The Heels of Ya’akov
How to Acquire the Attribute of Yosef ha-Tzaddik In last week’s article Ya’akov’s Fear in Going Down to Egypt, we learned that through the strength of his character, specifically his shemirat einayim, Yosef was able to break the tumah of … Continued
Ya’akov’s Fear of Going Down to Egypt
The Power of One Man’s Personal Kedushah After Ya’akov learned that Yosef was alive and well in Egypt, he knew that he needed to go and see him. He set out from his home with his family and all of … Continued
Raise Your Voice Like a Shofar
Mashiach and the Mechanics of Rebuke (Likutei Moharan II:8:1) A little over a year ago, we published a d’var Torah entitled To Rebuke or Not to Rebuke: That is the Question. In that article, we explained what happens to someone … Continued
Filling Your Eyes with Puch
How to Merit Seeing the Beit ha-Mikdash of Fire With words of comfort and consolation, Yeshayah ha-Navi records a promise from Hashem that even though B’nei Yisrael will experience much suffering over the years, He will rebuild for them the … Continued
Let’s Not Make Wings for the Nachash
The Importance of Correcting Our Speech (Likutei Moharan 63) Have you ever wondered why certain heresies, i..e. religious, scientific, psychological, educational, philosophical and political heresies, spread like wildfire while others never seem to gain much traction? Likewise, have you ever … Continued
To Know That We Don’t Know Anything
The Secret Kavanah of Brit Milah (Part 2) In last week’s article entitled Revealing a Tefach and Covering a Tefach, we began to explore a little bit of the hidden meaning of the mitzvah of brit milah. Guided by Likutei Moharan 63, we learned … Continued
Revealing a Tefach and Covering a Tefach
The Secret Kavanah of Brit Milah (Part 1) We accept the mitzvah of brit milah without question. Even some of the outwardly less-observant members of our nation, for example, those who desecrate the kedushah of Shabbat without even the slightest … Continued
The Real Meaning of Chevlei Mashiach
How Machloket Not for the Sake of Heaven Serves a Higher Purpose In last few articles from The Shoemaker Report we have taken the time to explain teachings from the Zohar ha-Kadosh and from the Vilna Gaon that state unequivocally … Continued
The Beautiful Maiden or the Evil Maidservant
The Secret of the Erev Rav (Part 3) In the past two issues of The Shoemaker Report, we examined the origins and characteristics of the souls of the converts who accompanied the Jewish People when they left Egypt in the … Continued
How to Blot Out the Memory of Amalek
The Secret of the Erev Rav (Part 2) In last week’s article, The Erev Rav Also Went Up With Them, we learned a number of important points related to the Erev Rav and their relationship to B’nei Yisrael. First, the … Continued