Chabad Inspiration Living vs Existing. Happy Purim
Hi. Wishing you Gut Shabbos. Candle lighting NY Metro 6:41
The Happiest Day:
Queen Esther and Mordechai miraculously overturned the decree of Haman, saving the entire Jewish people from annihilation. We're celebrating Purim for more then two thousand years. The miracle happened during the Persian empire, 4th century BCE. The Talmud states that we are obligated to drink and be happy on Purim to the point where we can't distinguish between the righteous Mordechai and the evil Haman. But wait! What's the point of consuming so much until we "don't know" the distinction between the cursed Haman and the blessed Mordechai?
The Rebbe explains:
Every Jew is loved by G-d. After all, the Jew is the only one on planet earth who observes the Torah and performs it's commandments. This may erroneously cause us to think that G-d's love for the Jew is contingent upon the level of Jewish observance. Love which is conditional is not guaranteed. It seems fragile and fraught with risk. We are not always perfect... We actually may even sin...
So is G-d's love for the Jew as shaky as a fiddler on the roof?
Good news: G-d's love for you, for the Jewish people is solid. Unconditional. Unwavering . Because there is a much deeper level of love. The love of a father to his children. Unconditional love !
When a baby is born, even when just one minute old, the parents already immediately love the baby unconditionally. The parent receives virtually nothing tangible from the baby, "no benefits". Yet the baby is the most loved entity in the parents reality
G-d loves the Jew, his child. Pure unconditional love. G-d loves the very existence of the child. Of the Jew. The love Is about the child's existence. This love is not about what the child is "doing for me". It's not based on the level of religious observance. This eternal deep level of unconditional love, of the essence of G-d loving the essence of every Jew is so deep that we can't rationally explain it. It's higher then logic. Rational love is not a compliment. It's love which is contingent on a reason. A cause. It's not a guaranteed love for eternity
Love which transcends logic is eternal, everlasting and unconditional. Precisely because it's not rooted in intellectual reasoning. Nothing can weaken this love
It's love which is not subject to conditions, to performance. It transcends the understanding of the mind
Purim this love is revealed. Palpable. On Purim G-d says to each and every Jew. Man and woman. Adult and baby: My dear child, I love you unconditionally, my essence is one with you, beyond logic, my love for you is guaranteed , I love you my dear Jewish child forever. It's not about logic. It's about you my dear child"
That's true love! That's Purim! We express this special love and and our bond with our beloved father in heaven by celebrating and saying Lchayim to the point where our rational logical mind can't explain philosophical reasoning and explanations. Purim we are intoxicated with the pure unconditional love of G-d for us, his children. The Jewish people . This doesn't mean, we become reckless and vulgar. Rather It is dignified pure happiness. We celebrate the unconditional love of G-d for each Jew
Purim we celebrate our Jewishness. Our being G-d's child. We sing and dance. We are consumed by
G-d's unconditional love. Drunk people drink. A Jew says Lchayim. It's not the same. They are worlds apart. Drinking is escaping our humanity. Saying Lchayim is to choose life over existence. To become a better person. More kind. More caring. More loving. More life. A life of G-d'ly purpose
Lchayim means to life. There is "existing" and there is "living" They are not the same. Existing is just to occupy space. Devoid of purpose , of kindness and meaning. The inanimate also exists
"Living" is to make our existence meaningful by contributing and making the world a better place
People who are focused on "existing" are often self centered and selfish. People who are focused on " living" are busy doing goodness and kindness, making life meaningful. That's the goal of creation. A world of "living". A world of Moshiach
The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, were focused in fortifying their "existence". Their gone. The Jew was focused on "living", the Jew lives on forever. Ironically, people who are focused on selfish "Existing" are usually not happy. People who are focused on "Living" are happy
Simply put: Living Jewishly equals happiness. So this week , let's celebrate our Jewishness. Let's hear the Megilah twice. Evening and day. Eat a festive meal. Enjoy Hamataschen. Donate to the poor. Send baskets of food to friends. Let's celebrate Jewish continuity. This week on Purim we will all be happy and all consumed by G-d's unconditional love for you. For the Jewish people. For Am Yisroel.
