Thursday, May 5, 2011

 
 
Mevaser Tov on Shabbos and the Festivals
 
is now available
 
 
 
 

A collection of Chassidic essays exploring the profundity and holiness of the Jewish year

 
 
 
 

Mevaser Tov on the Torah
 
54 Chassidic discourses on all the parshiyos of the Torah, touching  on the fundamentals of Chassidic thought; including happiness, friendship, character improvement and the balance between humility and self-esteem




Table of Contents and Sample Chapters:

BEREISHIS


Bereishis – The Cornerstone of Creation

Hashem's presence is evident in the wisdom and beauty of His creation.

Noach – The Paths of Peace

The true measure of spirituality is the respect and decency one shows towards others.

Lech Lecha – The Quest for Self-Discovery

Only by facing difficulties and surmounting them can we realize our true strengths.

Vayeira – Sanctifying the Physical World

The Bris Milah enhanced Avraham's trait of generosity, allowing him to spread love and kindness on a spiritual plane.

Chayei Sarah – The Perfection of Time

Each individual has his part to fulfill in the specific task of his generation.

Toldos – Eisav's Task

Yaakov assumed the role meant for Eisav, by revealing the holiness inherent in the physical world.

Vayeitzei – The Exile of Loneliness

The emotional pain of feeling unloved is the hardest challenge of all.

Vayishlach – The Hand of Eisav

Yaakov prayed that his descendants would not incorporate Eisav's traits of hatred and contention into their religiosity.

Vayeishev – Golus America

The seductive ease of modern American culture is a greater test than the hardships we faced in Poland and Russia.

Mikeitz – The Dream of Prosperity

Appreciating Hashem’s gifts is the key to livelihood.

Vayigash – The Shechinah Within Us

Praying on behalf of Hashem, Who shares our suffering

Vayechi – Trials of Affluence and Poverty

By withstanding the influences of a corrupt culture, we rise to the greatest spiritual heights.



SHEMOS

Shemos – The Hidden Stars

Preserving the holiness of Eretz Yisrael in exile

Va'era – From Where Will My Help Come?

The realization that only Hashem can help us is the catalyst for redemption.

Bo – By Your Silence You Shall Live

Polite speech and refined behavior freed Bnei Yisrael from the influence of Pharaoh.

Beshalach – The Depths of Hashem's Love

When the waters of the Red Sea split, Bnei Yisrael understood how the suffering they endured in Egypt was really an expression of Hashem's love.

Yisro – Honest and Enduring Faith

Sudden revelations of holiness cannot compare to the true spiritual growth that comes through hard work and character improvement.

Mishpatim – Discovering Holiness in Worldly Endeavors

The honest businessman draws close to Hashem by fulfilling the Torah's laws of business, which sanctify the physical world.

Terumah – Mikdash of the Heart

The Mishkan was built from the pure hearts and good intentions of Bnei Yisrael.

Tetzaveh (Zachor) – The Hidden Name of Moshe

The war against Amalek is fought by uprooting bitter thoughts of failure from our hearts.

Ki Sisa – The Head of Bnei Yisrael

The entire world depends on every Jew's correcting the flaw that only he can correct.

Vayakhel – I Plant for My Sons

Drawing on the merit of the generations past and creating new merit for generations to come

Pikudei – The Inner Mikdash

Protecting the holiness that dwells within our hearts



VAYIKRA

Vayikra – Sacrifices of a Broken Spirit

True humility heals the soul while low self-esteem destroys it.

Tzav – The Soul's Pouch

The soul can interact with this world only when the body is sanctified by good middos.

Shemini – The Renewal of the World

Nadav and Avihu died for trying to transform this world into the World to Come before the time had come for it.

Tazria – Torah of Man and Beast

Discovering the wisdom inherent in the animal kingdom

Metzora – The Elixir of Life

The healing powers of the Torah are available to those who devote their lives to Torah.

Acharei Mos – The Return of the Outcasts

With holy chutzpah we force our way back into Hashem's good favor.

Kedoshim – The Pursuit of Holiness

The dangers of aspiring to spiritual heights that are beyond us

Emor – Caution for the Small

Great people pay attention to small details.

Behar – The Blessings of the Torah

Torah and mitzvos do not hinder our material success in any way; they are the very source of our success.

Bechukosai – One with the Torah

Mitzvos we cannot understand or enjoy give us a chance to show our total devotion to Hashem.



BAMIDBAR

Bamidbar – Counting the Letters

Klal Yisrael cannot reach perfection as a collective whole without the contribution of each individual Jew.

Nasoh – Beyond Hope

The embittered souls must be reassured that Hashem will come to their rescue at the right time.

Beha'aloschah – The Eternal Hope

The Menorah illuminated the darkness of emotional distress.

Shlach – The Spies' Great Challenge

Adapting to the constraints of physicality

Korach – The Insanity of Contention

Respecting the right to disagree is the key to harmony in our homes and shuls.

Chukas – The Cleansing Power of Humility

Humility means admitting our mistakes and letting go of them.

Balak – The Perils of Arrogance

Holiness can rest only upon those free from selfishness and conceit.

Pinchas – Reward for Good Intent

Good deeds are rewarded in the World to Come, while good intent is rewarded in this world.

Mattos – Clarity of Vision

The Torah must be relayed in way that is relevant to our lives and appropriate to our emotional state.

Massai (Bein HaMeitzarim) – The King's Joyous Minstrels

Our Torah and mitzvos console Hashem for the suffering He shares with His children in exile.



DEVARIM

Devarim – Trials of the Desert

How unity protects us from the corruptive influence of modern society

V'eschanan – The Unearned Gift

The treasure house of reward that awaits those who realize they have no merit of their own

Eikev – The Heels of Time

Finding inspiration in a generation that is numb to all sense of holiness

Re'eih – The Blessing and the Curse

Hashem constantly sends blessing, but it is up to us to use it constructively and not twist it towards our own selfish ends.

Shoftim (Elul) – The Vindication of the Beloved

Making ourselves worthy of Hashem's love and thus ensuring our success on the day of judgment

Ki Seitzei – The Indomitable Point of Goodness

No evil is beyond repair and no Jew is beneath Hashem's love.

Ki Savo – The Pleasures of Eretz Yisrael

The dangers of unbridled physical desire

Nitzavim – The Eternal Covenant

Every Jew carries in his soul a trace of Moshe’s essence.

Vayeilech – Moshe's Descent to the People

Religious leaders must meet their congregation on their own level.

Haazinu – Teshuvah in Heaven and Earth

Man is a hybrid of physical and spiritual worlds and must devote both aspects of his being to the service of the Creator.

Zos HaBerachah - Vessels for Timeless Blessings

The Torah is the vehicle by which Moshe’s final blessing accompanies us forever.

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