Azamra, PO Box 50037, Jerusalem (2025)

23/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

There are people who do not have a good word for anybody. They always look on the bad side of people. The source of their life-force is in the forces of the Other Side, which is called `the end of all flesh' (Genesis 6:13). Such people are constantly trying to make an end of things. They are highly destructive. Their accusations and slander arouse harsh judgements in the world. The fundamental evil here is the abuse of the faculty of speech. Therefore the way to crush and humble these people is by developing the faculty of speech to perfection.

Likutey Moharan I:38:2

22/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

If you wish to savour the taste of the hidden light, the secrets of Torah which are destined to be revealed in time to come, you should meditate and speak to God. Express everything in your heart before Him. Examine yourself and judge yourself. Weigh up all the different things you are involved with.

In this way you will be able to banish your extraneous fears of forces other than God: these are called `fallen fear', and then you will be able to elevate your fear and experience the true awe of Heaven.

When a person neglects to examine and judge himself, he is examined and brought to judgement from on high. God has many ways of executing His judgements. He has the power to clothe them in anything in the world, because all things are His messengers, and he can use whatever means he chooses to execute His judgements.

We can actually see this in practice. When something bad happens to a person, the particular cause which precipitates the problem is often apparently quite insignificant. One would never have expected a small thing like this to bring on such a train of consequences illness, suffering and the like. The explanation is that the Divine decree passed against him has been clothed within these mundane circumstances in order to give him his deserts.

But when a person examines and judges himself of his own accord the decree above is removed. There is no need for him to be afraid of anything. Worldly objects and events will no longer be used as a veil and a cloak for executing the decree of God. By bringing himself to a reckoning he has removed the judgement above. He is already sufficiently aroused and spiritually awake without needing things of this world to shake him.

This is what is meant by elevating fear to its root. He is afraid of nothing except God. Because of this he will be worthy of the hidden light.

Likutey Moharan I:15

21/12/2025

Saturday night-Sunday December 20-21 / 1 Tevet
Second day of Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Seventh light of Chanukah

On Saturday night the Chanukah lights may be kindled only after nightfall (marked by the appearance of three medium-size stars). Some have the custom of lighting the Chanukah candles before Havdalah, however the prevailing custom is to light the Chanukah candles after Havdalah.
Yaaleh Veyavo for Rosh Chodesh and Al Hanissim for Chanukah are added in Birchat Hamazon and the Amidah prayers. For further information on the laws and customs of Chanukah, click HERE.
On 1st Tevet Esther was taken to the palace of Achashverosh (Esther 2:16).

Sunday night-Monday December 21-22 / 2 Tevet
Eighth Light of Chanukah

The eighth and last light of Chanukah takes us beyond the finite world (encompassed by the seven lower sefirot) to the higher world of Binah (Understanding), the eighth level above Malchut. At the time of the lighting of the eighth light and for the whole last day of Chanukah tremendous spiritual influence flows down to all who are willing to open themselves to it. In the synagogue after the morning service, we read the special reading for the last day of Chanukah (Numbers 7:54-8:4).
HAPPY CHANUKAH!!!

Tuesday night-Wednesday December 23-24 / 4 Tevet

Today is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Gershon Hanoch-Henich ben Yaakov Leiner, the Rebbe of Radzin (1839-91), known as the Baal Techeiles on account of his research and rediscovery of the Techeiles blue dye for the Tzitzit.

Thursday December 25 / 5 Tevet

"In the tenth month on the fifth day of the month a fugitive came to me from Jerusalem to say 'The city has been struck'" (Ezekiel 33:21).
Today is the anniversary of the martyrdom in Italy of Rabbi Shlomo Molcho (1500-32), an outstanding prophetic kabbalist and visionary.

Friday night-Saturday December 26-27/ 7 Tevet
Shabbat Parshat VAYIGASH

Torah Reading: Vayigash, Gen. 44:18-47:27; Haftara: Ezekiel 37:15-2, prophesying the reconciliation between the House of Judah and the Ten Tribes.

21/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

The only true wisdom is the wisdom of the Tzaddikim. It brings them to a lofty perception of God and gives them the power to communicate their perception to those who follow them. Compared with this wisdom, all other ideological systems are utter foolishness. But because of our many sins, it can happen at times that this genuine wisdom falls into the hands of the heathens and the forces of the Sitra Achra, the Other Side. Their new-found wisdom gives them power and dominion, and then the heathens gain the upper hand, God forbid.

Who can bear the sound of the great and terrible cry when this wisdom falls into their hands and fools affect to be wise? They try to adapt this genuine wisdom to their own purposes, as if it could be made a part of their own ideologies, as if their own foolishness had anything to do with the knowledge of God. They start claiming that they alone are the wise ones and there is no wisdom greater than their own erroneous speculations, parasitic as they are on the fallen, genuine wisdom. God Himself cries out because of this.

Every Jew has a part to play in the task of identifying how this wisdom that has fallen into their hands can be separated from them and elevated in order to return it to its source. The way to achieve this is through acts of charity and kindness under the guidance and inspiration of the Tzaddikim.

Likutey Moharan I:30:6

18/12/2025

Thursday night-Friday December 18-19 / 29 Kislev
Fifth light of Chanukah

Today is the Yahrzeit of R. Avraham b'Reb Nachman Chazan (1849-1917), outstanding Breslover scholar and author of Kochvey Ohr and Biur HaLikutim, a profound commentary on Rabbi Nachman's Likutey Moharan.
On Friday afternoon, the Chanukah lights must be lit before sunset, and they are lit before the Shabbat candles. It is preferable to pray the afternoon Minchah service before kindling the Chanukah lights.

