סֵפֶר שֶעָשָה נִסִים

Compiled and written by Rav Rahmiel Drizin

Hakdama – Introduction

Hakdama IntroductionWe are so fortunate to move to yet another special area in our Jewish Life cycleof organic time. For just as the Northern Hemisphere becomes its mostphysicallly dark, we Jews each become beacons of light, dignifying the darkwith 8 nights of light, nights in praise of Nissim/miracles. For the Baal ShemTov, the founder of the Hassidic movement, Hanukah was his “favorite” holiday– for Hanukah is the holiday of light, a light that fills the soul and warms theheart.We praise the miracles when we light, we praise the miracles in the addition tothe after-blessing for bread and the Amidah, we praise the miracles by therecitation of the full Hallel each day. We therefore are taking a “short course”in miracles just in fulfilling our halakhic daily requirements for Hanukah.It appears to me with the help of Heaven, that a more expanded Course inMiracles is required. Two years ago in Sefer Yair Panav Elecha veYechunekha,we daily meditated on one of the 13 Attributes of Mercy and derived personalmeaning from them. Last year, in Sefer BeHallel uveHodot we againconcentrated on the first blessing of the candle lighting ceremony, this timecontemplating the Sefirot from Binah to Malkut, one each day. This year inSefer She’asah Nissim, as will be explained, we turn our attention to the 2ndblessing, now focusing on the previous energies in reverse order, from Malkutto Binah, reflecting on the miracles in our life related to the Sefirot.

Our Sages established these eight days to express praise and thanks to Gd’s

great Name [from Al HaNassim addition], so it behooves us to make it personal,

to look within and to express praise and thanks to Gd for the miracles in our

life. To this extent, we with the help of adapted writings from various Internet

sources, will explore the nature of miracle as they appear in our 24/7 on this

amazing earth plain.

Some may wish to bypass these readings, and to go to the section on Mystical

Miracle Musings towards the end of this document.

What is the Jewish standpoint on miracles?

How important or unimportant is miraculous phenomena to the Jewish believer? Perhaps we

should rephrase the question in the opposite manner: “What is the Jewish standpoint on

nature? or How important or unimportant is natural phenomena to the Jewish believer?”

Gd manages every aspect of creation at every given moment. There are no rules He must

follow. There are no forces He must contend with. All is in His hands

Nonetheless, He chose to create a system called “nature.” An arrangement of fixed rules. An

order of causes and effects. Why did he create nature? In order to conceal His identity and

hide His footprints. He wanted a world in which things would appear as if they run on their

own, and thus, force Man to discover G‑d on his own. In fact, the very word for nature in

Hebrew, “tevah,” also translates as “sunk.” Nature is G‑d’s way of submerging His presence

under a sea of scientific laws and patterns. And Man is a deep-sea diver given the task of

finding G‑d’s hand which lurks behind the veil of nature.

And so, life is very similar to a game of “Hide and Go Seek.” But every now and then, G‑d

emerges from His hiding place and breaks through the self-imposed shackles of nature. The

sea is split. A scientific rule is broken. Mother Nature is proven wrong. Perhaps, a child is

cured from an incurable disease. Or our nation is saved from a seemingly hopeless situation.

And it is through these supernatural events that we realize that nature too is merely a creation

of G‑d.

continue to complete Sefer Of Miracles

סֵפֶר שֶעָשָה נִסִים

Chanuka · Hanukah · Hassidic · Miracle · Nissim · Sefer She'asah Nissim · Sefirot

B”H

By Kabbalist Rav Yitzchak Schwarts

1. The essence and power of grieving over the loss of the Holy Temple

We are less than 2 days away from  Tisha B’av—the day of the destruction of both Temples

[and a number of other catastrophic events]….The question that keeps coming up every year is,

‘How can we mourn over something that we never have known or experienced?’

The intensity of grief that we experience over anything or over anyone that we have lost, is directly proportional to the degree that we knew, felt, loved and were connected to that person . Therefore the challenge in the grieving process over the loss of our Holy Temples,  is to explore what it was that we had, and that we lack, now  that they are gone.

