Parshat: Nitzavim

There's a very famous story of the Vilna Gaon, of blessed memory. He was in his deathbed and he was crying holding onto his tzitzit. [music] And the family and the students asked him, "Rabbi, you've accomplished so much in your lifetime. You are a tzaddik, you're a gaon. Why is it you're holding onto your tzitzit and crying?" He said that every moment [music] I am here in this world, I am cashing in on the mitzvah of tzitzit every single second, every single moment is a mitzvah. And listen, Rebbe, he said that once he's up there in the next world, it's {quote} and {unquote} [music] game over. There's no more mitzvot that can be accomplished and be done by him. And we see this concept in Parshat Nitzavim. The holy Torah tells us, "Lo bashamayim hi." That the Torah is not in heaven. It's down here for us in [music] this earth to accomplish. And once you're up there, it's game over. That means as much as we can, we need to produce, we need to accomplish over here in Olam Hazeh in this world, [music] because once we're in Olam Haba, then you'll say there's no more mitzvot that we're able to do for ourselves anymore. What a powerful chizuk, what a powerful inspiration and message [music] this is for every single one of us to take advantage of. But if chas v'shalom, God forbid, we're going through this world and we're all swamped [music] and we're not really taking care of ourselves, we're not accomplishing and we're not producing, we're going to go up there and we're going to be like, "Oy [music] vey. Let me go back down. Let me be able to do more Torah and mitzvot." Whatever it is, I. Let's take this message to heart. Bezrat Hashem, let's produce, let's accomplish, let's learn Torah, let's teach Torah, let's do more good in the world, let's do more chesed, let's do more kindness. Bezrat [music] Hashem, if we do so, we should all be zocheh we should all merit to see the geulah shleimah, the complete redemption, which should come bemeheira b'yamenu in our days. Amen v'amen. >> My book on the parsha is currently being printed in Israel and you can be among [music] the first to receive a copy. Pre-order your copy today on Amazon.