• LG

  Leib Garber -10 years ago

  Amazing classes
  Thank you so much for putting together these amazing classes. I learned in yeshiva for awhile and really struggled with learning chassidus.  It all seemed like a bunch of confusing mumbo jumbo whose main goal was to prove that the Lubavitch Rabbeim were much smarter than any other human being could ever be and that the rabbis who were teaching me must be so genius that I could never question anything they said, including concepts which didnt actually seem to exist within the text of Chabad chassidus. You are really bringing it to a level that it is easily grasped and explaining things in such a way which ensures that these concepts can be put to practical application. Keep up the good work.
  
  
  

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• J

  Judy -11 years ago

  Becoming Real
  Anyone ever read the story of the Velvetine Rabbit to your children . . . or just read it? The Mishkan could have been built a splendid edifice, but without the effort, sincerity, passion, need, of those humans in the stark, empty, existential desert to infuse it with their lives-their truths, their bodies, their yearning to make meaning, to love each other, to make sacrifices for each other, to live lives with intention - the mishkan would remain an empty edifice of no account.  What is 'kasher'? We somehow sense, acknowledge and then make the connection: our actions connect- make real- the material world with the abstract world of Form, imperfect with Perfect, created with Creator, human nurture meets Divine Nature. However, this requires acknowledgement of Infinite-Intelligent-Loving-Permeating-Presence acting within the affairs of material creation: its a 2-way street.
  
  
  
  Judaism's uniqueness is that it understands the trend of the human mind over generations to misunderstand, misinterpret, to take out of context. A concept not understood in counterpoint- will eventually deteriorate into some sort of idolatry or existential void. 

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• C

  Chaim -11 years ago

  Download mp3
  Thank you again for presenting and bringing closer another ma'amar. As always we tried to download the audio in mp3 - but  this time without success. Is there anything we can do to remedy this problem?
  
  
  

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  • A

    Anonymous -11 years ago

    Re: Download mp3
    It should be working now, we are sorry.

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• A

  aryeh -12 years ago

  great shiur
  very well taught... thank you for your clarity and inspiring class!

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• AM

  Arnold Millan -13 years ago

  To M. Gorden
  Yes and no. In the story of the two survivors, the husband to be is obviously seeing beyond his intended's physical deformities, and he wraps himself around her, and enters that very reality that stands before him. He elevates her to the level of the beautiful bride-to-be once again. While the prior physical reality is no longer with either of them, he yet knows that the only reality is that which he now holds in his arms and which houses the beauty that he sees within. He knows that the physical, no matter how limited, is the only path to the beauty and strength of her essence. That is what HaShem expressed to Moshe, that He wanted "to dwell among them", physically in them/us no matter how messed up they/we had become. The tedious detail of the instruction for the material Mishkan and the story of the survivors both tell the same story: the abstract can be useful, but the facts on the ground is what counts.

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• MG

  M. Groden -13 years ago

  I apologize
  I apologize.
  
  My wife, who is a philosophy major, has informed me that Plato writes somewhere something along the lines that he wishes he were dead, because then he could truly understand the Forms (abstract, eternal truths). So perhaps Plato did feel this world is insignificant.
  
  However, I still wish to understand how the story you bring at the end is not the opposite of the lesson. The lesson is that the limited example is more important than the abstract, eternal Form, but doesn't the holocaust survivor tell his fiance that he cares more for her abstract (who she is as a person), and not for her limited aspects (physical beauty)?

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• S

  s.g. -13 years ago

  3 POINTS
  To M.Groden:
  
  1) your first two points don't prove the article wrong- just your extra knowledge of the subjects discussed. The essay is still very much valid after the fact.
  
  2) the story at the end about the survivors does express the message. The message: you got that part on track- that it is the limited in which the purpose lies. But I think you mixed up the message the writer was trying to bring out through the story. I think...that the underlying message of the story is that yes the woman wasn't beautiful, but the work, the effort, the courage through hard times, made her all the more attractive to her husband. (he was focusing on that but not brushing aside the physical.-that's what MADE her LOOK more beautiful- physically, if you will) Same with us and G-d. We live in a limited world where there's hardships and pain and stress and a concealment of G-d. If, through all that, we STILL do Mitzvos and have Emunah and Bitachon in G-d- He appreciates that the most. (just to parallel the two: does that mean G-d "brushes aside" our physical limited bodies, if He is just enjoying the Mitzvos?? no! The physical body of a Jew is so precious to Him!) we gotta bring Heaven down to Earth.
  3) the article is awesome:) very inspiring, and brings everything together really well.

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• MG

  M. Groden -13 years ago

  3 Points
  1) Plato never said that one should escape to the spiritual and the physical world is of no significance. You're referring to Plato's theory of forms which he speaks about in his book The Republic. All he is saying is that the abstract concepts are more "true", or real, than physical objects, and only those who understand these concepts (who have TRUE knowledge), are fit to govern a society.
  
  2) Torah does not contradict the idea that concepts are more real than objects. Physical objects are limited and abstract concepts are not (or at least less so, if you want to be VERY chassidic). All Torah says is IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT PLATO IS RIGHT, that ideas ARE more true and real, G-d cares more about what we do in the physical. But Plato never disagrees with this! He merely says ideas are more "true" and real.
  
