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For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Preparation for Yamim Noraim click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Book s/9781422645086.html On Delayed Understanding This is a deep dive into the fifth contemplation from Sha'ar Cheshbon HaNefesh (Gate of the Soul's Accounting), a powerful and introspective series. Many of these contemplations are triggered by a real-life situation, a simple event that serves as a powerful metaphor. In this accounting the question we're meant to ponder is this: What should you think when you delay and push off understanding the Torah God gave us, and even worse, when you're complacent and it doesn't even bother you? Let's use an everyday example: prayer. We pray every single day, yet do we truly understand the meaning of the words? Does it bother us if we don't? During the season of Selichot (prayers of forgiveness), you might read a prayer you've said for years and suddenly realize you don't know what a certain word means. Maybe you look it up in a Hebrew-English text and discover you've been misunderstanding it all this time. Does that lack of understanding bother you? Compare this to how you react to other important documents in your life. If you receive a letter about a jury summons, your taxes, or a medical report and don't understand it, you're going to put in the effort to figure it out. If you're on vacation in a foreign country and get a parking ticket in a language you don't know, it will certainly bother you. You'll work hard to understand what it means and what action is required. We take the time to understand information from a human being, so how much more effort should we put into understanding God's Torah, which is our very life and our salvation? As the verse says, "Ki Hu Chayecha V'Orech Yamecha" ("For it is your life and the length of your days"). Rabbi Wolbe explains that when we say, "Ki Hem Chayeinu" ("For they are our lives"), it's not just poetry; it is a literal truth. The Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart) uses this analogy to speak directly to us, using the term " Achi " ("my brother"). He asks, "My brother , how could you allow this to happen? How can you ignore this? How can you be content with a superficial understanding and not delve deeper?" {The term "my brother" is a deliberate choice, just as Yacob Avinu used it when rebuking the shepherds who were wasting time at the well. As Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky taught, you have to connect with someone before you can give them rebuke. The Chovot HaLevavot knows this rule and creates a connection before delivering his message.} The prophet Daniel delivers a similar message when he says: "For the gods of silver and gold, copper and steel, wood and stone—that do not see, hear, or understand—you praised. But to God, in whose hand is your very soul and all your paths, you do not give glory?" There is an inherent disgrace in this. A story based on the teachings of the Pele Yoetz illustrates this perfectly: A man's wife bakes his favorite cake, while his daughter-in-law buys a cake from a bakery. The man pushes his wife's cake aside and eats the one from the bakery. When his wife starts crying, he asks what he did wrong. He's insulted her by rejecting her thoughtful gift in favor of something else. In the same way, we insult God when we choose to prioritize other things over His Torah . This is why King David, in Psalms, says of the righteous man, "B'moshav Leitzim Lo Yashav" ("He did not sit with scoffers"), but rather "Ki Im B'Torat Hashem Cheftzo" ("He desired His Torah"). The people who don't learn Torah are called "scoffers" because to "scoff" is to belittle. By sitting and engaging in idle chatter when you have the opportunity to engage with Torah, you are insulting it. We have a responsibility to show respect and importance to religious texts. With the High Holidays approaching, one of the most important texts we will read is the Malkhuyot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot —the central prayers of the Mussaf service—on which we are judged for the entire year. If a person had a court case or a major presentation, they would put in the time to properly prepare and understand what they were saying. Going into Rosh Hashanah without understanding the words of our prayers is like going to war without knowing how to use your weapon. To truly fulfill this contemplation, you must prepare. A great resource to help you is "Daily Dose of Preparation for the Yamim Noraim" from ArtScroll, a day-by-day guide to prepare for the High Holidays. It's a worthwhile book to use as you prepare and fulfill this חשבון . Go to https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422645086.html and place your order.
