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By the Grace of G-d Dear Friend, At the beginning of the week, I heard an inspiring story. (Sadly, I heard many painful stories as well. Like the suffering going on in Ukraine (click her to help relief efforts) as well as a violent terrorist attack in Israel and some close very dear friends going through unimaginable personal tragedy. This week’s Parsha has its painful aspects as it describes Aaron’s great suffering and his response of ‘silence’ click here for more. The second Torah we read this week is about the mitzvah of the ‘Parah Adumah’ that even the wise King Solomon couldn’t understand. Yes, there are things that happen that we cannot (and dare not) understand or come to terms with. Like bad things happening to good people. Click here for more. For now, though, I want to share something uplifting, to bring you into the sweet, joyous holy spirit of Shabbat). Back to the story. My father-in-law gives Torah lessons to a Los Angeles dentist name Eliyahu. Last week, after visiting his parents, Eliyahu was driving near Sunset Blvd, as he has done hundreds of times before. While driving, he noticed a homeless person sitting there on the sidewalk with a collection cup. He didn’t make anything of it. Somehow, inexplicably, although he is very familiar with the area, he made a wrong turn. He got his bearings and set off once more the party at a friend’s house that he was headed too. Once again, he noticed that same homeless person. Eliyahu is a sensitive and spiritual person. He said to himself, if Hashem orchestrated my route to make this unusual mistake and notice this unfortunate person, let me embrace the mission that G-d has sent me on and stop and help him. Eliyahu parked his car and went to speak to the homeless man and said ‘G-d sent me to you’ and gave him some money. The man started crying. Eliyahu asked him why he was crying. When he heard his answer, he too started crying from emotion. ‘I have been sitting here for more than an hour and a half and no one has yet paid attention or noticed me. I felt abandoned and uncared for. In my hopelessness I turned to G-d. I prayed to G-d and said ‘G-d, it seems like you don’t care for me. I feel like I am worthless in your eyes and you don’t even notice me’. ‘As I finished my discussion with G-d, all of sudden an angel came to me from G-d. I shouldn’t cry’? Such a powerful, stirring story from the streets of Los Angeles. The predicament of the homeless person was not permanently solved, but he no longer felt abandoned by G-d. Right there in his sleeping bag on Sunset Ave he had a conversation with Hashem, and he was answered in a way that makes it clear to him that G-d is with him. Prayer is powerful. And prayer is accessible. To each and every one of us. Personal prayer, praying when you need something, is a mitzvah. It is simply a conversation with G-d, asking Him to help you with whatever you need. It doesn’t require any special language. Nor does it require any particular location. There is no charge, nor is there any affiliation requirement. It is a simple as ‘when you need something, turn to G-d’. G-d wants us to turn to Him. No, you won’t be an irritating nudge. Your prayers are ‘music to His ear’ so to speak. G-d desires our prayers. Our Sages tell us, that sometimes G-d doesn’t give us things till we ask for them. Because He wants our prayers. May G-d answer all our prayers favorably and bring Mashiach, who will herald in the utopian era of peace and revelation of G-d, AMEN Rabbi Yosef Kantor
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Watch a moment of wisdom for this week's Torah portion👇👇👇 |
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