The Baal Shem Tov said: If you read the story of Esther and of her people, of the rise of Haman and his own self-destruction, of secret heroes and hidden miracles as though it was all a backstory —something that occurred a long time ago and now provides only historical context —you haven’t read the story. Because Jews have never had the luxury to retell this story as something we have put behind us. Haman persists to reappear in his many incarnations, as a dictator, as a terrorist, as an ideology, as an advocate of war, as an advocate of peace, or, most pernicious of all, as the cold apathy that chills our own hearts from within. He remains to remind us that as a nation, as well as individuals, we rely every day on G‑d's miracles simply to remain the nation we were chosen to be. And when we stand firm and united, we see those miracles. A Jew looks around and discovers: We are standing in the middle of the story of Purim right now. chabad.org All things are created by H'shem s...

  "Take My offering from every person whose heart moves him." (Exodus 25:2) In the name of the Baal Shem Tov: Every person needs to sit with himself and think strategically about how to redirect his character. Whatever his heart burns for — his external cravings, the negative traits and habits he's fallen into — those very same drives can become fuel for serving the Creator. Take that same hunger, that same intensity, and channel it toward H'shem with even more fire than you brought to the original desire. (Tiferet Shlomo, Parshat Toldot) ​  sefaria.org.il Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi was ill. When he became conscious, his father asked him, "What did you see?" "I saw an upside-down world - I saw the upper being below and the lower ones above." He answered him, "Son, you saw a clear world." H'shem Yisbarach created this world in such a way that the yeish substance sprung from ayin nothingness. The Tzaddik comes and does the reverse: from re...

 Advocates of "pledge taking" are like the businessman who, when selling on credit to someone he does not trust, asks for a pledge at the time of sale because he fears that the client is unreliable and will be unable to pay him. pg 457    

One who does not trust in H'shem says, "When I have peace without worldly concerns, I will be free to fulfill my obligations to the Creator and will consider my provision for the appointed day"  I find it imperative to expose the ignorance and error in this outlook in seven ways, through which the magnitude of the error will be revealed, even if it entails a lengthy discussion for this put to shame and reproof the advocate of this attitude pg 457

  Rabbenu Bachya often talks about seeing ourselves as avadim to H'shem. Slaves to our Master. In modern day, that sounds like someone who is oppressed. The master can do whatever he wants as he has full control. I have nothing. But look at it through this week's parsha. What Are the Rules? Mishpatim lays out the laws H'shem puts on a master who has a Jewish slave. The master has to feed the slave from his own table. Same food he eats. He has to make sure the slave is comfortable. Has clothing. Has dignity. The master can't just do whatever he wants. He's bound by law. The Question You Ask Yourself "I know H'shem can do everything, but why would He do it for me? I don't deserve it." Here's what changes: H'shem has bound Himself by the laws of how He has to treat you. There is nothing to fear. H'shem loves you. He bound Himself to rules that put you first. That makes sure you're comfortable. You're right. You don't deserve an...

  Adar concludes the year and provides the opportunity to make up for one’s “losses.” This is associated with the Talmud’s statement, “When the month of Adar enters, we must increase our happiness.” When you find a lost object, you are happy. This is true in the spiritual realm as well. The Talmud relates that a sage once became very happy because he remembered a certain teaching he had forgotten. Likewise, the  Baal Shem Tov  compared the joy experienced in Torah and Mitzvos to the joy felt by a king’s son who, after many years of being lost, becomes reunited with his father. Since Adar concludes the calendar year and brings out the principle that nothing is ever lost, it is always a month of happiness. chabad.org When Mordechai sent out letters to Bnei Yisrael that would prepare them to protect themselves against their enemies, he uses the word  at i dim /be prepared for the future. However, the word is actually written as  at u dim .  Atudim  are th...

 Someone sho does not trust H'shem if a preacher admonishes him or a teacher counsels him and says to him: 'How long will you neglect to give thought to the provision you should make for your final journey and to the concern of your ultimate destination?' He replies: 'Until I have provided for my livelihood and needs and those of my family, my wife and children, to the end of our days. pg 455

  Why did H'shem have to force the acceptance of the Torah after the people wholeheartedly agreed to it?   The Baal Shem Tov,  saw the coercion as an important lesson for man. The children of Israel did indeed accept the Torah of their own free will and no coercion was required for this. But we are all familiar with human nature: good will is something that may disappear. Sometimes a person really wants to do the good and right thing, but sometimes, that same person is preoccupied with problems and difficulties and can’t make the effort to do the right thing. For these times, the Baal Shem Tov says, G-d imposed on the children of Israel the acceptance of the Torah; as if to say – You should know that good will works some of the time, but at other times, you will have to force yourself to make the effort, fighting momentary impulses, in order to follow the straight path. thekotel.org The Noam Elimelech translates the beginning of the Aseres HaDibros (Shemos 20:1-2), "Hashe...

 One who does not trust in GD mourns exceedingly if constant tragedy strike him if deprived of what he loves or if denied his wishes He saves up great stores of material wealth as if he were secure from passing away The fear of death departs from him as though his day would never end and his life would never cease He does not bear in mind his later end and occupies himself solely with this world giving no consideration to religious interests making no provision for his ultimate destination His confidence that he will live a long life is the cause of his prolonged passion for the affairs of this world and his slight interest in what concerns his latter end   pg 455

  One who trusts in H'shem, his fear that death may suddenly overtake him intensifies his effort and zeal to prepare for his latter end and renders him indifferent to the provisions for this world.  pg455

 What one who trusts H'shem worries and grieves over are his deficiencies in duties to the Creator, and he tries to discharge them as best he can in his outer and inner life, because he thinks of his own death and the approach of the day of ingathering.