Open Your Eyes to Blessings | Letter #16 of Thirty Letters in Thirty Days 5786

Baruch Hashem. We are live. All right. Sorry for the delay. I was having a little bit of technical issues. Let's uh give it to Tzedakah like we do with the Colel Chabad Pushka app. Have fun here. Boom. What? You earned a token. You can use tokens to recover missed days. I want to know about that. But why didn't it make the noise? I thought I turned down my sound. Okay, let's try it again. I don't know what the token is. I have to I'm going to call someone from Colel Chabad and ask him what the token means. All right. It says 14-weekday streak. All right. Oh, look there's a little button here Maos Chitim. You can [clears throat] give specifically for uh you know, you know what Maos Chitim is? That's to help people out with uh Pesach Yom Tov needs. Okay, I'll check that out later. All right. Baruch Hashem. Um we are on uh letter 16, day 16. All right, we're in the second half of 30 letters in 30 days. I have a I have the black cherry this time instead of the Selray. Mixing it up. Baruch Hashem 20 Nissan 5780. All right. Let's go. Baruch Hashem Daled Shvat 5780 in Brooklyn. Shalom U'vracha. All right. Now we're back to uh the dates where we were before. I You remember last night I told you that it kind of went back in time and we went to a Tishrei letter. Now we're back to uh basically where in the calendar we left off on uh Thursday. Which is where where now we're in the month of Shvat. I told you last night I explained to you why the Igros go chronologically because >> [gasps] >> uh the asked um or Rebbe 11 asked the Rebbe did the Rebbe want the Igros to go according to subject or in chronological order and the Rebbe said whatever can be published quicker. He said chronological, so that's where the Igros go chronologically. Okay. Um greetings and blessings from my now miktav mikhaidesh Kislev who khaidesh hagola in answer to your letter from the month of Kislev which is the month of redemption. Kislev is known as the month of redemption because you have Yud Tes Kislev, you have Yud Kislev, both of those are days of liberation. You write about your present situation and you say that all the days of your life you have not seen any good. You are dayhem shiyur v'rakha and you ask that I should mention you and your wife and children for blessing. Okay. You understand the setup here? Guy says that uh he's got a bad life. He's never seen his whole life he's never seen any good. Never had anything good. Ah, we call that a pity party. Okay, let's see how the Rebbe deals with this. Apparently, you don't sense the contradiction in your own letter. In other words, uh and this is classic as far as the Rebbe's style. Using the letter writer's own words as evidence to refute to refute the premise that the letter writer posits. See this all the time. I I use this all the time in Ami with my column is that sometimes you have to I mean you have to disagree with the person's premise because because it's it's wrong. They're wrong. They're they're they're coming to faulty conclusions cuz it's based on a on a false premise. But how are you supposed to disagree with someone about their own experience? Well, you can't. But what you do do, and I learned this from the Igros, is you you you use their own words not against them, God forbid, but for them. You're not trying to fight them. You're trying to actually help them and you're trying to say, "Listen, I'm I'm I'm I'm taking your words at face value. Meaning I'm believing you. What you told me, I believe that it's true. And from what you told me itself, you're actually providing me evidence that refutes the premise that your conclusion is built on. You follow what I'm saying?" Okay. So, the Rebbe says like this, "You say you never saw good your whole life. But from the letter itself that you wrote me, I have evidence that that's not true. Meaning I'm not arguing with you, you're arguing with you. >> [laughter] >> So, you got to decide which version of you is right." Kind of, so to speak. You guys following? I hope so. Okay. Ki Isha She'ar Ba'ala Elam Hisminlai Es Baskila Yevercham Yilad Biladim Shlita. Because a person who Hashem granted a wife >> [snorts] >> and together they merited to have they were blessed to have children. May they live and be well. Yaima, that person should say She'lo Ra'ah Ta'av Me'olam if that he never saw good his whole life. Harei Hu Kafui Ta'avah U'midah Mafilah. That is alarming. That is an alarming degree of ingratitude. Meaning you're asking me mention me and my wife and my kids for a