Thursday, October 30, 2014
Parshas Lech Lecha: Enjoyment of the Physical World
11:25 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"And it occurred, as he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "See now I have known that you are a woman of beautiful appearance." (Genesis: 12:11)
Avraham tells Sarah to tell the Egyptians that she is his sister because he is afraid that if she says she is his wife they will kill him and take her. Why is that after so many years being married to her, Avraham only recognizes her beauty in the face of danger what might happen to him? Didn't he recognize that she was beautiful during all the previous years they were together?
The Talmud tells us that a person is not allowed to get married unless they are attracted to each other. so it could not have been that Avraham didn't look at his wife and wasn't attracted to her. The love that Avraham had for his wife is what a Jewish marriage is all about.
Even though to some the system in which religious Jews marry seems archaic, going through a matchmaker and such, the system has been successful throughout the millennium with a very small divorce rate compared to the overall divorce rate.
The reason is that there are laws that govern marriages whereby the husband has no choice but to develop a relationship with his wife. G-d gave man this strong urge but it is supposed to be harnessed and not abused.
It is looked as a very special thing when it is used in the right way. If it is only looked at as a physical relationship, then once the novelty wears off, the relationship crumbles and there is nothing left. Avraham understood how beautiful his wife was but concentrated his life based on her virtues and character traits.
These are essential elements for a strong and vibrant marriage. Communication is key as well as having common goals and desires.This is the reason that so many people stay happily married.
Judaism in this way differs from other religions in the sense of how the world is viewed. We are created from the dust of the earth and have physical bodies. At the same time, we are given a special soul that helps us reach closer to G-d.
There is always the conflict between the physical and spiritual but no where do we say that physical acts that give us pleasure are forbidden; it depends on how we do them. Although we live in a world of instant gratification the goal is sanctify it as best as possible.
G-d has given us urges from which to enjoy this world but we have to know how to use them properly so we can sanctify His name. The physical is good and should be enjoyed the way the Torah wants us to.
Shabbat Shalom
Avraham tells Sarah to tell the Egyptians that she is his sister because he is afraid that if she says she is his wife they will kill him and take her. Why is that after so many years being married to her, Avraham only recognizes her beauty in the face of danger what might happen to him? Didn't he recognize that she was beautiful during all the previous years they were together?
The Talmud tells us that a person is not allowed to get married unless they are attracted to each other. so it could not have been that Avraham didn't look at his wife and wasn't attracted to her. The love that Avraham had for his wife is what a Jewish marriage is all about.
Even though to some the system in which religious Jews marry seems archaic, going through a matchmaker and such, the system has been successful throughout the millennium with a very small divorce rate compared to the overall divorce rate.
The reason is that there are laws that govern marriages whereby the husband has no choice but to develop a relationship with his wife. G-d gave man this strong urge but it is supposed to be harnessed and not abused.
It is looked as a very special thing when it is used in the right way. If it is only looked at as a physical relationship, then once the novelty wears off, the relationship crumbles and there is nothing left. Avraham understood how beautiful his wife was but concentrated his life based on her virtues and character traits.
These are essential elements for a strong and vibrant marriage. Communication is key as well as having common goals and desires.This is the reason that so many people stay happily married.
Judaism in this way differs from other religions in the sense of how the world is viewed. We are created from the dust of the earth and have physical bodies. At the same time, we are given a special soul that helps us reach closer to G-d.
There is always the conflict between the physical and spiritual but no where do we say that physical acts that give us pleasure are forbidden; it depends on how we do them. Although we live in a world of instant gratification the goal is sanctify it as best as possible.
G-d has given us urges from which to enjoy this world but we have to know how to use them properly so we can sanctify His name. The physical is good and should be enjoyed the way the Torah wants us to.
