Adding Good Deeds: The Broken Heart's Cry
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 1:1
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה אֵת יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ
And these are the names of Bnei Yisrael who came to Egypt; with Yaakov, each man and his household came.
1“And these are the names of Bnei Yisrael who came …”1 The Midrash says: “Ve'eileh, ‘and these,’ adds praise to the ones mentioned before … It adds praise to the seventy souls mentioned earlier, telling us that they were all tzaddikim.”2 In other words, the verse lists one by one the tribes of Hashem, the sons of Yaakov Avinu who went down into the exile of Egypt, and the Bnei Yisrael who descended from them. It hints that the tribes and Bnei Yisrael held fast to their righteousness even in exile, and not only while Yaakov and Yosef were alive, which is told in Parshas Vayechi. But how does the word ve'eileh, which speaks of adding, hint that they were all tzaddikim? Perhaps, in its plain sense, the verse means that a new generation had been added in the exile of Egypt, as the Rashbam and Ibn Ezra explain.3
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים וְגוֹ׳ (א, א). אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה א, ב), וְאֵלֶּה מוֹסִיף שֶׁבַח עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְכוּ׳, הוֹסִיף שֶׁבַח עַל שִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁכּוּלָּם הָיוּ צַדִּיקִים, הַיְינוּ דְּהַכָּתוּב מְבָאֵר בִּפְרָטוּת אֶת שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ שֶׁיָּרְדוּ לְגָלוּת מִצְרַיִם וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַיּוֹצְאִים מֵהֶם, וּמְרוּמָּז בָּזֶה שֶׁהַשְּׁבָטִים וְיִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם בְּעֵת הַגָּלוּת הֶחֱזִיקוּ בְּצִדְקָתָם, וְלֹא רַק בְּעֵת שֶׁהָיָה יַעֲקֹב וְיוֹסֵף קַיָּים שֶׁזֶּה נִזְכַּר בְּפָרָשַׁת וַיְחִי. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין כֵּיצַד נִרְמַז בְּתֵיבַת ׳וְאֵלֶּה׳ הַמּוֹרֶה עַל הוֹסָפָה שֶׁהָיוּ כּוּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, אוּלַי בָּא הַכָּתוּב לְפָרֵשׁ כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁנּוֹסַף דּוֹר חָדָשׁ בְּגָלוּת מִצְרַיִם (וכדפירש ברשב״ם ואבן עזרא).
In shortIf ve'eileh praises the tribes for staying righteous in exile, how does a word that means “adding” show their righteousness?
2aLet us first cite the words of my holy father and teacher, zt"l, on the verse “And Bnei Yisrael groaned from the labor and cried out, and their cry rose up to God from the labor.”4 He explained it through the well-known story of the Baal Shem Tov, zt"l. One year on Yom Kippur, a villager came to the Baal Shem Tov's beis midrash, the study hall, with his young son, a shepherd boy. The boy did not know how to pray. All day long he watched everyone praying with deveikus, cleaving to Hashem, and he longed with all his heart to pray as well, but he could not. When the time came for Ne'ilah, and the beis midrash was filled with a wondrous awakening, the boy took out the flute he used to play in the fields and began to blow on it. Naturally there was a great commotion, and the congregation wanted to throw him out of the beis midrash. But the Baal Shem Tov stopped them. The boy's blowing on his flute, he said, had made a greater impression Above than the prayers of the entire congregation. It had sweetened all the harsh judgments and accusations against Israel, His holy people.
