Input of Torah Times Volume II, Tape 1:
Side A: A review of Iyar. Focuses mostly on applying the concept of 'no-choice'.

Yom HaZikoron -- 4 Iyar
Yom HaAtzmaut - 5 Iyar
Peshach Sheni: 14 Iyar
Lag b'Omer: 18 Iyar
Yom Yerushelayim: 28 Iyar.
[Cf. esp. Kitov, Book of our Heritage (Feldheim, Jerusalem/New York1973), translated from Hebrew, Sefer HaToda`ah (Kitov, Jeruslaem 1968)]

{START TAPE I, SIDE A, {C000)
{R. Shlomo humming a niggun}

So good hodesh, good yomtov, good shabbos, my beautiful friends, brothers and sisters. There is so much I would like to share with you -- I'll try just to give you the most important part of this month.

{Note (sa): So it's maybe that R. Shlomo would have been glad to record more, but the limitation was with the recording studio.}

This month belongs to Yisachar. And ______ says {Hebrew:}.

[ REFERENCE: From: Nechama Sarah G. Nadborny, The Twelve Dimensions of Israel: Ya'alat Chein Publishers, POB 43198, Jerusalem 91431 Israel, about $30 + postage: "And of the tribe of Yisachar, those who have knowlege of understanding the times ..." I Chronicles 12:32 : Cites parameters as: Vav, understanding, joy, right kidney, thought, Iyar, Taurus, yud-hei-hei-vav ]

Yisachar always knew exactly, what time it is. What time in our personal life, and what time in the history of the Jews, and what time in the story of the world. And the astrological sign is Josef, HEB., Yosef was always -- symbol of Yosef was an ox -- Taurus.

We count the Omer every night -- every day. In fact, according to Reb Nachman, everything we are saying, everything we are talking about, has to do with the Sephirat. If we would be great deep kabalists, we would walk on the streets of the world and listen to their talk, and everything people are talking, has to do with that very day. Unbelieveable.

And then we have -- gvalt, Yom HaShoah, yidden got together, and they decided, this is the day when we want to remember, the 6 million, the holy of holiest.
We came back to eretz Israel -- Yom HaAtzmaut -- and -- you know -- want you know something -- I don't know what level you're on, in regard to eretz Yisrael -- but in the meantime, in the meantime, where would we be without eretz Yisrael. Where would all the yidden who were nebuch left over in Auchwitz and in Dachau, where would they be without eretz Israel today.

{Note (sa): That is: Prior to, during, and after the Holocaust, the nations of the world refused to admit substantial numbers of Jewish refugees. }

But then we have Yom Yerushelayim -- Gevalt -- we came back to the holy Wall, after 2000 years, we can daven again by the holy Wall, and for the first time again, since we got back to eretz Yisrael --

{Note (sa): That is: Under most foreign occupations, starting with that of Rome, and excluding the British mandate, 1914-1948, but including the Jordanian occupation 1948-1967 (during which the Jewish "quarter" [portion, much less than 1/4] of the Old City was destroyed and left desolate, Jews were not permitted access to the Western Wall. }

The world wants to make it hard for us, to daven by the holy Wall, but we have to -- we have to, friends. Yerushelayim belongs to us. Yerushelayim {HEB.} -- the way it's translated,, Yerushelayim is surrounded by walls {I think this is a quote from one of the Psalms -- "a city which is compact altogether"} , but at this moment I want to translate -- Yerushelayim is surrounded -- everybody knows -- the mountains are called 'our fore-fathers' -- the mountains, our fore-fathers, won't let Them take it away from us. They will not. So let's begin from there.

