Skip to main content

MORNING BLESSINGS-MISHPATIM-A DUAL MISSION

The Chiddushei haRim cites the passage in the Talmud (Shabbat 88a) which says that at the revelation of the Torah at Sinai, God raised the mountain over the heads of the assembled people of Israel and said to them, “if you accept the Torah, good and well; if not here shall be your burial place!”

Tosafot asks the most obvious question: How can the Sages of the Talmud assert that Israel was coerced into accepting the Torah when Scripture states explicitly that the response of Israel was, “We shall do and we shall obey (Exodus 24:7),” thus implying their readiness to accept the Torah on faith?

 

The answer he offers is that indeed, both are true; paradoxically, the Children of Israel were both coerced into their historic mission and they accepted it voluntarily.


Essentially, their attitude was that given by Scripture; a warm and happy response of readiness to assume the burden of service of God. 


But the Sages insisted upon a note of reluctance as well, in order to teach successive generations that one must serve God not only in greatness, implied by the “we shall do and we shall obey” verse, but also in the darker moments of life when the human spirit is subdued and weary and vulnerable, this state of “smallness,”when one must force himself obstinately and relentlessly to do God’s will even while his own spirit is unresponsive. 


God must be served not only in the presence of Revelation, but even during the green periods when the mountain seems about to crash over our very heads. Indeed, persistence in serving God during the alienation of “smallness,” the stubborn commitment to religious performance even in the absence of any redeeming religious experience, is a sign of spiritual authenticity and heroism. Yet one must always aspire to worshiping and serving God in greatness.


“May it be Your will, God, our Lord, and the Lord of our forefathers, that You accustom us to study Your Torah and attach us to Your commandments. Do not bring us into the power of error, nor into the power of transgression and sin, nor into the power of challenge, nor into the power of scorn. Let not the Evil Inclination dominators. Distance us from an evil person and an evil companion. Attach us to the Good Inclination and to good deeds and compel our Evil Inclination to be subservient to You.”


This is the prayer in which we ask God to assist us to achieve the level of persistence in serving God described above.


By:  Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Birchat Hamazon

By: Machberes Avodas Hashem The Chafetz Chaim taught: "At the conclusion of the main portion of Grace after Meals we add a series of,' May the All Merciful.' We add numerous such petitions, indicating that a request to God after the performance of a mitzvah is especially acceptable before Him (Michtevei haRav Chafetz Chaim, page 45)." One of the primary issues of the Exile is, "You wrapped Yourself in a cloud that no prayer can pierce (Lamentations 3:44)." It is more difficult to pray during the Three Weeks than other times during the year because we experience this "cloud." With COVID unfortunately around, this year proves to be even more difficult because our time in shul has changed drastically, and we have never experienced the pain of the three weeks while in a situation similar to the present state of the world. We can use this strategy of the Chafetz Chaim, that of praying immediately after the performance of a mitzvah, so that we may feel t...

Koneh Hakol

 In the first Blessing of the Amidah when it says Hashem is " Koneh Hakol " it does not mean Hashem bought it all, or He acquired it since He made it! The son of the Vilna Gaon quotes his father, as explaining  Koneh Hakol to mean He's Mitaken (fixing)  everything.  Therefore Hashem inserted in the creation the ability to fix everything! Which is what the Torah  refers to in the Parshas Lech Licha, in the verse about Avram Avinu being one that was a Mitaken , one who made things right, improved  ie. the of Heaven and Earth, וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר בָּר֤וּךְ אַבְרָם֙ לְאֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ  (Genesis, 14:19) He blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. Concept shared by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y (Parshas Lech Licha -10-25-2020)

Creation

 All was destroyed during the month of Av. Creation began on Elul, and, so it will again. We recite this prayer for the New Month focusing on Creation. “God created the world in order to do good to an other (Derech Hashem 1:2:1).” Creation was an expression of absolute love, the “other” had done nothing to earn it. This is why Elul, the month of Creation is also the month of intense love between God and Israel. I recite this prayer imaging myself participating in the final Heavenly planning meetings before Creation. I am not praying as one who has already existed and experienced success and failure, but as one who has the opportunity to see the world before Creation, and request in this moment of intense love all that I could possibly need and want. I use this prayer to prepare for all my Elul prayers until the 25th of the month when Creation began. For what shall I ask? What will I need to succeed? How will I define success? What do I hope to achieve? Rabbi Simcha Weinberg