Friday night-Saturday December19-20 / 30 Kislev
Shabbat Parshat MIKEITZ; Shabbat CHANUKAH
First day of Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Sixth light of Chanukah

At the Friday night Shabbat table many have the custom of singing Ma'oz Tzur and other Chanukah songs. Yaaleh Veyavo for Rosh Chodesh and Al Hanissim for Chanukah are added in the Birchat Hamazon and in the the Shabbat Amidah prayers.

Torah Reading: Mikeitz, Gen. 41:1-44:17; Rosh Chodesh reading Numbers 28:9-15 ; Chanukah reading Numbers 7:42-47; Haftara: Zechariah 2:14-4:7.

In the Synagogue on Shabbat morning three Torah scrolls are brought from the ark in order to read the weekly portion, the Rosh Chodesh portion and the special reading for Chanukah from separate scrolls, avoiding the need to waste the congregation's time while rolling one scroll from section to section. The Mussaf service is the special Mussaf when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat with the addition of Al Hanissim. At the conclusion of the middle blessing of Mussaf, "blessed are You HaShem who sanctifies the Shabbat, Israel and the New Moons", it is proper have in mind the permutation of the letters of Havayah for the new month of Tevet (see below).

18/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

You must aim to be contented. You must be contented with just as much as is essential for you to take from this world. And even out of that you must still devote a portion to charity. The effect of this in the upper worlds is to bring about a great unification, and abundant blessings are brought into the world (Likutey Moharan I:54:2).

Charity for the Land of Israel can save you from distracting thoughts while you are praying. Your mind and thoughts are clarified and purified. This is tikkun habrit (ibid. 44).

Charity brings abundant peace (ibid. 57:7).

Acts of charity bring blessings of love into the world. The honor and majesty of the forces of holiness are released from the husks and the Other Side. The lust for food is broken. The prestige and power of those who are arrogant and self-assertive is broken, and honor is returned to the true leaders (ibid. 67).

15/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

The appeals we make to God to `Forgive us!' on Yom Kippur help us to experience the holiness of Chanukah. The reason is that the theme of Chanukah is the consecration of the Holy Temple (chanukat Beit Hamikdash), and on Chanukah we draw the sanctity of the Holy Temple upon ourselves. But it is only possible to do this when our sins are forgiven, as they are on Yom Kippur.

The great teaching which the Holy Temple embodies and declares to the world is that `The Lord, He is God:' in all His aspects He is One. This knowledge can free us from the hold of sin. Nowhere is God's love for Israel more clearly revealed than in the forgiveness of sin. When we radiate the holy knowledge of God's unity to our children and pupils in this generation and in all the generations of the future, we can come to a vision of the transcendental levels of holiness, the holiness which is beyond this world and encompasses it. This vision is a foretaste of the joy of the World to Come.

It is through the kindling of the holy oil of the Chanukah lights that we come to perceive these levels and then our very life and sustenance are drawn from the Supernal Will. We can be worthy of receiving an awesome revelation of God's Will and favor at the very time we are eating. We long and yearn and pine for God with a desire that has no limits.

But only if you are close to a true teacher who is filled with genuine love can you come to attain these levels on Chanukah. How precious to find such a teacher.

Likutey Moharan II:7:11

14/12/2025

Shalom dear friends and fellow Torah students

I had intended to send a message with Chanukah greetings, however, at a time when our hearts are heavy in face of the latest deadly attacks on our brothers and sisters in Australia and continuing attacks elsewhere, it seems inappropriate to say “happy” Chanukah. Yet our Chanukah lights testify to the eternity of the Jewish people under God’s unique protection, despite persecution in every generation. May the lights of this Chanukah raise us above the darkness of the world around us in order to look to G-d’s salvation through the protective power of His Torah and mitzvoth.

Avraham ben Yaakov Greenbaum

14/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

Through the mitzva of kindling the lights of Chanukah we draw down holy Da'at, the knowledge of God, upon ourselves. This Da'at is `the goodly oil' (Psalms 133:) of memory, whereby a person at all times bears in mind that everything in this world, both in general and in particular, has meaning only in relation to the World to Come. The days of Chanukah are days of thanksgiving and praise. Thanksgiving and praise are the essence of the delight of the World to Come. They cause the light of truth to shine: we can pray in truth and learn Torah in truth from the lips of the true teacher, and marriage unions are formed in truth. These three rays of truth send light to all the different facets of speech and bring the faculty of speech to perfection. Through this we are able to bring the sanctity and joy of Shabbat into the six days of the week. Then the simple unity of God is revealed. All these tikkunim are brought about by the kindling of the Chanukah lights, and the praise and thanksgiving which we offer on Chanukah. How precious it is if you achieve all this on Chanukah and bring about these awesome repairs.

Likutey Moharan II, 2

12/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

How precious and holy is the act of eating on Shabbat. It is completely suffused with Godliness without the slightest hint of impurity. The forces of the Sitra Achra, the `Other Side,' have no share at all in the Shabbat food. Anger is conquered and the force of wild passion is uprooted and cast aside. Love and peace reign supreme.

Likutey Moharan 57, 6

11/12/2025

Rabbi Nachman Thought For The Day

One should try to draw the holiness of Shabbat into the six working days of the week and sanctify them also. The more the weekdays are invested with holiness, the more the forces of evil -- the `filthy serpent,' the `end of all flesh,' the `raging stormwind' etc. -- are subdued. Through this, speech becomes elevated.

Likutey Moharan I:38:7

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