Just wanted everyone to know that I will be hosting a session on Skype for Business on Tuesday July 10, at 11:30m CDT for anyone interested in beginning Conversational Hebrew Level I. This will be an organizational meeting ONLY, so no preparation is required. Hope many of you will join me to learn more about this wonderful program that is available on A-T.

The Mashiach (Messiah) will be blessed with six qualities of ruach: “God’s ruach will rest upon him — a ruach of wisdom and understanding, a ruach of counsel and might, a ruach of knowledge and fear of God” (Isaiah 11:2). It is no wonder that (belief in) the Mashiach is literally the ruach apeinu (“the breath of our nostrils”) (Lamentations 4:20). Before the Mashiach appears, a ruach of Godlessness will sweep through the world. When he finally arrives, a contrasting ruach of Godliness will cleanse our hearts, ridding the world of the ruach of impurity that prevents us from seeing and experiencing God (cf. Zekhariah 13:2).- Anatomy of the Soul

Rebbe Nachman taught: Man draws his life force from God’s attribute of Malkhut [Kingship], which is the very root of existence. For Malkhut is the aspect of Ruach HaKodesh, the level of (Esther 5:1) “And Esther dressed in Malkhut,” concerning which our Sages noted (Megillah 14b), it is not written “’dressed in clothes of Malkhut’ but ‘dressed in Malkhut,’ alluding to the fact that Ruach HaKodesh had descended upon Esther.”

This is so cool for this week's Parashah


Parashat Pinchas 25: 11 "Phineas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the Kohen, turned back My anger from the Israelites when he zealously avenged Me in their midst, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My vengeance."

Phineas

We read Parashat Pinchas and Parashat Matot during the Three Weeks, as these Torah portions reflect the themes of this time period. The destruction of the Temple began on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, when the Jews made the golden calf that concealed Divine Will. Phineas, through his zealotry for God, revealed Divine Will. Furthermore, Parashat Pinchas speaks of the sacrifices brought on the Festivals, which also reveal Divine Will by way of the miracles that occurred on those days.

Parashat Matot speaks of vows, which allow a person to single-handedly transform what is permitted into what is prohibited. This shows the power of free choice, which one can use to reveal God’s Will (Likutey Halakhot I, p. 290-146a).

Phineas…turned back My anger…so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My vengeance

The justice of man is harsher than that of Heaven. Therefore, when Phineas pursued Zimri, the Divine judgments ceased—not only against Zimri, who had instigated the evil, but against all of the Jews who had sinned. But Phineas actually did a great favor for the Jews, for he tricked the Divine judgments into thinking that he would exact even greater vengeance than they, and possibly even destroy the Jews altogether, God forbid. In fact, Phineas was a most compassionate person. His goal was not to destroy the entire nation, but only the instigator of the evil, which would be sufficient to turn away God's anger and bring an end to the Divine judgments. By assuming the mantle of vengeance, Phineas actually eased the judgments from the Jews, so that God could say, "I did not destroy the Jews in My vengeance." Phineas transformed ChaMaTI (חמתי, My anger) into MaChiTI (מחתי, I have wiped away), as in "I have wiped away your sins like a cloud" (Isaiah 44: 22) (Likutey Moharan I, 241).

Phineas…turned back My anger…Take a census of the entire Israelite community…The Land should be divided among these Phineas stood up and prayed (Psalms 106: 30).

Phineas effected compassion for the Jews with his prayers. One who arouses the power of prayer invokes the merit of the tzaddikim; their merit leads us to the Holy Land and allows for the revelation of the Act of Creation. Therefore the Torah’s description of Phineas’deed is immediately followed by the census of the Israelite families, whom God testifies are all tzaddikim (Rashi on Numbers 26: 5), which is immediately followed by the laws of inheriting the Land (Likutey Halakhot II, p. 24-13a). 25: 12

"Therefore say: 'Behold! I am giving him My covenant of peace.'" I am giving him My covenant of peace…a covenant of eternal priesthood


Originally, God intended to have the priesthood come from Shem. But because Shem blessed Abraham before blessing God (see Genesis 14: 19-20), the priesthood was taken from Shem and given to Abraham (Nedarim 32b). As a result of avenging Zimri’s immorality, Phineas attained the quality of “love" associated with Abraham. Love and peace are synonymous. Thus, Phineas attained the "covenant of peace…a covenant of eternal priesthood" (Likutey Moharan I, 34: 7; ibid., I, 34: 9).

I am giving him My covenant of peace... a covenant of eternal priesthood

Phineas was granted the priesthood because he avenged for God’s sake and revealed God’s Will. Avenging God's Will is considered charity, as it defeats the manifestation of other wills. Therefore Phineas was granted the priesthood, for the Kohen wears the priestly garments that reveal God’s Will (as in Exodus 28: 2) (Likutey Halakhot I, p. 290).

I am giving him My covenant of peace... a covenant of eternal priesthood

The priesthood represents peace, as the Kohanim offer the sacrifices that make peace between God and the Jewish people. This is especially true of the Kohen Gadol, whose devotions on Yom Kippur bring peace between God and the Jews, for He forgives their sins (Likutey Halakhot II, p. 169a). 26: 5


Reuben was Israel's firstborn. The descendants of Reuben were the Chanokhite family from Chanokh, the Paluite family from Palu. The Chanokhite family The other nations derided the Jews, saying: "How can these trace their lineage by their tribes? If the Egyptians ruled over their bodies, surely they controlled their wives, too!" To silence their claim, God added His Holy Name to their names—a hei (ה) on one side and a yod (י) on the other—to say: "I testify that they are the sons of their fathers!" (Rashi). This indicates that because the Jews guarded the covenant, God placed His Name upon them (Likutey Moharan I, 36: 6). Y-H( י-ה),

Rabbi Nachman's Torah

Mashiach corresponds both to prayer and to the nose (Likutey Moharan II, 1:12; see also above, Chapters 25 and 29). Scripture tells us that Mashiach’s exceptional power will stem from his nose, as in (Isaiah 11:3), “He will breathe the fear of God.” This means that his vitality will be obtained through his nose, with every breath he takes. In addition, our Sages teach (Sanhedrin 93b), “Mashiach will be able to ‘smell’ deceit and to adjudicate by his sense of smell.” As we have seen, prayer is compared to the nose; the main weapon which Mashiach will use to conquer the world and to administer true justice will be not the sword, artillery or any other physical weapon but prayer (Likutey Moharan I, 2:1). Rebbe Nachman tells us that everyone has a “nose and a sense of smell” which reflect, on a personal level, the “nose and sense of smell” of Mashiach. Thus, each person has within himself a tiny portion of Mashiach, and by engaging in sincere prayer, he can arouse and cultivate this portion, thereby hastening Mashiach’s arrival. This is yet another compelling reason for us to guard ourselves against immorality, for immoral thoughts and behavior lead to difficulty in prayer and thereby blemish one’s aspect of Mashiach (see also Mashiach: Who? What? Why? How? Where? and When?, Chapter 7, for a more detailed explanation).- Anatomy of the soul