Parshas Re’ai (5761)

Bs”d

Parshas Re’ai (5761)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

This Shabbos is a very special one—mivorchim Chodesh Elul. The Shabbos brings a bracha to the Rosh Chodesh which brings bracha to the whole month which in turn brings bracha to its culmination—Rosh HaShonah—which will bring bracha to the whole next year ‘haboh oleinu litova’.

We hope and pray to be able to “use” Elul to uplift ourselves in allthe areas of Avodas Hashem.

Our Parsha Re’Ai, to see, there are so many things we can see with our eyes clearly that can help us in our avodas Hashem and bring us successfully to fulfill our purpose. There was an agnostic in Vilna in the time of the Gaon and the Gaon’s talmidim asked him why he doesn’t use one of his various powers to “show up” the fellow and help him see that he is wrong. The Gaon replied, pointing to the table in front of him, I can put the whole “maareches shomayim”, the sun and moon and all the celestial bodies down right here on the table but it won’t do a thing for him, he is not interested. How much we must attempt to assure that WE ARE really interested so that we will be capable of seeing the open demonstrations that constantly surround us. It will give us the strength, the conviction and the clarity to successfully fulfill the purpose of our existence and bring bracha to our lives, to Klal Yisroel and the whole Creation.

A gut Shabbos, a gut Chodesh and a wonderful year.