9 Tishrei
I'd like to share a mashal that my wife shared with me (i think she got it from Aish, but i'm not sure).
Yom Kippur is like boarding an airplane. Nowadays, there is crazy security before we get on a plane. We stand on a single-file line, passing through intense inspections. We walk through a metal detector, passing our carry-on luggage and baggage through and even more intense x-ray machine. We're patted down, prodded, and poked before we get on the plane. We take our shoes off, and have them checked as well, praying there isn't a problem.
So too on Yom Kippur. We all pass before HKBH, single-file, and stand as He runs us through intense inspection. Our actions are examined, our words, our thoughts - everything passes through His x-ray machine. We stand there, praying that we pass through, terrified at the thought of being held up.
But you know what? At the end, everyone gets on the plane. We might have to pass through the metal detector once or twice or three times, we might have to be patted down with a metal sensor, but in the end, almost everyone gets on the plane. This is the attitude that we are supposed to have on Yom Kippur - a trepidation that we're in front of HKBH, the Ultimate Judge, but happiness and excitement that we HAVE Hashem, Who is all-forgiving and ready to accept us.
iyH all our prayers should be answered, and we should be zoche to a gmar chasima tova and a shana tova, Kein Yehi Ratzon.
(BTW, teshuva continues until Hoshana Raba! Look for more posts until the end of succos...)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
A Lost Aspect of Teshuva
8 Tishrei
Very often, we approach Yom Kippur with a focus on repairing our relationship with HKBH, with growing spiritually and rededicating ourselves to His service. However, there is an aspect of teshuva that is terribly overlooked.
Chazal tell us that the 1st Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of the Big Three - Murder, Incest, and Idol Worship. Those were aveiros ben adam lamakom, between man and God. The 2nd Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of Sinas Chinam, baseless hatred, sins between man and fellow man.
Which galus lasted longer? After the 1st Beis HaMikdash, Bnei Yisrael returned to Eretz Yisrael after 70 years. After the 2nd Beis HaMikdash, Bnei Yisrael returned to Eretz Yisrael... never. We are still in galus now, over 2000 years later.
We must take care to improve our Bein Adam L'Chaveiro yiddishkeit, as well. We all have middos that we can improve and work at. Pick one to start off with, and show Hashem how we're trying to improve in ALL facets of Yiddishkeit.
Hatzlacha Raba!
Very often, we approach Yom Kippur with a focus on repairing our relationship with HKBH, with growing spiritually and rededicating ourselves to His service. However, there is an aspect of teshuva that is terribly overlooked.
Chazal tell us that the 1st Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of the Big Three - Murder, Incest, and Idol Worship. Those were aveiros ben adam lamakom, between man and God. The 2nd Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of Sinas Chinam, baseless hatred, sins between man and fellow man.
Which galus lasted longer? After the 1st Beis HaMikdash, Bnei Yisrael returned to Eretz Yisrael after 70 years. After the 2nd Beis HaMikdash, Bnei Yisrael returned to Eretz Yisrael... never. We are still in galus now, over 2000 years later.
We must take care to improve our Bein Adam L'Chaveiro yiddishkeit, as well. We all have middos that we can improve and work at. Pick one to start off with, and show Hashem how we're trying to improve in ALL facets of Yiddishkeit.
Hatzlacha Raba!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Little Things
7 Tishrei
BTW - there was a comment posted yesterday in the article "The Slow Process", I published a response next to the comment. Great question.
In the beginning of Parshas Eikev, the Torah delineates quite clearly the reward of those who follow the mitzvos. I will refer you to those psukim instead of quoting them here - just the first few psukim there. The Torah basically says "Do this, and I (HKBH) will take care of you."
Rashi there explains that "Eikev" is lashon of "Akeiv," or foot. The mitzvos that HKBH is asking us to do here in order to receive this blessing are the small mitzvos, the mitzvos that we "step on with our feet" and overlook them. The message is that if we do the little things, the simple mitzvos, HKBH will bestow lavish blessings upon us.
