Avot 5:11). This too is certainly bad, for many damaging, ruinous things may come out of this anger

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CHAPTER ELEVEN (Continued): To this point we have stressed the mitzvot that especially needed innocence (because they were the ones people are likely to stumble in). We will now delve deeply into the common and primary problematic personality traits, which are: arrogance, anger, jealousy and desire. Their harm is universally recognized and do not have to be substantiated. They are intrinsically

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CHAPTER ELEVEN (Continued): And there are others who, while like them in kind, are not quite as guilty as they. They are the ones who lie by telling stories and giving false reports. They are not "professional" story-tellers who concoct whole tales or incidents that have never or could never happen. But when they come to relate something, they add on whatever occurs to them. This happens so

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 CHAPTER ELEVEN (Continued):In regard to deceiving someone by giving him bad advice, we learn that "When the Torah says, 'Do not place a stumbling block before a blind' (Leviticus 19:14) it refers to placing a figurative 'stumbling-block' before someone 'blind' to anything. Should someone ask you if a particular woman would be permitted to marry a Kohen, do not tell him that she would be when she

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 CHAPTER ELEVEN (Continued):And in terms of the sense of hearing our sages said, "A woman's singing voice is considered nakedness" (Brachot 24a). Our sages screeched like cranes about the promiscuous use of lips and ears, that is, speaking or listening to profanity. In the Jerusalem Talmud (Terumot 1:4) they observed that it is written, "Your camp-sites shall be holy so that G-d will see no

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-41179630723652702652007-08-28T09:37:00.001-04:002007-08-28T09:37:47.571-04:00

Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta was married last night and is doing well. Thanks for your tephillos! CHAPTER ELEVEN (Continued): Let us consider deceit. It is so easy to fool yourself and stumble in this. You might think it is only right for example to make a product you are selling to a customer as attractive as possible so you could profit from your work, and to speak cunningly and enticingly to

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Happy to say that Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta is due to be married today and seems to be out of the woods. Thanks for your tephillos! CHAPTER TEN (Continued):Our sages tell us that King David would be careful to thoroughly cleanse himself of all this-- so much so that he would go off to war securely, asking of G-d, "May I chase my enemies and overtake them, and not return until I will have

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For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married tomorrow who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill. He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos.  CHAPTER NINE (Continued): The factor to use in differentiating between the two types of concern is the one used by our sages when they said, "Things are

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-47065372759764640012007-08-24T08:07:00.001-04:002007-08-24T08:07:13.326-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill. He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos. CHAPTER EIGHT:The means to acquire enthusiasm are the very ones, step by step, used to acquire caution. Their concerns are very similar. The only

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-53328701645249759682007-08-24T08:06:00.001-04:002007-08-24T08:06:05.946-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill. He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos.  CHAPTER SIX (Continued):It is important that you know at this point that a major principle for fostering the trait of abstention is that every

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-11960127790156639262007-08-23T06:02:00.001-04:002007-08-23T06:04:22.834-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill.He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos. CHAPTER FIVE (Continued):Should you find yourself in the company of someone who ridicules you, do not take his remarks to heart. Do just the opposite--

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-43885511686681765412007-08-22T14:21:00.001-04:002007-08-22T14:21:20.392-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill. He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos.  CHAPTER FIVE (Continued):It is apparent from the fact that the Creator created just this cure for this specific ailment that it would be impossible

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-21444423846901155702007-08-21T08:52:00.001-04:002007-08-21T08:57:53.360-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill.He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos.CHAPTER FOUR (Continued):Certainly the intent of his statement is not that the punishment should be equal for both. As is known, G-d repays actions in kind,

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-933430256407327182007-08-21T08:06:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:54:57.757-05:00

From "Hashem Shamati Shimaacha" (no. 13)My favorite line (in bold on right side near the bottom):"Mankind's most fundamentally important act Divine service is to concentrate on this one thing alone: on coming to the point where you sense G-d's presence".

