The Purpose

“The intent of all the mitzvoth are that we believe in Hashem and thank Him for being our Creator; this is the purpose of all creation.  The sole request of the upper worlds from the nether worlds is that man should thank and get to know his Lord that created him.” ~ Ramban on Parshas Bo as quoted in The Garden of Emuna

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It Starts With Rejection

“The approach to G-d starts with rejection. When a man wants to draw closer to G-d he usually experiences all manner of hardships harsh experiences and fierce obstacles. He starts believing he has been rejected. But, in fact everything is for his own good. The purpose is actually to bring him closer to G-d. It takes great strength and determination to stand up to this trial and not to let yourself get pushed away by the hardships and obstacles and the sense of rejection. You should not make a mistake of thinking that everything is out to thwart you.  You should realize that everything that comes upon you is only for your good. It is to encourage you to draw upon all the resources of strength which are within you, so that you will be able to come even closer to G-d. The entire purpose of this rejection is only to draw you closer.” ~ R’ Nachman of Breslev

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Misappropriation of Funds

“Each of us is allocated just the amount of time we need to get our mission done. Some of that time will be for learning, teaching, helping others. Some of that time will be needed for making a living—also a divine task with purpose and meaning.

But none of us can justify our obsession with making a living by claiming that it leaves no time to learn or to teach. This is nothing less than misappropriation of funds—spending all the allotted time on one task at the expense of your principal purpose in this world.” ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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No Such Thing as Easy Money

“Remember, nothing truly good in life comes without dedication and hard work. To paraphrase our sages, if you work hard for an achievement, believe that it’s for real. If it comes easy, then don’t believe in it. Remembering this principle can guard a person from all kinds of easy-money scams and dishonest dealings. If something is true, it’s worth any amount of struggle and sacrifice.” ~ The Garden of Wisdom by R’ Shalom Arush

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Miracles

“A man who doesn’t believe in miracles, isn’t realistic” ~ David Ben-Gurion

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Anxiety

“For hundreds of years, perhaps since the beginning of Creation, a piece of the world has been waiting for your soul to purify and repair it.

And your soul, from the time it was first emanated and conceived, waited above to descend to this world and carry out that mission.

And your footsteps were guided to reach that place.

And you are there now.” ~ R’ Tzvi Freeman

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Don’t Deprive Your Eyes of Holiness

R’ Moshe Meir Weiss writes that Rav Shach who lived to 102 attributed his longevity to always bentching with a bentcher.    Another reason he suggests to always bentch with a bentcher is so “one’s eyes should also have a part in this wonderful mitzvah.  If one bentches by heart, the eyes aren’t taking an active role, and thus miss out on the holiness acquired from the lofty activity.”

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Your Next Meal

“People who trust Hashem aren’t worried where their next meal is coming from; they know that He who has fed them in the past will continue to do so in the future.” ~ R. Lazer Brody

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Letter from the Yetzer Hora

[This is Amazing!  I found this on http://www.divreichizuk.com – Please read]

To my star pupil,

   I am writing this letter to let you know what I think of you. Up here in heaven things are not like they are down on Earth. Over there, people only know what they can see. If they see a person is “successful”, they think that he is the greatest guy. When they see somebody struggling, they think he might be one of the weaker elements.

  Let me tell you something. Hashem gives every person certain abilities that nobody knows about down where you live. Some people are capable of tremendous things, while others were put there for much smaller purposes. Only Hashem in His infinite wisdom is able to give every person exactly what he needs, to reach his potential.

   I am very misunderstood. Most people hate me, and I don’t really blame them. Most people think that my job is to make sure that they fail in all aspects of Mitzvos, and that I rejoice every time they sin. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Did you ever watch a boxing coach train his student? It is really a funny sight. The coach will put on gloves, and fight against his student. At first, he won’t hit him so hard, or throw his best punches. But, as the student gets better and better, the coach will start to fight him harder and harder. He does this so that the student will improve his skills, and become the best boxer he can be. This is where it gets strange. Every time the coach knocks down the student, the student gets yelled at!! But finally, when the coach threw everything he has at his student, and not only does he withstand the beating, but he knocks the coach down, there is nobody in the world happier then the coach himself!

   This is exactly how I feel. If you fail right away, and don’t even try to fight back, I see that there is not much talent to work with, and so I take it easy on you. But if you get back up swinging, I realize that I may have a real winner here, and so I start to intensify the beating. With every level that you go up, I increase the intensity of the fight. If you finally deal me a blow that knocks me out, I will get up and embrace you and rejoice with your success.

  Sometimes my job is very disappointing I see a person with a lot of potential and I start right in on him. He fights back for a while, but when the fight gets too tough, he quits and just remains on whatever level he was on. (And he usually ends up going down!) I feel like yelling at him, “Get up you fool! Do you have any idea how much more you could be accomplishing?!” But I am not allowed to do so. I just leave him alone, and go try to find another promising candidate.

   If I have chosen you to be the target of my more fierce battles, it was not for no reason! You have tremendous ability! You were born into a very special family, you have Rabbeim who really care about you, and parents who would help you grow in Torah and Mitzvos. You are a very respectful and kind person.

     I am writing to you now, because I have a very serious request to ask of you. Please don’t stop fighting! Don’t give up! I have been beating too many people lately, and I am losing patience.  Believe in yourself, because I would not be involved with you as much as I am if I didn’t think you could beat me. Know what your strengths are! A great Rabbi once said: “Woe is to he who doesn’t know his weaknesses. But, ‘Oy Vavoy’ to him who doesn’t know his strengths – for he will not have anything with which to fight.”

    Always remember one thing: you have a secret weapon at your disposal. I shouldn’t really be telling you – but I will anyway. Hashem himself is watching our “training” sessions very closely. I’m pleased to inform you that He’s rooting for you! If things should ever get tough, almost too tough to bear, just call out to Him with a prayer, and He will immediately come to your aid. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that after 120 years when your time is up in that world of falsehood, you will come up here to the world of truth, where I will be waiting for you with open arms, to congratulate you on your victory, and personally escort you to your place next to the Kisey HaKavod.

Sincerely, and with great admiration I remain,

Your Yetzer Hara

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Rejected!

“It is Satan’s desire that we speak loshon hora so that our prayers will be rejected Above.” ~ Chofetz Chaim

Tomorrow’s post is a little longer than usual, but as I have said before, if I choose to post something a bit lengthy, you can be certain that it is worthwhile to read.

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