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.