How powerful is this Rashi! HKBH is not asking us to be Oker Harim, uproot mountains. Just a few small mitzvos! Give some tzedaka, smile at someone, learn for an extra minute. This is all HKBH is asking in order to bless us. Don't let the Yetzer Hara convince you that the little things don't matter - they matter a great deal!
Gmar Chasima Tova.
BTW - there was a comment posted yesterday in the article "The Slow Process", I published a response next to the comment. Great question.
In the beginning of Parshas Eikev, the Torah delineates quite clearly the reward of those who follow the mitzvos. I will refer you to those psukim instead of quoting them here - just the first few psukim there. The Torah basically says "Do this, and I (HKBH) will take care of you."
Rashi there explains that "Eikev" is lashon of "Akeiv," or foot. The mitzvos that HKBH is asking us to do here in order to receive this blessing are the small mitzvos, the mitzvos that we "step on with our feet" and overlook them. The message is that if we do the little things, the simple mitzvos, HKBH will bestow lavish blessings upon us.
How powerful is this Rashi! HKBH is not asking us to be Oker Harim, uproot mountains. Just a few small mitzvos! Give some tzedaka, smile at someone, learn for an extra minute. This is all HKBH is asking in order to bless us. Don't let the Yetzer Hara convince you that the little things don't matter - they matter a great deal!
Gmar Chasima Tova.
Rabbi Elazar Ben Dudaya II
6 Tishrei
I will refer you back to the story of Rabbi Elazar Ben Dudaya - read that, then come back.
Very quickly - How much mesiras nefesh did Elazar Ben Dudaya go through to get what he wanted?! And he wanted something terrible! Yet he gave up so much money, time, and effort to achieve his goal.
How much more so can we put even the smallest of extra effort to do mitzvos and teshuva.
I will refer you back to the story of Rabbi Elazar Ben Dudaya - read that, then come back.
Very quickly - How much mesiras nefesh did Elazar Ben Dudaya go through to get what he wanted?! And he wanted something terrible! Yet he gave up so much money, time, and effort to achieve his goal.
How much more so can we put even the smallest of extra effort to do mitzvos and teshuva.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
The Yetzer Hara's trap
5 Tishrei
Disclaimer - the following is just a bit of musing on my part, not necessarily related to Torah sources. Merely what I perceive to be true.
Nowadays, it appears to me that we don't really have ta'avahs (strong desires) to do terrible aveiros. I don't really want to kill anyone. I don't deliberately want to violate Shabbos (I may violate it because of my own ignorance, chas veshalom, but I definitely don't WANT to violate it). I don't want to bow down to Buddha or what-have-you. I don't feel a great need to kidnap anybody.
It seems to me that the ta'avah to violate many of the severe aveiros is gone, at least in my experience. The Yetzer Hara to perform these mitzvos has, well, lessened, if you will. It would be ludicrous for the Yetzer Hara to try to convince me to bow down to a cow, for example, like the Hindus. Baruch Hashem. Yes, there are certainly aveiros for which I have a great ta'avah for. But it seems that many of the aveiros chamuros, the severe sins, are not as appealing anymore.
But what does the Yetzer Hara do nowadays that he probably didn't need to do back in the day? The Yetzer Hara is GREAT at making us feel lousy about ourselves, at attacking our self-esteem. He makes us feel like we don't matter, and that we don't have to keep halacha because, on the grand scheme of things, we don't matter. He has a great ability to convince us NOT to do mitzvos.
Our self-esteem is very important. Very often it gets a bad rap - in the mussar sefarim, for example, a lot is written about avoiding ga'avah (pride) and kavod (honor). Humble yourselves, write the gedolim, and therefore serve Hashem. While this is definitely true and a great lesson, it is important not to lose focus - humility does not mean degrading yourself to feel like you are nothing. Humility, in the words of the Ramban, is recognizing how great you are, but also WHY you are great - because HKBH makes you great. Humility is a great violinist realizing that his talent is not his own, but Hashem's.
We often feel so bad about ourselves that we avoid mitzvos - what's the point? I'm just a bum anyway, who cares whether I learn my five-minute mussar chavrusa over the phone? I don't have to do shnayim mikrah, i never finish it anyway, so who cares? NO! That is the Yetzer Hara, trying to make us lose all self-confidence!