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 3: Mishna 23: Essential Laws vs Complements
"Rabbi Eliezer ben Chisma said; The laws of bird-offerings, and the laws regarding the beginning of menstrual periods - these are the essential laws; astronomy and mathematics are like the seasonings of wisdom"
The first part of the mishna talks about the bird-pair offerings that a woman must bring shortly after childbirth (as well as in other situations). There is great discussion s regarding these sacrifices and what happens if different women mixed them up as well.
Menstrual periods refer to the necessary calculations to determine the start date of her period. They also refer to the relevant restrictions when her period begins. These can include what types of blood indicate a menstrual flow or off-cycle spotting, blood spots found on clothing...
These are called the essential laws because they are crucial in maintaining the Jewish home. A man is not allowed to look at his wife as an object of his desires but must have a relationship that is outside the physical.
This is a great protection for women as it insures proper guidelines in this area. Although this is one of the most powerful urges a person can have, G-d gave it to us to harness it properly and not abuse it. The relationship between husband and wife is enhanced tremendously if these laws are kept because the marriage is not just viewed in terms of physical satisfaction.
Astronomy and numerical values are subjects which complement the Torah. Astronomy referred here is the calculation of the cycles of the moon and the seasons. Mathematics is important for formulating the Jewish calendar and helps to reconcile the discrepancy between the lunar calendar and solar one. Each holiday must fall out in it's proper time, Passover in the spring, Sukkos in the fall and since the lunar calendar is 11 days shorter than the solar one, there needs to be an adjustment of the calendar to make sure the holidays fall out when they need to.
The last part of the mishna refers to numeric values or what we call gematriya which refers to assigning of number values to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet whereby alef=1, bet=2...) Certain forms of rabbinical homiletic interpretation are based on inferences made from these values.
The reason that these two are not considered as essential is because they help demonstrate one aspect of the Torah's beauty and can illustrate the hidden wisdom of the Hebrew alphabet. We can brings hints or ideas from these things showing the power of the Torah's wisdom.
When we hear of homiletic wisdom coming from the order of the letters of a particular passage or a statement that corresponds to the numerical value of another statement is nothing short of incredible. These things enhance our study of Torah and reveal it's true hidden wisdom.
We also see the great wisdom of the rabbis who in their foresight had to come up with a way to compensate the problem that would ensue with the calendar. Without "technological" advances given to them, they were able to establish a system that would continue for all future generations.
Many often make the mistake and think that these people were "medieval", not to bright and backwards, to say the least. We see from here, just the opposite, men of great wisdom and virtue!!
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Parshas Noach: Noach's lack of Emunah
"They came to Noach into the ark, two by two of all flesh in which there was a breath of life. Thus they that came , came male and female of all flesh , as G-d had commanded him. And Hashem shut it on his behalf". (Genesis: 7: 15-16).
The Torah goes into great detail explaining all the measurements of the ark and all the hard work that Noach did in building it for 120 years. The people of his generation made fun of him, persecuted him and even wanted to hurt him. This is why the commentaries tell us that there were lions and bears at the entrance of the ark that protected him.
We also know that the only people saved from the flood were Noach and his family. While he was a prophet and did what G-d commanded him, nonetheless the commentaries explain that he was somewhat lacking faith.How can we explain this?
The second of the Rambam's thirteen principles of faith is that G-d is unique and there is no being like him either physical or spiritual. This principle is based on the first verse of the Shema "Hear O Israel, The L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one".
According to this principle then, if G-d is absolute and unique in this world then it conflicts with the idea of how the righteous suffer and how evil people seem to have it easy in this world. If we were to say that there are other forces controlling things, then we may be able to live with the suffering that we around us.
If we believe, though that G-d is unique in this world and represents goodness, they questions may make us feel uncomfortable. Ultimately we don't understand how things work in this world. How does this apply to Noach?
Noach understood that the world he lived in was corrupt. Even so, he was able to overcome his environment and fulfill G-d's will. Why is then at the last second, G-d has to push him into the ark so-to-speak as the waters are quickly rising? Where was his faith that G-d was going to bring the flood?