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-22126768498701117002007-08-20T09:00:00.001-04:002007-08-20T09:00:30.628-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill. He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos.CHAPTER FOUR (Continued): The advice given to those of lesser understanding will be based upon their level of comprehension, and will concern itself with

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-70418075381436636002007-08-19T09:38:00.001-04:002007-08-19T09:38:34.302-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill. He's out of intensive care now, boruch Hashem, but he still needs our tephillos.CHAPTER THREE (Continued):Our sages said, "'You laid down darkness and there was night' (Psalms 104:20) refers to this world, which is likened to night" (

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-21581800521593789832007-08-17T15:59:00.001-04:002007-08-17T15:59:56.671-04:00

The only thing I'll be offering here until after Labor Day will be the ongoing Messilas Yesharim series (unless the spirit moves … ).By the way -- the choleh cited in the heading for Messilas Yesharim is on the mend, boruch Hashem, and out of intensive care, but still keep him in your tephillos.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-76776654393009113472007-08-17T09:04:00.001-04:002007-08-17T09:08:13.954-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill and is now in intensive care.Please keep him in your tephillos.CHAPTER TWO:The point of caution is that you should be cautious in both your actions and your interests; that is to say, conscious and aware of whether your actions and

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-33506246207576927902007-08-17T06:12:00.001-04:002007-08-17T06:12:48.828-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill and is now in intensive care.Please keep him in your tephillos.CHAPTER ONE (Continued):Reflecting upon the matter you will see that the world was created for our usage. But we stand in the midst of a great balance: should we be attracted

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-25725738216597561732007-08-16T19:48:00.000-04:002007-08-16T19:49:10.613-04:00

“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's ongoing series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Eight (Part 5)The fact that other than our fear of it, “everything (else) is in the hands of Heaven” does indeed bolster Rambam’s argument for our free will.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-37497573477991078102007-08-16T15:15:00.001-04:002007-08-16T15:16:20.901-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill and is now in intensive care.Please keep him in your tephillos.AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION (continued) This is what Moses our teacher taught us when he said, "And now, Israel-- what does G-d your L-rd require of you if not to revere G-d your

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-6598315735460764432007-08-15T09:08:00.001-04:002007-08-15T09:10:16.296-04:00

For a refuah shleimi for Yoseph ben Rivka Rachel Yuta, young man who is due to be married in a couple of weeks who suddenly and inexplicably became terribly ill and is now in intensive care.Please keep him in your tephillos. AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION I have not written this text to teach people what they do not already know, but rather to remind them of what they do know and are well aware. For

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-51711025729395880852007-08-14T08:42:00.001-04:002007-08-14T17:50:30.998-04:00

Starting tomorrow, the first of Elul, I'll offer a daily reading from my translation (without comments) of Messilas Yesharim (The Path of the Just) until Yom Kippur.I've long learned Messilas Yesharim this time of the year and divided the sefer into 40 parts quite a while back. Needless to say, I'll provide Shabbos and Yom Tov readings ahead of time (or afterwards if things get pressing).I'll

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-24901823627630238362007-08-13T09:20:00.001-04:002007-08-13T09:39:51.026-04:00

"Knowing the Reasons"A Kabbalistic Laying-Out of Who, What, When, Where, and WhyBased on Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's "Da'at Tevunot"by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman______________________________________Sect. 2, Ch. 23.But let's get back to the resurrection of the dead.Though a lot of the impurity that infested the body starts to become undone as a result of the desiccation that begins when the flesh

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-36512850169510577692007-08-09T08:09:00.000-04:002007-08-09T08:23:38.440-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter Two: The Spiritual World (Part 5)As to angels, for one thing, they aren’t what people think they are. They’re not embodied (except in those few instances

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-5266446327354895052007-08-08T11:16:00.001-04:002007-08-08T19:24:30.977-04:00

"Knowing the Reasons"A Kabbalistic Laying-Out of Who, What, When, Where, and WhyBased on Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's "Da'at Tevunot"by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman______________________________________Sect. 2, Ch. 22.Everyone has to have asked at one point or another why we must die -- why G-d couldn't have created a world in which mankind lives forever. After all, Adam and Eve would have been immortal

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-65000407589441529492007-08-02T15:48:00.001-04:002007-08-02T15:52:19.591-04:00

