bego wrote on 05 Dec 2019 11:48:

thanks for your post.
getting clear here.
​your referring to mussar seforim saying that a pat on the back is Hashem? and your saying its not....? (aside from any other point your trying to bring out.)
thanks.

This Maharal tells us an incredible Chiddush. We know there is a Yeitzer Hora to be jealous, there is a Yeitzer Hora to get angry, there is a Yeitzer Hora for all kinds of things. There is also a Yeitzer Hora to feel bad for yourself. There is also a Yeitzer Hora to weep and cry over things that happened that you are not happy about. It is a specific Yeitzer Hora. Nobody likes complainers. Somebody who is constantly complaining, even if he is right and he has something to complain about, does not draw himself close or make himself inviting to other human beings. It is a very important thing to know that it is a Yeitzer Hora to constantly express your frustrations, your sadness, your disappointment. Olam Hazeh is a place of disappointments. A person needs to be optimistic, needs to be positive. In Yoreh Dai'a we find in Siman 394 one is prohibited from expressing pain, from feeling pain on someone who died more than is normal. Why is that so? If someone feels pain he feels pain. Why is this? If this person is extremely close to the person who died you feel pain. The answer is in the words of the Maharal, Yitzro Takif Alav. It is a Yeitzer Hora to constantly feel bad for yourself. A person is into himself too much when he is constantly thinking about his own disappointments in life.

There is a story about a certain informer who was destroying the lives of so many people in the community.  A few leaders of that community went to a great Tzaddik to seek council about what to do with this informer. They showed the Rebbe the name of the informer written out on a piece of paper. The Rebbe, who was able to tell all about a person by just looking at his name, said, “He looks like a good person to me. I don’t see any evil in him.” The people couldn’t believe it. They knew how evil he was. They came back to the Rebbe the next morning and once again showed him the name. This time the Rebbe saw  pure evil. They inquired what that man was doing the previous night at the time the Rebbe was looking at his name and they found out, at that moment, he was lighting the Menorah. This means the kedusha from the mitzvah of lighting the menorah was so strong it was able to cover up this person’s evil for that time. 


Every mitzvah we do radiates kedusha which provides so many benefits to us.

Our deeds and prayers are very powerful. They radiate kedusha. We don’t have the eyes to see that kedusha, but it’s there. The mitzvot are our treasures. The better we perform them, the better off we’ll be.

I'm just curious: which Rishonim hold that only taddikim have full blown 24/7 hashgocho protis? Besides for this Seforno, I only remember seeing the Ralbag hold of this. Curious to here where else so I can look them up. Thank you

Captain wrote on 03 Jan 2020 18:00:

Moreh nevuchim 3:18 (rambam)

Providence is not the same for all people but rather differs from one person to another in proportion to the differences in their respective degrees of perfection....Concerning the disparity of providence for pious men and degenerate fools, the verse says, “He will guard the feet of His pious ones while the wicked will be silenced in the darkness, because a man will not prevail with strength” (Shmuel/ Samuel I 2:9). The verse informs us that the reason that some individuals are saved from disaster while others aren’t is not because of their physical strength and natural dispositions. Rather, it depends upon their degree of perfection or deficiency, i.e., their nearness to or distance from God...There are innumerable verses which indicate this principle that providence is proportional to perfection and piety.

Based off the besht teaching "hashems word is recreating the world every moment",we are being constantly made by hashem every moment, which means that everything that goes on with us, has a purpose.

Tests are part of the essential fabric of life. They make us who we are. Through adversity and struggle we stretch ourselves to the limits of our abilities, and discover our true potential. In fact, the Torah and the prophetic writings are replete with great leaders who endured difficult tests and travails.

The Midrash (Bereish*t Rabbah 55:6) relates the word nisayon to the Hebrew word nes, which means a banner or a flag. The miraculous, seemingly superhuman strength exhibited by people who withstand severe tests with faith and resolve is a flag, a signal to the world, hoisted high to inspire us all. When facing life's challenges, the superhuman strength and courage of an Abraham or a Joseph or a King David can inspire us.

We need to have faith in God to give us strength and guidance to withstand our tests and actualize our potential, but also have faith in ourselves - in the power of our God-given souls

bego wrote on 25 Oct 2019 10:36:

This so true. The way I've been raised, I never heard of this whole idea of making you feel close to hashem or feeling the shechina, that just doesn't happen now. We don't have the bais hamikdosh or neviyim. The goal of being mekayim mitzvis is to fulfill ratzoin hashem. It's also to bring you to olom haboh, not sure if anyone feels this way but if this is the reason why your trying to come clean, you might he disappointed.

