In this week’s Torah portion, the Torah discusses civil law. Rabbi Chaim Kramer discusses the parsha based on the Chassidut of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Reb Chaim discusses the deeper psychological, spiritual, and physical ramifications of being honest and the damage that is done by lying. He discusses the laws of being kind to widows, orphans and anyone who is downtrodden. Reb Chaim also discusses other laws, including the law of damages.

Like this video? Then please, LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE!

The deeper works explain that Kislev is the time to develop deep bitachon, active trust in G-d. The word kesel, meaning security, is the root of the name of the month. During this month, the Jewish people beat impossible odds: our ragtag army of untrained soldiers against the most powerful army in the ancient world, armed with the best weaponry and strategy. What could a soldier of antiquity do against trained elephants? Yet, in some inexplicable way, the impossible happened and we were able to drive out the Assyrian-Greek invaders.

We need to remember this epic victory and recall that its spiritual force is revived every year during these days. I need to take hope. Sometimes I feel like it’s impossible for me to overcome the obstacles that arise on my journey towards spiritual progress. Nevertheless, I must learn to trust that every effort or even desire to advance is invaluable.

Heavenly Protector: fill me with faith and trust in Your kindness and patience. Let me perceive that we all must beat apparently impossible odds. Like the Maccabees, we are sure to prevail if we persevere. It will take time but it’s worth it. Every exertion or even attempt to improve endures forever.  

Wealth is something that most people spend their days dreaming about. But how does one actually become wealthy?

In 1999 the executive chairman of Google (then the CEO of Novell),  Eric Schmidt, said in an interview with Forbes: “Lots of people who are smart and work hard and play by the rules don’t have a fraction of what I have.” Schmidt acknowledged that the scale of inequality generated by the new wealth “makes me uncomfortable.” Why? “I realize I don’t have my wealth because I’m so brilliant. Luck has a lot to do with it.”

Is that so? Does luck actually spur on accumulating great wealth? Perhaps it’s just plain old hard work and effort?

Wealth is generated by God. However, when wealth reaches this world, it is disbursed via two “bank accounts” called the “time account” and the “place account.” For example, there are seasons when a person is financially successful, and other times when business is simply dead. A person may do very well at one location and dreadful at another. This is all due to how Divine bounty is filtered down to our world.

Very often we mistakenly think, “What if He forgot about me this month?” We begin worrying and using all our mental faculties to brainstorm about how to salvage our predicament. We might even lower ourselves to doing backbreaking labor or various other unworthy tasks, all in the hope of making a few bucks. In reality, we’re just pushing the envelope while gaining nothing. God is ready, willing and able to help – but right now is either not the time or the place for His blessing. A little patience (and some prayer) is all that’s needed.

Our Rabbis also teach that in order to receive our personal “disbursement,” we must first create a “vessel” to hold our bounty. We create this vessel by dedicating effort toward earning a living. How much effort should we contribute? The Kotzker Rebbe once remarked that we were cursed with the words “By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). But there is no mitzvah to fulfill the curse with absolute dedication! Thankfully, even minimal effort satisfies this curse’s requirements.

This is why the Torah says, “HaShem your God will bless you in all that you do” (Deuteronomy 15:18). This implies that even if all you do is very little, still, you will be blessed.

But it goes even further. The source of wealth is God, and God is above time and place. By remembering and being faithful to the true Source of wealth while engaging in our efforts, we connect our work with the ultimate source of income and expedite the whole process. However, by worrying and overworking, we sink further into the restrictions of time and place and distance ourselves further from the Source, making things even more challenging and time-consuming.

Haven’t we all invested enormous effort into a project, thinking for certain we would succeed, only to be utterly disappointed? And haven’t we laughed at other, simpler efforts and then witnessed tremendous success? So why can’t we just sit back and enjoy the show?

The secret ingredient to wealth is bitachon (trust in God). Bitachon is so great that one who has it need not make any other effort whatsoever! That being said, bitachon is our main vessel. The more we learn to trust in God, the more we can rely on His blessing and concentrate our lives on spiritual matters. For starters, we can begin by simply thanking God and remembering the many times He has helped until now. In this way, we will merit both material and spiritual wealth. Amen!

(Based on Likutey Halakhot, Ribis 3)

“God will fight for you, but you need to be silent” (Exodus14:14).

Practicing silence results in trust in God (The Aleph-Bet Book, Trust A:14).

“Pharaoh drew near. The Israelites raised their eyes and—Egyptwas coming after them. [The Israelites] were greatly frightened and [they] screamed out to God” (Exodus14:10). After all the miracles they had witnessed, why were the Israelites scared? Yes, the Egyptian army was attaching them from the rear, their way was blocked by the sea in front and the desert to each side, but so what? During the previous year, they had seen from up close that nature was controlled by a greater force—God’s will—and that the Egyptians were just flesh-and-blood human beings, neither gods nor demigods. Why the fear?