"Spiritual Excellence" with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) "Eight Chapters"-- Rabbi Feldman's on going series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Eight (Part 4)Understand that freedom of choice can be both invigorating and debilitating, it's that potent. After all, it implies that you're to make your

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-12087930426799327932007-08-01T09:14:00.001-04:002007-08-01T09:20:05.258-04:00

"Knowing the Reasons"A Kabbalistic Laying-Out of Who, What, When, Where, and WhyBased on Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's "Da'at Tevunot"by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman______________________________________Sect. 2, Ch. 21.Frankly, though, the question can be asked, "That's all well and good for the body, but how does it benefit the soul?" How is it to the soul's advantage to purify the body?The quick answer

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-69235097774498821982007-07-30T17:28:00.001-04:002007-07-30T17:30:06.958-04:00

"The Emanator wants only (to do) good [1], so nothing but (manifestations of) His goodness will endure. Hence, all that's initially wrongful does not emanate from another sphere of influence that could oppose Him; instead it will undoubtedly (prove to) be good in the end, thanks to which it will be known that there's no sphere of influence apart from Him."I'm working with three source-books:

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-1008690501347158592007-07-29T18:49:00.000-04:002007-07-29T18:51:05.442-04:00

... a new version of Shamatti. See what I wrote about it at ravashlag.blogspot.com .

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-57315323626684898932007-07-26T05:15:00.000-04:002007-07-26T05:19:20.523-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter Two: The Spiritual World (Part 4)Let’s dwell upon the makeup and function of the Transcendent Forces first.We’re told that they’re utterly supernatural entities

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-10796237814294284292007-07-19T20:26:00.001-04:002007-07-19T20:27:20.000-04:00

... has been completed and can be found at ...Sefer Tanya

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-25841405983828772022007-07-18T08:23:00.000-04:002007-07-18T08:35:08.399-04:00

“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's on going series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Eight (Part 3)“No!” Rambam reiterates. No one compels anyone to do anything. “The truth of the matter,” he says “is that you’re free to do as you will”,

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-11006170794923817702007-07-17T13:13:00.000-04:002007-07-17T13:16:55.262-04:00

Kitzur Ashlag 5Based on paragraphs 8 & 9:We’ll now contend with the third inquiry: the notion that “our souls are a part of G-d much the way that a stone is a part of the mountain that it’s hewn from, the only difference between them being that one is a ‘piece’ while the other is the ‘whole’”. What in heaven’s name could ever have “hewn” us from Him?Ashlag contends that the only thing that could

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-48188865851640581662007-07-15T09:24:00.000-04:002007-07-15T09:25:39.300-04:00

Has been completed and can now be found on 138gates.blogspot.com/ .

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-57403051328734763842007-07-11T05:29:00.000-04:002007-07-11T05:31:08.937-04:00

Klach Pitchei Chochma -- 138 Openings to WisdomBy Rabbi Moshe Chaim LuzzattoAs adapted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman----------------------------------------------------------------------------Petach 1 (Part 2)2.Ramchal then goes on to address the place of Kabbalah in all this. He asserts that Kabbalah “is first and foremost meant to exhibit the truth of the [Jewish] faith”. His point is that what

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-23466799249692701412007-07-10T09:24:00.000-04:002007-07-10T09:25:48.526-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter Two: The Spiritual World (Part 3)Now, while the wide variety of life-forms that encompass the spiritual realm each have their own boundaries and properties, the

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-59410317481189955042007-07-09T08:59:00.000-04:002007-07-15T04:03:52.049-04:00

Klach Pitchei Chochma -- 138 Openings to WisdomBy Rabbi Moshe Chaim LuzzattoAs adapted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman----------------------------------------------------------------------------Petach 1 (Part 1)The Infinite One’s Yichud implies that only His will functions and no other will functions other than through it. Hence, He alone reigns (supreme) and no one else’s will does. And the entire

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-26668845094930345122007-07-05T11:52:00.000-04:002007-07-05T11:54:17.311-04:00