וְנַקְדִּים אִמְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה (קדושת חלקת יהושע ג׳ ע״א ד״ה ויאנחו) עַל הַכָּתוּב (ב, כג) ״וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה וַיִּזְעָקוּ וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה״. וּבֵיאֵר עַל פִּי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַיָּדוּעַ אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֵצֶל הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב זצללה״ה, שֶׁבְּשָׁנָה אַחַת הִגִּיעַ בְּיוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים לְבֵית מִדְרָשׁוֹ אִישׁ כִּפְרִי עִם בְּנוֹ הַנַּעַר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה רוֹעֶה צֹאן, וּבִהְיוֹת וְאוֹתוֹ נַעַר לֹא יָדַע לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, הָיָה מַבִּיט וּמִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל הַיּוֹם כֵּיצַד הַכֹּל מִתְפַּלְּלִים בִּדְבֵיקוּת, וְחָשַׁק בִּמְאֹד לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אַף הוּא, אַךְ לֹא הָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּיָדוֹ. וּבְהַגִּיעַ עֵת תְּפִילַּת נְעִילָה, וּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ הָיָה מָלֵא בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת נִפְלָאָה, נָטַל הַנַּעַר בְּיָדוֹ חָלִיל שֶׁהָיָה מְנַגֵּן בּוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה וְהֵחֵל מַשְׁמִיעַ בּוֹ קוֹל, כַּמּוּבָן נַעֲשָׂה רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל, וּבִקְּשׁוּ הַקָּהָל לְסַלְּקוֹ מִבֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ, אַךְ הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב עִיכֵּב בַּעֲדָם וְאָמַר כִּי תְּקִיעָתוֹ בֶּחָלִיל עָשְׂתָה רוֹשֶׁם לְמַעְלָה יוֹתֵר מֵהַתְּפִילּוֹת שֶׁל כָּל הַקָּהָל, וְנִמְתְּקוּ בְּכָךְ כָּל הַדִּינִים וְהַקִּטְרוּגִים שֶׁהָיוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַם קָדְשׁוֹ.
- Kedushas Chelkas Yehoshua 3a, s.v. Vaye'anchu; Shemos 2:23. ↩
2bMy holy father explained the verse in this light. “And Bnei Yisrael groaned from the labor” refers to the people of stature, who are called “Yisrael”: they groaned and prayed to Hashem over the harshness of the bondage. But “their cry rose up to God from the labor” refers to the cry of the simple laborers, who toiled with mortar and bricks. It was they whom the Holy One, blessed be He, took for Himself to make His chosen people. Those are his holy words. Yet why should a simple sound from a simple person really be heard and accepted in Heaven more than the prayers of tzaddikim?
וּבָזֶה פֵּירֵשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר הַכָּתוּב הַנִּזְכָּר, ׳וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה׳ קָאֵי עַל אַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲלָה הַקְּרוּיִים ׳יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ שֶׁנֶּאֶנְחוּ וְהִתְפַּלְּלוּ לָה׳ עַל קוֹשִׁי הַשִּׁיעְבּוּד, אַךְ ׳וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה׳, הַיְינוּ שַׁוְעָתָם שֶׁל אַנְשֵׁי עֲבוֹדָה הַפְּשׁוּטִים, הָעוֹסְקִים בְּחוֹמֶר וּלְבָנִים, אוֹתָם לָקַח אוֹתָם הקב״ה לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתָם לְעָם הַנִּבְחָר לוֹ, עכד״ק. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין עִנְיָן זֶה, מִפְּנֵי מָה בֶּאֱמֶת נִשְׁמָע וּמִתְקַבֵּל בַּשָּׁמַיִם קוֹל פָּשׁוּט מֵאִישׁ פָּשׁוּט, יוֹתֵר מִתְּפִילּוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים.
In shortLike the shepherd boy's flute in the Baal Shem Tov's story, the laborers' simple cry rose higher than the prayers of the great; but why?
3We may explain it this way. Avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, has two parts: “Turn from evil and do good.”5 Opinions differ about which comes first. Some say that a person must first work on “turn from evil”: he must turn away completely from every part of evil and repent of all the bad deeds and wrongs he has done, and only then begin with “do good.” Others say the opposite: the way is to begin at once with “do good,” doing more and more mitzvos and good deeds, and the evil will fade away of its own accord. We have received from our Rebbes that the second way is the main one, and that it is what Hashem desires, as will be explained.
וְיֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ, כִּי יָדוּעַ שֶׁיֶּשְׁנָם שְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב. וְהִנֵּה נֶחְלְקוּ הַדֵּעוֹת בְּסֵדֶר הָעֲבוֹדָה בָּזֶה, דְּיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁמִּקּוֹדֶם צָרִיךְ לַעֲבוֹד עַל עִנְיְינֵי ׳סוּר מֵרָע׳ לָסוּר לְגַמְרֵי מֵחֶלְקֵי הָרַע, וְלָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה עַל כָּל מַעֲשִׂים וְעִנְיָינִים רָעִים שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ, וְרַק לְאַחַר מִכֵּן לְהַתְחִיל בְּ׳עֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳. אַךְ יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים לְהֵיפֶךְ, שֶׁהַדֶּרֶךְ הִיא לְהַתְחִיל מִיָּד בְּ׳עֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳, לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּמִצְוֹות וּבְמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, וּמִמֵּילָא יִכְלֶה הָרַע מֵעַצְמוֹ. וְקִבַּלְנוּ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁהָעִיקָּר כְּדֶרֶךְ הַשְּׁנִיָּה וּבָהּ חֵפֶץ ה׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיְּבוֹאַר.
