REDEEMING OURSELVES

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

We are now approaching Shavuot, where we celebrate the Giving of Torah, which will be next Thursday night BEH.

At the Giving of Torah, every Jew became a SERVANT to Hashem forever (Maharal), and as it says in Vayikra 25:55 "For the Children of Israel are servants to me.....whom I took out of the land of Egypt.."

I found it interesting this week, that the concept of REDEEMING ONESELF came up in a few places, and I would like to share 2 of these:

Sedra

In a sicha in Vol 17 Likutei Sichos from Behar, the Rebbe discusses the verse where a Jew gets to a low point in his life, and needs to sell himself as a SERVANT TO A GENTILE.

And the verse then states (Vayikra25:48,49) "...One of his brothers shall redeem him. Or his uncle or his cousin, or a family relative ..Or if he obtains the means HE SHALL REDEEM HIMSELF."

There are some glaring questions:

• With the various options of how he should have been redeemed, surely the first option should be for him to try and redeem himself?
• And where is the father in the options?

Rashi points out that this section is speaking about spiritual decline, to the point where the Jew sells himself to be a servant to a Gentile, and even helps him look after his 'idols'.

How could he fall so low? It starts when he separates and forgets about his Father in Heaven (that is why father is missing from the options)

However the Jew has only fallen into a state of spiritual sleep, and Rashi indicates that it would be entirely impossible for him to actually get to the point of worshipping the idols of the Gentile. Because when his faith is tested, his soul will awake from its sleep.

But a prisoner cannot free himself from prison easily, and therefore help is needed from others initially.

However, ultimately it is only the person himself, who can reveal his inner self, THAT HE IS A SERVANT OF HASHEM FOREVER. (that is why he is put as the last option in the verse)

Rambam

This week we have been learning the Rambam's laws of Personality Development (Hilchot Deot)

He explains how each person has certain character traits, but one does not have to be imprisoned by these. If one wants to improve undesirable traits, one has to practice going to the opposite extreme, aiming to reach a middle path between these extremes. Or even going beyond the middle.

Repeated performance will make these good temperaments a fixed part of one's personality.

And also Rambam states later in the Laws of Teshuvah, (Chap 5) that we are unique in Creation, in that we have free choice to fully control our destiny.

Our actions are in our own hands, and we are fully free to go in any direction that we choose, bearing the consequences.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos, and a recommitment to Torah on Shavuot.