Welcome to our archive of Torah essays and spiritual teachings. Each report is a deep exploration into the wisdom of Breslov Chassidut, examining the weekly parashah, fundamental principles of Jewish thought, and the transformative power of connecting with Hashem. From the spiritual mechanics of prayer and repentance to the hidden dimensions of Tanakh narratives, these essays invite you into a world where every word of Torah reveals pathways to healing, wholeness, and divine service. Whether you’re seeking clarity on timeless questions or practical guidance for your spiritual journey, these teachings are offered with the intention of bringing light, hope, and deeper understanding to your life and beyond.
Experience the inner joy of doing mitzvot with pure intentionโlishmah. Drawing upon teachings from Rebbe Nachman and Likutei Halachot, rhis powerful Torah insight explores how true simchah connects us to naโaseh vโnishma, uplifts the soul, and reveals the deeper light of Shavuot and Matan Torah.
Parashat Terumah delves into the significance of the contributions to the Mishkan. Explore the spiritual lessons behind Hashem's command to "take" a terumah and how giving with a generous heart brings us closer to divine wisdom and understanding.
A Deeper Look into the Weeks of Shovavim Shimon ha-Tzaddik, one of the last surviving members of the Anshei Knesset ha-Gedolah โ 120 elders of B'nei Yisrael, including a number of prophets, which instituted many of our customary practices in Judaism, such as the wording of the Shemoneh Esreh โ
Learning Torah Lishmah vs. Lo-Lishmah: As a post-script to our essay Cunning: Skill to Achieve One's Goals by Deceit, Rav Sheishet taught (Shabbat 63a): ืึทืื ืึดืึฐืชึดืื ืดืึนืจึถืึฐ ืึธืึดืื ืึดึผืืึดืื ึธืึผ ืึดึผืฉึฐืืึนืืึธืึผ ืขึนืฉึถืืจ ืึฐืึธืืึนืืด ืึถืึธึผื ืึดึผืืึดืื ึธืึผ ืึนืจึถืึฐ ืึธืึดืื ืึดืืึธึผื, ืขึนืฉึถืืจ ืึฐืึธืืึนื ืึตืืึธึผื?! ืึถืึธึผื: ืึทืึทึผืึฐืืึดืื ึดืื ืึธึผืึผ ืึนืจึถืึฐ ืึธืึดืื ืึดืืึธึผื, ืึฐืึธื ืฉึถืืึตึผื ืขืึนืฉึถืืจ ืึฐืึธืืึนื.
What Was So Wrong With Lavan? It is written (Bereshit 3:1): ืึฐืึทื ึธึผืึธืฉื ืึธืึธื ืขึธืจืึผื ืึดืึนึผื ืึทืึทึผืช ืึทืฉึธึผืืึถื ืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืขึธืฉึธืื ืึฐืึธ ืึฑืึนืงึดืื (And the Nachash was more arum than all the animals of the field which Hashem G-d had made). What is the meaning of ืขึธืจืึผื [arum]? The Bechor Shor says
The Secret of Eiver Min ha-Chai: We know the story. Yitzchak Avinu called for his eldest son to come to him (Bereshit 27:1). After he arrived, Yitzchak told Esav that he was approaching the day of his death (27:2), although he didn't know exactly when it would come, and that
The Role of the Tzaddikim in Finding What We Lost: R' Simlai taught the following Baraita about the developing Jewish child in his mother's womb (Niddah 30b): ืื ืจ ืืืืง ืื ืขื ืจืืฉื ืืฆืืคื ืืืืื ืืกืืฃ ืืขืืื ืืขื ืกืืคื…ืืืื ืื ืืืื ืฉืืื ืฉืจืื ืืืืื ืืืชืจ ืืืืชื ืืืืื…ืืืืืืื ืืืชื ืื ืืชืืจื ืืืื…ืืืืื
How the Torah Can Be an Elixir of Life or a Deadly Poison: It is taught in Kiddushin 30b: ืชึธึผื ืึผ ืจึทืึธึผื ึทื: ืดืึฐืฉึทืืึฐืชึถึผืืด ืกึทื ืชึธึผื, ื ึดืึฐืฉึฐืืึธื ืชึผืึนืจึธื ืึฐึผืกึทื ืึทืึดึผืื (The Rabbis taught in a Baraita, "And you shall place [these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul]" [Devarim
Having Our Prayers and Requests Accepted: It is taught (Chullin 60b): ืจืื ืฉืืขืื ืื ืคืื ืจืื ืืชืื "ืืืขืฉ ืืืงืื ืืช ืฉื ื ืืืืืจืืช ืืืืืืื" ืืืชืื "ืืช ืืืืืจ ืืืืื…ืืืช ืืืืืจ ืืงืื" ืืืจื ืืจื ืืคื ื ืืงื"ื ืจืืฉ"ืข ืืคืฉืจ ืืฉื ื ืืืืื ืฉืืฉืชืืฉื ืืืชืจ ืืื ืืืจ ืื ืืื ืืืขืื ืืช ืขืฆืื (R' Shimon ben Pazi
Making One's Prayers a Delight to Hashem: In Chullin 60b, Rav Asi reconciles an apparent contradiction in the account of creation regarding when the grasses grew from the ground (see Bereshit 1:12 and Bereshit 2:5 for specifics). He answered as follows: ืฉืืฆืื ืืฉืืื ืืขืืื ืขื ืคืชื ืงืจืงืข ืขื ืฉืื ืืื
What R' Nachman Actually Taught About Limud Torah: As long-time readers of The Shoemaker Report should know by now, the predominant ืืฉืงืคื [hashkafah, outlook, perspective] followed in its pages comes from Breslov chasidut. However, let's face it, Breslov chasidut doesn't have the greatest reputation in the world, at least not
Likutei Moharan 20 and Swords of Iron After Yaakov Avinu left Lavan, he went, as the expression goes, from the frying pan into the fire. His destiny was to come face to face with his brother Esav. Knowing that this was his destiny, he sent messengers to Esav (Bereshit 32:4):
