Description: Belief in the Creator 05
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 51 – 54
Upon recognizing the need to live with Hashem every moment of the day, we now have to come up with a game plan how to achieve this level of perception. The thought we are looking to become accustomed to thinking and feeling is a simple one. As we have explained, it’s the simple truth of Hashem is here. He is ‘melech chay v’kayum.’ He exists. The more we focus on this and actually think this, it will become more comfortable in our thoughts, and begin to find its way into our hearts.
Rabbi Akiva gave a famous mashal that water has the ability to carve a hole in a stone. Thinking about this mashal we see an interesting thing. Water is a very simple, very pashut, drop of matter. It drips on the stone, drip after drip, and the first drip is exactly like the second drip, and the second drip is exactly like the third. There’s absolutely no difference, yet the successive drips, after many years have the ability to chip away at the stone and eventually carve out a hole.
The heart of a man is referred to in the Torah as ‘leiv ha’even’, the heart of stone. It means that we are set in our ways, and it isn’t easy to make inroads into whats habitual. But ‘avanim shachaku mayim,’ stones are carved out by water, and it’s the simple thoughts, just repeated again and again, that eventually worm their way into our hearts and change it.
Our job now is to formulate a plan on making this a reality. We can begin by making reminders for ourselves during the day. Perhaps we’d like to take a moment to recognize the reality of Hashem’s existence before we daven. So, a moment before the three times we daven, or however many times we make a brachah, we’d like to think this – we need to make some plan how to remember to do that. Everyone is creative and can come up with a way that works for them. Maybe a notation in a siddur, maybe a reminder on your phone – there’s no lack of ideas!
Once we are successfully doing that, it’s time to add! We can now try to think of Hashem’s existence for a moment before we eat. Here too, we need to implement strategies to help remind ourselves to think this. We can move on only after we have successfully achieved this. It’s of key importance not to move on to a new step before successfully mastering the previous step – this has to work like a ladder where we ascend one rung at a time. This kind of change of thinking, that really will result in a change of lifestyle can’t be adapted to or adopted quickly. We have to grow into it.
After achieving this, we can start dividing up our day and trying to see more times where we can insert this simple yet powerful thought – Hashem is here! He’s watching me! He’s providing for me! He exists! Once we have succeeded in that, we now can work on adding more and more times, so that we reduce the span between our ‘forgetful’ times, less and less. We would only move on after the original task of remembering and thinking of Hashem has become second nature. Eventually, we will master this level of Avodas Hashem, and become people who ‘live’ with Hashem, every moment of our lives!
The importance of this achievement can’t be stressed enough. Living with Hashem is the ultimate goal. As the Mesilas Yesharim writes and we’ve said before, it’s the only thing that can be called good. The Torah and Mitzvos are here to bring us to this goal, as we have addressed until now. With the mastery of this way of life, of constantly acknowledging Hashem’s presence, we have successfully brought Hashem into our life. What a level! It’s a life goal! As we can see, it will take a lot of work to make this truly a part of us. But it’s worth it, and every step of the way is worthwhile. If we accomplish thinking this before davening – our davening will be changed. If we can think this before eating – our eating will become spiritual, elevated, holy! With every introduction of this thought process, our lives will become dignified and elevated – true Ovdai Hashem.
We have now completed the second chapter of Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh B”h. We will begin the third chapter next week, titled, “Emunah Borei v’Nivrah,” Belief in the Creator, and the Creation. Have a great Shabbos!
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 51 – 54
Upon recognizing the need to live with Hashem every moment of the day, we now have to come up with a game plan how to achieve this level of perception. The thought we are looking to become accustomed to thinking and feeling is a simple one. As we have explained, it’s the simple truth of Hashem is here. He is ‘melech chay v’kayum.’ He exists. The more we focus on this and actually think this, it will become more comfortable in our thoughts, and begin to find its way into our hearts.
Rabbi Akiva gave a famous mashal that water has the ability to carve a hole in a stone. Thinking about this mashal we see an interesting thing. Water is a very simple, very pashut, drop of matter. It drips on the stone, drip after drip, and the first drip is exactly like the second drip, and the second drip is exactly like the third. There’s absolutely no difference, yet the successive drips, after many years have the ability to chip away at the stone and eventually carve out a hole.
The heart of a man is referred to in the Torah as ‘leiv ha’even’, the heart of stone. It means that we are set in our ways, and it isn’t easy to make inroads into whats habitual. But ‘avanim shachaku mayim,’ stones are carved out by water, and it’s the simple thoughts, just repeated again and again, that eventually worm their way into our hearts and change it.
Our job now is to formulate a plan on making this a reality. We can begin by making reminders for ourselves during the day. Perhaps we’d like to take a moment to recognize the reality of Hashem’s existence before we daven. So, a moment before the three times we daven, or however many times we make a brachah, we’d like to think this – we need to make some plan how to remember to do that. Everyone is creative and can come up with a way that works for them. Maybe a notation in a siddur, maybe a reminder on your phone – there’s no lack of ideas!
Once we are successfully doing that, it’s time to add! We can now try to think of Hashem’s existence for a moment before we eat. Here too, we need to implement strategies to help remind ourselves to think this. We can move on only after we have successfully achieved this. It’s of key importance not to move on to a new step before successfully mastering the previous step – this has to work like a ladder where we ascend one rung at a time. This kind of change of thinking, that really will result in a change of lifestyle can’t be adapted to or adopted quickly. We have to grow into it.
After achieving this, we can start dividing up our day and trying to see more times where we can insert this simple yet powerful thought – Hashem is here! He’s watching me! He’s providing for me! He exists! Once we have succeeded in that, we now can work on adding more and more times, so that we reduce the span between our ‘forgetful’ times, less and less. We would only move on after the original task of remembering and thinking of Hashem has become second nature. Eventually, we will master this level of Avodas Hashem, and become people who ‘live’ with Hashem, every moment of our lives!
The importance of this achievement can’t be stressed enough. Living with Hashem is the ultimate goal. As the Mesilas Yesharim writes and we’ve said before, it’s the only thing that can be called good. The Torah and Mitzvos are here to bring us to this goal, as we have addressed until now. With the mastery of this way of life, of constantly acknowledging Hashem’s presence, we have successfully brought Hashem into our life. What a level! It’s a life goal! As we can see, it will take a lot of work to make this truly a part of us. But it’s worth it, and every step of the way is worthwhile. If we accomplish thinking this before davening – our davening will be changed. If we can think this before eating – our eating will become spiritual, elevated, holy! With every introduction of this thought process, our lives will become dignified and elevated – true Ovdai Hashem.
We have now completed the second chapter of Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh B”h. We will begin the third chapter next week, titled, “Emunah Borei v’Nivrah,” Belief in the Creator, and the Creation. Have a great Shabbos!