The Sixth Contemplation: Reclaiming Your Covenant with God
vendredi 29 août 2025 • Durée
For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Preparation for Yamim Noraim click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Book s/9781422645086.html The Sixth Contemplation: Reclaiming Your Covenant with God This is an exploration of the sixth contemplation from Cheshbon HaNefesh (Accounting of the Soul), part of the Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart). This thought is meant to arise when a person feels the inclination to rebel against God's will. The core question is: How can we possibly break our covenant with God when everything else in creation upholds its own? Look around you. The sun, moon, and stars all follow their precise orbits. They obey God's word, as it says in Psalms, "L'olam Hashem D'varcha Nitzav BaShamayim" ("Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens"). A slight deviation in any of these systems—if the Earth were to shift its orbit or the oceans failed to heed their boundaries—would spell the end of humanity. This is the world we live in, one of perfect, unwavering obedience. Now, consider a more personal example: your own body. What happens when your heart, meant to beat rhythmically, stops? Or when parts of your body, meant to be still, begin to shake uncontrollably, as in Parkinson's? What if your senses—your eyes, ears, or taste buds—suddenly ceased to function? The breakdown of a single system causes profound discomfort and can even threaten your life. Given this, the author asks, how can a person not be embarrassed to break their own deal with God? We have a covenant of 613 mitzvot (commandments), yet we fail to keep our end of the bargain. Meanwhile, the very ground we walk on, the air we breathe, and the organs that sustain our life continue to follow God's commands, acting as "helpers" or "housekeepers" that tend to our every need. The King, the Minister, and the Servants The Chovot HaLevavot provides a powerful analogy to drive this point home. A king commands a group of servants to carry one of his ministers across a dangerous river. The servants are to do their job, while the minister is given a separate task, like waving a flag. The servants obediently perform their duty, risking their lives, but the minister ignores his command and relaxes instead. One of the servants confronts the minister, saying, "Imagine if we treated you the way you're treating the king! We would stop holding you up, and you would drown in this river. Turn around and ask for forgiveness. The king has conditioned our service to you upon your obedience to him." This parable helps us understand a deeper truth about the world. When our bodies or our surroundings seem to fail us, it's not always an external punishment. It's an internal breakdown of a system built on the conditions G-d made with us. Rabbi Miller would sometimes explain physical ailments as a lack of appreciation—"you didn't appreciate your teeth, so now you have a toothache." However, the Chovot HaLevavot suggests a different reason: if you don't serve the King, His servants—the organs of your body—may stop serving you. This concept is built into creation itself. God made a condition with the world: it would serve humanity if humanity, in turn, served Him. This is the essence of the blessings and curses described in the Torah. When the sea split for the Jews and then returned to its normal state, the Torah says, "VaYashav HaYam L'eitano" ("And the sea returned to its strength"). The Sages explain that the word לאיתנו "L'eitano" can be read as לתנאו "L'tnao," meaning "to its condition." The sea returned to the fundamental condition God set with creation—that it would listen to those who serve Him. The Or HaChaim HaKadosh elaborates on this, explaining that this is a built-in law of cause and effect. While God is infinitely patient and waits for us to do teshuvah (repentance), as described in Tomer Devorah , there comes a point when His "servants" will no longer tolerate our defiance. They will stop doing their part, and we will face the consequences. Therefore, let us take this to heart and choose to do teshuvah, returning to our proper place in the divinely-ordered world.
The Two Concepts of Oneness
dimanche 31 août 2025 • Durée
Welcome to our special edition on חובות הלבבות, שער חשבון הנפש (Duties of the Heart, The Gate of Self-Accounting), where we are discussing the eighth principle. This section of the book acts as a practical application of the concepts discussed in earlier chapters. Here, the author explores two distinct but related concepts of יחוד (Yichud), which means "oneness." The Two Concepts of Oneness The first concept is שער יחוד השם (The Gate of God's Oneness). This refers to the intellectual and emotional understanding that God is one and there is no other. This core belief is so fundamental that it is encapsulated in the first two of the Ten Commandments: "I am Hashem, your God," and "You shall have no other gods besides Me." As Rabbeinu Asher (the Rosh) teaches, for a Jew, belief in God is not a general concept; it must be a belief in the God of the Exodus from Egypt. This means recognizing that God is in complete control, down to the smallest detail of our lives, leaving no room for coincidence or human-attributed causes. This belief in God's oneness also means understanding that He has no physical form, likeness, or limitations. Furthermore, all the titles we attribute to Him—such as merciful, loving, or just—are His exclusively. While we are commanded to emulate these qualities, their true essence belongs only to God. The second concept is שער יחוד המעשה (The Gate of Oneness in Action). This refers to the necessary oneness of our own hearts in our service to God. Our intentions must be singularly focused on serving Him for His sake alone, not for personal gain or to avoid negative consequences in this world or the next. As the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches, we should not serve our Master in order to receive a reward. While a reward will certainly come, it should not be our primary motivation. The Danger of Ulterior Motives The author provides a powerful analogy to illustrate this point. I will expound on it , Imagine a husband gives his wife a fur coat. If she discovers he did it with the hidden agenda of convincing her to move, her joy would turn to disappointment. Similarly, a boss would be offended to find his employee's gift was merely a calculated attempt to get a raise. These examples highlight a critical lesson: even with human relationships, we are hurt by ulterior motives. With God, who sees the innermost secrets of our hearts and has no need for us, our intentions must be pure. We should feel a sense of shame at the thought of serving God for personal gain. This idea is central to the High Holidays, when we crown God as King. The Zohar criticizes those who approach this period with self-serving demands, "barking like dogs" for wealth or children without truly focusing on God Himself. This lesson serves as a call to action—a spiritual reset. We must shift our focus to performing mitzvot for their own sake and studying Torah for its own sake. This is the essence of the eighth principle of self-accounting.