Every day, twice a day, we Jews declare that God is One. This quality of oneness, sometimes called “unity,” is therefore something loved by God. The Egyptians who were marching towards the Israelites were thoroughly united (see Rashi) in their desire to reclaim the Israelites for slaves. Our ancestors knew that this trace of Godliness made it more likely that the Egyptians would succeed. Our ancestors also saw that “Egypt,” the eponymous guardian angel of their previous owners, was on his way to attack them (see Rashi).

In addition, the Israelites were with a twinge of uncertainty. Maybe, just maybe, all the miracles they had witnessed weren’t for their sake, to save them. Maybe they were to punish Pharaoh for his blasphemy, when he said, “Who is God that I should listen to Him?” (Exodus 5:2). Facing such powerful forces, one of them unknown, without seeing any way of escape, coupled with an element of doubt about their own status in God’s eyes, our ancestors were terrified. Who wouldn’t be?

But the Israelites, being Israelites, did what we Israelites/Jews do: they screamed out in prayer to God (see Rashi). However, there are times when a person’s prayer lacks strength to effect the desired change. There are even times when a prayer lacks strength to pray altogether! The classic example is King Chizkiyahu. When the mighty Assyrian army was knocking at Israel’s door, Chizkiyahu rolled over in bed and said to God, “I don’t have the strength to kill, pursue or pray. I’m going to sleep. You take care of it.” God said He would, and He did (Yalkut Shimoni #163; II Kings19:35).

Be careful! The silence Rebbe Nachman refers to is not the silence of depression, when one cannot talk. It is the silence of one who wants to talk, one who wants to ask, “Why me? Why now? What now?” but keeps himself in check. The Tcheriner Rav (a disciple of Reb Noson) suggests two sources for this teaching from The Aleph-Bet Book. One is the verse “Be silent before God and entrust yourself to Him” (Psalms 37:7), and the other is “I silenced my soul like a weaned infant with its mother…Yisrael, hope in God” (ibid., 131:2). We so much seek knowledge because we want and/or need to feel in control. But even the oldest and wisest of us is a baby in God’s eyes—and arms.

We have to realize that every crisis we experience is to wean us from thinking that was good enough, but must now be improved. We have to be ready to be un-enslaved from narrow Egyptian conscious-ness and to accept expanded Jewish consciousness. Our trusting silence leads to the greatest insight: we don’t need answers because there are no questions.

It is told: On his return journey from theLandofIsrael, Rebbe Nachman and his attendant were aboard a ship that was fast taking on water. Certain that the ship would soon sink, the Rebbe told his attendant to divide their money. Each would take half. “What for?” asked the attendant. “The fish can swallow us without the money!”

The Rebbe replied, “Do as I tell you. The Jews were in the Red Sea and did not drown. We are still on a ship…” (Shevachey HaRan #21).

We’re still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, and now this? Mass protests as well as riots and looting, people injured and property destroyed. What started in the USA has crossed the Atlantic as various groups push their agendas for better or worse.  What is the answer? Who can we trust? Only trust in Hashem and stay strong. Chaya Rivka Zwolinski explains.

To hear a Breslov audio mini-lesson daily, click on this WhatsApp Invitation and join the group.

Wealth is something that most people spend their days dreaming about. But how does one actually become wealthy?

In 1999 the executive chairman of Google (then the CEO of Novell), Eric Schmidt, said in an interview with Forbes, “Lots of people who are smart and work hard and play by the rules don’t have a fraction of what I have.” Schmidt acknowledged that the scale of inequality generated by the new wealth “makes me uncomfortable.” Why? “I realize I don’t have my wealth because I’m so brilliant. Luck has a lot to do with it.”

Is that so? Does luck actually spur on accumulating great wealth? Perhaps it’s just plain old hard work and effort?

Wealth is generated by God. However, when wealth reaches this world, it is disbursed via two “bank accounts” called the “time account” and the “place account.” For example, there are seasons when a person is financially successful, and other times when business is simply dead. A person may do very well at one location and dreadful at another. This is all due to how Divine bounty is filtered down to our world.

Very often we mistakenly think, “What if He forgot about me this month?” We begin worrying and using all our mental faculties to brainstorm about how to salvage our predicament. We might even lower ourselves to doing backbreaking labor or various other unworthy tasks, all in the hope of making a few bucks. In reality, we’re just pushing the envelope while gaining nothing. God is ready, willing and able to help – but right now is either not the time or the place for His blessing. A little patience (and some prayer) is all that’s needed.

Our Rabbis also teach that in order to receive our personal “disbursement,” we must first create a “vessel” to hold our bounty. We create this vessel by dedicating effort toward earning a living. How much effort should we contribute? The Kotzker Rebbe once remarked that we were cursed with the words “By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). But there is no mitzvah to fulfill the curse with absolute dedication! Thankfully, even minimal effort satisfies this curse’s requirements.

This is why our parashah says, “God your Lord will bless you in all that you do” (Deuteronomy 15:18). This implies that even if all you do is very little, still, you will be blessed.

