Picture of the author
Picture of the author
War bannerWar banner

The Body Keeps the Divine Score

When You're Pained by Your Trauma, You're Experiencing the Divine Anguish

1 hr 17 min

Class Summary:

This text-based class, in Likkutei Sichos vol. 23, Menachem Av/Matos-Masei, will be presented by Rabbi YY Jacobson on Monday, Parshas Bamidbar, 3 Av, 5781, July 12, 2021, live from his home in Monsey, NY.

Please leave your comment below!

  • K

    Kj -3 years ago

    If you are stuck in your childhood trauma, you still have that childhood purity that can live GD unconditionally.  Go for it.

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • K

    Kj -3 years ago

    Yes, flesh likes to stroke flesh and create war, even internal war!

    If we war, we have an excuse not to do right.

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    To teach wretchedness?

    The mussar movement does that already. Bocherim are taught to go into a bakery and ask for a pound of nails.to feel humiliation 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    Maybe JFK stole the idea from the Alter Rebbe

    But the Alter Rebbe said to ask what the person is  needed from by HASHEM.  JFK may have stolen or borrowed the idea but he changed it by saying that, instead of asking what you're needed for by HASHEM, the American should ask what his COUNTRY needs him for. Quite a difference! 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SP

    Sholem Potash -3 years ago

    So now when it says אהבת לרעיך כמוך even this we usually do it for our self but like we said today that Hashem is part of us 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    The body holds the score. The body is highest

    Perhaps because precisely with the neshoma dafka in the body, and not before or after being in the body, is when the neshoma can reach its highest level, levels unattainable before or after  the neshoma is in the body. 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    A technical question

    We say kaddish for a yid who has passed away. Even a one day old child.

    We also know that the neshoma enters the fetus on the 40th day after conception. Therefore before the 40th day the fetus is  considered as a mere part of the mother and so, accordingly can be removed.  However after that solid line of the 40th day no such removal can occur unless the fetus is attacking the mother. 

    When then, if the soul is in the fetus after the 59fh day, and  if there is  a spontaneous miscarriage after that day, do we not say kaddish for such a miscarriage? 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    Menachem av means we comfort the Father

    We can understand that a human Father whose son has "left the house" needs comforting.  So too, we comfort Father whose son is on golus.

    Also, on another lesser level we comfort a human father whose physical house has burnt down. So too we comfort our Fathe in Heaven whose house, at least for the time being, has burnt down.

    And these 2 things, golus and the destruction of the Beis Hamigdash both occurred in the month of Av. So it's appropriate to comfort Him in this month, the month and day of THE YORTZEIT of both golus and the destruction of the Beis Hamigdash. And this is so even though Hashem Himself brought about these 2 things by virtue of His free choice.  

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    True free choice exists only when the neshoma is in the body

    The neshoma above, before entering the body and after leaving the body, has no free choice. Like the angels purely spiritual beings have no free choice  

    Also the body by itself without the neshoma certainly has no free choice because without the neshoma it's dead! 

    So, only when the neshoma is inside the body can there be true free choice. 

    With the combination of soul and body we can lean towards what the soul wants or what the body wants. The soul by its nature wants what Hashem wants as it wanted before it entered the body whereas the body, by its nature wants what the body wants, which by definition is mundane  physical needs. 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    In davenning we should focus, not on our needs, but on Hashem's needs

    We should align and adjust our needs to those of Hashem. At all times we should ask "What does Hashem want in this situation?"

    And do we see that even though the tradition existed in the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, Hashem CHOSE Avraham Avinu to be the progenitor of His Chosen People precisely because Avraham was a  chariot for Hashem, another way of saying that he had no needs of his own but was totally "bottel" and subservient to Hashem and Hashem's needs. Even to the ultimate point of being willing to listen to a command and proceed dutifully to sacrifice Isaac  

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    Hashem had true free choice to create creation or not

    Yet, we know that the Torah preceded creation and Hashem looked into the Torah when creating creation. 

    Was then His "free choice" somewhat limited and pre-determined by the fact that the Torah compelled Hashem to go ahead with creation because it says do in the Torah? 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

    • MG

      Mark G. -3 years ago

      Sarah Goldberg, you always have very deep analytics on these concepts.

      I get very emotional when reading your responses because I can hardly believe there is actualy someone out there who shares this way of looking at things and this logocal style of questioning.

      It seems you may have some of the answers I am seeking.

      Would you share you private email?

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    "Real choice exists with zero bias either way"

    Is then a coin toss (as used in sports to decide who goes first) an example of a decision made with zero bias either way? 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • SG

    Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago

    We are comparing the neshoma with the guf in various ways

    Notice that the neshoma existed BEFORE the guf was created by the physical contributions of the parents. Also the neshoma exists AFTER the guf is long gone and deteriorated. That neshoma then can come back in another human body or some other creation. 

    Also, to better see any difference between the neshoma, think of separating them.  The neshoma without the guf does very well even though this isn't its ultimate purpose and highest level. The guf without the neshoma is not only dead but deteriorates to dust (except the Luz bone from which the eternal guf will be resurrected). 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • Anonymous -3 years ago

    yafah koach haben etc,

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • Anonymous -3 years ago

    maasah rav shteiman

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • Anonymous -3 years ago

    more on tzar hashechina- nefesh hachayim

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • Anonymous -3 years ago

    seems need to ask for tzar shechina- baal shem

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • Anonymous -3 years ago

    Chelek of neshama

    here it implies need to daven from the chelek of neshama

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • Anonymous -3 years ago

    question

    I'm Grappling with the issue that mitzad echad we see the chashivus haguf that it is more shayich to the etzem, however, in fusing the ramak with baal shem it seems that  guf needs to be the kli for the or and need the fusion of both kli and or and being concerned with my tzarchey haguf for guf seems to be lacking this element.  It seems  that  it is having the keli devoid of 'or' how is that atzmus? 

    Further his lashon is תפלה באמונה פשוטה איז מחבר עצמות הנשמה מיט עצמות א"ס [אין סוף]

    the Essence of the En Sof and the essence of the soul. Davening with simple faith joins the essence of the soul with the essence of the Infinite,

    Here the stress is the connection of the neshama not the guf.

    How do we make sense at of all of this?

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

Likkutei Sichos Menachem Av/Matos-Maasei #4

Rabbi YY Jacobson

  • July 12, 2021
  • |
  • 3 Av 5781
  • |
  • 1112 views

Dedicated in loving memory of Alta Shula bas Yosef Yitzchok and Hinda Swerdlov

Classes in this Series

Please help us continue our work
Sign up to receive latest content by Rabbi YY

Join our WhatsApp Community

Join our WhatsApp Community

Ways to get content by Rabbi YY Jacobson
Connect now
Picture of the authorPicture of the author