Keep your self-esteem, recognize your gifts - just realize Who they came from. We are all incredibly special people, and every mitzvah we do helps us get closer to HKBH. Col Yisrael Araivim Zeh LaZeh - each mitzvah we do helps everyone else! Be excited about your own specialness, and fight off that lack of self-esteem that the Yetzer Hara is planting within you. Hatzlacha Raba!
Disclaimer - the following is just a bit of musing on my part, not necessarily related to Torah sources. Merely what I perceive to be true.
Nowadays, it appears to me that we don't really have ta'avahs (strong desires) to do terrible aveiros. I don't really want to kill anyone. I don't deliberately want to violate Shabbos (I may violate it because of my own ignorance, chas veshalom, but I definitely don't WANT to violate it). I don't want to bow down to Buddha or what-have-you. I don't feel a great need to kidnap anybody.
It seems to me that the ta'avah to violate many of the severe aveiros is gone, at least in my experience. The Yetzer Hara to perform these mitzvos has, well, lessened, if you will. It would be ludicrous for the Yetzer Hara to try to convince me to bow down to a cow, for example, like the Hindus. Baruch Hashem. Yes, there are certainly aveiros for which I have a great ta'avah for. But it seems that many of the aveiros chamuros, the severe sins, are not as appealing anymore.
But what does the Yetzer Hara do nowadays that he probably didn't need to do back in the day? The Yetzer Hara is GREAT at making us feel lousy about ourselves, at attacking our self-esteem. He makes us feel like we don't matter, and that we don't have to keep halacha because, on the grand scheme of things, we don't matter. He has a great ability to convince us NOT to do mitzvos.
Our self-esteem is very important. Very often it gets a bad rap - in the mussar sefarim, for example, a lot is written about avoiding ga'avah (pride) and kavod (honor). Humble yourselves, write the gedolim, and therefore serve Hashem. While this is definitely true and a great lesson, it is important not to lose focus - humility does not mean degrading yourself to feel like you are nothing. Humility, in the words of the Ramban, is recognizing how great you are, but also WHY you are great - because HKBH makes you great. Humility is a great violinist realizing that his talent is not his own, but Hashem's.
We often feel so bad about ourselves that we avoid mitzvos - what's the point? I'm just a bum anyway, who cares whether I learn my five-minute mussar chavrusa over the phone? I don't have to do shnayim mikrah, i never finish it anyway, so who cares? NO! That is the Yetzer Hara, trying to make us lose all self-confidence!
Keep your self-esteem, recognize your gifts - just realize Who they came from. We are all incredibly special people, and every mitzvah we do helps us get closer to HKBH. Col Yisrael Araivim Zeh LaZeh - each mitzvah we do helps everyone else! Be excited about your own specialness, and fight off that lack of self-esteem that the Yetzer Hara is planting within you. Hatzlacha Raba!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Rabbi Elazar Ben Dudaya
4 Tishrei
For those interested, this blog will bli neder be kept daily up until Yom Kippur.
Many of us get discouraged when we think of Teshuva. We write down just a few of our faults, our sins, and we realize that we have a very long way to go. How can we not give up hope? The following story, told in the Gmara Avodah Zara, tells us that anyone - yes, even you - can do a full teshuva.
The Gmara tells a story about Elazar ben Dudaya, someone far away from being called Rabbi. Elazar ben Dudaya had a hobby. Just like I used to collect baseball cards, Elazar ben Dudaya collected zonahs, or prostitutes. There was not one zonah in the world that he had not visited at least once.
Then Elazar ben Dudaya heard of a zonah in a far-off land, a woman who charged a whole purse of gold for her services. Elazar ben Dudaya rushed to rent a boat and a crew. He crossed seven rivers and many lands to reach this one far-off zonah.
(Paranthentically, one can learn another middah from Elazar ben Dudaya - mesiras nefesh. How often do we half-heartedly perform mitzvos? While Elazar ben Dudaya was willing to cross seven oceans, pay a whole bag of money, and be completely moser nefesh to that which he wanted. If we had half the moser nefesh that Elazar ben Dudaya had... But that's a discussion for another time...)