Noach surely believed that G-d could it. He thought though that his overwhelming attribute of compassion would override His judgment and for that he was wrong. G-d does have tremendous compassion but sometimes that compassion has to be put aside and justice has to be done.
To wipe out the entire world, Noach couldn't imagine that G-d's compassion would not be stirred to save His creation. For that the commentaries explain was the flaw in Noach's emunah.
What we see around us many times does not make sense and we witness a lot of suffering in the world. We must continue to serve Him with even stronger belief even when we don't necessarily understand why?
Shabbat Shalom
The Torah goes into great detail explaining all the measurements of the ark and all the hard work that Noach did in building it for 120 years. The people of his generation made fun of him, persecuted him and even wanted to hurt him. This is why the commentaries tell us that there were lions and bears at the entrance of the ark that protected him.
We also know that the only people saved from the flood were Noach and his family. While he was a prophet and did what G-d commanded him, nonetheless the commentaries explain that he was somewhat lacking faith.How can we explain this?
The second of the Rambam's thirteen principles of faith is that G-d is unique and there is no being like him either physical or spiritual. This principle is based on the first verse of the Shema "Hear O Israel, The L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one".
According to this principle then, if G-d is absolute and unique in this world then it conflicts with the idea of how the righteous suffer and how evil people seem to have it easy in this world. If we were to say that there are other forces controlling things, then we may be able to live with the suffering that we around us.
If we believe, though that G-d is unique in this world and represents goodness, they questions may make us feel uncomfortable. Ultimately we don't understand how things work in this world. How does this apply to Noach?
Noach understood that the world he lived in was corrupt. Even so, he was able to overcome his environment and fulfill G-d's will. Why is then at the last second, G-d has to push him into the ark so-to-speak as the waters are quickly rising? Where was his faith that G-d was going to bring the flood?
Noach surely believed that G-d could it. He thought though that his overwhelming attribute of compassion would override His judgment and for that he was wrong. G-d does have tremendous compassion but sometimes that compassion has to be put aside and justice has to be done.
To wipe out the entire world, Noach couldn't imagine that G-d's compassion would not be stirred to save His creation. For that the commentaries explain was the flaw in Noach's emunah.
What we see around us many times does not make sense and we witness a lot of suffering in the world. We must continue to serve Him with even stronger belief even when we don't necessarily understand why?
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of Our Fathers: Chapter 3 Mishna 22: Actions vs Widsom
"He used to say, 'One whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, to what is he like? To a tree that has many branches and few roots, so that when the wind comes, it plucks it up and turns it over, as it is said, 'And he shall be like a lonely tree in the desert, and shall not see the coming of the good; he shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and uninhabited'. But one whose deeds exceed his wisdom, to what is he like? To a tree that has few branches and many roots , so that even if all the winds in the world come and blow upon it, they cannot move it out of its place, as it is said, 'And he shall be like a tree planted by waters that spreads out its roots beside a stream; it sees not the coming of the heat, and its leaves are ever green; in a year of drought it is not troubled, and ceases not to bear fruit'.
The Mishna here teaches us the fundamental principle that knowledge by itself will not last and make a person a moral individual. The reason is because knowledge doesn't necessarily change a person.
If a person learns something which they feel will have no impact on their lives, what is it worth? Torah is about taking action. Learning Torah teaches us what is permissible and forbidden. They are not lessons just for the sake of learning ie like mathematics; they are principles for a meaningful life.
The first book of the Torah tells us about the roots of history and the character traits of our ancestors. It goes into great detail about the actions of these incredible people which have made a lasting impression throughout the generations. One may mistakenly look at these "stories" as just that, describing our historical roots.
This is tragic. Noach, for example gave us the ability thousands of years later to have the strength to fight against our environment and become great people despite who are neighbors may be. After all, he and his family were the only ones that survived the flood!
