Dollars, Change and Sense

A business owner once asked a group of professionals: “What do you get when you add 100 + 100?”

The statistician said, “If you disregard a negligible percentage of odd cases, in most instances it would equal 200”

The economist answered: “It would depend on whether the value of the second 100 depreciated by the time the equation is factored…”

The engineer answered: “200, if you can ascertain they will hold together...”

The accountant looked around and whispered: “What do you need it to be?”

A tremendous part of Emunah and Bitachon is being able to distinguish between that which is in our hands to change and that which is not. Without this insight, one is liable to squander opportunities for making real change in an area that he can affect, while wasting his time and energy trying to change that which he cannot.

The Power of Imperfection

The Gemara records a truly remarkable exchange between Moshe, Hashem and the angels that took place when Moshe ascended to receive the Torah for the Yidden.

In one part of the exchange, when Hashem tells Moshe to answer the angels’ claim to keep the Torah, Hashem says: החזר להם תשובה – give them an answer.

Why does Hashem not use an expression הען להם, תן להם מענה - all more common ways of saying “answer them”?

To understand this expression, we must first understand the angels’ argument to Hashem. 

Counting Zeros... and Ones

A Chosid once shared with his Rebbe a concern he had about his father-in-law.

"Rebbe," the Chossid began, "I am sure it's not Lashon Hara, because I am concerned for his welfare..." He went on to tell his Rebbe that his father-in-law does not Daven. Anything.

"I even know where he keeps his Tallis, and kept a close watch and saw that it sits there for days on end... Rebbe, I'm begging you, please speak with him. Try to inspire him... I mean this for his benefit!"

After a few requests, the Rebbe called in the father-in-law to discuss the matter.

The father-in-law was straightforward. "Rebbe, I may not be a Tzaddik, but one thing I do not do: Lie. I just cannot lie, and for me to stand there every day, wrapped in my Tallis and Tefillin, and make believe that I am connecting with Hashem... when I am really thinking about everything in the world other than Him... I just cannot do it!  

"Believe me, Rebbe," he continued, "I have tried to push myself, but it's impossible. I am not really Davening. I'm just standing there, lying to the Aibershter... and to everyone around me!"

The Rebbe listened to the distraught Chossid. A true dilemma! He really was unable to "put on a show" day in day out...

Davening - the Ascent

As with the decline in Avodas Hashem, the ascent begins with Davening.

Needless to say, the Yetzer Hara does not make it easy. Hashem wants us to arouse emotion towards Him, yet, the Yetzer Hara of secular society tells us "no one can tell you how to feel"…

Yet, if Hashem expects such an Avoda from us, it must be possible.

But, how?

Firstly, we need to remember that Tefillah is an Avodah – work. As such, proper Davening does not come easy. For me, just the knowing alone that it is normal for a proper Davening to be challenging, helped me not to get discouraged and to keep trying.

Secondly, we need to remember to keep going even if it means just saying the words. An author once said that he made sure to spend time writing every day - even nonsense, because he wanted to be sure that when inspiration would hit, the pen would already be in motion. 

Davening – the Descent

Dedicated in loving memory of Chaya Basha bas Chaim Dovber, whose first Yahrtzeit was today, 29 Iyar. 

One morning last week as I was about to Daven, I took note of the mess that needed my attention. I wondered if it would be a good idea to clean up a bit before Davening... In the end I decided I’ll just read the Hayom Yom, clean a little, and then I’ll Daven.

Hayom Yom 23 Iyar,

The beginning of one’s decline, R”L, is the lack of Avoda in Davening. Everything becomes dry and cold. Even a mitzvah performed by habit becomes burdensome. Everything is rushed. One loses the sense of pleasure in Torah-study. The atmosphere itself becomes crass. Needless to say, one is totally incapable of influencing others. 

I was completely awed by the sheer Divine Providence of this Hayom Yom, as I was just about to push off my davening for something else… It also set me thinking about my own Davening journey.

Sure, a mother who has young children at home has a different set of obligations when it comes to Davening. Yet, after reading this Hayom Yom I started to wonder if perhaps I took those “leniencies” a bit too far, and, rather than utilizing these leniencies to actually bolster my Davening and serving Hashem, I was using these leniencies as excuses to lessen my Davening.

Fixing for a Living

In honor of the Bris of Menachem Mendel ben Chaim Hillel.

One day, a Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Chemical Engineer and Computer Engineer were driving down the street in the same car. All of a sudden, the car broke down.

