Show that you love me by your actions, not just by your words!

BH

This week was the Yahrtzeit (day of passing) of my Rebbe R. Mordechai Friedlander ZTL.

I would like to share with you a story that I heard about him from Reb Dovid Hirsch, a fellow Talmid (student) of his, on the way to the Rebbe’s funeral.

One day he was visiting our Rebbe and the Rebbe asked how his new book was coming along. Dovid told him that thank G-d, it was almost ready to be published but, he was missing a sponsor to help fund the costs of formatting and printing the book. Reb Friedlander turned to him and said, “I have a very big donor that I go and see around this time of year. Will you please do me a favor?”

Dovid said, “Sure how can I help?”

“I have been racking my brain for the last week about which charity project I am going to ask him to partner with me this year. Would you please go to him instead of me and ask him for a donation in my name so that I can now rely completely on G-d to help me with my charities and not him?”

Dovid followed through and somehow found out that because of the self-sacrifice of the Rebbe, he became the recipient of exactly the amount of money he needed to complete and publish his book.

In this week's Parsha, after Yosef reveals to his brother his true identity, Yosef and Binyomin weep on each other's necks. Rashi explains that Yosef had a vision and foresaw the destruction of the temples which were built in the area of Binyamin, therefore he wept, and Binyomin had a vision and foresaw the destruction of the temples in Shilo, therefore he wept.

Chasidus poses the following question: “What is significant about the neck and what does it have to do with the destruction of the temples?”

Chassidus goes on to explain that the purpose of the temple was to create a connection between the lofty spiritual world with the lower materialistic world; to work in unison to serve Hashem, and to create a holy and sanctified dwelling place on earth for the Creator.

The neck is the part that connects a person's upper and lower body. Sometimes people dream about achieving great things in life, via their lofty goals and ambitions. Sometimes a person even makes verbal promises and a commitment to be held accountable for his increased productivity, personal growth and integrity, thus ensuring he will become an improved version of himself. However, until he puts those thoughts and words into action, he has not accomplished any real change. The action is the proof of the level of the relationship between man and G-d. As spouses sometimes say to each other, “Show that you love me by your actions, not just by your words!” Yosef and Binyamin were crying over the tremendous loss of all of the glorious possibilities that would never come to fruition. It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that we reach our potential and assist other Jews in reaching theirs. It is through those actions that define who we are, and it is those actions that become our spiritual garments for eternity.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Yitzchok Friedman