Parashat Tzav: Grab Those Moments

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

In this week's parasha , Hashem tells Moshe צו את אהרון ואת בניו לאמר, and Rashi writes, אין צו אלא לשון זירוז. Moshe was told by Hashem to inspire and encourage the Kohanim regarding their work with the korban olah . Rabbi Reuven Elbaz in his sefer Moshcheni Acharecha writes that in life Hashem gives everybody moments of encouragement and inspiration, and it is the job of man to grab those moments and use them to elevate himself spiritually and get closer to Hashem. Rav Yechezkel Levenstein the great mashgiach of Ponevezh who has inspired tens of thousands of people with his sefarim entitled Ohr Yechezkel once told a student of his that he attributed all of his spiritual gains to one moment of inspiration which he grabbed and kept with him for the rest of his life. It was during a speech that he heard from the great Mashgiach from Mir, Reb Yerucham Levovitz. In that speech, he learned what it means to feel Hashem's presence at all times and see Him in everything that he does and encounters. Everybody experiences hashgachat Hashem in their own lives. Sometimes they are able to see it more than others. One of the reasons Hashem allows us to see His hand clearly at those times is because He is giving us moments of inspiration. The wise man captures the moment and etches it in his brain for life, utilizing it to get closer to Hashem. And then, even during the trying moments when his resolve is being tested, he doesn't budge from his emunah because he knows Hashem is with him. Rabbi Elbaz gave a parable to crystallize the point. If a man was lost and found himself in a dark forest with wild animals lurking, the darkness being so thick he could barely see a foot in front of him. He has no idea how to escape, but he knows he has to do it quickly before he is caught by an animal. Then, all of a sudden, a bolt of lightning flashes. The entire forest lights up. The smart man will make it a point to capture that image and then use it to navigate his way out of there. So too it is in life. Hashem gives everyone moments of clarity. It is up to us to utilize them to help ourselves navigate through life properly. Everyone experiences hashgacha pratit . It doesn't necessarily have to be with big things. But when those moments happen, Hashem is talking to us. Sometimes they're more clear than others. Dr. Meir Wikler told a story about a man, Meyer Isakov, and his wife who lived in Har Nof. They both had the most wonderful middot and their home was always open to taking guests in. Although they didn't have so much money, they managed to always care for the people who came through their doors. A baal teshuva named Zev Eisner became inspired at Aish HaTorah and left his secular life in California to learn in that yeshiva in Israel. He was very shy and never found peace when going to other people's homes for meals, until he met Meyer and his wife. He felt so comfortable there, he made them his go-to home. The one Shabbat a month he left yeshiva, he would always go eat by them. Baruch Hashem, after nine long years, Meyer and his wife were blessed with their first child. Their joy knew no bounds. Eventually, they moved the baby into a crib in the other room in their apartment. It was a few weeks before Sukkot and Zev was eating over them for Shabbat. Before he left, he asked if he could stay by them for the entire holiday of Sukkot as his yeshiva was going to be closed. "Of course," they answered immediately, even though there was no room in the apartment for him to sleep. Since they were going to sleep in the sukkah anyway, it wouldn't be a problem. The only problem was they didn't have any extra mattresses for him to sleep on and they couldn't really afford to buy one either. They were hoping over the next couple of weeks they would be able to borrow one. However, as Yom Tov approached, they had not been successful in finding one. Meyer gave his wife chizuk saying, not to worry, they were doing ratzon Hashem and he was sure Hashem would help. His wife told him, "I wish I had your bitachon . You know, this mattress is not the only thing we need. Our baby is getting bigger and soon he is going to need a highchair." "I wish I could afford one," replied Meyer. "But you know how impossible it is for us to afford something that expensive now. We could still manage without it and when we really need it, Hashem will provide it." The next day was Erev Sukkot. Even Meyer felt his emunah being tested. He still had no bed for Zev who would be arriving in a few hours. Two hours later, the bell rang. It was Shia who lived down the block. He needed a favor, he also had a new baby in the house and a lot of guests coming over. He needed to make room for them. He said there were a couple of things he wasn't going to need for a while, but he didn't want to sell them. So he was wondering if Meyer had any storage space for them. "What were they?" A folding bed and a highchair. The hashgacha of Hashem was amazing – sending them exactly what they needed at the exact moment they needed it. For Meyer and his wife, that was a moment of clarity, a clear indication Hashem was with them, a moment they would never forget. If we use the moments of inspiration Hashem gives us, we'll be able to grow and become the people we're meant to become. Shabbat Shalom.