Nitzotzos: Inspiration to Keep Your Spark Alive with Rav Mordechai Burg

By NitzotzosReligion & Spirituality Judaism

Nitzotzos: Inspiration to Keep Your Spark Alive with Rav Mordechai Burg episodes

January 24, 2024 Beshalach - The Sea Splits For Those Who Expect The Miraculous
In this shiur, delivered at Ba'er Miriam, Rav Burg explains how the miraculous only occurs for those who see themselves as worthy of a miracle. Klal Yisrael at the banks of the Yam Suf saw themselves as idolaters and therefore were unfit for a miracle to occur. Only when they saw the bones of Yosef did they define themselves by their essential selves and not by their worst moments. And then the sea split.
37 min
January 24, 2024 Beshalach / Tu B'Shvat - Resurrecting the Hopeless
In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the inner connection between Beshalach and Tu B'Shvat. The Navi Yechezkel spoke about three levels of hopelessness and how through the Ohr of Torah, we can bring the dry bones back to life. So too on Tu B'Shvat the redemption process begins as the sap begins to rise resurrecting the dried out tree.

39 min
January 17, 2024 Bo - Pharaoh vs Moshe: Who Will Leave Mitzrayim
In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the Machlokes between Pharaoh and Moshe as to who will leave Mitzrayim. The Pharaohs in our lives teach us that we are unworthy of Kabbalas HaTorah. Moshe Rabbeinu's response teaches us how to confront our inner negativity and take our full selves out of Mitzrayim.

41 min
January 15, 2024 Bo - Analyzing the Three Sons
Three of the four sons in the Haggadah are mentioned in Parshas Bo. In this shiur, delivered at the Hakshiva Bnei Aliyah program, Rav Burg explores the three sons and what they mean to us as parents and Mechanchim.
57 min
January 11, 2024 Rosh Chodesh Shvat / Tu B'Shvat - Potential and Becoming
In this shiur, delivered to Aish Gesher for Women on their Yom Iyun for fulfilling your potential, Rav Burg explores the Machlokes between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel regarding when the Rosh Hashana for trees is. Beis Shammai says it is on Rosh Chodesh Shvat and Beis Hillel says it is on Tu B'Shvat. Rav Burg explains the challenge of the word potential and how it can bring about a deep sense of shame. When we understand that potential means that we are already enough then and only then can we begin to truly become who we are meant to be.

46 min
January 10, 2024 Vaeira - Four Steps To Leaving Your Personal Mitzrayim
In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explores the four stages of leaving Mitzrayim and why we drink four cups of wine on Pesach. When we understand the four stages of how Klal Yisrael leaves Mitzrayim, we can understand how we can leave from the personal addictions we suffer from in our own lives.

43 min
January 04, 2024 Hashkafa - To Live is to Give
In this shiur, delivered to the Shana Bet of Sharfmans, Rav Burg explores an idea from the Alter Rebbe regarding how we receive our life force. Life belongs to Hashem and He gives it to us. Embedded in life itself is giving because that's the nature of how we receive life. Those who use life as it meant to be used receive life in its fullest form. Those that consume life naturally receive less vitality and the nature of the life force that they receive is in exile.

44 min
January 03, 2024 Shemos - Yosef HaTzaddik: Authentic Through and Through
In this shiur, the final shiur delivered to the Shana Bet of Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains (based on a piece from Rav Wolbe zt"l) why Yosef HaTzaddik is singled out as having lived in Mitzrayim. The same Yosef HaTzaddik who was a shepherd for his father, is the same Yosef HaTzaddik who is a king in Mitzrayim. How do we stay authentic irrespective of our environment? In this shiur Rav Burg speaks about how Yaakov lived a broad life while Eisav lived a dual life. Yosef, through his Middah of Seder, was the foil for Eisav and stayed true to himself even in the depths of depravity in Mitzrayim.
38 min
January 03, 2024 Shemos - Identifying As Our Exile
In this shiur, delivered in Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains (based on a piece from Rav Shaul Alter Shlit"a) how the words Pakod Pakadti are the secret message that reveals to Klal Yisrael that Moshe Rabbeinu was in fact the true redeemer of Klal Yisrael. Only the Rebbe that teaches us that while we may be contained within the exile we are not in truth defined by the exile is the one who can take us out of our personal Mitzrayim.

39 min
December 27, 2023 Vayechi - Putting Someone Else's Needs Before Our Own
In this shiur, delivered at Tomer Devorah, Rav Burg explains why Yaakov felt the need at this specific time to explain to Yosef why he buried Rachel on the side of the road and not in Chevron. Rachel was Mevater and put the needs of her children ahead of her own. This is the secret of redemption. As Hashem sees us putting the needs of others before our own, He in turn puts our needs before His own and redeems us even if we are unworthy.
42 min