5 Bullet Friday: Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech

 

❓Question I am pondering:   Rashi (30:19) writes that, “Hashem tells us to look at the sun, which obeys Hashem command perfectly – it rises and sets every day at the right time, even though it will not receive any reward for doing so. Therefore, certainly we who will get reward for listening to Hashem should do so...” How could we understand this Rashi? There is a very simple pircha with this kal v'chomer: the sun is an inanimate object with no ability to think or decide, nor does it have any nesyonos to stop it. So how could it be so obvious that we should be expected to obey Hashem as well as the sun? 💡 Idea I am thinking about: Speaking Expresses Thinking. There is so much that could be written about the mouth. It is a part of the body that serves so many different functions. One of the mouth’s many talents is that it can convert thoughts into sound – brining the intangible a step closer to physical. This process also provides one with the opportunity to better understand. Speaking out one’s thoughts is key to truly understanding even one’s own thoughts. It is no surprise that what sets man above the animal kingdom are the abilities to speak and gain knowledge. These two things go hand in hand.    💢Concept I am considering:   Geir Toshav and Geir Tzedek. Simply put, a Geir Toshav is a goy who commits to keeping the 7 mitzvos of B’nei Noach. A Geir Tedek is a goy who becomes a full geir through the geirus process. Each one as a status has its own nafka minah’s.     👑 Hashkafic idea I am reflecting on:   Participation with the Tzibbur. Attaching oneself to a tzibbur is a tremendous zechus to have for Rosh Hashanah. Unfortunately, over the last number of months due to the pandemic, normal life was mostly disrupted and in some ways, associations with a tzibbur was at risk for so many. However, Baruch Hashem, with the ability to be safely back in our Shuls and following safety guidelines despite the discomfort or political noise, we were granted a tremendous opportunity to make sacrifices and contribute mentally, emotionally, and physically to the tzibbur. What a tremendous beracha Hashem provided us after months being alone, to not just return together as a tzibbur, but to make it in such a way that the way we should come back is by wearing masks indoors, social distancing, and keeping shared surfaces clean, all for the sake of caring about another’s well-being. May Hashem recognize those being so considerate in making compromises on one’s own sense of normalcy for the sake of others and indeed hold it dear for a zechus in the Yom HaDin and to merit many long years of health and safety.   😀 Middah on my mind: Forgiving. The Rambam writes that “the way of B’nei Yisroel is to be hard to anger and easy to appease”. This is the exact middah we implore Hashem utilize in din. Making commitments to be slower to anger and quicker to be appeased is a key to success in so many ways. It will retain and build relationships with others, build one’s personal self-worth, and encourage (so to speak) Hashem to judge middah k’negged midddah in return.