All the "Thoughts for the Week"
| "When Moshiach comes, everyone will possess true perception, and whatever one sees one will understand, with the truth of the soul." Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch |
| "Today, in our bitter exile, there are people who receive ruach hakodesh more easily that in the time of the prophets." Noam Elimelech, Parshas Vayeshev |
| "Everything which transpires in the world is a result of the service of the Jews as alluded to in the Torah's statement, 'He established the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel.' Thus, our efforts in Torah and mitzvos -- including our efforts to spread the observance of the seven commandments given to Noach and his descendants -- will have a direct effect on spreading peace and stability throughout the world." Lubavitcher Rebbe, sicha Parshas Toldos, 5750 |
| "Israel is in a difficult position. We try to move to the right, and the way is blocked. We try to move to the left, and the way is blocked. We try to go forward, but we cannot. We are surrounded and blocked on every side. There is one direction, however, that is not closed: upward. That route is still open, and it is the way we should try to move. We should do this not as a statement or a slogan, but to propel us toward a different way of life."
Rabbi Adin Even-Yisrael (Steinsaltz) |
| "The Arizal explains that the seven days of the week between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur include all the days of the week. During this week, it is possible to compensate for the service of all the days of the week in the previous year. Similarly, these days provide blessing for all the seven days of the week in the year to come, granting them the potential to be in the best manner possible." The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Erev Yom Kippur, 5745 |
| At that time the whole world will quake and the people will wonder, "Is a new Flood coming on the world?' G-d will assure them, 'No, this isn't a flood. Rather, I have come to make a banquet for my children and to rule over the entire world.' Tanna d'Vei Eliyahu Rabba, end of Ch. 2 |
| "The Chassidim used to say: Mashiach's coming will be written up in the newspapers. Today, since news is communicated through the radio as well, we can understand that when Mashiach comes, his coming will be the prime topic of the news broadcasts." Lubavitcher Rebbe, Sukkos, 5751 |
| "A Jew should appreciate Torah and mitzvos, not as an obligation which he must fulfill, but as an expression of a love relationship with G-d." Lubavitcher Rebbe, Sicha Parshas Re'eh, 5750 |
| A person who does not study P’nimiyus HaTorah [the inner Torah, kabbalah and Chassidus] is liable for his soul, for even if he occupies himself with Torah study, he will fall from his spiritual level...Not only will he not carry out the task of refinement, on the contrary, he will....
For it is through the study of [P’nimiyus HaTorah] alone that a person will merit the light of life. [Indeed,] it is “the Tree of Life”... Kuntres Eitz Hachayim, Rebbe Rashab (ch. 13) |
| "Several times a day we request redemption, but requesting is not enough. We must DEMAND redemption, just as a worker demands his salary. For, the halachah is that if he does not, his employer need not pay him that day." Chofetz Chayim, Commentary on the Siddur, section 168 |
| "...as Chassidus explains, the new radiance of the G-dly lifeforce for the coming year is generated on Rosh Hashanah and is channeled through the Jewish people and through the Holy Land (spiritual and physical) from where it spreads out to enliven the whole world and all the nations of the world." Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rosh Hashanah 5746 |
| "G-d's love of each and every Jew is infinitely greater than the love of elderly parents to their only child born to them in their later years." Attributed to the Baal Shem Tov |
| When the Talmud discusses the period of the "footsteps of Moshiach" it tells us that each day will see worse curses than the preceding days (cf Sotah 49a). Why must we be foretold of the unpleasant events of the future? Enough that we have to live through the present problems! Should we also worry and fret about worse times to come?! But the answer is that Torah wants us to prepare ourselves so that we should be immune to the tragedies, and neutralize the suffering, by increasing holiness in the world. In this way the foreknowledge will raise the individual to a loftier level which would not have been possible previously.