- Tehillim 34:15. ↩
In shortServing Hashem has two parts, and the Rebbe's teachers taught to begin at once with “do good,” letting the evil fall away by itself.
4aWe can find a hint of this in the Midrash: “‘And the earth was formless and void’: these are the deeds of the wicked. ‘And God said, Let there be light’: these are the deeds of the righteous. But I do not know which of them He desires, the deeds of these or the deeds of those. Since it is written, ‘And God saw the light, that it was good,’ it follows that He desires the deeds of the righteous and does not desire the deeds of the wicked.”6 The holy sefarim, the Kedushas Levi and the Toldos Adam, ask about this passage.7 How can the Midrash say, “I do not know” whether the Holy One, blessed be He, desires the deeds of the righteous or those of the wicked? Could anyone imagine, Heaven forbid, that Hashem wants the deeds of the wicked?
וְיֵשׁ לְרַמֵּז עִנְיָן זֶה בַּמֶּה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה ב, ה), ״וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תוֹהוּ וָבוֹהוּ״ (בראשית א, ב) אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר״ (שם ג) אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, אֲבָל אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֵיזֶה מֵהֶן חָפֵץ, אִם בְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֵלּוּ וְאִם בְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֵלּוּ, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב (שם ד) ״וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב״ הֱוֵי בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים חָפֵץ וְאֵינוֹ חָפֵץ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים. וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (קדושת לוי ותולדות אדם בראשית), הַאֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם הקב״ה חָפֵץ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים אוֹ שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, וְכִי תַּעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ ח״ו שֶׁרוֹצֶה הקב״ה בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים.
4bRather, we can explain that the Midrash is speaking of the two ways of serving Hashem we have just described. “The deeds of the wicked” means “turn from evil,” repenting of the wicked deeds one has done, and “the deeds of the righteous” means “do good.” So when the Midrash says, “I do not know which of them He desires,” it is asking which is the right way: should a person begin with “turn from evil” or with “do good”? From the words “And God said, Let there be light,”8 the Midrash concludes, “I know that the Holy One, blessed be He, desires the deeds of the righteous.” In other words, Hashem wants a person to begin right away with “do good,” doing mitzvos and good deeds. A person should not hold back and wait until the wicked deeds that need repair and teshuvah have been set right.
אֶלָּא יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ, דְּהַכַּוָּונָה כָּאן לִשְׁנֵי דַּרְכֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה הַנִּזְכָּרִים, ׳מַעֲשֵׂי רְשָׁעִים׳ הַכַּוָּונָה לִבְחִינַת ׳סוּר מֵרָע׳, לָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה עַל מַעֲשֵׂי רְשָׁעִים שֶׁעָשָׂה, וְ׳מַעֲשֵׂי צַדִּיקִים׳ הַכַּוָּונָה לִבְחִינַת ׳עֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַמִּדְרָשׁ ׳אֵין אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֵיזֶה מֵהֶן חָפֵץ׳, הַיְינוּ מַה הִיא הַדֶּרֶךְ הַנְּכוֹנָה שֶׁבָּהּ צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אִם בְּסוּר מֵרָע אוֹ בַּעֲשֵׂה טוֹב, וְעַל זֶה מַסִּיק הַמִּדְרָשׁ דְּמִמַּשְׁמָע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר״, יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שהקב״ה חָפֵץ בְּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, הַיְינוּ שֶׁרְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁמִּיָּד בַּתְּחִילָּה יַתְחִיל בִּבְחִינַת עֲשֵׂה טוֹב, לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, וְלֹא לְהִשְׁתַּהוֹת וּלְהַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיְּתוּקְּנוּ מַעֲשֵׂי רְשָׁעִים הַצְּרִיכִים תִּיקּוּן וּתְשׁוּבָה.