Elazar ben Dudaya finally reached the zonah, and paid her the bag of money. Just then, a strange thing happened. Elazar ben Dudaya passed gas, and the zonah commented on it. She said, just like that gas will evaporate and be gone from the world, so too Elazar ben Dudaya.
These words had a profound impact on him. Elazar ben Dudaya left the zonah without doing the aveirah, and went into a valley to think. He was in big trouble! He needed to do teshuva! But he didn't know where to start. So he asked the Earth and Sky - help me! But the Shamayim Va'Aretz said, "We have to worry about our own skin, we can't help you!" Elazar ben Dudaya turned to the sun and moon and said, help me! Assist me in teshuva!" But the sun and moon also had to worry about themselves and could not help him. Elazar ben Dudaya turned to the mountains, the valleys, but they too declined to help him. So finally Elazar ben Dudaya realized, "Ain HaDavar Talui Ela Bi" - the matter is solely dependant upon myself. With that, Elazar ben Dudaya put his head between his knees, and cried such a deep cry that his soul departed him. At that, a bas-kol came out of shamayim and said, "RABBI Elazar ben Dudaya is zoche to Chayei Olam HaBah."
There are many lessons from this story, but the one that we'll take now is this - if Rabbi Elazar ben Dudaya could do a complete teshuva, certainly we can as well!
gmar chasima tova.
For those interested, this blog will bli neder be kept daily up until Yom Kippur.
Many of us get discouraged when we think of Teshuva. We write down just a few of our faults, our sins, and we realize that we have a very long way to go. How can we not give up hope? The following story, told in the Gmara Avodah Zara, tells us that anyone - yes, even you - can do a full teshuva.
The Gmara tells a story about Elazar ben Dudaya, someone far away from being called Rabbi. Elazar ben Dudaya had a hobby. Just like I used to collect baseball cards, Elazar ben Dudaya collected zonahs, or prostitutes. There was not one zonah in the world that he had not visited at least once.
Then Elazar ben Dudaya heard of a zonah in a far-off land, a woman who charged a whole purse of gold for her services. Elazar ben Dudaya rushed to rent a boat and a crew. He crossed seven rivers and many lands to reach this one far-off zonah.
(Paranthentically, one can learn another middah from Elazar ben Dudaya - mesiras nefesh. How often do we half-heartedly perform mitzvos? While Elazar ben Dudaya was willing to cross seven oceans, pay a whole bag of money, and be completely moser nefesh to that which he wanted. If we had half the moser nefesh that Elazar ben Dudaya had... But that's a discussion for another time...)
Elazar ben Dudaya finally reached the zonah, and paid her the bag of money. Just then, a strange thing happened. Elazar ben Dudaya passed gas, and the zonah commented on it. She said, just like that gas will evaporate and be gone from the world, so too Elazar ben Dudaya.
These words had a profound impact on him. Elazar ben Dudaya left the zonah without doing the aveirah, and went into a valley to think. He was in big trouble! He needed to do teshuva! But he didn't know where to start. So he asked the Earth and Sky - help me! But the Shamayim Va'Aretz said, "We have to worry about our own skin, we can't help you!" Elazar ben Dudaya turned to the sun and moon and said, help me! Assist me in teshuva!" But the sun and moon also had to worry about themselves and could not help him. Elazar ben Dudaya turned to the mountains, the valleys, but they too declined to help him. So finally Elazar ben Dudaya realized, "Ain HaDavar Talui Ela Bi" - the matter is solely dependant upon myself. With that, Elazar ben Dudaya put his head between his knees, and cried such a deep cry that his soul departed him. At that, a bas-kol came out of shamayim and said, "RABBI Elazar ben Dudaya is zoche to Chayei Olam HaBah."
There are many lessons from this story, but the one that we'll take now is this - if Rabbi Elazar ben Dudaya could do a complete teshuva, certainly we can as well!
gmar chasima tova.
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