CLD #431

For the Refua Shlema of Mordechai Tzvi ben Sara & Binyamin ben Blanka.

Are we EVIL?

In our Parasha, the Torah HaKdosha tells us about Rivka, Yitzchak Avinu’s wife and one of the Emahot (Mothers) of Am Yisrael. The Pasuk explains that Rivka had a brother, Lavan HaRasha (the wicked): “Now Rebecca had a brother and his name was Lavan…” (Bereshit 24:29). The Ben Ish Chai says something absolutely BEAUTIFUL and Inspiring about this.

He breaks down the Pasuk to relate the Torah to me and you. He says Rivka is the symbol of one’s Nefesh, the ‘animal’ soul that is like the spiritual engine in our body that has a basis of ONLY GOOD. Lavan is the symbol for the Yetzer Hara, the Evil Inclination we should all begin to know very well because he will be with us for all of life (and Be’ezrat Hashem we should have enough help from Shamayim to distance ourselves from him ASAP). Lavan was the most sneaky and tricky person. The Gemara brings up Lavan in a conversation between Rachel (Lavan’s daughter) and Yaakov (Lavan’s nephew) when Yaakov wanted to marry Rachel and Rachel explained to him that her father is the trickiest and sneakiest cheater. But that’s another story.

So the Ben Ish Chai continues to say how in the beginning the Yetzer Hara comes to the person and acts like a brother, like the ultimate best friend that everyone wants to have which is this spiritual power that is born with the Human being.

The same pasuk continues like this: “…and Lavan ran to the man outside, to the fountatin.” Lavan is the symbol of the Yetzer Hara that runs to the MAN! He runs after Man to make us fall into the pits of the spriritual dirt and materialism of this world. But what is key in the Pasuk? Says the Ben Ish Chai, OUTSIDE. The Yetzer Hara does everything to get Man outside the Misgeret (boundaries) of the Torah. {No wonder it is so difficult for a young American Jew to head off to Israel for the year, the Yetzer Hara makes sure EVERYTHING will go wrong so he/she will not go to yeshiva/seminary, because after High School there is no more Torah boundary.}

Therefore the key to Spiritual success, which leads to ALL Success; is the CONSISTENCY of Avodat Hashem. The Ben Ish Chai further explains that this all roots from where one lets his/her Eyes wander. When the eyes are free to do whatever they please, they ultimately bring the entire body OUTSIDE the boundaries of the Torah and Mitzvot. What do we want to change about our actions and decisions?

B’H We should realize that the words of Torah are 100% TRUTH, even in our most difficult spiritual times and in the most confusing times of our life. No matter how irrelevant the words of the Torah are, we should all have the zchut to reach a level where we "throw our logic" out the door, and follow the Mitzvot because we know Hashem only wants good for us. EACH SPIRITUAL FALL IS ANOTHER REASON TO PICK ONESELF UP TO HIGHER LEVELS (than before), like a rollercoaster but we do NOT want the down slopes.

SHABBAT SHALOM!

Judaism=Think.

Why did Hashem give me a body and health? To go run after my bodily desires and let life pass in a snap (ask older people, they will tell you how fast it goes by)?

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