Showing posts with label Gerrer Rebbe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gerrer Rebbe. Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2009

Emuna Goes Beyond Miracles



While learning Mishneh Torah of the RAMBAM, we went over a very interesting concept involving the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu as well as the prophecy of anyone after him. RAMBAM says that a Prophet who says that he comes in the name of Hashem is not required to perform miracles, and if he does this should not be the determining factor in his authenticity, because miracles can also be performed with sorcery and magic. Why then did Moshe Rabbeinu perform so many miracles before and during the Exodus from Egypt? The answer is that those miracles served a purpose. They were not to bring legitimacy to Moshe, but to accomplish something that could not be done by natural means. RAMBAM says that "one who believes in another person because of signs has apprehension in his heart [...] and doubt."1

After learning this, I came home to read A Simple Jew's blog

"Even though the Jewish people had witnessed many wonders and miracles firsthand they still needed to have emuna. For emuna is on a higher level than sight; indeed, it enables a person to see more than the physical eye can ever observe."

(Chidushei HaRim - First Gerer Rebbe)

In today's day where Hashem is the most hidden and we must fully rely on Emuna it helps when the great Sages of our day help us relate to Hashem. May Hashem bring us to the final Exodus of this Galus to Geula, Moshiach, and the Revelation of the Emes of Hashem and his Torah.


Thursday, January 29, 2009

5th of Shvat: Sfas Emes Yaharzeit

(Courtesy of mysefer.com)

Tonight begins the 5th of Shvat which is the Yaharzeit of the Heiliga Rebbe Reb Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger better known by his magnum opus Sfas Emes. He is one of my Rebbes and is the reason for my closeness to Gerrer Chassidus. His Maamarim on Chumash used sources from Gemara, Midrash, and Zohar to get a deeper understanding of each Torah portion.

He was one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation and it is said that the Sochatchover Rebbe maintained two bookcases — one for Rishonim (earlier commentators) and another for Acharonim (later commentators). The volumes of the Sfas Emes, written in the late 1800s, were to be found in his bookcase containing the Rishonim. He said "to study some portions of the Talmud without the Sfas Emes is unthinkable to the modern-day scholar."
1.

Shabbos evening we should celebrate by giving over Torah of the Sfas Emes and saying L'Chaim that in his merit Klal Yisroel should be protected and that we should continue to learn Torah to bring the Redemtion early with the coming of Moshiach ben David, Now! Amen.

Here are recommended resources to learn Sfas Emes.

Torah.org presents Dr. Nosson Chayim Leff's commentary on Sfas Emes


http://sfasemes.blogspot.com/

Targum.com selling Sfas Emes Companion in English


1. Rabbi Menachem Lubinsky, in the Jewish Observer