ABSTRACT לקוטי שיחות נצבים Continued

ABSTRACT לקוטי שיחות

• When we choose G-d, not only logically but also due to our soul's essence, then He in turn is moved to choose us as "His treasured nation," showering us with all manner of good
• The power possessed by every Jew to choose freely, just as G-d can choose freely to do exactly as He pleases, lies in the fact that one’s soul is rooted in G-d; Thus, when the soul's essence chooses G-d because of something that transcends reason, the intensity of this choice is limitless
• At Har Sinai, G-d made a covenant with the neshama; every Rosh Hashana He renews the covenant with the neshama in the body (with a blessing for both)
• As Har Sinai HaShem made a covenant with the Jews to be His people; upon leaving the desert He now establishes a covenant in a manner that the Jewish people are always connected “stand before Him”; at the end of the 40 years, we are assured that the covenant is immutable
• During Elul we express our love to G-d; during the days of Awe, our love of G-d becomes His love to us
• After a person has done complete teshuva (removing the foreskin of one’s heart), G-d will reciprocate and circumcise one’s heart (removing the innate barriers) to serve fully
• On Rosh HaShana, we approach HaShem in two ways “like a son, like a servant” (bitul)
• נצבים Standing steadfast, unchanging; וילך going without rest; constant change. Torah & tefilah contains both types
• Even in Galus, one must incorporate the orderly and extraordinary regardless of one’s level
• In Galus, one might think that to learn Torah (or do Mitzvos) one needs to cross great distances (up to the Heavens, cross the seas); Moshe assures us that this is not so, one can do Torah & Mitzvos anywhere
• Chassidus began with emphasis on faith as expressed “by faith a Tzadik lives”; but the ultimate completion of the revelation of Chassidus requires knowing G-d through intellectual toil, which will permeate a person in one’s entirety without obstacles
• Raavad – Simplistic faith (Emunah & intellect separate items)
• Rambam –understand as much as possible; love of HaShem based on individual effort (the longer but short way); insufficient to rely on love of HaShem based on faith (the shorter but long way)
• A person must also toil intellectually to know G-d. And while this is a "long" path, since G-d is not easily "known"; however, once this knowledge is gained, the path is indeed short, for "Know the G-d of your father," leads to "and serve Him with a complete heart”