Ma’avar Yavak
When one sings praises to Hashem with tunes and melodies, when that song ascents to the Heavens, all the Heavenly creations, the encampments of holy angels, the chaiyos, merkavos, ofanim, and serofim, receive that song with happiness and niggunim.
Chovos Hatalmidim
A way to awaken oneself to daven with passion is to envision yourself within the scene of the words of davening that you are saying. For example, when you say “Hodu Lashem Kiru Bishmo,” don’t just think about the translation “Praise Hashem, call out in His Name.” Rather, imagine yourself to be truly calling out the name of Hashem! Picture yourself standing on the peak of the highest mountain, and the entire population of the world is standing around the mountain below you, and can hear your every word. Envision yourself with a booming voice screaming out below “Hodu Lashem Kiru Bishmo!!”
Kedushas Levy
The primary pleasure Hashem has from our fulfillment of His commandments is that we desire to do His Will. Thus, there is no difference between one who performs a big mitzvah and one performs a small mitzvah.
Tzemech Tzedek
When two Yidden get together, their neshamos bond together. This allows the two neshamos Elokis, two G-dly souls, to unite in the fight against one nefesh habahamis, one human body. The two souls counteract the pulls and temptations of each person, making it a ‘two-against-one’ battle between body and soul. This is why it is easier to overcome the yetzer hara with the help of another Yid.
Baal Shem Tov
A Yid would say: “When I die, let me die amongst my fellow Jews,” as opposed to passing away alone or in a faraway place without other Yidden. This is the reason why it is so valuable and precious to spend Shalosh Seudos every Shabbos in the company of other Yidden. This is the time, as Shabbos Kodesh finishes, that our neshamah yeseira – that we receive on Shabbos – leaves us, and so we don’t want to “die alone!”
Kedushas Levy
The passuk says “Be wholesome (tammim) with Hashem, your G-d.” This teaches us that when we are ‘with Hashem, your G-d,’ we are ‘tammim – whole,’ lacking nothing at all.
Seder Hadoros Hachadosh
Now we must thank Hashem for His abundant compassion and kindness, that he sent us an angel (the Baal Shem Tov) to illuminate the eyes of every Yid—from the most learned to the most ignorant—to strengthen his soul with love and awe for Hashem, even in a time of pain and hardship.
Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk
It is said that Rebbe Elimelech’s household permeated with such intense awe and holiness on Friday because of the awe the Rebbe had for the upcoming Shabbos, that even the maids would fall down crying and beg each other for forgiveness in case anyone offended another throughout the week. The air had the feeling of Erev Yom Kippur every Erev Shabbos.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 26.