We need to understand that the the grieving that we do, serves a crucial purpose. As opposed to just grieving over the loss in order to heal ourselves and to give proper respect to that which is lost to us—-as is normally the case in grieving,  here our purpose in grieving is to BRING BACK TO LIFE THE OBJECT OF OUR GRIEF!

With this approach, we can understand and fulfill what our Sages say, ”Those who mourn for the destruction [of Jerusalem...], merit to see her [Jerusalem's] happiness”……..The true mourning process is itself right now, the catalyst, for the ultimate joy of it’s being rebuilt.

YEARNING FOR THE BEIT HAMIKDASH [meditations and prayers]

2. The Return Home

Know that one of the main purposes that the Creator created the universe for, was so that He should have a ‘Dira B’Tachtonim’–literally a dwelling place in this lower World—-which incudes a dwelling place inside of each one of us, as well as a physical home on earth ”…in the place of His choosing…”—namely Jerusalem…….

Know that this same city of Jerusalem, even when it is not in a state of it’s  full expression, as it will be when the Holy Temple will be rebuilt and functioning, nevertheless , even now , it is the city that Hashem’s prescence is felt , more than any other city on earth…….

As a direct result of this indwelling, Jerusalem is, was and aloways will be the central focus of our people [and of the entire world]…..Know that we pray for Jerusalem’s wellbeing in all of our fixed prayers and in our blessing after meals….We place our yearning for Jerusalem above our highest joys—in impassioned declarations at the pinnacle of our wedding ceremonies, as well as on the walls of our homes [in the form of a corner of one of the walls  being left unpainted]………

We are in love with Jerusalem………We face it’s direction when we pray…..We yearn to be at the Kotel/Western Wall—the Holy remnant of the outer wall of the Temple complex….Many of us make our political choices on the basis of the candidate’s level of consideration for the wefare of Jerusalem…….So Jerusalem is not only the ‘so-called Home for Hashem,–but for us as well…………………

Know that when Jerusalem is fully actualized, through having the Holy temple built up and functioning in it’s midst, at a time when our people have come back home and at a time when our Righteous Mashiach is alive and well and  fully functioning—-at that time, our people’s historical marriage with Hashem will be completely consumated and realized—–whereas in any and every historical setting where we lack this reality, we find ourselves steeped in Exile—and to the extent of our being in exile, to that extent, we are separated from our groom, our husband—our G-d—-along with all of the pain and heartache that a wife and husband feel upon being apart…….

Know that our national return to our married partner, to our Holy Home of Jerusalem, with it’s Temple intact—-is actually a return to ourselves—-to our fully expressed status of being ”A Nation of Priests”, ”A Light unto the Nations”, a nation of scholars and Prophets—a nation that returns to being it’s fully glorious self.

A prayer for our return home;

Our Merciful father

We grieve for all that we have lost

We grieve, but with a grieving

that is full of trust and hope—

a trust that our grieving will be

transformed into pure joy—

a joy that comes when our prayers our answered and

our dreams are fulfilled

But most important, Hashem

We yearn for your Prescence

here on earth

in the Place that

You have chosen to Dwell

from time immemorial

Bring us all home Dear Lord,

Bring us all back home to Jerusalem

to the place that we have

never stopped loving and longing for

in every prayer

in every major event

of our lives

Return us to the Jerusalem

that shines in her full glory

to the Jerusalem of today

that is being transformed

into the ultimate Jerusalem

of tomorrow

with her Prophets

and her Scholars

and her Priests

and her Mashiach

and her Holy Temple

all shining forth

with the brightest

of Divine Light

a light that lights up

all the darknesses

of the entire world

Bring us home

our G-d and G-d of our fathers

Bring us back

to the home of our youth

bring us to a home where we know

that all that really counts is

to be with You

in all ways always

Bring us Home

to ourselves

to our fully expressed

fully blossomed

glorious selves

Open up the wellsprings of Jerusalem

inside of our hearts and souls

for all this

and more than we can express

we ask you, Dear G-d

to bring us home!!

