Our hearts go out to the Jewish soldiers who have stepped up to the call to put their lives on the line. It’s clear that Hashem is asking every one of us to be a soldier in the Jewish army; for some this is physical, and for most of us, especially outside of Israel, it’s spiritual.
This past week I’ve been sending out videos of chizuk based on the powerful discourses that Reb Chaim Shmulevitz zt”l delivered during the Yom Kippur war. I would like to focus on one specific story that Reb Chaim relates that actually took place a few years before, during the Six Day War in 1967. In one video, Reb Chaim is discussing the prayer and learning Torah that the Bnai Yeshivas Mir should increase, and then he says that the most powerful act that can be done to bring salvation for the Jews is sheviras hamiddos – improving character traits.
Reb Chaim relates how during the Six Day War he was in a shelter, and there were plenty of rockets that were hitting his building. It was frightening, and suddenly a voice was heard of a woman who was an agunah. She cried out to Hashem and said “Hashem I full heartedly forgive my husband who has abandoned me for years without giving me a divorce bill and causing me great pain. I forgive him, and I want you to do the same for your children the Jewish people.”
Reb Chaim commented that the incredible effort it took for this lady to be forgiving had a greater impact than all the powerful prayers of the Yeshiva students crying out Shma Yisrael and Hashem Hu Haelokim (while of course their prayers were extremely important). This is the power of working on one’s middos. As the tzadikim relate, it takes years to correct a bad middah, but one’s entire life is worthwhile if he can accomplish such a feat, and the rewards are beyond this world
This powerful discourse certainly can inspire us to daven and learn more Torah as a merit for the Jewish people. However, more than anything, it should inspire us to work on one middah that we struggle with, because it will be a source of great salvation for both ourselves and the entire nation.
This week’s parsha contains the prime example of what to look for in a shidduch. Avraham Avinu instructs Eliezer to find the right shidduch in his old home town, and not to take from someone from the local population in Canaan. The Drashos Haran explains that the most important ingredient to Avraham in looking for a shidduch for Yitzchok was good middos, and this was only going to be found in Avraham old home town.
I once read that when Rav Aaron Leib Shteinman zt”l was asked what one should look for in a shidduch, the Rav responded three things: middos, middos, and middos.
by Rabbi Daniel Coren
What We Should Do
Wednesday Night 8pm – Smichas chaver Rabbi Coren Office
Shabbos Morning - Vasikin Minyan & 8:00am Minyan
