Description: Rinah 09
She’arim BiTefillah
Rinah 09
Chazal say, ‘Kasheh mezonosov shel adam ki’krias Yam Suf.’ It’s as difficult as Krias Yam Suf to provide a person’s livelihood and needs. This is meant to be understood as plain fact. Imagine if we were one of the people leaving Mitzrayim. We have been slaves to a cruel king, and a cruel nation for centuries. They have killed our babies, forced us to do unnatural labor, and tormented us in every way possible. Then Hashem performs amazing miracles to force them to let us go. We travel for a few days, and then the entire Egyptian army is hot in pursuit, the Army, Navy, and Marines and Airforce – everyone! Kol Sus Rechev Pharaoh. We are forced into a trap, with the Yam Suf churning at our backs, and we are forced to confront this overwhelming force. Hashem then splits the Yam Suf miraculously, leads us through, and entraps the Mitzrim inside, then drowning them – destroying our centuries-old enemy and tormentor.
At that very moment – what kind of overwhelming emotion would engulf us? Wouldn’t we be so overcome with gratitude, that shirah would pour out of our every pore! We would be on fire with enthusiasm, to create the grandest and greatest shirah ever said – which is what Klal Yisrael did – they said Az Yashir.
Chazal say, that when you come home, and there’s food in your fridge, or food prepared on the table – a miracle of similar proportions has just occurred! If we have clothing, if we are not missing our basic needs, we have to feel a similar level of gratitude and enthusiasm to praise Hashem and thank Him for it. With a little work, we can begin to acquire this feeling. Every time we open the fridge and it’s stocked with food, take a second to think, where did this all come from? Who provided me with all this? Look how much kindness and chesed from Hashem there is here right in front of me! I am not worthy of even a fraction of this – and then a person’s heart will open with Shirah and praise to Hashem.
Chazal also say, that when a person is able to use the facilities easily, it is a nais equivalent to Krias Yam Suf as well. This also is something to focus on, when we are able to go easily and our bodies function properly, how grateful we need to be for this. People who, lo alainu, suffer from difficulty in this area, it makes their life very hard. When we say Asher Yatzar, and appreciate the fact that we are healthy, all the different parts of our body work well and work together, to provide us with a fault-free, seamless existence – we should be filled with gratitude and thanks to Hashem, and express it with that brachah.
I remember, many years ago, Rav Shimshon Pincus zatzal came to visit my Yeshivah. He was a brother-in-law to the tenth grade rebbi. He spoke by Shalosh Seudos, and he said, that he makes it his crusade to encourage people to start saying Asher Yatzer with kavanah! He felt that if more people would praise Hashem properly, we would see an amazing reduction in the sickness and disease around us, that unfortunately plagues us so much. He told a story, that he was once in a car accident, a car hit him broadside on the driver side. He was very hurt, and he didn’t know yet, but his leg had been broken. People ran to help, and they wanted him to get out of the damaged car – but he couldn’t because his leg was broken – it wasn’t responding. He imitated how one well-meaning individual was yelling at him, ‘Get out – kachah, like this,’ and he mimed how to move your legs! ‘I didn’t need help knowing how to move my legs! They move without any thought at all when they work well! But when they don’t, all the explanation in the world won’t help me move them!’
She’arim BiTefillah
Rinah 09
Chazal say, ‘Kasheh mezonosov shel adam ki’krias Yam Suf.’ It’s as difficult as Krias Yam Suf to provide a person’s livelihood and needs. This is meant to be understood as plain fact. Imagine if we were one of the people leaving Mitzrayim. We have been slaves to a cruel king, and a cruel nation for centuries. They have killed our babies, forced us to do unnatural labor, and tormented us in every way possible. Then Hashem performs amazing miracles to force them to let us go. We travel for a few days, and then the entire Egyptian army is hot in pursuit, the Army, Navy, and Marines and Airforce – everyone! Kol Sus Rechev Pharaoh. We are forced into a trap, with the Yam Suf churning at our backs, and we are forced to confront this overwhelming force. Hashem then splits the Yam Suf miraculously, leads us through, and entraps the Mitzrim inside, then drowning them – destroying our centuries-old enemy and tormentor.
At that very moment – what kind of overwhelming emotion would engulf us? Wouldn’t we be so overcome with gratitude, that shirah would pour out of our every pore! We would be on fire with enthusiasm, to create the grandest and greatest shirah ever said – which is what Klal Yisrael did – they said Az Yashir.
Chazal say, that when you come home, and there’s food in your fridge, or food prepared on the table – a miracle of similar proportions has just occurred! If we have clothing, if we are not missing our basic needs, we have to feel a similar level of gratitude and enthusiasm to praise Hashem and thank Him for it. With a little work, we can begin to acquire this feeling. Every time we open the fridge and it’s stocked with food, take a second to think, where did this all come from? Who provided me with all this? Look how much kindness and chesed from Hashem there is here right in front of me! I am not worthy of even a fraction of this – and then a person’s heart will open with Shirah and praise to Hashem.
Chazal also say, that when a person is able to use the facilities easily, it is a nais equivalent to Krias Yam Suf as well. This also is something to focus on, when we are able to go easily and our bodies function properly, how grateful we need to be for this. People who, lo alainu, suffer from difficulty in this area, it makes their life very hard. When we say Asher Yatzar, and appreciate the fact that we are healthy, all the different parts of our body work well and work together, to provide us with a fault-free, seamless existence – we should be filled with gratitude and thanks to Hashem, and express it with that brachah.
I remember, many years ago, Rav Shimshon Pincus zatzal came to visit my Yeshivah. He was a brother-in-law to the tenth grade rebbi. He spoke by Shalosh Seudos, and he said, that he makes it his crusade to encourage people to start saying Asher Yatzer with kavanah! He felt that if more people would praise Hashem properly, we would see an amazing reduction in the sickness and disease around us, that unfortunately plagues us so much. He told a story, that he was once in a car accident, a car hit him broadside on the driver side. He was very hurt, and he didn’t know yet, but his leg had been broken. People ran to help, and they wanted him to get out of the damaged car – but he couldn’t because his leg was broken – it wasn’t responding. He imitated how one well-meaning individual was yelling at him, ‘Get out – kachah, like this,’ and he mimed how to move your legs! ‘I didn’t need help knowing how to move my legs! They move without any thought at all when they work well! But when they don’t, all the explanation in the world won’t help me move them!’