Heaven on Earth

In an age of ubiquitous social media, do we do anything for its own sake? Can an experience be classified as memorable if there is no video to prove that it happened? I once read something profound by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt"l. In truth, the Rebbe was a radical thinker and explicitly promoted the idea of radical thinking time and again. In this case, the Rebbe was talking about the roots of a tree and their importance.  A tree can be struck by lightning and lose most of its trunk and branches but as long as its roots are intact it can regrow to its previous stature. Despite their essential task in providing support, water, and minerals that sustain a tree's growth, roots are invisible, buried in the earth. The Rebbe compared roots to Jews throughout the generations whose faith in HaShem was constant. No one knows their names but it was their faith and prayers that sustained us throughout history.  You don't have to see your name in print or your smile on social media to ...

Sometimes in the Land of the Jews you meet someone who takes your breath away. Someone with a glow.  Someone you would follow to the ends of the earth. I met such a person a few weeks ago. Someone to whom everyone comes for advice.  This person has no politics, no agenda, and is not  selling anything. But has a smile. Oh what a smile. This person had a difficult childhood and has endured bouts of depression, an experience which led to an  overarching sympathy and empathy for all. That's what comes through. You know this person would be there for you no matter what.  My commanding officer in the IDF was such a person. I would go into battle with him tomorrow if he asked me to join him.  There are many, many people like this in the Land of the Jews.  Sooner or later, their glow will light up the world.

The Ben Ish Chai teaches: "I will reveal something that most of the world suffers from, and I, the servant, am among them. It happens to Torah scholars and businessmen.  It is that people are happy about something that might happen. Their joy prevents it from happening." He bases his lesson on the Gemara (Sanhedrin 26) which teaches, מועלת מחשבה , "Thoughts can ruin." Thinking about something causes it not to happen. Rashi explains, "When one thinks, 'I will do such-and-such, and thereby I will earn such-and-such amount of money,’ such thoughts cause that it will not occur. This is also true for Torah. For example, when one says that by this specific date, I will complete this or that masechta [this type of thinking causes it not to happen]." (Torah Wellsprings, Bamidbar, 5782)

The Chazon Ish said, "If a non-Jew would know the enjoyment of learning a daf Gemara before Shacharis on Shabbos morning he would convert just to be able to experience this joy." (Torah Wellsprings, Bechukotai, 5782)

One day, the owner of a hotel said to a businessman who was staying in his hotel, "You certainly have heard of Rebbe Dovid of Tolna zt'l. Tonight, this great Rebbe will be coming to our hotel. Do you mind sleeping in a less extravagant room, so I can give the best room to the Rebbe?” The businessman wasn't a chassid, but he didn’t mind doing this favor. He decided he would watch the Rebbe and determine on his own if he is truly a tzaddik. Later that night, after the Rebbe had already arrived, the businessman overheard the owner of the hotel speaking with his wife. He didn't want to listen in to their conversations, but they were speaking very loudly, almost shouting at one another. He heard them say that the Rebbe asked them to give him two- hundred rubles, which was all they owned. They were wondering and debating whether they should acquiesce to the Rebbe's request. The next day they gave two-hundred rubles to the Rebbe. The businessman was upset with the Rebbe. ...

"The extent of evil in the world is vast and its dominance is powerful. In the individual as well, evil is significantly greater than the few good thoughts that a person thinks. In the face of such a powerful force of evil, it is difficult to understand how it can be nullifed and become subservient to the good. Even the saying of Chovot HaLevavot, 'A little light pushes away much darkness,' does not resolve this difficulty for no matter how great the extent to which darkness and lies have been pushed away, evil remains without limit. 'From where will my help come?'  "If nullification of evil would come by pushing it away, we would not need to be talking about it. However, there is another force revealed in creation and it's the force of growth: 'None can take pure out of impure except God. For example, Avraham from Terach, Chezkiyahu from Achaz, Yeshayahu from Ammon, Mordechai from Shimi, Israel from the nations, the world to come from this world. Who ...

A rav came to the tish of Rebbe Shlomke of Zvhil zt'l for the first time to experience what it was like. He saw many poor and bitter people seated around Rebbe Shlomke's table. One guest had a long-time complaint that the other guests get to take cholent before him, and by the time it is his turn he receives a smaller portion than they received. Rebbe Shlomke told him that this Shabbos he can take cholent first, so he will definitely get enough. The guest filled his plate with cholent and then, he began filling another dish. The other guests were upset and demanded that he allow them to take cholent. He ignored them and continued filling his plates. They rebuked him again, and then the poor man did something disgusting. He spit into the pot, making the cholent inedible for everyone else. The visiting rav watched this episode and said to Rebbe Shlomke, "Is this a tish? We didn’t hear any divrei Torah. All we saw was bad middos." Rebbe Shlomke replied, "We can lear...

A frustrated father couldn't understand why his son wasn't able to remember Mishnayos by heart. Every day, the father learned Mishnayos with his son, but by the next day, he forgot it. He figured that his son had a weak memory. One Friday morning, the father went with his son to the marketplace, and on Shabbos afternoon, the father overheard this son chanting, "Get your sweetest melons here... We have the best prices..." The father realized that his son was able to repeat word for word everything he heard from the vendors. The father didn't understand: His son does have a good memory, so why can't he remember Mishnayos? He asked his rav about it. The wise rav explained, "You don’t have to worry about your son. He has a good memory. If you will learn Mishnayos with your son with the same passion and excitement as the merchants sell their wares, he will remember every word of the Mishnayos as well." (Torah Wellsprings, Kedoshim, 5782)