An Excellent daySOLID ADVICE ON HOW TO

MAKE YOUR DAY

AN EXCELLENT ONE.

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An Excellent Day

The alarm clock sounds. You throw off the covers,forcing yourself out of bed once again to face thestresses and strains of yet another day. You dressyourself reluctantly and then halfheartedly headtowards the door for another stressful day of work– all while thinking of the unpaid bills and howunfulfilled you feel in so many aspects of your life.Stop right there! Have you noticed the rays ofdawn’s early light piercing through the edges of adark, long winter’s night? Don’t you hear thechildren’s laughter reverberating through the air asthey chase each other at the bus stop corner?Aren’t you dazzled by the marvelous sight of themyriads of buds lining the branches of barren treesthat have spontaneously begun to sprout – silentlyproclaiming the arrival of long-awaited spring?Before you dash into your car and jump into yourdaily routine, take a moment and just soak up themajesty of the scenery unfolding before your eyes.

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Ask yourself, “who is breathing life into all of thepulsating creation around me”? Could it be that inyour preoccupation with the pressures of life, youhave forgotten about G-d? The reason so manypeople today are miserable and disappointed intheir lives is because they are not consciouslyaware of G-d’s existence. Most people today areweighed down by the stress of mere survival,because they feel that they are shouldering theburden themselves. Again, remind yourself who iscontrolling all the events and occurrences in yourlife? Like the spokes in a wheel that connect to thecentral hub, so are all the events in your life drivenby G-d. Once you recognize G-d’s fundamental rolein your life, the senseless pain and suffering willsuddenly begin to make sense. With G-d as yoursupport system, your whole outlook on lifechanges. Each day is transformed into anexcellent day as it becomes infused with thewarmth that comes with the comforting knowledgeof being under G-d’s custodial care. All theobsessive concern with petty wants and imaginedneeds that hound you in your desperate pursuitfor security – become stilled by the soothing powerof faith. So stop feeling so needy! G-d is above allyour needs and he is taking care of you. So what

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else do you need? Now is your chance totransform your fret-filled days into excellent, sun-shiny days, but first you have to be willing to breakyour habit of procrastinating. Like with any self-improvement program you’re probably tempted tosay, “I’ll start thinking about G-d tomorrow”, butremember, the secret towards making any positivechange in your life is to start now and not to pushit off to later – as is expressed in Rabbi Nachman’sinterpretation (Likutei Moharan, Vol. 1, Chap. 272)of the verse in the Psalms, (95,7) “Today, if youshall heed my voice”. “If you sense a spiritualyearning from within, and you desire to pursue amore meaningful and religious path in life, thenyou must convince yourself that you only havetoday”. You must overcome the human tendency toprocrastinate. Once you begin making excuses,“Today is not a good day” or “I’m too tired ordepressed today” or “I’ll feel more up to ittomorrow” your efforts are doomed to failure. Pushyourself – just a little – and begin today. Becausethe truth is that every day is an “excellent day” towelcome change in your life, by welcoming G-d intoyour life. Delay in taking action today will just leadto more and more delay because procrastinationbreeds more delay. Imagine what’s at stake! Today

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you could have savored within the triteness of anordinary humdrum day, a taste of the Divine. Eachday is laden with the potential and newpossibilities for growth and development in yourrelationship with G-d, because G-d makes Himselfavailable to us every day. If you would onlyappreciate the inherent value of each day and whatcan be accomplished, you would stopprocrastinating and start realizing that today isalso an “excellent day”. Once you havesuccessfully broken the habit of procrastinating,you will discover a sense of inner peace and youwill also be at peace with others. Because in adeeper sense, procrastination is symptomatic ofavoidance behavior we practice when we are inconflict about life issues. Many of us have a historysince youth, of morally straying from G-d, andconsequently we feel that we have lost anymeaningful connection to Him. In fact, this is partof the larger picture of the collective crisis facingthe Jewish People today who find themselves indanger of falling into spiritual apathy. This ongoingstruggle to keep the embers of faith burningpassionately in the face of the cool indifference ofthe morally ambivalent, surrounding culture, findssymbolic expression in the eternal conflict of the

