The Grandchildren Always Do Teshuvah • The Daily Shiur from Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

"And He called to Moshe" (Leviticus 1:1) - why does it not state exactly who called him? Rather, the Arizal explains that this refers to Atika Stima (the Concealed Ancient One, a high Kabbalistic level). The tzaddik is without a name, existing above all the worlds.

Now, the prince of the tribe had to bring "one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty shekels" (Numbers 7:13). This corresponds to the 130 years that Adam HaRishon (the First Man) separated from Chava (Eve). Because of this separation (and the wasted seed during that time), all the evil forces like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Khamenei were created.

The word "Chazak" (חזק - strong) represents the three dances: Chet (ח) for Chaim (life) which is "Techiyas HaMeisim" (Resurrection of the Dead); Zayin (ז) for the Seven Beggars (from Rebbe Nachman's story); and Kuf (ק) for the Cossacks. Through these three dances, it is possible to resurrect all the dead in the world. A person needs to be like Hashem's Cossack—not eating and not sleeping, completely devoted to serving Him.

After a person gets married, the worry of finding a shidduch (marriage match) is lifted from him. Therefore, he needs to learn 16 pages of Gemara a day.

The Gemara in Sotah (33a) mentions that the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) in the Kodesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies) had to pray for those who went to fight in Antioch, which is in modern-day Turkey. Rashi explains that this is "Chamas," which is the true border of the Land of Israel.

Moshe initially wanted to "break the legs" of the women (reject them harshly) because they brought their copper mirrors to donate to the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and he considered mirrors to be something impure used for vanity. But then a Bas Kol (Heavenly Voice) emerged and declared that in the merit of these mirrors, the Jewish people continued to exist and multiply in Egypt. This was especially significant after the men had their ears cut (metaphorically, by tearing off their earrings) during the sin of the Golden Calf.

A person needs to know about all the islands of the world. For example, in the Fiji Islands, until fifty years ago, they were still plowing the earth with their bare hands instead of using plows.

Rebbe Nachman's father-in-law never saw Rebbe Nachman learning Torah at all (because the Rebbe hid his greatness). Then, on the yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of the bride's grandfather, the father-in-law told the young Rebbe to start reading Mishnayos for the soul of the deceased. Suddenly, the father-in-law fainted. When he awoke, he explained that his deceased father had just revealed himself to him from the Heavenly realms and rebuked him: "Why are you giving him Mishnayos to read? Give him the Etz Chaim (the primary text of Arizal's Kabbalah) to read!"

A person should learn the book Mesillas Yesharim (Path of the Just) with his wife every day. And what is the deeper meaning of "Vayikra" (And He called)?

The reason the phrase "Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso Le'olam Va'ed" (Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity) is not explicitly written in the Written Torah is because when there is a "face-to-face" revelation and people see open miracles, this declaration is not the main focus. It is specifically when there is hastarah (Divine concealment) that we must declare, "Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso Le'olam Va'ed."

The righteous women in Egypt saw supernatural miracles; they saw Hashem "face-to-face." Hashem sent angels to take the newborn babies straight from the hands of the women who had just given birth, hiding them before the Egyptians could come to kill them.

This was because Miriam told her father, Amram: "Your decree is worse than Pharaoh's! Pharaoh only decreed against the male children, but by separating from your wife, you are preventing the birth of all the Jewish people—both males and females. Don't worry, there will be miracles!" The women truly possess the strongest emunah (faith)!

The Talmud states that the descendants of Haman learned Torah in Bnei Brak. This teaches us that the grandchildren always do teshuvah (repentance).

A story is told about Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin, who went to a wealthy Maskil (a member of the secular "Enlightenment" movement) to raise funds for his Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin. The Maskil told him, "I don't send my sons, nor will I send my grandchildren, to yeshivas." Rabbi Meir Shapiro replied, "Do not speak for your grandchildren, because even the descendants of Haman learned Torah! The grandchildren always do teshuvah (repentance); they eventually grasp the truth and realize that the secular world is all a lie."

Another story is told about the community activist Shlomo Broida, who became fiercely anti-religious. The Rayatz (the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe) told him, "Your grandchildren will do teshuvah." And indeed, years later, his grandchildren ended up traveling to India. They walked into a Chabad House, where they happened to hear the story of how the Rayatz had promised their grandfather that his grandchildren would return to Judaism. Upon hearing this, they decided right then and there to do teshuvah (repentance).

Whoever is part of the Shuvu Banim community is on an incredibly lofty spiritual level, high above the high.