Terumah 5782 – Building a Mishkan in our Homes
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A TECHNICAL MITZVAH WITH TREMENDOUS REWARD
In Honor of Our Parents
ראובן בן רוזית
רחל בת בילא
On their 50th Anniversary
The Kassin Family
I
A TECHNICAL MITZVAH WITH TREMENDOUS REWARD
In Honor of Our Parents
ראובן בן רוזית
רחל בת בילא
On their 50th Anniversary
The Kassin Family
Tonight’s subject be’eizer Hashem,is to figure out the purpose of our lives in this world, for each one of us. One of the most fundamental principles of Judaism is that there is no creature that exists, that was created for no reason, or by chance. Every single one of the creatures in the universe has a specific purpose. That’s a mind-boggling concept. Every blade of grass, every ant, and every fly has a purpose in Hashem’s creation. That’s principle number one.
We are in the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, and most people are challenged by the yetzer hara about what teshuvah is, and how it works. You realize that the greatest challenge to the yetzer hara is teshuvah. To the yetzer hara, the most ‘feared’ tool that Hashem gave us is teshuvah.
In the beginning of Parshas Vayeitzei, the Torah tells us about Yaakov Avinu. The Medrash Rabbah (68:2) comments on the first pasuk, ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע, as follows. The medrash says that Yaakov Avinu began saying some Tehillim. You know which Tehillim he said? The Tehillim that he said was שיר למעלות אשא עיני אל ההרים, I lift up my eyes to the harim (Tehillim 121:1).
We are in the middle of the aseres yemei teshuvah and the subject which we want to discuss today is obviously going to be teshuvah. First of all, the question is how do you make someone a ba’al teshuvah? That would be a very nice thing to know. Many of us have relatives that are, nebach, not connected, not observant, maybe grandparents, maybe parents, maybe uncles, cousins, friends, with whom we have some type of relationship;
These parshiyos deal with the development of our Avos, and the common theme between all the challenges that Hashem put our Avos through is Emunah. Throughout our lifetime, challenges never cease. You should know that each one of us, in some form or fashion, endures the ten nisyonos of Avraham Avinu.
Everybody who hears this shmuess, should express their hoda’ah to Hashem Yisbarach, that they’re able to go to the bathroom and vacuate without surgery or any other intervention.[i] Perhaps you don’t understand what it says in asher yatzar, and you don’t think about it, that if Hashem blocks one of a person’s openings אי אפשר להתקים, they can’t exist. A person should dance and sing after they go to the washroom.