When a Jew sees the troubles of the world increasing -- it is a sign for him -- that he must likewise increase his work in the areas of holiness. Therefore for those who say, "Is it not enough to do as much as we did last year?" The answer: "You are going against the intention of Torah." For Torah wants us to increase our good activities, just as we see the growth of evil. Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Purim Kattan, 5746 |
| "According to what the Mittler Rebbe explained: we have already fulfilled the obligation of "chevlei Moshiach" (birthpangs of Moshiach) through all the decrees and oppressions, etc. All the more so after the events which occurred to subsequent generations, up to our own generation." Lubavitcher Rebbe, sicha 5711 |
| "On the day that the star is gathered, the Holy Land will shake for 45 miles from all around until the place of the Temple. An underground cave will become revealed, and from that cave will go out a fire that will burn the world. From that cave a great and elevated branch will sprout and it will control the world. To him the kingship will be given. The holy and elevated ones will gather around him, and then Moshiach will be revealed in the world, and to him will go the kingship." Zohar (Balak 212b) |
 Thanks and hodaya to the King of the Universe for the great chesed that He did for me at this time 13 years ago -- Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av. "Odcha Hashem ki anafta bi." L'chaim! (sponsored by Yankel Nosson ben Dovid) |
| Externally, the fast day of 17 Tammuz is a matter of punishment. But the inner aspect of the fast -- which is the aspect of the fast that will be revealed when Moshiach comes -- is a day of joy and happiness and a festive time. Which means that it is not an instance of punishment which brings about the geulah, but rather that the fast itself is at its inner core a matter of joy and happiness. This reveals that even the aspect of punishment associated with the day comes from the Almighty's love for Jews, as expressed in the analogy of "a great and awesome king who himself in all his glory washes the filth from his only son due to his great love for him," as stated in the posuk "When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion" (Yeshayahu 4:4).
Lubavitcher Rebbe, Likutei Sichos 18:313 |
| Tammuz is referred to as "the month of redemption." [...] The connection to the redemption is further emphasized by this week's Torah portion, Parshas Pinchas. Our Sages identify Pinchas with Eliyahu, the prophet who will announce the redemption. It is possible that Eliyahu has already come and has seen the coming of the Mashiach, but that his announcement has not reached us as of yet. The ultimate redemption is unique, for when it comes, it will come in a complete and total manner. In this, we see a contrast to the other redemptions from exile. The previous redemptions came in stages, while the future redemption will be immediate and total. Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 18 Tammuz 5751 |
| Despite the outcry that has been made in the last months, and despite the wonders that we have seen in the present year which indicate that this is "the year when the King Mashiach will be revealed," there is a difficulty in having this concept permeate people's consciousness, that they should be aware that we are actually on the threshold of the Redemption, and that they should begin living with the concepts of Mashiach and the Redemption.
Although this is a year when "I will show you wonders," and wonders have taken place, they have not been shown to us in a complete manner. On the contrary, it has been necessary to explain and elaborate on the fact that we have seen wonders. When G-d Himself will show the Jews the wonders in a completely manifest way, there will be no need to explain that we are on the threshold of the Redemption. But until that time, it is difficult for these concepts to make a thorough and effective impression on our thought processes.
How can this be changed? By studying about the concepts of Mashiach and Redemption. The power of the Torah, which is G-d's wisdom and His will, transcends the world and has the potential to change man's character. Thus, even though someone feels on the outside when it comes to the Redemption, through studying about these matters, they can begin to live with the idea of Mashiach's coming, and sense that he is coming in the immediate future.
Lubavitcher Rebbe, Parshas Balak 5751 |
| Although our Sages declared, "Mashiach will come when our attention is diverted," this is no contradiction to the emphasis on studying the subjects of Mashiach and Redemption. A diversion of attention can also be interpreted as referring to a step above our ordinary conscious processes. After one has deepened his awareness of Mashiach to the extent that he appreciates that we are standing on the threshold of Mashiach, that we have completed all the service necessary for his coming, and at any moment, he will come, one can step beyond one's ordinary thinking process and consider the Redemption in a new light. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Parshas Balak, 5751 |
| "A great miracle occurred on the Third of Tammuz - at Yehoshua’s command, 'The sun stood still over Givon.' Here too, a question arises: On the one hand, the stopping of the sun was a great miracle. On the other hand, it had a limitation. Why did the sun stop? So that Yehoshua should be able to complete the battle against the K’naanim, a battle that was being fought through natural means. Hashem surely could have caused the K’naanim to be defeated miraculously, without the need for battle.