  3) The story at the end about the survivors is exactly the opposite of your message. The message is that it is the limited in which the purpose lies, while in the story, the man brushes aside the limited (her physical beauty), and instead finds importance in the abstract (who she really is).
  
  If you can clarify this for me I would be much obliged.
  

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• A

  Anonymous -13 years ago

  Wow! Very truly meaningful! Especially for those of us going through a "great" time in our lives, it is simply comforting to know that
  G-d appreciates our mitzvos.

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• A

  Anonymous -13 years ago

  Why Mistake?
  I am still not certain what you mean by Plato’s mistake. Plato insisted that truth and justice be upheld in this world also and I think he was referring to a time when there will be one religion as is stated in Voice of the Turtledove. This does not apply to now since God’s logistics have not yet played out, but he was referring, I think, to the very end of time “when all the puzzle pieces fit into place.” Sort of like what it is like in the world of truth now – a replica of what is here only perfected and which we will need to get to through our positive choices on Earth. This does not mean we give up our Judaism, because we were placed on Earth as Jews for a reason, but it does mean that there is a world of truth out there that belongs to us all and we’re all on a mission to get there regardless of race or religion. How we will become one, we have yet to see. It’s interesting to note that a Kol Hator group believes we are all (all religions) the lost tribes of Israel.
  
  Please clarify for me what Plato’s mistake is.
  
  Thank you,
  

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• EW

  Eduardo Weisz -13 years ago

  Doubt
  Good morning,
  
  This text touches a point that I have never understood in judaism and have noone to ask about. Its main point is that the struggle for truth and true life is the quintessencial point Jewish life. The idea is that in the after life life G-d will reward us for our good deeds and punish us for the bad ones considering all factors involved in the issue(Schar ve Ones). Correct?
  If this is correct the Tora is meant to be a map of reality which represents the borders of this way - literally the map of the path of life. Correct?
  If this is correct the idea of reward and punishment lies at the base of this path and must be present as the base of all marks of this path, the mitsves. Correct?
  The problem is that it is not. I will give you two examples: the first one is the concept of cities of refugee. A complete innocent person which has killed someone unwillingly is obligued to run for her life, hunted by the parents of the dead, and leaving everything behind. In other words, she is being punished without having done anything wrong - that is her reward! The other example is the one of the guy that marries a woman, gets tired of her and asks for a divorce based on the fact that she has a imperfection (mum) - is not virgin. Her family can present on court her wedding canoply dirty of bllod as a proof of her inocence. The Tora says that if her inocense is proven the guy has the obligaton of remaining married with her till the end of life and have to pay her an indenization. The question is: is it good for her or, in practice, she is a innocent person which is being tied up for life with a complete jerk?
  My point is that it makes the path of Torah a more radical idealism than Plato's one. Perhaps the problem is that I am too analytical an this makes completely uncapable of understanding concepts of chassidus - fifteen years ago I left Yeshive because of this.
  But, if there is a possibility, I would really like to understand this concept. It is bothering me for a very long time now. If you want to contact me, my e-mail is [email protected]
  
  Thanks,
  
  Eduardo Weisz
  

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• S

  Sarah -13 years ago

  Inspiring
  I woke up at 3am with worries and anxieties. In these wee hours of the night these fears feel overwhelming and unbearble. And I feel like something is wrong with me. I listened to your shiur which gave me great comfort and helped calm my mind. I now understand that my sturggle with my nervous nature IS my avodah. It's why I'm here. There is nothing wrong with me. The flood waters raise up my soul.

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• KT

  Kayo, Tokyo -13 years ago

  Sleepy davening
  Baruch HaShem
  
  What an incredible perspective.
  Every morning, I am so sleepy and without having coffee, davening morning blessings is so hard. But it is halachah not to have anything until after reciting morning blessing. So I struggle as I daven. I was feeling so guilty for davening without proper Kabanah. But thanks to this class, I can see it positive way and appreciate it.

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• MC

  miriam cohen -13 years ago

  thanks again.
  This is the first shiur I have heard from you since listening in 770 14 years ago. It has helped me accept the tragic passing of Esty Cohen o.b.m. who was my neighbour here in Melbourne.
  May this in itself be a zechus for her and may we see her again very quickly with the complete geulah now.

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• M

  Michal -13 years ago

  Thank you
  I would like to express my appreciation to Rabbi Yossi Paltiel for the great class. G-d promises to purify us fully with water and return people who dead with pure water. (Ezekiel 36:25) “And I [G-d] will sprinkle upon you pure waters and you will be purified; from all your defilements and from all your idols I will purify you.” And we have hope that everything that happens to us it is for good and not for bad.

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• A

  Anonymous -13 years ago

  Sound
  the class is nice but what's up with the sound, why is it buzzing in the second part of the class?

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• A

  amazing! -13 years ago

  keep up the amazing shiurim
  beautiful!

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• J

  joe -13 years ago

  thank you
  thank you rabbi paltiel.

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Torah Or Noach -- Maamar Mayim Rabim

Yossi Paltiel

• October 6, 2010
• |
• 28 Tishrei 5771
• |
• 1245 views

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