blessing. What? Wife? Kids? And then in the same letter you're saying, "And I've never seen good my whole life." You never seen good in your whole life? What about the aforementioned wife and kids? That sounds like some pretty amazing blessings. The Rebbe elaborates. Certainly your words, you know, your in your your your ingratitude, the words of ingratitude are not going to diminish the blessings that Hashem has given you until now. But the fact that Hashem is going to continue providing you with blessings shouldn't be a reason for ingratitude. Even when the Rebbe is harsh, the Rebbe is kind. You You're following what the Rebbe is saying? I mean, on the one hand it's harsh. The Rebbe is saying, "How How This is alarming. How could you express such ingratitude?" And that's a little bit harsh. But listen to the compassion and the kindness and the and the and the generosity. The Rebbe is saying, "Listen, and even though you're ungrateful, Hashem is still going to bless you. He's going to continue to bless you." But listen, the fact that Hashem is going to continue to bless you shouldn't be fuel for your continued lack of gratitude. Yeah. Hundreds and thousands of people daven every day that they should be blessed with children. There's such a thing called infertility. People who desperately want the blessing of children, and they don't have it. And obviously, you know, I try to be very careful not reading things into the Rebbe's motivation, and you know, far be it from me, and I can't make such assumptions. But, it's impossible for me not to think about the fact >> [snorts] >> that of course the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin did not have their own biological children. So, I can't not [clears throat] think of that when the Rebbe is writing to someone who is blessed with children and saying, "There are hundreds and thousands of people who davened, were praying their hearts out every day to have children." >> [snorts] >> V'ha'u nice dim as kol Yisrael b'Ishmael ben ben yochid b'asir chida, they would give everything they have to have one son or one daughter. V'adainu lo zachu l'zeh, and yet they they haven't merited it. They would give everything for it, but it hasn't happened for them. >> [snorts] >> Y'varech Hashem Yisbaruch b'milui mishalos libam l'tova b'karov. Um Wow. Hashem should grant the fulfillment of their hearts' desires for good very soon. You know what this reminds me of? Oh my gosh. Reminds me of what the Rebbe says about the in the in in Hilchos Parah Adumah, when the Rebbe was giving the history about the there were nine red heifers, and then the 10th one will be in times of Mashiach. Mayheira yigaleh, may he be speedily revealed. And uh the Rebbe asked the question, "Why is uh why is the Rebbe davening in the middle of a safer of halachos, right?" And and the Rebbe says, "No, no, no. I mean, he is davening, but the he's he's teaching halacha even when he's davening cuz the Rambam is teaching that when you mention Mashiach, even if it's not the main point, you express your desire for Mashiach's speedy arrival. And it's it's so interesting here, you know, the Rebbe is saying this as a side point. He's saying to this guy who has children, you've been blessed with children. How can you say you never saw good? Think about the people who daven every day for children and they and they still haven't had children. And then the Rebbe won't let that sentence pass. The Rebbe won't go back to the main point until he says that prayer. May Hashem bless them with the fulfillment of their hearts' desires soon. It's a It's just amazing, you know, like the Rebbe didn't have to say that line. That That's not the point here. That's not addressing this person's issue. It's a total side point. But maybe it's not a side point. Maybe that is the point. And that when you mention there are people who are are lacking and they're in pain because of the lack lack of brachos they have, then the Rebbe is teaching us even here that you say a prayer for them. May Hashem bless them speedily that their hearts' desires should be fulfilled. At any rate, who are you able to do? Yet you you received this bracha. This bracha that so many hundreds and thousands of people pray for every day and they haven't been answered yet. May they speedily be answered. And you you were answered. And you know what? You believe you said all of that doesn't Apparently, you didn't even have to daven that much for it. Just just happened. >> [cough] [clears throat] >> Ain't a mocker. You don't recognize the wealth and the good fortune that are contained therein. >> [cough