Parshas Nitsavim Vayelech 5783 | #78
Please note that everything written within these pages is the result of the writers' and translators' humble understanding and interpretation of the Rebbe's teachings.
D'ei Chochmah L'nafshecha
Excerpts from Shalosh Seudos Torah
You were rebellious against (literally, with) HaShem (Devarim 9:24)
Teshuvah Ta’Taah a Prerequisite for
Teshuvah I’Laah
The Mitteler Rebbe explains that when
a person is faced with a challenge to
do an aveirah or to pass up on doing a
mitzvah, the main thing is to know that
they have bechirah (freewill) to choose
what to do. However, once a person
stumbles and sins, chas v’shalom,
they must then fulfill the mitzvah of
teshuvah, as instructed in the Torah
(also known as teshuvah ta’taah - a
lower level of teshuvah). Once a person
performs teshuvah on the level of
teshuvah ta’taah - acknowledging
the sin, regreting having done it, and
committing not to do it again - they
must elevate themselves to a higher
level of teshuvah, known as teshuvah
i’laah. This level of teshuvah is the level
of yidiyah (foreknowledge), knowing
that everything is from Hashem. This
process signifies the completeness of
teshuvah, to begin from the lower level
of teshuvah to the higher level, where
one acknowledges and reveals that
Hashem is everywhere.
It is written in Chayei Moharan (601)
in regards to viduy - the confession
prayer, that Rebbe Nachman once
said to Reb Yudel of Dashiv (a chossid
of Rebbe Nachman, who was first a
chossid of Reb Pinchos Koritzer), “tell
78 ‫בס״ד | פרשת נצבים וילך תשפ״ג| גליון מס׳‬
‫ממרים הייתם עם ה׳‬
me something from your Rebbe, the
Tzaddik, Reb Pinchos Koritzer.” Reb
Yudel responded, “Reb Pinchos once
said that we say ashamnu, bagadnu,
gazalnu in a plural tense, when really
we should be saying it in a singular
tense. However, we say it plurally is
because we are really saying, so to
speak, in a way of claim and argument
towards Hashem, ashamnu - we have
been guilty, that if not for you, Hashem,
giving us the energy and ability to sin,
we wouldn’t be able to sin.”
This is the explanation of the pasuk
‫ ממרים הייתם עם הוי“ה‬- you were
rebellious against (literally, with)
Hashem (Devarim 9:24), that you were
rebellious, true, but everything was
together with Hashem. Even when
a person is committing the gravest
betrayal towards Hashem, even then
and there Hashem is with him and
beside him. There is nothing separating
us from Hashem.
This teshuvah is the level of teshuvah
i’laah. However, before one rises to that
level, one certainly must first fulfill the
mitzvah of teshuvah ta’taah, which is
to rectify ones deeds and actions by
confessing and regretting what one
has done wrong and accepting upon
oneself not to sin again, as dictated by
the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah).
Rosh HaShanah
Reb Nosson writes in Chayei Moharan:
On erev Rosh HaShanah (Rebbe
Nachman) spoke to us about the Rav
of the city of Breslov (Reb Aaron), who
was not in Uman for Rosh HaShanah.
Rebbe Nachman said “What should I
tell you; there is no greater thing than
being by me for Rosh HaShanah… Even
though other Tzaddikim do not say so,
for to be with them on Rosh HaShanah
is not as great of an obligation, so it will
be yet another question.” (Reb Nosson
explains: as it is, people already had
questions about Rebbe Nachman,
so this idea of being by him for Rosh
HaShanah will be just another one.) Reb
Nosson continued to say that Rabbeinu
z”l spoke much about the importance
and greatness of being by him for
Rosh HaShanah; Rebbe Nachman said
“My Rosh Hashanah exceeds all… It is
surprising for me; since the ones that
are close to me, believe in me, why
shouldn’t all the people that are close
to me, be by me for Rosh HaShanah…
My Rosh HaShanah, no one should
miss, because my whole thing is just
Rosh HaShanah…”
Rebbe Nachman told his followers to
make announcements, “that anyone
who listens to me, and who is close
to me, should be by me for Rosh
Hashanah, no one should miss it…
And whoever merits to be by me on
Rosh HaShanah, deserves to be very
very happy… My Rosh HaShanah is a
continued on page 4
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Reb Yehonasan ben Reb Noson Nota Eibishitz zy”a - 21 Elul
Sefer Urim V’Tumim
HaGaon Reb Yehonosan Eibishitz zy”a, had
complete mastery of the entire Torah, both in its
revealed and hidden aspects, and he had no equal.