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Jewish People with the Amalekite Nation. Incommenting on their treachery towards the Jewson their exodus from Egypt, the verse states(Devarim, 25, 18), “that they [the Amalekites]cooled your passion on the way by striking thosethat lagged behind, when you were faint andexhausted, and did not fear G-d”. Metaphoricallyspeaking, “Amalek” represents those doubts thatcreep into your mind in your weakest and mostvulnerable moments in life, when facing hardshipand difficulties you panic and question the actualexistence of G-d. This is exactly what occurred tothe Jewish People in the Wilderness whom, out ofsheer exasperation, provoked G-d by uttering,“Does G-d reside in our midst or not?” (Shemos17,4). It is precisely at these times in life, whereyour resolve weakens, that you begin to slacken inyour Torah observance. Playing on your fears anddoubts, “Amalek’s” voice can be heard in all yourspiritual faltering, until finally you feel soconflicted and weary that you no longer find thestrength to struggle. Disgusted and fed-up youlook for every excuse not to try again to work onyour faith. You tell yourself, “today is just not agood day” or, “I just don’t feel in the mood”. Nowwe can understand why Moses exhorted Joshua,

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“Choose [a force] of men and battle with Amalektomorrow” (Shemos 17, 9). By drawing a parallelbetween the name of Amalek and the wordtomorrow, Moses was transmitting an eternalmessage to every Jew in every age who is seekingto improve his life by connecting to G-d. In order towin the battle you must conquer the Amalek within– which is the inner voice that urges you toprocrastinate. Ignore his persuasions! Don’t pushoff anything until tomorrow! For instance, if youwant to stop being depressed and start working onbeing a happier person, then start today. In factthe Sages tell us that, “Happiness in life waits forno one – not everyone who is happy today [isguaranteed] to be happy tomorrow” (TanchumaShemini, Chap. 2). Therefore, be smart and stopprocrastinating. You want to deepen yourconnection with G-d – do it today. You want toadvance in your studies – do it today. You want tochange your negative attitude and be an optimisticperson – do it today. The secret to leading anaccomplished life is to value each day asworthwhile, and not to fool yourself into believingthat tomorrow will be a better day. “But, I really dohave the blues”, you insist, or you say “I just feelso low and depressed”, or perhaps you’re just in a

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bad mood today. Recall what is stated in the Zohar(Vol. 1, 46a), “ There is no night without a day, andthere is no day without a night”, and furthermore itstates (Bereshis, Chap 1), “And there was night,and then there was day”. To be functional in lifeyou have to be objective and realistic; no one isimmune to problems and fluctuating mood states.However, as the adage goes, “Darkness comesbefore the light!”. Mixed in the sweetness of everyday is some bitterness, and it’s the fundamentalchallenge of every person, every day, to transformthe darkness into light by clinging to faith in G-d’sgoodness. Yes, today you may feel bitterlydisappointed that you were passed over for a jobpromotion, or maybe you feel let down by yourson’s failing grades at school, or perhaps you arestill reeling from the stinging remarks that werehurled at you from your spouse. Nonetheless, don’tgive up on this day! Recover quickly from the pain,by getting back-up on your feet and tellingyourself, “I only have today – today is still anexcellent day!”. To be sure, the road in life is verybumpy and littered with potholes of hassles anddisappointments, but don’t let that stop you fromcontinuing the journey. To make progress in lifeyou must not give-up on yourself by giving-in so

