From an email:
SHALLLOOMMMM SWEEEEETEST FRIENDSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week we read of the sin of the spies - חטא המרגלים. The most profound commentary I have ever heard abt. this tragic episode is "OYYYYYY VEEEEYYYYY!!!!!".
Three western spies are captured in the USSR. An English spy, a French spy and a Jewish spy.
First they interrogate the English spy but he refuses to speak. So they tie him up, torture him for a day and in the end he speaks.
The same thing happened with the French spy. Initially he wouldn't speak but after being tied up and tortured, he speaks.
But then came the Jewish spy. He refused to speak and after being tied up and tortured for weeks, he still wouldn't speak. Admiring his bravery, the Soviets decided to let him go. Before letting him go, an officer asks him: "How did you endure all this torture and didn't speak?". To which the Jew replies: "I tried to, but my hands were tied".
What was at the ROOT of their sin of slandering the Holy Land and how does it connect to the previous parsha that relates the story of how Miriam got tzaraas? Rashi says that they saw what happened to Miriam after she spoke disparagingly about Moshe and they didn't take Mussar.
MUSSSSAAAARRRRR!!!!!
The pasuk [Mishlei 4-13] says החזק במוסר אל תרף נצרה כי היא חייך - Hold on to Mussar don't let go. Guard it b/c it is your LIFE.
The Medrash compares Mussar to a person who fell into the water and is thrown a rope to save himself from drowning. Meaning, Mussar is not just a good idea but a LIFE-SAVING mechanism whereby we save our souls from spiritually fatal conditions such as arrogance, anger, animosity, resentment, jealousy, lust, laziness, apathy et. etc. etc.
The Vilna Gaon writes based on this passuk that the reason we were placed on this earth is to break bad middos. If we don't - "למה לי חיים"!!! What are we living for??!!!!!!!! "כי היא חייך"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
Winston Churchill
Look at who fell? The Meraglim who were all very distinguished individuals - "כלם אנשים ראשי בני ישראל המה"!!!. Today they would each be a big Rosh Yeshiva, w/ a round RY hat, impressive frock, author of many sefarim with thousands of talmidim. And b/c they didn't learn mussar they ended saying that the inhabitants of EY were stronger than Hashem Himself ר"ל!!!
The pasuk says at the end of כי תבוא:
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּילוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּן
Therefore observe faithfully all the terms of this covenant, that
you may succeed in all that you undertake
Targum Yerushalmi says:
ותטרון ית מילי שבח אורייתא הדא ותעבדון יתהון מן בגלל
דתתבוננון ית כל מה דמתעבדין
He says that למען תשכילו is בגלל דתתבוננון - in order that you think about everything you do!! In other words - מוסר!!! The Torah was given בגלל דתתבוננון - in order that we take stock of our actions!!
Other commentaries render למען תשכילו as "you should be successful". It is really one and the same - to be successful is [NOT to earn a lot of money or drive a fancy car but] to be a person who is careful about his actions and is constantly introspecting and examining his deeds.
I love you just the way you are - but you could be SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Says Rabbeinu Yonah [Shaarei Teshuva 2-10]:
The third path is [that] when he hears reproof from the sages that are reprimanding [him], he listens, submits, repents and accepts in his heart all the words of reprimand - and not subtract one thing from their words. And behold that man went out from darkness to a great light at that instant. For at the time that he listened and paid attention and his heart understood and repented and accepted the words of the rebuker on the day he heard them, and took upon himself to do like everything that the holders of Torah instructed him - from that day onward - to be careful as the knowers of understanding of the times instructed him: His repentance is effective and he is changed into a different person. And from the time that he accepted this in his heart, he acquired merit and reward for his soul for all of the commandments and ethical acts. And happy is he for justifying his soul in a short time.
What a GREAT deal!! We have the opportunity to transform our soul!!! The means is Mussar. [Today - Going to therapy has the effect of Mussar. It is costly but worth it. A person could live 100 years ago and have no idea what is going on inside of themselves and how to fix what is broken].
So sweet friends - let us strengthen ourselves in learning mussar - whether with a chavrusa, a shiur, learning from a sefer etc. etc. Let us become DIFFERENT PEOPLE - meaning, finding all of our latent talents and bringing them to the fore and transforming our vices to virtues!!!
A Sweet-Loving-Eretz-Yisrael-Learning-Mussar-Soul-Transforming-Shabbos!!!!
Love and blessings
Me
SHALLLOOMMMM SWEEEEETEST FRIENDSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week we read of the sin of the spies - חטא המרגלים. The most profound commentary I have ever heard abt. this tragic episode is "OYYYYYY VEEEEYYYYY!!!!!".
Three western spies are captured in the USSR. An English spy, a French spy and a Jewish spy.
First they interrogate the English spy but he refuses to speak. So they tie him up, torture him for a day and in the end he speaks.
