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In Likutey Moharan lesson 24, Rebbe Nachman focuses on two key points: the importance of doing mitzvot with joy, and the concept of the Keter—the interface between Hashem’s Infinite Light and us. The Rebbe teaches that when we perform mitzvot with simcha (joy), it propels the holiness trapped within, along with Hashem’s divine presence, higher and higher until it reaches the Keter. However, it is the “bounce” back from the Keter that creates vessels that allow us to perceive the Infinite Light.

On a practical level, this means that when a person encounters major challenges, frustrations, confusion, or feelings of despair, the key to overcoming these obstacles lies in focusing on joy. Rebbe Nachman emphasizes that being b’simcha—choosing joy in all situations—becomes the means to tap into the Infinite Light, which translates into gaining clarity and guidance in life. This clarity becomes the solution to the confusion and frustration, allowing a person to navigate through challenges.

This fundamental lesson is expounded upon beautifully by Reb Noson in his discourse on the laws of Thanksgiving (Likutey Halachot, Birkat Hoda’ah #6). In it, he elaborates on how joy is the key to overcoming pain, suffering, and all of life’s difficulties. The verse “Ki v’simcha tetz’u”—“For with joy you will go out”—illustrates that joy is the way to break free from life’s challenges.

Keeping this lesson in mind, let’s turn our attention to the mitzvah of the etrog, lulav, hadas, and aravah on Sukkot. Performing this mitzvah with simcha elevates it, propelling us forward spiritually. However, setbacks inevitably occur—when the “carpet is pulled from under your feet,” and unexpected difficulties strike. What are you supposed to do then? How can you maintain joy when faced with such adversity?

Reb Noson, in his prayer on this lesson—Prayer 24 from The 50th Gate—and in his discourse, points out that when you’re pushed back, especially after making efforts to be joyful, what’s expected to emerge is yearning and desire to reconnect with Hashem. This deep yearning often arises precisely when a person feels distanced or faces setbacks, leading to a stronger desire to return to Hashem.

This yearning is seen as a pinnacle of spiritual growth. However, for true yearning to emerge, the process must begin with joy. A person must remain positive, get back up after setbacks, and work on being b’simcha in life. This foundation of joy allows the natural process of yearning and desire to unfold.

When we take the four species, we are combining the two meanings of tzachtzachot: the yearning and the joy that follow!

Rebbe Nachman also points out, with support from the Zohar, that the Keter—the crown in Kabbalistic teachings—has three sections, just like a physical crown. There’s the bottom part that sits on the king’s head, the middle section adorned with jewels, and the pointed tips that reach upward toward Hashem. Each part of the crown has its own role, symbolizing different aspects of divine connection and superiority. The highest part of the Keter represents the connection to what is beyond, pointing to Hashem above.

One term of the highest part of the Keter is Orot HaTzachtzachot—the Lights of Splendor. The word Tzachtzachot has two meanings that seem like opposites. Based on the verse in Isaiah 58:11, it is associated with yearning and thirst. This verse refers to Hashem satiating a parched and dry soul, which expresses the deep yearning we experience when we feel distant from our goals or from Hashem.

In our context, Tzachtzachot refers to someone who is spiritually dried up and yearns for connection and clarity. The Zohar emphasizes that to attain these high levels of spiritual lights, one must experience yearning—symbolized by dryness and parchedness. This yearning leads to Hashem satiating the soul. Reaching the highest level of the Keter, represented by the Tzachtzachot, is only possible through the intense desire that emerges when one feels distant.

The second meaning of Tzachtzachot refers to brightness, cleanliness, and clarity, as in the phrase Tzach Ve’adom, which means something bright and clear. Tzach is used to describe something clean and polished. This brightness represents joy and light. So, in the concept of Tzachtzachot, we see both meanings at play: the deep yearning caused by spiritual dryness and the bright, clear joy that comes from experiencing spiritual light.

These two opposites work together in Rebbe Nachman’s teaching. To reach the light of splendor (Orot HaTzachtzachot), which is bright and joyful, one must also experience spiritual thirst and yearning. The path to this light is through simcha—joy in performing mitzvot. Joy propels a person upward to the Keter, and when one is bounced back, the yearning that follows allows them to create vessels to hold the Infinite Light. This process, rooted in joy, ultimately brings clarity, helping a person navigate through frustration, confusion, and life’s challenges. It’s through joy that one finds the way out.

