Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Daily Advice. Thank you for joining us, and thank you to everyone who is commenting and participating in the live chat. Today, Marco chose an interesting topic: the klalot—not “klalot” with a kuf, but “klalot” with a kaf. These are the principles, the rules, of the Torah. One of those principles is not to forget God—not to forget the Creator.
It is interesting. We know that there is one mitzvah that is particularly mystifying: the mitzvah of the mezuzah. You see the mezuzah when you walk into your house, and you see it again when you walk out. Some people ignore it; they do not really see it. But the mitzvah is to acknowledge it—to kiss the mezuzah, as we said previously.
What is the idea behind the mezuzah? It reminds you. We know that there are two mitzvot in the Shema Yisrael. What are they? To proclaim that God is One, and to love the Creator—to recognize His greatness, benevolence, kindness, and generosity, which He bestows upon us every single day.
Everything that happens in your life is something we tend not to notice. We think it is natural. A person makes a sale, and he thinks it is natural—that is simply how the world works. A person is able to breathe every day, and he thinks it is natural. He is able to walk every day; he can move his hands every day. We do not realize the wonders and the miracles involved in everything that takes place in our lives.
Can you imagine walking into a room that has been pleasantly scented? Your wife cooks on Friday, and everyone walks into the house and smells the food. You walk into a restaurant, and it smells good. Do you know what a miracle has to take place in order for you to smell properly?
There are certain receptors in your nose that sense smells. They have specific shapes, and the right particle has to enter the right receptor in order to activate the sensation of a particular smell. These are miracles. You walk in and smell something. Sometimes it smells good, and sometimes it does not smell so good. Whatever I am creating has a smell. The sense of smell can tempt a person to eat something because he needs to eat, or it can warn him not to drink the milk because perhaps it is not good. The milk does not smell right.
This is an extraordinary system. The wonders of creation are not merely miracles in a flower; they are miracles everywhere. Therefore, there is an idea that we must not forget: do not forget the Holy One, blessed be He. That is why it says that when you place it as a sign upon your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, it is a reminder. The Creator is at your hands, meaning in the way you work, and He is in your head—in your ideas, your ingenuity, your innovations, and your technology. The entire world created by the Creator is a constant reminder.
So if you are waiting to feel something and you do not feel it, you may have performed the mitzvah, but you missed the point. The point is to achieve complete recognition and awareness of the Creator.
I do not know why everyone has to say this today, but I have to say it today: when you walk out every day, remember, “Creator, You are with me.” When you walk in, remember, “Creator, You are with me.”
And, by the way, what is written on the outside of the mezuzah? The name Shaddai, spelled with shin, dalet, and yod. What does that name mean? The rabbi says that it means, “He said to the worlds: Enough.” The Creator is truly infinite, while He created the world with boundaries and parameters, with things that cannot go beyond a certain realm. But the Creator Himself is beyond all those boundaries.
When you go inside, on the outside of the mezuzah you see the name Shaddai; on the inside, you find the declaration that God is One. When you look deeply into something, you will see the manifestation of the Holy One, blessed be He, within it.
There is one more idea. The Kabbalists write that the name Shaddai serves as a protection against the evil inclination. When a person is struggling, experiencing fears, ambitions, or a desire to do something, he can think of the name Shaddai. It comes to ward off negative thoughts, aspirations, and desires.
Therefore, when we leave, we should clear our minds and remember Shaddai. When we walk in, we are entering our family and our home, whatever the situation may be, and we should remember Shaddai. It is not merely a reminder of the Holy One, blessed be He; it reminds us that the Creator of the world is involved in everything.
You know, my grandfather used to say every time he turned on the car, “In the name of God, may this succeed.” The car was automatic, of course—it was automatic—but he would still say it. When he went to open the store, he would say, “In the name of God, may this succeed.” He would say it whenever he began something: “In the name of God.”
By doing that, when God is with us and at the forefront of our minds, we are reminded for good that He is present in our lives. We hope you have a wonderful day, and we hope to see you all again.