31 May USE YOUR TALENTS FOR HASHEM

Reb Meir

Shapiro was

asked to

represent the

J e w i s h

community in

the Polish

parliament. Reb Meir Shapiro

asked the Rebbe of Tchortkov zt’l

whether he should accept this

position. This is what the Rebbe

wrote to him: “I received your

letter and I will tell you my

opinion, my counsel: “A person

can determine his life’s

assignment and the service that

Hashem wants from him by paying

attention to the talents with which

Hashem endowed him. Hashem

granted you a sharp mind, the

acuity to delve into Torah and to

draw out beautiful diamonds, and

to teach students… You already

have many special students. If you

will accept this government

position, it will detract from your

avodas hakodesh. On the other

hand, in this political role as a

representative you will be able to

do a lot of good for the Jewish

community. Therefore, my advice

to you is the following: Don’t do

any hishtadlus towards attaining

this governmental position. And if

the Agudah committee asks you to

take on the position…accept it.”

The Psikta writes the following:

, – –

“Honor Hashem with what He

granted you. If Hashem gave you a

son, circumcise him. If He gave

you a house, put on a mezuzah and

erect a gate, maakah, on the roof. If

He gave you a yard, build a sukkah

there. If He gave you sheep,

sanctify the first born and give the

first shearing to the kohen. If he

gave you an animal…observe the

mitzvos of not plowing with an ox

and donkey together and the laws

of kelayim. If Hashem gave you

gold and silver…give a tenth to

tzedakah…” And if Hashem gave

you a talent, use it for Hashem’s

service. As the Midrash states, “If

you have a beautiful voice, daven

at the amud…” As it states

(Mishlei 3:9),  – ”

,Honor Hashem with the talents He

gave you.” The Navi (Malachim 1,

ch.21) says that King Achav said

to Navos the Yizraeli, “Give me

your vineyard because it is near

my home and I will make it into a

vegetable garden. In exchange I

will give you a better vineyard.

And if you prefer money, I will

pay you for the field.” Navos

refused. He said, “Chalilah that I

should give away my father’s

inheritance.” Achav was very

upset. “He lay in bed, turned his

face to the wall, and he didn’t eat

bread. His wife, Izevel, told him,

“Go eat bread and be happy. I will

get you Navos’s vineyard.” She

wrote a letter to the judges that two

witnesses should testify that Navos

“blessed” (cursed) Hashem. The

court complied, and Navos was

killed by skilah, stoning. Navos

was killed in a corrupt, cruel, and

illegal way, yet it is also certain

that his death was destined from

heaven. As we explained many

times, even when a person harms

you, it is also from heaven.

Nothing happens without

Hashem’s word. Thus, it is certain

that Navos was destined to die.

What did Navos do to deserve the

death penalty? Chazal explain that

Navos had a beautiful voice. When

he was  (to the Beis

HaMikdash for the yomim tovim)

everyone would gather to hear him

sing. One yom tov, he decided that

he won’t go to Yerushalayim and

the Beis HaMikdash. That time, he

didn’t use the special talents of

singing that Hashem gave him, for

Hashem’s service. Therefore he

was punished and killed. As the

Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni,

Mishlei, (says: “Reb

Elazar Hakapar’s nephew, Chiya,

had a beautiful voice. Reb Elazar

Hakapar would tell him, ‘Chiya,

honor Hashem with the talent

Hashem gave you. Navos had a

beautiful voice, and when he went

to Yerushalayim for the yomim

tovim, everyone would gather

around to listen to him sing. One

year, he didn’t go to

Yerushalayim, and dishonest

people gave false testimony on

him and he was killed. Why did

this happen to him? It’s because he

didn’t go to Yerushalayim to

honor Hashem with the talent that

Hashem granted him.’” It states in

the Aseres HaDibros (Shemos

20:6),

– – – –

– – –

 

Don’t carry Hashem’s name in

vain, because Hashem will not

forgive those who carry Hashem’s

name in vain.” The Netziv zt’l

explains that this pasuk is referring

to the unique talent that Hashem

grants everyone. Some sing well;

some are good Torah teachers;

some are talented story tellers; and

so on. The talent is called ,

Hashem’s name that is bestowed

on the person. The Torah is saying

that one mustn’t carry this talent

, for no purpose. , –

– – –

because Hashem won’t forgive

him for doing so. If you were

granted a talent, use it for

Hashem’s service.

Overcoming Jealousy

People often say, “I wish I could

be like that person… If I would be

like him, I would serve Hashem so

much better.” But everyone must

know that he is in the situation that

is best for him. Each person is

given his personal set of

circumstances, personalities,

challenges, talents, etc. that he

needs in order to recognize

Hashem and to sanctify His name

in this world. Shevet Levi is

comprised of three families:

Gershon, Kehos, and Merari, and

each family was counted

individually. The Midrash (Naso

6:10) states, “After Kehos was

counted separately, and Gershon

was counted separately… the

Torah combines [the total sum]

together (and tells us that there

were 8580 Levi’im – see

Bamidbar 4:46-49). This is so we

shall know that Hashem loves

them all the same.” The Bnei

Yissaschar (Igra d’Pirka 96)

explains, “Although Kehos’s work

was more exalted than Gerhon’s

and Merari’s (as Kehos carried the

aron), and

G e r s h o n ’ s

service was

more exalted

that Merari’s

( b e c a u s e

G e r s h o n

carried the

drapes that

covered , and

surrounded

the Mishkan), nevertheless, when

Merari’s family does the service

that is incumbent on them, it is just

as special to Hakadosh Baruch Hu

as Kehos’s family’s service…”

Therefore, there is no reason to be

jealous of others. You have

potential to do a service that is just

as precious as everyone else’s. The

Bnei Yissaschar concludes, “Don’t

be jealous of your fellow man, not

even with regards to avodas

Hashem. Be happy with the

mission Hashem gave you… As

we say, –

 – This

implies that the malachim

aren’t jealous of the higher

malachim  ,and the

malachim  aren’t

jealous of the higher malachim

. Rather, the and the

consider are

themselves elevated and even,

 ,important when

they measure themselves against

the higher and more exalted

malachim – the “. The

Tiferes Shlomo zt’l explains, if

your goal is to serve Hashem, you

will be happy and satisfied with the

role that Hashem gave you. If your

goal is to acquire honor for

yourself, you might not be willing

to accept your portion. For

example, consider a person who

works many hours a day to support

his family, and he only has one

free hour per day to learn Torah.

He might think, “I anyway won’t

become great in Torah, so what’s

the purpose?” However, if

fulfilling Hashem’s will is the

focus of his thoughts, he tells

himself, “This is what Hashem

wants from me, and I will do the

best I can.” And when he does

what is incumbent upon him, he is

very precious to Hashem.