Thursday, November 3, 2016

Good Struggles

Dear friends,

Here is the second Dvar Torah for this week. Please enjoy.

Yitzi 

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This week's parsha, Noach, talks about the great flood, the powerful waters that destroyed all living things on the earth.

What positive lesson can we take from the flood? Why is this read right after the holidays?

In Song of Songs, we read, "Many waters cannot extinguish the love and rivers cannot flood it."  This is talking about the love we have for Hashem, the hidden essential love deep inside every Jew, the Pintaleh Yid.

This love is compared to the fire hidden inside coal, as the previous verse says, "her coals are coals of fire of a great flame." When you look at a coal you don't see a flame, but inside the coal the fire burns strong. It is also compared to a flint, which can be submerged underwater for years, but when striked, out comes fire.

What are these "many waters," that fail to extinguish this inner fire? And what are these "rivers," that fail to flood it?

One explanation, is that many waters, refers to the worries and hardships that we incur, trying to make a living, which is simply part of this world we live in. And the rivers, are when these worries, thoughts and pressures don't let up, like the strong current of a river.

Though these worries and hardships are constant, nevertheless, they can't extinguish the hidden love found in the depths of our souls. Why not?

To understand this, we must take a deeper look at ourselves and the reason we are in this world of constant worries.

Our souls, before they entered this physical world, were in a pristine holy state. What gain is there for the soul to come down here and be involved in this lowly, troublesome place? We must conclude that by making the descent into this world, the neshama attains higher levels of holiness and G-dly revelation, upon its return to its Heavenly abode. It is a descent for a greater ascent.

This is similar to taking a short term loss for a long term gain. Many understand the value of living with discomfort for a while, as they build themselves up financially. They do it with joy, because they realize that this is the path to their goal.

The struggles we contend with, are there to help us attain the purpose of our descent into this world. And when we realize that, we start looking at our struggles differently, we begin to see them in a positive light.

Knowing this, you realize, that being that the "many waters" are here for our benefit, they could never extinguish the love we have for Hashem, because that is the opposite of their purpose.

By coming down to this world, the neshama fulfills Hashem's will, which causes a great elevation in the soul.

Prior to its descent into the world, the soul is like a Tzadik (righteous), however, by descending into this turbulent world and doing Hashem's will, it attains the status of a Baal Teshuva (returnee to Hashem). Of whom our sages say, "that in the place where Baal Teshuvas stand, complete Tzadikim are not able to stand," because through their struggle they attain a level of holiness far greater than that of a Tzadik, so great that the Tzadik isn't even able to stand there.

With this in mind, we start to take our struggles in stride. We begin to see them as the path to our goals and not as the enemy. It is the struggles that make us stronger and refine us. It is the struggles that bring us closer to Hashem. He put us here specifically to contend with this world and this world is a world of struggles. But when you understand that it is all from Hashem and it is all purposeful, it is no more a struggle. You will embrace it with joy and with a spring in your step, knowing that on the other side of this struggle is the goal you were created to achieve.

Now we can appreciate why the story of the flood is read right after the holidays. The holidays are like heaven, as we celebrate with Hashem and enjoy the holiness of the time. Now with the holidays behind us, we reenter the world of struggles. It is now that we need a reminder that the turbulent waters of making a living and dealing with the struggles of life are not there to hurt us, but rather to help us accomplish our purpose.

May our efforts to do Hashem's will be successful, may His will be realized and usher in the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon.

6 comments:

  1. Yes, I see it now, even more clearly thanks to your wisdom. I see the spark is a permanent part of me and can never be taken from me... suppressed but never removed. Then I would have to think that my little Neshama uses that spark to stay the course. She is like my ship? Yes, I do believe she is like my ship. My Neshama navigates the seas by His Holy spark in my and I now have a holy vessel to travel in. Through her and the Holy Spark I can see the good in all things: especially if I have patience and have faith I will see its full glory form.

    I have never heard the metaphor of the flint under water before. That moved me, because as of late, I have felt like I was underwater. Now I can rejoice in that feeling too because I know when I'm brought back to dry ground, I will be able to strike a LIGHT outside of me again and be in a position to lead by example again. Thank you. I just love the repeated layers of Creation and I love to use B'Reshyt as my event timeline tool and seek out His patterns in the rest of the Tanak as well as in mine and my family's lives. Excuse my pun... the EYES have it... again! It wonderful how your eyes help others to see. Heart full blessing to you and yours

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  2. I know this is a comment area but I was moved to ask a question here. Where is Chuvvah? Did she die? I know the story of the cave of Machpelah but there is no mention, or I have seen no mention, of her death. We see she is the mother of all who exist: who truly LIVE. Does she by way of her name live and not die too? The Seer, Nachash, told her surely she would not die. I don't believe she did. But my belief really doesn't tell me why she would be alive still unless she is the example for a Neshama or perhaps the holy spark within us all? I'd love to hear your thoughs on Chuvvah and why Adam though he could now eat it after Chuvvah did?

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    Replies
    1. Yitzi please get tested for Lymes disease at Igenex, CA, or see a Lyme Literate Doctor right away, there is hope Sandra Pascaretti, Philadelphia, PA

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  3. I forgot SHAVUA TOV

    Sandra

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  4. Yitzi, you have nothing to loose, I am in the process of being tested by both Igenex in CA and Galaxy in NC (Bartonella), the standard testing is inaccurate. I have many things not like you but I have been recently diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Look up Dr. Martz on internet ALS and Lyme. Yitzi I actually know of someone my first cousin is helping to transport her to an ILAD (Lyme) doctor she was diagnosed with MS years ago, she has been in a wheelchair for 20 years, her Mother puts her on the commode when she leaves for work and takes her off and gets her ready for bed when she returns. No use of her legs, no use of her arms and her right had was actually atrophied. She went to a ILAD doctor she didn't even get the blood tests he started her on Docycycline $6.00, her MS drugs 20-50K a year, IN 10 DAYS Yitzi, TEN DAYS, I am not making this up, her right hand opened up, she had feeling in her other arm and felt tingling in her leg. It is a month later she has use of both arms, not walking but use of both arms in time maybe she won't be in a wheelchair.
    You have nothing to loose, I will give you also the name of her doctor Dr.Miller, Lansdale, PA 215-412-4910, please you have nothing to loose. I saw the video of your Mother saying you came out smiling and your wife who wanted to marry you, she felt that right away, please look into this Sandra Pascaretti shane823@rocketmail.com, please I have nothing personal to gain from this, I feel HaShem wanted me to reach out to you, please again you have nothing to loose, I am not trying to give you false hope, you just never know. I am thinking of You, your Mother, your Wife and all those beautiful Children.

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  5. Rav Yitzi this vort hit the spot! Thanks a million, we really needed it.
    All the best and gut voch!

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