Sichos In English   Holidays  Shabbat   Calendar  ×‘×´×”

     Sichos In English -> Books -> Other -> Chassidic Soul Remedies

Author's Foreword

Introduction

Acceptance

True Accomplishments

The Value of Action

The Value of Action(2)

Accepting Advice

Anger

The Positive Side of Arrogance

Faulty Assumptions

Attentiveness

Attitude

Attitude (2)

The Proper Attitude (3)

Awakening the Jewish Spark; The "Pintele Yid"

Jewish Roots - A Sense of Belonging

Bravery

The Benefit of a Broken Heart

Challenge

Change

Child-Rearing

Choices

Honoring G-d's Choices

Compassion

Competition

Concentration

Inner Conflict

Eternal Connection

Crisis

How to Give Criticism

Depression

The Importance of Eating

Education

Effort

Empathy

Channeling Enthusiasm

Equanimity

Balancing One's Excitement

Excuses

Faith

Fame

Finding G-d

Flexibility

The Proper Focus

Goal Setting

Achieving Goals

Gossip

Gratitude

Hastiness

Healing

Good Health

A Happy Home

Humility

Positive Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy (2)

Identity

Influence

Inspiration

The Power of Intellect

Introspection

Judging Others

Judgmentalness

The Wisdom of a True Leader

Lifting Spirits

Creating Light

Living in the Moment

Lust

Materialism

What Matters

Meditation

Moodiness

The Truth About Motivation

Life's True Necessities

Missed Opportunities

The Pitfalls of Perfectionism

Persistence

Advice for Personal Growth

Proper Planning

Finding the Positive in the Negative

Possession

Prayer

True Prayer

Purpose

Quality of Living

Rationalization

Rationalization (2)

Reaching Out to Others

Security

Security (2)

Self-Assessment

Self-Concern

Self-Control

Purposeful Self-Denial

Self-Esteem

Self-Sacrifice

Slander

The Power of Speech

Success

Suffering

The Power of Thought

The Proper Use of Time

Toil

Toil (2)

Understanding Tragedy

Making the Best of Tragedy

Truth and Honesty

Who Are We?

Worry

Maintaining Youth

Chassidic Soul Remedies
Inspirational Insights for Life's Daily Challenges

Challenge

Rabbi Dovid Shraga Polter

Published and copyright © by Sichos In English
(718) 778-5436   •   info@SichosInEnglish.org   •   FAX (718) 735-4139


Add to Shopping Cart   |   Buy this nowFor Palm Pilot
  The Benefit of a Broken HeartChange  

It was at a festive Rosh Chodesh meal that the students of the holy Baal Shem Tov discerned that their master was in an unusually bland mood. They attempted to arouse joy in him but to no avail.

Suddenly, in the midst of the festivity, a villager by the name of Reb Dovid arrived. As soon as he entered, the Besht began to show signs of joy and elation. He then honored the villager with reverence and a place to sit at his side.

The Besht's extreme behavior aroused much curiosity among his students, and they were eager for an explanation.

Sensing their wonderment, the Besht sent Reb Dovid on an assignment [so that the Besht could explain his actions to the chassidim]. He then related to the chassidim that Reb Dovid was accustomed to saving every penny of his hard-earned income in order to purchase the most beautiful esrog[21] possible. He would wait all year long and travel long distances in order to obtain an esrog of the highest quality.

Since he and his family were impoverished, his wife resented his spending all that time and money on his esrog, as she felt his priorities lay with meeting the material needs of the family. When he finally arrived home with his well-invested esrog, his wife was overcome with such great frustration that she broke off the esrog's pitom (tip) - making it unfit for use.

Calmly he reacted: "She is most probably correct, for I must not be worthy of such an esrog. After all, how does this come to a simpleton like me?"

The holiday moments were nearing and Reb Dovid was resigned to join in with the other villagers in using the communal esrog. However, he still desired to be an owner of an esrog so that he could fulfill the mitzvah of "you should take for yourself" (i.e., possess your own). Seeing that he had no money and did not want to borrow on collateral, he took an object from his home and brought it to a dealer to be exchanged for cash. With the money, he joined in the ownership of the community esrog. The Besht concluded: Ever since the historical moment of the binding of Yitzchak, no one has been tested on such a magnitude. For this reason I have honored him, and in turn he has evoked within me great joy.

Sefer HaSichos 5696, p. 148

   

Notes:

  1. (Back to text) A citron used in the mitzvah of the Four Species during the Sukkos holiday.


  The Benefit of a Broken HeartChange  
     Sichos In English -> Books -> Other -> Chassidic Soul Remedies
© Copyright 1988-2024
All Rights Reserved
Sichos In English