Purim right now

Purim now: reading the Megilla with the IDF tankists

We are living in turbulent times; on the one hand the light of redemption is undoubtedly getting nearer and with it an increasing consciousness of the light of God in the world. Equally, the destructive elements of the world seem to be growing in strength. This is not the first time that the Jews have faced these huge polarization of energies. They did so at the time of Purim 3000 years ago.

Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag in 1948 gave an oral discourse on the inner meanings of the festival of Purim. Through his insight into the inner meanings of Megillat Esther,we learn what choices were open to the Jews then and how we can learn from their experiences now, 3000 years later.

Not only in the scale of world events, but right in the small details of our lives, the choice of how we receive the light of God also applies in the small details of our daily lives. Let us give to God and to our fellow man according to the way of Torah, the way taught by Mordecai the Jew, and thus each of us, in our own small way may contribute to the redemption of all mankind through the light of God.

Listen to Purim in our days 

This talk was inspired by the oral discourse taught by Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag at the festival of Purim 1948, recorded by his son Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag. Printed in Shamati and in HaShem Shamati Shimecha (with a commentary by Rabbi Avraham Mordecai Gottlieb).

With grateful thanks to the women of the Tsfat Beit haMidrash and to my chevrutas, James Torrance, Ilan Ben Gal, Ofra Dekel, Jodie Lebowitz Davis, with whom I learnt this article and who inspired me with their delight and enthusiasm.

The true basis of joy

The Sages have taught that when the month of Adar comes in we increase our joy. But we must have a basis for this. A person cannot feel happy without a reason. Senseless happiness feels foolish and silly. The Sages are referring to the happiness of holiness, the happiness of being in unity with the Creator.

However to feel the presence of the Creator in our lives we need to first feel how empty our lives are when we don’t feel in connection with Him, otherwise we do not appreciate what we are given. Feeling happy and feeling empty are two opposite states of being.

Prayer and thanks or praise are our responses to God to these states. Rabbi Ashlag teaches us that for both prayer and praise to be real they have to come from the depth of the heart. How can we achieve this depth of feeling, and what does this have to do with the month of Adar?

From an article by Rabbi Baruch Shalom Ashlag z”l (Sefer HaMa’amarim)
Listen to podcast (15 minutes)

Until we don’t know: the light of Purim

The essence of Purim is its light. What is the difference between “cursed is Haman” and “blessed is Mordecai?” Finding the Mordecai (and the Haman)  inside oneself and really celebrating the light of Purim!
 listen now>>http://www.nehorapress.com/115470/Audio-Classes

The joy of expecting Purim

We are now in the beginning of the month of Adar, the month in which Purim takes place. This is the month in which we increase our joy. But people don’t feel happy or feel sad without a reason. Happiness is not a feeling one can fake or force. We tend to feel happy or sad depending on events. We can’t feel feelings just because we are told to! So it’s clear that the Sages of the Talmud intended the increase in our simchah, in our joy, to relate to an inner joy, something more connected with our inner being. . .

To listen to full talk(9 mins) click on link http://www.nehorapress.com/115470/Audio-Classes