You know, my beautiful friends -- do I have choice to be a Jew -- you know, when G_d gave us the Torah, 'HE' asked us, would you like the Torah, we said yes, n'aseh v' nishma -- we will do and we will listen . When G_d gave Avrom the land -- He didn't really ask him -- He didn't say, Avrom Avinu, would you like to go to America, or would you like to go to Israel -- He just told him. You know when G_d tells you something without asking, that means, G_d put it so deep into us -- beyond choice. I want you to know, it's crazy. There are yidden in the world who don't feel real connection to anything Jewish. ONe way or the other, if you're connected to eretz Yisrael, because Israel is the land which touches so deep, it's beyond our choice. Yes, we have choice. I don't have choice.

I want you to know that Mt. Sinai is the mountain of choice -- on Mt. Sinai G_d gave us the mitzvas, and I have choice to do it or not to do it. Yerushelayim -- David haMelek, David Malka Meshicha -- I have no choice. I have no choice.

You know what happens to the yiddele who comes to the holy Wall -- he might go back, and still eat a hamburger on Yom Kippur -- but one thing is alive in his, in her heart -- I don't have choice to be a Jew. I just am, I have to be.
I want you to know friends, in the history of us Jews, for 2000 years we were persecuted by the world, and they always give us choice -- you know, they always said, Ah, if you want to remain a Jew, we'll kill you, and if you stop being a Jew, you convert, accept another religion, you can live. The Germans didn't ask us. Because everybody knows, one way or the other, the 6 million paved the way for eretz Israel -- they paved for way for being a Jew beyond choice -- I have no choice.

You know today, all the thousands -- the great awakening in the world to come back to Yiddishkeit -- is not by choice. I spoke to a lot of people who came back to eretz Yisrael -- being far away. Was like, G_d was pulling them.

You know my beautiful friends, if I learn Torah by choice, then my connection is good. If I learn Torah on such level [that] I have no choice, then I get into the secrets of the Torah.

You know my beautiful friends, between people: If I meet a girl, I love her very much, but I have choice to meet her tomorrow, or maybe never again, then she will not tell me her secrets. But if suddenly I'm so connected that I have no choice, we'll tell each other all our secrets.

And also something else. I'll tell you what, my beautiful friends. Basically, according to the Torah, when you wanted to do a mitzva and you couldn't do it, it is considered in heaven like you did it. So the deepest question is: Pesach Sheni, when the people who could not fulfill the mitzva of bringing the Paschal lamb, because they were not fit to come to the holy Temple, -- that's not their fault, they couldn't come in -- why were they crying before Moshe

[REFERENCE: Deuteronomy? Cf. R. Shlomo on Pesach Sheni, \LEARNING:(=sh76051a + =sh76051b )
I think I posted to LIST a minor revision/correction, titled (=si76051a.* + =si76051b.*)
B'nei Jeshrun lecture series, May 5 and May 11, 1976 ]

But you know, if it's my choice, then I say ok, it's not my fault, I couldn't do it. But if I'm connected to something, beyond my choice -- oh, this is so deep. And if I didn't really do it.

You know -- I have this girl I like her very much, I have a date with her. Something happened, I couldn't come. So I said please forgive me, I couldn't come. It's no problem. If I love the girl the most -- yes, I have an excuse for not coming. But gvalt, I wanted to see you so much.

You know my beautiful friends, this month is so deep inside of us. Yeshachar is Yod - ____ Binah _____?l'Itim? _ -- the deepest knowlege of what does G_d want of you right now. Where are you connected to.
And I'll make it very fast:

You know basically, Yakov has two holy wives, Rochel and Leah. Rochel is his official soulmate, and Leah is -- deep-deep. On a secret level. {This is a reference to the midrash, that Rochel gave over the secret signs to Leah, so that Yakov would not know her for an imposter on the wedding night. } On a Yischachar level.


Everybody knows that Yischachar was always the head of the Holy Court. And if you remember the story: Rachel didn't have chldren, and ?the woman? {but this is the story of Reuben finding the mandrakes} found some herbs, and Leah gave it Rochel, under one condition -- I want one special night with Yakov Avninu. And that night Yischachar was born. I mean, was conceived.

