Thursday, August 28, 2014
Parshas Shoftim: Take Precaution in Guarding our Precous Souls
10:16 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"Judges and officers shall you make in all your gates which the L-rd your G-d gives you throughout your tribes and you shall judge the people with righteous judgement" (Deuteronomy 16:18).
Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe asks why does it say for you, it would seem superfluous here. Rav Moshe learns that a person has to be a judge over himself to see if his actions are good and fitting in this world, He also has to "police" himself to see if he is doing what the "judge" wants him to!
This is how a Jew is supposed to look at the world. How can I better serve my creator? How can I guard myself against transgression? How can I better defend myself against the evil inclination and succeed against it?
Although this is how we should live everyday, we take more stock of our actions during the month of Elul as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah. We are preparing ourselves for the ultimate judgement which will effect our lives!
During this time, we examine and reexamine what we have been doing and what we could possibly do better. We will take on extra stringencies to show G-d we want to reach higher spiritual levels as we prepare for these awesome days.
The Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah (laws of repentance) tells us that we have to look at our everyday life as if the scale is hanging in the balance between good and evil and my action right now will determine if the scale goes to one side or the other. We may think that our actions don't matter or are insignificant but in reality they have the ability to change the world!
G-d gave us a pure soul and we have to do our best to guard it against the impurity of the physical world! We have to tune into our spiritual selves keeping and guarding the Torah to the best of our ability. We are human and make mistakes but even so, we have to brush ourselves off, get up and continue again in our quest for spiritual potential!
We are guarding our precious soul for the "judge" who has given it to us. May we use these precious days to give our judge the proper respect and love He deserves!
Shabbat Shalom
Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe asks why does it say for you, it would seem superfluous here. Rav Moshe learns that a person has to be a judge over himself to see if his actions are good and fitting in this world, He also has to "police" himself to see if he is doing what the "judge" wants him to!
This is how a Jew is supposed to look at the world. How can I better serve my creator? How can I guard myself against transgression? How can I better defend myself against the evil inclination and succeed against it?
Although this is how we should live everyday, we take more stock of our actions during the month of Elul as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah. We are preparing ourselves for the ultimate judgement which will effect our lives!
During this time, we examine and reexamine what we have been doing and what we could possibly do better. We will take on extra stringencies to show G-d we want to reach higher spiritual levels as we prepare for these awesome days.
The Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah (laws of repentance) tells us that we have to look at our everyday life as if the scale is hanging in the balance between good and evil and my action right now will determine if the scale goes to one side or the other. We may think that our actions don't matter or are insignificant but in reality they have the ability to change the world!
G-d gave us a pure soul and we have to do our best to guard it against the impurity of the physical world! We have to tune into our spiritual selves keeping and guarding the Torah to the best of our ability. We are human and make mistakes but even so, we have to brush ourselves off, get up and continue again in our quest for spiritual potential!
We are guarding our precious soul for the "judge" who has given it to us. May we use these precious days to give our judge the proper respect and love He deserves!
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 3 Mishna 20: Enjoying this world comes at a price
"He used to say: 'Everything is given on pledge, and a net is spread for all the living (none can escape divine justice) ; the store is open and the storekeeper (G-d) allows credit; the ledger is open and the hand writes; whoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow, but the collectors go around regularly every day and exact punishment from man, whether or not he realizes (that he is punished for his sins); they have good authority on which they can rely, since the judgement is just; and all is prepared for the banquet (the reward for the righteous is assured).
The first part of the Mishna explains that whatever we have in this world is loaned to us and we shouldn't think that we will pass it on to our kids or our loved ones. The reason is because everything belongs to G-d and He can decide to take it away if He chooses. This is the reality which we must live by.
Rabbenu Yonah gives us a parable with which to understand this. A person walks into a certain place and doesn't find anybody there. He walks into a house and finds a table set up and on it many delicacies of food and drink. He eats and drinks and says, 'All this I have merited and I will do with it what I wish! He doesn't realize that someone else must have brought it there and in the end he will have to pay back what he benefited from'.
This means that even though we are given free reign to live as we want, we will have to give an accounting for our actions after we die. Even in justice G-d has mercy and He will judge a person measure for measure.
The rest of the Mishna explains in terms of a shopkeeper and credit that he gives to his customers. They come and borrow on credit but at the end, they still have to pay. This is a parable to life in this world.
