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The Short Vort- -“Lesson Number Two ” (8/26/10)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Thursday the 16th of Elul 5770 and August 26, 2010
Lesson Number Two
Continuing in our constant search to win the judgment which is now LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY!!!
I don’t mean to scare you, but, I really do.
I mean, if I really love you then I want you to be around for many, many more years; if in order to achieve this, it means lighting a fire under you, well I’ll do it!
If you were a careless driver who drove while being intoxicated, would anyone ever think it’s wrong for me to put the ‘fear of death’ in you to convince you to quit?
So for all of you people who felt I was too strong and too scary yesterday:
Hey, get over it!
This is serious business and I love you too much to just allow you to continue on your merry way to Gehinom!
With that introduction, let’s get busy with lesson number two.
“Whoever allows things to slide, and is not always looking for ‘an eye for an eye’; and forgives and forgets… Hashem will allow their ‘stuff’ to slide and will forgive and forget their transgressions” (free translation of Gemara Rosh Hashanah 17a)
This is the most important and tried and true method of guaranteeing for yourself an acquittal in two weeks: allowing things to slide.
The more ‘stuff’ you allow to slide, the more of your ‘stuff’ Hashem will allow to slide.
The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah backs up this statement with a true story.
The Gemara informs us that Rav Huna was really sick. His buddy Rav Papa went to visit. Upon exiting his room, Rav Papa told his family, “It looks pretty bad. I think its time you began to prepare the burial shrouds.”
Surprisingly, Rav Huna recovered. Rav Papa was hesitant to visit. However, when he finally visited, Rav Huna told him, “Don’t feel bad. When I was sick I actually began my final journey. Indeed, I heard the gatekeepers saying, “Hey make room for one more who is about to arrive at any minute”.
However, as they were about to close the curtain on me, Hashem himself appeared and said, “Leave my friend Rav Huna alone. Since he is a fellow who allows things to slide, we’re going to let this one slide as well”.
Soon after that, I started to improve until- thank Hashem- I have recovered fully”.
The Ari’Zal once said, “If we would realize how much Kapara (forgiveness) is generated on our behalf when we are pained, insulted, humiliated, and we do not answer and allow it to ‘slide’, we would run after people and beg them to insult us!”
Friends, I think you get the point.
Think about the person who has insulted you the most this past year; the one who really humiliated you.
If you can find it in your heart to let it slide, you will be doing yourself the BEST thing you can for YOUR future!
There is nothing more potent in our arsenal than the ability to forgive and forget; it can literally make the difference in our lives between life and death.