"The intent of the miracle was not that it entirely transcend the natural order, but rather that it amplify the success of the war as it was being waged (primarily) within the limits of the natural order. Therefore, the enemy was not defeated through miracles that entirely transcend nature, but rather, by a miracle that allowed the success that was achieved by natural means to be more complete and inclusive." Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 3rd Day of Tammuz, 5751 |
| "If you only knew its power and effects in the loftiest of heights, you would spend every possible moment saying Tehillim. Know that the Tehillim shatter all barriers and rise ever higher, without interference, prostrating themselves before the Master of all, and bring about kindness and mercies." the Tzemach Tzedek, as quoted in the diary of the Rebbe Rayatz |
| "...we stand very near to the immediate true
and complete Redemption. As has been stated numerous
times, all the prerequisites for the Redemption are
already fulfilled and all that remains is that there
be the Redemption itself in actuality." The Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| "...this work of yours (R. Shimon bar Yochai), which is the Book of the Zohar...those [who study it] need no trials. Because eventually the Jewish people will taste of the Tree of Life, which is this Book of the Zohar, they will go out of exile with it, in mercy. G‑d Himself will lead them out of exile and redeem them." Ra’aya Mehemna (Zohar III, 124b) |
| In connection with the redemption, we find the prophecy, "And Kingship will be the L-rd's." This includes kingship, not only over the Jews, but also over the gentile nations as well...In this context, it is worthy to mention how the activities of the world and that of the gentile nations appear to be assisting the coming of the Redemption. [...] ...we see how the United States, the most powerful nation in the world, has dedicated its resources for the purpose of charity and education, two of the most fundamental activities necessary to create a stable environment in the world. For this purpose, the United States has sent hundreds of its soldiers to help hungry and starving people in a far off corner of the world. Instead of using its airplanes for war, it employed them to reach those people who require such assistance. And instead of using its wealth for the benefit of its own people alone, it gave of that wealth to save the lives of unfortunate people and children. Although the people of this country had little contact with these unfortunate people previously, as soon as they heard of their suffering, they volunteered their assistance. Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Iyar 5751 (1991) |
| "When a young man engages in the learning of Torah, to a certain extent he guards the land more than a young man placing his life in danger at the border. On the other hand, though, there is a definite advantage to defending the land from the border - because of the actual self- sacrifice involved. Each of them, then, has his advantage: Whether it be the student learning Torah, or the soldier guarding the border.... "
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, 19 Kislev 5743 (1982) |
| "The Ari Hakadosh told his students that if they would purify themselves, they too would merit to learn in the heavenly academies [during sleep] like he did. The Ari also said that what he learned in the heavenly academies in one night could not be written in eighty years in this world." Sepurim M'Olam HaEmes |
| "Even though a number of verses foretell that there will be great wars, including the wars of Gog and Magog, at the time of the coming of Moshiach, through his prayers [R. Elimelech] secured an assurance from Heaven that at that time there will be no wars; rather, the miller will be standing there with his measuring vessel in hand, selling his flour, and the clothier will be standing there with his measuring tape, selling his fabrics -- and all of a sudden Eliyahu will arrive and announce: 'Behold, Moshiach has come!'" Sefer Shomer Emunim |
| "In today's reality, a small act can have far-reaching consequences, beyond imagination; whereas things that will be done five or ten years from today will be so much less effective than they could be today. This is precisely the meaning of 'pregnant times:' anything can be born. And this is exactly the time one must not sleep." Rabbi Adin Even-Yisrael (Steinsaltz) |
| Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed
(Passover Haggada)
This restriction applies only with regard to the exodus from Egypt. In the future Redemption, by contrast, all Jews will be redeemed. At the time of the Giving of the Torah, G-dliness became part of every Jew's inner being. From that time onward, there is no possibility of a Jew being consigned to oblivion...every member of our people will share in Mashiach's coming. Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| "Just as the Jews are G-d's chosen people, the Land of Israel is G-d's chosen land. It is a holy land given as an eternal inheritance to the entire Jewish people, those living in the land at present, and those presently living in the diaspora. Hence, no one is entitled to surrender any portion of Eretz Yisrael to gentiles." Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 5750 (1990) |
| "If Jews do not conquer the small Amalek within, they cannot conquer the big Amalek outside."
Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| The redemption will come and will be accompanied by open miracles...since we have waited so long for the ultimate redemption, we can rest assured that it will be characterized by open miracles. Lubavitcher Rebbe, 23rd Day of Adar, 5751 |
| "There are those who pray for the generation to repent. This is not proper, for it arouses Divine justice, G-d forbid. The proper approach is to evoke wonders and miracles for the sake of Israel. Then, the Jews will repent out of love for the miracles." The Divrei Emes |
| "There is no reason why the Redemption has not come already. We have completed all the service that is necessary, 'polishing the buttons,' as it were." The Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| "...in truth, a Jew's direct effect on global crises is very limited. How can he have an effect? By reciting a chapter of Tehillim or by increasing his study of the Torah and enhancing his performance of its mitzvos, and doing the latter behiddur, in a beautiful and conscientious manner. And most importantly, by studying pnimiyus haTorah -- the inner, mystical dimension of the Torah -- which prepares the world for Mashiach's coming. This is where a Jew should devote his energies." Lubavitcher Rebbe, 25 Nissan 5751 (1991) |
| "Jews are not an intermediary to carry out the [Divine] intent whose purpose is something else; rather they are the [Divine] purpose [itself]." Lubavitcher Rebbe, Sicha of Parshas Pikudei , 5730 |
| "The Mitteler Rebbe [Rabbi Dov Ber, the second Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, born 1773] says that we have already endured the birth pangs of Moshiach. Moshiach can come already." The Lubavitcher Rebbe, as told in a private audience with Rabbi Shmuel Chefer of Israel (1970) |
| "The difference between a Jewish soul -- its essence, its inner longings, its yearning, its make-up and its stance -- and a soul from any gentile nation on any level [whatsoever] is greater and more profound than the difference between a human spirit and an animal spirit. In the latter case, the difference is merely one of degree. But in the former, there reigns an intrinsic, qualitative difference."
Rav Avraham Yiztchak Hakohen Kook, Orot Yisrael 5:10 |
| "[After the revival of the dead] there will still be souls in bodies, but the bodies will not be physical like our physical bodies today." Rebbe Shalom DovBer, Hemshech Ayin Bais p.685 |
| "...[Bava Basra 12a states that] following the destruction of the Holy Temple, prophecy ceased. In reality, the light of prophecy shines even today, it is only that it is not seen and revealed due to the state of the recipients." The Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Scheersohn, Basi Legani 5725 |
| "The essential thing in these times of the 'footsteps of Mashiach' is not to follow intellect and reason, but to fulfill Torah and mitzvot wholeheartedly, with simple faith in the G-d of Israel."
HaYom Yom, 12 Tevet |
| "The division of Judaism into 'Orthodox, Conservative, Reform,' etc. is artificial, for all Jews have one and the same Torah, given by the one and same G-d, though there are more observant Jews and less observant Jews. To tag on a label does not, of course, change the reality of Jewish essence."
The Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| The holy Zohar states that “When a tzaddik departs he is to be found in all the worlds more than during his lifetime.” That is, even in this world of action... Tanya, Igeres Hakodesh 27 |
| "In the future seventy princes from all over the world will unite with the masses to attack Jerusalem and plot against G-d. They will plan to battle Him, then fight over His people and Temple. However, 'He who sits in Heaven laughs, the Lord will mock them'(Psalms 2:4). In His glory, G-d will wipe them from the face of the earth." Zohar Bashallach, 58b |
| 'The Divine light to be revealed in the days of Moshiach will be the light the Jewish people will have drawn earthward by serving G-d through the study of the Torah and the observance of the mitzvot.
