Description: Ahavas Hashem 03
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 121-123
We have been discussing the methods of acquiring Ahavas Hashem. The first approach to take, is to appreciate all that Hashem does for us on a regular basis. There’s so much to be thankful for and to recognize that Hashem is doing this for us, day after day. Both the things that He does for everyone, providing us with food, which is so good and pleasant and enjoyable, and clothing, and sight and hearing and health – all the blessings we have. Then all things we have gotten personally, a house, husband or wife, children, wealth and so on. This is a life-long work in it of itself.
I just saw a story about Rav Moshe Leib Sassover zatzal. He had a chassid who would follow the Rebbe around surreptitiously, so as to observe the Rebbe when he thought no one was looking. One time he followed the Rebbe into a forest, where the Rebbe donned simple clothing and davened for a while. Then the Rebbe went to a certain hut, and two dogs came bounding out to greet him! They rubbed around his legs, clearly being very familiar with the Rebbe. The chassid was aghast. Keeping a dog was very un-Rebbe like, and not acceptable by the chassids standards. He concluded that he has to seek out a new teacher and moreh derech – this Rebbe is clearly not for him. The next morning, he took leave of the Rebbe, and said he’s moving to a new city, but didn’t offer any explanation. The rebbe said, ‘Ah, what a shame! There’s so much I still wanted to share with you! For example, did you know that I raise two dogs, to teach me Yiras Shamayim and Ahavas Hashem?’ The chassid’s eyebrows shot up, and clearly, he couldn’t imagine how! The Rebbe continued, ‘I look at what I give them. What do I feed them? I give them scraps, the leftover food that no one wants to eat, spoiled and fit only for dogs. (Dog food wasn’t a big thing in those days.) Yet look how thankful they are! They eat this happily and they express so much love for me and are ready to defend me and protect me, and do anything for me! How much more do we have to be grateful to Hashem who gives us so much more! He gives us good food, and health, and wealth and children!’
But truly understanding how much Hashem gives us goes much deeper than that. If we apply all that we have learned until now, about Hashgachas Hashem and His involvement and control of our daily lives, it will bring our love of Hashem to a new level. When we are successful at something, it’s not merely that Hashem helped us be successful, but He provided every detail of that success.
For example. Someone buys a house. After a year or two, he sells it at a tidy profit. A basic thought one might have, is that Hashem helped me, because He caused the prices to rise, so that I can make money. That’s siyatah dishmayah! Indeed it is. However, this is just scratching the surface. Who gave me the idea to buy this house to begin with? It didn’t formulate on its own, and it’s not my brilliant grasp of real estate that encouraged me to buy this house. Hakadosh Baruch Hu inspired me to buy this house – He placed the thought in my head. Every good thought, every successful thought, every inspiring emotion, is placed in my head and heart by Hashem! Moving forward, who made the house available for me to buy? Who insured that no one outbids me? Who saw to it that I got approved for a mortgage? Who managed my parnassah so that I could afford the mortgage payments? Who organized the future buyer and made it go through? There are so many details, and starting from the very, very beginning, from the thought process itself, it’s all Hashem’s manipulation and involvement! There’s nothing we do – and do alone. The concept that we do, but Hashem ‘helps’ us – is a product of ‘kochi v’otzem yadi asah li es hachayil hazeh,’ my strength and my power made my fortune for me – something the Torah expressly warns us against thinking.
If we are able to stop, drop everything, and truly think about this – how much more love and closeness to Hashem will it create in our hearts!
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 121-123
We have been discussing the methods of acquiring Ahavas Hashem. The first approach to take, is to appreciate all that Hashem does for us on a regular basis. There’s so much to be thankful for and to recognize that Hashem is doing this for us, day after day. Both the things that He does for everyone, providing us with food, which is so good and pleasant and enjoyable, and clothing, and sight and hearing and health – all the blessings we have. Then all things we have gotten personally, a house, husband or wife, children, wealth and so on. This is a life-long work in it of itself.
I just saw a story about Rav Moshe Leib Sassover zatzal. He had a chassid who would follow the Rebbe around surreptitiously, so as to observe the Rebbe when he thought no one was looking. One time he followed the Rebbe into a forest, where the Rebbe donned simple clothing and davened for a while. Then the Rebbe went to a certain hut, and two dogs came bounding out to greet him! They rubbed around his legs, clearly being very familiar with the Rebbe. The chassid was aghast. Keeping a dog was very un-Rebbe like, and not acceptable by the chassids standards. He concluded that he has to seek out a new teacher and moreh derech – this Rebbe is clearly not for him. The next morning, he took leave of the Rebbe, and said he’s moving to a new city, but didn’t offer any explanation. The rebbe said, ‘Ah, what a shame! There’s so much I still wanted to share with you! For example, did you know that I raise two dogs, to teach me Yiras Shamayim and Ahavas Hashem?’ The chassid’s eyebrows shot up, and clearly, he couldn’t imagine how! The Rebbe continued, ‘I look at what I give them. What do I feed them? I give them scraps, the leftover food that no one wants to eat, spoiled and fit only for dogs. (Dog food wasn’t a big thing in those days.) Yet look how thankful they are! They eat this happily and they express so much love for me and are ready to defend me and protect me, and do anything for me! How much more do we have to be grateful to Hashem who gives us so much more! He gives us good food, and health, and wealth and children!’
But truly understanding how much Hashem gives us goes much deeper than that. If we apply all that we have learned until now, about Hashgachas Hashem and His involvement and control of our daily lives, it will bring our love of Hashem to a new level. When we are successful at something, it’s not merely that Hashem helped us be successful, but He provided every detail of that success.
For example. Someone buys a house. After a year or two, he sells it at a tidy profit. A basic thought one might have, is that Hashem helped me, because He caused the prices to rise, so that I can make money. That’s siyatah dishmayah! Indeed it is. However, this is just scratching the surface. Who gave me the idea to buy this house to begin with? It didn’t formulate on its own, and it’s not my brilliant grasp of real estate that encouraged me to buy this house. Hakadosh Baruch Hu inspired me to buy this house – He placed the thought in my head. Every good thought, every successful thought, every inspiring emotion, is placed in my head and heart by Hashem! Moving forward, who made the house available for me to buy? Who insured that no one outbids me? Who saw to it that I got approved for a mortgage? Who managed my parnassah so that I could afford the mortgage payments? Who organized the future buyer and made it go through? There are so many details, and starting from the very, very beginning, from the thought process itself, it’s all Hashem’s manipulation and involvement! There’s nothing we do – and do alone. The concept that we do, but Hashem ‘helps’ us – is a product of ‘kochi v’otzem yadi asah li es hachayil hazeh,’ my strength and my power made my fortune for me – something the Torah expressly warns us against thinking.
If we are able to stop, drop everything, and truly think about this – how much more love and closeness to Hashem will it create in our hearts!