In the daf yomi today (בבא קמא דף ג) the Gemara brings the passuk in Yeshaya (21:12):
אמר שומר אתא בוקר וגם לילה אם תבעיון בעיו שבו אתיו - The watchman said that the morning has come, and also night, if you would ask, then come again.
Rashi on the passuk is powerful. He says that the 'watchman' is reference to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Says Hashem, the morning will come, that is, the day when He will shine upon us; and the night as well, that is, the time that is prepared for Esav at the End of time. If you will ask to quicken the end, you can, by way of teshuva.
It seems clear that Teshuva is the essential component of Moshiach being revealed early. My gut tells me that if we are to merit Moshiach this year, it will be an early appearance. If that is so, Rashi tells us it can only be attained by doing Teshuva.
We keep hearing teshuva, over and over again. Daniel mentioned to me a while ago that teshuva is a common theme throughout the Geulah blogosphere, but we never seem to hear exactly what it means.
I would like to put forth a simple and straightfoward answer to the question.
Teshuva means to return. It means to return to Hashem. It means to return to your highest point, to what you know inside the deepest depth of your heart.
We know that success in the war that is going on here in Eretz Yisrael is not dependant on the might of the IDF nor the IAF. It is dependant completely upon our connection and relationship to Hashem. Nach is replete with stories of success and failure in the wars of the Jewish people. Recent history also tells the same tale. When we depend on Hashem, he takes care of us. When our connection is broken, we fail רחמנא לצלן.
We can run through Dreaming of Moshiach, Shirat Devorah, Mystical Paths, Lazer Beams, I Heart Noahides, Dani18, and a plethora of other Moshiach related blogs scanning for whatever buzzes our brain and gets us a little excited. But if all it does is give us a buzz and doesn't move us off of our computer chair into the Beis medrash for at least a few extra minutes a day to learn some Torah and connect to Hashem, then WE HAVE MISSED THE POINT!!!
The only way we can win the war is by returning to Hashem and reconnecting to Him. That is what Teshuva is about. It doesn't mean that you have to turn around and become a different person overnight. That is ridiculous and unrealistic. But we can take on to learn a few more minutes a day. If you need a place to find a five minute dvar torah, try out www.arigoldwag.com. It doesn't have to be my site - my point is not to plug my site - there are tons of great Torah sites (www.simpletoremember.com is a great one of note).
Commit to five minutes of Torah before you open up your internet browser. That is concrete Teshuva. That is how we can win this war and perhaps bring Moshiach early.
Showing posts with label priorities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label priorities. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Thinking ahead
This story starts off rather normal. But a discerning ear will hear greatness here.
Last night, the wife of an old friend of mine called. Her in-laws will be in town and staying in my area and she heard that I may be out for Shabbos Chanukah for a simcha.
I confirmed that I would be in Jerusalem for that Shabbos, and my apartment would be available. It would be great to have them stay in my home.
Then she somewhat abashedly asked where I light Chanukah candles.
Not comprehending at first, I stumbled and said, "In the bedroom, in the window that faces the street."
It dawned on me that her husband (or perhaps she?) had thought ahead. Not only did they need an apartment for Shabbos, but they would need a proper place to light Chanukah candles!
I told her that my apartment is a second floor apartment and the window is not so visible from all angles. As far as 'pirsumei nisa' goes, they might be able to find a better suited apartment.
I realized that many times we make plans for the future that may or may not include the most important factor of our lives. Our avodas Hashem.
It's not such a big deal to think about our davening schedule when making our flight plan. It does limit our options, but wouldn't we limit them for something 'really' important like a big executive multi-million dollar business meeting? Tefillah is our chance to have that meeting with Hashem. Its power is enhanced manifold by joining with a minyan. Perhaps it could merit a second thought.
The plans that we make and the details that we notice can display where our true devotion lies.
Last night, the wife of an old friend of mine called. Her in-laws will be in town and staying in my area and she heard that I may be out for Shabbos Chanukah for a simcha.
I confirmed that I would be in Jerusalem for that Shabbos, and my apartment would be available. It would be great to have them stay in my home.
Then she somewhat abashedly asked where I light Chanukah candles.
Not comprehending at first, I stumbled and said, "In the bedroom, in the window that faces the street."
It dawned on me that her husband (or perhaps she?) had thought ahead. Not only did they need an apartment for Shabbos, but they would need a proper place to light Chanukah candles!
I told her that my apartment is a second floor apartment and the window is not so visible from all angles. As far as 'pirsumei nisa' goes, they might be able to find a better suited apartment.
I realized that many times we make plans for the future that may or may not include the most important factor of our lives. Our avodas Hashem.
It's not such a big deal to think about our davening schedule when making our flight plan. It does limit our options, but wouldn't we limit them for something 'really' important like a big executive multi-million dollar business meeting? Tefillah is our chance to have that meeting with Hashem. Its power is enhanced manifold by joining with a minyan. Perhaps it could merit a second thought.
The plans that we make and the details that we notice can display where our true devotion lies.
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