"The Divine light that will be revealed at the time of the Resurrection, however, will outshine it by far: its source will be a level of Divinity that is beyond the reach of any mortal service." Or HaTorah |
| "It is irrelevant whether or not protesting will be effective, because the reason for protest is not that a logical reason exists to indicate that protest will be effective, but rather because we are pained by the situation!"
Talk of the Lubavitcher Rebbe regarding giving land to the Arabs |
| All four sons, even the wicked and the one who does not know how to ask, have something in common: they all attend the Pesach Seder. Today, we often encounter a fifth son, one to whom Pesach is a meaningless word and a Seder an unknown happening. To reach out to such sons, we must begin far before Pesach. But with sincere effort, they too can be brought to the Seder table. Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| "There is no obligation at all to search for who is Moshiach -- but there is a positive commandment of the Torah to love each and every Jew and avoid divisiveness to the extreme." The Lubavitcher Rebbe, in a handwritten letter, Adar I 5752 |
| "'Do not hate your brother in your heart.' -- He who hates a Jew, if only in his heart -- even if his hatred does not bring about any harm to the fellow, and even if he doesn't speak ill of him - transgresses a negative command." Attributed to the Baal Shem Tov |
| "The 33 days of purification [after a woman gives birth to a male child] is the level of L'ag B'omer because on the first day of Pesach is the day Moshiach is born and L'ag B'omer is the end of the 33 days of purification. Thus it is written, "I turned their mourning into joy" and this is the hilula of the Rashbi who is a spark of Moshe who is Moshiach, as it is written: "send the one whom you will send." He is called the first redeemer and Moshiach is the final redeemer, as is known." Mitteler Rebbe, Biurei Zohar |
| "Groaning by itself won't do a bit of good. A groan is only a key to open the heart and eyes, so as not to sit there with folded arms, but to plan orderly work and activity, each
person wherever he can be effective, to campaign for bolstering Torah, spreading Torah and the observance of Mitzvot.
"One person might do this through his writing, another with his oratory, another with his wealth." Hayom Yom, 23 Tevet |
| "Why is he called Ishmael? Because in the future G-d will listen to the cry of the nation for what the children of Ishmael will do in the future, at the end of days… as it says (Psalms 55:20) 'G-d will listen and answer'"
Midrash Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer ch. 32. Yalkut Mechiri Psalms 177 |
| "[Acharon shel Pesach, the eighth day of Pesach] shares a connection to the Messianic age as is obvious from our Sages' statement that 'the harp of the Messianic age will have eight strands.'" Lubavitcher Rebbe, Acharon Shel Pesach, 5750 |
| "Midot (character traits) are so fundamental that the Torah intentionally did not give a commandment to work on midot, the same way that a foundation is automatic when building a house.
"Midot are so basic, that without a strong foundation in good midot, there is no Torah, and you cannot have the 613 commandments without them." Rabbi Chayim Vital |
| "It is a Mitzva and duty of every Rabbi in Israel to inform his
congregation that the current tribulations and agonies are the
'birth-pangs of Mashiach.'
"G-d is demanding that we return to Torah and mitzvot, that we not hinder the imminent coming of our righteous Mashiach."
Hayom Yom, 8 Shvat |
| "During the British Mandate, the High Commissioner approached Rav Kook with a question: 'I heard the Jews want to build a Temple on the Temple Mount. This will bring war. How can you do such a thing?'