Lchayim !
Hi. Wishing you Gut Shabbos. Candle lighting NY Metro 6:41
The Happiest Day:
Queen Esther and Mordechai miraculously overturned the decree of Haman, saving the entire Jewish people from annihilation. We're celebrating Purim for more then two thousand years. The miracle happened during the Persian empire, 4th century BCE. The Talmud states that we are obligated to drink and be happy on Purim to the point where we can't distinguish between the righteous Mordechai and the evil Haman. But wait! What's the point of consuming so much until we "don't know" the distinction between the cursed Haman and the blessed Mordechai?
The Rebbe explains:
Every Jew is loved by G-d. After all, the Jew is the only one on planet earth who observes the Torah and performs it's commandments. This may erroneously cause us to think that G-d's love for the Jew is contingent upon the level of Jewish observance. Love which is conditional is not guaranteed. It seems fragile and fraught with risk. We are not always perfect... We actually may even sin...
So is G-d's love for the Jew as shaky as a fiddler on the roof?
Good news: G-d's love for you, for the Jewish people is solid. Unconditional. Unwavering . Because there is a much deeper level of love. The love of a father to his children. Unconditional love !
When a baby is born, even when just one minute old, the parents already immediately love the baby unconditionally. The parent receives virtually nothing tangible from the baby, "no benefits". Yet the baby is the most loved entity in the parents reality
G-d loves the Jew, his child. Pure unconditional love. G-d loves the very existence of the child. Of the Jew. The love Is about the child's existence. This love is not about what the child is "doing for me". It's not based on the level of religious observance. This eternal deep level of unconditional love, of the essence of G-d loving the essence of every Jew is so deep that we can't rationally explain it. It's higher then logic. Rational love is not a compliment. It's love which is contingent on a reason. A cause. It's not a guaranteed love for eternity
Love which transcends logic is eternal, everlasting and unconditional. Precisely because it's not rooted in intellectual reasoning. Nothing can weaken this love
It's love which is not subject to conditions, to performance. It transcends the understanding of the mind
Purim this love is revealed. Palpable. On Purim G-d says to each and every Jew. Man and woman. Adult and baby: My dear child, I love you unconditionally, my essence is one with you, beyond logic, my love for you is guaranteed , I love you my dear Jewish child forever. It's not about logic. It's about you my dear child"
That's true love! That's Purim! We express this special love and and our bond with our beloved father in heaven by celebrating and saying Lchayim to the point where our rational logical mind can't explain philosophical reasoning and explanations. Purim we are intoxicated with the pure unconditional love of G-d for us, his children. The Jewish people . This doesn't mean, we become reckless and vulgar. Rather It is dignified pure happiness. We celebrate the unconditional love of G-d for each Jew
Purim we celebrate our Jewishness. Our being G-d's child. We sing and dance. We are consumed by
G-d's unconditional love. Drunk people drink. A Jew says Lchayim. It's not the same. They are worlds apart. Drinking is escaping our humanity. Saying Lchayim is to choose life over existence. To become a better person. More kind. More caring. More loving. More life. A life of G-d'ly purpose
Lchayim means to life. There is "existing" and there is "living" They are not the same. Existing is just to occupy space. Devoid of purpose , of kindness and meaning. The inanimate also exists
"Living" is to make our existence meaningful by contributing and making the world a better place
People who are focused on "existing" are often self centered and selfish. People who are focused on " living" are busy doing goodness and kindness, making life meaningful. That's the goal of creation. A world of "living". A world of Moshiach
The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, were focused in fortifying their "existence". Their gone. The Jew was focused on "living", the Jew lives on forever. Ironically, people who are focused on selfish "Existing" are usually not happy. People who are focused on "Living" are happy
Simply put: Living Jewishly equals happiness. So this week , let's celebrate our Jewishness. Let's hear the Megilah twice. Evening and day. Eat a festive meal. Enjoy Hamataschen. Donate to the poor. Send baskets of food to friends. Let's celebrate Jewish continuity. This week on Purim we will all be happy and all consumed by G-d's unconditional love for you. For the Jewish people. For Am Yisroel.
Lchayim !