I can't wait to learn with you next week. Right now I can only run one chaburah per week so the Sunday night one is on hold for a few weeks.
We are up to chapter 5 in Da Es Atzmecha. I will post the outlines (of Bilvavi and Da es atzmecha) iyH in a few days.
Some of us are feeling a let down after the high of Pesach. This is a normal feeling. Hashem showed us our potential on Pesach and now, during sefira, we take a small step to approach that high space that we experienced. (Rabbi Nivin Chaburah)
Someone asked me how she can stay happy when she hears bad news. In Rav Schwarz's sefer, Da es Menuchasecha; Discovering your Inner Peace, he discusses how Rabbanim/ tzadikim who listen to everyone's issues are able to maintain their joy, without sinking into deep depression from all the difficulties that others are experiencing. They learn Torah and this is the antidote to depressing feelings and thoughts.
My friend asked- then which one is real? (the pain or the Torah easing the pain).
The issue is not what is real- the pain is real and the Torah is emes. The issue is : "What is my hishtadlus in each moment to be the very best eved Hashem that I can be?"
When someone is before us and is in pain (chas veshalom) then our job is to listen and help, daven and do. However, when the person is not with us, our job is to learn Torah (if no one else needs you).
In Divrei chaim, he discusses a midrash where Bnei Yisrael tell Moshe Rabbeinu after krias yam suf that they had done what they had come to do, celebrated Pesach and singing shirah to Hashem. Moshe answers them that they still have a task to do, receive the Torah.
The Shem m'Shmuel says that this was self sacrifice on their part, as they saw that 190 years of being slaves still had to be served to achieve the 400 years of slavery. They didn't want their descendants to be stuck with it in the future.
Moshe's answer, however, is the key. The Torah can provide the redemption from the outstanding 190 years. Turn to it, learn it, live it, love it, as it is the key to our relationship with Hashem, and to our redemption from all the things we are currently enslaved to.
This is the first thing to remember as we approach Shavuous and receive the Torah.
The question is, who do we want to be when the Torah is being placed in our hands? (The answer to that is the arrow to point you to the small step to take that we discussed above)
b'ahava, aviva rus
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