But it goes even further. The source of wealth is God, and God is above time and place. By remembering and being faithful to the true Source of wealth while engaging in our efforts, we connect our work with the ultimate source of income and expedite the whole process. However, by worrying and overworking, we sink further into the restrictions of time and place and distance ourselves further from the Source, making things even more challenging and time-consuming.

Haven’t we all invested enormous effort into a project, thinking for certain we would succeed, only to be utterly disappointed? And haven’t we laughed at other, simpler efforts and then witnessed tremendous success? So why can’t we just sit back and enjoy the show? 

The secret ingredient to wealth is bitachon (trust in God). Bitachon is so great that one who has it need not make any other effort whatsoever! That being said, bitachon is our main vessel. The more we learn to trust in God, the more we can rely on His blessing and concentrate our lives on spiritual matters. For starters, we can begin by simply thanking God and remembering the many times He has helped until now. In this way, we will merit both material and spiritual wealth. Amen!

Based on Likutey Halakhot, Ribit 3

In Likutey Moharan, Lesson 18, Rebbi Nachman explains that everything has a goal, everything in creation has a purpose, The ultimate goal and purpose of creation is the delight of Olam Habaa, the World to Come. This delight is bound up with the experience of being very close to Hashem.

But no one can really understand this except for the tzaddikim. This is why it’s so important that we have a connection to the true tzaddik, because when we do, we begin to understand a glimmer of what the purpose of life is.

We connect to the tzaddik. We become more compassionate. We begin to view ourselves through the mirror of the tzaddik’s teachings. Then we begin to understand a small taste of the ultimate goal.

Bonus: This makes life delightful in and of itself.

May you have a day in which you master your connection to the tzaddikim.

Today’s mini lesson is dedicated for a refuah shleimah for Moshe Pesachiah ben Pessel Sarah.To join the daily WhatsApp group and receive audio formats of these mini-lessons, use this invitation.

Reb Noson explains that the essential truth of the entire universe and all of creation is actually quite simple.

All things were brought into being out of nothingness by the hand of the one G0d and to Him they are destined to return in the end of time when all of creation will be renewed.

Now, when a person fills their whole being with this truth at all times, when a person is aware and conscious that everything was created by Hashem and everything will return to Him then nothing, no negative thing, no falsehood can have a hold of him.

Falsehood is sadness, despair, anger, jealousy, worry. All these things are rooted in falsehood. When a person can remind himself of the source of everything he can always return to the shelter of Hashem.

When we truly connect with emet, truth, we feel a connection, a deep knowledge where everything comes from. We feel calm because we know where everything’s headed and we know that we were created with a Love that can see us through even the darkest, darkest times.

Awhile ago a friend of mine and her entire family experienced a shocking and tragic loss. It was heartbreaking. When I went over to comfort her, she said to me, Chaya Rivka, I don’t understand it, but I know that this must be good because Hashem only does good. And from her smallest grandchild to herself and her husband there was not one member of that family who wasn’t like a rock of emunah, a rock of faith. Even through their tears, even through their pain, that rock-like emunah, fortified their belief that everything is from Hashem. They truly knew that everything is ultimately simple. They truly believed that Hashem’s Goodness is what sustains them and what sustains the Jewish people.

May you have a day where no falsehood can ever encroach upon your peace of mind.

Today’s mini lesson is dedicated to Elana Chava bas Chaya, Avraham ben Elana Chava and Mordechai ben Elana Chava.  May they be blessed with hatzlachah. To join the daily WhatsApp group and receive audio formats of these mini-lessons, use this invitation.

Rebbe Nachman explains in Likutey Moharan 76 that when you trust in Hashem and look only to Him for all your needs, you form a vessel with which you can receive His blessings. Then what you need will be sent to you when you require it.

This is a very high level of bitachon (trust.) What is trust? Applied emunah (faith.)

Living with trust in Hashem is applying your faith in Hashem. We have faith in our hearts and minds, but we express trust with our actions.

Now, it doesn’t mean just because we trust in Hashem that we don’t have to do necessary hishtadlus, the practical actions that contribute to creating this vessel. However, the higher a person’s level of faith and trust, the less he or she needs to do in order to receive blessings.

This is an internal shift more than an external shift.  It’s something we should meditate on, discuss with our friends and talk to Hashem about.

“How do I trust You, Hashem, to send me everything I need?” We can begin by looking at what we have already and how Hashem has sustained us until this point. Sometimes when we’re going through a tough time, we forget that many of our needs if not most of our needs have actually been fulfilled and are currently being fulfilled. When we reflect on that this increases our future trust.

May you be blessed with a day where you are able to live your faith with trust and hope.

Today’s mini lesson is dedicated to Elana Chava bas Chaya, Avraham ben Elana Chava and Mordechai ben Elana Chava.  May they be blessed with hatzlachah. To join the daily WhatsApp group and receive audio formats of these mini-lessons, use this invitation.

Photo credit: Chana Sneider

How come sometimes no matter what we do, we just aren’t making as much money as we need? Meir Elkabas explains.

Like this video? Let us know in the comments below and tell us what you’d like to see Reb Meir talk about.