Va-era: Hashem's Love

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SHHHAAAALLOOOMMM SWEEEETEST FRIENDS!!!!!!!


Today is the yahrtzeit of the Gaon and Tzadik, Rav Moshe Yechiel Epstein [d. 1971] the Ozhorover Rebbe זצוק"ל. His set of sfarim Be-er Moshe and Eish Das [appox. 24 volumes, he wrote a lot more which was lost] are OUTTA THIS WORLD!!!! What makes the sfarim even more remarkable is that [as told to me by my beloved friend, his relative the great Tzadik Rav Gershon Heyman Shlita - known to me as "Rav Shas Heyman" b/c he keeps finishing Shas. When he is not finishing Shas and taking care of his holy family כ"י, he is the right and left hand man of HaRav Nevenzahl Shlita] he wrote at least some of them when he was almost completely blind so the copious quotes from EVERYWHERE [particularly the Zohar Hakadosh] are all from memory. Wow-eee!!


So a vort from the Be-er Moshe!!


The Medrash says that the Jewish people weren't worthy of being redeemed from Egypt [they too served idols and had idolatrous haircuts] but Hashem took a שבועה [oath] that he would redeem them - so here we are - 2021 and no longer in Egypt!!! [Rough to be on lockdown - much much better than being in Egypt....]


What is the idea of a שבועה? The Medrash says that the Bris of love between Dovid and Yehonoson was really a שבועה. This indicates that a שבועה is an expression of love. I love Hashem so I take a שבועה to do such and such. Hashem loves us so he took a שבועה to redeem us from Egypt!!!


The pasuk says abt. a שבועה that it is לאסור אסר כל נפשו. The Yerushalmi says that this means that a person is "bound" and "tied up" with the שבועה. So essentially, Hashem was TIED UP כביכול w/ the שבועה so he "had" to redeem us. This was an expression of His love and care - as the Zohar Hakadosh says, that the attributes of mercy and love overcame the attribute of strict judgment.


BELOVED FRIENDS!!!! Let us pay attention to our prayers. Twice daily we proclaim Hashem's love for us. אהבה רבה אהבתנו, אהבת עולם בית ישראל עמך אהבת. We reciprocate and say ואהבת את ה' א-להיך - We love Hashem back!! When the Gemara quotes Hashem, it often says ורחמנא אמר - The Loving One says...

So it is THERE!! We have to learn to experience it - and reciprocate כמים הפנים לפנים!!


When the Be-er Moshe was living in America, his young son tragically drowned. During the shiva he had to undergo emergency surgery at Beth Israel Hospital. When someone came to visit him in the hospital, he said with fire: Yankele, it says ואהבת את השם א-להיך. You have to love Hashem. בכל נפשך - Even if he takes your soul. You know how much I loved him... how close he was to my heart.. part of my soul... but still ואהבת....


We should all merit to love Hashem with Simcha Tomid, without distress, financial worries, ill health and ONLY GOOD AND SWEETNESS all the days of our lives!!!!


SHABBAT SHALOM!!!!


A recent lecture on the importance of learning Torah.