The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidus, was once visiting the home of Rabbi Yaakov Koppel. When Rabbi Yaakov danced in front of his Shabbos table for an hour, the Baal Shem Tov asked to explain this unusual custom. Rabbi Yaakov replied: Before I taste physical food, I absorb the food’s spiritual essence. In doing so, I become so excited that I sing and dance! Everything in the physical world is a metaphor for a deeper spiritual concept. Eating is to the body what knowledge is to the soul. When we eat, we internalize the good part of the food – and through that we grow and develop. Similarly, when we learn a new piece of information, we must chew it over, digest it, and integrate it into our very being. Only then can we truly grow in wisdom and spirituality.      timesofisrael.com  Arie E. Pelta   The Noam Elimelech teaches that the primary aspect of a mitzvah is not its technicalities and details, but rather the love we put into its performance. This...

 One who trusts in GD does not grieve if denied a request or if deprived of something he loves.  He does not hoard what is at hand and does not bother to provide for more than today's needs because he does not concern himself with what will be tomorrow, as he does not know when his end will come.   Rather, he trusts in GD that He will lengthen his days and provide his livelihood and daily bread. He neither exults nor grieves about the future.  pg 455 

 He who does not trust in GD has no friends because he is always envioius and jealous of others imagining that any good attained by them was taken from him, that their livelihood is at the expense of his livelihood, that all that has been denied him of his desires is on account of them, and that it is within their power to grant him these desires. If misfortune or disaster strikes his assets or his children, he imagines that they are the cause of this and that they can shield him from the harm and dispel the hardship. As a result of these notions, he holds others in contempt, slanders them, curses them and hates them. while he is held in contempt and detested in both worlds. pg 453

The Baal Shem Tov writes that fragments of a person's soul are contained in his spoken words, so with every word he speaks, his life force is slightly diminished. However, positive and holy speech, due to its connection to nourishing spiritual energy centers, has the ability to add life force. [This is why one tends to feel energized and revitalized after speaking such noble words.] .breslov.com "Great is the glory in Your salvation (Tehillim 21) ... Performing a mitzva is like a salvation for the Divine Presence since Hahkadosh Baruch Hu is united with His Shechina through the performance of the commandments MiPeninei Noam Elimelech Parshat Bo

The Baal Shem Tov taught A great principle is learned from my master, my father, my grandfather, of blessed and holy memory: From the very plagues that struck Egypt, healing was fashioned for Israel. How so? The word dam (blood) has the gematria of 44, which equals the Divine Name Ehyeh in its squared form. But for Israel, the same waters remained mayim mem-hei (45), showing how the same divine force can appear completely different depending on the spiritual vessel receiving it. sefaria.org.il It's asked in the Holy writings of the Noam Elimelech that the verse should have said in regards to Pharaoh asking for a sign, "produce for me a marvel," and not for yourselves, so that the proof of HaShem would be for Pharaoh to know that HaShem really sent them and that they are messengers of The Merciful one And there is what to say here with the help of Heaven. Behold, a principle of religion and a fundamental foundation is that a human must strengthen himself with complete fa...

 He who does not trust in GD has no friend because he is always envious and jealous of others imagining that any good attained by them was taken from him, that their livelihood is at the expense of his livelihood, that all that has been denied him or his desires is on account of them, and that it is within their power to grant him his desires. pg 453

 If one performs divine service, such as Torah study and prayer and the like, and does it "for a harp and lyre" - meaning without awe (dechilu) and love (rechimu), but rather like one merely playing upon a harp - this causes, Chas Vishalom, that his entire service goes to the kelipot [forces of impurity].  And it's possible to say that this is hinted at here: "And these are the names" - meaning, this caused the exile and desolation. "And this is [the meaning of] those coming to Egypt" - meaning, into the straits of exile.  And he explains: "Reuven, etc." - meaning, when one performs some service, he says "See (Re'u) what [difference there is] between (ben) Israel and other people - that I perform my service in perfection." And it is fitting that H'shem, blessed be He, should hear (YiShMa) my voice and be joined (YiLaVeh) to me. And this is [the meaning of] "Shimon, Levi." And so with the other names. (Tzava'a...

 Since one who trusts in GD feels secure with others, since they can not help or harm him, and they feel secure with him, he loves them and they love him.  pg 453

 One who trusts in GD is beloved to all classes of people.  They feel favorably toward him because they are sure that he will not do them harm.  They are confident that he will not get angry with them, and they harbor no fear of him in respect to their wives or their money.   He, in turn, feels safe with them because he knows that help and harm are not in the hands of any created thing or within its power; he therefore does not fear harm from them, just as he does not expect help from them 

 "And Yaakov called to his sons and said, 'Gather, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the end of days.' In the name of the Baal Shem Tov: 'What will happen' comes by way of chance - that each and every person will be sitting in their work, distracted, and suddenly Mashiach will come." (Yalkut Moshe, Parashat Vayechi) sefaria.org.il Why did Yaakov cross his hands?  He could have just as easily had the two sons switch sides, and yet, for some reason, he opted to cross his arms.   The Noam Elimelch explains that while Yaakov Avinu felt compelled to place Efraim before Menashe, he also tried to avoid making a big deal out of it so as not to offend Menashe.   Yaakov Avinu praised Menashe and added that Efraim would be even greater.  While at times some of us are more right or better than some others among us, we must always bear in mind that all of Bnei-Yisroel are great by virtue of the fact that they are Jews.  We must find the positive...