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

  The  Baal Shem Tov  taught that everything encountered by a Jew should provide a lesson in his service to H'shem. Even something seen or heard previously must provide a fresh lesson, for since by Divine Providence a person has encountered it  again,  it is not a coincidence, but must provide a loftier lesson. G‑d did not create anything in His world for naught, and since H'shem has shown him something yet another time, it is for a purpose — to learn a new lesson in service to H'shem. And if a person does not utilize this opportunity, he is wreaking havoc on the concept of creation. chabad.org There is a great principle, "Walk modestly with H'shem" (Micha), that all of a man's ways must be modest.  When a person does things in a public manner, it is easier to feel proud and have ulterior motives when serving H'shem; however, when he does things modestly in private, he will not have ulterior motives since no one sees him. MiPeninei Noam Elimelch 

 One of the pious used to say, "My friends!  Is it possible that the Creator would ask you to perform today tomorrow's duties duties due a year or several years from now?" They would answer him, "How could we be held responsible now for duties due at a time that we may never live to see? We are bound to perform a definite service only at a definite period. When that time comes, we will be obligated to render the service." He would then say to them, "Thus too the Creator, may He be exalted, has promised you for every definite period a certain provision, and in return for it you are bound to definite service. Just as He does not demand service from you before its time, so should a sense of shame restrain you from asking for the granting of provision before its time. Why then do I find you seeking from Him provisions for years ahead which you may not live to see? You ask that He provide you in advance with maintenance for your wife and children who do not yet ...

Man is so truly indebted to the Creator that if all the good works of all the people throughout history were to be credited to one individual, all these would not suffice to repay the Creator for even one of His favors toward him. How then can a brazen individual not be ashamed to ask of the Creator that, in addition to past favors, He should grant in advance fresh favors? This will only increase his debt, while he may never be able to fulfill those vows of service he has already made because his days will be over and his life ended. pg 549

On the first day of Pesach, H'shem has already enlightened us with the understanding and clarity that we need to rectify all forty-nine days of Sefirat HaOmer. It is up to us to activate the potential that we have already been granted. (The Kozhnitzer Maggid, heard from Rabbi Shlomo Ashkenazi of Jerusalem) This idea is also alluded to in a parable from the Baal Shem Tov. The expansion of consciousness we receive on Pesach can be compared to one who is lost in a dense forest and climbs to the top of the tallest tree. From his perch, he can clearly see the lay of the land all around in every direction and re-orient himself to the village he wants to reach. Once back on the ground, he uses that clarity of vision to guide him. Pesach is the tall tree, and the Omer is the journey through the forest, the endeavor to take the right path, until we reach our goal: the receiving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. (chabad.org) Aharon lifted up his hands to the nation"(Shmini).  similar to the ve...

It was the custom of the Baal Shem Tov to partake of three meals on Acharon shel Pesach, the Last Day of Pesach. The third meal, which took place late in the afternoon, was known as “the Festive Meal of Mashiach,” for on this day the radiance of Mashiach is openly revealed. To this day, Chassidim meet for a final Yom Tov meal and share the true story of the Baal Shem Tov’s journey to Israel. The Baal Shem Tov traveled a lengthy route overland and by sea with his daughter, Udel (Rebbe Nachman’s grandmother), and his assistant. chabad.org breslev.com " Hashem said to Moshe, ' Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart." The Noam Elimelech asks two questions: (1) It should say Lech "Go to Pharaoh." Why does it say Bo, "Come to Pharaoh"? (2)  "Because I hardened his heart." This is a reason not to go to Pharaoh. What is the purpose of going to someone who won't listen? Why is this used as a reason to go to Pharaoh? The Noam Elimelech'...