Live in the Now

11 Elul 5769

Last week's parsha discusses the Ben Sorer U'Moreh, the rebellious son. Rashi quotes the gmaras that explain that this 12 year old is killed because of what he will do in the future. He's stealing money from his parents today to buy meat and wine? Says Hashem, I'm enough of an expert on human psychology to know that this kid is headed down the wrong road. Kill him now to make sure he will die without sin on his hands, because if you leave him alive, he will die with terrible blemishes on his soul.

Many commentaries point out a glaring contradiction in Hashem's logic. In parshas VaYeira, Avraham sends away Hagar and Yishmael. After Hagar and Yishmael spend days in the desert, Yishmael takes ill. Chazal explain how Hashem was judging Yishmael at that point, whether he should die or live. The angels were saying: Hashem! Yishmael's descendants are going to kill tons of Jews! Why not kill him now and save Bnei Yisrael all the tzaros? Answers HKBH, I will not kill Yishmael now, because at this point, he is a tzaddik. That's the meaning of the words Ba'asher Hu Sham - seemingly extraneous words that appear in the story of Yishmael which literally mean "And that he was there." Meaning, Yishmael, at the point where he was, at that moment, he was a tzaddik.

Ask Chazal, what's the difference between Yishmael and the Ben Sorer U'Moreh? Both are destined for terrible things. And Yishmael survives, but the Ben Sorer U'Moreh gets killed? Explains the Mizrachi, Yishmael was a tzaddik at that point. The Ben Sorer U'Moreh was not - he started down the slippery slope already. He was stealing from his parents to eat meat and wine. If he started already, then he will continue. But Yishmael was a full tzaddik at that moment, so Hashem judged him according to how he was at that point and time.

Chazal explain that the reason we read the parsha of Yishmael on Rosh Hashana is because during these days of Teshuva, we have the koach of a Yishmael. We are not judged on future misgivings, we are not wholly judged on past misgivings - HKB"H looks at us as we are right now, Ba'Asher Hu Sham. Are we trying to do teshuva? Are we attempting to get closer to Hashem, to repent on past deeds, to pledge to move forward? If we are doing that, then Hashem accepts us Ba'Asher Hu Sham, as a complete tzaddik at this point and time. If we put in the effort, even just a small effort, to return to Hashem, then HKBH will see it and help us. May we all have the koach to get closer to Him.

Hatzlacha Raba!