01 Nov DO THE BEST YOU CAN

The Mishnah states (Avos עשרה†נסיונות

נתנסה†אברהם†אבינו†¨®†5:3 עליו†≠†השלום†ועמד†בכלם

להודיע†≠†כמה†¨חבתו†של†≠†אברהם†אבינו†עליו†≠†השלום

“Avraham Avinu was tested ten times and he passed all ten tests. This is to let us know how much Hashem loves Avraham Avinu.”

In this Mishnah, Avraham is called אברהם

אבינו†, “Avraham, our father.”

The Tosfos Yom Tov zt’l explains that each test that Avraham passed brought many blessings and salvations for his descendants.

The Mishnah emphasizes that Avraham is Avinu, our father, and we, as his descendants, benefit†from†all†his†good†deedsƆWe¨†too¨†emulate Avraham’s ways and try to pass all tests Hashem sends us. However, as everyone knows, there won’t be 100% successƆWe†will†fail†sometimesƆPerhaps¨†we will fail most of the time. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying our best. As Chazal (Avos 2:16) say, לא†עליך†המלאכה†≠†לגמור†ולא

אתה†בן†חורין†≠†לפטר†ממנה†, “You are not

obligated†to†finish¨†but†you†are†also†not†permitted to raise your hands in despair.” We†must†do†what†we†canÆ

The Beis Aharon (p.2:) writes, “Be very happy. Everything you do in Avodas Hashem should be very precious to you. Think: ‘I won’t sell this merit for all the money in the world!’ Even if it is merely just one good word, thought, or deed. Nothing will be lost; great things will come from it, for you and perhaps for the entire Jewish nation.

Do whatever you can – be it big or small. As†people†say¨†‘Whatever†you†grab†in†the†market is worthwhile.’” There’s a tale about the†Golem†of†Prague†who†was†sent†to†the†sea†with a bag over his shoulders and was told to return†when†the†bag†is†filled†with†fishÆ

Many hours passed, and the golem didn’t return, so people went to see what happened to him.

They found him standing up to his knees in the†water¨†trying†to†catch†fish†with†his†handsƆHalf†of†his†sack†was†already†filledƆ“Come†home,” they called to him. The golem showed them that his bag wasn’t yet full. They†said¨†“We†don’t†need†any†more†fishÆ”†The†golem†heard†that†they†didn’t†need†fish¨†so†he†turned†the†sack†over†and†freed†the†fishÆ

This story shows the foolishness of those who think that it’s either everything or nothingƆWe†must†cherish†whatever†we†accomplish, even if it is a little.

This also applies to guarding oneself against aveiros. Of course, our genuine desire is to be completely clean from aveiros, but most people will admit that it is close to impossible to achieve.

Nevertheless, grasp whatever you can. Each success is precious. Reb Ezriel Tauber zt’l once brought a bachur to Reb Chaim Kanievsky Shlita. This bachur was at the very beginning stages of his teshuvah. He said that he wanted to keep Shabbos, but the main thing holding him back was his addiction to cigarettes. “I’m not ready to stop smoking for 25 hours,” he explained.

Reb Chaim took this question very seriously, and after contemplating for a few moments, Reb Chaim said to the young man, “Extinguishing a cigarette is also an aveirahƆTherefore¨†when†you†finish†a†cigarette, don’t extinguish it on Shabbos.”

Reb Chaim encouraged the bachur to keep as much of Shabbos as he could. He shouldn’t look at Shemiras Shabbos as an all≠ornothing†propositionÆ

The bachur followed this counsel. He kept Shabbos when he wasn’t extinguishing the cigarette, and he was careful not to cook or turn on the electricity, etc. It didn’t take long, and he stopped smoking on Shabbos and eventually became a full shomer Shabbos.

Hashem told Avraham ( בט†השמימה†≠†וספור

הכוכבים†¨®†15:5 אם†תוכל†לספור†≠†אותם¨†ויאמר†כה

יהיה†זרעך†, “’Look up at the heaven and count

the stars if you can.’ Hashem said, ‘This is how your children will be.’”

Reb Meir Shapiro of Lublin zt’l explained that it is impossible to count the stars. But Hashem told

Avraham to count them, so Avraham tried, and he began counting. Hashem said, כה†יהיה

זרעך†, “This is how your children will be,”

meaning that when they are given a commandment, they don’t say it’s impossible. They try, and they do whatever they can.

Hashem told Avraham, . לך†לך†≠†מארצך

וממולדתך†≠†ומבית†אביך†The Ropshitzer Rav zt’l

explains that if Avraham would sit and contemplate about his origins, about his father the avid idol worshiper, he would be discouraged, and he would say, “How can a person†like†me†serve†Hashemø†What†yichus†do I have?”

Similarly, if Avraham would think about his own history, the days of his youth when he worshipped idols (as the Rambam tells us), he would feel unworthy of serving Hashem.

Therefore, Hashem tells him, לך†לך†מארצך

וממולדתך†≠†ומבית†אביך†, don’t think about your

past. Go away from those depressing thoughts, and then you will be able to serve Hashem.