I'm transfering whatever was done so far for Klach to this new blog, http://138gates.blogspot.com/ and we'll go on from there.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-55659672779011798202007-07-04T08:35:00.000-04:002007-07-04T08:40:35.938-04:00

“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's on going series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Eight (Part 2)Some people insist that we’re impelled by birth, circumstance, upbringing, or makeup to do one thing or another: that we’re wired from the

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-78416552278980807522007-07-02T18:08:00.000-04:002007-07-02T19:27:36.759-04:00

As I'd said a while back, I've caught up to where I'd gone in my work on Tanya, and I have to go on from here chapter to chapter. That's slow going, so it occured to me to do the following. Every once in a while, as when I come upon a more complex section like this one, I'll provide a simple reworking of the context in my own words like the one below, then I'll round it off with my own

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-79476666887934705562007-07-01T16:01:00.000-04:002007-07-02T11:01:52.566-04:00

Based on paragraphs 6 & 7:But we already know the ultimate goal of creation, according to the Ari: “The only reason G-d created the world” he avow, “was to grant pleasure to His creations” (Eitz Chaim, Sha'ar HaKlallim, Ch. 1). So it only makes sense that we concentrate on that over-all, Ashlag declares. And so we will.Given that G-d meant to grant us pleasure as we’re told, it follows that He

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-19256098116018108342007-06-28T10:28:00.000-04:002007-06-28T11:21:32.600-04:00

“Nearly Everybody”: The Inner Life and Struggles of the Jewish Soul(Based on “Tanya: Collected Discourses of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi”)by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman__________________________________________Ch. 172.But RSZ takes the term “so that you can do it” in the statement “the matter is very near-at-hand to you … so that you can do it” as alluding to the native love for G-d that lies deep and

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-33204269047400641562007-06-26T12:27:00.000-04:002007-06-26T17:49:50.321-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter Two: The Spiritual World (Part 2)Everything in our experience is comprised of borders. Each and every thing begins at a certain point and only extends as far as

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-21227514058701905602007-06-25T11:48:00.000-04:002007-06-25T11:49:29.058-04:00

“Nearly Everybody”: The Inner Life and Struggles of the Jewish Soul(Based on “Tanya: Collected Discourses of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi”)by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman__________________________________________Ch. 171.Realizing by now where we fit within the rasha-benoni-tzaddik continuum and knowing as well how we can become benoni’im and bolster our benoni-ism [1], we’re in a position to start

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-48915266808694104632007-06-24T10:24:00.000-04:002007-06-24T10:25:09.463-04:00

Based on paragraphs 4 and 5:Ashlag contends that we can only answer the sorts of existential questions he’d raised by “look(ing) at the culmination of things … at the ultimate goal of creation”.Now, some would differ and suggest that there were no goals; that G-d simply created. Ashlag argues against that, though, given “no one other than a madman does anything without a particular goal in mind”.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-10068767001304096612007-06-22T05:37:00.000-04:002007-06-22T05:38:37.762-04:00

“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's on going series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Eight (Part 1)“It’s no more possible to be born either inherently lofty or flawed” Rambam declares in this final chapter, “than it is to be born

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-27251980625838907612007-06-20T11:50:00.001-04:002007-06-20T11:50:48.941-04:00

From paragraphs 2 and 3:Before answering the questions he’d raised, Ashlag thought it important to pose others.1) “How could anyone imagine a completely original creation -- something utterly new-sprung that hadn’t already been incorporated in G-d's Being from the first -- when it’s obvious to any thinking person that everything was originally incorporated in His Being? After all, isn’t it

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-52165906188676115582007-06-19T10:11:00.001-04:002007-06-19T10:12:39.537-04:00

We’ll now begin a 9-chapter-long analysis of Tanya’s motto, “For the matter is very near-at-hand to you -- in your mouth and in your heart -- so that you can do (i.e., achieve) it” (Deuteronomy 30:14).RSZ starts off here by laying out the difficulties of the verse, especially the idea that anything touching upon changes of heart -- one’s inner being -- can be easy to arrive at. He then delves

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-75683153576820621042007-06-18T11:52:00.000-04:002007-06-18T11:54:15.955-04:00

