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Mesillat Yesharim – The Path of the Just #24 – Chapter 4 – Watchfulness [That Spiritual Sports Car]

There are different types of people seeking different levels of comfort for their souls. The Ramchal taught us about the perfectionist in our last lesson. This is a person who seeks only the very best of everything. And why not?! But if that person seeks perfection, they should seek it no less in spiritual matters. How sad that individual may feel when upon arriving in the spiritual world above — after their 120 years in this world — they find they had not reached the goal they could actually have attained. What a tragedy! For those who realise what perfection entails and who demand it of themselves in this world, let them not diminish in their demands for expecting the best of themselves in this world.

Learn Talmud – Berachot #42 Daf 15a Part 2 15b (Koren Talmud Bavli) [Blessing in One’s Heart]

We are learning about the Mitzvah of reciting the Keriat Shema and the discussion and debate regarding if one fulfills one’s obligation if one does not hear the words one is reciting.

Lessons in Tanya #50 – Chapter 24 Part 2 – [Every Sin Tears One Away From God]

Even the Kelipot do not rebel against God. This is because being what they are, they fulfil their role in life. They acknowledge God but their behaviour is such that they behave against the good of God – holding God (so to speak) in exile within them.

Mesillat Yesharim – The Path of the Just #23 – Chapter 4 – Acquiring Watchfulness [Study Torah]

How does one acquire the trait of Watchfulness? Watchfulness is the very first trait on the ladder to success in terms of real life growth.

Learn Talmud – Berachot #40 Daf 15a Part 1 (Koren Talmud Bavli) [Hearing The Words of the Shema]

The best approach to take before davening – and the correct approach – is that before reciting the Shema and davening in the morning, one must relieve oneself, wash one’s hands and then put on Tefillin. One must prepare oneself before davening so that when one accepts the Kingdom of Heaven – one does so in absolute purity.

Lessons in Tanya #49 – Chapter 23 Part 3 Chapter 24 Part 1 – [The Sinner is Lower than the Kelipah]

Torah is greater than the performance of Mitzvot. A person who can understand this will be overcome with a sense of tremendous fear when he engages in the study of Torah. He realises ultimately that he is cleaving to God Himself – who is concealed within those words and is really one with them.

Mesillat Yesharim – The Path of the Just #22 – Chapter 3 – Divisions of Watchfulness [Accounting]

Those who want to progress and grow correctly in life – and those who want to develop themselves to reach the goal of life would do well to listen to those who have already succeeded. Those who follow such individuals in life – will succeed themselves. Those who choose not to, do so at their own peril.

Lessons in Tanya #47 – Chapter 23 Part 2 – [Torah and God are One]

The Alter Rebbe tells us that the forefathers are the Merkava – the Chariot of God. Just as a chariot does only the will of its owner, so too did the forefathers fulfill the will of God completely. Their every movement, their every word, their every thought was directed to God and for His purpose.

Mesillat Yesharim – The Path of the Just #21 – Chapter 3 – The Divisions of Watchfulness [The Maze]

Those under the dominion of their evil inclinations should know well that they are in the dark. But the truth is that most often they cannot see this. They don’t realise they are in the dark. It takes a person who was already gone through the darkness and come out, to know what the darkness is all about. They are also most suited to be able to help others out of that darkness.

Learn Talmud – Berachot #39 Daf 14a Part 2 / 14b (Koren Talmud Bavli) [Order of Paragraphs of Shema]

We continue with the laws of interruptions that may be or may not be made at certain places during the recital of the Keriat Shema. One such a place is the very end when we say the word “Emet”. Thereafter a paragraph follows with the word “VeYatziv” We follow the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda that no interruption may be made between these two words.