This week’s Parsha says: ִה םִיַמָשַּׁב אֹלי א וֹתשֲׂעַל ˃ְבָבְלִבוּ ˃יִפְבּ דֹאְמ רָבָדַּה ˃יֶלֵא בוֹרָק יִכּ םָיַּל רֶבֵעֵמ אֹלְו ל יב -יד Torah is not in the heavens, or on the other side of the sea; it is very close to you, in your own mouth and your heart, so that you can keep it. This is strange. Who is looking in Shamayim and: םָיַּל רֶבֵע the other side of the sea? And how can you have it all in just: ˃ְבָבְלִבוּ ˃יִפְבּ your mouth and your heart?
We can suggest that the “Torah” referred to in this Passuk actually means Bitachon, since: ִע ָקי ְנ ר ִת ַני ַה תתּ וֹ ָרה the main giving of the Torah is for Bitachon; which the Gr”a defines as being Sameach B'chelko. So now we can explain the Passuk as saying: Just be satisfied with your very self )˃ְבָבְלִבוּ ˃יִפְבּ ( and that’s everything. ליִסְכ יֵניֵע ץֶרָא הֵצְקִבּ די זכ ילשמ A fool is always looking everywhere else, except being satisfied with himself. Notice how all these Pesukim in Parshas Nitzavim have the same theme: “Be happy with what you have”. םֶכָבּ שֵׁי ןֶפּ וג 'ו םִעֵמ םוֹיַּה הֶנֹפ וֹבָבְל רֶשֲׁאה' ˄ֱא ֵק םִיוֹגַּה יֵה˄ֱא תֶא דֹבֲעַל תֶכֶלָל וּני םֵהָה כט יז Lest there be among you... whose heart is turning away from Hashem to go and worship the gods of these nations.
The burning issue of every human being is to work hard on seeing only good in his own situation. Like the Chovos Halvavos says that all types of unfortunates, like unmarried people, and: םיִיִנַע the poor, should see only the good side of their Matzav, and try to see only the bad side of marriage and being wealthy!
Just stay at home base, and learn to always see good in yourself and your situation; and play down and even ridicule other people’s Matzav! תֶא הָבֲהַאְל 'ה˃יֶה˄ֱא ל ו “Loving Hashem” means being happy with your exact situation, with all its minute details! If you are heavy be happy. “I love being big and heavy!”
And if you are tall, you must say all day long: “I love being a tall type”. The same for a “short” and “skinny” and “red” and “blonde”, or a quick type, a quiet type, a bold type, and a fearsome type, etc
Beinng Sameach B'chelko means the true life. It says: םיִיַּחַבּ ָתְּרַחָבוּ נצבים ל יט Chose life! Be happy with the basic being alive!
Chazal say that the word: שׁוֹ ָפ ר Shofar means: ַשׁ ְפּרוּ ַמ ֲע ֵשׂ ֶכי ם beautify your actions. i.e., you are already doing fine, but try to make yourself even better; especially to do things with more Geshmak, and beautify what you do.
Chazal say: םִיַתאָמ הֶצוֹר ,הֶנָמ וֹל שֵׁיֶשׁ יִמקהלת רבה א לב A person who possesses 100, desires 200. I heard in the name of R' Pam Zatzal that a person should always feel: הֶנָמ וֹל שֵׁיֶשׁ like he has 100; meaning that although we always need to strive for growth, at first we should feel that we already have something (100), and now let’s move on for more (200). If you feel like you have nothing and you’re a zero, then you’ll never feel good about yourself, and you won’t grow.
At Least Speak Noble Words and Daven for Goodness
A Yungerman was having terrible Tzaros from his son, who was terrorizing his 10 siblings! I gave him a Bracha that just like today he is the terror of the house, someday he’ll be the pride of the house. 4 years later, he called to tell me that it all came true. He said that even while his son was a troublemaker, he kept speaking like a Tzaddik.
He kept saying that learning Torah is everything, even though he never learned. Yesod Gadol: At least speak noble words and daven for goodness. וֹתשֲׂעַל ˃ְבָבְלִבוּ ˃יִפְבּ Your mouth can be precious (and even more than action)! And when you have no Koach to daven, remember that Chizkiyahu HaMelech had no Koach to daven (Medrash), and that night, the entire Malchus Ashur (who tried to conquer Chizkiyahu’s Yerushalayim) was killed by a Malach!
In all your challenges in life you need to feel like you’re already getting there (you are strong) but you need to work a bit more. I’m already a Baal Bitachon, a Ben Torah, I have a good Mazal, I’m smart, I’m happy, I’m an Oved, a Tzaddik, I’m Oisgehalten, I’m already capable. I’m already well liked, already neat and M'sudardik, already a good-hearted person, a Baal Chesed, a Baal Tzedaka, a Masmid, a Baal Mussar, etc. I just need to improve on all these areas and become even greater (if possible!) This is the right attitude. Not to look at yourself as a zero who’s always starting from scratch.
Even if a person has very little of the Maalos he’s looking for, for example, he has a faint, half-baked smile (which looks more like a frown than a smile), he should still call himself a “smiley person” and wish for an “even” better smile! If people insist on feeling happy with what they already have (albeit very little of that Ma'ala) then they have a much better chance of being Zoche to more.
This is the concept of blowing Shofar on Rosh Hashanah; a time when it’s actually Assur (forbidden) to mention Chet, and you can’t even eat a walnut, since: זוֹגֶא is the same gematria as: ֵח ְטא Chet.
On Rosh Hashanah, we just try to enhance and appreciate our greatness; we don’t get involved in the “mud” of Chet. On Rosh Hashanah we walk around feeling “full”, like the Cohen Gadol, and this is our Tikun, since we are Sameach B'chelko. R' Shlomo Kluger Zatzal says that the Halacha to say the “Yehi Ratzon” by all the Simanim is an Inyan of Gam Zu L'tovah, and by saying everything is good, it actually becomes good.
You say that you’re a great person on Rosh Hashanah, and you appreciate all your Maalos. You don’t get involved in Chesronos; this makes you be Zoche B'din. This is the secret of the Jewish Derech that the Tur mentions, that we go to court wearing Simcha’dike white clothes, with guaranteed Bitachon that for sure we’ll be Zoche B'din.
This is the way to succeed in Avodas Hashem; always start with positivism. By saying: “I’m perfect, since I have so many Zechusim. And being happy with my Zechusim, together with my Bitachon that I’ll be Zoche B'din, AND being happy with making Hashem Melech”; is what makes you be Zoche.