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easily to the particular set of problems thataccompany each day. Learn from the example ofthe Patriarch Abraham, of whom it is written(Bereshis, 24,1), “And Abraham was old, well on indays”. Commenting on this verse, the Zohar (Vol.1, 129a) explains that this means that Abrahamled an accomplished life because he understoodthe value of each day. He cherished each day byconsidering each day an excellent opportunity toaccomplish true and eternal goodness. Instead ofinvolving himself in the mundane pursuits of theworld, Abraham brought his generation to anawareness of G-d’s dominion over the Universe andthe role that He plays in each individual’s life, tothe degree that many converted. In fact, Abraham’ssingle-handed role in introducing the truth ofMonotheism into the world was so pivotal tomankind that the Sages equate his success withhaving created the world (Bereshis Rabba, Chap.12). Furthermore, the Sages comment thatAbraham was so committed to bringing people toan awareness of G-d that he caused the name ofG-d to pass over the lips of every person thatpassed his way (Sotah, 10b). Now, how didAbraham accomplish this monumental task? Theanswer lies in the words of the verse, “well on in

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days”. Abraham never chalked-up a day as “bad”,nor did he write-it off as a failure. Every day wasutilized to its fullest potential and considered an“excellent day”. Following in the footsteps of ourgreat Patriarch, you too can climb out of yourconfused state of mind by not dwelling on thefailures of yesterday, and not worrying abouttomorrow. Stay focused only on today! Take asmall step today in approaching G-d. You don’tknow how? Simple – just open your mouth andmake contact with Him by speaking to Him in yourown language. In a generation that is so decadentlycommercial and promiscuous, and generallyapathetical, if not downright cynical about religionand G-d, there is simply no other way to breakthrough the walls of spiritual indifference than bytaking action today, and speaking to G-d plainlyand openly in your own language. It was not fornothing that the Sages said (Tanchuma Vayera, 1)“G-d told the Children of Israel, ‘Be diligent inprayer, because there is no better service – it iseven more lofty than the sacrifices, and even if aperson is not worthy of having his prayersanswered …yet, because he prays and repeatedlybeseeches, I (G-d) will act kindly to him’”. But afteryears of drifting away from G-d through misdeeds

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and lack of Torah observance, you’ve grownincreasingly estranged from Him. By havingneglected your relationship with G-d you no longersense His relevance in your life to the degree thatlike most people, you have consigned Him tooblivion. Without the warm caring and steadyassurance, that’s the reward of the faithful whofeel the presence of G-d, you stumble recklesslythrough life embittered and upset. In this state ofmind it will seem impossible, in the beginning, toevoke any feeling towards G-d and to sustaindialogue. Remember, the plan; concentrate only ontoday. Have faith that locked into each day is aunique potential to reach out to G-d. You will then,treat each day as an “excellent day”, and day byday you will ultimately reach your goal where G-dwill shine His light upon you.

2.We live in an age of almost virtual spiritualblackout, where most people cannot fathom what itmeans to have a relationship with G-d. Theconcept of G-d has grown stale in the minds ofpeople yet, most of us ache to fill the void ofmeaninglessness in our lives – a void created bytoo much self-involvement in pursuit of our

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material needs. Nevertheless, you should knowthat from behind the veil of our indifference, G-d’shand reaches out to us daily, inviting us to sharewith Him the most intimate and deepest ofrelationships. Consider the following passage byRabbi Nachman (Likutei Moharan, Vol. 1, Chap84), which sheds light on an episode in the Talmud(Megilla, 38a), “The students of the great Sage,Rabbi Nechunia ben Ha’kana, once asked him,‘How did you merit to extend your days (and livelong)?’ and he responded: ‘I was generous with mymoney!’”. Elaborating on this exchange, RabbiNachman explains, that although the meaning ofG-d remains one of the greatest cosmic mysteries,nonetheless G-d challenges us each day topenetrate the darkness to achieve Divine insight.But to transcend the narrowness of our crudeperceptions and to embrace a higher vision of anexistence related to G-d, requires the disciplineand commitment shown only by a devoted few.Unlike the majority of people, these righteous onesselect a life of piety and devotion, instead ofindulgence in worldly pleasures. As a result, thefocus of their conscious thought is directedtowards an awareness of G-d, rather than onthemselves. Over time, their minds become trained

