Dear Friends,

After quite a wait, we thank G-d return to the weekly email in Kabbalah and Chassidus. Please subscribe or contact us with questions at AZKF@comcast.net

The Maamar “Walk after Hashem” from 1937, which was emailed out, is posted above.

I had hoped to write an explanatory introduction to the Maamar, but for the sake of spreading the light of Hashem’s inner Torah, once the translation became clean enough, it is more important to send it out. Please send us any questions or comments you may have.

This teaching is at the level of Chassidus, where the Kabbalistical ideas of sons and servants, corresponding to souls from different worlds
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Maamar – “You Should Walk After Hashem Your Lord” – 1937
by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson

(reprinted in Sefer HaMaamarim – Kuntreisim, vol. 2)
(translated from the Hebrew by Noah Shavrick)
(to subscribe for weekly teachings, please email to AZKF@comcast.net)

With the help of Heaven,
2nd day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, 5697 (1937), Perchtoldsdorf (at the health spa, Wald Sanatorium, near Vienna).

“You should ‘walk after’ Hashem your Lord, fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cleave to Him.” It considers here six things: 1) walking after, 2) fearing, 3) keeping, 4) listening, 5) serving, and 6) cleaving, which are different levels.

We need to understand, why did it begin with the issue of “walking after”, since the whole issue of walking is an external aspect (of the body’s powers)? Just like in the physical realm, with the powers of the soul, which are enclothed in the limbs of the body, the ability to walk is the very last power of the faculties of the soul. It exists within every person, even the most simple. So too, the general issue of walking, even in its spiritual form (to spiritually “walk after” Hashem), is an external aspect; for this is the main difference between Halicha “walking after” and Hamshacha “being drawn to”.
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Maamar (Discourse) “What is Chanukah” 5701
By Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson

(translated from the Hebrew by Noah Shavrick, while maintaining the flavor of the original Hebrew)
(to subscribe for weekly teachings, please email to AZKF@comcast.net)

(Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson moved to the United States in the spring of 1940. He delivered this Maamar on Chanukah the following winter.)

With the help of heaven, Shabbos Parshas Mikaitz, 5701 (Friday evening, 12/27/1940)

Chapter 1
(The Talmud says,) “What is Chanukah? For our rabbis taught, ‘On Chof Hay (the 25th) of (the month of) Kislev, there are eight days of Chanukah. When the Greeks entered the temple, they made impure all of the oil of the Temple, and when the kingdom of the House of the Chashmonaim (Maccabees) overpowered and defeated the Greeks, they searched, yet they could not find except one flask of oil, which was placed with the seal of the high priest, and it only contained the amount to light one day. A miracle occurred upon it and they lit from it for eight days. The next year they established them and made them into holidays, with praise and thanks.’”

We need to understand, that only after they had already learned many laws in the Talmud, with regards to the laws of Chanukah, do they ask, “What is Chanukah?”
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Rambam’s (Maimonides’) 13 Principles of Faith
(also called the Yud Gimmel Ikkarim, the basis of the 13 Ani Maamin)
(From the Rambam’s introduction to his Mishnaic commentary to Tractate Sanhedrin, Perek Chelek )
(translated by Noah Shavrick)

There are 13 primary principles of our pure Torah:
1.The first principle is the existence of the Creator, may He be praised. This means that there is a Being who is perfect in all aspects of existence, and He is the cause of the existence of all of that exists, and through Him is maintained their existence, and from Him is drawn to them their continued existence. If we would consider a removal of His existence, then all existence would cease to exist, and they would not maintain their existence. And if we would consider a removal of all that exists besides Him, then His existence would not cease and not be lacking, since His existence is not dependently connected to any other. Anything besides Him, e.g. the intelligences, i.e. the angels and heavenly influences and what is beneath them, their existence is all dependent on Him. This is the first principle, upon which the verse says, “I am Hashem etc.”

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Baruch Hashem. Parshas Lech Licha 5766 – spoken at the Seudas Shlishis at the Carlebach Shul, New York.
By Rabbi Avraham Brandwein of Jerusalem (translated by Noah Shavrick)

“And Hashem said to Avram, Lech Licha (You should go out), …” (The preceding Parsha) Parshas Noach concludes with the verse, “And these were the days of Terach… and Terach died in Charan.” Immediately, (Parshas Lech Licha begins), “And Hashem said to Avram.” This was the first revelation of Hakadosh Baruch Hu to the father of the Nation, Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him.

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Regarding the post below of Rabbi Avraham Brandwein’s talk at the Carlebach Shul:
The key to this discourse is that our awareness and knowledge of Hashem determines our ability to accomplish Avodah, our spiritual work of development and progress, with joy and pleasure. Accepting the yoke of Hashem’s Kingdom and Torah can feel like a great burden and troublesome to accomplish.

Many people prefer an unburdened spirituality, which asks little of them. They just want to enjoy their spirituality without the responsibilities and laws. Many teachers and centers for such spirituality are readily available.

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Maamar –Reasons for Creation – by Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the Baal HaTanya. (First printed from a manuscript, which belonged to the son-in-law of the Baal HaTanya, in Lehaskilcha Binah, Kfar Chabad, Israel, 1976, page 3; reprinted in Maamarei Admur Hazakain, Inyanim, Kehot,1983, page 95.) (Translated and elucidated from the Hebrew by Noah Shavrick) (Questions or comments to AZKF@comcast.net)

Behold! All of the reasons, which are explained about the intent of the creation (of the world), which are: “it is from the nature of the Good One to do good,” and also “to convert the darkness to light, since the superiority of the light (comes from the contrast with darkness) etc.,” (these reasons) do not apply except after the death of the (primordial) Kings, which is when “Mah” and “Ban” mixed, and from this was the root of the darkness.
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Written by Rabbi Yosef Shani in the book Shaar Yosef (1983), Israel.
(translated by Noah Shavrick)
(Disclaimer by the translator!) The conclusions herein are questionable, especially as to their source. All Kabbalah must be transmitted from teacher to student. New, innovative, novel conclusions could be quite incorrect and harmful to the development of one’s character. In addition, please be very aware that the planets, stars, etc. have no independent control over the world, only G-d does.
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(Thanks HB!)
In the summer of 2000, 16-year-old Mordechai Kaler volunteered to help in the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington in Rockville, MD. One of his responsibilities was to invite the residents to attend the daily services (minyan) in the synagogue on the first floor. Some agreed and others refused, but even those who declined were pleasant about it.
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Q: Noah, can you explain to me to the best of your knowledge how people become possessed by evil spirits.
A: People are so filled with their own evil spirit, there may not be room for others, lol. Possessions seem uncommon in our times, since there are not many righteous souls who can even identify such possessions. Also, physical or mental illness could be spirits or it may not be. Most of the religious world today pays little, if no attention, to spirits.
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