- The Midrash as quoted above draws this from the next verse, “And God saw the light, that it was good” (Bereishis 1:4). ↩
In short“Let there be light” settles the Midrash's doubt: Hashem wants a person to begin with doing good, not to wait until past sins are repaired.
5This lets us understand the word ve'eileh in our verse, which adds to the ones before. It teaches us that even in the exile of Egypt, “the nakedness of the land,”9 when Bnei Yisrael were sunk in evil, the way is to keep adding mitzvos and Torah all the time, steadily adding deeds of “do good,” and the evil will depart on its own. That is the hint in “ve'eileh adds”: the path is always to add more “do good.” And that is what the Midrash meant: “Ve'eileh adds praise to the ones before, to the seventy souls mentioned earlier, telling us that they were all tzaddikim.” Just as the earlier ones had always done good deeds, devoting themselves to “do good,” the deeds of the righteous, so “those who came to Egypt” followed in their ways, always seeking to add more good deeds and mitzvos.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב כָּאן ׳וְאֵלֶּה׳ מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבָּא לְלַמְּדֵינוּ שֶׁגַּם בְּמַצָּב שֶׁל גָּלוּת מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁקוּעִים בְּרַע, הַדֶּרֶךְ הוּא לְהוֹסִיף תָּדִיר בַּמִּצְוֹות וּבַתּוֹרָה וּלְהוֹסִיף כְּסֵדֶר פְּעוּלּוֹת שֶׁל עֲשֵׂה טוֹב, וְהָרַע מִמֵּילָא יָסוּר, וְזֶהוּ הָרֶמֶז ׳וְאֵלֶּה מוֹסִיף׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַדֶּרֶךְ הִיא תָּדִיר לְהוֹסִיף בַּעֲשֵׂה טוֹב. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ, ׳וְאֵלֶּה׳ מוֹסִיף שֶׁבַח עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, עַל שִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לְמַעְלָה שֶׁכּוּלָּם הָיוּ צַדִּיקִים. הַיְינוּ שֶׁכְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָרִאשׁוֹנִים עָשׂוּ תָּמִיד מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וְעָסְקוּ בַּעֲשֵׂה טוֹב בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, כֵּן גַּם הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה נָהֲגוּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, שֶׁחִיפְּשׂוּ תָּמִיד לְהוֹסִיף בְּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וּבְמִצְוֹות.
- “The nakedness of the land” is Yosef's phrase in Bereishis 42:9; the sefarim apply it to Egypt. ↩
In shortVe'eileh teaches that even when sunk in evil, as in Egypt, we must keep adding good deeds, as the seventy souls always had.
6aThis power to pursue good deeds, and to keep adding more and more of them, is found more among simple people. Their hearts are broken within them, and they always feel they have not yet accomplished anything, so they try to make their souls whole by doing more and more mitzvos. But people of stature, deeply engaged in Torah and mitzvos, feel that they are already complete, and they do not chase after more mitzvos and good deeds. My holy ancestor, zy"a, tells a story in his sefer Toldos Adam.10 Once the Chozeh of Lublin, zt"l, had high hopes that the redemption would come that year, but it did not happen. Afterward he told the Yid HaKadosh, zt"l, that the simple people had already done complete teshuvah; as far as they were concerned, the redemption could have come. The main delay came from the people of stature. Their very virtues make it hard for them to become truly humble, and so it is hard for them to come to complete teshuvah.
וְהִנֵּה כֹּחַ זֶה לִרְדּוֹף אַחַר מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וּלְהוֹסִיף בָּהֶם עוֹד וְעוֹד, מָצוּי יוֹתֵר אֵצֶל פְּשׁוּטֵי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר לִבָּם נִשְׁבָּר בְּקִרְבָּם וּמַרְגִּישִׁים תָּדִיר כִּי עֲדַיִין לֹא פָּעֲלוּ כְּלוּם, וְעַל כֵּן מְבַקְּשִׁים לְהַשְׁלִים נַפְשָׁם בַּעֲשִׂיַּית עוֹד וְעוֹד מִצְוֹות. אַךְ אַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲלָה הָעוֹסְקִים הַרְבֵּה בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹות, מַרְגִּישִׁים עַצְמָם כִּשְׁלָמִים, וְאֵינָם רוֹדְפִים לְהוֹסִיף עוֹד וְעוֹד מִצְוֹות וּבְמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. וְכַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא זְקֵנִי זי״ע בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם (דף פ״ו ע״ב) שֶׁפַּעַם אַחַת הָיָה הַחוֹזֶה מלובלין זצללה״ה מְצַפֶּה מְאֹד שֶׁתְּהֵא הַגְּאוּלָּה בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה, וְלֹא עָלָה הַדָּבָר. וּלְאַחַר מִכֵּן אָמַר לְהַיְּהוּדִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ זצללה״ה, שֶׁהָאֲנָשִׁים הַפְּשׁוּטִים כְּבָר עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה, וּמִצֵּידָם הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַגִּיעַ הַגְּאוּלָּה, אַךְ עִיקַּר הָעִיכּוּב הָיָה מֵחֲמַת אַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲלָה שֶׁלָּהֶם קָשֶׁה לָבוֹא לִידֵי שִׁפְלוּת מֵחֲמַת הַמַּעֲלוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם, וְקָשֶׁה לָהֶם לָבֹא לִידֵי תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה.