With this understanding, we can explore the deeper meaning behind the arba’at haminim (the four species) and how they are divided into two sections. One section includes the lulav, which is bound together with the aravot and hadassim, while the other hand holds the etrog. On Sukkot, we take the lulav, hadass, and aravot in one hand, say the blessing “al netilat lulav,” and then join them with the etrog.

The significance of the lulav, aravot, and hadassim lies in their symbolic expression of a Jew’s desire to connect with Hashem. The lulav can be interpreted as “lo lev”—meaning “to Him, to Hashem, I give my heart.” These three species, which are all green and represent vegetation, are symbolic of yearning to connect to Hashem. The aravot (willows) come from the root word “erev” (night), symbolizing confusion and darkness. Night represents erbuvia—a mixture of challenges and uncertainties. The aravot therefore reflects the confusion that pushes a person to yearn for Hashem, to cry out, “Lo lev!”—I give my heart to You, Hashem.

The hadassim (myrtle branches) are referred to as anaf etz avot, meaning thickly intertwined branches. The word avot also means a chain, which explains why the hadassim must be tripled, with the leaves forming a chain-like pattern. This chain represents the feeling of being bound and constrained by life’s challenges. When a person feels trapped and overwhelmed by setbacks, it is symbolized by the chain-like hadassim. Together, the aravot (confusion) and the hadassim (chained setbacks) attach to the lulav, which expresses a person’s yearning to connect their heart to Hashem. This combination represents the first stage of yearning that leads to the ultimate goal—reaching the light of splendor.

The etrog, however, represents the culmination of this process. It is the beauty of the four species, the “fruit” of the vegetation. Rebbe Nachman emphasized that Jews are not foolish for spending large sums on a beautiful etrog because it symbolizes splendor, clarity, and light—just like the tzaddikim, who bring joy and light to the world. In Likutey Moharan Lesson 67, Part 2, Rebbe Nachman equates the beauty of the etrog to the beauty and fame of the tzaddikim, and in Lesson 61, he quotes the verse, “Or tzaddikim yismach”—”the light of the tzaddikim brings joy.”

When we take the four species in two sections—the three in one hand and the etrog in the other—we are combining the two meanings of tzachtzachot: the yearning and the light/joy that follow. The prerequisite for reaching yearning and desire is simcha (joy), and the result of this yearning is a higher level of joy due to the clarity that comes from overcoming confusion and frustration. This process is cyclical: you begin with joy, face setbacks, experience yearning, and then gain clarity, which leads to an even higher level of joy, preparing you for the next challenge.

This also explains why the blessing is made on the lulav (and by extension, the other two species) before taking the etrog. Though you’re already holding the lulav, aravot, and hadassim, the bracha is said before joining the etrog because the completion of the three is only achieved when the etrog is joined, retroactively fulfilling the potential of the lulav.

On a deeper level, Rebbe Nachman explains that these three species—lulav, aravot, and hadassim—correspond to three devotions that build a person’s yearning and desire. The lulav represents hitbodedut, personal prayer, where a person expresses their heart directly to Hashem, without any text or formal structure. The single lulav symbolizes the solitude of this connection—just you and Hashem. But because not everyone can immediately express their heart, the aravot come into play, symbolizing the prayers of Reb Noson in Likutey Tefilot, which help open a person’s heart to Hashem.

Rav Michel Dorfman, of blessed memory, a revered Breslov elder, often shared with me a powerful teaching from Likutey Moharan Part 2, Lesson 73. Rebbe Nachman encourages us to find ourselves in the words of Tehillim, to translate the words into what we are going through in our lives. Rav Michel emphasized that with Reb Noson’s prayers in Likutey Tefilot, you don’t have to search for yourself. As soon as you open the book, you immediately see your own struggles and emotions reflected in the words. This all-encompassing nature of Reb Noson’s prayers makes them a unique tool for personal reflection and prayer, akin to the arava—a connection that’s formed when you combine your personal prayer with the written words.

In contrast, the hadass represents a more involved process, with three levels: opening the book, finding yourself in the words, and then using those words to fuel your personal hitbodedut. The lulav represents the ultimate goal in prayer—it is just you and Hashem, expressing your heart directly.

These three species—the lulav, aravot, and hadassim—are all green, symbolizing growth and the potential to turn aspirations into reality. Vegetation, particularly green vegetation, represents the absorption and advancement of spiritual potential, culminating in the fruit. The etrog is that fruit, and it represents the end goal of light and simcha (joy).