A Servant's Heart: The Seventh Reflection
samedi 30 août 2025 • Durée
A Servant's Heart: The Seventh Reflection Welcome to the seventh installment of our חשבון נפש series. This reflection explores the profound concept of wholeheartedly accepting the condition of being a servant of God ( עבד השם ). Much of this is drawn from the teachings of the Hovot halevavot in the gate of service to G-d , and this is a brief review of its core ideas. What sparks the feeling of being a servant of God? It's the profound realization of the continuous blessings you receive from Him. This includes daily sustenance, guidance, wisdom, and compassion. King David captures this sentiment when he says, "I am Your servant" ( עבדך אני ), recognizing that God has given him understanding. When a servant truly grasps the constant benefits from his Master—who is always watching, in control, and even tests him to see if he'll make the right choices—he will strive to make those correct decisions. As the חובות הלבבות teaches, when a person thinks this way, God grants them a wonderful gift: a smile. Like a master who smiles upon a good and dedicated servant, God's favor brings "great benefits" ( הטובות הגדולות ) and "great light" ( האורים הגדולים ). This light is referenced in a verse we say on ראש השנה after blowing the שופר : "Fortunate is the nation that knows the message of the שופר ...God, we will walk in the light of Your face" ( אשרי העם יודעי תרועה, השם באור פניך יהלכון ). This is the same light mentioned in the ברכת כהנים prayer: "May God shine His face upon you" ( יאר השם פניו אליך ). This light is the direct result of being a good, dedicated servant. The Mutuality of Dedication The most crucial part of being an עבד השם is dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to His service. This devotion earns you a special status, as reflected in the verse from דברים : "You designated God as special today, and God designated you as special today" ( את השם האמרת היום והשם האמירך היום ). The גמרא in מסכת חגיגה 3 b explains this mutuality: We make God "the one and only" when we declare, " השם אחד " (God is one). God makes us "the one and only" when He says, "Who is like your nation, a unique nation on earth?" ( מי כעמך גוי אחד בארץ ). This special relationship means that the nations of the world will see that "the name of God is called upon us" ( כי שם השם נקרא עליך ) and will fear us. As the חובות הלבבות points out, a servant's reputation is directly tied to the greatness of their master. Since we are the nation of the Holy One, who is revered by all, we too should be revered. This reverence comes from our dedication to God, and our commitment to Him grants us that honor in the eyes of the world. The Path of a Servant In the future, the prophet ישעיהו says, "This one will say, 'I am God's'" ( זה יאמר להשם אני ). This speaks to the high level of closeness to God we can achieve. So, reflect on this. Don't listen to your evil inclination. Don't use your desires and thoughts improperly. Remember that God is looking into your heart. As the verse says, "God knows the thoughts of man" ( השם ידע מחשבות אדם ). He knows if you're truly striving to be His servant. We spend our days serving God, but do we truly have the awareness that He is watching us and looking to see if we are living up to the role of His devoted servants?