You know friends, the Talmud says -- the Medresh says -- that Leah walked out to greet Yakov -- and she never looked so beautiful.

You know friends, sometimes we know people -- we know them all the time -- and we never really had time to see how beautiful they are. Everybody knows, Rochel was so beautiful -- That night -- suddenly Yakov comes back from the field -- looks at Leah -- gvalt is she beautiful. Gvalt am I connected to her. And according to our deepest kabbalists, this was the night when Leah became his soul-mate. Ah, this is deep. Deepest connection. It's crazy, I've known you for so long, and I'm always connected to you -- but I didn't know how deep.

You know friends, Yischachar -- because our Holy Court {the Sanhedrin} was not just to punish a person, or advise a person -- when you stood by the Holy Court, they woke up inside of you. They woke up your heart, your soul. To let you know, where you are really connected.

So this month is the month of the right kidney. You know what the right kidney is. With my head, I have choice. My right kidney is -- I have no choice. ________ says -- The Gemora says -- the deepest advice [is that which] I take from my kishkes -- from my kidneys --

You know friends -- Rachel had choice -- to give the signs to Leah -- you know when Laban -- put Leah instead of Rochel under the chupah by Yakov Avinu -- and Rochel saw it and she knew, my sister will be put to shame. And she gave over the secret signs. And if you remember, we were once learning -- what were the secret signs -- Ah, gvalt, gvalt -- Kadish, Urchatz, Yachatz -- Rochel gave over to Leah the secret secret signs of our redemption -- the secret signs of Meshiach -- because somehow, somehow, the kidneys of Rachel were telling her, Leah is the mother of Meshiach {That is, Meshiach is descended from Yehuda, who is a son of Leah.}

But you know what Leah gave her back. Leah gave her back {HEB.}

The deepest Pesach Sheni. You know, Josef haTzadik -- he would have had 2 million excuses to be angry at his brothers -- {sa2}

He would have had 2 billion excuses really to punish them. But gvalt, was he connected. {HEB.} Suddenly he didn't have choice any more.

And I want you to know: The students of Rabbi Akiva, sadly enough, didn't make it. 24,000 [died] because they didn't honor each other enough. You know, whom do I honor the most -- when someone is so important to me that I couldn't live without them -- ?because I'm? so connected.

You know friends, the world {I think R. Shlomo uses the phrase 'the world' to mean 'the goyim'} always talks about loving somebody. For us, how much are you connected. How much could [or: 'couldn't] you live without them.

And you know what Rabbi Akiva is -- Rabbi Akiva is, I can't live without the Torah -- I can't live without G_d . And Reb Shimon Yochai -- you know, when G_d reveals to you the secrets -- ah, when you can't live without it -- when you get to know the thing so deep, so deep --

You know my beautiful friends -- you know what Israel is -- for an American, America belongs to them, and if they have it they have it, if they don't have it, they don't have it. For us, the holy Land -- we can't live without it. Ah, you'll tell me, I have choice -- I don't have choice. Do I have ever choice not to think of Yerushelayim. Do I have choice ever ever not to think of Hebron or Sfat.

{R. Shlomo singing:}

And you know friends, right after Pesach we're beginning to learn Pirke Avos -- Teachings of our Fathers . And I'm sure it's clear to you, I think we were learning it Pesach. You know, what parents are giving over to their children -- not the teaching of choice. From my parents I receive this deepest depths -- that I have no choice being a Jew. That I have no choice, to put on tfillin the morning. I have no choice to keep Shabbos. I have no choice to go to Yerushelayim. I have no choice -- to love every Jew. I have no choice, to love the whole world. I have no choice, to see a poor man, and not to give him [tzdaka, "charity"] -- I don't have choice.