"Rav Kook answered that the High Commissioner's worries were groundless. When the time would come for the Jewish people to attain their full splendor, and for the Temple to be built, the Arabs would be so embarrassed for having erected a mosque on the sacred Temple Mount, they will destroy it themselves and flee." As told in Lights on Orot, Vol. 2 (War and Peace) by Rav David Samson and Tzvi Fishman |
| "...all that was is and will be, until the end of time, is included in the Torah from [the word] 'Bereishis' to 'l'eynei kol Yisrael.' And not merely in a general sense, but including the details of every species and every person individually, and the most minute details of his life from the day of his birth until his death." Vilna Gaon, Sifra d'Tzniusa |
| "'Man goes out to his work; his labor [to be done] by evening.' Every soul sent down by G-d into this world has a mission to accomplish -- 'his work.' This mission is considered the soul's work and labor, for it was for the purpose of accomplishing this task that the soul was sent to this world. 'His labor [to be done] by evening ' -- the task must be accomplished before it is too late." Attributed to the Baal Shem Tov |
| "G-d created the universe and all physical objects Yeish Mei'ayin, something from nothing. Jews must transform the 'something' into 'nothing,' -- transform the material
into spiritual." The Rebbe Rashab |
| The difference between chametz and matzah is that chametz rises, while matzah lies flat. The rising of chametz alludes to egotism, the tendency to become bloated with self-love. Matzah, by contrast, represents bittul, selflessness, the willingness to commit oneself to others and to G-d. Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| "There is only one thing in our world that erodes, G-d forbid, everything, and destroys G-d forbid, everything, and that is the trait of equality, everyone is equal. That is to say, the idea that everyone is supposed to be equal." Rebbe Rayatz, introduction to Kuntres Eitz HaChayim |
| "Everyone must bestir himself with awe to follow the instructions of the Sages who arranged the precept of the Seder and the Haggadah. This should not be trivial in one’s eyes. There are some things at the Seder which may seem insignificant to a man, but let him act prudently to observe them, for there is nothing vain among them!" Sefer MaHaRiL, quoted in Haggadah for Pesach |
| "Only through the concept of gilgul ha'neshomos (reincarnation), is it possible to dispel the enormous questions that Jewish people have now, particularly the Jewish youth who see what happened to the Jewish people in recent years." Letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| "Eliyahu asked Rabi Nehorai, 'Do you know why earthquakes occur?... When G-d sees the theaters and other enternainment establishments prospering and His Holy Temple a ruin, He becomes angry and wishes to devastate the world. The result is an earthquake.' Rabbi Acha maintains that earthquakes come because of the sin of male homosexuality." Talmud Yerushalmi, Brachos 9:2 |
| "'Hasharas haShechina' (the indwelling of the Shechinah) means the revelation of G‑dliness and the Endless light in that particular object..."
Tanya, Likutei Amarim |
| "In the future, G-d will revive (reincarnate) and reinstate all the kings who oppressed the Jewish people and ruled Jerusalem: Adrianus, Lupinus, Nevuchadnezzar, Sancheriv, and all the others who destroyed His house. They will unite with other nations. The Lord will announce: 'And this will be the plague with which G-d will smite all the nations that mobilized against Jerusalem...' (Zechariah 14:12)."
Zohar II, 58 |
| "...It is not the non-Jews I fear, for they have no free will,
but rather the Jews, who do have free will, who are misled." Letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Dec. 1968, regarding Eretz Yisrael |
Gimmel Tammuz 5765 -- Experience the holiness of visiting the Rebbe's grave, the resting place of the leader of our generation (click on photo) |
| "The redemption began on Rosh Chodesh Nissan even though the Jews were still in the exile of Egypt." Chassidic Discourse, "HaChodesh Hazeh Lachem" 5731 |
| "...Let all the nations on the face of the earth know that only our bodies have been subjected to Exile, but our souls were never banished into Exile nor subjected to the dominion of empires. We must declare, for all to hear, that as far as anything that involves our religion -- Torah, Mitzvos and Jewish custom -- there is no one who can impose his views on us..." Rabbi Shalom DovBer, at the Rabbinic Conference of 1910 |
| "In truth, we could rid ourselves of the 'Tormenter of Israel.' But what can we do if the Jews prefer the bitter medicine? There are two kinds of medicine: when sweet medicine is given to a child, he wants more, because he has no understanding and does not perceive that he is sick. But when he is given bitter medicine, he at least knows that he is sick." The Rebbe Maharash |
| "In the final exile the Erev Rav [mixed multitude] will become the heads of the Jewish people, and those who fear sin will be despised and considered as dogs in their eyes."