You make an interesting point but it has been my experience that if you are able to find a very private preferably dark place like a shul late at night and talk openly and honestly to Hashem your Father the same way you would talk to your most trusted friend who you are sure wont ever judge you and you really pour out your heart and soul to Hashem about EVERYTHING without shame or embarassment you might even find yourself crying which is a very good thing and you can really find yourself feeling closer to Hashem without faking it or feeling a false sense of closeness if you really try hard and be honest about what you say to Hashem. Im very far from being any sort of a tzadik but i do talk to Hashem my Father like this on a regular basis and feel closer to Him and to some degree feel the burden on my heart and soul to be just a bit lighter.

Each and every one of us has been given tremendous potential for greatness by our Creator. How do transform that potential into reality?

One thing is for sure: we can't do it unless we spend some time each day thinking about who we really are and what we are doing with our life. The start and end of each day are the two times most conducive to this kind of introspective thinking.

The best tool for this is questions. Questions are powerful. Questions get us to focus. That is why wise people ask themselves questions early in the day. With the right questions we make a statement of our positive intentions for that day. And at the end of the day there is an ancient tradition of taking stock of what we have done that day and what we can do to improve.

Regularly asking yourself the following questions at the start and end of each day will have a major impact on your entire life. Think about your answers to these questions for at least 30 days. Take note of the benefits. You will be on the path of reaching your highest aspirations.

QUESTIONS TO START THE DAY

1. What are my goals for today?
2. What are the 5 most important things for me to do today? What is their order of importance?
3. What new knowledge can I gain today?
4. What acts of kindness can I do today?
5. What one trait would I like to excel in today?
6. What challenges might I face today? What is the best way to handle them?
7. If today were the last day of my life, what would I make certain to do?
8. What would I like written on my tombstone? What can I do today in that area?
9. What is important for me to remember today?
10. What thoughts, words, and actions will make today a great day?

QUESTIONS TO END THE DAY

1. What was my greatest moment today?
2. What am I grateful for about today?
3. What have I done to further my major goals?
4. What new knowledge did I gain today? (Or reviewed)
5. What acts of kindness did I do today?
6. What positive traits did I express today?
7. What have I done today for self-improvement?
8. If I could live today over again, what would I have done better? Visualize the better way vividly for the future.
9. What positive self-suggestions can I tell myself as I am falling asleep? (ex.: "I will choose great thoughts, words, & actions.")

(c) Zelig Pliskin (Permission is given to reprint as long as this copyright notice is included.)

When a person is stuck, lo alenu, in a troubling time, he thinks, I'll pray to Hashem and hopefully things will change around and Hashem will create a salvation for me. The truth is, however, when Hashem sends a trouble, the salvation is equally standing by. We don’t need to ask Hashem to create a new salvation for us. We need to ask Him to reveal the salvation that He prepared already. We might be thinking, It’s the end, there’s no way out of this. But in essence, there’s no trouble at all. Hashem already prepared the salvation and it’s there waiting for us.

DavidT wrote on 09 Jan 2020 17:05:

Hashem sends trouble!? Doesn't He have better messengers? And regarding "no trouble" I've been thinking that as well. I'm thinking of starting a diary blog, so I can  freely write my feelings and thoughts (& no moderators and administrators breathing down my neck).

troubles messages are great!

and regarding your new plan of action, you took him out of context. DavidT said "in ESSENCE" which brings me back to my first point.not sure what happened there. there isnt supposed to be a spoiler

טוב להודות לה

It is good to thank Hashem. It is incumbent on every person to thank Hashem for all the blessings that He gives them. If a person is able to thank Hashem during the hard times as well, those thank-yous become even more valuable.

There have been so many stories of people who have seen yeshuot after they changed their attitudes from one of complaining to one of thanking. Every time we are presented with a challenge, it is up to us how we choose to respond.
We have the opportunity to react with acceptance and praise to Hashem. We can be role models to our families and bring glory to the name of Hashem. It’s up to us.

People who are struggling with difficulties might say, “Yeah, if Hashem asked me to do it, I would. But I feel like it’s just a random occurrence.” Nothing is random.

Whatever we are experiencing is Hashem asking us to experience it. If we can remind ourselves of this and that Hashem is controlling every moment of our lives and only wants our best, then B’ezrat Hashem, we’ll be able to get through any difficulty with happiness, knowing that we are following the will of Hashem and living the life that He wants us to live.