The Thursday Night Shiur

Embark on a late night journey into the most profound Kabbalistic secrets of the Torah. Follow along in the book as we climb from the highest peaks of Chassidic thought into the deepest canyons of the soul, in these avant garde teachings from the writings of Rabbi Schneir Zalman of Liadi on the weekly Torah portion.

Vayera – Vayera Hashem El Avraham

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G-d revealed Himself to Avraham immediately after his bris, but no words were spoken between them. The purpose of this revelation was not to deliver a message to Avraham, rather, it was to initiate an entirely new, elevated level of G-dliness into the creation.

In this context, there are four levels of divinity that are revealed to the creation. The first was accessible to Avraham before his bris, the second only after his circumcision. A third, even higher revelation of divity occurred when the Torah was given to the Jewish People. The fourth, highest level of revelation will come with the arrival of Moshiach.

According to the Kabbalists, these four levels correspond to G-d’s divine energies which are projected through different aspects (internal and external) of His holy names.

Lech Lecha – Anochi Magen Lach

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Three times each day in the Amidah, we say “…Magen Avraham/The Shield of Abraham.”
It is well known that Avraham is the epitome of Chesed/Kindness. He is himself completely good, and everyone else is completely good in Avraham’s eyes; he perceives the good in even the most despicable being.

In the Torah, we find that Avraham prayed for Yishmael that he would live and prosper. He wished for his son to live eternally within G-d’s greatest level of infinite giving and goodness. Although Avraham knew who Yishmael truly was, he still insisted on the best for him, because he related only to his positive traits. Ultimately, however, this isn’t fitting, nor is it productive for the world. The danger of Avraham’s limitless Chesed is that it is so receptive that it sustains even evil.

We know that by the time Moshiach comes, all evil and impurity will be removed from the world.  For this to occur, we must actively work to draw G-d’s light into the world, through Torah study and Mitzvah observance, while diligently rejecting those things which are antithetical to G-d. For now, the world requires a reduced level of Avraham’s Chesed.

Each morning, as the sun rises, G-d’s kindness flows very strongly into the world. The morning is therefore an auspicious time for receiving G-d’s light, and as a result is a time of intense prayer and connection with G-d. The morning is the time of Avraham. As it says (Genesis 19:27) “Avraham arose in the morning…”

Sometimes, a shield’s purpose is to repel things from the outside. Often, a shield protects what is within from getting out – a case. Hashem’s shielding of Avraham restrains the limitless kindness. The shield holds back the abstract, absolute Chesed, and makes it relevant to us. It makes way in the world for constructive progress; it now provides for the deserving and restrains the undeserving.

Beraishis – Tze’eno Ure’eno Bnos Tzion

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Prayer is the heart of Judaism. Just as the heart receives the blood from all the limbs, oxygenates it and then pumps the blood back into the organs to enliven the body. So to prayer lifts up the soul of all of creation to its divine source and then infuses a re-energized life force into the cosmos. This process only works when the person is spiritually  healthy, if however one has a spiritual  blood clot that can interfere with the circulation of the G-dly life force. A stronger force than prayer would then be required to reconnect the person with the cosmic energy flow.

Emor – Isur Avodas Kohen Baal Mum

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A kabbalistic  discourse exploring the dynamics of souls as they emerge from their Divine source. As a consequence of  a blemish in the Shechina some souls are born with a defect which results in a physical blemish on their body’s. These people have extra pain and suffering in this world as they suffer along with the Shechina. They are beloved by G-d and will merit healing and the greatest joy by the coming of Moshiach.

Kedoshim – Mitzvas Ahavas Yisroel

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Loving a fellow Jew as one loves themselves is the cornerstone of Judaism. In this phenomenal discourse, we explore the means of achieving such love and the extraordinary blessings resulting from fulfilling this Mitzvah.

Ki Sisa – Ki Sisa Es Rosh 5731

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When we make mistakes in our lives we fix them through a process of  Teshuva in which we regret our past and refocus our energy towards goodness. What about the damage done to our souls on a core level beyond the reach of our conscious mind? What about the shame at the essence of our souls, for having wasted a moment or a lifetime on trivial matters and not fulfilling our G-dly mission for which our souls descended? A dialog between Moshe and G-d about healing the scars and repairing souls at their quintessential core.

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