The Cohen Gadol wore the Choshen which was full of precious gems, on which were written the names of all the Shevotim. Rashi says that when Hashem saw the names of the Shevotim (on the stones on the Eifod), He remembers their Tzidkus. Mainly, all we know about the Shevotim is what the Torah tells us, which is the story of how they sold Yosef. This doesn’t sound like much Tzidkus! However, in this week’s Parsha we see how much remorse they had over their sin, that they blame all the evil in their lives on their sin; without getting angry at the person (Yosef) who was hurting them.
The Choshen was a reward for Ahron who Fargined Moshe without jealousy. This implies that the Shevotim (who did NOT Fargin their brother, but they did Teshuva), were even greater than Ahron, since his reward was to wear their names. So we can suggest that: בְמָקוֹם שֶבַעֲלֵי תְשוּבָה עוֹמְדִ ים אֵין צַדִ יקִים גְמוּרִ ים יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמוֹד (Berachos 34b) Baalei Teshuva are even GREATER than pure Tzaddikim! Indeed, those beautiful priceless stones of the Shevotim are symbols of the greatness of Teshuva.
STORY
I speak to the public in many ways. There is one station that for some reason everyone listens to, and I get by far the most compliments from this station. Although they may have heard the same exact recording, when this station records it, somehow, it’s much more Geshmak! And people smile with much Simcha telling me how they enjoyed it.
I was once recording myself, and somebody forgot to press a button... which means that I was talking to the wall for an hour! Although my helpers were very upset for this big loss, I laughed. I was sure that by saying Gam Zu L'tovah, my Zikkui HaRabbim would Davka skyrocket... which is exactly what happened. The very next day, this new station opened up! Perhaps because this station I earned by saying Gam Zu L'tovah, and it is a Schar for Bitachon, and whenever bad turns into good, the new good is EXTRA good, similar to: בְמָקוֹם שֶבַעֲלֵי תְשוּבָה עוֹמְדִ ים אֵין צַדִ יקִים גְמוּרִ ים יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמוֹד (Berachos 34b) Baalei Teshuva are even GREATER than pure Tzaddikim!
The Maharal says that Gam Zu L'tovah means that the most extreme evil will become the most extreme good.
TRUE STORY
Chaim Yisroel once called me about a famous Gadol B’yisroel who was deathly ill. I gave a strong Bracha, and this Gadol had a major Yeshua. He became Mamash a new person, just like I said. (I told Hashem: “For this Gadol, I must succeed in my Tefilos; Klal Yisroel needs him!”) A month later, Chaim asked for a Bracha that his son should get into the most impossible top-notch Yeshiva, after they told him: לֹ א NO! (מִ יט אַ ן אַ לֶ ף!) I told him “For sure his boy is in”, and that very night, they changed their mind.
Now, Chaim calls about his aging father, whom the doctors gave up on his life. Right after my Bracha, he’s improving beyond belief. There are more miracles between me and Chaim (at least 2-3), and I’m beginning to feel that it’s really Chaim who indeed has tremendous Emuna in my Brachos. But I decided that Hashem wants me to think that it’s all my Zechus, since I spend so much time working on Bitachon and Shviras HaMiddos.
These days, our Nisyonos can be very different than in the past. People have no idea how many put-downs they are habitually involved in, and how much greater they would become if they wouldn’t be afraid to even be extreme in: וַיִגְבַהּ לִבוֹ בְדַרְ כֵי ה' lifting your heart in the service of Hashem. Here are some typical put-downs that seem true, but are really lies:
- “I have no Koach!”
- “I’m getting old and tired”
- “I’m missing Simcha”
- “I’m missing self-esteem”
- “I’m not too popular”
- “The Olam doesn’t’ really respect me”
- “I make loads of mistakes”
You’d be shocked if you knew how much Sheker are in these types of self-criticisms. The Yetzer Hara is super smart!
Are you lacking energy or motivation? Be Dan yourself L'kaf Zechus for some wrong you once did. You carry guilt feelings with you all the time although you may not be aware of it. You may even go extreme and Paskin a “white lie” if you have a nature to look down on yourself, since by working on Middos we need to go extreme and even lie (Rambam).
