I know from my own personal experience that only until the
end of High School I heard of the famous
weeks of Shovavim that we are currently in. Therefore, with the lack of
knowledge in our world, we will look at the depth of Shovavim and what makes it
so special. First of all, it is known that the same week’s Torah reading,
meaning the portion that we read on Shabbat morning, brings a special spiritual
mood from the Heavens into the world. This special shefa of holiness and purity is exerted throughout the entire world
and influences everything we do.
These weeks are special because of the Torah reading that
occurs in between them. The word Shovavim is made up of six letters that are
taken from the six parts of the Torah that we read in these six weeks: Shemot-VaEra-Bo-Beshalah-Yitro-Mishpatim. These six letters spell out Shovavim. These six
Torah portions also describe the full exodus of Egypt. This means that from the
Parasha of Shemot, which is the beginning of the slavery in Egypt where the
Torah describes the horrible conditions that the Egyptians forced onto the
Jewish people (which was worse than the condition of the Holocaust), up until
Mishpatim we go through the process of slavery to freedom.
Every single individual in this world has spiritual issues
and challenges they need to face. Whether it be a problem with theft,
overeating, the desire to use the internet, not watching their eyes, murder,
modesty, middot, etc. every Jew is faced with major and minor issues that
places them under the category of being enslaved to their desire. This form of
slavery is parallel to the slavery in Egypt. Unfortunately we sometimes fall
into these horrible desires and let ourselves get taken away by the evil of the
spiritual world and don’t let ourselves believe in our own strength to become
free from these desires. After all its all in our hands.
Shovavim is a time that is similar to Aseret
Yemei Teshuva, the ten days in between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur where
people greaten their mitzvot and repentance! This is a time where people CAN
GET RID OF THE ESSENCE OF THEIR DESIRES AND EVIL INSIDE THEM! As Rav Yaakov
Yisrael Lugasi shlit’a explains in his book Takanat HaShav, which has a special
chapter only on Shovavim, hat every individual is given the power from Hashem
during these times to turn around 180 degrees and become fully holy and
spiritually successful!
Be’ezrat Hashem may we be successful in our Avodat Hashem,
whether it be serving Hashem in the Bet Midrash, the Bet Kenesset (Shul), at
work, in our kitchen, on the subway, etc!
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