Torah Studies Quotes

“If, even in such a time of grace, a Jew is not moved to the tears of repentance, there is an imperfection in his soul. Nothing wakes it to return to its source. It has moved far indeed from its destiny.”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Ari, said,8 “Whoever does not shed tears during the Ten Days of Repentance—his soul is imperfect.” The simple meaning of this is that during these days G-d is close to every Jew9 with, in the Chassidic phrase,10 “the closeness of the luminary to the spark.”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“Mikketz The beginning of our Sidra, which tells in what appears to be excessive detail of the two dreams of Pharaoh, invites a number of questions. Why are these dreams recounted in the Torah at such length? What can we learn from the differences between Pharaoh’s dreams and the dreams of Joseph in last week’s Sidra? Do they characterize some fundamental contrast between the worlds which Joseph and Pharaoh represent? And if so, what is the implication for us?”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“Chanukah In this Sicha, the Rebbe explains the Mitzvah of the Chanukah lights, and concentrates on two of their features, that they are to be placed by the door of one’s house that is adjacent to the street, or the public domain, and that they must be placed on the left-hand side of the door. These features have a deep symbolism: The “left-hand side” and the “public domain” both stand for the realm of the profane, and by placing the lights there, we are, as it were, bringing the Divine light into the area of existence which is normally most resistant to it. The Sicha goes on to explain the difference between the positive and negative commandments in their effect on the world, and concludes with a comparison between the Chanukah lights and tefillin.”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“Jew—though his struggle with contendinG-desires is difficult and fraught with risk—has the power to achieve victory and remain free from sin. For he is “a branch of My planting, the work of My hands,”21 and “a part of G-d above.”22 As nothing can prevail over G-d, so can nothing prevail over the Jew against his will. And he has been promised victory, for we are told, “His banished will not be rejected by Him”23 and “All Israel has a share in the world to come.”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“in Likkutei Torah15 of the verse, “He has not seen sin in Jacob nor toil in Israel.”16 At the level of “Jacob” the Jew has no sin, but he still experiences “toil”—his freedom from sin is achieved only by tension and struggle for he has concealments to overcome. This is why he is called “Jacob, my servant”17 for “service” (in Hebrew, avodah) has the implication of strenuous effort to refine his physical nature (his “animal soul”). He does not sin but he still experiences the inclination to sin, which he must overcome. But “Israel” encounters no “toil,” for in his struggle “with Elokim and with men” he broke down the factors which conceal G-dliness and silenced his dissenting inclinations. Israel no longer needs to contend with those forces which oppose the perception of G-dliness. His progress lies entirely within the domain of the holy.”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“This was the virtue of Israel, to have “contended with Elokim and with men” and to have prevailed over their respective concealments of G-d. They are no longer barriers to him; indeed they assent to his blessings. He not only won his struggle with the angel (the guardian angel of Esau) but the angel himself blessed him. This is the achievement of which the Proverbs speak: “He makes even his enemies be at peace with him.”14”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“The Inner Meaning of “Jacob” and “Israel” The difference between them is this. The name “Jacob” implies that he acquired the blessings of Isaac “by supplanting and subtlety”5 (the name in Hebrew, Ya-akov, means he supplanted”). He used cunning to take the blessings which had been intended for Esau. “Israel,” on the other hand, denotes the receiving of blessings through “noble conduct (Serarah, which is linguistically related to Yisrael, the Hebrew form of Israel), and in an open manner.”6 However the Torah is interpreted, its literal meaning remains true. And the blessings of Isaac referred to the physical world and its benefits: “G-d give you of the dew of the heaven and the fatness of the earth.”7”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“One of the morals which this implies is that when a man wishes to take more on himself than G-d has yet demanded of him, he must first completely satisfy himself that he is not doing so at the expense of others. And indeed, in the case of Abraham, we find that his preciousness in the eyes of G-d was not primarily that he undertook to keep the whole Torah before it had been given, but rather,24 “I know him (which Rashi translates as ‘I hold him dear’) because he will command his children and his household after him to keep to the way of the L-rd, doing righteousness and justice.”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies

“Vayishlach In this week’s Sidra Jacob, after his struggle with the angel, is told that his name is now to be Israel. And yet we find him still referred to, on subsequent occasions in the Torah, as Jacob. Yet after Abraham’s name was changed from Abram, he is never again called in the Torah by his earlier name. What is the difference between the two cases? The Rebbe explains the meaning of the names of “Jacob” and “Israel,” of the two stages in the religious life that they represent, and of their relevance to us today.”
― Menachem M. Schneerson, Torah Studies