Azamra

R’ Nachman Thought For Today

Peace
Through the spread of peace the whole world can be drawn to serve God with one accord, because when men are at peace with one another they talk to each other about the true purpose of the world and its vanities. They discuss the realities of life and how, when a person dies, all that remains is whatever he prepared for the world of eternity after death, because neither silver nor gold accompany a person after death. When people come to understand this they will abandon their illusions and idols of silver, aspiring only to God and His Torah. Their only aim will be to serve God and seek out the truth.

But when there is no peace in the world, and worse still, when there is strife, men are not open with one another and never discuss the true purpose of life. Even when someone does discuss it, his words do not pe*****te the hearts of others, because they have no interest in discovering the truth but only in winning the argument. They are aggressive and full of hatred and envy. When a person wants to win an argument, his ears are not open to the truth. The main reason most people are so far from God is that divisiveness and strife are so widespread today through our many sins.

— Likutey Moharan I, 27

* * *

Joining opposites
The real meaning of peace is to join two opposites. You should therefore not be perturbed when you encounter someone who is and thinks the exact opposite of yourself. Don't assume you will never be able to live amicably with him. Likewise, when you see two people who are completely opposite types, don't decide that it is impossible to make peace between them. Quite the contrary! Perfect peace is achieved through the effort to make peace between two opposites, just as God makes peace in His high places between fire and water, which are two opposites. Peace is attained when you are completely willing to sacrifice yourself to sanctify God's Name.

— Likutey Moharan I, 80

Monday May 4 / 17 Iyar

Today is the third of the three optional fasts of BeHaB following the Pesach festival. The fast is observed from dawn until nightfall, and Selichot (penitential prayers) are recited in the synagogue. Great spiritual gains are available for those who are able to observe these fasts.
Today is the Yarhzeit of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov (1748-1800), son of Udil (daughter of the Baal Shem Tov) and author of Degel Machaneh Ephraim.

"Any rains that fall during the month of Iyar are a great remedy for all sicknesses -- there is no remedy like them in all the drugstores. It is good to stand in the rain and bare one's head a little and open one's mouth to the rain"

The Ohev Yisrael of Apta
Monday night-Tuesday May 4-5 / 18 Iyar
Lag BaOmer

This is the 33rd day of the Omer count (Lamed=30; Gimmel=3), exactly two thirds of the way from Pesach to Shavuot, famous as the day when the plague that had struck Rabbi Akiva's students ceased in the merit of his foremost disciple, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, known as RaShBI, author of the kabbalistic teachings of the Zohar. While the other students failed to show each other due respect, R. Shimon said, "For me, everything depends on friendship" (Zohar).
Lag BaOmer is the Yahrzeit of R. Shimon, and hundreds of thousands flock to the site of his burial cave on Mt Meiron in the northern Galilee. All over the world Jews light bonfires and rejoice in honor of RaShBI. This is a propitious day for binding ourselves to all the true Tzaddikim and for the study of the secrets of the Torah.

Parents: Please ensure that your children are under proper supervision if they light a Lag BaOmer bonfire!
Lag BaOmer is also the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Isserles (1520-72) author of the Mappah, glosses on the normative Torah law code Shulchan Aruch which give the Ashknezi legal rulings where they differ from those of the main work.

Tuesday night-Wednesday May 5-6 / 19 Iyar

Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Riminov, (?-1815), an important Hassidic leader who emphasized the benefit of daily recital of Parshat HaMann (Exodus 16:4-36 about the Manna) accompanied by prayers for livelihood.

"All medicines come from the earth. Therefore during the season when the earth gives forth her bounty and puts strength into all the trees and plants, i.e. during the month of Iyar when the fruits ripen, all medicinal plants have greater power, because the earth then puts strength into them. However at other times, even if one were to take exactly the same medicines, they would not have the same power. This is why people take medicines in the month of Iyar - May."

Rabbi Nachman, Likutey Moharan I, 277
Friday night-Saturday May 8-9 / 22 Iyar
Shabbat Parshat BEHAR-BECHUKOSAI

This week's Torah reading is the double portion of BEHAR, Leviticus 25:1-26:2 giving the laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years and the laws of sale of property, joined with BECHUKOSAI, Leviticus 26:3-27:34, detailing the rewards for keeping the Torah and the punishments for failure to do so. With today's reading we conclude the book of Leviticus -- Hazak Hazak Venit-Hazek!!! Haftara: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14. On Shabbat afternoon we read chapter 5 of Pirkey Avot.

R’ Nachman Thought For Today

When to push, when to wait:

When you just can't fall asleep, it's no use trying to force yourself to sleep. The more you try to force yourself, the more sleep will elude you. The same applies to many other things: it is not good to force yourself too much, because the more you try to force yourself, the stronger the opposing forces will become.
At times this applies even to prayer and devotion. You should certainly make every possible effort to sanctify yourself and attain true devotion. When something can be done today, don't leave it for tomorrow - because the world never stops for a moment. Man's world consists only of the present. Whatever you can do to serve God, do immediately and determinedly without delay. Who knows what obstacles you may face from the outside and from within if you leave it until later?

But at times you may see that, despite all your efforts and determination, you simply cannot achieve what you want. Sometimes you must simply wait. Don't be discouraged because you are not achieving what you want. Don't let this push you off course. You must wait a little until the time is ripe.

The most important thing of all is to look to God at all times with longing and yearning, even when things are not going as well as you would like in your prayers and devotions. Never despair, no matter what. And as soon as God gives you the opportunity to do something holy, do it at once.

— Chayey Moharan #431