He wrote a letter to the Pnei Yehoshua, “How can
you disagree with me, if I am an expert in all of the
“?Torah in both the revealed and the hidden
He would have a talmid wash his hands
immediately upon waking up, so that he shouldn’t
think about words of Torah while still having
impure hands. Before the talmid got to wash his
hands though, he had already thought of three
.approaches in the Rambam’s view
His style of learning was pilpul. He would learn each
halachah in Shulchan Aruch by seeing its roots in
the Gemara and Rishonim through pilpul and
chiddushim. All pilpul throughout the generations
thereafter was learned from the style of his sefer,
.(“Urim v’Tumim (known as “The Tumim
tz said on himself, “I don’t‫ן‬Reb Yehonasan Eibish
know even one daf of Gemara in all of Shas.” This
was because he had so many good questions
and contradictions until he realized “I don’t
“.understand anything
Rav Moshe Shternbuch shlita says that the
Tumim’s style is to find the connecting point
between two different sugyos, in contrast with
the approach of Ketzos HaChoshen that always
.differentiates between similar sugyos
His Davening
Even with all his greatness in Torah, it was his
davening that was the root of all of his Torah. He
wrote, “I have no enjoyment on this world - except
for the time when I go to the Heavenly Chariot and
I have in mind the kavanos and yichudim during
“.Shacharis
Though he spent little time on yichudim, because
he had to be a Rosh Yeshivah teaching Torah to
hundreds of students, still he davened a long
Shemoneh Esrei and didn’t finish until everyone
.else had finished
An Insight He Said In His Childhood
When he was a young child, he was able to
answer the following question: “Since the Torah
commands us to follow the majority view, why
then don’t the Jewish people - who are a minority
in the world – follow the other faiths and religions
Yoma D’Hilula
of the many gentiles, who are the majority?” The
young Reb Yehonasan answered, “The Torah’s
commandment to follow the majority is only
when we have doubt about something, not when
we know for sure that the majority is wrong. In
such a reality, the Torah commands us not to
follow the majority to do evils. The gentile nations
pursue the desires of the world, so they are like
judges who take a bribe, who are swayed by the
bribe and can’t see correctly afterwards. Also, the
desires of this world are blinding and they don’t
allow a person to see the truth. All the goyim who
go after their desires are like judges who take
bribes, whose eyes are blinded and aren’t fit to
render a ruling. Those who go after their desires
are disqualified to judge, because their view has
become crooked. Only the tzaddikim, who are
removed from the desires of This World and who
haven’t been bribed, are able to teach us what
the truth is. The Torah’s commandment to follow
the majority is only applicable within the Jewish
people, who are mostly tzaddikim, holy people
who separate from the desires of this world. But
by the goyim, only very few separate from the
desires of the world, so most of them are bribed
by their desires. They cannot accurately judge,
because they are like a bunch of drunkards and
insane people whose views cannot overweigh any
“.views that oppose theirs
The Machlokes Between The Yaavetz
and Reb Yehonasan Eibishitz
There was a well-known machlokes (rift) that
took place between the Yaavetz (Reb Yaakov
Emden) and Reb Yehonasan Eibishitz, in which
the Yaavetz suspected Reb Yehonasan Eibishitz
as being part of the Shabtai Tzvi false messiah
movement. The Chiddushei HaRim said that if
not for this machlokes, Reb Yehonasan Eibishitz
would have reached the level of the talmidim of
.the Baal Shem Tov
When great leaders of the generations are in a
dispute with each other, simple people should
not mix in. Once Reb Yehonasan Eibishitz was
traveling far from his home in Prague and he
stayed in a certain town, and the people there
didn’t recognize him. The people there were
talking disrespectfully about all the Gedolim of
the time, and then they started talking about the
machlokes between Reb Yaakov Emden and Reb
Yehonasan Eibishitz, and each one was giving
their opinion, and discussing who is right and who
is wrong, etc. Reb Yehonasan turned to them and
said, “We all said the Hagaddah on Pesach, where
we sang Chad Gadya at the end. It is a puzzling
story - the cat eats the goat, and clearly he is the
bad one in the story for attacking the innocent
goat. That would make the dog right for biting the
cat. That means the stick is bad for hitting the dog,
the fire is right for burning the stick, the water is
bad for putting out the water, the ox is right for
drinking it up, the butcher is bad for slaughtering
the ox, angel of death is therefore good for killing
the butcher – and then why would Hashem kill the
angel of death for doing something good?!” When
Reb Yehonasan finished the question, everyone
was listening intently. Reb Yehonasan answered:
“It is because even though the cat was wrong for
eating up the goat, the dog was still wrong for
getting involved in the fight! That makes the stick
right, the fire bad, the water good, the ox bad,
the butcher good, the angel of death bad, and
Hashem did justice by killing the angel of death.”
