A Taste of the Rebbe’s Farbrengens – Parshas Naso
The Rebbe held 31 farbrengens on Shabbos Parshas Naso. The sichos from these farbrengens span over 950 pages in the Yiddish Hanochos (transcripts) in Sichos Kodesh, and around 125 pages in the English Hanochos published by Sichos in English.
Each farbrengen is a priceless treasure. It was the highlight of the week for those fortunate to be present when the Rebbe farbrenged. Nowadays, these farbrengens are preserved in thousands of pages, waiting to be relived by every chossid.
To get a taste of these farbrengens (Some selected highlights appear below), visit berel.me/taste/naso to explore this week’s “Taste”. You can download and print it for Shabbos, with curated suggestions for which farbrengen to learn, along with a qr code to access each one.
To receive the “Taste” each week, subscribe for free at berel.me/taste/subscribe
May we merit to once again experience a farbrengen with the Rebbe—now!
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Selected excerpts from this edition of the “Taste”
Shabbos Parshas Naso 5739
Parshas Bamidbar teaches us that as long as we have not experienced Mattan Torah, we are in a desert. If our lives are not filled with Torah, they will become desolate, void of any positive factors. a dwelling for snakes and scorpions. [The interrelation of the two factors is emphasized throughout Torah literature. The Talmud comments on the verse describing Yosef in the pit “‘and the pit was empty, it contained no water (a metaphor for Torah),’ it did not contain water, but it did contain snakes and scorpions.”] This is an important lesson for each of us in our learning process and for a child who is first beginning his Torah education. We must realize that everything outside of Torah, even that which appears pleasurable, even that which is permitted by Halachah, is a desert without Torah.
Shabbos Parshas Naso 5744This teaches the following lesson. There are some Jews who are spiritually on the level of a “mes mitzvah” — dead to Judaism. A Jew must know that although he may be on the highest level of sanctity, the level of a High Priest who does not become unclean even for his close relatives — he has the responsibility to lower himself from his level to occupy himself with a Jew who is on the level of a “mes mitzvah.” And, as above, this is because such service is more important than service in the Holy of Holies. Therefore, it follows that through such service, one attains a distinction loftier than possessed by the High Priest.Such is the mission given to Jews by the previous Rebbe, the leader of our generation: Every Jew must engage in the dissemination of Torah, Judaism and Chassidus wherever possible. He must leave his private domain of sanctity to help Jews who are on the level of a “mes mitzvah” — to make them live Jews, Jews who observe Torah and mitzvos.
Shabbos Parshas Naso 5747What about those who are unlearned and ignorant? How can they innovate in Torah. The answer is that in Torah the action is as important as the study, in fact, the study is greater only because it leads to action, and it is expressed through the action.
Sometimes the sincere and devout practices of a simple person, when they are pursued with diligence and wholeheartedness, can serve as an example and lesson to those who are wiser and more learned. When we see small children pray fervently and piously, surely their prayers can have a tremendous, positive impact on much older and wiser adults, as we often see. The simple Jew is thus a Torah innovator! And he truly has his own share in Torah!