and clears throat] >> And and you and you even repeat it in your letter. Apparently, he said it twice. I've never seen good in my life. I've never seen good in my life. How in the world can you say that when you have the blessing that so many people would give everything in order to receive? And furthermore, you can you you you conclude your letter by saying you don't believe that Hashem is going to help you. No help is going to come from above. Because you believe it's been decreed that you will be your whole life poor and wretched. That's what you believe that it must be that there's a decree from on high that this is my fate. This is my lot. I am cursed. He doesn't use the word cursed, but basically I'm destined to have this terrible life. All right. >> [sighs and gasps] >> See, the Rebbe again is so kind even when the Rebbe is giving musar. Like the Rebbe is really giving this guy an attitude adjustment over here and at the same time the Rebbe is so kind and careful with his kindness. The Rebbe says under- it's understood my point is not to say that you should have meager parnassa or that you shouldn't have strong health. Like the Rebbe is saying and and by the way, I just want to clarify. I'm not saying get over it cuz apparently this guy's issues are with money and health. So, the Rebbe is saying I'm not saying that you shouldn't have money and you shouldn't have health. You should. You should have money and you should have health. Of course, you should. What I'm saying is Okay, let's go back inside. All bossy lawyer, all I'm saying is I'm trying to awaken you. Hey, do you know the fact that you don't recognize your blessings may actually be the cause for which you're lacking blessings in other areas? Since you don't recognize that you have blessing in an area that's much greater, it's interesting that I was ranking these areas, but I've seen this before. The Rebbe spoke about bonnie chaim mizona, the three categories of brochos. Bonnie is children, chaim is health, mizona is is is is parnossa, sustenance, livelihood. And the Rebbe said that that that the the most important one is is children, kinder darf man haben. Um so even though you're lacking in the other two areas of of of of of chaim mizona, but you're blessed with bonnie, you're blessed with children, with kinder. And the fact that you don't recognize that you're blessed in that area, which is the biggest of the three areas, again, interesting that the Rebbe ranks them. Um in fact, I if I recall correctly, the Rebbe even says the fact that we say bonnie chaim mizona that the seder is bediyuk, the fact that we that we we say it in that order is actually a ranking. It is, like, that's the most important. That's why we say it first. Okay. So the fact that you don't recognize that you're blessed in an area which is actually the biggest category of blessing, maybe that's the reason why you're lacking blessing in the other areas. >> The blessing you do have is you have sons and daughters who are following in the way of Hashem. When you don't recognize the obvious and revealed good that was given from above. Especially when it's to such an extent that you express it in these alarming ways that you express it. Remember he said nothing. I've never seen good in my whole life. I think it's decreed from above that I'll never be helped from above. Okay. So the Rebbe says, if you don't recognize the obvious blessings that you have and and to such an extent where you're using this alarming, shocking language, what's what's what's the wonder you're not drawing down blessings in other areas. Now, we have to have that explained to us. What what what does one have to do with the other? Why does recognizing blessing one area draw down more blessing in other areas? Okay, the Rebbe will explain it to us. Don't you don't you don't have to worry. The Rebbe is going to explain it all to us. Um Yeah. I hope that my few lines quantitatively, you know, relatively short letter, will be sufficient to illuminate your eyes about the way things really are. About the facts. The reality. When you start to serve a sham with true and inner joy. Then certainly you are going to be blessed by a sham. You will enjoy increased blessing from a sham in the areas of health and livelihood. And this is understood from what's written in many places may have Zoya the Zoya among them the Zoya the holy Zoya hail base coof pay dollar on my base. And if you look over there, then it gives the the matter of mocking the source. It's a famous Zoya about the law of reciprocity that when a person puts out a positive