Then Reb Yehonasan finished: “When Gedolim
are in an argument, why are you foolish people
mixing in? You have no understanding of the
language, and even the ordinary conversations, of
“.these great people
Peace At The End
A few months after Reb Yehonasan was niftar,
the Yaavetz was about to be niftar and was heard
saying, “Baruch HaBa (Welcome) Abba (father).
Baruch HaBa, Reb Yehonasan.” When the local
chevra kadisha came to bury him, they found
an empty burial spot in a row of graves that was
close to the grave of Reb Yehonasan, and they
weren’t sure if they sure if they should bury the
Yaavetz there since it was nearby the grave of
Reb Yehonasan whom he had been engaged
in a heated battle with. They asked the Noda
B’Yehudah (the Rav of Prague then) what to do,
who paskened that since the Yaavetz had said
“Baruch HaBa Reb Yehonasan” right before he
was niftar, it must have been a sign that peace
had been made in Shomayim between the
Yaavetz and Reb Yehonasan Eibishitz, and it is like
what the Gemara (Kiddushin) says that Talmidei
Chachomim are first enemies with each other as
they fight vehemently against each other in their
differing Torah views on a matter, but in the end
they become beloved friends with each other. So
the chevra kadisha, based on the psak of the Noda
B’Yehudah, buried the Yaavetz in the same row,
.and nearby, the grave of Reb Yehonasan Eibishitz
2

The Chofetz Chaim
Reb Yisrael Meir ben Aryeh Zev HaKohen Kagan zt”l
The Hisbodedus & Tikkunim of the The Bittul of The Chofetz Chaim’s
Chofetz Chaim Talmidim To Their Rebbi
Reb Leib Friedman zt”l (who was called
‘Reb Leibel Tzadik’) a close friend of the
Chofetz Chaim zt”l, said in the name of Rav
Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (Ponovezher
Rav zt”l) who observed the Chofetz Chaim
doing hisbodedus and cheshbon hanefesh
every night. (The son of the Chofetz Chaim
testified that the Chofetz Chaim would do
hisbodedus every night for 2-4 hours.) He
also heard the Chofetz Chaim rectifying lost
souls who would come to him for a tikkun.
“The Chofetz Chaim Was Greater
Than The Gra”
While that is more well-known, what isn’t
as well-known is that the Ponovezher Rav
also said, “The Chofetz Chaim was even
greater than the Gra.” Though we cannot
take this statement simply, perhaps we can
understand it as follows. There are several
who testified that the Chofetz Chaim
learned sifrei Chassidus at the end of his
life. (One story is that the Chofetz Chaim
met the Imrei Emes of Gur who was learning
sefer Noam Elimelech and sefer Divrei Emes
of the Chozeh of Lublin, and he asked him
what is so special about these sefarim.
The Imrei Emes answered, “Just like the
Vilna Gaon is so important to you, so are
these sefarim written by tzaddikim just as
important to us.” This made on impression
on the Chofetz Chaim, who began to learn
sifrei Chassidus ever since then. There are
also those who report seeing the Chofetz
Chaim learn sefer Tanya). Thus, since the
Chofetz Chaim learned sifrei Chassidus at
the end of his life – which is the “light of
Mashiach” – in this aspect, he was greater
than the Gra.
