Monthly Archives: November 2017

BS’D

The process that the soul must go through in this world to attach itself to Hashem is laden with struggles. As the soul ascends from level to level in its attempt to complete its mission, it will experience downfalls. This should be expected and planned for. There is no need to despair since this is part and parcel of its refinement process.

Principally speaking, these spiritual falls are intended to increase our drive to come closer to Hashem and build our relationship. As part of the effort to regain attachment, we begin doing teshuva and take inventory of our spiritual standing. Thus, Rebbe Nachman ztk’l teaches this is a descent for the purpose of an ascent.

From here we conclude a remarkable lesson: this lowly world provides our soul with the precise environment it needs to battle, overcome and B’H elevate itself to those levels that it would not be able to attain if stayed on high. This world is ‘boot camp’ for the soul where we experience countless ups and downs so that we may increase our ratzon (intense desire) and determination to attach ourselves to higher and higher spiritual levels.

Living life with the knowledge that we will periodically receive a ‘wake-up’ call through those challenges so that we do not miss ‘our mark’ is heartening to say the least. The goal is to keep reminding ourselves that this is what life is all about and not to get sidetracked with other thoughts and goals in mind.

BS’D
There once was a man who became fatally ill. The doctors lost all hope, yet the man sent for his Rav to advise him of a cure. The Rav advised that he take seven chickens and boil them for seven days to the point where it condenses the liquid to fit into a spoon… As he poured the liquid into the spoon and was about to drink, a spider fell into it rendering it unfit to drink. His family was horror-struck and anticipated his death to come shortly after. Yet, he began to recover and in a few weeks was completely healed.

When he was asked how he recovered he said, “When I realized that I couldn’t drink the liquid and that all means of healing were taken from me, I turned to Hashem and cried from the depths of my heart to send me a complete healing. It is the true Healer Who healed me.” When we remove all faith placed with people, cures and solutions to ease our difficulties and in its place rely purely and simply on Hashem Yitborach, we merit His goodness.

Elevated emuna translates into action; our thoughts, speech and actions are profoundly affected by our emuna. Bitachon is the bridge between that which we know and that which we feel and eventually impacts that which we do. When we remove all faith in ‘natural means’ we essentially unclog the pipeline of Divine goodness and enable it to flow freely into our lives.

BS’D

The more our souls are revealed to us the more hakarat hatov, appreciation we feel compelled to express. The less we feel our souls presence, the more inclined we are to feel entitled to the many gifts of life.

The person who has a weakened connection to his soul will often shun away from expressing gratitude. He may come up with ways to reduce his need to ask for favors from others thus avoiding his sense of indebtedness. He may also downplay the significance of the kindness extended to him therefore exempting himself from feeling a sense of appreciation. Yet another hidden method that he may implore is to use money to release himself from feeling obliged to the other.

What a shame that we run away from prime opportunities to celebrate the priceless middah, character trait of humility whenever an occasion arises. Conveying gratitude to another and undoubtedly to Hashem moves us to become more caring and less self-centered individuals.

The teaching of ‘Soneh matanot yichyeh (He who spurns gifts will live)” taught in the Gemara Masechet Chullin (44b) causes many to misinterpret the idea of receiving. We certainly should limit our dependence on others and attempt to carry our own weight in order to also strive to be on the ‘giving’ and not ‘receiving’ side of life. However, if Hashem sends us His emissaries to bestow upon us His kindness, we should not refuse their benevolence because we wish to free ourselves of obligation to express gratitude towards them.

We cannot live in this world without a certain amount of dependency on others; this would break down the social fabric and cause intense separation between us. By design Hashem created such a world to develop our ability to appreciate and love one another and Him of course, by uttering the two simple powerful words, “Thank you.”