It seems that we are born with a certain amount of material that, if expressed in the simplest way, will perpetuate bad karma.  The truly righteous among us will work through the material they are born with so that can turn the wheel in the other direction. These are the people Rabbah Bar Bar Channah [...]

We continue in Torah 6 through the Rabbah Bar Bar Channah story.  Rabbah Bar Bar Channah sought out ways to work on humility.  We can create moments to work on our weak traits, if we are paying attention.  It takes wisdom to create those moments, and also to create those moments for others.

Ratzo v’shov – the cycle of life – is like a NASCAR race.  Two very different kinds of time.  Mastering the balance between the two is essential.  And quite possible.

Rebbe Nachman is describing what happens at the top of the ladder – silence, shame, the Hidden, realization.  But this would be a good time to be realistic about where, exactly, we are holding. 

Rebbe Nachman speaks of the three points of teshuva – seeing, hearing, and heart-ing.  Without all of them, it cannot be teshuva.  First we have to see, to get a vision of what the new reality will look like.  That’s hard enough, but it’s easy compared to the next two stages.

When we enter into a new ‘world’ – a new era, a new stage of life, we are beset by negative forces – illusion, desire, confusion.  The way to move past these elements is to embrace the expansiveness of being a new place.

We build up edifices to our own potency and power, and then hopefully realize it before it is too late.  Our brains get wired that way – how (and when) can we rewire them?

To a certain extent, we expert our words – ‘our black fire’ – to have effect.  But there is a certain point at which we invert our perspective and our expectations, and we understand that it is in fact not about us at all. Then we start to let the ‘us’ dissolve, and then…

New class!  What is kavod?  What does it mean to pursue it or be pursued by it?  Heavy-respect-honor-glory.  Honor of G-d and honor of man.  Giving and receiving kavod.  rebbe nachman torah 6 4 12 10

In this class, we discuss one of the most esoteric of Rebbe Nachman’s concepts – the column of souls wherein each of us occupies a space that is unique but completely related to the one above and below.  When we move, the one above us moves in a certain way.  Very deep stuff.