לזכות רפואת מרים בת חיה
אסתר רות בת נעמי שרה
ר' יהושע מאיר בן רחל שרה
רפאל חיים דב בן ריסה שושנה
Continuing the thought from the previous post:
אסתר רות בת נעמי שרה
ר' יהושע מאיר בן רחל שרה
רפאל חיים דב בן ריסה שושנה
Continuing the thought from the previous post:
Rabbeinu Yonah in his Shaarei Teshuva [3/3] explains that "mussar" means knowing the severity of aveiros and to then tell others about it [לייסר זולתו].
In order not to do an aveirah one has to be ready to lose ALL of his money. That is SERIOUS BUSINESS!! I once had a job that required me to hear lashon hara on a constant basis from a bitter, angry co-worker. I had a serious dilemma. On one hand, it was parnassa and I had a family to support. If one loses his parnassa, it is not like people run after him with money on a constant basis and say "I heard you don't have parnassa - take this". That may happen in story books, but in real life, in my own experience and the experience of many - that is not the way life works. People also don't lose sleep trying to find you a different parnassa. People have their own problems that consume them. No job - your problem, not mine. People aren't bad and everybody has the maasim tovim that they do but one cannot rely on people to save him. Dovid Hamelech said it best "אל תבטחו בנדיבים בבן אדם שאין לו תשועה" - don't trust human beings to bring salvation because they very often will not. The only solution is what is says later in the perek "אשרי שא-ל יעקב בעזרו שברו על השם א-להיו" - Hashem makes sure that everything goes according to His plan [even though His plan is not always what we would have chosen for ourselves- but we know that it is all done out of love]. So was it wise to forgo the [albeit meager] salary that I had knowing that my livelihood was at risk?
On the other hand - LASHON HARA!!! MACHLOKES!!! One has to run away like fire. [See Parshas Korach]. How can one stay? So I went to a gadol to ask a shyla. To quote the famous rock song from the 80's "should I stay or should I go?" [What did he say? Not for now:-). But one thing is FOR SURE - Hashem takes care of me and my family!! הודו לה' כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו!!!]
Aveiros should scare one to death!!! It is a HUUUUUUGEEEE avoda to instill ourselves on a constant basis with heightened levels of יראת חטא.
One has to know the severity of guarding ones eyes and thoughts! It is a pasuk in this weeks parsha that we say twice daily "ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עיניכם" - it is forbidden to follow one's eyes, which means looking at women in a lustful way, going to the beach, watching TV and movies, having unfiltered internet etc. I sometimes think that I should have a separate blog devoted solely to this topic because that is the weak point and greatest [or very high on the list] struggle of our generation.
Rebbe Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin [and many others] said that the last big test before the coming of Moshiach will be whether we can maintain our sexual purity. The great Mekubal Rav Shlomo Elyashiv, author of the לשם שבו ואחלמה [known as the בעל הלשם] said that there is not enough soap in the entire world to clean up the filth created by ONE ILLICIT THOUGHT!!! This is not child's play. We have the fate of our world and of eternity in our hands [and eyes and thoughts]. It is only after an appreciation of the dangers and what the stakes are that one can approach issues relating to modesty. People who lack such an appreciation will of course flippantly dismiss those who are careful as being fanatics and the like.
Well, if that is so, bless myself and all of us that we should be "fanatics". Fanatically holy. Fanatically kind. Fanatically generous, etc. etc. and live our lives with the eternal words of the Torah קדושים תהיו as our guide in all we do!!:-)!!!
Love and blessings!
