txt/Chasidut/Early Works/Kedushat Levi/English/YU Torah miTzion Beit Midrash.txt

Kedushat Levi
קדושת לוי
YU Torah miTzion Beit Midrash
http://www.torontotorah.com

Kedushat Levi

Letters of Approbation



Genesis

Bereshit



Noach



Lech Lecha



Vayera



Chayei Sara



Toldot



Vayetzei



Vayishlach



Vayeshev



Miketz



Homilies for Chanukah




We will explain with Heavenly assistance the statement by the Sages z”l (Shabbat 21b) “They ‎argue about the chanukah lamp: One says that it is permissible to use its light; (the other) one ‎says that it is forbidden to use its light.” (We can explain this) through a parable: A powerful king ‎came to a poor man’s house. Naturally, when a powerful king arrives, his honour and wealth are ‎visible for all to see, and a poor person rejoices in seeing the abundant riches of the king; he has ‎never seen such wealth in all of his days. However, a wise poor man does not rejoice in seeing ‎the great riches of the king, for he knows that from the king’s perspective, wealth is an ‎insignificant matter. Rather his happiness stems from the fact that the king has come to take ‎lodging in his home. So, too, in this matter. When Hashem Yitbarach performs miracles for ‎human beings, one person might rejoice in the good itself, that Hashem Yitbarach performs ‎miracles for him. This is like the poor man who rejoices at seeing the wealth of the king; in a ‎similar vein this individual rejoices in the fact that Hashem acts towards him with kindness. ‎However, another (wiser) individual does not rejoice over the miracles themselves, for he knows ‎that Hashem created all of the worlds and is able to do everything, but his happiness upon ‎experiencing a miracle is that through the miracle he sees that Hashem “clothes ‎Himself”(k‟veyachol) with human beings; that by performing miracles for human beings this ‎individual rejoices in the knowledge that The Powerful King “lodges” and “clothes” Himself in ‎order to come (closer) to human beings. This is the argument (in Shabbat 21b): “One says that it is ‎permissible to use the light,” corresponding to the person who rejoices in G-d’s performance of a ‎miracle for him. This is a happiness that relates to this world, that Hashem acts towards him with ‎kindness. Since this world was given to us to derive benefit there from, therefore he is ‎‎“permitted to use the light.”“ And the other says it is forbidden to use the light,” ‎corresponding to one who rejoices in G-d Himself, that he merits that G-d clothes His Brilliance ‎with human beings. He does not think of himself as having received goodness, rather that ‎Hashem Yitbarach “clothed” Himself with him. Since he does not give importance to (the benefit ‎from this) world at all, only to that which his above this world - and that which is abovet his world ‎is not for our enjoyment, as it is written (Yeshayah 64), “No eye has seen‏ ‏this, G-d, only You” –‎‎  consequently, he‏ ‏believes that “it is forbidden to benefit from‏ ‏the light.”‎

Vayigash

‎"And Yehudah approached him and said, 'Please, my master, let your servant speak in my master's ‎ears, and be not angry at your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.'" (Bereishit 44:18) "Be not angry" is ‎incomprehensible; it sounds like he had provoked him to the point of needing to ask, "Be not ‎angry," but in the entire section we find only words of appeasement and pleading…
... It appears, in my humble opinion, that Yehudah intended thus: Yehudah wished to awaken Yosef's ‎mercy, so that his heart would understand and listen to his pleading, but he sensed that this would ‎only come, as our sages say, via 'Words that come from the heart, enter the heart.' This is what he ‎intended, when he drew near to speak.‎ However, this is effective only when one person speaks to another directly; then his friend accepts ‎the sweetness of his words, and truth is recognized. When there is a translator, speech does not ‎make such an impression; this is clear to all who understand. The obstruction here was, "The ‎translator was between them," (ibid. 45:23) for he spoke via a translator.‎ Therefore, Yehudah requested of Yosef to speak personally, without the translator. However, in ‎truth, it is not respectful to speak to the king in one's own tongue, for perhaps the king would not ‎comprehend it. Thus Yehudah declared, "Please, let your servant speak in my master's ears," so ‎that the words would go from mouth to ear without a translator, in Yehudah's own formulation, ‎despite the lack of respect in speaking thus.‎ Therefore, he said, "Be not angry at your servant" at this mode of address. "There is no claim ‎against me [Yehudah], for it is clear to me that you know the seventy languages;" for the early ‎kings knew the seventy languages. Thus he said, "for you are like Pharaoh," meaning that you are a ‎king, like Pharaoh, and you know seventy languages, and certainly, you will know our language. ‎And so is seen in Sotah 36b, "Gavriel came and taught [Yosef] 70 languages." Pharaoh did not know ‎the holy tongue, but he was degraded for this, for a king should know all tongues.‎

Vayechi



Exodus

Shemot



Vaera



Bo



Beshalach



Yitro



Mishpatim



Terumah



Tetzaveh



Homily for Purim



Ki Tisa



Shekalim



Parah



Vayakhel



Pekudei



Leviticus

Vayikra



Tzav



Shmini



Homily for Pesach



Shir HaShirim



Tazria



Metzora



Achrei Mot



Kedoshim



Emor



Behar



Bechukotai



Numbers

Bamidbar



Nasso



For the Sefira



Homily for Shavuot



Beha'alotcha



Sh'lach



Korach



Chukat



Balak



Pinchas



Matot



Masei



Deuteronomy

Devarim



Megillat Eicha



Vaetchanan



For Shabbat Nachamu



Eikev



Re'eh



Shoftim



Ki Teitzei



Ki Tavo



Nitzavim



Haftarah of Nitzavim



For Rosh HaShanah



Vayeilech



Ha'Azinu



V'Zot HaBerachah



Likutim



Likutim on Avot



Haggadah MiSavi De'vey Atuni



Kedushot for Purim

Introduction



Kedusha Rishona



Kedusha Shniya



Kedusha Shlishit



Kedusha Revi'it



The Rules of Festivals



Chidushei Agadot



Chidushei Halachot



Kedushot for Chanukah

Kedusha Rishona



Kedusha Shniya



Kedusha Shlishit



Kedusha Revi'it



Kedusha Chamishit



The Rules of Miracles



Explanations of Aggadot