We are given the opportunity to enjoy this world and everything inside it. We have to know how to do that! G-d has given us instructions in the form of the Torah that guide our everyday life from when we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night.
If we use the world properly, then everything is good; the rain will come in its proper time,there will be peace in the land... If we don't do what we are supposed to do, then there is strife and evil runs rampant.
Everyone has to take stock of their lives and try and change to live as G-d wants to do. There are repercussions for our actions as well. We will only understand to what extent after death when G-d shows us what we did in our lives and what we had the potential to do,
Woe to the person that had great potential and wasted it on their desires in this world. G-d gave us a great world where we could strive to great spiritual heights.. Let's use it properly and grab it!
The first part of the Mishna explains that whatever we have in this world is loaned to us and we shouldn't think that we will pass it on to our kids or our loved ones. The reason is because everything belongs to G-d and He can decide to take it away if He chooses. This is the reality which we must live by.
Rabbenu Yonah gives us a parable with which to understand this. A person walks into a certain place and doesn't find anybody there. He walks into a house and finds a table set up and on it many delicacies of food and drink. He eats and drinks and says, 'All this I have merited and I will do with it what I wish! He doesn't realize that someone else must have brought it there and in the end he will have to pay back what he benefited from'.
This means that even though we are given free reign to live as we want, we will have to give an accounting for our actions after we die. Even in justice G-d has mercy and He will judge a person measure for measure.
The rest of the Mishna explains in terms of a shopkeeper and credit that he gives to his customers. They come and borrow on credit but at the end, they still have to pay. This is a parable to life in this world.
We are given the opportunity to enjoy this world and everything inside it. We have to know how to do that! G-d has given us instructions in the form of the Torah that guide our everyday life from when we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night.
If we use the world properly, then everything is good; the rain will come in its proper time,there will be peace in the land... If we don't do what we are supposed to do, then there is strife and evil runs rampant.
Everyone has to take stock of their lives and try and change to live as G-d wants to do. There are repercussions for our actions as well. We will only understand to what extent after death when G-d shows us what we did in our lives and what we had the potential to do,
Woe to the person that had great potential and wasted it on their desires in this world. G-d gave us a great world where we could strive to great spiritual heights.. Let's use it properly and grab it!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Parshas Ve'eschanan: If you add or subtract mitzvos from the Torah, you only lose out
"You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish it, that you may keep the commandments of the L-rd your G-d which I command you , Your eyes have seen what the L-rd did because of Ba'al Pe'or: for all men that followed Ba'al Pe'or, the L-rd destroyed them from among you." (Devarim 4:2-3)
Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l in Derash Moshe asks what is the connection of not adding or subtracting from the mitzvos to serving Ba'al Pe'or? He tells us that the mistake of Enosh and his generation was that they thought serving idols was a sanctification of G-d's name.
After all, if G-d created the stars, planets..and they are so big and serve a tremendous purpose in our solar system and galaxy, then G-d must have put them there for us to worship as well. This does not mean we don't need to worship G-d but these creations that come from Him are also worthy of worship!
The problem is that G-d never gave us a command to worship them. Not only that, they are adding on to the mitzvos that G-d has given us and that is part of the fundamental mistake they made. This led to G-d being forgotten and these other creations being worshiped entirely!
How far that generation and future generations fell! They recognized that G-d created the world and everything in it. They also thought that these things were so incredible that they could be worshiped as well.
In essence these things were worshiped and G-d was forgotten about! This Rav Moshe continues, led the Jewish people to even worship the idol of Ba'al Pe'or. They added on to mitzvos that had no business being added on to!
The Torah is very specific of what we have to do and what we are not allowed to do. When we start adding on or detracting from the mitzvos, we are saying that we know better than Torah. Maybe this mitzvah doesn't apply today, or we have to make it fit in to the times we live in...However we want to define it, we only lose out when we try to add or subtract mitzvos!
We can see from the so called other movements what happens when you decide to play G-d and delete mitzvos from the Torah: assimilation and intermarriage. These are the two biggest things today that threaten the Jewish people from going into oblivion.
This is what the Torah is teaching us. We have to understand the mitzvos in their entirety and keep them to the best of our ability to sanctify G-d's name in this world!
Shabbat Shalom
Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l in Derash Moshe asks what is the connection of not adding or subtracting from the mitzvos to serving Ba'al Pe'or? He tells us that the mistake of Enosh and his generation was that they thought serving idols was a sanctification of G-d's name.