As we approach Sukkot, may we merit to fully appreciate the power of sukkot, taking the lulav, and reflecting on the deep symbolism it carries. The lulav, aravot, and hadassim embody the power of yearning, desire, and attachment to Hashem. The challenges and setbacks in life, symbolized by the chain-like structure of the hadass and the confusion of the arava, are there to strengthen your heart’s connection to Hashem. The lulav, long and straight, points upwards, reflecting the longing of the heart. Though we may feel distant, holding the lulav reminds us that our heart is reaching all the way up to Hashem.

May we merit that the lulav, aravot, and hadassim stir within us a deep yearning and connection to Hashem, and that the etrog brings us joy from this yearning, providing the clarity we need to move forward in life.

Chag Sameach!

Meir Elkabas

Part 1

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Part 2

“Visamachta b’chagecha v’hayitah ach sameach”—“And you shall rejoice during your festivals and you shall be only joyous.”

The astrological sign associated with the month of Tishrei is a balance scale—the iconic image that expresses the judgment of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when good and bad are calibrated and the direction of the entire year is determined. The festival of Sukkot then falls out on the fifteenth of the month, and during that time we are charged with being joyous. How we act on Sukkot affects our entire year, just like the teshuvah of the high holidays determines the course of judgement. The Arizal taught that when we spend the entire holiday in a state of joy, setting aside any worries or problems that would interrupt our happiness, it ensures that we will be joyous throughout the entire year.

Rebbe Nachman emphasized over and over again that joy is a state of mind, a choice built through my own thoughts, while sadness is a product of delusion. The temporary and provisional nature of the sukkah is a tangible demonstration that we are not going to live in this material world forever. Reb Nosson, z”l, explains that when we begin to see that the “causes” of our misery are temporary and meaningless in the big picture, we naturally let go of our attachment to feeling so bad. It is a great mitzvah to always be happy as Rebbe Nachman, z”l, famously taught. What better time to make a concerted effort to construct a joyous attitude than during Sukkot, when we have an extra special mitzvah to rejoice?

Dear G-d. Please give me the power to choose joy over negativity. Show me that the world is transient and that there is no reason to get upset; nothing, no matter how challenging, lasts forever. Help me to spend a lot of time laughing with joy during Sukkot and throughout the coming year!

Feed Your Head!

You’re probably familiar with the expression “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” That was told to young women of bygone generations to encourage them to learn how to cook well so that could “catch” a man. Well, Rebbe Nachman teaches, the same is true of coming close to Hashem (God). The way to your neshamah (soul) is through your stomach. But the way away from your neshamah is also through your stomach.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that all of Creation came into being because God foresaw the pride He would receive from each and every Jew (every day!) as well as from the Jewish people as a whole. Now, on our own, neither you nor I nor all of our coreligionists could deliver all that latent pride. We need an extraordinarily great tzaddik who sees our DPQ (Divine-Pride Quotient) better than we, and can get us to envision it and produce it.

However! The fact that there is such a tzaddik is no guarantee that our DPQ, our potential love for and awe of God, will suddenly find proper expression. There is a danger that they will be wasted through misuse or non-use. (Which is worse? I’m not sure.) It is crucial that that we have eyes to perceive the light of the tzaddik.

Let me tell you something about this tzaddik-light. This “light,” this medium that allows us to more easily and clearly perceive God’s presence and live accordingly, is so bright and powerful that it shines even in angelic worlds! Remember: angels have no free will because their perception of God is so clear and strong. They have no choice but to live according to His will. Nonetheless, tzaddik-light enhances their perception of God.

That being the case, logically speaking, tzaddik-light should bring great clarity to our dark world. But one can be next to tzaddik (e.g., studying his works or praying at his grave) and miss the point, fail to see the light. This is due to the foolishness which results from one’s “muddy-deeds.” Instead of walking away from an encounter with the tzaddik wiser and enriched, one leaves with a loser’s opinions and attitudes, with ideas that estrange by causing distance and damage.

How can we eliminate the “muddy deeds” that produce the foolish mind that moves us away from our neshamah and from Hashem? Rebbe Nachman teaches that our “muddy-deeds” are due to improper eating. We know what happens when a person doesn’t eat for a long enough time. He starves to death. Our instinctive understanding is that the person is no longer here to work, play or interact with us. A true answer, but incomplete because in looking from the body’s point of view it considers only the body’s demise.