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to perceive in the material world, the Divineessence that’s garbed in earthly veneer. They drawcloser and closer to G-d because they allow themysterious and anonymous presence of G-d tobecome disclosed to them until they experience G-d as a reality in their life. But most of us, who arecaught in our own ego predicament, cannot seebeyond the confines of our problems and concerns.And, certainly those who lead a banal existenceand morally stray, deprive themselves of anymeaning and genuine happiness in life. They arecondemned to a life of frustration and confusion,and after time they become so dissatisfied withtheir fate and unfulfilled with their lot in life thatthey withdraw socially.

Elaborating on this point the Zohar (Vol. 3, 64b)explains that, every day G-d manifests Hispresence to every person in different degreesaccording to their level of piety. However, asdarkness conceals light, so is a person’s awarenessof G-d’s presence in the world dimmed by hissinful behavior and poor conduct. Drifting furtherand further away from G-d, this person graduallyloses touch with G-d and becomes insensitive tothe sense of G-dly connectedness to his life.

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Missing the central concept of the puzzle, heperceives the events of his life as a bunch ofrandom pieces of which fail to combine into anycohesive and meaningful whole. The sense ofarbitrariness of life makes him feel very exposedand vulnerable and he begins to misconceive theworld around him as a dark and friendless place.Every day, in his mind, is seen as luckless withoutany redeeming quality. Rabbi Nachman asked,“How can we open the eyes of someone in thisposition – who is so remote from G-d – that theytoo, can tap into the latent good of each day, andsee how valuable and excellent it really is?”Lacking common ground with a G-d who isperceived only in the abstract, the answer is thatsuch a person must begin down here on earth byreconnecting with his fellow man. He must take upthe mantle of love and start displaying generosityand good-will towards his family, neighbors,friends, and people around him. This is what thegreat sage, Rabbi Nechunia Ben Ha’Kana wasreferring to, in his deeply meaningful response tohis students query, “How did you merit to“broaden” your days?” – meaning how did youensure that each and every day was valuable andexcellent? And he replied, “I gave-in when it came

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to money matters!” Unfortunately, in the sorrystate of affairs that characterizes the social fabricof the Jewish People today – who are plagued bydiscordance and strife – stridently refusing to seeeach others point of view (particularly regardingmoney matters) or to accept each other – themessage of Rabbi Nechunia Ben Ha’Kana is evermore urgent! Stop alienating those around you.Lower your rod of hate and start loving your fellowJew. Only through the power of love can you drawpeople towards you, and then you will be drawn toG-d. This was the philosophy of our forefather,Abraham, who modeled love of G-d to everyonearound him so that they too became drawn to G-d.As is alluded in the statement of the TikunneiZohar (Tikkun 70, Page118), “From the right side,the mind is whitened like silver (money)” – implyingthat a person who adopts a right-sided approach –meaning, that he is decidedly tolerant andaccepting of others, is generally more level-headedand balanced. Stepping out of the narrow purviewof his own problems and ego, he is able to relatemore broadly and realistically to the surroundingworld and by extension to G-d. By learning to loveyour fellow Jew you learn to love G-d and you fulfillthe verse, “And you shall love the Lord your G-d”

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(Devarim, 6,5) of which the Sages commented, “Hislove should be for all creatures as was the (love) ofhis forefather, Abraham” (Sifri V’eschanan 32).This is by no means a simple task. In an age ofsophisticated technology, where mankind hastraded love for G-d for the affection for thecomputer and gadgetry of the like, reliance on faithin G-d and love of fellow man seems too simple-minded and trite. Yet we have spawned ageneration of socially unfulfilled people who relatebetter to hardware and who speak more thelanguage of software, rather than communicatingto each other in the language of love and feeling.As we increasingly lose ourselves in Cyberspace wedrift further from others and retreat inward. This isthe greatest crime of our callous generation whoare feeling so cold and embittered from the lack ofhuman warmth and affiliation. They are caught ina vicious cycle, because as is typical of humannature, instead of blaming themselves, they paintthe rest of the world as cold and unfriendly, andbecome even more bitter, as is implied in the verse,“Therefore she (the place) was called ‘Mara’ –‘Bitter’ – because they were bitter!” (Shemos,15,23). As if pulled by a leash, these depressedsouls inexorably follow the warped thinking of their