After all, if G-d created the stars, planets..and they are so big and serve a tremendous purpose in our solar system and galaxy, then G-d must have put them there for us to worship as well. This does not mean we don't need to worship G-d but these creations that come from Him are also worthy of worship!
The problem is that G-d never gave us a command to worship them. Not only that, they are adding on to the mitzvos that G-d has given us and that is part of the fundamental mistake they made. This led to G-d being forgotten and these other creations being worshiped entirely!
How far that generation and future generations fell! They recognized that G-d created the world and everything in it. They also thought that these things were so incredible that they could be worshiped as well.
In essence these things were worshiped and G-d was forgotten about! This Rav Moshe continues, led the Jewish people to even worship the idol of Ba'al Pe'or. They added on to mitzvos that had no business being added on to!
The Torah is very specific of what we have to do and what we are not allowed to do. When we start adding on or detracting from the mitzvos, we are saying that we know better than Torah. Maybe this mitzvah doesn't apply today, or we have to make it fit in to the times we live in...However we want to define it, we only lose out when we try to add or subtract mitzvos!
We can see from the so called other movements what happens when you decide to play G-d and delete mitzvos from the Torah: assimilation and intermarriage. These are the two biggest things today that threaten the Jewish people from going into oblivion.
This is what the Torah is teaching us. We have to understand the mitzvos in their entirety and keep them to the best of our ability to sanctify G-d's name in this world!
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 3 Misna 19: If G-d knows what we will do, what happened to free will?
"Everything is foreseen (by G-d), yet freewill is granted (to man); the world is ruled with Divine goodness, yet all is according to the amount of man's work"
The first part of the Mishna explains that G-d foresees everything we do. If this is true, how do we reconcile the next statement that we have freewill? After all, if G-d knows what we are going to do, how am I really free to do what I want?
The commentaries explains that we have the ability to do either good or bad. We have free choice to go in either one direction or the other. This does not contradict the fact that G-d knows what we are going to do. We still have to go out and do it!
The reason that G-d set up the world like this is so that we will get more reward for the positive actions that we do. If we were created only do His will, we would be robots. This is not what G-d wants! He put us in this world with different character traits, drives and urges to help us reach our potential.
These actions can also cause G-d's ire when we have not done what He wants us to do! Although the first man ate from the tree of knowledge, he made our challenges that much more difficult.
His intention was to bring the evil, so-to-speak inside of us so that we would have to constantly fight against our evil inclination. That way, when we were presented with different options of what do do in a particular situation, if we chose the right way, we would get even more merit for our good actions but at the same time suffer the consequences when we did the wrong thing.
The only problem with this, though is that the Talmud tells us that G-d calls him an apikorus (heretic). The reason being is that even though Adam may have been right in his thinking, nonetheless, it was not the way G-d established the world to be run!
This leads to the last part of the Mishna about G-d's judgement. G-d has tremendous compassion when looking at what man does. In reality, we have no one to blame but ourselves for what happens to us because ultimately we are responsible for our actions.
The only question is when we do something that G-d doesn't want us to do, how does He view it? He takes into account what the action was, why we did it and where we were holding at the time. He therefore judges us at the present time, not for what great things we may do in the future, thereby making the judgement harsher.
This is a tremendous act of chesed G-d does for us. Even though He may put us in precarious situations to see how we will react, nonetheless, He doesn't put us in a situation we can't handle! We are judged by what we do, not by what our future holds!
The first part of the Mishna explains that G-d foresees everything we do. If this is true, how do we reconcile the next statement that we have freewill? After all, if G-d knows what we are going to do, how am I really free to do what I want?
The commentaries explains that we have the ability to do either good or bad. We have free choice to go in either one direction or the other. This does not contradict the fact that G-d knows what we are going to do. We still have to go out and do it!
The reason that G-d set up the world like this is so that we will get more reward for the positive actions that we do. If we were created only do His will, we would be robots. This is not what G-d wants! He put us in this world with different character traits, drives and urges to help us reach our potential.
These actions can also cause G-d's ire when we have not done what He wants us to do! Although the first man ate from the tree of knowledge, he made our challenges that much more difficult.