We have seen through the generations the "greatest, most intelligent people" who were immoral and outright cruel. How do we explain that the doctors, lawyers and academics were the first ones to join Hitler's third Reich and believed in his doctrine to wipe out the Jews.
Did they really believe that treating animals properly was better than treating a Jew as if to Jews weren't even human and deserved everything that they received? This is where education and wisdom left to its own elements cannot produce moral individuals.
If it is not harnessed properly and given the right values then wisdom can only take a person so far. The famous example of this is with Bertram Russel, the famed university teacher of ethics. When one of his students asked him how he could teach ethics and be unethical, his response was "if I would teach mathematics you would expect me to be a square"?
Our actions and what is behind them is what matters. A person could perform a mitzvah with all the kabblastic intentions and receive unbelievable merit for what he has done while at the same time, a simple Jew could do the same mitzvah and also receive great merit.
The more we learn, the more we understand our limitations and the great responsibility we have to serve G-d properly. This will in turn give us true wisdom which allows us to control our desires and do the mitzvos properly!
The Mishna here teaches us the fundamental principle that knowledge by itself will not last and make a person a moral individual. The reason is because knowledge doesn't necessarily change a person.
If a person learns something which they feel will have no impact on their lives, what is it worth? Torah is about taking action. Learning Torah teaches us what is permissible and forbidden. They are not lessons just for the sake of learning ie like mathematics; they are principles for a meaningful life.
The first book of the Torah tells us about the roots of history and the character traits of our ancestors. It goes into great detail about the actions of these incredible people which have made a lasting impression throughout the generations. One may mistakenly look at these "stories" as just that, describing our historical roots.
This is tragic. Noach, for example gave us the ability thousands of years later to have the strength to fight against our environment and become great people despite who are neighbors may be. After all, he and his family were the only ones that survived the flood!
We have seen through the generations the "greatest, most intelligent people" who were immoral and outright cruel. How do we explain that the doctors, lawyers and academics were the first ones to join Hitler's third Reich and believed in his doctrine to wipe out the Jews.
Did they really believe that treating animals properly was better than treating a Jew as if to Jews weren't even human and deserved everything that they received? This is where education and wisdom left to its own elements cannot produce moral individuals.
If it is not harnessed properly and given the right values then wisdom can only take a person so far. The famous example of this is with Bertram Russel, the famed university teacher of ethics. When one of his students asked him how he could teach ethics and be unethical, his response was "if I would teach mathematics you would expect me to be a square"?
Our actions and what is behind them is what matters. A person could perform a mitzvah with all the kabblastic intentions and receive unbelievable merit for what he has done while at the same time, a simple Jew could do the same mitzvah and also receive great merit.
The more we learn, the more we understand our limitations and the great responsibility we have to serve G-d properly. This will in turn give us true wisdom which allows us to control our desires and do the mitzvos properly!
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Parshas Ki Tetze: Erasing the beliefs of Amalek
"Remember what Amalek did to you by the way when you came out of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 23:17)
The Torah at the end of the parsha tells us that we have to remember what Amalek did to us. This is of such importance that on the shabbos before Purim we read these three verses as a Torah obligation! What is so significant that we must remember what Amalek did to us?
If we go back in history, we see that the Jewish people were on the biggest roll of their lives. They saw the miracles that occurred in Egypt with their decimation; they witnessed the sea split and the Egyptians die and ate the manna that was given to them in the desert.
After seeing G-d face to face and receiving the Torah the people of Amalek strike. At first glance this makes no sense because who would want to start up with the Jewish people at this time?
Since the people of Amalek didn't believe in the supernatural or of miracles, they didn't think twice about attacking the Jewish people. How could they if at this time, the Jewish people could have annihilated them at the level they were at?
There is a parable given to explain this. It is as if one person enters a very very hot bath. Even if he goes in, he will get severely burned but at the same time, he will cool it off a little bit for the next person. The next person will do the same thing for the person after him until the water is warm enough to go in.