The Three Categories of Divine Service
lundi 1 septembre 2025 • Durée
This discussion is an exercise in Heshbon HaNefesh (soul-accounting), focusing on the need to approach our service of God with the same seriousness and focus we dedicate to our most important worldly tasks. The central lesson is that all our actions must be performed with our full heart and attention. The Three Categories of Divine Service The Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart) divides our service of God into three categories: Solely of the Heart: This includes internal spiritual duties like love and fear of God, faith, and trust. Both Body and Heart: This category includes mitzvot that involve both physical action and spiritual intention, such as prayer and Torah study. Solely of the Body: These are physical acts that require initial intent but not constant focus throughout the action, such as shaking the Lulav or performing the mitzvah of Sukkah . The Heart of the Matter: The Importance of Intention in Prayer The core of our service, especially prayer, is the heart. The prophet Isaiah delivered a powerful rebuke to the people, saying, "This people honors Me with its lips and with its mouth, but its heart is far from Me." Prayer without intention and focus is likened to a body without a soul—it is essentially dead. The Chovot HaLevavot offers a powerful parable: a servant invites a king to his home, but then disappears to gamble while the king waits alone. Similarly, we invite God into a meeting through prayer, but if our heart is not present, we are not truly there. This is why, as we say at the end of our prayers, "May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable before You." This is a bold request, as we are asking God to accept the thoughts that are often far from holy. To ensure our heart is present, the Chovot HaLevavot advises three mental preparations before we begin to pray: Know to Whom You Speak: Recognize that you are about to address the King of all kings. Understand Your Needs: Be clear on what you want from Him—your life, health, and sustenance. Choose Your Words Carefully: Consider the words you will use to make your requests. The Five Elements of True Prayer The words of our prayer are like the peel of an orange or the body of a person; the essence is the fruit and the soul. While the words are a vital tool, the true purpose is to ignite five fundamental feelings within the heart: Yearning: The soul's desire to connect with God. Humility: Humbly recognizing one's smallness before Him. Awe: Recognizing the greatness of the Creator. Praise: Thanking Him for all His kindness. Reliance: Casting all your burdens upon Him. Our sages created the siddur (prayer book) because they knew our hearts are fickle. The words help us organize and express these concepts. Although technically one can fulfill their obligation with thought alone, our words guide and anchor our thoughts. God has entrusted us with prayer, knowing that only we can truly know the sincerity of our own hearts. To live up to this trust, we must follow the counsel of the great sages, who would spend time before they prayed to clear their minds and prepare their hearts, recognizing that we are about to stand before a King who can read our innermost thoughts.
An Accounting
mardi 2 septembre 2025 • Durée
Welcome to our special Elul edition of Chovot HaLevavot , Sha'ar Cheshbon HaNefesh —day 11 of our 30-day journey. Today's cheshbon is an accounting of how we've used our lives until now. How have you used your time? Whom are you serving—Hashem or the yetzer hara ? Rabbenu gives a mashal . A king entrusts a servant with funds for a specific purpose: "Use this money to buy candy bags for the children in shul. Don't use it for garbage bags, don't use it for tissues—only for the kids' candy." At year's end there will be an exact accounting—no leeway. Naturally, the servant keeps careful books, reviews spending monthly, and safeguards the remaining funds for their intended use so he won't be blindsided on the day of reckoning. The nimshal: our accounting shouldn't be monthly but daily . Hashem has given us time and talents for specific responsibilities— חובה עליך —and we must ask: Did I do what I'm responsible to do today? A well-known story about Rav Chaim Kanievsky illustrates this. At a child's wedding, he left early. His mechutan worried that Rav Chaim had heavy debts. The next day he learned what Rav Chaim meant by "my chovot ": his daily learning obligations —pages of Bavli and Yerushalmi toward completing the entire Torah each year. Those were his "debts." I recently heard a story from Netzor , a project sharing daily lashon hara clips. A girl awoke from a coma and immediately asked her mother how many days had passed. "Why does it matter?" her mother asked. "Baruch Hashem, you're alive." The girl insisted: she studies two halachot of Chafetz Chaim every day and needed to know how many she had missed. That's a sense of responsibility. If we were negligent, nu —take stock now and don't allow one lapse to cascade into another . We may forget; Hashem doesn't . As the year closes, ask: Hashem gave me gifts— am I using them as intended? There's a powerful introduction to Sha'arei Yosher by Rav Shimon Shkop . The Torah says עשר תעשר , "tithe," and Chazal read: עשר כדי שתתעשר —"tithe so that you become wealthy." Is that a magical segulah ? Rav Shimon says no. Hashem appoints us as gabba'im , trustees of His resources, and tells us how to use them—like the king and his designated candy fund. If the trustee performs well, he's promoted : from candy funds to the main budget. Likewise, if one gives ma'aser faithfully, Hashem entrusts him with more to distribute. It's not magic; it's how a well-run enterprise operates. This applies to everything. A teacher who teaches well is given more teaching . Any talent or position we have is meant for the community at large . Use them well, and you're given more; misuse them, and opportunities shrink. That is cheshbon ha'nefesh . "The days are scrolls —write upon your scroll," he writes; that's what will be remembered. Don't be among those of whom it is said, גם שיבה זרקה בו והוא לא ידע —"gray hairs have sprouted, and he still doesn't know." Life rolls on while they imagine they'll be here forever, never reckoning with how to use their gifts. Elul's call is simple and urgent: keep the books daily . Time and talent are the King's funds—entrusted to you for a purpose. Use them as directed.
