לזכות רפואת אבי מורי ר' יצחק יונה בן חנה, ר' ברוך בן מרים, יוכבד פייגע בת מיכל יהודית בתיה, חנה גיטל בת נעמי עליזה, טליה אביגיל בת שרה דניה בתוך שח"י, ולע"נ ר' משה בן הרב אהרן
“Today is a new day and it brings with it a new set of opportunities for me to act on.
I am attentive to the opportunities and I seize them as they arise.
I have full confidence in myself and my abilities.
I can do all things that I commit myself to.
No obstacle is too big or too difficult for me to handle because what lies inside me is greater than what lies ahead of me.
I am committed to improving myself and I am getting better daily.
I am not held back by regret or mistakes from the past.
I am moving forward daily.
Absolutely nothing is impossible for me.”
“Life is like a sandwich!
Birth as one slice,
and death as the other.
What you put in-between
the slices is up to you.
What's in your sandwich?"
SHAAAAAAAALOMMMMMMMMMMM SWEEEETEST FRIENDSSSSSSS!!!!!
Exciiittttiingggg!!!!!! Lech Lecha!!! Ever since those words were uttered - life has NEVER been the same for the Jewish people and the world!!!!
In this week's Parsha it says about Avraham "התהלך לפני והיה תמים" - walk before me and be complete. Noach has a similar pasuk written about him but in the opposite order - תמים היה בדורותיו את האלקים התהלך נח. First Noach is called תמים [complete] and then it says that he walked with Hashem. Avraham, in contrast, first walked before Hashem and only then he was complete.
What is that about?? Says the Sfas Emes [תרל"ט ד"ה התהלך לפני]:
התהלך לפני והי' תמים. ובנח אמר תמים הי' את האלקים התהלך כו'. והוא עצמו ההפרש שכתבו ז"ל נח הי' צריך סעד לתמכו לכן נולד מהול וזאת הקדושה שהי' לו מרחם סייעתו להתקרב אל הבורא ית'. ואברהם אע"ה התהלך לפני הבורא יתברך בהיותו ערל עד שמרוב התשוקה זכה אל התמימות והסרת הערלה. והוא דבר גדול מאוד עד אשר ע"י רוב הרצון ואהבת הבורא שמקלקלת השורה זכה להשתנות גוף הטבע להיות נבדל בחתימת ברית קודש מכל האומות. ודרך זה ניתן ביחוד לבנ"י וע"ז נאמר מקודם לך לך אל הארץ אשר אראך. כי האומות אם שיש לכל א' דבר מה היינו להיות עומד על מדריגתו כמו שנברא שלא לקלקל. אבל אין בו תוספות. אבל זרע קודש בני ישראל ניתן להם דרך מיוחד שיזכו בעבודתם להמשיך כח עליון מלמעלה. וז"ש אשר אראך כי אין לזה סוף ותכלית ולכן לא הראה לו מיד כי לעולם צריך איש הישראלי לייגע עצמו בעבודת הבורא ולהיות נמשך אחר מה שיראנו הבורא ית' משמים והבן:
Noach was BORN w/o the impure foreskin. He was born PURE. Pure Noach-Chein-Menucha [as we spoke about last week]. Avraham was born WITH a foreskin. His father was an idolator. He had no great spiritual gifts [as least the pasuk never mentions them]. So how did he merit being the father of the most special nation in world history [and according to Chazal (Brachos 13a) he is also considered the father of ALL nations - אב המון גוים ]?
GREAT question!!!
The answer is שאיפותתתתתתתתתתת!!!!! Striving!!!! He was swinging for the fences!! [That is why Moshiach comes from Ruth - Babe Ruth ALSO swang for the fences. להבדיייייייללללל. Like totally!!!]. He wanted BIG-TIME. He was on one side and the REST OF THE WORLD was on the other side. אברהם העברי - הוא מעבר אחד וכל העולם מעבר השני. They cancelled his twitter and Facebook accounts where he publicized Monotheism. They threw him in jail. They wouldn't let him speak on college campuses to combat the radical left wing opinions expressed there. It was ROUGH!!! And then there was the famine - effectively forcing him to close his Chabad House and cancelling the Kiddushes, "Lunch and Learn"s "Breakfast And Bible"s and "Supper and Shteig"s. If there is no food - who is coming????????
But he DIDN'T relent. He kept PLOWING forward!!! התהלך לפני!! He took the initiative. He went around tirelessly spreading the Holy Word. He had LITTLE help from Above. It is no coincidence that the very first words he hears are .... לך לך. Move forward. That was who he was. The FATHER of the "start-up nation". "Israel has earned the nickname “Startup Nation” for a very good reason: With a population of around 8.5 million, it has the largest number of startups per capita in the world, around one startup per 1,400 people. This phenomenon has caught the eyes of companies with global reach – and global aspiration".
