Transformations Wheels & Optimism ויחי תשפ״ג
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Transformation Wheels & Optimism
Perspective can be everything. When we have a healthy perspective, the right attitude, we are filled with confidence, courage and resilience. We are unstoppable. We successfully achieve our goals.
Leadership, vision and target-goals help us maximize our G-d given potential. As the saying goes: “how do you expect to hit your target, if you don’t even have one”.
Leadership, vision and target-goals help us maximize our G-d given potential. As the saying goes: “how do you expect to hit your target, if you don’t even have one”.
In Lekutei Torah -Vayechi- the Alter Rebbe explains how a person can successfully transform their life. We are born with a natural desire to focus on our selfish bodily needs. We naturally gravitate to the physical and to materialism. Torah and Chabad Chassidus give us the light and ability to transform our lives into a higher, better and happier meaningful life.
In the sacred prayer of Shma Yisroel, שמע ישראל, we declare that the heavens and the earth exist only because G-d creates them. They have no self independent identity. In the classical Chassidic vernacular: אין עוד מלבדו. There is nothing besides Him.
When we focus and take the time to think about the depth of this concept, how everything exists only because of the kindness and benevolence of the Creator, then we automatically develop a pleasure, a will and a love to connect and unite with our loving father in Heaven. Our heart and soul yearn to have a loving relationship with Hashem.
We can liberate ourselves from the shackles of selfishness, addiction and slavery to the foolishness of everything which is meaningless and vanity. We can transform our life to a beautiful and meaningful joy and pleasure.
Kabbalah teaches us that “G-d can not be grasped with human thoughts but He can be grasped with our heart”. The final word in the verse of Shma Yisroel is אחד. One. We focus on the concept that G-d is the exclusive master and the only true existence in all of the seven heavens and earth and in the four directions of east, west, north and south.
We exist only because G-d wants to be King so He creates us to be His people who will serve Him. Therefore we are happy and filled with joy that we are chosen and have the opportunity to make our Father in Heaven happy. Every Mitzvah is a chance to connect and make G-d happy.
In the prayer of Kaddish we say “May the great name of G-d be revealed in every world, and blessed”. יהא שמיה רבה מברך. The final word Yisborach, יתברך, comes from the Hebrew word for blessing. Brocho. ברכה. Which also means to “draw down”.
We pray that the great name of our loving Father in Heaven and His blessings, be revealed in our world. It should be “drawn down” In our heart and mind. In our emotional and physical reality.
We can liberate ourselves from the shackles of selfishness, addiction and slavery to the foolishness of everything which is meaningless and vanity. We can transform our life to a beautiful and meaningful joy and pleasure.
Kabbalah teaches us that “G-d can not be grasped with human thoughts but He can be grasped with our heart”. The final word in the verse of Shma Yisroel is אחד. One. We focus on the concept that G-d is the exclusive master and the only true existence in all of the seven heavens and earth and in the four directions of east, west, north and south.
We exist only because G-d wants to be King so He creates us to be His people who will serve Him. Therefore we are happy and filled with joy that we are chosen and have the opportunity to make our Father in Heaven happy. Every Mitzvah is a chance to connect and make G-d happy.
In the prayer of Kaddish we say “May the great name of G-d be revealed in every world, and blessed”. יהא שמיה רבה מברך. The final word Yisborach, יתברך, comes from the Hebrew word for blessing. Brocho. ברכה. Which also means to “draw down”.
We pray that the great name of our loving Father in Heaven and His blessings, be revealed in our world. It should be “drawn down” In our heart and mind. In our emotional and physical reality.
When a teapot is connected to the electric outlet, it heats up the water inside the teapot. But if we unplug it, then the water cools off. The same is true with our heart and mind. When we plug in our heart, our mind and our thoughts, into the beautiful and inspiring Divine energy and into the concepts of Divine Creation and Divine unity, then we heat up our mind, our emotions and our enthusiasm. We rise and become inspired to live a happy and productive life.