12th Heshbon
mercredi 3 septembre 2025 • Durée
Welcome to our special Elul series on Chovot HaLevavot, Sha'ar Cheshbon HaNefesh (Duties of the Heart, The Gate of Reckoning of the Soul). We're doing one of the 30 calculations for each day of the month. Today, we're on the 12 th Heshbon , which asks a profound question: How should a person feel when they realize they're becoming overly infatuated with worldly matters—focused on production and accomplishment—yet are lacking in their service of God, their ultimate destiny? It's a moment of reflection. We find ourselves asking, "What am I doing?" We get so engrossed in worldly matters, like spending hours meticulously choosing tiles for a swimming pool, but when it comes to buying a mezuzah, we just say, "Hey, whatever they have." When we start to think about this, we see that worldly matters often top our priority lists. Our hopes and expectations are all tied to this world. We're never truly happy; we're always chasing the next thing: the next vacation, the next meal, the next suit, the next pair of shoes. This is because worldly desires can never be satisfied. The author uses a parable: it's like a fire. The more wood you add, the bigger the flame gets; it never dies down. When you look within, you'll see your heart and intentions are drawn to worldly matters day and night. You only consider someone a friend if they can help you with your worldly goals, and you only trust someone if they can help you get ahead. You might find yourself obsessing over when you can get back to your buying and selling season after a summer slump. You'll study market conditions and price fluctuations around the world. You're not deterred by travel, cold, heat, storms, or treacherous sea and desert journeys to reach your goal. You'll fly to China, Bangladesh, and Timbuktu, often without any guarantee of success or profit. You hope for an end to the journey, but there is no end. And after all that hard work, you don't even know if you'll be the one to enjoy the money you've earned. As a verse in Tehillim (Psalms) says, "They leave their wealth to others." King Solomon, in Mishlei (Proverbs), warned us against overdoing it, saying, " Do not strive to be wealthy ." He shows the fleeting nature of wealth: " You set your eyes upon it and it is gone. " In contrast, King David, also in Tehillim , gives us a positive outlook on living a life focused on what you need, not what you want: " Eat from the efforts of your hands—you are fortunate, and you will enjoy goodness. " King Solomon himself said he didn't want too much wealth or too much poverty; he wanted to live a balanced, regular life. Yaakov Avinu (Jacob) said, " Give me bread to eat and clothing to wear. " The author urges us, "Wake up, my brother!" Realize you've been putting too much effort into the wrong area. You've been focusing on your body and its needs, but your body is not your forever friend—only for a while. This body you work so hard for is always in pain. If it eats too much, it gets sick; if it doesn't eat enough, it gets weak. If it wears too much clothing, it's uncomfortable; if it doesn't wear enough, it's in pain. It gets sick, and in the end, you can't control anything. Look at the advantage of your soul over your body, of spirituality over the physical, of something that lasts over something that doesn't. The soul doesn't decay, it isn't ruined. If you realize how much effort you put into your physical world—your exercise, diet, and health—how much more so should you invest in your soul, getting it into spiritual shape? At the end of the day, the only things you truly own are your spiritual accomplishments. In Hebrew, the author says, "Hakinyanim haruchaniyim, hem shelcha. Lo yishlol otam mimcha zulatecha." This means, "The spiritual acquisitions, they are yours. No one else can confiscate them from you." Unlike physical things, spiritual achievements are the only things you truly own. Therefore, the author says, "Don't get involved in the extras and luxuries you don't need in this world, but put the effort into the next." Don't make the excuse that "what comes to a fool will come to me too," because you understand more and know better. The author acknowledges that there's a lot to discuss on this subject and that he's only providing a few hints to think about and delve into. He encourages us to keep our eyes open to how the Torah also addresses these ideas. The more you think about this and focus on it, the more you'll realize what is truly important in this world and what your focus should be ...