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distorted minds, never imagining of a brighterexistence – filled with excellent days – lived bythose who live by the faith of the Torah. Yet thetruth is, it’s only a matter of perception, so thatanyone can escape the darkness of his currentexistence if he could only accept that there isHigher Power in the universe that is beyondhimself. Practically speaking, in order to cure yourmyopic thinking and to start seeing life objectively,in terms of the connection to G-d, you must beginby connecting to others. Taking our forefather,Abraham, as an example, you must treat eachperson with love and tolerance. Begin in yourhome, as is stated in the Midrash (BamidbarRabba, 9), “The Torah instructs us to becompromising (and flexible) with our household. Ifthey cause damage – forgive them…..if they spillwine, overlook it; don’t instigate arguments andfights by insulting or blaming anyone. In thismanner, you will avoid turning a perfectly goodday, into a sour one. Otherwise, you will causeeveryone in your home to become depressed and toexclaim, “Oh! Look what happened, I guess this isnot our lucky day!”. You will have spoiled apotentially excellent day – which can never berecovered – where you could have reinforced in

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your family’s mind that G-d controls every event,by modeling patience and self-control. In fact, seizeevery and any opportunity to perform some goodthat presents itself – like being charitable to thepoor – and don’t let it slip away. Related to thisidea, are the words of Rabbi Eliezer (TractateShabbos, 153a), who instructed, “Repent the daybefore you die”, to which his students queried,“How can a person know which day they will die?”To which he responded, “Then certainly repenttoday, for maybe you will die tomorrow! In thismanner, all your days will be filled withrepentance!” What a stirring lesson for life! If youwant to lead a happy and spiritually enriched life –with days marked by excellence, then simply put:Don’t procrastinate! Return to G-d this moment,without delay. Begin by opening the lines ofcommunication with Him by conversing with Himdaily. Although you lack the understanding toappreciate what your accomplishing, you shouldknow that every word and syllable that youaddress towards G-d has profound ramifications inthe Upper Spheres. Moreover, when you expressregret and contrition over misdeeds of the past, G-d immediately forgives you. So, don’t allow yourselfto be crushed by the weight of guilt over regretful

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actions of the past; Cast your burden on to G-d,and he will forgive you, as the Sages said, (TorasKohanim, Bechukosai, 26), “G-d said, as soon asthey confess their sins, I immediately retract andforgive them”. What are you waiting for? Eventhough the day is almost over, grab theopportunity and let G-d know what happened andhow you feel. Remember what the Sages said(Tractate Pesachim, 4a), “Part of the day isconsidered like the whole day”. In the remainingfew moments of today, it’s possible to redeem thewhole day, if you just find some good deed or act toperform, now. The most basic act is simply to openyour mouth and talk to G-d – which is the clearestaffirmation of a person’s faith in G-d’s existence, asis explained in Likutei Moharan (Vol. 1, Chap. 62)“If a person had a clear and pure faith in theexistence of G-d, to the exclusion of all else, andHe (the concept of G-d) remained steady on hislips, then he would continuously speak to Him.But since (this concept) is not clear to a person, hedoes not continuously speak to G-d. The ability tomaintain and sustain dialogue with G-d dependson how much you sense G-d as real. And theforemost obstacle to perceiving the “realness” of G-d is the commission of a sin, as is written in Sefer

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Hamidos (Chapter title “Faith”, section 22), “Aperson’s transgressions cause him to deny (G-d’sexistence)”. That is why it is so important to regretyour sins and confess them to G-d; because youare reaffirming in your mind the concept of G-d’sexistence and your faith becomes restored. So,appreciate what you can accomplish in a day; useeach day to it’s fullest so that each day is anexcellent day. Your whole life will change and youwill feel like a different person.