His intention was to bring the evil, so-to-speak inside of us so that we would have to constantly fight against our evil inclination. That way, when we were presented with different options of what do do in a particular situation, if we chose the right way, we would get even more merit for our good actions but at the same time suffer the consequences when we did the wrong thing.
The only problem with this, though is that the Talmud tells us that G-d calls him an apikorus (heretic). The reason being is that even though Adam may have been right in his thinking, nonetheless, it was not the way G-d established the world to be run!
This leads to the last part of the Mishna about G-d's judgement. G-d has tremendous compassion when looking at what man does. In reality, we have no one to blame but ourselves for what happens to us because ultimately we are responsible for our actions.
The only question is when we do something that G-d doesn't want us to do, how does He view it? He takes into account what the action was, why we did it and where we were holding at the time. He therefore judges us at the present time, not for what great things we may do in the future, thereby making the judgement harsher.
This is a tremendous act of chesed G-d does for us. Even though He may put us in precarious situations to see how we will react, nonetheless, He doesn't put us in a situation we can't handle! We are judged by what we do, not by what our future holds!
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Parshas Devarim: Know how to give rebuke
"These are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisrael on the other side of the Jordan river in the wilderness over against Suf, between Paran, and Tofel and Lavan, and Hazertot and Di-zahav" (Deuteronomy 1:1)
Rashi explains that Moshe reminds the Jewish people of their sins through a hint and not directly because of the honor of the Jewish people. Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l asks in Derash Moshe that there are also verses that specifically mention their sins like by the spies and in parshas Ekev the sin of the golden calf so why here are the sins only mentioned through a hint while other places they are spelled out clearly?
Rav Moshe explains those sins and punishment that are spoken about in great detail is because the Jewish people have to be reminded of the severity of that particular transgression. This, though was only for the previous generation but by the the present generation that did not do those particular transgressions, there is no need for them to be rebuked for what was done previously.
Therefore, they are mentioned only through a hint since the present generation also needs to be rebuked for the transgressions of the previous generation. The reason for this is because each person has to know that if they see someone else sins, they should not say that this person made a mistake and it could never happen to me because I know that this particular thing is forbidden in the Torah and I would never do it!
This person also has what to fear that he could fall in the same trap as his friend and also transgress unless he uproots those negative character traits that constantly prey upon him! A person should not rely on their knowledge or laurels that they could never find themselves in such a situation but they should increase their Torah study and mussar learning to constantly fight against their desires and temptations.
As long as we are not working and striving for this goal, then we are puppets in the hands of our evil inclination. Another thing that we learn out from here is that if we have the ability to rebuke someone, we should do so through a hint and not with harsh words.
We should also never remind someone of what they have done wrong in the past. This will not help them to correct their ways and change. Giving rebuke is something that has been lost in this generation as we do not know how to do it properly. We need to embrace people with an overflowing amount of love.
There was a person in the yeshiva of Radin who smoked on shabbos and was about to leave. The saintly Chofetz Chaim met with him, grabbed his hand and with burning tears just said the word shabbos. This made such an impression on the boy that because of how the Chofetz Chaim approached him, he did not profane shabbos again.
Although we may not be on the level of the Chofetz Chaim, we can still try and help others with positive reinforcement instead of trying to "help" them with harsh words and rebuke.
Shabbat Shalom
Rashi explains that Moshe reminds the Jewish people of their sins through a hint and not directly because of the honor of the Jewish people. Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l asks in Derash Moshe that there are also verses that specifically mention their sins like by the spies and in parshas Ekev the sin of the golden calf so why here are the sins only mentioned through a hint while other places they are spelled out clearly?
Rav Moshe explains those sins and punishment that are spoken about in great detail is because the Jewish people have to be reminded of the severity of that particular transgression. This, though was only for the previous generation but by the the present generation that did not do those particular transgressions, there is no need for them to be rebuked for what was done previously.
Therefore, they are mentioned only through a hint since the present generation also needs to be rebuked for the transgressions of the previous generation. The reason for this is because each person has to know that if they see someone else sins, they should not say that this person made a mistake and it could never happen to me because I know that this particular thing is forbidden in the Torah and I would never do it!
This person also has what to fear that he could fall in the same trap as his friend and also transgress unless he uproots those negative character traits that constantly prey upon him! A person should not rely on their knowledge or laurels that they could never find themselves in such a situation but they should increase their Torah study and mussar learning to constantly fight against their desires and temptations.
