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?

Why did Hashem command us to make a Bris, when He could have very well created us without the need to have one?

Hashem created things in need of correction because He wanted to give us the merit of fixing them. In fact, every Mitzvah that Hashem gives us is in order to grant us merit and blessings, because Hashem wants that anything we get in life should be earned through our Avoda. He spares us the shame of being freeloaders in His world by granting us the dignity of earning the blessings He gives us.

And the more Hashem blesses us, the more He expects of us. And the more He gives and expects of us, the more the Yetzer Hara tries to convince us that we deserve what we have and owe nothing in return.

The irony of this concept is found in Hashem's creating rich and poor people.

Hashem could have granted riches to everyone; Shuls, schools, individuals, etc. Yet, He gave the rich the opportunity of “fixing” the abundant wealth they have, and expects of them to share it with the poor.

And, true to his mission, the Yetzer Hara tries to convince the rich person that the riches he was blessed with was rightfully earned and his to keep, and that he does not have to share any of it with anyone.

This is why Rebbi Yehuda Hanasi honored rich people (Eiruvin, 86:1), firstly, because Hashem found them worthy of blessing them with abundant wealth, and secondly, because along with the Zchus of being able to give Tzedaka, comes the Nisayon of wanting to keep it, and special G-d given power to overcome it.

***

As with monetary riches, every blessing that Hashem gives us comes with the opportunity and responsibility to continue fixing and perfecting His world... and the strong temptation of trying to absolve ourselves from that responsibility.

Interestingly enough, the reward for fixing, or sharing one's riches, is Hashem’s blessing for even more riches! This shows the rich man that not only will he not incur a loss by giving away from his hard earned money, he will be blessed with even more of it.

May we merit the times of Moshiach, when there will be abundance of all that is good...

...and no Yetzer Hara to tempt us!

Based on a letter from the Rebbe from 3 Mar-Cheshvan, 5713