... has been completed and can be found at ...Sefer Tanya

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-15951657800416189862007-06-17T15:48:00.000-04:002007-06-17T15:49:54.964-04:00

I set up www.ravashlag.blogspot.com a while back to offer a translation with comments to Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag’s “Introduction to the Zohar”. I completed it a few months ago but I wanted to go back to it to see what needed to be changed, since I’d like to have it published. Rather than do that off on the side without reference to it here, though, I thought I’d offer a synopsis -- a kitzur -- of

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-57106468212210511742007-06-14T08:36:00.000-04:002007-06-14T08:38:23.491-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________Chapter Two: The Spiritual World (Part 1)Each and every thing is a phenomenon unto itself, a world of its own. Yet each and every thing also has a relationship with everything else both near and far, by

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-87604984584780505952007-06-13T16:59:00.000-04:002007-07-15T04:05:07.215-04:00

Klach Pitchei Chochma -- 138 Openings to WisdomBy Rabbi Moshe Chaim LuzzattoAs adapted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman----------------------------------------------------------------------------Section One -- IntroductionLet’s look at the petachim that comprise the first section and raise some broad questions about them.Petach 1:The Infinite One’s Yichud implies that only His will functions and no other

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-47848284907300269062007-06-12T10:27:00.000-04:002007-06-12T10:28:27.078-04:00

Klach Pitchei Chochma -- 138 Openings to WisdomBy Rabbi Moshe Chaim LuzzattoAs adapted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman----------------------------------------------------------------------------IntroductionAs I’d indicated in my second article in commemoration of Ramchal’s 300th birthday, “Klach Pitchei Chochma (or ‘Klach’ as we’ll refer to it here) is a work within a work. For Ramchal wrote an argument

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-27309145349494086912007-06-11T14:37:00.000-04:002007-06-11T14:39:17.044-04:00

“Nearly Everybody”: The Inner Life and Struggles of the Jewish Soul(Based on “Tanya: Collected Discourses of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi”)by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman__________________________________________Ch. 162.If we can’t manage to galvanize our beings by deliberately fostering the sort of urgent love of and reverence for G-d that would have us attach on to Him with our minds as above, then we

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-41796052286277499442007-06-10T20:08:00.000-04:002007-06-11T14:58:45.015-04:00

After having written the article on Ramchal's Klach Pitchei Chochma (the last in the 4 part series in commemoration of his 300th birthday) I've had this hankering to work on the book itself. What I plan to do then is translate the 138 "Openings" themselves and not Ramchal's own comments to them, and explain each one based on his comments and on things he said on the subject elsewhere (thanks to R

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-33104409239711359582007-06-07T09:18:00.000-04:002007-06-07T09:20:01.085-04:00

“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's on going series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Seven (Part 6)Being the greatest prophet of all and arguably the greatest human being ever to have lived, we’d expect a lot from Moses. Indeed, Rambam

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-62302866066784040742007-06-06T13:12:00.001-04:002007-06-06T13:13:24.936-04:00

“Nearly Everybody”: The Inner Life and Struggles of the Jewish Soul (Based on “Tanya: Collected Discourses of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi”) by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman __________________________________________Ch. 161.Both this chapter and the next, then chapters 18-25, will expand on two suggestions offered here as to how we’re to advance in our benoni-ness and be “one who serves G-d” in the

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-24070413101037628602007-06-05T09:57:00.000-04:002007-06-05T10:02:23.029-04:00

I've decided to dump the previous versions of this chapter on this site and to start from scratch. It will do a lot more, with G-d's help.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-61994247170376496312007-06-04T10:47:00.000-04:002007-06-04T10:50:31.874-04:00

Part Four: Da’at Tevunot (“Knowing the Reasons”) 1.Imagine sitting knee to knee with someone very wise, with the chance to ask anything you’d like. Well, that’s the setting to Ramchal’s Da’at Tevunot, which serves as a dialogue between a seeker and a sage … actually between a soul and reason itself. (Ramchal wrote other books in a dialogue format, but Da’at Tevunot was the best of them by far.)

