RABBI BEN ZION SNEH
כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו
It’s a promise by G-d, an assurance, a guarantee. Hashem confirms the axiom: We can do it!
We can overcome the urge to be lax in observance from time to time. Every goal we set for ourselves is truly within our reach but we must have passion, true passion that engages both our hearts and our minds.
The war is raging – and not just over in Eretz Yisroel. We each have our personal Yetzer Harah, designed to throw us off balance! It's a little voice that keeps on telling us “You cannot possibly do this, You are not on that level. Don’t even try.” And so it is, every day, every year, that we lose countless battles - simply by losing faith in our own strengths.
As we watch the past year fade into the sunset - it was a hard one. We are also bringing our own dreams for greatness to a close.
When we open the selichos – and soon the machzor – we might feel small. Another year has passed and we are forced to confront our shortcomings once again. What happened to this year? But what if we could wave a hand and change? What if we could truly believe that we have the power to make meaningful strides?
What if we believed that this strength was placed into us by our Creator who not only loves us for our Mitzvos – but for our struggles as well?
אתם ניצבים היום כולכם לפני ה‘ אלוקיכם
Today (Rosh Hashanah), all of you are here before Me, Hashem tells us. All the components that make up your lives- both your honesty and your struggles to keep the truth, your commitment to the Torah and your shortcomings. Your pleasant, cooperative and loving nature and the challenges you have controlling your anger, when things don’t go as planned. Is there such a thing as a perfect person? Not in this world- ours is a world for people that have something to correct, to change; that is why we are all here.
Losing hope, giving up, is something we are prone to do but, yes, we must also fight with every fiber of our body. We are not angels, but the Torah was not given to angels. If G-d had wanted perfect soldiers He would have kept the Torah for His heavenly beings- but He did not. He admires us despite the fact that we are vulnerable and may stumble sometimes.
This Rosh Hashanah when we face the open Machzor and count the pages to see how much time we have left in Shul, let us look at the back pages of our lives, examining them in a new light and forgiving ourselves. No good can come from berating and demeaning our soul and exposing its vulnerabilities. This year, let’s take a different stance.
Let’s stand before G-d with the knowledge that He supports our attempts at greatness because we are part of the Royal Family and worthy of His love. Hashem Himself will lead us all to the proper path but we must start; however small, we must begin to love and accept ourselves for who we are. And then the coming year will surely be full of blessings for us and our families.
Written by R’ Avrohom Hillel Reich based on a lesson and story by Harav Ben Tziyon Sneh Shlita
