As most of you know, Zeyde plants a garden every year and posts pictures throughout the growing season. Well, Gardening Season is here once again, so Zeyde has some gardening tips for you right from the Torah!

Devarim 20: 6 And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? Let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof.

Devarim 20: 19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, but thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee? 20 Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, them thou mayest destroy and cut down, that thou mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.

Devarim 24: 19 When thou reapest thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that the L-RD thy G-d may bless thee in all the work of thy hands. 20 When thou beatest thine olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it after thee; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

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By Rabbi Aryel Nachman ben Chaim – 20 Kislev 5772

All souls are comprised of sparks. The sparks composing the soul in this transmigration are not all the same sparks that composed the soul in previous transmigrations. Based on what the soul is to learn and accomplish in the current transmigration determines the composition of sparks.

Sparks are like energy, it is the basis of the souls; just as matter is made up of energies (m-theory, string theory, superstring theory, etc.). Combinations of energies form protons, neutrons, electrons, isotopes, quarks, leptons, etc. Combinations of protons, neutrons, etc. form Elements. Combinations of elements form molecules. Continue to combine and we get to this corporal world as we know it.

The sparks were created by HaShem manifesting out of Ein Sof (B”H). The sparks are then combined to form the ruach, nefesh and neshomah resulting in the various attributes, and combining the various attributes composes the soul that exists in this transmigration. All this is contained within a vessel, or universe, which composes the physical self.

An element can be changed in and of itself through the process of decay, emission or fission; as inherent within the nature of the element. An element can also be changed by an external source or force; colliders and particle accelerators being the most obvious example. As an example, by simply passing an electrical current through water, you get hydrogen. However, all the components of the element continue to exist within the universe (or vessel) according the first law of thermodynamics.

So too, the soul can be changed by external sources: HaShem can cause a change. Study, knowledge and wisdom can cause a change. Interaction with others, or experiences we have, can cause a change. However, unlike matter and elements; which have no conscious awareness of internal change by decay, emission or fission, we are able to affect changes within ourselves. We, as conscious beings, can accomplish change intentionally by adding sparks, casting off sparks, and rectifying sparks. And, just as with the first law of thermodynamics, the sparks that are cast off, or sparks that are rectified and not incorporated into our being, are returned to the source (B”H).

by Rabbi Aryel Nachman ben Chaim – 3 Nissan 5777 (© 2017)

Pesach is once again upon us; with the cleaning, shopping and all the preparations for celebrating the Festival of Matzot. We will sell our chametz, and in the evening search for the last of the chametz and burn it the next morning. With the table festively set and the food ready for the repast, we will greet our guests and ready ourselves for the Pesach Seder.

As we sit to once again conduct this ritual we know so loving well, we will bring out the trusty Haggadah that has been a fixture at our Seder for as far back as we can remember. We begin reading from the Haggadah, and pretty soon we notice that we are once again droning our way through the prayers and narratives as we remember our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents doing when we were young. The kinder start fidgeting and getting into mischief out of boredom, just as we did. The older relatives’ eyes grow heavy and maybe a yawn or two slips through. It becomes like trudging through a muddy bog, as we forge ahead toward the distant promise of a wonderful meal that awaits us ….. if we can only manage to stay awake that long. After the meal, we return to the Haggadah and struggle to complete the Seder; it’s late, were tired, the kinder have lost all interest.

Where did the festival go? Where is the simchah go?

Let’s explore this!

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By: Rabbi Aryel nachman ben Chaim – 8 Iyyar 5776

BS”D,

We are seeing more and more states legalizing the use of cannabis (marijuana) for both medical and recreational use. While I have no issue with the medical aspect of cannabis, as it does have a fair amount of scientific study to support its use; however, it is the recreational use that I take issue with.

Since the states’ initial foray into legalized cannabis, we immediately saw a tremendous amount of abuse of the system by profiteering doctors. Doctors who saw an easy way to make a lot of money by prescribing cannabis use for anyone who walked through the clinic door and had the cash to be “evaluated” by the doctor. They walked in, plunked down their money and walked out ten minutes later with a prescription for whatever supposed diagnosis the doctor could write up that could not be definitively disproved.

With their prescription in hand, the person simply walked into the dispensary, typically next door to the doctor’s office or just down the street, and walk out with the object of their desire.

The doctors were making money, the dispensaries were making money and, most importantly, the states were making money. Everyone one was happy, or stoned, or both.

Those entities and people who are promoting the legalization of recreational cannabis like to point to the fact that it is “natural” and “completely harmless”. This is not, in fact, true. As opposed to the “pot” that was around back in the 60’s and 70’s, todays cannabis is much more potent and contains three to five times higher concentrations of THC then the “pot” from back in those days. This is comparative to a person drinking a 12 oz. can of beer and thinking that a 12 oz. drink of whiskey is the same thing. Those who are promoting recreational use are also intentionally ignoring the long term affects.

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By: Rabbi Aryel Nachman ben Chaim – Published 28 Tammuz 5775

I dreamed that a man came to me and said:

“Who is your Rebbe?”

“My Rebbe has gone on to another transmigration.”

“Then, what has he taught you?”

“How to live in this world.”

“Then write it down.”

This attempt to understand Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s dream is being composed by Rabbi Aryel Nachman ben Chaim; one of the Rebbe’s ardent admirers and student.

It has become my habit to read Rebbe Nachman’s works on the Sabbath. Often, while I read, profound teachings; sometimes, great mysteries are revealed. Many times, these teachings and mysteries are not even related to the subject of the text that I am reading. I must carefully remember them until I have completed Havdalah and can write them down.

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Retold by Rabbi Aryel Nachman

Let me tell you a story.

And so we are told that: One day Rabbi Akiva approached Rabbi Tarfon. Now, Rabbi Tarfon was from a very wealthy family, and he, himself, was a very wealthy man who owned many businesses and properties and gave much tzedakah. So, Rabbi Akiva asked Rabbi Tarfon if he would consider investing in the purchase of a city.

Rabbi Tarfon knew that Rabbi Akiva was a very honest and virtuous man who always had Heaven in his thoughts. Rabbi Tarfon thought to himself that, if Rabbi Akiva was asking him to make an invest ment, this must surely be an investment for the sake of heaven. So Rabbi Tarfon said yes and immediately gave Rabbi Akiva four thousand golden coins and gave it no further thought.

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I was looking at moon this evening and thinking about how the sages tell us how the moon is like the Children of Israel; we wax and we wane in our observance. As we are drawn more to observance we wax, or increase in the light we reflect to the world. When we move from observance we wane, or diminish the light we reflect to the world.

Then I got to thinking that the moon also reflects the world as a whole. When the world is more ethical it waxes, but as it becomes more morally bankrupt it wanes.