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-51475904414131491322007-06-03T09:04:00.000-04:002007-06-03T09:05:28.642-04:00

Part of the problem of switching from one system to another (from Mac to PC in this case) is the whole idea of having to learn the whole new method, shifting whole files from the old one to the new, and the lot. So I’m afraid I’ve gotten lost in all that and haven’t been able to sit too long at the keys and write. Finally having the chance to sit down with Ch. 16 of Tanya I see that some

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-64031678101416691602007-05-31T09:35:00.000-04:002007-05-31T09:39:45.445-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter One: G-d (Part 3) It follows then that whenever we speak about G-d we're forced to use metaphor and simile rather than say things straight out, Ramchal points

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Part Three: Klach Pitchei Chochma (“138 Openings to Wisdom”)1.Klach Pitchei Chochma is one of those Ramchal-works that’s unheard of by most but highly treasured by his enthusiasts for one and the same reason: because it expounds on and spells out Kabbalah fully and profoundly. We’ll touch upon its Kabbalistic elements in the course of this essay to be sure but we won’t delve into them at length

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“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's on going series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters"Chapter Seven (Part 5)Now, "don't be surprised by the fact that some personal failings would lessen the quality of one's prophecy" Rambam offers, since "some

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Part Two: His WorksAlthough he's best known for Messilat Yesharim ("The Path of the Just") and Derech Hashem ("The Way of G-d), Ramchal authored dozens and dozens of significant works in his short life. We'll cite them now in chronological order (with thanks to R' M. Shriki's Ohr HaGanuz) and offer a thumbnail description of each.Ramchal wrote a play at age 16 (in 1723) entitled Ma'aseh Shimshon

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... has been completed and can be found at ...Toras Ramchal

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"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter One: G-d (Part 2)Yet, G-d chose to interact with us. So He elected to be known -- to some degree -- so that we could refer to Him, serve Him in more palpable

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Part One: His Life1. There are certain lives that are inherently captivating, and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's was certainly that. Born in Paduah, Italy in 1707 to wealthy parents, he took to literature and Torah studies early on. In fact, that early interest in literature served his writing style well throughout his life, and his Torah studies formed the basis of his literary output. He

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“Spiritual Excellence” with Rabbi Yaakov FeldmanOur Current Text: Moshe Maimonides's (Rambam's) “Eight Chapters”-- Rabbi Feldman's on going series for Torah.org**********************************************************"Eight Chapters" Chapter Seven (Part 4) We're now back to the point at which we'd started this chapter, with a discussion about what differentiated one prophet from another and the

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-46705254260529004962007-05-07T11:56:00.000-04:002007-05-07T11:58:51.100-04:00

I just got a new computer,and the job of switching from Mac to PC is becoming daunting. Please forgive the delays here ...

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[This is being mailed out on my behalf to my torah.org subscribers.You're welcome to subscribe, though the series will run here, too. YF] Monday, May 14th 2007 (the 26 of Iyar 5767) is being celebrated as the 300th birthday of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzutto, known as Ramchal. There will be special celebrations in Jerusalem, Israel; in Padua, Italy where he was born; and on various on-line sites.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405091620805844641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7242878.post-5953953291227860232007-05-02T08:54:00.000-04:002007-05-02T08:57:14.406-04:00

"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"An adaptation of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s Ma’amar HaIkkurim-- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org__________________________________________________"Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith"Chapter One: G-d (Part 1) It goes without saying that we rely on our mind and its perceptions for nearly everything. So if something doesn't quite jibe with our sense of

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"Knowing the Reasons"A Kabbalistic Laying-Out of Who, What, When, Where, and Why Based on Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s "Da’at Tevunot" by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman______________________________________Sect. 2, Ch. 1 4. In order to understand why body and soul join together in the first place at conception it would help us to recall G-d's ultimate aim in creating us. It was to shower us with His

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"Knowing the Reasons"A Kabbalistic Laying-Out of Who, What, When, Where, and Why Based on Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s "Da’at Tevunot" by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman______________________________________Sect. 2, Ch. 1 3. Short of offering a lengthy treatise on mankind Ramchal engages in a discussion of what's perhaps the central mystery of our makeup -- the fact that we’re comprised of two

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