This gives us motivation and inspiration:
The keys and the electric plug for our success and for our happiness are in our hands. All we need to do is to keep the wire “plugged in”. We must take time daily to ensure that our thoughts, mind and emotions are plugged in to the correct source of energy.
If you feel emotionally cold, if you suspect that you may lack excitement in Faith and Judaism, know that the solution is easily available to you. Just plug in your mind and heart to the inspiring teachings of Torah and Chabad Chassidus and you will feel yourself warming up with enthusiasm and new energy. You will be filled with new vitality and new excitement.
Your happiness is in your hands. Just plug in!
3 messages based on the teachings of the Rebbe:
1) The 17 best years of our forefather Yaakov - Jacob were at the end of his life, in the abominable land of Egypt. When we choose to live our life in the footsteps of our illustrious grandfather Yaakov, then automatically we will be happy. Regardless of the environment. On the contrary, the best times could even be in the spiritually lowest places on earth. It’s up to us to make it happen. We create our own reality.
Yaakov asked his son Yosef to make an oath that after Yaakov’s passing, Yosef will carry him from Egypt to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Chevron Israel for burial. Even if a Jew lives comfortably outside of Israel, nevertheless a Jew must always feel and yearn to leave Egypt. Like our patriarch Yaakov we must ask and pray to be “carried from Egypt” to Israel. Exile is not the place of a Jew.
Never allow the trappings of the modern world to distract you from the mission of your life and from the purpose for which you were born. A Jew does not belong in exile. Yaakov asked to “carry me from Egypt”. ונשאתני ממצרים. Egypt represents limitations and constraints. A Jew yearns to be carried to spiritual freedom with Moshiach to our beloved holy land of Israel, where we will maximize the gift of life.
Never allow the trappings of the modern world to distract you from the mission of your life and from the purpose for which you were born. A Jew does not belong in exile. Yaakov asked to “carry me from Egypt”. ונשאתני ממצרים. Egypt represents limitations and constraints. A Jew yearns to be carried to spiritual freedom with Moshiach to our beloved holy land of Israel, where we will maximize the gift of life.
2) Yosef forgave his brothers despite that they wanted to kill him and despite that they sold him as a teenager to be a slave in Egypt. Yosef still gave his brothers the best possible life. If someone hurts us we must be a leader and learn from Yosef how to forgive. We must recognize that G-d orchestrates everything which happens to us in our life. As a loving father, G-d knows what is best for us. Don’t hold a grudge. Forgive.
3) Life can be like a turning wheel. Sometimes we are up and sometimes it may seem like we are down. The art of life is to recognize that the only way for a wagon to make progress is for the wheel to turn. Progress is made by turning the top of the wheel to the bottom and the bottom of the wheel to the top. Therfore the seeming “down” of the wheel is actually the cause and the reason why the wheel turns up and makes progress.
During exile we may encounter challenges and hardships. We must always remember to have the correct and healthy attitude, perspective and faith. Even our pain, our challenges and our struggles are part of the wheel of progress. “The bad is the cause for the good”. In the language of Chabad Chassidus this is known as, ירידה צורך עליה. The descent to the low is for the purpose of the ascent to the high.
The “down” is the cause for the future up. Never give up. Never loose hope. Never allow negative emotions to block your vision and dream of pursuing a life of happiness, meaning and success. The turning wheel is always in the process of making progress. Your healthy attitude will change the way you enjoy and maximize your life.
Be an optimist. Focus on how the wheel is always making progress. The bottom is on the way up. Tomorrow must and will be better then today.
The “down” is the cause for the future up. Never give up. Never loose hope. Never allow negative emotions to block your vision and dream of pursuing a life of happiness, meaning and success. The turning wheel is always in the process of making progress. Your healthy attitude will change the way you enjoy and maximize your life.
Be an optimist. Focus on how the wheel is always making progress. The bottom is on the way up. Tomorrow must and will be better then today.
Lchayim
Velvl
Rabbi Velvl Butman
Executive Director
Chabad Lubavitch of Westchester County
Sharing the joy and meaning of Judaism unconditionally!
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