And you know, in Pirke Avos -- We're not learning any laws -- but every Rabbi -- every holy luminary -- is giving us over -- what was the one thing I couldn't live without -- what was the one thing I'm connected to most --
And you know what's so beautiful -- nature -- coming out -- you know, an apple tree -- does an apple tree really have choice not to become an apple tree -- in the winter, the apple tree thinks, oh, I have choice -- it's winter, I'm not ever coming out, I'm not producing apples any more, forget it, I'm sick and tired of it. But suddenly, Pesach -- and if you remember, the Ishbitzer tora -- it's not because nature is becoming free, that's why we become free -- it's the other way around -- it's because we yidden came out of Egypt, effects [or: affects. Or both. ] the whole [of] Nature -- the whole world -- they also come out --

You know, my beautiful friends -- the diffrence between a scientist being connected to what he learns, and me, a yid, connected to the Gemora -- I have no choice -- I have no choice.

And you know what it is -- anything I have choice -- I don't kiss them -- I'm glad to see you, mazeltov, you're beautiful -- You know, when I kiss somebody, I love them so much, I close my eyes. Because if it's my choice, I have to see. ?With you? -- close my eyes -- I don't love you by choice -- it's deeper than choice.
You know, children when they're born, their eyes are closed. Because they're still living in the world of beyond-choice. Deeper than choice. They have no choice, to love their parents. Ah, they love them so much. Do we have choice to love our children. We have no choice.

And here I want you to know something so deep. G_d has choice to give us the Torah; G_d could not-give us the Torah. But when we pray -- does G_d have choice. {A rhetorical question; the implied answer is, no. }

You know what Yerushelayim is: G_d says, I have no choice. When a Yid is asking, how can I not, it's ______?what's known as? the headquarters for prayers; Yerushelayim -- basically ?it's Tfillim? HEB. ; G_d says, I'm so sorry, but I have no choice. G_d, the Master of the World, the Master of All, the Creator of All, says: When someone turns to Me in prayer, I have no choice.

So in hodesh Iyar, it's the month when we came back to Yerushelayim. {I suppose this refers to the recapture of the Old City in the 1967 War; not to the return from Persia. -- sa}. And we count every day.

You know friends, if someone says to me, in a few weeks you'll get something which you like, then I have choice to take it or not. But when the moment comes, I'm glad to see it. When someone gives me something which I have no choice -- I need it so badly I can't live without it -- and I count the minutes, I count the days.

{R. Shlomo singing a break:}

There's a very beautiful story:
You know, when we count the Omer -- I bless you, not to forget, every night to count the Omer -- the heilige ziesse Reb Baruch -- the grandson of the holy Baal Shem Tov

[REFERENCE: I assume, from Finkel: R. Baruch of Medziobosh, son of Adel (daughter of the Baal Shem)]

-- said to one of his hasidim -- are you by any chance passing by Kossov -- by the heilige suisse Reb Mendele Kossover [REFERENCE (from Finkel): I assume: Dynasty of Kossov-Sizhnitz, lst generation: R. Menachem Mendel Hager of Kossov , 1768-1825, student of R. Moshe Leib of Sassov ]

and everybody knows -- Vishnitz are the grandchildren of Kossov

[REFRENCE (loc. cit): eg, Dynasty of Kossov-Vishnitz, 3rd generation: R. Menachem Mendel Hager of Vishnitz, 1830-1884]

______?The Yiddele? says yes, I'm going there. So Reb Baruch says, do me a favour: listen to those melodies, bring me back a new melody.

The Yiddele comes back, and he says Rebbe, I'm so sorry, it just didn't come out to be Shabbos in Kosov, I was just during the week. The Bobover says Yeah, did you hear anything. He says Yes, it's not much of melody, it's just like a little tune, after the heilige Reb Mendele counted the Omer, he hummed a little tune. ___ Reb Baruch says, please sing it to me. So he gave it over to Reb Baruch. Reb Baruch says yes, this is what I needed to hear. Let me tell you the story.