Yoma D’Hilula
Yahrtzeit - 24 Elul
The Chofetz Chaim would say simple words
of mussar – at least that’s how it seemed
– but his two closest talmidim, Reb Naftoli
Trop and Reb Elchonon Wasserman, who
were close to the high level of the Chofetz
Chaim, were able to perceive great depth
hidden in the Chofetz Chaim’s words. They
would sit in front of the Chofetz Chaim in
a state of total bittul (surrender), thirstily
drinking up every word the Chofetz Chaim
said and feeling like they were so far from
perceiving his words. (This is in contrast
with everyone else, who were far from the
Chofetz Chaim’s high level and who thought
that the Chofetz Chaim only spoke simple
words that were easily understood…)
The Chofetz Chaim’s Role of
Repairing The Sefirah of Malchus
(The Mouth)
In the period preceding Mashiach’s arrival,
the Sefirah of Malchus (the last of the 10
Sefiros), needs to be repaired – and it is the
hardest to repair, for the final Redemption
depends on it. Hashem sent us a “Kohen
greater than his brother” who hears the
leprosy and afflictions upon us: the Chofetz
Chaim zy”a, who write for us his holy sefarim
Chofetz Chaim, Shemiras HaLashon, and
more. Learning these sefarim show us the
proper way to live life, and these sefarim are
especially effective in enabling us to fulfill
what we learn and to save us from speech-
related aveiros.
At the end of his life the Chofetz Chaim
wrote sefer Ahavas Yisrael, which is the
repair for the root of speech-related aveiros:
lack of ahavas Yisrael. The Chofetz Chaim
wrote there that when a Jew loves another
Jew, he easily overlooks the faults in the
other and isn’t able to speak badly about the
other. May we be zocheh to regularly learn
the sefarim of the Chofetz Chaim and fulfill
them, so that we have a part in repairing
Malchus, and may we be zocheh to love for
Klal Yisrael and to sanctify our mouths, as
the Chofetz Chaim intended and which he
was moser nefesh for.
Malchus: Anticipating The Geulah
The Chofetz Chaim would speak a lot about
waiting the Geulah and preparing for it,
and he would mourn greatly over the loss
of the Shechinah and longingly await the
Geulah. Once Reb Naftoli Trop asked the
Chofetz Chaim, “Why should we await the
Geulah? How can that we missing the Beis
HaMikdash, since we can feel just as close
to Hashem when we learn Gemara?” The
Chofetz Chaim answered, “Because it has
to bother us to the core of our souls that
Hashem’s Glory isn’t revealed in the world.”
When the Chofetz Chaim learned Gemara,
he didn’t forget about the Shechinah and
the deficiency to Heaven’s Honor in the
world. This was another example of how the
Chofetz Chaim personified the repair of the
Sefirah of Malchus - the trait of desiring the
revelation of the Shechinah upon the world.
The Chofetz Chaim’s Advice of
Saying Tehillim Every Day
There is a story told over in which the
Chofetz Chaim said, “I foresee that there
will soon come difficult times for Klal
Yisrael, in which our people will have to go
through difficult challenges of emunah and
continued on page 4
3
Rosh HaShanah continued from page 1
great chiddush... Hashem knows that I didn't inherit it from my ancestors...
Hashem gave me this gift... I know what Rosh HaShanah is… For sure, you all
are dependent on my Rosh HaShanah; the entire world is dependent on my
Rosh HaShanah.” Rebbe Nachman also said “on Rosh HaShanah, people can
get Tikunim / rectifications, Tikunuim which they can’t get during the year…
Even though in the middle of the year, sometimes I could not repair them, on
Rosh Hashanah they can get a Tikun”... Rebbe Nachman added: “that he does
on Rosh HaShanah Tikunim that he could not do during the entire year.”
In a letter to his son encouraging him to attend Rebbe Nachman's Rosh
HaShanah in Uman (printed in the Sefer Alim L’Trufah, a collection of letters
from Reb Nosson of Breslov), Reb Nosson wrote: “Our Rosh HaShanah is very
very great in the eyes of Hashem Yisborach, for there is nothing higher than
it.” Reb Nosson explained that even after the passing of Rebbe Nachman,
we must continue this by first going to Rebbe Nachman's Tizun on Erev Rosh
HaShanah, and then afterwards by gathering together with the talmidim of
Rebbe Nachman on Rosh HaShanah. This continues for all generations, to
gather together specifically with those who are talmidim of Rebbe Nachman.
