In the first Parsha we read this week, Moshe encourages the nation that if they fail in their responsibilities to the Torah, they have the choice and opportunity to improve themselves. They will be able to reconcile with G-d through His phenomenal gift of Teshuvah/repentance. Teshuva is like a magical eraser.
Our leader Moshe encourages us not to get caught up with feelings of despair over past misdeeds; rather, to choose the right path, the path of ‘life’ which is by following the rightful ways of the Torah.
Rosh Hashana is approaching, and our Yeitzer Harah ―our pessimistic side ― may stir up feelings of despondency after making a thoughtful assessment about our past year’s spiritual performance. This might lead one to give up on putting a concerted effort into the prayers and getting into the spirit of the Holiday.
I want to share the following inspirational idea.
A young survivor of the Holocaust, who after experiencing the absolute horrors and family loss during the war, was considering giving up and abandoning his religious lifestyle.
Since he was conscientious, before abandoning his religiosity, he turned to the Chazon Ish, a Torah sage, for advice.
The Chazon Ish listened to his plight and distressing feelings and shared the following story with him.
There was a woman who lived in a small town near Vilna. To support her family, she would travel to Vilna, purchase goods in the market, and bring them back home and sell them to the locals.
On one of her trips to Vilna she lost her purse with all the money that was set aside to purchase the goods. When she realized her money was gone, she was overcome with despair and anguish. She gave out a loud scream.
A few minutes later a Jewish fellow came over to her and told her that he found her purse. However, he said he would not return it because he felt he had a Halachic right to keep the money due to the following law. The Talmud states that since people consciously and often check on their money clip to see if it is in their possession, and when they notice that it is lost, they are Miyayaish – give up hope on finding it. Once he gives up hope on finding the money, it then becomes Hefker/ownerless and the finder can keep the money since there is no identifiable symbol on the money.
The person who found the woman’s money, claimed that at the moment she noticed that it was lost, she gave up hope on finding it and it is therefore deemed ownerless and he is entitled to his find.
This didn’t sit well with the lady. Since they were in Vilna, she insisted that they visit the great Sage Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky o.b.m. to preside over their dispute.
Reb Chaim Ozer listened to the two sides and ruled in favor of the lady, and the one who found it must return the money.
Reb Chaim Ozer based his ruling on the law that anything that a wife attains, technically, belongs to her husband. This is based on the terms of the Ketubah/marriage contract.
Since the ultimate owner of the money, her husband, who was back at home and was unaware that the money was lost, never gave up on it, it still rightfully belonged to them.
After relating this seemingly random story, the Chazon Ish turned to the despondent young lad and said, “You should know that your Neshama/soul and the Neshama of every Jew is a portion of the Almighty. This means that a Jew is not the boss or owner over his Neshama – since it belongs to G-d.” The rabbi continued, “Well, if G-d, the true owner of your Neshama, was not Miyayaish/has not given up on you since He is granting you life; that gives you no proprietorship to give up on your relationship with Him!”
G-d believes in every one of us!
