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The Revolution of the Baal Shem Tov & Alter Rebbe: To Do a Favor for Another Jew

When I Encounter Divine Intimacy, Do I Go Up Or Down?

45 min

Class Summary:

Rabbi YY's address at the virtual Chof Daled Teves  Farbrengen, on Thursday evening, 24 Teves, 5781, January, 7, 2021.

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  • D

    daniel -3 years ago

    I do not understand the vort of the alter rebee- the din is a mitzvah when it is possible to be done through someone else we do not interrupt learning. even a chesed for someone else a favor we don't say mitzvah bo yoser mibishlucho rather continue learning. Why is doing the favor the highest point in atizulus?Why did he describe tzitzis over limud hatorah when it is keneged kulam? Even within mitzvos we say osek bemitzvah patur min ha mitzvah and chesed does not override?Is there a din anywhere if I did not start doing a mitzva and have a choice between tzitzis or a chesed- I should do the chesed?It seems I am too attached to the olam habriyah.

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  • Y

    yochanan -3 years ago

    I enjoyed your remarks at the 24 Teves Farbrengen and the stories that you brought out to highlight this special day. 
    There was a video of Rav Greenglass Zt”l prior to your speech where he said over a Torah from the Maggid on the words in Tehillim לך יום, אף לך לילה where the Maggid explains that when a persons intention in life is solely for the aibershter that is a manifestation of day but when we are devoted secondarily to God it’s לילה. 
    It then occurred to me that about the redemption the verse states it will be a time of לילה כיום יאיר where even what is perceived as לילה in this exilic era will ultimately be revealed as completely altruistic and genuine. 
    On a side note: I got hold of a Sefer חידושי רב מנחם זעמבע הי״ד which I looked at for the first time today and saw that on the first page I opened to he cites the alter rebbe in Likkutei Torah. 

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  • D

    daniel -3 years ago

    I do not understand the vort of the alter rebee- the din is a mitzvah when it is possible to be done through someone else we do not interrupt learning. even a chesed for someone else a favor we don't say mitzvah bo yoser mibishlucho rather continue learning.

    Why is doing the favor the highest point in atizulus?Why did he describe tzitzis over limud hatorah when it is keneged kulam?

    Even within mitzvos we say osek bemitzvah patur min ha mitzvah and chesed does not override?Is there a din anywhere if I did not start doing a mitzva and have a choice between tzitzis or a chesed- I should do the chesed?It seems I am too attached to the olam habriyah.

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  • Y

    yaakov -3 years ago

    Phenomenal!! We say the world was created for me! But who is me? The whole nation is considered me! Moshe’s greatness is exactly what the rebbe is saying! Risked everything without hesitation when he saw another Yid being hit! Left all the riches to be with his brothers!! That’s the leaders we miss in our days!! Be well!! Keep up your holy work!! Shabbat shalom

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  • Anonymous -3 years ago

    G-d the Author of Torah focused and demands such a level of love from one Jew to another with such intricate details and nuances of zehirois and mitzvois bein Odom lechaveiroh. Hurting another Jew causes such dire consequences in the Heavenly Court that even Yom Kippur isn’t able to be mechaper. Who wrote such laws? Only a G-d that is beyond empathetic, beyond compassionate and has a loves for His children that we cannot even begin to comprehend. Such laws were created from a flow of Infinite love, a fountain of love that has no bounds for His children.
    Our G-d is willing to forgo and forgive our personal sins between us and Him but not sins that hurt His children!!! Read the Book and you begin to get a glimpse of the Author. Understanding God’s deepest pain is when there in no achdus in Klall Yisroel, only reveals the unconditional and the incomprehensible love that G-d loves each one of His children. (Find your pain, find your value).

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  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    Tsistzis or a favor for a yid?

    Isn't this the famous dichotomy between the half of Torah Bain Adam L'Mokom and the other half Bain Adam L'Chavero?

    Of course we must do both halves of the Torah (each on one tablet) and not just one or the other.  

    But, sometimes push comes to shove and only one is possible at the time. The Alter Rebbe showed in the Yom Kippur story that Bain Adam lechavero trumps if both not possible at the time.

    When Hillel was asked for only ONE overarching principle he chose the principle that summarizes Bain Adam lechavero. The "golden rule" in its positive or negative renditions,  says nothing about Bain Adam leMokom. 

    To illustrate this prioritization, imagine the following: A parent is given the theoretical  choice between his children respecting him both before or after 120 and not getting along among themselves,  OR getting along among themselves and not respecting him before or after 120. I opine that the "normal" parent waives his kovod but prefers that his kids get along. 

    Again we must all do both halves of  the  Torah, but if push comes to  shove,  one trumps.  

    The favor for another trumps tsistzis or any mitzvah Bain Adam leMokom like Shabbos or Yom Kippur.  Indeed the Baal Shem Tov said that this is the reason our neshomas come down in the first place. He didn't say our neshomas come down to wear tsistzis or keep Shabbos.  

    This reflects Hashem's own choice in the Sotah ritual, in the breaking of the tablets,  etc. 

    P.s. didn't R. Katina wear a tallis godol when davenning? 

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24 Teves 5781 Farbrengen

Rabbi YY Jacobson

  • January 7, 2021
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  • 23 Tevet 5781
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  • 805 views

לעילוי נשמת  
Reb Volf Greenglass
Mashpia in Montreal for over 60 years, a Shliach of The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe and of the Rebbe.
In commemoration of his 10th Yahrtzeit

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