Thursday, September 20, 2012

Teshuva-R' Miller

QUESTION:
If a person is still continuing to do aveiros, is there any sense in doing teshuva?

ANSWER:
Absolutely! And he should ask Hakadosh Baruch Hu for help that he should stop. I'll explain that. When a person does an aveiro and he's happy with it, then it's a much greater sin. If a person does an aveiro, but he is ashamed and he's sorry that he's doing it, it's subtracted from his punishment. Yes, even though he still does it.

The Chofetz Chaim, zichrono l'ivrocha, wrote a sefer for Jewish soldiers. In those days when they were drafted into the Russian army they had to eat treifa foods. So he said, “If you must eat treifa food then don't suck the juice out of the bones.” Which means, don't show that you enjoy it. You're only eating it to save your life from starving. And so when a person does a chet, a sin, even a big chet, a mechalel shabbos, but he's sorry he was mechalel shabbos, it's already a madreiga. To be sorry is a madreiga, you have achieved something. Of course it's not teshuva sheleima, very far from it, but it's a very big thing. Haoseh aveiro umisbayeish bo, he's ashamed, it's a very big thing.

And therefore it pays even for sinners to ask Hashem to forgive them. Only they should add, “…and please Hashem help me that I should make a real perfect teshuva.”

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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Teamwork

I would like to share the following inspiring poem with you since we are now at the start of a new school year.
Unity 
By: Ray A. Lingenfelter 
 
I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptures there.
The clay they used was a young child's mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher-the tools she used
Were book, music and art.
The other, a parent, worked with a guiding hand
And a gentle loving heart.
Day after day, the teacher toiled with touch
That was careful, deft, and sure.
While the parent labored by his side
And polished and smoothed it o'er.
And at last when their work was done
They were proud of what they had wrought.
For the things they molded into the child
Could neither be sold nor bought.
And each agreed they would have failed
If each had worked alone.
For behind the parent stood the school
And behind the teacher, the home.