Just think for a moment about what a special nation we are part of. The Jewish people are constantly doing chessed for each other. Which other nation will you find stories such as these? If a Jew is stranded on the highway, he will be stopped by absolute stranger and offered help, a cell phone or a ride. After giving birth in the hospital, bikur cholim organizations come by with food and drinks. Neighbors bake cakes and cookies for each others simchos and are genuinely happy for one another. The amount of chessed in our community and in our nation is just astounding!
Take out a list of the gemachs that are out there and you will be blown away by the ideas that people come up with - just so they could help others out in a time of need!
Here's a small list of the table of contents of the Hakhel gemach list that I have:
- Support Groups
- Hotlines
- Shidduchim
- Service Gemachs
- Bais Avel Gemachs
- Medical Gemachss
- Baby-items Gemachs
- Children's Gemachs
- Hachnosas Orchim and Food
- Household Gemachs
- Clothing Gemachs
- Simcha Clothing Gemachs
- Simcha Gemachs
- Wedding Gemachs
- Money Gemachs
- Seforim and Lending Libraries
Now, this is just the table of contents!! Then you go through the pages and you are blown away by the many different things people offer - just so that they can help you out and make your life easier! Is this not special? Isn't this amazing?!
So you open to the next page just to get a teeny glimpse into how people so badly want to help. There's Chai Lifeline, Shomrim, Chaveirim, a shaitel wash and set gemach, a gemach for briefcases, bris outfits, car seats, purim costumes, shoes, clothing, wedding gowns, a video projector, linens, flower centerpieces and the list goes on and on. Think about it, you should feel so happy and so lucky to be part of such a wonderful nation who always wants to do for other people!!
And where does this idea of giving and helping come from? The torah, of course. We learn to follow the ways of Hashem and just like Hashem is always giving to us - our health, our families, our brains, food, clothing, gorgeous weather, we should also try to constantly give and give. And look at how the Jewish People have worked on this middah so well!
When you think about this small part of what makes our nation so special, you will feel so lucky and will want to emulate these amazing people too.
Another thing you can try to do to make your Shavuos more meaningful is try to learn something practical that will enhance your appreciation for the Torah. We are lucky that we live in a generation with so many books and seforim translated into many languages so all you have to do is buy the book, pick it up and read it! Go to Artscroll's website or to Feldheim's website and see how many books and seforim there are out there on any topic and on any level! You can be spoon-fed the inspiration, all you have to do is pick up the spiritual food, it's right there for you, and eat it - feed your soul!!
You can choose books on the topic of emunah, shabbos, pirkei avos, the parsha or inspirational stories about our gedolim. Find something that talks to you, that will inspire you. The choices are numerous and there's definitely something out there for everyone!
May you realize this yom tov what a treasure you have, how lucky you are to be part of the Jewish people and may you find ways to continue being inspired and uplifted! Remember, you are so lucky to be part of such a special nation and the fact that you are part of it makes you special too!
No comments:
Post a Comment
You made it to the end of this post! What do you think about it?