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Nefesh HaChaim with Rabbi Pinchas Winston
The work Nefesh HaChaim, by Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, one of the foremost students of the Vilna Gaon and said to be the "Father of the Yeshivah Movement", is a classic, but not in the classical sense. There are four "gates" in the entire sefer, each one dealing with a different topic, and each topic treated on a relatively deep level of understanding. The first gate of 22 chapters explains what it means to have been made "in the image of God", and the implications of being so. The Nefesh HaChaim, quoting extensively from the Zohar, reveals the level of interaction between man and God, and how every act, word, and thought of Jew affects the direction of Creation, for good or for bad. To this extent, the entire sefer is very empowering, and encourages one to live up to his potential to become that which God cherishes most: a partner in fulfilling the plan for Creation. Listen Now. |
Nefesh HaChaim: The Body of Torah
Shaar 4:Chpt 28 - Torah is deceiving. On one hand, there is the simple explanation of the verse, and the basic laws that it teaches. Yet, hidden away in Torah, and recognizable only through hints, and the deepest and holiest of secrets, and a person has to pursue them to the best of his ability. If you have questions and comments for Rabbi Pinchas Winston, please email .
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Nefesh HaChaim: Unchanging Torah
Shaar 4:Chpt 27 - Most lights, as they descend from the upper realms, because weakened, causing their level of holiness to be reduced. However, this is not the case with Torah, which maintains its original and high level of holiness, even after its light descends into our mundane world. If you have questions and comments for Rabbi Pinchas Winston, please email .
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Nefesh HaChaim: Highest Level of All
Shaar 4:Chpt 26 - Even prayer needs Torah learning to be heard, since the root of the holy Torah is above the level of everything else. Therefore, nothing survives without Torah learning. If you have questions and comments for Rabbi Pinchas Winston, please email .
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Nefesh HaChaim: The Sin of Bitul Torah
Shaar 4:Chpt 25 - This chapter continues on with the theme of how destructive bitul Torah - the wasting of learning time - is to the world. If you have questions and comments for Rabbi Pinchas Winston, please email .
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Nefesh HaChaim: A Torah Scholar Who Strays
Shaar 4:Chpt 24 - After showing all the wonderful results for learning Torah, the Nefesh HaChaim brings sources to show the dramatically negative impact of not learning Torah, especially one who can and doesn’t, and especially a Torah scholar who ceases to learn. If you have questions and comments for Rabbi Pinchas Winston, please email .
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Nefesh HaChaim: If You Don’t Learn Torah
Shaar 4:Chpt 23 - After talking about the great things that happen for the person and the world when someone learns Torah, the Nefesh HaChaim brings the sources that speak about the opposite, when someone doesn’t learn Torah or, worse, they once did and stopped learning Torah. If you have questions and comments for Rabbi Pinchas Winston, please email .
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Nefesh HaChaim: World Depends Upon Learning
Shaar 4:Chpt 22 - G-d is prepared to overlook the three worst types of sins, on some occasions. However, He never overlooks the disgracing of Torah, and when the Jewish people forsake Torah learning, then the world moves in the direction of destruction. If you have questions and comments for Rabbi Pinchas Winston, please email .
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