The prophet Hoshea proclaims (14:2), “Return Israel to Hashem, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.”
Teshuva should not be a partial repentance of doing some mitzvos and some aveiros. It must be a complete return all the way to Hashem.
We learn in Tehillim (20:8), “Some with chariots and some with horses; but we call out in the Name of Hashem.” None of the nations can help us in our time of distress, only Hashem.
Rabbi Nissim Yagen elaborates that there are three “idols” in the world, i.e. entities other than Hashem that are relied upon for help. There is the dominion of the government, trust in weaponry and artillery, and confidence in one’s own actions. The teshuva we are speaking about here is when we say (Hoshea 14:4) that we will not put our faith in any body or system other than Hashem “for it is with You that an orphan finds mercy.” Just as an orphan can only depend on Hashem for help, so too the Jewish People will recognize that ein od milvado – there is no one but Hashem.
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 103b) teaches that when Yehoyakim became king he declared that his predecessors, Menashe and Amon, did not know how to anger Hashem – even though they were very evil themselves. He began to blaspheme Hashem and proclaimed, “Do we even need G-d for His light? We have parvayim gold which produces a tremendous amount of illumination. Let Hashem keep His light for Himself; we have no need for it.” Some righteous people said to him, “Aren’t the silver and gold His, as it says (Chaggai 2:8): The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says Hashem.” Yehoyakim responded, “He has already given it to us, as it says (Tehillim 115:16): The heavens are Hashem’s, but the earth He has given to the children of men.”
The Toras Chaim explains that Yehoyakim meant to say that Hashem who created the world made it self-sufficient and therefore we can light it without Hashem. Sometimes this is the thinking, in fact, of some who have sunk to a low level, i.e. they don’t need the help of Hashem. An individual who seeks to be a baal teshuva, to return to Hashem, must recognize that he needs Hashem for every single nuance of his life. He must return to Hashem completely, with the understanding that he can only survive with the help of Hashem.
The prophet Micha says (7:8), “For though I fell I will rise.” Many in history fell to very low levels, but they were able to lift themselves up and come closer to Hashem. No matter how egregious their sins were, they grasped the gravity of their situation and their desperate need to seize a life raft and do teshuva. The king Menashe, Yosef Meshisa, Yosef Ish Tzroros, Elazar ben Darda’i – each of these individuals realized the urgency of cleansing themselves of sin and cleaving to Hashem.
The Tanna Dbei Eliyahu teaches: Great is tzedakah, for it lengthens the days and years of a person, and saves him from all evil.
Each summer, the staff of different summer camps arrange to have their groups visit with a Rav to offer them words of inspiration for the coming year, and I very much look forward to their annual visits.
A few days ago I was privileged to host a group of about twenty-five young boys who were learning the tractate of Brachos, which deals with prayer. I mentioned the passage that encourages one in need to go to a chacham who will pray for them, related some inspiring stories of people who prayed for others, and spoke about the extraordinary power of tefillah in general.
Afterwards, the boys sang some niggunim and partook of some light refreshments. Before they left, each one came over to me to say a personal good bye and to receive a short bracha.
I noticed that one young boy stood back, waiting to be the last on line. When he came over, he held a small piece of paper in his hand on which he had written, “Please be mispallel for _____ (the name of a man) and _____ (the name of a woman) for parnassah [livelihood].“ He looked down at the ground as he handed me the paper, not lifting his eyes. I assured him softly that I would pray for these people with all my heart, and then gave him a bracha.
As he began to walk towards the bus, I felt I had not done enough. I ran after him, brought him back inside and asked him whose names were on the paper. He told me he had written the names of his parents, because it seemed that they did not have any money. He explained that sometimes he and his siblings did not even have enough food. He often overheard his parents talking about their lack of money to cover their expenses. Sometimes he even heard his mother crying softly because she could not buy important items that the children needed.
“Rebbi,” he said, “I hope it’s okay that I asked you to daven.”
“Of course,” I comforted him, and I commended him for being the only one who took my message so personally and put down the names of his loved ones for me to pray for them. In that merit, I told him, the family’s financial circumstances should improve.
Later, I called the director of the summer program to find out how we could help the impoverished family, and the process was immediately put into motion. They were thankful to me for alerting them to the situation, but I explained that the boy deserved all the credit; I was merely the messenger.
Every year, before Rosh Hashana and Pesach, I turn to our loyal readers of The Jewish Press and friends of Klal Yisrael on behalf of the special Yom Tov Fund which I personally administer, and which monies I distribute directly into the hands of those who are most in need. I know that my brethren are rachmanim and gomlei chassadim who genuinely feel the pain of others, and would want to take part in this great mitzvah of tzedakah. Help me to give chizuk to families, individuals, and children in need. In the zechus of your contribution, may you merit blessing and success, a year of good health, nachas, happiness and prosperity.
Please send your contribution to Khal Bnei Yitzchok Yom Tov Fund, c/o Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, 1336 E. 21 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210. If you would like any special tefillos to be offered for a shidduch, shalom bayis, parnassah, or a refuah, please include the person’s name and the mother’s name.