The same thing happened with the French spy. Initially he wouldn't speak but after being tied up and tortured, he speaks.
But then came the Jewish spy. He refused to speak and after being tied up and tortured for weeks, he still wouldn't speak. Admiring his bravery, the Soviets decided to let him go. Before letting him go, an officer asks him: "How did you endure all this torture and didn't speak?". To which the Jew replies: "I tried to, but my hands were tied".
What was at the ROOT of their sin of slandering the Holy Land and how does it connect to the previous parsha that relates the story of how Miriam got tzaraas? Rashi says that they saw what happened to Miriam after she spoke disparagingly about Moshe and they didn't take Mussar.
MUSSSSAAAARRRRR!!!!!
The pasuk [Mishlei 4-13] says החזק במוסר אל תרף נצרה כי היא חייך - Hold on to Mussar don't let go. Guard it b/c it is your LIFE.
The Medrash compares Mussar to a person who fell into the water and is thrown a rope to save himself from drowning. Meaning, Mussar is not just a good idea but a LIFE-SAVING mechanism whereby we save our souls from spiritually fatal conditions such as arrogance, anger, animosity, resentment, jealousy, lust, laziness, apathy et. etc. etc.
The Vilna Gaon writes based on this passuk that the reason we were placed on this earth is to break bad middos. If we don't - "למה לי חיים"!!! What are we living for??!!!!!!!! "כי היא חייך"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
Winston Churchill
Look at who fell? The Meraglim who were all very distinguished individuals - "כלם אנשים ראשי בני ישראל המה"!!!. Today they would each be a big Rosh Yeshiva, w/ a round RY hat, impressive frock, author of many sefarim with thousands of talmidim. And b/c they didn't learn mussar they ended saying that the inhabitants of EY were stronger than Hashem Himself ר"ל!!!
The pasuk says at the end of כי תבוא:
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּילוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּן
Therefore observe faithfully all the terms of this covenant, that
you may succeed in all that you undertake
Targum Yerushalmi says:
ותטרון ית מילי שבח אורייתא הדא ותעבדון יתהון מן בגלל
דתתבוננון ית כל מה דמתעבדין
He says that למען תשכילו is בגלל דתתבוננון - in order that you think about everything you do!! In other words - מוסר!!! The Torah was given בגלל דתתבוננון - in order that we take stock of our actions!!
Other commentaries render למען תשכילו as "you should be successful". It is really one and the same - to be successful is [NOT to earn a lot of money or drive a fancy car but] to be a person who is careful about his actions and is constantly introspecting and examining his deeds.
I love you just the way you are - but you could be SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Says Rabbeinu Yonah [Shaarei Teshuva 2-10]:
הדרך הג' כאשר ישמע מוסר החכמים והמוכיחים יקשיב וישמע ויכנע ויחזור בתשובה. ויקבל בלבו כל דברי התוכחות ושלא יגרע דבר מדבריהם. והנה האיש הזה ברגע קטן יצא מאפלה לאור גדול. כי עת אשר יאזין ויסכית ולבבו יבין ושב ויקבל ביום שמעו דברי המוכיח. וקיים עליו להיותו עושה ככל אשר יורוהו תופשי התורה מן היום ההוא ומעלה להזהר כאשר יזהירוהו יודעי בינה לעתים. עלתה בידו התשובה ונהפך לאיש אחר. ומעת אשר קבל כזאת במחשבתו וגמר עליו ככה בלבבו קנה לנפשו זכות ושכר על כל המצות והמוסרים ואשרי כי צדק נפשו בשעה קלה.
The third path is [that] when he hears reproof from the sages that are reprimanding [him], he listens, submits, repents and accepts in his heart all the words of reprimand - and not subtract one thing from their words. And behold that man went out from darkness to a great light at that instant. For at the time that he listened and paid attention and his heart understood and repented and accepted the words of the rebuker on the day he heard them, and took upon himself to do like everything that the holders of Torah instructed him - from that day onward - to be careful as the knowers of understanding of the times instructed him: His repentance is effective and he is changed into a different person. And from the time that he accepted this in his heart, he acquired merit and reward for his soul for all of the commandments and ethical acts. And happy is he for justifying his soul in a short time.
What a GREAT deal!! We have the opportunity to transform our soul!!! The means is Mussar. [Today - Going to therapy has the effect of Mussar. It is costly but worth it. A person could live 100 years ago and have no idea what is going on inside of themselves and how to fix what is broken].
So sweet friends - let us strengthen ourselves in learning mussar - whether with a chavrusa, a shiur, learning from a sefer etc. etc. Let us become DIFFERENT PEOPLE - meaning, finding all of our latent talents and bringing them to the fore and transforming our vices to virtues!!!
A Sweet-Loving-Eretz-Yisrael-Learning-Mussar-Soul-Transforming-Shabbos!!!!
Love and blessings
Me