The people of Amalek understood what they were facing. They attempted to cool off the Jewish people, even if it meant sacrificing many of their own people. The danger of Amalek is that they spread doubt into the world; doubt of an existing G-d who runs the world.
Unfortunately that has continued throughout history where there are many who believe that G-d not only doesn't have control over his creation but in fact does not exist. The Torah tells us explicitly that we must work to the best of our ability to counteract this.
We do this by keeping the Torah and its mitzvos and bringing light to the world. Even though G-ds ways are hidden in this world, we have to publicize and make known to the world of His existence.
Just over the last few months with all the rocket attacks on Israel, G-d's presence can surely be seen. Of all the missiles sent in from Gaza, 80% hit open areas where 10% were knocked down by the Patriot missiles. That means that roughly 10% of all rocket fire hit something in Israel and caused damage.
These are missiles that are very accurate. Very hard to say statistically that 80% will hit open areas even if you are shooting from 5 miles away. G-d is here running the show, we just have to be able to see His hand in action
Even this one small thing gives us strength and answers the "doubts" of all the Amalekites in the world today. This brings G-d's rule to the world which eliminates the heretical thoughts of Amalek and the like.
Shabbat Shalom
The Torah at the end of the parsha tells us that we have to remember what Amalek did to us. This is of such importance that on the shabbos before Purim we read these three verses as a Torah obligation! What is so significant that we must remember what Amalek did to us?
If we go back in history, we see that the Jewish people were on the biggest roll of their lives. They saw the miracles that occurred in Egypt with their decimation; they witnessed the sea split and the Egyptians die and ate the manna that was given to them in the desert.
After seeing G-d face to face and receiving the Torah the people of Amalek strike. At first glance this makes no sense because who would want to start up with the Jewish people at this time?
Since the people of Amalek didn't believe in the supernatural or of miracles, they didn't think twice about attacking the Jewish people. How could they if at this time, the Jewish people could have annihilated them at the level they were at?
There is a parable given to explain this. It is as if one person enters a very very hot bath. Even if he goes in, he will get severely burned but at the same time, he will cool it off a little bit for the next person. The next person will do the same thing for the person after him until the water is warm enough to go in.
The people of Amalek understood what they were facing. They attempted to cool off the Jewish people, even if it meant sacrificing many of their own people. The danger of Amalek is that they spread doubt into the world; doubt of an existing G-d who runs the world.
Unfortunately that has continued throughout history where there are many who believe that G-d not only doesn't have control over his creation but in fact does not exist. The Torah tells us explicitly that we must work to the best of our ability to counteract this.
We do this by keeping the Torah and its mitzvos and bringing light to the world. Even though G-ds ways are hidden in this world, we have to publicize and make known to the world of His existence.
Just over the last few months with all the rocket attacks on Israel, G-d's presence can surely be seen. Of all the missiles sent in from Gaza, 80% hit open areas where 10% were knocked down by the Patriot missiles. That means that roughly 10% of all rocket fire hit something in Israel and caused damage.
These are missiles that are very accurate. Very hard to say statistically that 80% will hit open areas even if you are shooting from 5 miles away. G-d is here running the show, we just have to be able to see His hand in action
Even this one small thing gives us strength and answers the "doubts" of all the Amalekites in the world today. This brings G-d's rule to the world which eliminates the heretical thoughts of Amalek and the like.
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 3 Mishna 21: Without a proper understanding of Torah we lack everything!
"Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said, 'When there is no Torah there is no proper conduct, when there is no proper conduct there is no Torah. When there is no wisdom there is no reverence; when there is no reverence there is no wisdom. When there is no knowledge there is no understanding; when there is no understanding there is no knowledge.When there is no bread there is no Torah; when there is no Torah there is no bread."
The first part of the Mishna explains that one must learn Torah to perfect one's character traits. The reason is because the Torah speaks at great length about character traits one must emulate to reach their spiritual potential.
