Zerizus. Mesilas Yesharim. Shtark. A gut chodesh!

והנה אנחנו רואים בעינינו כמה וכמה פעמים שכבר לבו של האדם יודע חובתו ונתאמת אצלו מה שראוי לו להצלת נפשו ומה שחובה עליו מצד בוראו, ואף על פי כן יניחהו, לא מחסרון הכרת החובה ההיא ולא לשום טעם אחר, אלא מפני שכבדות העצלה מתגברת עליו, והרי הוא אומר, אוכל קמעא, או אישן קמעא, או קשה עלי לצאת מביתי, פשטתי את כתנתי, איככה אלבשנה, חמה עזה בעולם, הקרה רבה או הגשמים, וכל שאר האמתלאות והתואנות אשר פי העצלים מלא מהם. ובין כך ובין כך, התורה מונחת, והעבודה מבוטלת, והאדם עוזב את בוראו.

The Missing Chapter of Torah

Last night I heard something great from Rav Yitzchok Cohen שליט״א, one of the roshei yeshiva in YU. We know that Mesilas Yesharim is based on a statement of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair in Avodah Zarah which takes up only a few lines:

מכאן אמר רבי פינחס בן יאיר: ''תורה מביאה לידי זהירות, זהירות מביאה לידי זריזות, זריזות מביאה לידי נקיות, נקיות מביאה לידי פרישות, פרישות מביאה לידי טהרה, טהרה מביאה לידי חסידות, חסידות מביאה לידי ענוה, ענוה מביאה לידי יראת חטא, יראת חטא מביאה לידי קדושה, קדושה מביאה לידי רוח הקדש, רוח הקדש מביאה לידי תחית המתים

So the question is, if Torah is the first step in this list of middos which comprise the chapters of Mesilas Yesharim, why doesn't it have it's own chapter?

So the truth is that Torah cannot be contained in its own chapter. It's all encompassing. It is in all the other middos. It had to be in all that we do.

15 Seconds to Show You Care

This morning I read an article ArutzSheva about Project SMS. (click here for article)
Basically it is a program where you can sign up to be text messaged whenever the Code Red warning goes off in Sderot. For those who don't know, in Sderot, where they are bombarded with rockets, a Code Red warning is issued when there is an incoming rocket and residents have 15 SECONDS to get to safety! That is honestly something which is hard for me, and certainly most of us, to comprehend living with on such a constant basis. Project SMS gives you the opportunity to be notified at the time when Sderot is being hit with another rocket so that you can simply take 15 seconds to say tehillim, or a tfillah, or whatever else you see fit to do at that time when you know other Jews are in distress.

Every Jew should feel pain over what happens to Eretz Yisrael and our fellow Jews who live there and pray for them. As the Mesilat Yesharim teaches, a pious individual, a real chasid, will constantly feel pain over the detsruction of the Beit HaMikdash, the galut, and the continued dimunition of everything. This type of person will certainly daven for the Redemption as well, for Bnei Yisreal and Eretz Yisrael. If a person will ask "who am I to pray about the galut and about Yerushalaim? Of what importance am I?" Chazal teach us in Masechet Sanhedrin, Adam HaRishon was created alone so that every person would say, "the world was created for my sake." HaKadosh Boruch hu is pleased when people daven to Him for this.

The lack of output of tfillah towards Hashem caused great protest from the Neviim in earlier times. It says in Yeshaya: וירא כי אין איש וישתומם כי און מפגיע. "He saw that there were no [righteous] people, and He was amazed to see that there was no one [turning to Him] in prayer." It also says in Yirmiyahu: ציון היא אין דורש לה. "It is Zion, [there is] no one [who] inquires after her!" It should be part of us to feel for Eretz Yisrael as well as its inhabitants and to cry out to Hashem over them; both when they need our tfillot and when they (seemingly) don't! We must never forget where our true home is and the connection we should feel towards those who already live there.

Always Think About Hashem!

In Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh (Chelek 1, maamar 53), the author writes something very profound. The chapter discusses Emunah that there is a Creator to the world (אמונה שיש בורא לעולם). Obviously, there are different levels of this emunah. The author writes of the 3 ways to have an understadning of that belief; chochma, bina, v'da'at. Chochma & Bina are the basic understanding and recognition that there is a Creator and a deeper understanding of what that means and entails as well. But Da'at is when it goes beyond the simple sense of understanding and realizing. To have Da'at that there is a Borai Olam is to have that knowledge everpresent in the mind, infused with everything we do. It's not possible to express how wonderous it is to have this knowledge, to think about Hashem, the Borei Olam. No amount of gold and silver can match its worth; there is no comparison to it. It is through this, the author writes, that a person can reach reach the Shleimut of Kirvat Hashem & Dveikut Hashem. This way of thinking will bring a person to the proper way of kiyum Torah u'Mitzvot. If a person would realize the value of trying to constantly think about the Borai Olam and the state of being which it helps bring about, certainly anyone would chase after it and leave behind any vanities of this world for it. However, it is the ratzon Hashem that we must work for this first through our emunah, and only after that can we truly taste that greatness and be able to cleave to it. "'טעמו וראו כי טוב ה"

The Gra writes that the greatest anguish there is for the nefesh is when a person is niftar and can look back at what he could have accomplished had he still been alive; but he can no longer do any of it. This, he writes, greatly distresses the nefesh. When a person reaches Gan Eden, whether he lived with this Da'at or not makes a world of difference. One's chelek in G"E can change completely based on this. But a person who always lives with the is knowledge of the Borai Olam constantly in his mind has a greater part in G"E as he is truly closer to Hashem. After all, that is what the essence of G"E is; to be close to Hashem.

All these idea are very simple and straightforward. However, the Yetzer HaRa tries to make people live based on externals; and to stop them from understanding the greatness, and depth, and unimaginable pricelessness of this advice; to constantly live with the thought of HaKadosh Boruch Hu. The more this knowledge penetrates the depths of the soul, the closer one becomes to Hashem. The opposite, chas v'shalom, is true as well. If a person only focuses on simply doing mitzvot and being mekayem things, but neglects his inner connection to Hashem, he will get rewarded for the miztvot he deos, but he will be missing the most important reward of all, "L'hitaneg al Hashem." The entire point in life is to connect and cleave to Hashem through Torah u'Mitzvot.

This what it says in Mesilat Yesharim (perek 19). That we find among the truly pious that they exert themselves to attain that which should be the true kavanah behind all our actions; to serve Hashem solely for His glory and without ulterior motives. Obviously someone who serves Hashem and looks toward the reward he will receieve in Olam HaBa is not regraded as having negative intentions, rather it is not ideal. And in the end, it is a bit ulterior.

As Ramchal writes, when one strengthens his love for Hashem and desires to expand His greatness, then he will be motivated to serve Him for this great and true purpose. How is one to do this? Why, it is written in Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh! To delve and contemplate on Hashem as much as possible brings one closer to Him, strengthening the connection, thereby deepening the ahavah which brings one to serve Hashem for His own kavod. Also, as it says in Bilvavi, being filled with that Da'at of Hashem, one will come to leave behind the vanities of this world. It says in Mesilat Yesharim that highest kavanah is that of detaching oneself from worldly personal wants and desires and focusing only on Hashem and making a Kidush Hashem by fulfilling his ratzon. As the Zohar says "איזהו חסיד? המתחסד עם קונו".