Sholom Ber Wineberg

The previous sections explained that the revelation of G-d’s Essence, as alluded to by the phrase bayom hazeh, made it possible for a person’s individual identity to be characterized by bittul and for that approach to motivate his involvement in the world...

In sections 1-6 the maamar explains that there is an advantage to the Divine service of a person who redefines his identity and subsumes it in the service of G-d (as alluded to by the phrase bayom hazeh, “this day,”) over the total obliteration of one’s p...

Sec. 7 developed the teaching of the Rebbe Maharash that draws a parallel between the acceptance of the yoke of the Kingship of Heaven and the motif of ratzo, and between the acceptance of the yoke of mitzvos and the motif of shov. On the basis of the exp...

The concept explained at the end of the previous section – that the acceptance of the yoke of the observance of the mitzvos is worthy of receiving a crown (i.e., of drawing down G-d’s encompassing light) only when preceded by the acceptance of the yoke of...

The above concept – that there is an advantage to the Divine service of a person who redefines his identity and subsumes it in the service of G-d (as alluded to by the phrase “this day”) over the total obliteration of his personal identity (as alluded to ...

Based on the above, it is possible to explain why Tosafos raise the question (see sec. 1 above) that the Talmud should have derived the fact that the Jews came to the Sinai desert on Rosh Chodesh from a gezeirah shavah based on the word midbar: For the fa...

Further clarification is still necessary: According to the explanations offered above, the fact that the refinement of the primary emotional attributes was completed on Rosh Chodesh Sivan highlights man’s attainment of shleimus. However, the maamar in Tor...

On this basis, we can understand the meaning of the verse, “On this day, they came to the Sinai desert.” The maamar in Torah Or explains that the word midbar shares the same root as the word dibbur, meaning “speech.” Midbar adds a mem to the root dalet-be...

The maamar proceeds to offer another explanation why Rosh Chodesh Sivan served as the beginning of the final stage of the Jewish people’s preparation for receiving the Torah: After the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt, they began counting the Omer, ...

Rather than seek to resolve the question concerning Tosafos’ query mentioned in the previous section according to the traditional pattern of Torah scholarship, the maamar explains that it can be resolved through an understanding of the implications of the...