3.Every day is like a new generation! As is written inKoheles (1,4), “A generation goes, and a generationcomes”, and the Sages comment (Koheles Rabba,Parsha 1), “Every day 600,00 souls are born, and600,00 souls die”. Each day is so pregnant withmeaning, continuously giving birth to uniquepossibilities. Therefore, value each day as anexcellent day by performing as many Torahcommandments as you possibly can, with as muchjoy as you can. The Sages said (Tanchuma, KiTetzey, 2), “There are 248 positive commandmentsin the Torah, corresponding to the 248 limbs in aperson’s body. And every day, these limbs cry outto a person, ‘perform good with us for your own

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sake so that you merit long life’”. Homileticallyspeaking, we see that even a person’s own bodyurges him to utilize his limbs daily to perform thewill of G-d, as is restated in the Midrash (ShocherTov, Mishlei, 31), “The Children of Israel werecommanded to perform 248 positivecommandments corresponding to the (sum of) thelimbs of the body. And each limb, so to speak,requests that it be utilized in the performance of itsdesignated commandment.” Despite the fact thattheir pleas are inaudible and remain disclosed onlyto the soul, their impact can be felt in the arousalof passion you feel towards G-d when you startheeding their imperatives. So if you want toincrease your intimacy with G-d, then increaseyour performance of the commandments withjoyful emotion. As the Sages said (Vayikra Rabba34, 9), “[That with the aim of] Instructing us inproper conduct, the Torah taught that when youperform a positive commandment, you shouldexecute it with a joyful heart”. And Rabbi Nachmanfurther elaborates (Likutei Moharan, Vol. 2,Paragraph 26), “That [the essence of Moses] isfound within each and every one of us, concealedin each and every limb. And, it is [his spark] thatarouses each limb to perform the commandment

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that’s uniquely associated with it.” Therefore, don’tforfeit this day, because it will never return.Fashion this day into an “excellent day” bydedicating it to G-d, by performing Hiscommandments. For instance, strike up aconversation with G-d – fulfilling thecommandment to pray; work on simply havingfaith – which constitutes the commandment tocling to G-d; learn Torah – of which there is nogreater commandment – and you will be fulfilling aDivine commandment with every word you utter:And did you know that every blessing you recite isconsidered as having performed a commandment,as well as every penny that you drop into thecharity box? Honoring your parents is also a Divineimperative. Is it any wonder why the Sagesdeclared (Berachos, 57a), “that even the mostilliterate from amongst you is filled with good deedsas the (number of seeds in a) pomegranate”.Therefore don’t be a fool, by letting the day slipaway! We’re all tempted to exempt ourselves fromeven trying because we feel hassled by life’s dailypressure. Nevertheless don’t surrender the day soeasily with the excuse that, “today is just not myday!”. No, insist to yourself that today will be anexcellent day! Take stock of the myriad of

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opportunities to fulfill the commandments andexecute them with all the energy and joy you canmuster. Maybe this inspiring promise will spur youon and get you moving: The Midrash says that, “Ifa person performs one commandment, G-d grantshim one angel, if he performs two, he’s granted twoangels, and if he performs many then he is granteda half of band (of angels)” (Shemos Rabba, 32,6).The sun is setting; you’re tired and you promiseyourself you’ll begin tomorrow. Stop right there!Remind yourself that this day will never return andyou will not pass this way again. In the lastremaining hour of this day, transform the wholeday into an excellent day by finding someredeeming action to perform. For instance, if therewere arguments today in your house, don’t go tobed until you resolve the skirmish peacefully.Recall what’s written (Sotah, 17a), “If a man and awoman dwell together in love then the DivinePresence resides between them”. And the sameprinciple applies to any conflict that’s lingering; ifyou are still holding a grudge against anotherperson, then don’t pull the covers over your headuntil you resolve in your heart to forgive him.You’re still skeptical? Certainly in our cynicalgeneration that’s chronically apathetic, where most