The Mechanical Engineer said, "I think a rod broke."

The Chemical Engineer said, "The way it sputtered at the end, I think it's not getting gas."

The Electrical Engineer said, "I think there was a spark... something is wrong with the electrical system."

All three turned to the computer engineer and said, "What do you think?"

The Computer Engineer said, "I think we should all get out and get back in."

***

Things break. That’s part of life. 

Why does Hashem create certain things "broken" in the first place?

Testing the Waters - Part 2

In Testing the Waters – Part 1, we discussed the importance of delivering Torah to our children in its original, pure form.

What inspections can we do on our pipelines to ensure a pure, undiluted delivery? And if we find fault in our pipelines, is it wrong to continue teaching that with which we (still) have challenges?

Let us first address the second question:

Hashem created us with our shortcomings and gave the Yetzer Hara the job of adding to them. Yet, having blessed us with the responsibility of educating His children, Hashem expects us to deliver, despite our shortcomings. And while we must continuously strive to overcome and correct our shortcomings, they must not hold us back.

Are we lying by teaching when we still have challenges or questions? As long as we are honest in recognizing that these are our challenge and not a fault in The Source, the answer is: No. We are not lying. Hashem expects us to keep our personal struggles to ourselves, and keep doing our best in educating our children Al Taharas Hakodesh.

Let us explore a few areas to inspect:

Testing the Waters - Part 1

There was once a man who owned a well that had the most refreshing and delicious water to be had… anywhere. For years he happily shared the water with his neighbors and with the many visitors who came from far and wide to partake in the refreshing water.

Eventually, the neighbors asked to become distributors of the special well-water from their own homes, so that it would be easier for more people to enjoy it. The neighbors planned to build pipelines that would draw water to their home, directly from the source, and they would share the water from there. And in the future, they would offer their neighbors to draw water with their pipelines, and share it with others… and so on.

The owner agreed, but with a few conditions: All materials used for any pipeline must be from the highest quality, and guaranteed to protect the water against rust and contamination. As well, each distributor must commit to test the water frequently, ensuring that the water received by the end user was as clean and fresh as it is found in the source.

Good for Nothing

Shmuel and Chaim are strolling home from Shul one Shabbos morning. Suddenly a cab speeds past, and their friend, Yossel, is seen running frantically behind it, flailing his arms wildly.

"Well," said Chaim, "I never imagined our good friend Yossel was a Mechalel Shabbos! Look at him running for that taxi."

"Wait a minute," Shmuel replied. "Didn't we just learn to judge people favorably? I'll bet we can think of hundreds of excuses for Yossel's behavior."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Maybe he's sick and needs to go to the hospital."

"Come on! He was running 60 miles an hour after that cab - he's healthier than Og Melech Habashan."

"Well, maybe his wife's having a baby."

"She just had one last week."

"Well, maybe he needs to visit her in the hospital."

"She's home."

"Well, maybe he's running to the hospital to get a doctor."

"He is a doctor."

"Well, maybe he needs supplies from the hospital..."

Let's Move!

Identifying the difference between Me, Myself, and My Yetzer Hara, was really helpful in so many ways. And yet, recently I discovered a new maneuver of the Yetzer Hara. It's the one that shows up as procrastination and paralysis.

I drop the kids off at school, go food shopping, and come home. It’s now time for the baby’s nap. So I put her to sleep and I am faced with a two-hour window of time...

Now I start a mental debate with myself. Should I daven now, or should I take a nap? After all, I am really tired today… But if I take a nap, I will wake up two hours later, and having accomplished nothing… Well at least I’ll wake up rejuvenated and then I’ll have more energy, so I may get more done later...

And so my thoughts jump back and forth, and then wander off to… "Let me just check my email for a minute. Oh, I’ll just answer this email… But, I should really go to sleep or at least daven…  But, I don’t know which is a better use of my time, so I may as well just respond to this email… and check out this promo from Kohl's… and… And? The two hours pass, and I didn't sleep, I didn't daven… and I’m left with two-hours’ worth of guilt about the time I wasted. 

... and the results are in!

A man once observed two workers on the street in front of his house. One was digging a hole in the ground, and the other was filling it up. The men kept repeating this puzzling procedure every couple of yards.

“What are you doing, wasting your time like that?” the man asked.

“We were hired by the Parks Commission to plant trees along this street,” answered the first worker.

“So where are the trees?!” the man exclaimed.

“Oh, we are a team of three,” the second worker answered. “The third guy, the tree planter, is not here today. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do our jobs…”