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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.
Very quick idea on this week's Parsha. This week's Parsha, this past week, this is something I heard from Rabbi Nagel I want to share a little insight, a little word of inspiration about Parsha's Vayakhel Pekudeh. We talk about the drapes that were made for the temple. Now there were two different types of Drapes that were made, Maasei Choshev and Maasei Rokem. One was
Double-sided that they looked exactly the same on both sides So they did embroidery and the embroidery was seen on both sides So exactly what you had on one side you had on the other side but then there was a very unique type of embroidery that it showed a completely different picture on the other side and One of the drapes that they had in the temple Had a completely different picture on the other side Where was that placed? At the entrance to the Holy of Holies
Entrance of the Holy of Holies. Let me ask you a question. When was the Holy of Holies used? One time. One time a year was used. How was it used? The Kohen Gadol, the high priest would go in Do his service there Walk out backwards and he was finished his service Turns out that that drape that was at the doorway would never ever be seen by a human being Because the Kohen would walk in walk out backwards. He would never even see the drape of the entrance
That was behind him So what's the point of having a drape that has a unique image? facing the inside of the Holy of Holies that's never ever seen by anyone Who needs it? Why is it important for us? That Hashem says you're gonna have a special drape which is gonna have a different image that we're never even gonna see What's the point? Rabbi Nagel said an amazing idea He said that Sometimes we need to recognize That the things that we think are valuable or
Not valuable is Completely different than the eyes of Hashem. Our sages teach us that we don't know the value of a mitzvah We don't understand the value of a mitzvah We think oh this mitzvah is worth ten points. That mitzvah is worth two points This mitzvah is worth 30 points. This mitzvah is worth seven points. We have no idea We think maybe because of the hardship Lefom Tzara Agra according to the pain according to the difficulties the reward
So we think that we understand how exactly these mitzvahs are tallied up but the truth is It's not the case at all. The truth is is that our perspective is very different sometimes than the perspective of God Not only that But Hashem's perspective of us is sometimes very very different than the perspective we have of ourselves You know what that means? That means we look at ourselves and we say ah, I can't do that. Oh
I'm not talented enough for that. Oh, I don't have the skills to succeed in that area. We are limiting ourselves Hashem has a different perspective of us What we value as a two Hashem could be valuing as 200 like me I just did a little mitzvah I did nothing. Do you know how much Hashem values that? They say a story about a person Who became religious and they asked him? What was your journey of becoming religious? What was your journey? How did you become religious?
You grew up secular this guy grew up secular in the United States and some some any town USA Jewish parents no religion. Sadly, there are many many many of those They asked him. How did you become religious? He said I'll tell you I was traveling backpacking around the world. I ended up at the Western Wall in Jerusalem No connection my people. I know but I feel no connection to it He says I saw an old man an old Jerusalemite the Yerushalmi Jew praying at the Western Wall
with such fervor with such delight with such piety Said there has to be something to this. Look at this guy. He's just praying at the wall and he's with such diligence With such devotion with such love there has to be more to this So I started inquiring I started looking around and I ended up at the at the at a yeshiva ended up learning and realizing the beauty of our Torah and Today this person is married with children grandchildren already
Observant of Shabbat observant of mitzvot now imagine that old man standing at that wall What was he doing? He was praying He comes up to heaven and they open up the red carpet for him he says for me What are you opening the red carpet for me? I'm a simple. Nobody I Don't a little shopkeeper. I had my little business. I did my little thing Red carpet, that's not me. I'm a nobody like no look at all. Look at all the Shabbos Look at all the mitzvot
Look at all the tefillin and the tzitzis that are worn every day by this person this person. I never met him Never met him. I have no idea who he is Said yeah, you never met him, but he saw you praying once at the wall and he was so moved by it he started discovering his Judaism and He decided to change his life And now every single mitzvah that he and his entire family will observe forever is on your account See we see things from our perspective
Perspective but Hashem sees a totally different perspective of us We sometimes we're looking from the outside this is what we see Hashem has a different perspective We have to recognize that Sometimes we will never ever ever see Hashem's perspective and Hashem is a God of kindness Hashem is a God of mercy Our sages tell us That someone who holds his mouth from speaking negativity about another person Cannot fathom the reward in heaven cannot fathom
We what did I do? I just did so I didn't say Lashon Hara about my about my neighbor I didn't say Lashon Hara about my ex-wife. I didn't say Lashon Hara about the person. I hate my competitor Okay, it's not such a big deal. You're making me like I'm some Moses now, right? No You know the reward in heaven for that Zoycha b'shvoleh l'or agonuz to the greatest illumination ever Unbelievable we think like oh, it's a little I did nothing you went out of your way to help somebody
In your eyes, it seems like it's nothing but in Hashem's eyes totally different perspective And now we can understand why that drape was not visible To any human being We need to know that there are certain things that are not visible to us ever They're visible to Hashem though and Hashem's perspective is very different than ours We have to appreciate that We have to understand as parents and that's how we got into this conversation to begin with while we started this recording as
Parents our perspective of our children needs to be godlike Where we see the potential that our children don't see in themselves and we need to bring them the light of that potential Where we see he's capable of doing it a child is doubting himself. I don't think maybe I can't I don't know We need to bring it out We need to give them the ability to shine To glow As parents, we're almost godlike for our children, particularly when they're young. They're completely dependent on us
They're relying on being fed as infants as newborns as infants as toddlers as little children They're dependent completely on us. We are their God in a way We should see a different perspective of our children see their greatness and Show them their greatness Show them what they're capable of just like we mentioned last week about the mirrors that the women used and donated to the wash basin to the key are
They use those mirrors to shine it back at their husbands at their children to show them their true potential They used it To show them what they're capable of The same is with these drapes We should not see the same vision our children see in themselves They may be shy. I don't know probably can't maybe I could maybe we as the parents We have to reignite the confidence in our children. They can We know what they're capable of. I think it's a very important
perspective for us to have in parenting and Definitely in our relationship with Hashem, Hashem values our Mitzvahs our observance far greater than we can ever imagine So embrace it feel the love feel the closeness My dear friends have an amazing week.
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