OK, gang, here's a Pesach Vort that has me on a high, that started from a gevaldige Hero and fellow Chaver on Duvid chaim's call named Shlomo 2, who heard it from Rabbi Reisman, but i'm embellishing the idea somewhat:

How do you grow to believe in yourself that you can make it? How do you know Hashem loves You?

On leil Pesach, the order of the seder begins Kadesh, Urchatz. Kadesh, accepting/bringing in Kedusha, comes before Urchatz, washing off the shmutz. but isn't it supposed to be the other way around? The whole year it's Sur MeiRah, then V'Asei tov. That's why Asseres Yimei teshuva comes BEFORE Yom Kippur. Don't you always have to wash off the shmutz before you can be a Kadosh?

On both Yom Kippur and Leil Shimurim we wear a kittle, the white symbolizes a new beginning, a clean slate. On YK we get there from the hard work of previious teshuva. But on PESACH NITE, there is a special koach of LOVE from Hashem, and we get there FIRST, and the "teshuva" comes after. Thats the special lesson on Leil Pesach, which is why there is a VAV between those two simanim, and not between any others - kadesh Urchatz!! When Hashem took us out, the Nite of Pesach, realize that WE WERE STILL ON THE 49TH LEVEL OF TUMAH - we didn't start improving until we got out, climbing each day to matan torah! AND YET HE STILL TOOK US OUT!! WE WERE STILL IN THE SHMUTZ, STUCK IN THE MUCK, and that DIDN'T STOP Hashem from loving us and taking us out!

Pesach is a VERY special time, when ALL hashem wants and expects from us is that we RECOGNIZE that HE is the ONLY ADON, and the we ONLY WANT to be HIS EVED. We'll learn HOW to be a GOOD EVED later, for NOW we're declaring our ALLEGIANCE and our willingness to follow Him.

We don't know WHERE we're going, we dont know HOW we're gonna get there, we don't know WHAT we'll eat along the way, all we know is to TRUST in HASHEM and want to follow Him. He LOVES ME, despite the shmutz! He DESIRES me!! And I'm gonna LOVE HIM right back!!

This is a special message to us addicts - it DOESN"T MATTER that we're stuck now in the muck! On Pesach we can START A NEW SLATE by recognizing that HASHEM is the one in control of our lives, and determine to give up the fallacy that WE are in control. LET HIM CARRY YOUR BURDEN. Move forward OUT of our personal Mitzrayim, and DONT LOOK BACK!!

Chag Kasher V'Somayach! May we all FEEL the Kedusha, and always remember how MUCH Hashem Loves us!!

Steve wrote on 26 Mar 2010 17:57:


Beautiful and thanks again Steve! One caveat: I believe that this portion of your post even applies to us if we are not clean. In fact, I believe it even applies to us while we are acting out with lust. In the very depths of our losing and weakness, Hashem still sees us this way - otherwise how do any of us ever get His help to get clean?  True, some out there fear to say this stuff because to them, admitting this fact sounds like it's really OK to do horrible aveiros. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Nobody would ever get the help to do teshuva is Hashem really hated us for doing rotten stuff. And that has to include even the most horrible rotten stuff ever, or it includes nothing at all.

That's why so many of us shrink from taking that actual step into recovery (or teshuva, if you want to see it that way). We say in our hearts, "yeah, yeah, Hashem forgives and treats avaryonim nicely - but I'm different." or "...not the stuff that I did because I'm a talmid chochom and should have known better, so it's worse!", or "If they saw what I did, they'd never say He still wants me..." And other lies.

He desires us and loves us even while we stomp on His Will, on our families, and on ourselves. And He helps us get right.

Steve wrote on 26 Mar 2010 17:57:


Beautiful. A loving thought. I'm planning to use this at my family-only seder this year. (I might redefine shmutz, for the sake of my kids. But even so....) Thanks, Steve (and Shlomo2). - Briut.

dov wrote on 26 Mar 2010 21:31:


You know what I am realizing about myself....?

Perhaps my biggest issue is the feeling that mistakes should never be made...
My parents would torment me for a single step out of line it made absolutly no difference if it was by mistake or not...

NEVER EVER EVER EVER DO ANYTHING WRONG OR ELSE....

I live my life in fear of making mistakes. Almost everyhting I do in Yidishkiet is because I just can't be a bad guy I just can't NOT do what's right. It is not even fear of heaven it is fear of being caught doing something that ought not to be. I put on tefilin for the some reason I wont spend a dime more than I need to and for the some reason I wont leave dirty dishes over after I eat... because then I'll be a "bad boy"...

But I think that mistakes are allowed.... You can't live in fear of making mistakes. A Mommy knows that the kids wont always behave are they bad? NO we just gotta figure out how to encourage better behavior... The same with Yidishkiet... Your not BAD your not OVER WITH we just simply have to figure out how to do it better next time. G-d isn't expecting you to not fall... He is expecting you to try not to and learn and move forward and improve....

Whatever.... I feel like I'm rambeling... most of you guys wont identify with this... but to me this is Yisod Hayisodos... It address a core issue of mine... namely a total lack of tolerance and thus fear of normal human flaws.... and then we (or I) need to build all kinds of defenses to mitigate the inevitable fact that I am imperfect that I have flaws that I've made very real mistakes... Instead we blame this one and that one and this and that... No it's me.... but so what... Shed a tear etc. etc. and move on... You are not perfect It is OK for you to make a mistake...

Blah... can't continue...

Tried-123 wrote on 29 Mar 2010 08:17:


First of all, what gives you the idea that most of us won't identify with you? What, are you "super-wierdo" or something? We are all weirdos here - just like you! (except for Guard, of course....I can't say exactly what he is.... :-*)

Second of all, I forgot what second of all was. Have a great yomtov!

Oh, that's what it was: Have a great yomtov!!

Steve,

Congrats on your continued success.  Wishing you a good shabbos and a good yom tov.

SC

Steve, Bards, Dov and Tried123... wow, what a thread... just reading through it now. All such beautiful posts!!  :'( 

Hey Steve,
I hope your Pesach was beautiful. As Pesach leaves us I would like to give you a Bracha that you should continue to only have good in your life. May Hashem shower down Brachus for you and your family Berevach in all things!!

Hey Steve,

Hope all is well.  Back in the GYE saddle.

steve?? ay ehh kaahh???

What Reb b means is, (tell me if I am right): "wheredeheckahhhhyoo Mr. Pickle?"

Pickle checkin' in.

Post Pesach Pickle Posts Postponed Pending Particulars Putting Pressure Precisely Past Personal Precious Priorities.

???

we wish u
a wonderful woodford winter oops i mean zimmer ..summer!!

steve get out of your hiding place

say hello to the oilam

keep on truckin!!

the letter after O is broken on my com_uter so I can't respond a__ro_riately. Anyways what is going on with you?

Steve wrote on 07 Apr 2010 22:26:

Wow. So Mrs Pickle's real name is "Particulars"? is that Yiddish, or something? Does she pronounce the "s" at the end like a "z"? Is this too personal? Zorry.