As long as we are not working and striving for this goal, then we are puppets in the hands of our evil inclination. Another thing that we learn out from here is that if we have the ability to rebuke someone, we should do so through a hint and not with harsh words.
We should also never remind someone of what they have done wrong in the past. This will not help them to correct their ways and change. Giving rebuke is something that has been lost in this generation as we do not know how to do it properly. We need to embrace people with an overflowing amount of love.
There was a person in the yeshiva of Radin who smoked on shabbos and was about to leave. The saintly Chofetz Chaim met with him, grabbed his hand and with burning tears just said the word shabbos. This made such an impression on the boy that because of how the Chofetz Chaim approached him, he did not profane shabbos again.
Although we may not be on the level of the Chofetz Chaim, we can still try and help others with positive reinforcement instead of trying to "help" them with harsh words and rebuke.
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 3 Mishna 18: Torah is our Precious Gift, let's not waste it
"He used to say: 'Beloved is man for he was created in the image of G-d; it is by special divine love that he is informed that he was created in the image of G-d, as it is said: "For G-d made man in his own image." Beloved are Israel, for they were called the children of G-d; it is by special divine love that they are informed that they were called the children of G-d, as it is said: "You are the children of the L-rd your G-d." Beloved are Israel, for to them was given a previous instrument [the Torah]; it is by special divine love that they are informed that to them was given the precious instrument through which the world was created, as it is said: "For I give you good doctrine; forsake not my Torah.'"
Why is it so special that G-d informs us that we were created in His image? If we weren't informed of this, would it be any less important and what does it mean that we were created in His image in the first place?
The Torah tells us that when man is created, G-d gave him life by putting in a soul in his body. This soul is part of G-d, so-to-speak which gives mankind the ability to make decisions, reason and reach their spiritual capability. At the same time. G-d puts man in a physical universe with desires and temptations that hinder man in this quest.
It is for this purpose we are created, to use the physical world as a means to spiritual perfection. The Jewish people don't look at the world as a terrible place where we are condemned forever but rather as a place that is full of challenges helping us reach our potential.
Each person has their own challenges and trials and are given a specific purpose only they can reach. They are supposed to navigate this world and be successful by tuning into what the Torah wants from them. This is what the second part of the Mishna means here.
G-d gave us a tremendous gift and heritage to pass down to the future generations. It is this instrument that guides us in everything that we do. Even though the physical world is a tough place to navigate, the Torah helps give us direction.
G-d created the evil inclination but at the same time he gave us the Torah to learn and practice as its antidote. While we are praised for making the right choices, we are also punished for the wrong ones we make. This is the power of free will.
When we use this world for our betterment, we uplift it and ourselves as well. When we give into our physical desires, we debase ourselves and the world too! We are created against our will and we die against our will, but we still have to live the most meaningful and productive lives we can.
This is why Torah is so precious. It helps us in so many ways, giving us the ability to be guided while living in treacherous conditions. These situations are what makes us who we are and who we can be!
Why is it so special that G-d informs us that we were created in His image? If we weren't informed of this, would it be any less important and what does it mean that we were created in His image in the first place?
The Torah tells us that when man is created, G-d gave him life by putting in a soul in his body. This soul is part of G-d, so-to-speak which gives mankind the ability to make decisions, reason and reach their spiritual capability. At the same time. G-d puts man in a physical universe with desires and temptations that hinder man in this quest.
It is for this purpose we are created, to use the physical world as a means to spiritual perfection. The Jewish people don't look at the world as a terrible place where we are condemned forever but rather as a place that is full of challenges helping us reach our potential.
Each person has their own challenges and trials and are given a specific purpose only they can reach. They are supposed to navigate this world and be successful by tuning into what the Torah wants from them. This is what the second part of the Mishna means here.
G-d gave us a tremendous gift and heritage to pass down to the future generations. It is this instrument that guides us in everything that we do. Even though the physical world is a tough place to navigate, the Torah helps give us direction.
G-d created the evil inclination but at the same time he gave us the Torah to learn and practice as its antidote. While we are praised for making the right choices, we are also punished for the wrong ones we make. This is the power of free will.
When we use this world for our betterment, we uplift it and ourselves as well. When we give into our physical desires, we debase ourselves and the world too! We are created against our will and we die against our will, but we still have to live the most meaningful and productive lives we can.