attitude, so it causes more positivity from above to rain down on him. And if God forbid the opposite then the opposite. And this is a common idea in consider this. I mean, it's originally from the Zoya. Um sometimes in consider this it's expressed as the Berdichever said that I would quote in the name of the Berdichever who's in turn saying title from the Bal Sham that a sham seal her what it says in till the one of my last words I sham seal her sham is your shadow. And the simple meaning is a sham is your protective shade, but the consider Shapiro sham is your shadow that just like a shadow mimics the movements of the person a sham responds to us measure for measure and if we radiate a positive attitude, then a sham responds to that in kind by giving us more positive stuff. So becomes a self self-fulfilling prophecy like we say. Um yeah, there's also the idea of the dam dam dam moach, know what is above you, which the Zohar says, know that what's above you, dam al al mi al, that which is above, mi moach, it comes from you. So, when you radiate positivity, you bring more positivity. Okay? So, that's that's the explanation for it. So, that I was saying before, the fact that you're lacking brochos in the areas of health and and uh livelihood, maybe that's because you're not appreciating the brochos you have in the area of children. And why should one Why should being grateful for brochos in one area affect the others? The other areas? So, that I would just explain with the citation of of the Zohar that it all has to do with your attitude. When you are grateful, Hashem gives you more to be grateful for. I'm not going to say the negative formulation, but it's implied that that also holds true. Okay. How we doing? You're doing good? I'm going to take a glance at the chat. The collar sticking out? No, it's not. No, it's not. Oh, it's not. Why are you saying that? That's a false alarm. You guys know now my trigger about being phobic about my collar poking out. Collar's not poking out. Okay. But, thank you for You know what? Better to be uh cautious. Oh, maybe it is kind of sticking out. All right. I'm looking at the playback. Okay. Uh yeah, and uh Becky Tracht Good is saying there was another letter on this theme in a previous year. Yes, there was, and in fact, when we uh picked this letter, I was thinking, didn't we learn this letter in a previous year? But, then I remembered, no, it was a different letter. But, it was also someone who said, "Nothing good has ever happened to me my whole life." Similar similar language. And uh the Rebbe corrected that in in with a similar um with similar argument. Yeah. Um you guys have my back with the collar. I really appreciate it. You're my peeps. Okay. Um >> [snorts] >> Yeah. Let's uh okay, let's continue here. The vada yesh like this the limited sunigla and the limited this. The number says certainly you have fixed times for learning the revealed parts of Torah as well as this. Well, it's not just enough to learn every day. You have to fix times. The alcohol pan and yes, I can say my candle of a hobbit. If you don't, you should start from now on. My knock me if they cast out the villain shall I you should you be appropriate to to check your villain. Kind of same as this video awesome you should also check the mazuzahs in your house. Call you and call you and call you and call you and call you and call you and call you and every day every morning before you dive in you have three shades of fruit is let's talk of you should set aside some coins for it's the darker or I'm sure it would count. You don't have to set aside physical coins, I don't think. You could do Well, let me turn back on the sound. You could do what we do. Yeah. Be bracha >> [sighs and gasps] >> with blessing the sham is a mashli mask here and it was uh signed by the secretary. >> [snorts] >> Okay, baruch hashem. That is our letter for tonight. And okay, well you finished a little bit early. Amazing. Yeah, that makes up for uh Motzei Shabbos when uh it was an hour. Was it like an hour and 2 minutes? Now we did it uh 20 what? 20 23 minutes. Wow, that's short. Anything else you guys want to talk about? Okay. Well, it's a long Rambam today in uh Gimel Prakim Hilchos Shabbos. So, I actually did two out of the three chapters earlier today. So, I think I'm going to go finish Rambam and I'll see you guys uh tomorrow night. Oh, don't forget the new course uh soulwords.org/how to register for the uh how to answer any question course with methods, many of the methods taken straight from the Igros Kodesh. Okay. See you guys uh tomorrow night.