Skip to main content

TERUMAH-THAT DWELLS AMIDST THEIR IMPERFECTIONS

Thoughts that disturb your prayers can be an atonement for your sins. When you are not suspicious of God and believe that He certainly wants to draw you close and accept your prayers, that the only thing that brings about confusing thoughts during your prayers are your own sins, when you are pained by these thoughts and flee from them with all your strength, this is an atonement for your sins. 

If you were able to do this truly and fully, all your sins would be forgiven, and all troubling thoughts removed. This is alluded to in the Talmudic teaching, “One who sins and is ashamed of it, is forgiven for everything.” (Shivchei Moharan, Avodat Hashem 138)


We were granted the gift of the Tabernacle despite our imperfections, even after the sin of the Golden Calf. 


It is the place of atonement, and by understanding that this holy place for the Divine Presence is ours even in our imperfections, we can learn how to use the thoughts that disturb our prayers, as an atonement; the fact that I can access God in the highest way even when I have these thoughts is an indication that there is no barrier to atonement and reattachment to God.


By: Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hoda'ah

  “Were the existence of gratitude and recognition of the good lacking from existence, the human spirit would be left without sparkle or shine.” Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook For the Perplexed of the Generation 4:9     I recently was honored to receive the following email:   Dear Rabbi Weinberg;   I am grateful that both my parents survived Covid in the ICU.   I am grateful that my husband is home, although with oxygen, but no longer on a ventilator.   I am grateful for the Jewish community, of which I am not connected, for food, drivers, shopping, and all sorts of help too much to list.   Someone printed a page from Partners In Prayer and scribbled your email on the bottom. Can you teach me how to pray? Is there a way I can use prayer to express my gratitude? Can I pray without becoming religious?   My husband and I and our children are willing to celebrate Hanukah this year. Is that okay?   My ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Open Your Hands...

On this day of fasting, I want to share my insights on the verse of Poseach es yadecho that we say in Ashrei 3 times day. 1. Poseach es Yadecho - You open your hand(which is the source of plenty), Umasbia lchol chai Rotzon - And you feed them according to "their wants". Note: Hashem's generosity goes beyond"needs". . An Expression of Hodaah - Gratitude   2. Poseach es yodecho umasbia l'chol chai, Rotzon - "with your willingness". Meaning, you make their wish, (those who are Chai Ratzon) Your will. An Expression of Hodaah- Gratitude   3.(this one is a teffilah, versus the other 2 were hoda'ah.) Poseach es yodecho - please Hashem, open your generous hand, Umasbia lchol .. And now I pray for all that are suffering from eating disorders, and I have in mind some specific names too.. Chai - life through gentle and effective healing, Rotzon - and an appetite to eat..   4. This one is an hoda'a again.. Poseach es yodecho,umasbia lchol, Me and...
2 comments
Read more

TERUMAH-ALL OUR HEARTS

The divine soul of man is transmitted and descends to this world to be clothed in a human body, through the mystery of speech. This is the supernal Breath, regarding which it is written, “And God breathed into man’s nostrils,   a soul of life, and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).” Whoever exhales, does so from his innermost being.   It is also written, “For a part of God is His people, Jacob, the cord of His possession (Deuteronomy 32:9).” Jacob is compared to a cord, where one end is bound above, and the other end below. We can learn an important lesson from this simple meaning of the verse, “He breathed into his nostrils.” When a person blows on something, if there is a barrier or an obstruction separating the two, his breath cannot reach that place at all. The same is actually true when there is something separating and intervening between man’s body and the Supernal Breath. Of course, nothing physical or spiritual can actually act as a barrier before God’s Essence ...
Post a Comment
Read more