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Torah Tavlin

Parshas Eikev 5778

R’ Mordechai Banet zt”l (Techeiles Mordechai) would say: “'ועתה ישראל מה ה' אלקיך שאל מעמך כי אם ליראה את ה'' - A Jew is commanded to follow in the ways of Hashem with respect to all the middos: ‘Just as He is kind, so must you be kind; just as He is gracious, so must you be gracious; just as He is merciful, so must you be merciful.’ However, this is impossible with the midda of Yirah - fear, since there is no such thing as fear by the Almighty. Thus, only here is the question asked: What does Hashem want from you? You cannot simply answer that you wish to follow Hashem - for in this midda you must figure out for yourself how to fear Hashem!”


Rabbi Lord Jonathon Sacks shlit’a (Former Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth) would say: “'ואהבתם את הגר כי גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים' - You know the heart of the stranger because you were once a stranger in the land of Egypt. If you are human, so is he. If he is less than human, so are you. You must fight the hatred in your heart, says Hashem, as I once fought the greatest ruler and the strongest empire in the ancient world on your behalf. I made you into the world’s archetypal strangers so that you would fight for the rights of strangers - for your own and those of others, wherever they are, whoever they are, whatever the color of their skin or the nature of their culture, because though they are not in your image, they are nonetheless in Mine. There is only one reply strong enough to answer the question: Why should you not hate the stranger? Because the stranger is you!”


A Wise Man would say: “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

 

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