By the Grace of G-d
Dear Friend,
This week’s portion says it all.
HE WENT OUT.
Yaakov left his father’s home.
He went on to spend 21 years with his conniving and devious uncle Lavan.
Yaakov remained pure and holy even in that environment. Didn’t just survive but thrived. For it was there that Yaakov got married and established the twelve tribes of Israel of whom we, the Jewish people are all descendants.
It all started by GOING OUT.
Leaving home. Exiting his comfort zone.
My dear friends, we are all in that state already.
We have ‘gone out’ of our previous comfort zones more times that we realize.
It starts even before birth.
Our souls were very comfortable ensconced and enraptured in G-d’s Holy presence.
G-d in His ultimate Benevolence, plucked our souls from their supernal perch in heaven, and thrust them down into a corporeal body to live in a material and sometimes jungle-like world.
And that is when the real action starts.
G-d’s plan is to have physical beings, endowed with spiritual souls, traversing this material world, bringing together heaven and earth.
All real action starts when you are ready to LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
The fetus prefers the womb. But fully independent life starts only after birth.
Staying at home is easier than being taken to kindergarten.
Going to first grade can be traumatic.
Middle school. High school. Yeshiva. Acquiring skills to make a living.
And the big one. MARRIAGE.
And then please G-d the even bigger one. The epically transformational departure from self-centeredness to the zone of altruistically caring for another creature whether you feel like it or not. (Babies don’t take excuses when they want to be fed, burped, diapered or coddled).
BECOMING A PARENT.
All of these stages and steps are DEPARTURES from one state of being.
Leaving your place, is the first step in arriving at a new place.
New beginnings require leaving a previous state.
That is the way we ought to continue living our lives. Every day for the rest of our life.
Not being satisfied with our achievements in the realm of serving the Almighty and being selflessly benevolent to others. Rather to constantly yearn and aim higher.
I had an itinerary for my return home from New York.
Something came into my brain space that told me if you are in the USA already, how can you leave without seeing your son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter in Las Vegas. The Torah teaches that family comes first. Arriving a day later in Thailand would still bring me home before Shabbos so it was a no-brainer. Within a few hours I was able to change my schedule.
I almost didn’t change my plans. It was a departure of sorts from my plans that had been carefully formulated. Change is not always so easy.
I am so happy I did. It brought me to a totally new place.
I will let you judge.
Spending time with my kids, albeit just a few hours, was thank G-d enjoyable beyond description. That was worth everything.
Embedded message here…. Hug your kids when you can… tell them you love them. Be there for them. Same goes for kids to their parents. Take the opportunities that come your way to express your love to your loved ones. It’s not enough that you feel it I your heart. You have to invest in spending time and showing your love in real life.
But then I got some extra bonus experiences that further uplifted me and showed me how Divine Providence had led me to change my plans.
Flights to BKK are from LAX. Mendel drove me to L.A. Great bonding time.
I had three experiences in LA that were spontaneous. They inspired me in their absolute Divine Providence nature and no doubt G-d entrusted me with the experience to share with others.
First stop in LA were the offices of a successful business to say hi to the founder.
The founder of the business is almost ten years younger than me. He spent a few months volunteering at Chabad here in Bangkok more than twenty-five years ago. At the time he was just post Yeshiva high school with his future plans still in flex. He decided that since he had some time to spare, he wanted to dedicate a few months to helping us in our work in Thailand. Fast forward two decades. This religious young man founded a business. No business school or college can claim ownership on his success. He started his business straight out of Yeshiva. It was a direct result of G-d blessing his toil and effort. Today he employs hundreds of employees thank G-d.
He told me that while he had come to HELP me in my work, the time with us was actually a great help to him as well. It constituted a major inspirational point in his life. He decided to pay the gift forward and sponsor the ‘Yeshiva bachur volunteer suite’ in the new Chabad House at Kasoarn Rd in Banglamphu (slated for completion in under two months please G-d. stay tuned for grand opening date).
The offices were beautiful, and very welcoming and user friendly to the employees (it is a wonderful thing to see employers invest in the wellbeing of their employees. Many employers now realize that it is the right thing to do, to make a holistic investment into the physical, emotional and spiritual wellness of their employees. In the end it benefits the employer as well as the output is much greater). It was inspirational to see the success of my younger friend that had come from G-d’s blessings, and I was delighted to be able to thank him for his great gift in person.
As I was driving into LA I heard of the tragic passing of the daughter of my childhood friend from Australia who now lives in LA. It was the first day of Shiva. I calculated that I had exactly enough time to pay a visit and still make my flight. I walked into the shiva house and my friend who hadn’t seen me in many years almost fell off his seat with delight and surprise. The warmth that the meeting generated was truly extraordinary. It was one of those moments that will remain etched in my memory. May G-d send my friend comfort and healing from this indescribably painful loss.