But Avraham was interested in another type of "start-up". A nation devoted to the service of Hashem!!! And he was successful BIG TIME!!! He was a "התהלך לפני" mentsch!!! After Hashem saw how much Avraham Avinu LOVED Him, He said "remove your foreskin, perform the Bris Milah and you and all of your seed will have MY PERSONAL STAMP OF HOLINESS forever".
Noach, in contrast, needed Hashem's help. He was BORN on third base [too many baseball analogies for one Dvar Torah!!!!!!!!!!!]. תמים היה בדורותיו. So it is no wonder ואת האלקים התהלך נח - that Noach walked WITH Hashem. He needed Hashem's support unlike Avraham who walked BEFORE Hashem.
Noach was NOT told לך לך b/c Gentiles aren't expected to reach the highest level of spiritual excellence. They have seven mitzvos which are designed to keep them honest and law abiding so that anarchy doesn't reign. But they have no obligation [unless they so choose] to be LUMINARIES. SUPERSTARS. Just to be decent human beings.
We, as the descendents of Avraham, are commanded to say מתי יגיעו מעשי למעשי אבותי. When will my deeds reach that of my forefathers [and four mothers.....]? We are COMMANDED to love Hashem and express that love by constantly finding ways to get closer and closer.
There is a well known concept called "love languages" Everybody has their "love language". Some people feel loved when being served. Others, when physical affection is shown. Others feel most loved with verbal expressions. For some - quality time. For yet others - receiving gifts. [I think for me it is when people read these emails!!!
] What is Hashem's "love language"? Torah and mitzvos!!! When we learn and fulfill His will with love, He כביכול feels loved. Avraham was always looking to fulfill Hashem's will with love. That is why he is called אברהם אוהבי. So when does it end? When can we "retire" b/c we have reached the pinnacle???
N-E-V-E-R!!!!!!!
NO!!! That is GREAT news!!!!!!!!!!!
Hashem says to Avraham [and us!!!] "Go to the land אשר אראך" - that I will show you. But we never actually get there. The more we grow - the more there is to grow!!! At each stage we are enriched, empowered and elevated. We grow in our perception of Hashem and the meaning of our existence. But then we advance further and discover NEW spiritual territory!!! It NEVER ends. Hashem is always showing us more.
One example for people who learn is that NO MATTER how many times you learn through the parsha or a sugya in the Gemara - there are ALWAYS new insights. Beginners in learning say "I studied and mastered the material. Now what?" An experienced learner will never say that. It doesn't matter how many times you learn something - there is always more to discover. So too in all areas of Avodas Hashem. There is always room for more and more growth. Middos can always be improved and polished. It is a never ending path of growth!!!
OH BOYYYYY is it awesome to be Jewish!!! שמחה relates to צמיחה. When we grow - צמיחה - we are happy - שמחה. The proof is not in any sefer as much as it is empirical. We all know it and we have all experienced it. That exhilarating feeling that we have grown as people and as Jews. WOW!! And we can do it EVERY DAY!!!!!!
"More than 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. last year — a record number that reflects a rise of nearly 30% from 2019, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said the increase was driven by the lethal prevalence of fentanyl as well as pandemic-related stressors and problems in accessing care."
OH MY!!!!
This is not funny. People are miserable!!! That is why they try to escape to narcotics. But we don't need fentanyl or shmentanyl of blemtanyl. We need MEANING!! PURPOSE!!! We need to feel like we matter and that we are growing!!! That is a basic human need. So we have what we need. It just requires some התהלך לפני - taking the initiative and walking before Hashem. Then He will doubtlessly reciprocate and help us become תמים and complete as He did to Avraham!!!
Sound good?
JOIN ME FOR THE JOURNEYYYYYY!!
Price............?
FREEEEEEEE!!!!!
[Why are Jews enamored with the idea of בחירה חופשית? B/c it's free.]
But it DOES require stepping out of your comfort zone at times b/c that is the ONLY way to grow.
A delicious Shabbos of moving forward and upward to that "land" of spiritual fulfillment that Hashem will show us all!!
Much love
PS - Some recent audio shiurim on the parsha that I especially enjoyed here here and here.
PPS - An incredible inexpressible amount of thanks I owe to Hashem who has given me life and health and today gave me a second grandchild born to my daughter Gila. אילו פינו מלא שירה כים ולשוננו רינה כהמון גליו אין אנחנו מספיקים להודות לך ה' אלקיו!!! I wish all of you Bracha and success beyond anything you ever imagined - for you and your loved ones!!!!!