- Toldos Adam, p. 86b. R' Yehoshua of Ostrova, author of Toldos Adam, father-in-law of the first Biala Rebbe. ↩
6bThis explains what we saw with the shepherd boy and the laborers in Egypt. It is precisely the prayer of simple people, their groaning even “without speech or words,”11 that is more readily accepted in Heaven, because their hearts are broken within them and they always feel that they have not done what they should. Even so, true tzaddikim whose hearts are broken within them, and who always think that they have not done what they should, have this power as well, and their prayer too is certainly accepted with special favor.
וְזֶהוּ הַטַּעַם בַּמֶּה שֶׁהוּבָא לְעֵיל, שֶׁדַּוְוקָא תְּפִילָּתָם שֶׁל פְּשׁוּטֵי הָעָם וְאֶנְקָתָם אַף לְלֹא אוֹמֶר וּדְבָרִים מִתְקַבֶּלֶת יוֹתֵר בַּשָּׁמַיִם, לְפִי שֶׁלִּבָּם נִשְׁבָּר בְּקִרְבָּם, וּמַרְגִּישִׁים תָּמִיד כִּי אֵינָם יוֹצְאִים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָם. אָכֵן מִכָּל מָקוֹם צַדִּיקֵי אֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר לִיבָּם נִשְׁבָּר בְּקִרְבָּם, וְחוֹשְׁבִים תָּמִיד שֶׁאֵינָם יוֹצְאִים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָם, גַּם לָהֶם יֵשׁ כֹּחַ זֶה, וּתְפִילָּתָם וַדַּאי גַּם הִיא מְקוּבֶּלֶת בְּיוֹתֵר.
- See Tehillim 19:4. ↩
In shortSimple people's broken hearts keep them adding good deeds, so their wordless cry is accepted most, as is the prayer of broken-hearted tzaddikim.
7In these days of Shovavim, the weeks of teshuvah that begin with Parshas Shemos, everyone's heart is broken, for who does not need to repair the blemish he has caused? So this time is especially suited to the prayers of Israel that come from a broken heart. May Hashem help us, so that in this merit our prayers are heard and we are privileged to hear the voice of the herald of redemption. And let us say Amen.
וְהִנֵּה בְּיָמִים אֵלֶּה יְמֵי השובבי״ם, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לִבּוֹ שָׁבוּר כִּי מִי לֹא צָרִיךְ לְתַקֵּן מַה שֶׁפָּגַם, אֲזַי עֵת זוֹ מְסוּגֶּלֶת בְּיוֹתֵר לִתְפִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַיּוֹצְאִים מִלֵּב שָׁבוּר. יַעֲזוֹר ה׳, שֶׁבִּזְכוּת זֶה יִשְׁמְעוּ תְּפִילּוֹתֵינוּ, וְנִזְכֶּה לְקוֹל מְבַשֵּׂר, וְנֶאֱמַר אָמֵן.
In shortMay the broken hearts of Shovavim make our prayers heard, and may we hear the voice of the herald of redemption.
Takeaway
Hashem does not want us to wait until we have fixed everything in ourselves before we begin doing good; we should start at once with mitzvos and good deeds, and the evil will fall away by itself. What keeps us adding is a broken heart that feels it has not yet done enough, which is why the simple person's cry, even without words, rises higher than the prayers of one who feels complete. Especially in the days of Shovavim, let us pray from a broken heart and keep adding one more good deed.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.