3. The Unifying Principle

Know that Jerusalem , even in it’s present not-yet-fully-realized-state [all the more so , in it's realized state with the HolyTemple] is the ultimate unifier….It’s very name indicates this–’Yerushalayim’  which comprises the 2 words , ‘Yire Shalem ‘ meaning complete seeing, or the ability to hold in one’s perspective anything and it’s opposite, and everything in-between, at the same time……The more classic etymology of the name is the City of Peace—a city representing the ideal of peace, at the same time that historically, it is one of the bloodiest, most war ravaged spots on the globe—-a classic illustration of Jerusalem’s harmony of opposites….Similarly, it brings together many peoples of the globe as well as many outlooks of life….Most important, it is the unifier of spirituality, infinity, eternity and Divinity—of all of these, together with their opposites—physicality, finiteness, temporality as well as the mundane………..

As is known Kabbalistically, that  which unifies disparate elements, is that which signifies beauty—-thus our Sages state that out of the 10 measures of beauty that have been given to the world, 9 of them were given to Jerusalem……..

Know that Jerusalem’s [and especially the Holy Temple's] power to harmonize and unite —-qualifies Jerusalem  to serve as the focal point of global rectification and perfection—-The Holy Temple generates and reverberates  physical and spiritual sustenance to the entire world, and alternatively, the physical and the spiritual realms are reflected in the corresponding state or level of the Holy Temple…..Thus, the 1st Temple–the Temple built by King Solomon, radiated one of the highest spiritual auras in history—with incredible levels of Proohecy and open miracles–which reflected the state or level of the Jews and the entire world at that time…..The level dropped a number of notches in the 2nd temple, and will reach it’s highest peak in the3rd Temple, never to fall again……

Know that this great concentration of harmony, will qualify Jerusalem to serve as the Universal focus of all of mankind —as is explicitly elaborated upon in all of the writings of the Prophets…….This Universal harmony, will bring along with it, world peace, world joy and world spiritual elevation—-where one and all will seek Hashem , to know His ways with all of their might…….

And ultimately this world consciousness will usher in a new and very different era or world order, where no longer will people be driven to perfect themselves and all which is deficient, but rather , they will be driven to seek out Divine Unification..ie…the ability to see with ever-increasing clarity —that there is nothing else in reality, but Hashem!!

a prayer for accessing  the unification consciousness of Jerusalem

Master of the Universe

We come before You

with a broken heart

and a scattered sense of self

Please heal us

Please reunify us

Please return us

to our city of complete – seeing Yerushalayim,

so that we can be whole again,

so that we can harmonize together

all that is disconnected so that

we can attach ourselves and all that is temporal in our lives,

all that is mediocre and stuck and petty in our lives to

all that is infinite all that is supernatural all that is eternal

and all that is Divine

Return us to all this through the unifying power of Jerusalem—

the upper , heavenly Jerusalem

together with the lower earthly Jerusalem

Reveal to us the total beauty that Jerusalem contains

the essence of beauty

The beauty of The song of the Levites

Then song that melted and transformed

the hearts of all who heard it

The beauty of the Divine Service and

the wisdom and the Prophecy

that could be tangibly felt and

tasted nowhere else like in Jerusalem

Dear Creator of the Universe and

of all mankind,

Return to us the ability to live the daily

miracles of Jerusalem

and the tangible revelation of

Your Holy Presence

Usher us into the time that

all of Your Prophets spoke about

where all people will

look to Jerusalem for their

physical and spiritual wellbeing

for it’s supernal light to banish all of their

various forms of darkness

for it’s healing to heal their bodies and souls

for it’s concentration of Divine Prescence

to serve as the focal point

of everyone’s motivation and occupation

—an occupation that will no longer

be concerned with so much with survival and money,

but rather with knowing You

and knowing that there is

nothing else besides You

May it be your will

that the words of our mouths

and the meditations of our hearts

find favor in Your eyes

our G-d, our Rock and our Redeemer

Amen

Great teaching on Tisha B’Av by Reb Shlomo Carlebach

Beit HaMikdash · Churban · Jerusalem · Jewish · Kabbalah · Meditation · Prayer · Shekhinah · Temple · Tisha B'av · Yerushalayim

Below are some very practical meditations that help to experience and live the holiness of Shabbat - in a very real way.

