THE YARDSTICK OF TORAH

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Wishing a refuah shleimah for Yechezkiel ben Ester.

Mazal Tov to Alisa and Juan on their Anniversary. Wishing you many more years of much happiness together with lots of continued nachas from your children!

I also noticed that it is the yohrtzeit of Basha Stein this Shabbos (not sure of her first name) who passed away on the 15th of Av 1949.

We are now in the first week of Consolation after Tisha BeAv, and I saw an interesting interpretation in this weeks Haftarah, Nachamu (Comfort my People..), Isaah 40:3-5, where Hashem is speaking about our return from exile:

“In order to make the return easier, every intervening valley will be raised and every intervening mountain and hill will be lowered……….The glory of G-d will be revealed….”

This was explained as follows: (From the Book of Haftaros)

Each of us has to become expert in self-appraisal to ascend the ladder of Spiritual growth.

It is easy for us to ignore our shortcomings and consider ourselves as mountains.

Or at least as hills if we realize that we are not accomplished Torah Scholars – for example, ‘I am an admirable businessman or professional….’

On the other hand we may also err in seeing ourselves as a valley, and G-d forbid, fall into a depression, if we realise that we have not progressed very far in life.

Therefore the verse is teaching us that we need to set aside time periodically to measure our moral and religious behaviour against TORAH’S YARDSTICK.

This will inevitably drive home to us our own spiritual deficiencies, which will make ‘Every mountain and hill lowered’ to a suitable level of humility.

And also to move from depths of depression by reminding ourselves of G-d’s infinite capacity and readiness, to forgive, which will raise us up from depression – ‘Every valley will be raised…’

And then we will be fit to come close to Hashem – ‘The glory of G-d will be revealed….’

Wishing everyone Gut Shabbos with much comfort!