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people are broken and dispirited from the lack ofmeaning in their largely empty lives, it’s moretempting to just roll over in bed and promiseyourself, “I’ll do it tomorrow”. Be honest! You knowthat tomorrow will never come. Remember, this isyour life – don’t waste it. There is no tomorrow – noday after – no next year – there is only today. Now!– is the optimum moment to reverse the negativetrend in your life by taking the first step inapproaching G-d. If you stay stubbornly focused onthe “here and now”, you will be surprised at howmuch good you can accomplish in a day. Like afine and aged wine, the days of your life will berated as superb and excellent – packed with somuch goodness, as is homiletically expressed inthe Midrash, “There are 365 days in the year thatcorrespond to the 365 prohibitions in the Torah –and each day cries out to a person, ‘don’t do evil,don’t commit a transgression on my time’”(Tanchuma, Ki Tetzey 2). Take the challenge! Thereisn’t a better time, nor will there be one. Even ifthere remains only a few hours left to the day –confide in G-d and tell him how you feel. RabbiNachman of Breslov (Likutei Moharan, Vol. 2,section 25) recommended that, “A person accustomhimself to speak to G-d (on a regular basis) as if

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he’s speaking to a friend, or like a son to a father”.Ideally you should find a secluded area, such asthe woods or the field, that’s conducive for privatetime with G-d. Initially you will feel awkward andshy – as doubts begin to enter your mind such as,“does G-d really want to hear from me?”. Let’s faceit! After years spent morally straying from G-d,pursuing only pleasure and indulging in sarcastichumor and cynical joking, it’s only natural to feelskeptical and distant. Don’t get discouraged! Justgrab on to G-d’s coattails, so to speak, and don’tlet go. Be adamant and tell G-d everything and all,about yourself. Ultimately your stony heart willmelt, releasing such passionate desires for G-dthat you never knew existed. Really it’s that simple!Just try it. Sometimes in life, it’s the simplest ofacts, such as performing a commandmentsincerely and unpretentiously, that paradoxicallyelevates you to the most exalted levels of holiness.And this equally applies to every Jew, because weare all in reality, a part of G-d, as the Midrashrelates, “Whoever accepts upon himself (to perform)a commandment with faith, is worthy of having theDivine Spirit rest on him” (Midrash Aggada).Defining “Divine Spirit” in terms we canunderstand, Rabbi Nachman (Likutei Moharan,

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Vol. 1, Chap. 21) explains that, “when a personsanctifies and purifies his eyes, ears, nose, andmouth – meaning that he uses his five senses in adisciplined and controlled manner, exclusively forholy purposes – then his mind can envision – inwhat appears to others as just ordinary – a senseof G-d that is extraordinary and sublime. So stopfeeling like a stranger to G-d. Get reacquainted,today. Begin by peeling away the layers of distanceand time that has separated you from G-d, untilyou finally feel the reality of Him in your life – ofwhich there is no greater joy or pleasure!

4.No man is an island. G-d placed us in this worldto relate to others and to coexist with each other. Ifyou really want to feel good about yourself so thatat the end of the day you can testify that you hadan “excellent day”, than do something good foranother person. You see G-d wants us to needeach other, and there is nothing more precious inHis eyes than altruism. In fact, the righteous onesare defined by the acts of good that they perform toothers, as the Midrash says, “A person cannot belabeled ‘good’, unless he (does) good” (MidrashTehillim 7,8). Moreover, it’s written, “Say (he is a)

