Rabbi Yisroel's Blog

Confess your Mitzvot

Friday, August 31, 2012 - 12:02 AM

Confess your Mitzvot?

As funny as that sounds, that was at the center of a lively discussion at our lunch and learn this week.

Our class focused on the text of Vidui Maaser, “the confession of tithes,” a prayer mentioned in next week’s Torah Portion. This “confession” was a prayer farmers would bring upon bringing their tithes to Jerusalem. Yet, what was so surprising was that this “confession” didn’t make mention of any sins. On the contrary, it was a declaration of all the Mitzvot that the farmer had done in properly giving his tithes. ("...I have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, according to all Your commandment that You commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them...Devarim 26:13)

So what does a pat on the back have to do with a confession?

There’s a powerful message here. Knowing your strengths and qualities is a prerequisite to proper repentance. Teshuva requires me to look at the mirror and see myself in a positive light. I need to know who I really am and what I am capable of doing. And that begins with taking stock of all the good things I did this year and taking pride in those Mitzvot. When I meditate on the good first, I can then turn to those things that need improvement and tell myself “I know these can be fixed up. That isn’t the real me.”

We are now just two weeks before Rosh Hashana. These are days of self-reflection. It is when we ask ourselves, “What can be improved in our relationship with G-d? With others?”

But we shouldn’t only focus on the negative. We should feel good about all the Mitzvot we accomplished this year, take pride in the positive steps forward we took. (What better thing to gain satisfaction from in our lives than our Mitzvot?) This optimism puts us in the right frame of mind to then focus on those things that need adjustments, and do so with a positive and enthusiastic manner.

Ever Wish the Traffic would last Longer?

Monday, August 20, 2012 - 12:06 AM

Just the other day, I was in heavy traffic during rush hour. Yet, I found myself perfectly at ease despite not moving much for close to 15 minutes. Actually, I was almost hoping the traffic would last longer.

What was it? Did I recite the serenity prayer that morning?

Not at all.

I was listening to a fantastic Torah lecture and didn’t want it to end.

In the Parsha this week, we recap the journeys taken by the Jewish People while in the desert. When we think of that time in the desert, we often imagine spending years traipsing aimlessly around the desert in desperate need of a GPS. In actuality, that wasn’t the case. They never were lost. They actually made only 42 journeys during the entire period, the majority taking place at the beginning or end of the 40 years.

Most importantly, however, the trips were not random. Each was meaningful. At each location, they learned new Torah and Mitzvot. Every stop, even those that led to mistakes, was part of the process of their growing into a free people. It was about the journey, not only the destination.

What message does this tell us?

In our lives too, we can instill meaning into our journeys, even those as routine as our daily commute to work or summertime drive to the beach. When we’re with family, we can use that time to connect with our loved ones, talking about issues that we so often don't have time to discuss. And for the many times we’re alone in the car, there is so much quality material to listen to while driving.

Our website has thousands of classes and lectures on every imaginable topic in Torah and Judaism. They can be listened to from the website or downloaded to your Mp3 player, Ipod, or phone for free.

Want to download a class with the practical laws of gossip? Click here. Hear a moving lecture that will start your day with inspiration? Click here. Learn a meditation for the Kaddish: That’s here. Understand the historical background to the Ten Lost Tribes? Get that here.

(And we’ve recently introduced a new feature on our website, TORAHCAFE, where you can watch video lectures from Rabbis, Rebbetzins and Professors on hundreds of topics right from our homepage. The audio of these are also available for download.)

I’ll be the first to say it takes effort. Not only to download the classes, but once in the car, to actually decide to learn something new and listen to a class. But once I get started, I’m always very happy I made the choice to utilize this time in a meaningful way, not to mention the affect the inspiration has on the rest of the day…

Why do we wash our hands before starting to bentch?

Friday, August 10, 2012 - 12:05 AM

The story is told of Rabbi Chaim Meisels, the Rabbi in the city of Lodz, who once went to collect funds to purchase wood for the fuel needs of the poor people in their town. He knocked on the door of a particular person of means. The butler answered the door and invited the Rabbi in. The Rabbi refused to come in, insisting that his shoes were dirty and he did not want to get the clean floors messy. It was frigid outside but Rabbi Meisels would not budge.

The owner of the house finally came and the Rabbi still resisted the invitation to come inside. After a few moments, the owner began shivering and said "I do not know about you, but I am afraid that I am going to catch a cold out here. Won't you please come inside?" It was only then that the Rabbi agreed to come inside. After he explained the purpose of his visit, the man generously donated money for the 50 families in town who needed wood to heat their homes.

It’s human nature to better understand someone else’s needs when we can relate to the problem. When I’m hungry, I’m better able to relate to a poor person’s hunger. When I’m personally satisfied, someone else’s hunger is more likely to stay a detached concept.

This is part of a deeper reasoning behind a beautiful Jewish practice, known as ‘Mayim Acharonim’ – the post-meal washing of our fingertips. (You can read the basic explanation to the traditional here)

To explain:

In the Parsha this week, we are instructed “when you eat and are satisfied, you should bless G-d”; This is the Biblical source for the Grace after Meals. But as we prepare to praise Hashem for our contentment, we need to consider a second element: Does our self-satisfaction reduce our sensitivity to someone else’s hunger?

So we wash our fingertips, rinsing our emotional selves of any smugness that might come with self-satisfaction.

Because it’s wonderful to be satisfied. And it’s even more wonderful to remain sensitive to others’ needs.