The book of Genesis tells story after story about our forefathers and the great character traits they possessed. The Torah throughout the book of Numbers explains some of the failures of the Jewish people to inject in the future generations the importance of adherence to G-d's laws!
If we don't work on our character development, how can we learn Torah? This means that these two things go hand in hand. IF we see a Torah observant Jew steal or do other things that are in direct violation of the Torah, what does that say about his Torah learning?
We could say that a person is human and makes mistakes and will grow from them. That is true but at the same time, we see that his learning is not up to par and that individual does not actualize what the Torah wants from him!
The next part of the Mishna explains that without wisdom there is no reverence and vice-versa. When one learns and acquires wisdom, we realize how much we don't know which should humble us. The more we learn, the more we see how small we really are in the context of the world at large.
At the same time, if one has wisdom but does not incorporate reverence with that, an individual is then doing mental gymnastics. This means that the learning really has no relevance to their lives and they don't put it into action.
Learning is about doing and embellishing it. It is not like another academic subject, it is our life! Our goal is to incorporate these ideas in our lives and pass our priceless heritage onto our children.
The next part of the Mishna explains how much we have to concentrate on our learning to be able to understand it. We cannot just give a superficial overview of what the Torah tells us but we have to try and understand its depths to the best of our ability.
If we don't, then our learning will only become confusing and won't have the impact that it should. This is why it is important to have good teachers that can explain these things to us so we can explore the intricacies of Torah!
The last part of the Mishna tells us that when there is no bread there is no Torah and without Torah there is no bread. If we don't have money or a livelihood, how can we learn Torah? We have to make our best effort to put food on the table.
At the same time, we have to realize that even if we have ample livelihood, what is it worth without Torah? Torah is the essence of our lives; livelihood is just a means to be able to survive in this world but it is not the essence of who we are. We often forget this!
The first part of the Mishna explains that one must learn Torah to perfect one's character traits. The reason is because the Torah speaks at great length about character traits one must emulate to reach their spiritual potential.
The book of Genesis tells story after story about our forefathers and the great character traits they possessed. The Torah throughout the book of Numbers explains some of the failures of the Jewish people to inject in the future generations the importance of adherence to G-d's laws!
If we don't work on our character development, how can we learn Torah? This means that these two things go hand in hand. IF we see a Torah observant Jew steal or do other things that are in direct violation of the Torah, what does that say about his Torah learning?
We could say that a person is human and makes mistakes and will grow from them. That is true but at the same time, we see that his learning is not up to par and that individual does not actualize what the Torah wants from him!
The next part of the Mishna explains that without wisdom there is no reverence and vice-versa. When one learns and acquires wisdom, we realize how much we don't know which should humble us. The more we learn, the more we see how small we really are in the context of the world at large.
At the same time, if one has wisdom but does not incorporate reverence with that, an individual is then doing mental gymnastics. This means that the learning really has no relevance to their lives and they don't put it into action.
Learning is about doing and embellishing it. It is not like another academic subject, it is our life! Our goal is to incorporate these ideas in our lives and pass our priceless heritage onto our children.
The next part of the Mishna explains how much we have to concentrate on our learning to be able to understand it. We cannot just give a superficial overview of what the Torah tells us but we have to try and understand its depths to the best of our ability.
If we don't, then our learning will only become confusing and won't have the impact that it should. This is why it is important to have good teachers that can explain these things to us so we can explore the intricacies of Torah!
The last part of the Mishna tells us that when there is no bread there is no Torah and without Torah there is no bread. If we don't have money or a livelihood, how can we learn Torah? We have to make our best effort to put food on the table.
At the same time, we have to realize that even if we have ample livelihood, what is it worth without Torah? Torah is the essence of our lives; livelihood is just a means to be able to survive in this world but it is not the essence of who we are. We often forget this!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Parshas Shoftim: Take Precaution in Guarding our Precous Souls
"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
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