This is why Torah is so precious. It helps us in so many ways, giving us the ability to be guided while living in treacherous conditions. These situations are what makes us who we are and who we can be!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Parshas Masei: Each station in life has importance
"These are the journeys of the children of Israel who went out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moshe and Aharon" (Numbers 33:1)
What is the purpose of mentioning all the times and the Jewish people visited while they were in the desert? Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlit'a in Ta'am V'Da'as explains that this is compared to mitzvah observance and spiritual endeavors a person encounters in their lives. A person works hard to do mitzvos in this world to acquire a portion in the next world.
While in this world, they go and travel for this outcome; i.e. all their effort goes from place to place acquiring the spiritual tools for the next world. This is what the rabbis mean when they say that rabbinic scholars have no rest in this world because they are busy perfecting themselves and growing spiritually! They are never satisfied where they are holding today, always looking to make improvements in their lives.
We live in a transient world, whereby many think this is the ultimate; there is no other world except this one, G-d forbid! Therefore, what they do doesn't matter and why not just enjoy life to the fullest since "eat, drink and be merry today lest tomorrow I die!" Unfortunately this is how many people live their lives and the world continues for them a meaningless existence.
Torah observant Jews have everything to live for and tremendous meaning in their everyday activities. They pray, make blessings thanking G-d for their sustenance, help others, keep the holidays and shabbos...things that not only give them meaning but sustain the universe. The problem is that we don't see many times the results of our actions and therefore many make the mistake and think that what we do doesn't matter.
Rav Chaim Volohziner, the famed disciple of the Vilna Gaon, brings down at the beginning of Nefesh HaChaim that this is a mistake we cannot afford to make. He tells us in great detail how great our actions are and what ramifications they have in this world and the next. If we would only understand it even at a basic level, we would live our lives differently!
The point Rav Chaim makes is that everything we do has repercussions for good and bad. We have to constantly take stock of our actions so that we improve them and change otherwise we could see disastrous results.
If our actions really matter, wouldn't we take life and ourselves more seriously? When we see a nation being bombarded with missiles and most are landing in open areas not causing much damage, do we see the Divine Providence or do we say it is just luck?
Each of us reach different stations in life. We need to take stock of them and see how we did at each interval. When we do this, we can see what we need to work on and what needs to change. This makes us realize how small we are but how much we can grow and influence the world.
Shabbat Shalom
What is the purpose of mentioning all the times and the Jewish people visited while they were in the desert? Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlit'a in Ta'am V'Da'as explains that this is compared to mitzvah observance and spiritual endeavors a person encounters in their lives. A person works hard to do mitzvos in this world to acquire a portion in the next world.
While in this world, they go and travel for this outcome; i.e. all their effort goes from place to place acquiring the spiritual tools for the next world. This is what the rabbis mean when they say that rabbinic scholars have no rest in this world because they are busy perfecting themselves and growing spiritually! They are never satisfied where they are holding today, always looking to make improvements in their lives.
We live in a transient world, whereby many think this is the ultimate; there is no other world except this one, G-d forbid! Therefore, what they do doesn't matter and why not just enjoy life to the fullest since "eat, drink and be merry today lest tomorrow I die!" Unfortunately this is how many people live their lives and the world continues for them a meaningless existence.
Torah observant Jews have everything to live for and tremendous meaning in their everyday activities. They pray, make blessings thanking G-d for their sustenance, help others, keep the holidays and shabbos...things that not only give them meaning but sustain the universe. The problem is that we don't see many times the results of our actions and therefore many make the mistake and think that what we do doesn't matter.
Rav Chaim Volohziner, the famed disciple of the Vilna Gaon, brings down at the beginning of Nefesh HaChaim that this is a mistake we cannot afford to make. He tells us in great detail how great our actions are and what ramifications they have in this world and the next. If we would only understand it even at a basic level, we would live our lives differently!
The point Rav Chaim makes is that everything we do has repercussions for good and bad. We have to constantly take stock of our actions so that we improve them and change otherwise we could see disastrous results.
If our actions really matter, wouldn't we take life and ourselves more seriously? When we see a nation being bombarded with missiles and most are landing in open areas not causing much damage, do we see the Divine Providence or do we say it is just luck?
Each of us reach different stations in life. We need to take stock of them and see how we did at each interval. When we do this, we can see what we need to work on and what needs to change. This makes us realize how small we are but how much we can grow and influence the world.
Shabbat Shalom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)