Turning Theory into Deeds

With†regards†to†Avraham’s†ten†tests¨†there†is a machlokes how to count them. Some say the†first†test†was†לך†לך†, leaving his homeland

to†come†to†Eretz†YisraelƆOthers†say†the†first†test was when Avraham chose to be thrown into the furnace at Ur Kasdim rather than to bow down to idols.

The test of Ur Kasdim is mentioned very briefly†in†the†ChumashƆAll†we†have†are†the†’ words 15:7), אני†ה†אשר†≠†הוצאתיך†מאור†כשדים

, “I am Hashem who saved you from Ur KasdimÆÆÆ”†We†wonder†©according†to†one†view) why Ur Kasdim isn’t among the ten tests and why the story of Ur Kasdim isn’t discussed more in the Torah. It seems like a much greatertest than 4. לך†לך†People†answer

that לך†לך†was actually a greater test, and

this is the proof:

The Noam Elimelech (Tzetel Katan) writes, “Every moment you aren’t studying Torah, especially when you are sitting idle in your room or lying on your bed, and you can’t fall asleep, be diligent to think about the mitzvah (Vayikra ונקדשתי†בתוך†≠†בני†ישראל

22:32 (, , to sanctify Hashem’s name.

Imagine†a†large†fire†is†before†you¨†burning†up to the heaven, and you go against your nature, and for Hashem’s sake, you throw yourself†into†the†fire†al†kiddush†HashemƆHashem considers a good thought like a deed. So, with this thought, you aren’t lying idly, rather you performed a mitzvah of the Torah.” At night, one may be thinking about being moser nefesh for Hashem. And then the morning comes, the alarm clock rings, לך†לך, get up and serve Hashem, but he

pushes the snooze button, and falls back asleep. So, it seems that לך†לך†is a harder test

to do than to be moser nefesh for Hashem.

This is said בדרך†צחות†, but the message is

very true. It is easier for people to be servants of Hashem in theory than in action. In theory, people are ready to be very holy, they can imagine themselves being moser nefesh for Hashem, which is what they truly want. But the challenge is to translate that devotion into actions. Are you prepared to do something?

Are you ready to put your actions where your heart is calling you?

Taking action is the hardest step. A group of Lubavicher chassidim in communist Russia gathered for a farbrengen to sing songs to Hashem and discuss chassidus. The mashpiah (leader) at this farbrengen was Reb Chat’she, the gabai of the Rayatz (Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitz) zt’l.

During the communism era, such gatherings were dangerous, and the participants were at risk of being exiled to Siberia. A bachur stood guard outside to make sure that police and informers didn’t come.

Once, the bachur rushed in and said that there was someone suspicious outside.

The men immediately hid their sefarim and took out newspapers, vodka, and cake to make it appear that they are just talking and spending time together. Some of the men escaped through the back door or through a window to save their lives.

Soon afterward, the bachur returned and said that the coast was clear. The men immediately took out the holy sefarim, and resumed their studies. Reb Chat’she told them, “Just a moment before, we were all doing deeds. The realization that our lives were at risk caused one to grab the newspaper, another to jump out of the window, a third to bring cake and drinks. Everyone†was†activeƆWe†should†do†the†same†when we study chassidus. The exalted ideas should†lead†us†to†improve†our†tefillos¨†to†perform chesed, etc. It shouldn’t remain in theory alone.” But that’s always the hardest part, to translate yearning into action.

There’s a Lubavicher song, עסן†עסט†זיך

שלאפן†≠†שלאפט†זיך†וואס†≠†זאל†מען†טוהן†≠†אז†ס’

לערענט†זיך†≠†נישטÆÆƆס†דאוונט†≠†זיך†נישט†’ ¨†“We

are able to sleep, we are able to eat. But what should†we†do†if†we†can’t†learnø†What†should†we do if we can’t daven.”

The song expresses the longing of a Yid who desires to daven with kavanah and learn properly, but he isn’t successful. A wise person asked, what would be if it were the opposite? He can daven, he can learn, but isn’t†able†to†sleep†and†eat†properlyƆWould†he†also sing a song about it, or would he do something about it? He would run to doctors, take medication, exercise, and do whatever he can to be healthy, so he could sleep and eat.

When†something†is†related†to†the†body¨†there is a small step between the theoretical and the actual. One is prepared to act upon what he knows he should do. However, when it comes to spirituality, we can know what we should do, study about it, and then do nothing at all.

Reb†Shlomo†Wolbe†zt’l†spoke†about†people†learning hilchos tzedakah, and then a poor person arrives and asks for tzedakah. They might†respond¨†“SorryƆWe’re†learning†nowƆCome back later.”

Similarly, Reb Avigdor Miller zt’l said that he once saw a yeshiva bachur studying the Gemara, which discusses the gravity of theft, and he was using a Gemara that was taken without permission from his beis medresh!

May we merit to actualize our desires and put into practice what we know we should be doing.