The heilige Baal Shem Tov -- the heilige suisse Baal Shem Tov -- one of his hasidim, bought a field from a non-Jewish neighbor. He began digging, he found a treasure. He went to his non-Jewish friend, ?the owner?, says to him, I only bought the field, but the treasure's yours. He says, Can't believe it. I cannot believe that someone is so honest to give me back the treasure. That night he invited the whole village to the bar, to the Kretchmer, and he was standing on the table dancing, and he would sing, Great is the G_d of Israel. And he had a little tune to it. And the heilige Reb Mendele would sing it, to Sephiras Omer. And the Rebbe Reb Baruch wanted to hear it.

You know friends: If my connection to G_d is a choice, I don't think I'll make G_d's name very great. You know why my G_d's name is so great -- because we Jews have no choice. Gvalt, Rabbenu shel Olam, gvalt ?do? I have no choice. I have no choice to believe in G_d, I have no choice to love every human being, because if I'm connected to G_d -- if I'm really connected to G_d -- isn't G_d taking care of every -- every human being in the world.
What gave this yiddele the strength -- must have been a big struggle -- such a treasure. Because he realized -- gvalt, my non- Jewish neighbor -- G_d is taking care of him too. Great is the G_d of Israel.

You know what, Sfiras Omer is really strange: One one hand, if I miss one day

[that is, failing to count immediately after Ma'ariv, fail to count before daybreak with the b'racha, and fail to count all day without the b'racha] ,

I can't count any more

[with the blessing; one remains obligated to continue counting, without the bracha];

on the other hand, during Sfiras Omer we have Pesach Sheni

[14 Iyar, ie, precisely one month after Pesach, that is (approximately), the day before the full moon of the following month (which is Iyar) ].

Let me just share with you very fast:
Yosef haTzadik -- you know what a Tzadik is -- a tzadik is sommebody who does not rely on doing tchuva. He's doing every second the right thing, because G_d forbid if I do something wrong, that's the end of me. And what is Leah all about. You know what Leah's all about. Yehuda -- I can do everything wrong, but it takes only one second to come back.

{REFERENCE: I assume this is in reference to Yehuda's confession with regard to his unbeknonst unintentional Levirite relation with Tamar, who turns out to have been a foremother of the prophecied forebearers of Meshiach -- 'she is more righteous than I' [Genesis: 38:26].}

So just remember, Hodesh Iyar, the sign is Josef haTzadik, the sign is: Like an ox, don't stop working, don't every rely -- you know, when the Ox is ploughing the field, he goes straight. He makes no U-turns, he goes straight. But yet the month belongs to Yisachar. You know what Yisachar is. Yisachar is the son of Leah, but it's a gift from Rochel. It's both together. It is knowing, if I do wrong, it will be so hard to come back. But yet, gvalt, it's so easy to come back. Because we all are -- we're from a nation of both -- we yidden, we don't want ever to do something wrong -- yet, we are living witnesses: We always go back -- to Yerushelayim. We go back to it all the time.

And Reb Nachman says: Wherever a Jew goes, he's on his way to Yerushelayim. Wherever a Jew goes, every step he takes, she takes, we're always getting closer to G_d, closer to our children. But you know what Sephiras Omer is: Every night I know I get closer, and closer and closer -- until we get there.

{R. Shlomo singing a chaser niggun.}

You know how beautiful it is, when parents and children get together -- and they count the days. Knowing that tomorrow we'll be even closer. I want to bless you friends -- the most important thing -- you should always know where you're going. Most people don't know where they're coming from, or where they're going. If you want to be a free person -- Yes, we are still on the way, but you have to know where you are going. And you have to know exactly, how many miles are behind you, and how many miles are in front of you. Just please get there.

{R. Shlomo singing one of the old war-house nigguns.} {END SOUND, {C770}; END TAPE, {C777 -- just like the Brandy -- so it's about 42 minutes on a side.
{END PASS 2 (PROOF AGAINST TAPE), SIDE A} 
 Side B, and most likely Tape 2, will be ZIP'd into =sh0498.* and Posted to my Temporary Homepage, www.kinneret.co.il/sa9802