Today we are going to give our final push for the week, for Lev
Chana. And if you’re wondering why
am I pushing so hard, well, of course, I have a responsibility. I am committed to close to 250 families. Cards go
out before I have the money. So that's one reason.
But what does that
have to do with you?
There is an important principle that Rav Chaim Pilaggi
discusses, that reiterate every year. He writes that
throughout his years as the Chief Rabbi of Turkey, he saw many people who
were extremely wealthy, who went into
the holiday season with everything that one could possibly want or need or
have. And yet these families were
bickering. The mother-in-law wasn't getting along with her daughter-in-law, the
brother wasn't getting along with his father, and so on. People can go off to all kind of
exotic places and yet come back sad and upset.
Mental health therapists share that there's a spike in
referrals after the holiday season. Why
is it that people put so much into being happy and fulfilling the Mitzvah of
V’Samachta B’Chagecha, and yet they're
not necessarily happy?
Rav Chaim Pilaggi would send a messenger with a Chumash and Rashi
to share the reason, wherein the Chumash delineates eight different people that
are supposed to be happy on the holiday:
Rashi says the name of God,
“My four correspond to your four. If you make Mine happy,
I’ll make yours happy.”
“Mine” refers
to God's children, the widow, the orphan, the clergy, and the convert. If you
make those happy, then God will make yours happy- your son, your
daughter, your male servants, your female servants…
We all want our families and our children to be happy.
Rav Chaim, Pilaggi adds that when people had unhappy holidays, it came from this.
Sometimes people ask, “What do you mean? I gave charity,
I made people happy, and I'm still not happy.”
Well, first of all, the more money you have, the more
responsibility you have to give. But let's say you gave and still it didn't
work.
We can answer based on a story with Rav Yisrael Salantar.
He went to visit a
man on Motzei Shabbat one Saturday night, but the wife of the man said he was not feeling
well. He had a high temperature, and he
was ill in bed. Rav Yisrael said he only
needed to speak to him for a moment, and asked the man, “Do you believe that every single word that
it says in the Gemara and Midrashim is
100% true? That you could take it to the bank?”
The man hesitated and said, “I believe….but I can't say I believe
a hundred percent.” Rav Salantar
then spent the next while convincing the man of the authenticity and the
fidelity of every word that's brought down in our Torah sh’B’al Peh, and then he opened a Masechet Shabbat says that Hamin (which some people say is
a hot drink and others say is a hot shower) on Motzei Shabbat is healing. The Kaf HaChaim
says there's a hint to it in the words, מחבש
לעצבותם
Mehabesh L’Atzebotam which means a Healing for
their sadness. If you scramble the
letters of the word MaHaBeSh מחבש it’s an acronym
for
Hamim B’Motzei Shabbat/
Hamim after Shabbat takes away sadness.
Once the man was completely
convinced of the authenticity and
reliability of the words of Chazal, Rav Yisrael Salantar told the man's wife to make him a cup of hot
tea.
He drank the tea and slowly started to get better. That's
our story.
So, as I like to say,
I'm selling happiness insurance, for those that want to be happy on the holiday. There are
all kinds of warranties. People take out
warranties on their refrigerators, on their cars, and who knows what else…Well,
this is happiness warranty. And who's
behind it? Hashem Himself.
If you really believe
it, and say, “I'm going to put a smile on an orphan or widow's face. I'm going to put a smile on an underprivileged person’s
face..” do you know what that's
worth?
Every year I get cards and thank-you notes from people that
say, “You made my holiday. My children are able to feel comfortable with
everybody else in shul. They also have a new dress, they also have new shoes…”
Make other people happy. That's our job.
And that's what I'm doing. I'm selling and pushing happiness
insurance. So, please, buy some.
It's very simple.
The easiest way is to
click this
link,
https://www.rayze.it/levchana/
Or, to avoid
any fees,
Zelle, or email to be billed at
Rabbisutton@gmail.com
I see the email and I know who you are. So to those
people who said, “Rabbi, did you get
my QuickPay?” Yes I did. Thank you very much Tizke Lemitzvot.
Or you can mail a check to:
Lev Chana
c/o Rabbi Sutton
1059 East 10th St
Brooklyn NY 11230
Have a wonderful day, and Tizku Lemitzvot
