Parashas Ha'azinu - Cracked Pot

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Yeshua: Gittel Sora Yirtza Bas Rochel Leah
May you have healthy children and imy'H an easy pregnancy!
(If you would like to sponsor a Dvar Torah, feel free to email me: SharingTorah@gmail.com)
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We are currently in the days of Aseres Yemei Teshuva - the period between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It is the week where Hashem finalizes the outcome of our year based on our actions. The next several days should be taken very seriously, with contemplation of each action. It is a time to do more teshuva, tefilla, and tzedaka than usual.

This Shabbos is Shabbos Shuva, where we will be reading Parashas Ha'azinu. It poetically describes what will happen to Bnei Yisroel until the end of days. In the beginning, Moshe summoned the Heavens and the Earth to witness that he warned Bnei Yisroel to keep the Torah.

Moshe says, "When I pronounce Hashem's Name, give greatness to our G-d. The Almighty's works are flawless, for all His ways are just. A G-d of faithfulness without injustice, He is righteous and upright." Rashi comments: Even though He is strong; when he brings punishment on those who go against His will, He acts justly, for His works are complete (flawless.)

This reminded me of a time when a friend called me from America complaining how 'unfair' Hashem was. How Hashem gave him this extremely hard nisayon which he can not seem to overcome and that Hashem is just 'unfair!'

It sounded like he was saying that Hashem had made a mistake (chas vShalom); that Hashem put him in a situation which He should not have put him in because of his lack of self-control, self-assertiveness, and self-esteem.

He was upset because he was 'placed' into a family that didn't pay much attention to him. His father was never home and he was always getting pushed around by his older brothers. Now, he feels like Hashem isn't helping him out with his struggles and any direction he goes, he feels like he will stumble. "I have every reason to be upset at Him," he said to me.

Hashem does not makes mistakes. Everything happens for a reason. It is very hard to grasp at times (especially when we are dealing with something frustrating,) but we just need to believe that what happens is for our own good and it did not happen by accident. Instead of trying to rationalize the reason you act a certain way, just try to mend your ways. What happened, happened. Now it's time to look to the future and see how you can make things work with your specific situation.

I have a short slide show which is very inspiring. I think everyone should see it. I uploaded it onto my site (which is only used for downloading files; which is why you won't see any web-sites. I am waiting for this domain name to expire so that I can get a new one.)

The site address is: http://www.rabbinisso.com/cracked-pot.pps

Don't get the wrong idea - it's not saying you shouldn't fix your 'cracks', and should just live with them. On the contrary, the first thing someone should do is try to fix their cracks, but sometimes things aren't repairable, in which case we need to concentrate on the positive.

I give us all a beracha: we should realize that the hardships in our lives don't happen by accident and that there is One above running our world to our benefit. We might not recognize these as benefits yet, but after 120 years, it will be crystal clear.

Gmar Chassima Tova,
Nisso