Date: November 9/10, 2025 (19th of Cheshvan, 5786) – Sunday Night / Monday Day
Focus: Netzach shebeChesed shebeGevurah (Endurance in Kindness within Discipline). Day 53 of the 364-Day Yearly Cycle.
15 Steps to the Sanctuary
1. Hayom Yom (Daily Lesson)
The Alter Rebbe taught: Chassidus is Sh'ma Yisrael. The acronym Sh'ma (שמע) stands for S'u Marom Eineichem ("Raise your eyes on high"). This means striving for a level higher and still higher, aiming beyond intellect to grasp the concept of G-dliness intellectually.
2. Alef-Bet Combination (Hidden Good)
The daily combination is Tet with Vav (ט with ו). Tet relates to Tov (good) and the hidden light of Torah, while Vav is the "hook" that connects and transforms.
3. Sefirah (Inner Refinement)
Tonight begins Day 4 of Week 8: Netzach shebeChesed shebeGevurah (Endurance in Kindness within Discipline). This practice demands persistent, enduring kindness (Chesed) that is administered with appropriate boundaries (Gevurah).
4. Kabbalah of Time Weekly Focus & Tzaddikim
The weekly theme centers on the Story of Channah. The core lesson is to be a "rejoicer of people."
Proverbs Chapter 8 emphasizes that Wisdom (Torah) was acquired by G-d at the beginning of His way.
Prominent Sefardi Kabbalists the Radbaz and Rabbi Avraham Azulai have their yahrzeits this week.
5. Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov & Jewish Spiritual Practices
The Besht taught the necessity of three loves: G-d, Torah, and Israel, requiring unconditional love and self-sacrifice.
For Kavvanah (concentration) in prayer, physical purity is necessary, achieved through light exercises and special clothes to aid the mind's transition to holiness.
6. Tanach: Melachim I, Chapters 5 and 6 (Temple Foundation)
These chapters describe King Solomon's preparations and the building of the First Temple. The Temple was built with finished stone so that "no hammer or axe was heard" on the site, symbolizing quiet dedication in spiritual construction.
7. Mishna: Tractate Shabbat (The Three Mitzvot)
Tractate Shabbat teaches laws regarding the Sabbath. Women are specifically punished for neglecting the three core commandments: Niddah, Challah, and Shabbat Candle Lighting.
8. Talmud: Tractate Shekalim (Temple Dedication)
This tractate focuses on the half-shekel tax and the structure of the Temple. The principle of "one increases in holiness and does not decrease" is illustrated by the use of Moses's original sacred objects over Solomon's copies. The Temple had 13 Gates and 13 Prostrations.
9. 13 Attribute Combination (Divine Patience)
Tonight begins Day 1 of Cycle 5.
1st Attribute: מִי אֵ-ל כָּמוֹךָ (mee E-l kamocha - Who is a G-d like you?), emphasizing G-d's unique nature in extending compassion.
5th Attribute: לֹא הֶחֱזִיק לָעַד אַפּוֹ (lo hechzik le’ad apoh - He does not retain His anger forever), focusing on the temporary nature of Divine discipline.
10. 41-Day Combination (Practical Purity)
The focus is on the 4th (practical) level of the 3rd Commandment: "Not to take Hashem's name in vain," connected to the lowest part of the soul (Nefesh) and the physical world (Asiyah), which connects to the Mivtzah of Kashrut (keeping kosher).
11. Living Likutei Moharan: Torah 54 Summary (Memory and Joy)
The core theme is guarding one’s memory by focusing on the World to Come over daily distractions. The power of imagination must be subdued through the hand (joy, playing musical instruments), which gathers the spirit of prophecy (Hitbodedut).
12. Mishna Berurah (Kavvanah in Prayer)
Halachic rulings state that one must wait between consecutive Amidah prayers to settle the mind (Kavvanah). We generally interrupt Torah studies for both Shema and Amidah, recognizing the centrality of prayer.
13. Zohar: Vayera Summary (Unity and Redemption)
The Akedah was required to unite Abraham's Chesed with Isaac's Rigour (Gevurah). Prophecy states the final redemption will occur when the Vav joins the Heh, symbolizing spiritual unification in the sixth millennium.
14. Shovavim Cycles and The Paths of Teshuva
Aspect Details & Focus Weekly Parasha Chayei Sara (Parasha 5 in the cycle) Cycle Progress Day 2 (Vav) of Parasha 5 (Yud) of Cycle 1 (Shin) Day's Focus (Vav) Focuses on Avodah (service) and the commandment V'ahavta (Lev. 19:18), "Love your fellow as yourself." Parasha Focus The cycle involves Tikkun Klali (Parasha 5) and Tikkun Leah, alongside the sincerity required by Tamim (Deut. 18:13), "Be sincere with the Eternal your G-d." Cycle Focus (Shin) The overall cycle involves Torah study and the constant consciousness of Shiviti (Ps. 16:8), "I have set G-d before me always." The word Teshuva (תשובה) is an acronym for five paths of repentance:
Tav: Tamim (Sincerity)
Shin: Shiviti (Constant G-dly Presence)
Vav: V'ahavta (Love of Fellow Jew)
Bet: B'chol (Know Him in all ways)
Heh: Hatznei'a (Walk discreetly)
15. Parashat Chayei Sara: The Unity of Sarah's Life (100 Blessings)
The Parasha teaches that all of Sarah’s years were "all equally good." This unity is achieved through the spiritual power represented by 100 (Will), which is tied to the daily practice of reciting 100 blessings. This practice ensures a person recalls G-d "at all times," infusing every phase of life with continuous, elevating service, thus hastening the final Redemption.