But when a person dies, also his neshamah “dies,” i.e., takes leave of this world. No longer can it grow by shining its unique portion of Hashem’s light into the world. That means eating is meant primarily to feed the neshamah, because one purpose of life is to shine your light into the world. So a first step to eliminating “muddy-deeds” is to eat so that your neshamah will live.

What’s this have to do with Sukkot? The mitzvah of sukkah focuses very much on eating. Although “casual” eating is permitted outside the sukkah, “serious” eating (e.g., mealtimes) must be done in the sukkah. Furthermore, the blessing on the mitzvah of sukkah is recited only when we eat in it. A central message of sukkah is: the physical world is impermanent. What makes a home long-lasting is not walls and a roof, but the Shekhinah’s presence.

When we bring our eating into the sukkah we should infuse it with that same focus. What makes your eating long-lasting is not the quality of the viands, but your intention to nourish your neshamah so that it will shine its light into our world. If you eat like that, “muddy-deeds” fall away, your mind becomes clearer, your perception of tzaddik-light is enhanced and your DPQ becomes real like you never thought possible. Amen!

Based on Likutey Moharan I, Lesson #17

agutn yom tov!
chag sameach!

Given at the sukkah of Reb Nissim Black in Beit Shemesh – 2023

Continuing the ideas of Sukkot – how the 5 Aravot of Hoshana Rabba and the dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah complete the process of true simcha and perceiving the Torah on Simchat Torah.

Based on Likutey Moharan lesson 24

Text: Likutey Halakhos, Orakh Chaim 3, Rosh Hashanah 6, Roshei Perokim 4.

Check out more from Rabbi Nasan Maimon at BreslovTorah.com

Only one thing could cause a person to destroy himself—and that is curiosity. What exactly is so special about this tree that I am not being allowed access to?

By the grace of G-d, we merited reading the final portion of the Torah on Simchat Torah and celebrated our completing the Torah. With respect to this column, it is a double joy for having merited to accompany each parshat hashavua for an entire year with Torah lessons which explored the depth of the wisdom of our holy Torah. Now we are starting our second cycle from the beginning of Genesis with renewed excitement as we rediscover the wisdom of the Torah as if we had never done so before, because the wisdom of the Torah is truly infinite.

This week’s Torah portion is parshat “Bereishit.” The Torah describes the creation of the world as well as the creation of Adam and Eve who were the pinnacle of creation. Immediately afterwards the story of the temptation is related, in which the serpent enticed Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. After G-d created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, He warned him: “From all the trees of the garden, you may eat. But from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, you may not eat—for on the day you eat from it, you will surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

The serpent came to Eve because he knew that women could be enticed more quickly and because they knew how to entice their husbands (Rashi on Genesis 3:15), and in a round-about way, he tempted her by persuading her that she would become more enlightened and wiser if she ate from the forbidden tree: “For G-d knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened. You will be like G-d, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). With his slick tongue, he tempted her: “You have no idea what you are missing out on. There is something about that tree over there which is very special and mysterious! If you just eat from it, you will be transformed into someone who knows good and evil. You will be more intelligent, wiser, and on a completely different level…” and so on and so forth. The campaign of persuasion was successful, the woman was enticed, and she also enticed her husband: “And she also gave to her husband, and he ate” (Ibid, 3:6). The bitter end of the saga is well known. From all of the promises that the serpent made, nothing remains—only destruction, sadness, curses, difficulty, and death. The man was cursed: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread,” and “there will sprout for you thorns and thistles.” And the woman was cursed: “You will give birth in pain” and other “gifts” of this kind.

What ever became of all these promises? Where are all those fantastic attainments and promises of success?

The serpent gave them false hopes and promises, and they believed him. What ever became of all these promises? Where are all those fantastic attainments and promises of success? Instead, Adam and Eve were eternally banished from the Garden of Eden and were destined to return to the earth. True, the snake was also cursed, but what did that help them?! If only they could go back and repair the enormous damage they had done, damage which would negatively affect all future generations. But by then it was too late. “Their eyes were opened, and they realized that they were naked.” “They had been given only one mitzvah and then they were stripped of it” (Rashi on Genesis 3:7).

And what about us? We think that we are pretty much OK. Isn’t this how we consider ourselves? We even allow ourselves to look at Adam and Eve with a critical eye, wondering how they could have made such a crucial mistake. In the depths of our hearts, we really want to shout: “How could you have let yourself be fooled?! Eve, why did you do that? Couldn’t you see that the false promises of the serpent had no basis? Adam, why did you let yourself be convinced by your wife? Couldn’t you have stopped her? Couldn’t you see how the snake was fooling you? How come you didn’t realize that from all these promises you would receive nothing, as people say, “You will get nothing, because there is nothing!”