16th Heshbon
dimanche 7 septembre 2025 • Durée
The Urgency of Acknowledging Mortality The 16 th Heshbon begins by stressing the need to recognize our own mortality, a realization that can strike when we witness the passing of others. The speaker emphasizes that death comes without warning, regardless of age, and uses the example of a recent terrorist attack to highlight its sudden, unpredictable nature. One of the great baalei mussar of the Novardok tradition once asked: How can a person attend a funeral and then return to their life as if nothing has changed? The answer he said, is that people fall into the trap of thinking they are not part of the "Diers' Club." They believe death is something that happens to others, a mistake rooted in the false assumption that they are exempt from this universal truth. Lessons from Parables The Hovot HaLEvavot uses a parable to illustrate the proper perspective on life: The King and His Servant: A king entrusts his servant with a valuable item, warning him that he could ask for it back at any time. The servant must always be ready. Our lives are a similar trust. We must always be prepared to return what has been given to us by living with a constant sense of readiness and purpose. An additional parable comes from the Midrash Kohelet .The Fox and the Vineyard: A fox starves himself to get through a small hole into a vineyard filled with grapes. He eats his fill, gets too fat to leave, and must starve himself again to get out. He entered thin and left thin. The moral is that we come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing. What should the fox have done ? The fox should have used his time to throw grapes over the fence, a metaphor for performing good deeds that will be of benefit in the world to come. The Wisdom of Living a Mindful Life The Hovot HaLevavot quotes several sources to reinforce this idea: The book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) teaches that the wise person's heart is in the house of mourning because it is a place that confronts us with the ultimate destination of all humanity. Chovot HaLevavot explains that the verse "the living person should place this on his heart" refers not just to anyone who is alive, but to someone whose heart is "intellectually alive"—one who truly understands and internalizes this profound truth. We can add: Rabbi Eliezer's famous teaching, "Repent one day before your death," is also mentioned. Since we don't know the day we will die, the only logical conclusion is to live each day as if it were our last, in a state of continuous repentance and spiritual readiness. Ultimately, this contemplation is not about fear but about living a more meaningful life. It's about lowering our expectations for this temporary world and investing our energies in the world to come, which is eternal.
15th Heshbon
samedi 6 septembre 2025 • Durée
This text is part of a series on the 30 contemplations, or cheshbonot , from the ethical work Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart). This specific contemplation, the 15th, uses a real-life situation to spark a spiritual self-reckoning. The Contemplation: Preparing for the Final Journey The contemplation begins with a familiar scenario: someone stocking their pantry or packing for a trip. We meticulously prepare for temporary physical journeys, ensuring we have enough food, a rental car, and a place to stay, but we often forget to prepare for the most important and certain journey of all—the one to the next world. The author uses an extended metaphor to illustrate this point: The short trip: A vacation or a trip to the store where we are over-prepared with food, provisions, and comfort. The long, guaranteed trip: The journey of the soul after death. Unlike earthly trips, there is no "mechanical failure" or escape from this one. We can use a more modern example we dedicate so much effort to the temporary world, striving for conveniences like TSA Global Entry or a first-class seat, while neglecting the spiritual provisions we need for the permanent world. "We are involved with the evil inclination and have forsaken the service of our Creator." Spiritual Blindness and Divine Light This profound negligence is described as a kind of spiritual blindness or drunkenness. The author quotes from the prophet Isaiah, who states that people's eyes are shut so they cannot see, and their hearts will not understand. The Pele Yoetz , a later ethical work, explains this with an analogy: We live in a world that is inherently dark, and on top of that, our eyes are closed. This creates a double impediment to clarity. However, on Rosh Hashanah, God "turns on the lights," creating an opportunity for us. If we are willing to open our eyes even a crack, we can begin to see the path more clearly and gain a deeper understanding. I would like to end with a powerful anecdote about the great kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri . Even he, a man of immense spiritual stature, was deeply concerned about his final journey. He instructed Rav Yaakov Hillel to distribute money to Torah scholars on the day of his passing, so that the merit of that act would ensure a "smooth journey" for his soul. This story serves as a profound lesson: if even a spiritual giant felt the need to prepare, how much more so should we.
