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

In the middle of the meat market, while purchasing meat for the wedding of Rabban Gamliel's son, Rav Akiva turns to Rabban Gamliel and Rav Yehoshua and asks them what it meant by the passuk that the sun rose for him (Yaakov Avinu). Does the sun not rise for everyone. Rav Akiva answers that the sun that set for Yaakov Avinu when he left his father's home now rose for him as well. In this shiur Rav Burg explains how we can cope with the turbulent and chaotic times in our life. The sun that sets for us ultimately rises for us. We must have faith that the sun will rise once again and though it may be dark times, the dawn is certainly coming. 

What is the inner significance of digging wells? Why did Hashem create the world by first covering the world with water and then aggregating the water into one place so that dry land would appear? Why did Hashem create man by adding water to the soil and kneading us (like bread) into being?

In this shiur, Rav Burg explains how we are called upon to see the Godliness beneath existence, how we can reveal the Godliness that inheres within creation and see the Godliness in every single Jew!

1. The story of Eliezer finding a shidduch for Yitzchak comprises 67 pesukim in the Torah! Normally the Torah is concise but here Hashem sees fit to tell us the story in great detail. Why?

2. Eliezer gives Rivka a golden nose ring worth half a shekel and two bracelets each worth ten gold shekel. Rashi teaches that the nose ring is an allusion to the half a shekel that would one day be donated to the Mishkan and the bracelets are an allusion to the aseres hadibros. What does this have to do with marriage? Why does Eliezer see fit to bring these concepts to mind now?

3. The half shekel was a tikkun for the cheit haegel. Hashem showed Moshe a half shekel on fire because he could not understand how half a shekel could bring an atonement for such a terrible aveira. How does the fiery coin answer Moshe's question.

In this shiur Rav Burg explains how these two gifts teach Rivka about having a healthy, non codependent relationship. Like the half shekel she is missing her other half but like the bracelets she is already whole. Being one half of a whole allows us to apologize and to forgive our spouse. Being whole means we allow our spouse to share their lives with us and we in turn share our lives with them. 

In this exceptionally stirring shiur the Aish Kodesh asks why Hashem won't allow the tzaddikim to have serenity in this world. The Rebbe distinguishes between those who are silent because they choose not to speak and those who are mute because they have loss all capacity to process their trauma and give language to their pain. Still, even in this state, the mute person can gesture and communicate somewhat. Deeper still is the person whose pain is so exceptional that they cannot communicate their pain on any level. Their muteness is absolute. The Tzaddik who finds himself in such a state finds a way to cry out to Hashem and raise others up with him. The Tzaddik cannot be serene in such a state. He cannot accept his own pain and live a muted life. As he rises up he brings others with him. The Aish Kodesh had suffered heavy losses in his own life and in this shiur we gain insight into how to Aish Kodesh overcame his own pain and raised others with him. 

‘And Avraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Hashem’ (Bereshis 19:27).

From this passuk we learn that Avraham Avinu instituted Shacharis and that one ought to have a makom kavua, a set place, for davening. The Gemara in Brachos teacehs that one who has a makom kavua is an anav, a chasid and a talmid of Avraham Avinu. They have a greater level of siyata dishmaya in their teffilos. What is the significance of a makom kavua?

In this shiur, Rav Burg explains how through Teffillah we stay grounded in a chaotic world.

Avraham Avinu was told lech lecha, go to yourself. But could it be that we are supposed to leave our countries, our communities and our homes - these wonderful places that loved us into being - in order to find ourselves? How could that be the message of the Torah?!? In this shiur Rav Burg explains who is the real you and how we are meant to journey to self discovery.