So now it’s our turn to blush from embarrassment. It only seems to us that we stood on the sidelines and were not complicit in this tragic mistake. The Holy Arizal reveals that all of us, all the souls of all future generations, were included in the souls of Adam and Eve, and together with them the entire creation sinned. We were all there, and we were all enticed. And thus, we are actually all in the same boat. How embarrassing!

So too do we deceive ourselves in our daily lives that for the sake of success, we are allowed to deviate a little from the morals and values ​​we have set for ourselves. If we just do such and such, we will succeed as we have never succeeded before. And all of a sudden, we realize, when it’s actually too late, that we have fallen into a trap. So, what can we do so that we won’t slip up again? After all, we already failed and were not able to resist the temptation. This means that now we are even more subject to being enticed. How can we assure ourselves that the next time we will be able to stand up against the power of the snake’s temptation?

To do this, we have to clarify this conundrum of how the serpent actually managed to entice Adam and Eve, and in fact, to our eternal embarrassment, us too. After all, Adam and Eve did not sin out of the fear of the danger of starvation. Didn’t the Creator permit them to eat from all the other trees in the garden? One single tree was forbidden to them. So, what in drove them to eat precisely from this tree?!

The secret is hidden in understanding of the concept of “temptation.” It is impossible to entice a person to do something that he is not attracted to. Seduction is only possible when you manage to arouse a desire for something mysterious. It is even better if it is shrouded in a mysterious aura which will awaken a person’s curiosity!! A person will do anything to get something which is shrouded in mystery. This is how the snake worked on Eve and was able to convince her that if she ate from the Tree of Knowledge that she would become wiser and more enlightened. He even aroused her using her sense of sight. “Notice how appealing the fruit looks.” Only one thing could cause a person to destroy himself—and that is curiosity. What exactly is so special about this tree that I am not being allowed access to? Surely, this thing is exactly what I am lacking, and were I to attain it, I would have everything. Who knows what I am losing out on by denying myself this thing?

The secret is hidden in understanding of the concept of “temptation”!

Rabbi Natan explains this concept by way of the story “The Lost Princess” from Rabbi Nachman’s famous Sippurei Ma’asiot (Rabbi Nachman’s Stories). In this tale, Rabbi Nachman tells a wondrous story about a princess who got lost and her father, the king, was very upset that she was missing. The king’s viceroy saw the king’s great sorrow and asked for a bit of money, a horse, and a servant so that he could go and search for the princess. After a few years of searching, he found her, but she was already in a place that she could not be rescued from unless he followed her instructions exactly on how to save her. She requested that he search for somewhere where he could spend an entire year and contemplate and figure out how to save her. Then on the last day of the year, he would be able to save her, but he had to be very careful not to eat or drink on that day—otherwise he might fall asleep and miss the opportunity. Unfortunately, on the very last day he saw something remarkably mysterious and unusual: he noticed a spring that was red in color and smelled like wine. He wondered how this was possible. A spring should flow only with water, but the color and smell were that of wine. Then he went and tasted from the spring, and immediately he fell asleep and missed the opportunity to save the king’s daughter (see Rabbi Nachman’s Stories for the rest of the story).

Rabbi Natan explains that this is the essence of man’s battle against evil in this world: this issue of curiosity. When the evil inclination wants to incite a person to sin, he will continually attempt to convince him to marvel at the thing that is forbidden to him. He will induce his heart into becoming perplexed, and then he will be able to convince him to just check the matter out. And thus, he tricks the person into being in denial regarding his motives until the person is tempted and comes to sin! This was the mistake of the viceroy who allowed these perplexities to enter his mind.

Of course, when a person wants to succeed in passing the test and not fall into something which he is forbidden to do, he should simply not get involved with that thing for better or for worse. He shouldn’t let himself wonder about the way it looks or why it looks that way, or even why it is that way, just as in the story of “The Lost Princess.” “Why was the spring red when it should have been be transparent?” This holds true for anything that we may be curious about, for curiosity can disturb a person’s clear judgment. Just don’t think about it—distract yourself with something else and that’s it! It does not belong to me, so it does not interest or concern me. This is the only way to defeat the snake!