Shabbat Shalom!

SHABBAT MEDITATIONS

by Kabbalist Rav Yitzchak Schwartz

What follows is a number of Shabbat meditations and a short summary of the Torah principles which they are based on.

All of these meditations are drawn from a series of Shabbat essays taught by the previous Slonimer Rebbe (Zatzal) in the second volume of his work Netivot Shalom.  The common thread running  through all of his essays (and I have only chosen a select few) is consciousness … the unique sublime Garden of Eden consciousness that we all can get a taste of in this world with a concerted effort…… and thereby sensitize ourselves to a life of true paradise in this world and in the next one.

I hope that by practicing these meditations we can open up more and more of this sensitivity.

1. ASCENT MEDITATION

(An introductory meditation or mind state which is the root of all the other meditations and mind states).  The Kabbalah teaches that starting on Friday afternoon and culminating towards the end of Shabbat, there occurs “Aliyat Olamot” – “Ascent of the Worlds”.  The imagery presented to us is that of one world rising or elevating against a backdrop of its present placement up to a realm which is above any type of negativity whatsoever.  Practically speaking, this can be experienced as an ever deepening state of awareness of one’s soul and the removal, layer after layer of all that which separates it from the Master of the Universe.

********Focus on your present state of being, physically, emotionally, spiritually etc.  See yourself now entering into a sort of cosmic elevator which climbs incrementally from one floor of a tall building to the next higher one to the next etc etc until it reaches the top.

Every time that elevator climbs up a few floors, focus again on the various aspects of your state of being, and allow yourself to experience a pure and holy state of being, stripped of all pretence and falseness and negativity ….focus on how this  consciousness saturates you through and through and allows you to experience your inner Divine self.

Allow more and more of this pure holy positive Divine energy to saturate you more and more as the elevator climbs.

2. THE RETROACTIVE FUSION MEDITATION

When one is privileged to experience a higher state of being, they feel as if all that they do and accomplish, is not really them at all, but rather Hashem doing it through them.  This is not only true of their present state of being, but is also true with regard to what they can recall of their past accomplishments.

********Focus on a list of the highlights of your previous weeks – either based on a written one, or a stream of thought recollection that you do in your mind right now.

First see every detail and feeling of your week’s highlights or main accomplishments as being that of your own doing.

Then reframe every aspect of every accomplishment as being infused, enabled and empowered by The Master of the Universe.

3. THE EVERYTHING IS PERFECT MEDITATION

Shabbat is a mindset that is patterned after a future era when there will be nothing lacking, not in people nor in anything else.  All will be experienced as being whole and perfect just as it is, and there will be no need to rectify anything or anyone else including ourselves.

*******Focus on seeing everyone in your life in their perfected state;  First scan the people you know (start  with one or two and expand your list), and foresee or project what they will be like when they eventually reach their state of perfection.

Then project how differently you will relate to them when you are seeing them in this state.

Next see even their areas of lack as being stepping stones towards their perfection.

Finally, in real life, relate to these people as if you already see them in their perfected state.

Do the same entire process for yourself.

