Shvat: Fixing Eating

Shavua Tov v' Chodesh Tov!
Today is 2 Shvat. Today we did a wonderful class at Simchat Shlomo about the teachings of Rev Carlebach about the month of Shvat. I am copying it down to share:

Shvat is the month to fix: eating
tribe of: Asher
letter: tzaddik

Shvat:
Every month you have to fix a certain emotion, a certain something in your soul. Everybody knows that in Kislev you have to fix sleeping. Last month, Teves, the fixing was anger, and this month the fixing is Le'ita, stuffing yourself.

Now open your hearts in the deepest way.

This is a Torah from the Holy Ishbitser, open your hearts please.

You know friends, animals don't stuff themselves, they eat exactly as much as the need. Why is it that we human beings have such infinite hunger? Now listen to me friends, you see what it is? The truth is that we are the only creatures in the world that can reach beyond ourselves. The lowest person can become the highest. At the lowest moment in my life, I can reach out and become the highest. We have something; we are infinite. The question is only what are we doing with that hunger? If you don't know what to do with it, you stuff yourself with money, pleasure, with food... anything. But the truth is that G-d gave you this feeling for something unbelievable.

Now listen to this sweetest friends, every month also has one letter.
THe letter of this month is tzadik, tzadik means a holy man. What's a holy man? what's a holy woman? what's holy? Holy is if I lived with that hunger with stuffing myself to the deepest, highest, holiest. Some people stuff themselves with pleasure, some people stuff themselves with good deeds. Some people cannot stop looking for another Chinese restaurant, and some people can't stop looking for a poor man, to bring joy to another human being, very special life.

I want to bless you and me, we should meet the right people, holy people to teach us how to lift oneself up.

One more very beautiful thing. The Ishbitser says that Le'ita means that I am stuffing myself so much that I don't even bother chewing it.
I just throw it into my mouth and swallow it. You know what that means on a spiritual level? To chew something means that I am cutting it down to my level. If I don't chew it that means that I want it the way it is.

What's bugging you and me? You buy a book on theology, it has nothing to do with G!d, you know why? It's chewed over food, chewing G-d to my level. What is theology? Chewing everything to me level, but who wants that?

Why is it that sometimes you go to a synagogue, and the rabbi gave a speech but gevalt, he has two million teeth the way he chewed the portion of the week. It's so low; I don't want that. I want something so holy. I didn't come to synagogue to chew. I come to synagogue to be stuffed with something exalted, unchewed...unchewed.
But again... it's up to us. I could stuff myself with something stupid, or I could stuff myself with something holy.

Now open your hearts for one more minute. Everybody knows that the twelve months are divided by the twelve holy trices. This month is the month of Asher. What is the specialty of Asher? it says, "Barush Mibanim ASher," Asher has the most beautiful children. And it says that all the kings of Israel wanted their daughters to marry from the tribe of Asher because they were so beautiful. Obviously not only physically, but on the highest level. You know friends, a lot of people, when they talk to their children they chew it so low, like it's cute, but there is no G!d in it anymore, nothing left. Then the children grow up and they think G!d is a joke. They think other people are a joke. What did you tell them about life? You know what you have to do with children? Stuff them with unchewed food. Give it to them. It's so holy. Don't touch it. Just give it to them the way it is. Take a fire from heaven and just put it in their hearts. DOn't tell them that Shabbos is cute and fun.

At one time I was somewhere in the city, thank G!d I was there because there was the biggest desecration before our non-Jewish brothers and sisters. It was Channukah and two people were on the program, humble me and the president of the community. It was a big city. They interviewed him first. They asked him, "what is Channukah?" He had this really chewed food expression on his face. He says, "Channukah, lots of fun. Lot's of parties, latkes, and a lot of fun."
If I wasn't Jewish then it's clear to me that these Jews are crazy.
That's all you have to say about Channukah? When we kindle the lights by the door and we want to turn the whole world to G!d, that's all you have to say, latkes and fun? Who was his rabbi? My children were three years old and they knew more about Channukah than most probably he and his rabbi, and how much his rabbi will know when he will be 150.

You see what it is, do you know what the worls is looking for? RIght now the nights are very long, lots of darkness in the world. You know what the world wants when it's very dark? Don't give me something to chew on. Stuff me with something exalted, something holy. Give it to me the way it is.

Baruch Mibnem Asher. ASher knew the secrets how to give over G!d to his children. Don't make it childish. Give it over to them on the highest, deepest level, and then your children are so beautiful that all the kings of the world want to be part of your family.