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Bitachon Weekly

Once You Are Happy and Alive, THEN You Can Start Serving Hashem

  • Chukas
  • 5782
  • English
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Before you start serious Avodas Hashem, you need to be healed from being a depressed zero. The expert M'chanchim say that young children need to be wild. With a healthy, happy, and bubbly youth, the biggest Tzaddikim emerge. Chazal say: לְעוֹלָּם יַעֲסוֹק ָאדָּם בְּּתוֹרָּה ּובְּמִצְּוֹת ַאפִילּו שֶֹלא לִשְּמָּּה, שֶמִּתוְֹך שֶֹלא לִשְּמָּּה בָּא לִשְּמָּּה (Sotah 22b). First you need that animal energy of Shelo Li’shmah motivation. אֵין ָאדָּם עוֹמֵד עַל דִבְּרֵי ּתוֹרָּה אֶלָּא אִם כֵן נִכְּשַל בָּהֶן ּתְּחִלָּה (Gittin 43a).

However, eventually you need to aim for the truth. Despite its being outside the Machaneh, the blood of the Parah Aduma must be aimed towards the Heichal in the Bais Hamikdash. Whatever kind of “airing out” techniques a person may need for his Avodas Hashem; it is acceptable only if he is aiming for the truth.

When he screams louder than anyone in the Bais Medrash [so everyone should hear his Pshat] he may seem like a big Baal Ga'ava; but he does this L'shem Shamayim and he aims for the truth. So many of us need “that steak” or “the brand-new air conditioned Bais Medrash” or “the Yeshiva that has Bachurim who look up to me”.

He may need plenty of wild dancing, being a big joker, or schmoozer. He may look carefree and cool, as if he has been: ּפוֹרֵק עוֹל שָּמַיִם removed the yoke of Heaven, Chas V'shalom. Of course, he must have a Rebbe to guide him. I heard from R' Elya Weintraub Zatzal that every Purim the Chazon Ish would lock himself up for half an hour, and do certain somewhat wild actions, since he didn’t play enough as a child.

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