4.       THE PLEASURE (Oneg) MEDITATION

Rebbe Shlomo of Karlin Ob’m taught what was overheard, being declared in the heavenly realms, an extremely important lesson;  ‘‘Even if a person is very careful to observe all of the positive and negative commandments of Shabbat in all of their fine detail (and to properly observe these Mitzvot in all of their fine detail is of utmost importance, of utmost severity and requires a huge investment of energy), but nevertheless do not make a concerted effort in this life to feel or to experience at all the sweetness and pleasure of the Shabbat, so too, when they get upstairs in their post life eternal environment, they will not experience this pleasure and will rather be like an unfeeling bench!’’  This is because the atmosphere of the spiritual strata is filled with only pleasure and happiness, and if one doesn’t condition oneself to this atmosphere now, how will they be sensitized to it in the future?!

********Focus on taking pleasure on:

THE PAST:            All the accomplishments that Hashem allowed you to accomplish last week.

THE PRESENT:    All the physical delights of the day – eating, sleeping breathing and other bodily pleasures as well as spiritual pleasures.

THE FUTURE:      Ask that Hashem should surprise and delight you for the remainder of the day.

5. THE REBIRTH MEDITATION

When we are plugged in to the true energy of Shabbat, i.e., being so much in Devakut in a fused clinging state with Hashem that we know that anything we do or want that is against Hashem’s will is not really our will, but something external to ourselves, then Shabbat provides us with a similar effect as that of Yom Kippur – a cleansing, purifying atoning, rebirth effect.

********Plug in to how Shabbat allows me to connect with my true Ratzon (primal will)…. and see that it is truly an extension of G-d’s Will, and all that I do, or have done in the past that is not on this pure Divine fused soul level, is not the real me, but something external to me.

Now focus on how this mindset infuses me with a spiritual purity and cleansing that ultimately enables me to feel like I am being reborn.

6. THE EXTRA SOUL MEDITATION

We receive a gift on Shabbat —a gift referred to as an Extra Soul [Neshama Yetyairah]……the Verse says that upon completion of the initial Creation process Hashem rested—the word describing this Divine Rest, is ‘VAYINAFASH’—-this represents a state of mind , where one’s Soul takes center stage—where one is primally motivated on Soul matters, such as one’s Eternal Divine purpose , life force, mission and pleasure…..the Kabbalists inform us that there are  actually real Souls from the Garden of Eden that come into us and fill us up with their presence for the duration of the Shabbat

*********At the beginning of Shabbat and through out the night and day, be present to the inner elevated feeling that  you experience-your ‘Neshama Yetairah’—-notice how the way that you relate to others to yourself , to G-d and to life in general is elevated….Cultivate this experience—notice how one Shabbat’s ‘Extra soul’ feeling is different than another Shabbat….notice how this Extra soul goes through a growth process on Shabbat itself, and how this experience relates very much to your previous week, and how, by being present with  this experience, you can actually draw it into your upcoming

7. THE RAAVA D’RAAVIM [WILL OF WILLS] MEDITATION

Before departing Shabbat, we reach the culmination point—the highest ascent of consciousness….This state of being comes at the time when the sun is going down and the light of day grows dim and there is an internal knowledge that the power of the day will soon be taken away from us—and we will be called upon to jump into the cloudiness and darkness of the weekday world, where we must constantly cope with trials and tribulations to the best of our creative abilities……..so our hearts open up with the deepest of yearnings —a yearning to be able to stay here alone in the Presence of the Lord, and at the same time, a yearning to be able to draw upon all of the insights and heart-openings that we experience right now—into the coming week

*********As the Holy Shabbat day draws to a close, allow yourself to feel a deep yearning welling up inside of you—a yearning to return to the Divine womb….a yearning to constantly be inside of Shabbat…. A yearning to cling to Hashem constantly with every thread of your being…. A yearning to be able to draw from all the highest times [such as this present moment], into the low times [such as the weekday-relative to Shabbat]—to draw down  all of the feelings and insights and love and awakeness.

Aliyat Olamot · ascent · Garden of Eden · HASHEM · Meditation · Neshama Yetairah · Netivot Shalom · Oneg · Pleasure · Rebbe Shlomo of Karlin · Rebirth · sensitivity · Shabbat · Slonimer Rebbe · Soul · Will · Yom Kippur