14th Heshbon
vendredi 5 septembre 2025 • Durée
Reflecting on God's Love Welcome to our special Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart) series for the month of Elul. Today, we'll discuss the fourteenth reflection, one of my favorites, and it's inspired by a real-life situation. How do you feel when someone shows you love? Maybe it's a child, a grandchild, a spouse, or a sibling who looks at you with affection, and you feel it instantly. Your natural reaction is to love them back. As King Solomon says in Mishlei (Proverbs) 27:19, " As water reflects the face, so one's heart reflects the other ." When you look in a mirror, it reflects what you show it. The same is true for emotions—the love you give is the love you get back. Now, imagine the person reflecting this love is someone very important—a minister, a prince, or a nobleman. What if they show you a sign of their love, like buying you a flower or performing a great kindness for you, not because they need something in return but simply to help you? You'd likely feel an overwhelming desire to love them back, doing everything in your power to fulfill their will and serve them with all you have—your money, your time, and even your children. If we react this way to another human being, a creation as weak as ourselves, how much more should we react with love to our Creator? God has shown us His love through His prophets. As it says in Devarim , " because of God's love for you ." He constantly shows us signs of His love, both old and new, in every generation. Even during our exile, the Torah assures us that God does not despise us or allow us to be destroyed. Even though we were slaves, He never abandoned us. The Bonds of Friendship and Covenant We know that we should honor the friends of our parents or grandparents. For example, if someone helped your grandfather escape the old country and signed his visa papers, you would remember and honor that kindness. As it says in Mishlei (Proverbs) 27:10, " Do not abandon your friend or your father's friend ." In the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat, the famous line that the whole Torah is summed up by " love your friend as you love yourself " seems to raise a question: what does loving your friend have to do with Shabbat, Tefillin, or Tzitzit? Rashi explains that in this context, "friend" doesn't just mean a fellow human being—it means God. God is our friend and our father's friend. God constantly remembers the covenant He made with our forefathers, the supervision He had over them, as it says in Shemot (Exodus), " and the oath He swore to our ancestors ." God will keep that promise. In our prayers on Rosh Hashanah, specifically in the Zichronot section, we talk all about God remembering this covenant. Our Stiff-Necked Nature After all of this, the Chovot HaLevavot pleads with us, highlighting our lack of reciprocation. He points out five failures on our part: We don't rely on Him. We don't count on His kindness. We aren't naturally moved to love Him. We don't cleave to His service. We don't pour out our hearts to Him in prayer. He asks, "What is wrong with us?" and goes on to explain: "How thick is our nature, how stiff-necked are we?" "How weak is our faith?" "How difficult are we to be dragged after the truth?" He lists all the reasons why we should respond to God's love, yet we fail to do so. We don't remember the love He had for our fathers and grandfathers, nor do we reciprocate His love for us. We don't act because of His promises or listen because of His kindness. We aren't embarrassed by our inaction, despite the fact that He created us and provides for us with good supervision. The Chovot HaLevavot says we do not remember, reciprocate, act, listen, or feel embarrassed. The Spiderweb of the Yetzer Hara "My brother," he says, "wake up from this sleep." Here's the secret: "Remove from your heart the curtain of your Yetzer (evil inclination) that has been cast upon it." There is a curtain, a blinder, a blackout shade between our intellect and our hearts. It blocks the message. It's like a spider weaving a web that blocks the light from entering a house. At first, the web is thin, but with constant repetition, it becomes thicker and thicker until no light can get in. This is how the Yetzer Hara works with us, slowly and surely. He puts layer after layer on top of us, preventing us from seeing these truths. We must rip off that spiderweb to allow the light of our wisdom to pierce our hearts and open our eyes. The Yetzer Hara is so powerful that we often don't feel God's love, despite all the signs. We can fall into the "He loves me, he loves me not" game, like plucking petals off a flower. We don't use flowers, though. We say, "I had a good day in business today—He loves me. I got stuck in traffic—He loves me not." But there's a different way to play this game: "He loves me, He loves me lots." This shifts the question from "if" He loves me to "how much" I am going to recognize and realize His love in my life. What a powerful reflection. The next time a grandchild looks into your eyes and you love them back, ask yourself, "Where is my relationship with God? Where is my reciprocal love for Him?"
