When a father punishes his child, the suffering he inflicts on himself is greater than anything experienced by the child. So it is with H'shem: His pain is greater than our pain. (Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov) Chabad.org "When someone will ask what he will eat in  the year of Shemittah, H'shem answers  that He will send His blessings. We may ask  why the pasuk seems to say that one must  ask this question to receive this bounty. It  sounds like if one doesn’t ask, he won’t  receive the blessing?   The Noam Elimelech (Parshas Behar)  famously says in the name of his brother,  Rav Zushe zt”l, that the pasuk is actually  saying that this assurance of a new  blessing from H'shem is only necessary  When one is concerned about what will be  and asks what he will eat.  This is because the doubts this person has stopped the  original blessings that were in place, and a new blessing  is needed. If one has ...

Many have a custom to give children toy bows and arrows to play with at Lag BaOmer picnics. The Bnei Yissachar cites an explanation from one of his teachers that, as a result of Rabbi Shimon’s great merits, no rainbow was seen during his lifetime. (According to Torah, the rainbow is a sign of G‑d’s displeasure.) We play with bows to commemorate this miracle. Another reason is based on the teaching of the Zohar that there will be an extremely bright, vivid rainbow before Moshiach comes. This is connected to Lag BaOmer because Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, founder of the chassidic movement, taught that learning the mystical dimension of Torah espoused by Rabbi Shimon brings the messianic era closer. We play with a bow to remind us of the imminent arrival of Moshiach. chabad.org Any success we may have against the “murderous” tendencies of the yetzer hara may be the result of Divine help that we failed to ask for, but received anyhow. The mistake, many have found, is to ascribe spiritual ...

 Furthermore, his argument that he will attain peace of mind by achieving what he desires of material wealth is a lie and betrays ignorance of what he wishes to attain, for, on the contrary, it could be a major cause of worry and anxiety. pg 463

 One who takes a pledge from his fellow will feel secure with it since he expects to collect from it and benefit either directly from it or from its exchange value. But as to he who thinks that he will be secure from all worldly concern if the Creator provides him in advance with all his needs, his argument is a false one for he cannot be sure of holding on to his money, as disaster may strike him and separate it from him. pg 461

  Your fellow is your mirror. If your own face is clean, the image you perceive will also be flawless. But should you look upon your fellow man and see a blemish, it is your own imperfection that you are encountering—you are being shown what it is that you must correct within yourself.  (Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov) chabad.org The Noam Elimelech says that the holiness of the parchment we use to write a Torah, Tefillin or Mezuzah is holier than all of the holiness of the letters, because each letter only contains its own holiness, but the parchment has the holiness of the entire Torah, as well as the individual letters. The holiness of the 50th day includes the holiness of the 49 preceding days, because it connects them all together. We count the 49 days in order to reach the 50th. The 50th day is parchment which connects the other 49 days, and therefore is filled with their holiness. ncsy.org

 He who takes a pledge from his fellow does so for one of three reasons: a. lest the fellow becomes impoverished and unable to repay him, b. lest he be tightfisted with what he has, making it impossible to collect from him, c. out of fear that his fellow may die or disappear. The pledge is the cure for these ills in him and the relationship. But if people were safe from these three risks in their relationships with others, it would undoubtedly be shameful for them to demand a pledge. Now these three concerns are totally inapplicable to the Creator, may He be exalted. Hence, it is much more shameful and absurd to demand a pledge from Him. pg 461