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This Jewish Inspiration Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and enhancing our relationship with Hashem by working on improving our G-d given soul traits and aspiring to reflect His holy name each and every day. The goal is for each listener to hear something inspirational with each episode that will enhance their life.
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Jewish Inspiration Podcast.
My dear friends, welcome back to day number 161 on the top of page 867 in the Treasure for Life edition of the Yor ha-Siddiqim. The ways of the righteous were in the middle of the gate of repentance. HaSheini, the second inspiration. KaSher Yovoh Yimei Zikno V'Yirachus Chalshus Kocho Oz Yovin La'achariso V'Yisgor Kitzo V'Yoshua L'Hashem Yirachamayim
When a person becomes old and they're of old age and they begin to perceive that their strength is waning, a person at that time should give thought to his end. Remember that his days are numbered and return to Hashem who will have mercy upon him. Someone who does not return in repentance to Hashem, in his old age, his punishment will be doubled. Just like our sages of blessed memory told us, There are four that cannot be tolerated by the human mind. Number one is Dal Ge'eh,
someone who is haughty, a haughty poor person. The second is Oshir Mekachesh, a miserly wealthy man. V'zokin Minoif, an adulterous old man. Uparnos Mizgoy Al HaTzibur V'Chinom, and a community official who acts with haughtiness over the congregation in vain. V'kesha Odem Ro'em SheYam Avholchem V'binyan Gufo Mizdaldo V'Holech And when one sees that his days are dwindling and his body is deteriorating and he knows that this is the beginning of his continuing journey, not end, of his continuing journey to his eternal home, the world to come.
V'zoe Atcholas HaNasiyah Shuhu Noseh HaL'Beis Olamo HaLoch V'Nasoyah Yoman V'Layla Zoi Tmi HaGdola He says this is very jarring for a person. How can he not take it to heart to store up provisions for his great distant journey? Eich Lo Yitein Elieva LaHokhin Seyda LeDarko HaGdola V'HaRakhoka Ein Zeh Bo Ela Machmas Miot Emuna The only reason why a person would would neglect this is because he has insufficient emunah, insufficient connection with Hashem.
If a person doesn't realize that he needs to prepare before he passes along onto the next world, you got to be silly not to realize what a mistake that is. That's such a huge mistake. V'Yei ShaNashem Sh'Lo Yiru Or Tshuva KiHeim Zakoyim V'Tahorim Beinim There are people who do not see the light of repentance, for they are righteous and pure in their own eyes. V'Heim Chatoyim LeShem Baruch Hu Ma'od And they're very sinful before Hashem.
V'Heim Kamo HaCholesh Einu Margish Chol Yo It's like a sick person doesn't realize that he's sick. U'mi Tov Sh'Einu Margish BeChol Yo Lo Yachshav Al HaRefua And because he doesn't think he's sick, he doesn't look for a cure. Kach Zeh O'Ish Einu Margish Chatov So too such a person doesn't realize his sins. V'Einu Mizbonu LeKitzu And he doesn't contemplate his eternal journey, and the challenges that sins will place on that journey. V'HaLkein LoYochush LeTakin Einonu V'Ne'Person This person won't bring it to heart to make change.
V'Yei ShaNashem Ma'Shukol Chevtze V'Chol Machshavo Seim V'Chol Ma'aseim Al Einun Gufam Some people are only worried about their body. V'Oskim Kol HaYom Bahav LiHaOlam And they're only busy with worldly pursuits their whole life. V'LoYitnu Chelek LaToro V'LeYira Es HaShem And they don't invest in their spirituality, in their holiness, in their Torah study, in their fear of HaShem. Blessed is he. V'Ka Ma'Haim BaMadrega Tochtonas They're so lowly in their feudal exercise of seeking physical. They're seeking the physical.
V'LoKhein Mi ShaHolach V'Shvihosh LiBo Bin'Urov Le'Ei SaZiknu Yittena Libo LeGarish MiKir Bo EinYoni HaOlam HaZeh He says someone who was lowly in his youth should take the opportunity of awakening, realizing that we're here temporarily. Do you know anybody who lived on past 120 years? No. Everybody has the same destiny. The same destiny physically. Spiritually, it depends on our good deeds. It depends on our actions. It depends on our commitment, our devotion to HaShem and his Torah. That's a totally different spiritual journey than every person.
But nobody lives forever. That's something we all have in common. We all have a birth date and we all have a date of death. We all have a day where this party is over, okay? And a person has to contemplate that when a person starts thinking about that, a person should realize, one second, when I was younger, maybe I didn't focus enough on this. I didn't realize my temporary state here. And I perhaps did some sins. I perhaps did things I shouldn't have done.
Now a person could do tshuva for it. A person has to then distance himself from the worldly pursuits when he is older. And always seek solitude to reflect on awareness of HaShem and to seek Torah and Mitzvot. It's never too late. It's never too late for a person to begin their journey. And if there's anybody here, we mentioned this previously, if there's anybody here who wants to take any step in their growth, in their Yiddishkeit, in their Judaism, I would say focus on three main areas.
Shabbos, kashuras, kosher, and tefillin. Every day. And for women, it's family purity, lighting Shabbos candles. But these are the fundamentals. After we have this, then we can go to prayer, and then we can go to washing the Tila Tzedayim, and then we can go to Birkas Hamazon, Grace After Meals. We can do, there are many, many mitzvahs. Many, many mitzvahs. But these are the fundamentals. These are called an os. An os is a sign, a treaty between us and God.
And these are the most important for us to focus on. If anybody wants a pair of tefillin, please see me after class. If anybody wants to know how to put them on, see me after class. I will happily help. Do everything I can. Because these are fundamentals for us to engage in our focus, in our relationship with Hashem. And these things help us stop and recognize our purpose in life. That's what Shabbos is every single week.
Shabbos, our sages tell us, the weekday, six days a week, is like life. Shabbos is like the world to come. You see how powerful that is? Every week. Why? Because, tell me, when a person passes away, are they able to do any more mitzvahs? What they did, they did. It's done. Oh, I want them to give one more charity. Hashem, send me back so I can give back to one more charity. No, no, no, it's too late. It's all over. You checked out.
You're in the next world. The same thing with Shabbos. Can a person prepare one more soup for Shabbos? No, no, no, no. As soon as the sun sets on Friday evening, it's all over. Hashem, just one more thing I want to throw into the oven. Now that's it. It's done. What's done is done. It's a reminder every single week, which is why our sages tell us, that it's a very, very special time for teshuva, right before Shabbos. Erev Shabbos is a great time.
It's like a micro Yom Kippur for the week. It's a very, very powerful time. Okay, this concludes day number 161.
You've been listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on a podcast produced by TORCH, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. Please help sponsor an episode so we can continue to produce more quality Jewish content for our listeners around the globe. Please visit torchweb.org to donate and partner with us on this incredible endeavor.