The Thursday Night Shiur - Maayon Yisroel - Rabbi Reuven Wolf

The Mystical meaning of – Why Mitzvos are called peiros – fruits? The Jewish soul is fertile soil for the G-dly seedling “the mitzvos” to take root and to sprout forth their infinite spiritual  light.  The exile also called a planting were we as Jews are planted and seemingly decaying but in truth this serves as preparation for the greatest  growth and development.

The blessing of Yaakov to Yehuda that he will wash is clothing with wine is alluding to the days of Moshiach when our performance of Mitzvos will be in its perfected state. The garments are the mitzvos that garb the Soul in G-Dly light. The wine is referring to our innate love for G-D that is hidden in the recesses of  our hearts that we can reveal only by squezing the ego. With this wine we wash our mitzvos enabling them to shine their holy light on to our Neshamah.

Serving Hashem like a Tzadik or like a Baal Teshuvah

Why is a mitzvah caaled a lamp? Why is the Neshama called a lamp? Why are the Mitzvahs the garments of the Soul? What does the candle symbolize? What is the inner meaning of the oil,wick and the 2 colors of the flame?

Torah is here to light up the world with G-dly awareness. Studying Torah merely to grasp its wisdom doesn’t accomplish this. One needs to study it with an appreciation of the holiness of its letters. This is what the Greeks tried to eradicate from the Jewish people. The lighting of the Chanuka Menorah restores this sensitivity to us.

Yosef and his brothers bundling and gathering sheaves represents the collective work of the Jewish people in collecting and elevating all the sparks of holiness scattered all across the universe.

Harnessing the raw unbridled energy of our animal soul and channeling it into constructive positive behavior. Accessing the intense energy from the lofty world mystically known as the “World of Tohu” and fusing it with the “world of Tikun” bringing about the ultimate Redemption.

The highest revelation of divine compassion that reveals itself every morning to enable us to arouse our love for G-D during our morning prayers.

The deeper Meaning of Yitzchak digging wells, uncovering the innate G-Dliness that is at the Core of every being. What kind of spiritual evil do the Plishtim represent? Why were they able to clog Avraham’s wells but not Yitschak’s?

The Value of performing a Mitzva in the middle of our workday.