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ShareIdeally, one's tefillah should embody total, boundless submission before Hashem, as the petitioner simply hopes for His mercy. We must stand before the Almighty with the attitude that we do not deserve His giving us anything. It is due solely to Hakadosh Baruch Hu's merciful kindness that we receive anything at all from Him. This means that any time we ask Hashem for something we should have the feeling that we are asking for a gift. Tefillah with that attitude is genuine tefillah emanating from a broken heart, which the Almighty will surely answer.
When Moshe Rabbeinu ascended on High to receive the Torah, Hashem showed him stockpiles of unimaginable riches. "Master of the World," Moshe said, "who are these for?"
"These are for those who toil in Torah," the Almighty replied.
He showed Moshe other immense vaults filled with treasures.
Moshe asked, "Who are these for?"
"These are for those who perform acts of kindness," Hashem answered.
He then showed Moshe another vault of incalculable dimen-sions. Again, Moshe asked, "Who is this for?"
"This is the treasury of unearned gifts," Hakadosh Baruch Hu answered.
When Moshe Rabbeinu prayed to Hashem entreating Him to allow him to cross the Jordan River and enter Eretz Yisrael, Moshe cited the merit of the holy Torah as a reason Hashem should accept his request. Hashem turned down his request. Moshe said, "I appeal to the [kindness stockpiled in] the 'great treasury." Moshe was requesting kindness as a gift from that same massive treasury of unearned gifts that Hakadosh Baruch Hu had shown him. That is the meaning of the word "va'etchanan - I entreated." Moshe begged Hashem for a dispensation, the greatest possible gift an unearned gift for which there was no possibility of remuneration.
"Trust in Hashem, and do good." You have no good deeds to show, and you know that you are not righteous; nevertheless, "trust in Hashem," because the Most Merciful One will treat you with compassion. As the passuk says (Tebillim 145:9), "And His mercies are over all His works."
"Never abandon us, O Hashem our G-d, for the sake of Your kindliness." We are certain that Hashem will not forsake us, because it is "for the sake of Your kindliness." If we were to ask the Almighty to do it for our sake, we ought to be concerned, and rightly so, that He might not redeem us, due to our sins. However, if we are asking Hashem for deliverance "for the sake of Your kindliness," we have nothing to fear, because His compassion is eternal.
Even if a person has committed much sin, [we can be confident that] And with Him is plentiful redemption, because the person's capacity for sin cannot possibly be greater than the Almighty's power to forgive. As terrible as sin can be, it is limited. But Hashem's kindness knows no bounds. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is long suffering. "As for one who trusts in Hashem, chessed surrounds him." Even if people are not deserving of Hashem's generosity, Hakadosh Baruch Hu bestows His gifts upon those who trust Him.
In the way that a person wants to go, he will be led
Moshe was not allowed to strike the earth or water, for that would have appeared to be a lack of gratitude on his part. The earth had concealed the body of the Egyptian that he slew, and the water did not drown him when he was floating in the reed basket in the river, when he was an infant.
The obvious question is: Do the river or the earth possess any sense, knowledge or feelings through which they could have recognized ungrateful behavior? The fact is that, had Moshe Rabbeinu smitten the water of the earth, he would not have done them any harm. It is Moshe Rabbeinu's integrity that would have been harmed by an act that showed ingratitude, This is the basis for the Talmudic statement Bava Kama 92b "Do not cast stones into a well from which you drank."
(9) Не who has a generous eye shall be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.
(ט) אָמַר לָהֶם, צְאוּ וּרְאוּ אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיִּדְבַּק בָּהּ הָאָדָם. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, עַיִן טוֹבָה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, חָבֵר טוֹב. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, שָׁכֵן טוֹב. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, הָרוֹאֶה אֶת הַנּוֹלָד. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, לֵב טוֹב. אָמַר לָהֶם, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ מִדִּבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁבִּכְלָל דְּבָרָיו דִּבְרֵיכֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם צְאוּ וּרְאוּ אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ רָעָה שֶׁיִּתְרַחֵק מִמֶּנָּה הָאָדָם. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, עַיִן רָעָה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, חָבֵר רָע. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, שָׁכֵן רָע. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, הַלֹּוֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם. אֶחָד הַלֹּוֶה מִן הָאָדָם, כְּלֹוֶה מִן הַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים לז) לֹוֶה רָשָׁע וְלֹא יְשַׁלֵּם, וְצַדִּיק חוֹנֵן וְנוֹתֵן. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, לֵב רָע. אָמַר לָהֶם, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ מִדִּבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁבִּכְלָל דְּבָרָיו דִּבְרֵיכֶם:
(9) He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the right way to which a man should cleave? Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye; Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion; Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, foresight. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included. He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the evil way which a man should shun? Rabbi Eliezer said, an evil eye; Rabbi Joshua said, an evil companion; Rabbi Yose said, an evil neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, one who borrows and does not repay for he that borrows from man is as one who borrows from God, blessed be He, as it is said, “the wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous deal graciously and give” (Psalms 37:21). Rabbi Elazar said, an evil heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.
Every individual must serve God with his actions and thoughts. Through devout intentions and holy thoughts, a person raises the Shechinah from the earth, and through deeds, he elevates and betters himself.
This is the deeper meaning of this verse. The phrase "Every man whose heart motivates him" alludes to serving God with thoughts. By doing so, as the verse continues, "you shall take My elevated portion," meaning, through this Divine service, the Shechinah is uplifted. The phrase "This is the portion — literally, 'the elevation' — that you shall take from them" alludes to the elevation that the person himself "takes," so to speak, through action, as the verse continues, "gold, silver, and copper," which refers to the actual deed of contributing of gold, silver, and copper. Contemplate and analyze this well.
(לא) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מְנֹרַ֖ת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר מִקְשָׁ֞ה תֵּיעָשֶׂ֤ה הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ יְרֵכָ֣הּ וְקָנָ֔הּ גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ׃
(יח) לֹא־יִקְשֶׁ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֗ךָ בְּשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֨ אֹת֤וֹ חׇפְשִׁי֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ כִּ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ שְׂכַ֣ר שָׂכִ֔יר עֲבָֽדְךָ֖ שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים וּבֵֽרַכְךָ֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ {פ}
(18) When you do set either one free, do not feel aggrieved; for in the six years you have been given double the service of a hired worker. Moreover, your God ה' will bless you in all you do.
to reward each man according to his deeds.
If God rewards a person only according to his deeds, that is simply justice. In what way is this a kindness? A person only initiates the deed, but God brings it to completion, God rewards the person as if he had completed the entire deed himself. That is beyond what the person deserved, and that is a Divine kindness.