On this, Reb Shlomo Veksler (a talmid of Reb Avraham Ben Reb Nachman,
who was a talmid of Reb Nosson; Reb Shlomo was one of the leaders of all the
Breslover Chassidim in Eretz Yisroel, in particular in Yerushalayim) explained
that our Rosh HaShanah is very very great in the eyes of Hashem Yisborach.
There is nothing higher than it, just as Rebbe Nachman said. Reb Shlomo said
that in his humble opinion, this is referring to people who live outside of Eretz
Yisroel. However, one should not travel from Eretz Yisroel, chas v’shalom.
He said “that he heard this explicitly from the great Breslover Chassidim.
Rebbe Nachman said that Eretz Yisroel is ‘greatness of greatness’ (Chayei
Moharan #140). Therefore, it is greater than the ‘great thing’, which is outside
of Eretz Yisroel. Chazal said that a small group of yidden in Eretz Yisroel is
more beloved to Hashem Yisborach than the Sanhedrin outside Eretz Yisroel.
Therefore it would seem that a small group is preferable.” In regards to Erev
Rosh HaShanah, the Bresslover Chassidim throughout the generations in Eretz
Yisroel had the custom of going to Kivrei Tzaddikim - specifically Kever Dovid
HaMelech - and the Kosel on Erev Rosh HaShanah, based on the tradition that
was received from the talmidim of Reb Nosson that the Tzaddik resides by the
Kosel.
Reb Levi Yitzchok Bender (also one of the leaders of all the Breslover Chassidim
in Eretz Yisroel, in particularly Yerushalayim after Reb Shlomo Veksler) used
to say that the Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) is here (in Yerushalayim). Reb Levi
Yitzchok also remarked from Reb Avraham Ben Reb Nachman that from Eretz
Yisroel, one does not have to go to Uman. He also used to say that when he
goes to the Kosel, he is going to the Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman), and that on
Rosh HaShanah, he is with Rebbe Nachman in Yerushalayim. Reb Levi Yitzchok
once wrote a letter to those outside of Eretz Yisroel, saying since the greatness
of our Rosh HaShanah in Yerushalayim is so great, he cannot give a definitive
answer as to where to go for those outside Eretz Yisroel - whether to Uman or
Yerushalayim. Rather, one should Daven to Hashem to lead them towards the
correct thing for them to do.
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Yoma D’Hilula
keeping Yiddishkeit.” He was referring to the years in
which the Communists ym”sh were going to try to uproot
belief in G-d from the Jewish people. The Chofetz Chaim
advised that saying Tehillim every day will fortify a person
to withstand these difficult tests. (And as Rebbe Nachman
teaches in Likutei Moharan, saying Tehillim every day is
advice that comes from the 50th Gate of Holiness which
can save a person from the 50th level of impurity.)
The Chofetz Chaim added, “Don’t think that this is too
hard to do. After a person gets used to it for some time, he
can easily recite the entire sefer Tehillim in a short amount
of time.” The Chofetz Chaim also said, “This I know from
personal experience.” The Chofetz Chaim gave someone
a Tehillim as a gift, and the person used it to get by difficult
times during the rule of the KGB.
Physical Poverty, Spiritual Wealth
Once the Chofetz Chaim dreamt that he became a very
wealthy man. The next day he fasted, considering this
a terrible dream. He said, “A dream either comes from
one’s thoughts during the day, or it is a message of what
will happen in one’s future. If I dreamed of being wealthy
because I fantasize about being wealthy, then it means I am
too connected to This World and I have to do teshuvah. If I
dreamed this because I am being shown what will happen in
my future, it is a terrible decree on me that I should become
a wealthy person (because this won’t help my avodas Hash-
em, it will only make me forget about Hashem).
The Chofetz Chaim also chose to marry a wife who came
from a home of poverty, unlike his friends who married
into wealthy families (who eventually left Torah learning
and got involved in business pursuits). He gave up
physical wealth for spiritual wealth: He was blessed with
writing many world-renowned sefarim that benefitted
Klal Yisrael. Since the Chofetz Chaim was connected with
the Sefirah of Malchus (through his many sefarim on the
topic of guarding the mouth, which is the symbol of Mal-
chus, and with his many sefarim being accepted in all of
Klal Yisrael, which is an aspect of Malchus), and Malchus
is described as “poor and destitute, with nothing of her
own”, the Chofetz Chaim preferred physical poverty as
being more beneficial for his avodas Hashem [in exchange
for spiritual wealth instead].