Join Mushky Kovesh and Menucha Minkowitz, students at the Brooklyn Beis Midrash, in a 'Chavrusah Shmooze'. In their lively conversation, they explore the concept of sin, redefining Hashem's intention in creating the world. They discuss how our ability to choose between right and wrong comes from our unique connection with Hashem, the piece of divinity within us. The ideas discussed in this episode are based on the maamar באתי לגני תשל"א. This episode has been released in honor of Yud Shvat, the day of the passing of the previous Rebbe, and the day the Rebbe assumed leadership ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayechi Each of Leah’s first four sons are named to reflect her deep desire to connect to her husband, Yaakov. On a deeper level, each of these sons embody a pathway through which the Jewish soul connects to her ‘husband’, Hashem. This maamar walks us through four steps in building a relationship with Hashem, each one reflected in another part of our daily prayer. The climax is shemoneh esrei, where we achieve the ultimate unity with Hashem through the quality of surrender embodied by Yehuda ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayigash This foundational maamar explores the dynamic between Yosef and Yehuda as a model for two core perspectives that shape the value system of Judaism.  When Yehuda approaches Yosef to plead on Binyamin's behalf, it’s more than a face-off between two brothers; it’s a meeting of two worldviews. Yosef's is one that values spiritual self-growth as the ultimate pursuit. Yehuda sees value in submission to a purpose beyond himself. Both perspectives portray an angle of truth, but only one can hold center stage at a time. While Yehuda started as the more powerful brother ..read more

Torah Ohr on Chanukah The celebration of Chanukah centers not around the military victory over the Greek army, but a spiritual victory of the soul, represented by the lights of the menorah. This spiritual battle is one we experience every day, as we fight to ignite a fire of love inside our hearts. This maamar retells the story of Chanukah on a personal level, exploring the metaphor of a candle as a model for developing a relationship with Hashem ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Mikeitz Parshas Miketz begins with Pharoah’s dream of the seven healthy cows being swallowed by seven sickly ones. This dream gives a powerful imagery for the fleeting nature of inspiration. Why does our excitement for spirituality seem to slip away as quickly as it comes? This maamar offers an answer by looking at the end of the previous parsha when ‘the butler forgot about Yosef’ as the root of the problem. We’ll explore the symbolism of each character in this story and the role they play in our personal service of Hashem ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayeishev Life in exile is a lot like a dream; an alternate reality in which contradictory experiences coexist and nothing seems to make sense. But dreaming has another side to it. It’s a time of infinite imagination that transcends the limits of reason and accesses the deepest parts of the psyche. This maamar explores the recurring theme of dreams that appears multiple times at the end of Sefer Bereishis and why Yosef is considered the ultimate dreamer ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayishlach What was Yaakov trying to achieve in making peace with Eisav? How do we reconcile within our own souls the boundless, unchanneled energy of Eisav with the disciplined, focused approach of Yaakov? This week’s maamar will retell the story of Yaakov and Eisav’s dramatic reunion on a mystical level and give us profound insight into the internal battle of every Jew. ד״ה וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו https://batshevalearningcenter.com/bereishis ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Toldos What did Yitzchak see in Eisav that motivated him to shower Eisav with blessings unconditionally? What did Rivka see that made her realize the blessings had to go to Yaakov? This maamar explores the fascinating story of Yaakov deceptively taking the blessings from his father and what that teaches us about keeping our idealism in check. While Yaakov believed in the power of Eisav’s potential, he failed to see the reality on the ground–that his energy was impossible to access as is without channeling it through Yaakov. ד״ה ראה ריח בני Follow along in the maamar here ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Chayei Sara Why are human beings dependent on an act so mundane as eating food in order to survive? What is the nature of our relationship with food and what does that tell us about how we can engage with the physical world around us in a way that lifts us up, rather than dragging us down? This maamar answers these questions by exploring the mystical symbolism of the mearas hamachpela and the meaning of a cryptic line from the Arizal’s poem sung on Shabbos day, “Asader L’seudasa ..read more

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayeira Why does the Torah so often describe G-d in human terms? Does G-d have a personality? This foundational maamar gives us insight into these questions by exploring the kabbalistic concept of the sefiros. We use the human psyche as a metaphor to understand the dual nature of the sefiros and how they bridge the gap between Creator and creation. ד״ה ״פתח אליהו״ Follow along in the maamar here. Here is a chart of the mashalim used in the first few paragraphs of the maamar. Visit our website for more resources ..read more