Zohar |
| "At the time of the end, doubt will disappear. The closer the time, the smaller the doubt. We know that the redemption must come before the seventh millenium. Therefore, in the past, there was little certainty and much doubt. However, as we approach the seventh millennium, there is more certainty and less doubt." the Malbim (Torah commentator, 18th century) |
| "Jews have been in four exiles; at the very end of time, there will be a fifth and last exile which is called the Exile of Ishmael (lit., 'G-d will hear'), which will be the most terrible and difficult of all, and because of the many afflictions the Jews will suffer, they will cry to G-d and He will hear their prayers (Yishma - el)." from Etz Daas Tov by Rabbi Chaim Vital |
| "Secular civilization knows what is evil, but it does not know how to correct it. It learned about morals from the Tanach [Bible], but in cutting itself off from Israel and the commandments of the Torah, it separated man from the one-and-only Divine moral path...having abandoned the mitzvot, it never puts the teachings to practice... Mankind's repression of life's powerful, natural desires causes a deep inner tension which is doomed to explode." Rav A.Y. Kook, Lights on Orot (War and Peace), p.137 |
| "Moshe Rabbeinu is very, very great, but he is no greater than a Jew. At the same time, the simplest Jew is very little, but he is no less than a Jew..." Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, zt"l |
| "When Mashiach will come (speedily in our time, Amen), then we
shall really long for the days of the exile. Then we will truly feel distress at our having neglected working at Avoda; then will we indeed feel the deep pain caused by our lack
of Avoda.
"These days of exile are the days of Avoda, to prepare ourselves for the coming of Mashiach, speedily in our time, Amen." From the Sichos of the Rebbe Rashab (from Hayom Yom Menachem Av 3 ) |
| "Extremism is the perfection of the topic. One who waves the banner of moderation and hates extremism, is in the same camp as liars or imbeciles. If there is no extremism there is no perfection and without perfection there is no beginning. For the beginning is with constant questioning and doubts, and perfection is the sharp reply which puts each statement in the right and truthful place." The Chazon Ish |
| "'When a woman conceives and gives birth,' refers to the Jewish people who -- in their relationship with G-d -- are described as a woman. They will soon give birth, a metaphor for the coming redemption." Lubavitcher Rebbe, 2 Iyar, 5751 |
| "Hebrew grammar dictates (in general) that the noun comes before the adjective in an adjectival phrase. [For example, 'adam (man) ashir (rich)' means a rich man.] First the nature of the thing is expressed and then the adjective, which serves as a modifier, is added.
"Nevertheless, when Yishmael is described as a 'pere adam', a 'wild man', the modifier appears before the noun. HaRav Yehoshua Leib Diskin infers from here that the wildness is not simply a modifying feature of Yishmael but is the core of his being. The word 'adam' then is the modifier, and the noun, the nature of the thing itself is the word 'wild'." source: St. Louis Kollel |
| "...it is certain that [every Jew] will ultimately repent, whether in this incarnation or another, because ìà éãç îîðå ðãç (“No one banished from Him will remain banished”). Tanya, Chapter 39 |
| "If you find a Jew who has love of G-d, but lacks love of the Torah and the Jewish people, tell him that his love shall not endure. If you find a Jew who has love of the Jewish people but no love for G-d or the Torah, work with him to fan that love, for he will come to an enduring love of G-d, Torah and the Jewish people."
The Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| Both tzedakah and the study of P'nimiyus HaTorah will hasten the coming of the Era of the Redemption. This is the responsibility of every Jew. It is not enough to wait anxiously, knowing that surely Moshiach will come; each person must do his part to hasten his coming." Lubavitcher Rebbe, sicha of 27th Marcheshvan, 5752 |
| "I asked my Rav how is it so that he tells me I had a very lofty soul when I can not reach even the heels of the Rishonim-Rabbis of the 10th, 11th century? They are like angels to me! He answered, 'One small mitzvah of yours is worth many mitzvos of previous generations because in our time the Yetzer Horah – the evil inclination – has unlimited reign. This was not the case in their times.'" Rav Chaim Vital, student of the holy Arizal (16th century) |