Va’etchanan: Is Mashiach in the Chimney?
When we meditate we see holy images. God, in His absolute unity, is above form or image. By meditating on the three letters of the word echad, we paradoxically visualize that which has no form, and become one with, and conscious of, He Who has no picture.
Why are Chassidim always so happy?
When Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum became acquainted with the Chassidic lifestyle, he found it difficult to understand how Chassidim could always be so joyful even though there is an explicit law in the Shulchan Aruch that states that every God-fearing Jew should always mourn over the destruction of the Temple. Rebbe Moshe decided to put his question to the Seer of Lublin, who was renowned for his ability to see far and deep into the depths of an individual’s heart and into his future.
Completing Moses’ task
The difference between Moses’ era and the future era of Mashiach is that under Moses’ leadership the Jewish people had to undergo various “amputations”: worshippers of Ba’al Peor were annihilated by God, etc… In contrast, under the leadership of Mashiach, even Jews who are farthest away from God’s service will be brought back into the fold by gathering them in and rediscovering the point in their hearts with which they still cling to God.
The gift of prayer
The Midrash explains that when God fulfills a person’s prayer, it can be either by virtue of their merits or, if they have no merits, He does so gratuitously.
