2022-07-03 – LH4 – YD1 – Hechsher Keylim 4 – Para. 26-30 – Tikkun Layl Shavuos – Overcoming Obstacles Brings New Light From the Torah; Tehillim 68; רצון – Power of the Will

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Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon. This halakha is based on Likutey Moharan 66.
00:00 – PARAGRAPH 26. Receiving the Torah on Shavuos is an aspect of revealing Ohr Chadash – the ability to bring a new light from the Torah that was never revealed before. This is accomplished only through yearning and overcoming obstacles.
05:42 – The composition of the Tikkun Layl Shavuos reminds us of all the kindness Hashem has done for Am Yisrael.
07:43 – PARAGRAPH 27. יָק֣וּם אֱ֖לֹהִים יָפ֣וּצוּ אֽוֹיְבָ֑יו וְיָנ֥וּסוּ מְ֜שַׂנְאָ֗יו מִפָּנָֽיו – “May Hashem rise; His enemies scatter, and those who hate Him flee from before Him” (Tehillim/Psalms 68:2)
10:21 – Why we remember Israel’s mesiras nefesh at the shore of the Yam Suf: שָׁ֚ם בִּנְיָמִ֨ן | צָעִ֡יר רֹדֵ֗ם שָׂרֵ֣י יְ֖הוּדָה רִגְמָתָ֑ם – “There Benjamin the youngest rules over them; the princes of Judah pelt them with stones…” (Tehillim/Psalms 68:28). The tribe of Binyamin (ben Rochel) was the first tribe to jump into the Yam Suf, and afterwards Nachshon Ben Animadav of Shevet Yehudah (ben Leah).
13:59 – PARAGRAPH 28. אֱלֹהִ֚ים | בְּאָזְנֵ֬ינוּ שָׁמַ֗עְנוּ אֲבוֹתֵ֥ינוּ סִפְּרוּ־לָ֑נוּ פֹּֽעַל־פָּעַ֥לְתָּ בִֽ֜ימֵיהֶ֗ם בִּ֣ימֵי קֶֽדֶם – “Hashem, with our ears we heard, our forefathers told us; You performed a deed in their days, in days of old” (Tehillim/Psalms 44:2). Through mesiras nefesh – self-sacrifice – Am Yisrael merits Hashem’s protection from all our enemies.
16:38 – Truth is the main way to break through obstacles. This desire for truth through negating one’s own personal agendas has a tremendous power. Ratzon (will) and ahava (love) go together, as we say in kiddush on Shabbos ושַׁבַּת קָדְשׁך בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחִילָתנוּ.
20:26 – PARAGRAPH 29. תֵּֽאָלַ֗מְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֫י שָׁ֥קֶר הַדֹּֽבְר֖וֹת עַל־צַדִּ֥יק עָ֜תָ֗ק בְּגַֽאֲוָ֥ה וָבֽוּז – “Let lying lips become mute, those that speak against a righteous man falsely, with haughtiness and disdain” (Tehillim/Psalms 31:19). Dovid Hamelech prays that no one will be able to speak against true tzaddikim.
25:26 – חִזְקוּ וְיַֽאֲמֵ֣ץ לְבַבְכֶ֑ם כָּל־הַֽ֜מְיַֽחֲלִ֗ים לַֽיהֹוָֽה – “Strengthen yourselves, and He will give your heart courage, all who hope to Hashem” (Tehillim/Psalms 31:25). יחל is an aspect of רצון – patient hope is an aspect of the will.
27:50 – Why men stay awake all night on Layl Shavuos (the night of Shavuos). The darkness that precedes the day is an aspect of “obstacle” – the word חוֹשֶׁך means both “darkness” and “obstacle”, as further explained in Likutey Moharan 66 and in Likutey Moharan 115.
30:38 – אֶזְכְּרָ֥ה נְגִינָתִ֗י בַּ֫לָּ֥יְלָה עִם־לְבָבִ֥י אָשִׂ֑יחָה וַיְחַפֵּ֥שׂ רוּחִֽי – “I recall my melody at night; I speak with my heart and my spirit searches” (Tehillim/Psalms 77:7).
31:00 – זָ֘כַ֚רְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה שִׁמְךָ֣ יְהֹוָ֑ה וָֽ֜אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה תּֽוֹרָתֶֽךָ – “At night I remembered Your name, Hashem, and I kept Your Torah” (Tehillim/Psalms 119:55). Through sleeping and waking, we nullify ourselves before Hashem and wake up with new strength.
35:04 – יְהֹוָה מָה־רַבּ֣וּ צָרָ֑י רַ֜בִּ֗ים קָמִ֥ים עָלָֽי – “Hashem, how many have my adversaries become! Great men rise up against me” (Tehillim/Psalms 3:2).
*38:04 – The intense sefiras HaOmer of the Breslov community.
40:46 – On Shavuos, a man doesn’t need sleep to achieve bitul.
42:29 – Analogy of physical exercising – the body can only handle so much strain. Rest is an essential part of activity – as it is in spiritual avodah also. It’s necessary to go into the state of bitul – sleep – in order to refresh strength.
43:45 – The Bnei Yisa’char brings that 49 is b’gematria Lev Tov – a good heart.
44:23 – Q&R – How can both yearning and sleep be aspects of bitul?
45:08 – Q&R – The definition of “soul” is רצון – yearning. אין דבר העומד בפני הרצון – “[With regard to Torah study] nothing can stand in the way of the will” (Megilah, Chida).
46:49 – Q&R about the approaching Bein HaMitzarim – the “Three Weeks” – which begin with the Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz. כָּל־רֹֽדְפֶ֥יהָ הִשִּׂיג֖וּהָ בֵּ֥ין הַמְּצָרִֽים – “…all her pursuers overtook her between the boundaries” (Eicha/Lamentations 1:3). The three weeks is a time when Am Yisrael is especially vulnerable to enemies and negative forces. However, on the words “between the boundaries” Breslov chassidim say, “She [the Shekhina Hakadosha – Holy Presence of Hashem in this world] can be found specifically during [the Three Weeks]”.
49:45 – Q&R – How does one discern between obstacles that need to be overcome, and obstacles that should not be overcome? Through learning Torah, seeking out the advice of tzaddikim, and tefilah – prayer.