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righteous person, because (he does) good”(Yeshayahu, 3,10). And the converse is also true; acruel and violent person who commits acts ofaggression is labeled a wicked and evil person.Subconsciously, this person suffers from low self-esteem and is unhappy with himself. Unfulfilled inlife and bitter about his days, he antagonizes alland everyone around him, and they in turn,retaliate and attack him – a description, that aptlyportrays the offspring of Ishmael of whom it iswritten (Bereshis 16, 12), “His hand againsteveryone and their hand against him”. Sufferingfrom a “persecution complex” these people play upthe part of the victim, chronically complaining thateveryone is harassing them. They convenientlyforget who started with whom, and their owninstigative role in fanning the flames of conflict.Don’t let this be your sorry lot in life. The secret toa gratifying and truly rewarding life is one in whichyou spend your days dedicated to philanthropy, asthe adage goes, “You’ve got to give, in order to get!”.In fact, philanthropy is so highly regarded as afundamental Jewish practice that it’s written(Yalkut Hoshea, allusion, 522) that, “G-d said thatthe good deeds that one (Jew) performs to anotheris more precious to me than all the sacrifices that

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(King) Solomon offered to me”. G-d’s concern aboveall else, is the concern we Jews have for oneanother. There is no clearer expression of love forG-d than when one Jew displays care andconsideration for his fellow Jew. After all we are G-d’s children, as is written (Devarim, 4,1), “You arethe children to the Lord, your G-d”. In a climate ofbaseless hatred, where rivalry and discord,threatens to keep the Jewish People irrevocablydivided, how can we be so confident that theJudaism that we are practicing honestly reflects alove of G-d? Rabbi Nachman warned (SichosHaran, Cit. 51) “The world fools us! See to it thatyou don’t fool yourselves; You’re whole life can belived in error”. A person can be lofty in Torahscholarship, didactic in his Torah observance, andscrupulous in his performance of thecommandments, but if he thinks less of any Jew –then his service is not an act of loving G-d. Love foryour fellow – every Jew – is equated with loving G-d. If your fellow Jew is in distress, such aseconomic hardship, then open your hand and givehim charity. Displaying compassion to your fellowJew demonstrates your love for G-d, as the Sagessaid (Tractate Kesubos, 68a), “Whoever averts hiseyes from (the opportunity) to contribute to charity,

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it’s considered as if he worshipped idols”. Andfurthermore, the Zohar (Vol. 1, 104a) informs usthat, “Whoever G-d loves – he sends them a poorperson”. If you hear the knocking of the poor atyour door, go out and greet him heartily and withgood cheer. Consider it a unique opportunity to letG-d know how much you love Him, by displayingcompassion on His child. How many parents haveunfortunately sent their children, instead, to thedoor to inform the beggar that the father or motherare not around – not thinking that perhaps G-d isobserving and just maybe, he may cause them notto be around anymore, permanently! The Sageswarned us to treat the poor with proper dignity andrespect as is written (Vayikra Rabba,34,10), “Thepoor person stands in your doorway, and the HolyOne Blessed Be He stands by his right side andgrants you a reward; but, if you don’t give himcharity, know, that (G-d) whose positioned on theright side, as is stated in the Psalms (109,31) “ForHe (G-d) is postioned on the right-hand side of thepoor man” - will collect from you”. If you’ve beenfeeling depressed lately and have got the “blues”,there is no better cure than to seek ways to help-out others. Turn your lousy days into excellentdays, by being less self-involved and more involved

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with others. The tendency to be so overly self-concerned is part of the “me generation”philosophy that has resulted in the splintering ofthe Jewish People into factions. The rampantdiscrimination has put us at risk of being “dividedand conquered” by the enemy from within. Witnesstoday the rifts and constant in-fightings betweenpolitical parties, religious communities,synagogues, families, and fellow Jews – all in thename of G-d, under the banner of, “We are right”or “We have the truth”. Foolish people that we are!If there is any hope of unifying the Jewish Peopleand witnessing finally the arrival of the Messiah,then we have to stop promoting our parties, or ourgroups, or even ourselves, and start putting G-dfirst. We are ready for redemption when we stopemphasizing our differences and start seeing eachother as children of the same Heavenly Father.