Headed off to the airport. Upon checking in to my flight with Singapore Airlines at LAX I noticed a successful but agitated looking man standing at the check-in counter. When I got to the counter, he looked at me and said ‘make a brocha for me to get on the flight’. That was his way of telling me that he was Jewish. I gave him my blessing, together with 2 Singapore dollars and asked him to give it to Tzedaka in Singapore. He gave me 2 US dollars (he doesn’t carry THB :) ) to put into Tzedaka in Thailand. But when I asked him if he knows my colleague in Singapore, he said that he doesn’t. Turns out that while he and his wife are Jewish, they have not yet visited the Shul in Singapore although they have lived there for several years. He promised that if he gets on the flight, he will visit the Synagogue.
His permit came through at the last minute and HE IS ON THE FLIGHT Baruch Hashem. And he told me he will keep his word and visit the Synagogue in Singapore.
To seal the deal, I have also sent my colleague Rabbi Abergel in Singapore his contact. I have no doubt that this will be the reigniting of a good Jewish connection. A new beginning of sorts.
I share this with you just as a little sample of how we sometimes need to leave our plans as G-d has something waiting for us at a different location.
Remember, staying on the couch at home won’t get you to the next stage of your life.
VAYETZE! GO OUT.
Be prepared to leave your comfort zone and reach higher.
A friend of mine whom I visited in NY before leaving home gave me a nice donation. Upon leaving his home and getting into the car he called me to come back. He gave me a second check of the same size and told me:
I am leaving my comfort zone and giving you double, and I ask you to pray to Hashem that He leave His ‘comfort zone’ so to speak, and grant me blessings that are beyond what was planned or expected.
Indeed, Hashem created his world with a system of ‘quid pro quo’. Our actions here in this world, beget and create a corresponding (albeit infinitely more powerful and elevated) result in the upper worlds, which then radiates back down into this world. This means that we have the chance to change our destiny by leaving our static state and acting in a way that generates G-d’s blessings.
Which is why for example we give Tzedaka before praying. Prayer is about asking G-d for life.
Before we as Hashem to give us life, first GIVE life to someone in need. (Money that can buy life preserving needs, or give someone an emotional lift etc.. Click here for more). This is what Tzedaka is about, giving life to others. Then you can indeed pray to G-d much more effectively to give you life. For you will have already created the corresponding ‘G-dly energies’ of life that will be bestowed upon you.
Here is my message to myself, and you can listen in.
As I wing my way back from the international ‘Kinus (conference of) Shluchim which serves me as a ‘station identification’ and moral compass. I am reflecting on the time I spent, quality spiritual time at the Rebbe’s Shul at 770 Eastern Parkway in study. Time spent praying for the wellbeing of my family and community at the Ohel of the Rebbe. I turn my focus to the main agenda of our conference which is the recommitment that my colleagues and I took to the Rebbe’s constant encouragement and exhortation to bring Mashiach into reality.
How does one do that? By learning about what a ‘liberated’ G-dly world will look like, and acting in the way that one should act in a world that is itching to be holier. The implementation of these goals are by being inspired to go out of our comfort zones in all matters of goodness and kindness and holiness.
We need to commit to GROWING in all matter of Torah and Mitzvahs. As the Rebbe would always say, it is human nature, if you have 100 aim for 200. If you have 200 aim for 400.
Not for a bigger car and larger bank account. Being satisfied with what you have materially is the way it should be. To be unsatisfied in our spiritual growth is a great blessing. To commit to more Torah study. Additional mitzvah observance. More benevolent deeds to other. More self-control from empty indulgence.
Please G-d I look forward to a revitalization of Jewish life in Thailand as we emerge from the lockdowns and quarantines.
(A great piece of news as Thailand opens up is that the kosher meat restaurant at Chabad House has reopened this week. Daily 12 noon to 8:00 PM. Call 02 629 2755 to order. Or Rabbi Wilhelm at 081 869 5164)
All changes start from our own selves. Please G-d I aim to personally redouble my efforts in all of the above.
If you who is listening, is motivated to also add, this will be the greatest domino effect possible. If I change. And you change. The world changes. For the better.
(We have seen how quickly the entire world can be affected over the last two years. If disease is contagious, how much more so GOOD ENERGY and SYNERGY can spread faster than a virus. For Hashem has created His world with an imbalance in the favor of good. Good will always ultimately prevail. Good energy is thus more contagious than negative vibes).
And Mashiach comes. NOW!!!
Shabbat Shalom
Yosef
PS lots of exciting programs and projects in the works. New cemetery dedication, New Torah writing, New Bet Elisheva building to commence soon (reformulating plans takes time…). CHANUKA celebrations. New JLI course. New Chabad House building at Kaosarn Rd to be opened. May Hashem bless us all with HEALTH and success to each do our bit, AMEN!!!!
AMEN!!!!