Parshas Nitzavim-Vayelech 5774

BEG For Life!!!

I want to thank my dear Chavrusa, R’ Yechiel Gilden Shlit”a, for showing me this powerful Kli Yakar. The Pasuk, in this week’s Parsha, tells us, “Behold, I have set before you, Life and good, and Death and evil.” The Kli Yakar tells us, “If life is what you want, live in order to do good in the eyes of Hashem. If you will say ‘why didn’t Hashem say Tov first?’ That is because through good deeds a person merits life. A person should not do good in order to live, rather, he should ask to live so that he will do good. He should beg for life, so that he can do G-d’s will, as it says, ‘Who is the one who loves life? He loves his days, to do good.’ That is why he is determined to live, so that he can do G-d’s will, by learning His Torah and doing His Mitzvos.

R’ Chatzkel Levenstein, Zecher Tzadik Livracha, has a long Shmuess on this. He tells us that the main focus of the holy days of Rosh Hashanah is to beg for life, as it says “Zachreinu L’chaim” but it has to be “Lamancha Elokim Chaim / for Your sake, let me live.”

But the main focus of Rosh Hashanah is to beg for life. R’ Chatzkel goes on to say that many people make a mistake and think that Rosh Hashanah is a time to do Teshuva, and fix your Nefesh. These are all wonderful and beautiful things, but if one is only focused on these areas, he misses the main focus of the day, and he is in big Sakana, if he does not beg for life.

So why don’t we ask for life? Our excuse is, that we think we are safe, but if one pays attention, we hear about death everyday, why does that not wake us up? We have to realize that we need Rachmei Shamayim in order to live, it does not happen by itself!!

Friends, let us all daven that we should live long and healthy lives, lives so we can do Mitzvos and Maasim Tovim and learn Torah. Lives that we can show Hashem Yisborach that we appreciate the gift of life that He so graciously gives us, and through that we will be Zocheh to only good things, “Ach Tov Vachessed Yirdifuni Kol Yimei Chayai”!!

Gut Shabbos,

Zevi