|
Rabbi Israel Salanter (1809-1883), the father of the "Musar" movement, once said, "When I was young, I wanted to change the world. I tried, but the world didn't change. So I decided to change my town, but my town didn't change. Then I resolved to change my family, but my family didn't change. Then I realized that I first had to change myself." To his wise words I would add the essence of the matter: "but then I realized that I couldn't change myself, so I cried to the LORD for a new heart and He answered my plea..."
We can only truly change when we die and are brought back from the dead by the power of God. As Yeshua said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). We must be spiritually reborn, remade, transformed, "metamorphosed" by the grace and love and kindness of God. This is the miracle of genuine teshuvah (repentance).
Contrary to the laws of "karma" and worldly wisdom, God helps those who can't help themselves... He delights to take the weak and broken and establish them with divine power, for the glory of His own Name. He confounds the mighty of this world with the "foolish" heart of faith. Blessed be His Name forever and ever...
כִּי־חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהוָה אֱלהֵיכֶם
וְלא־יָסִיר פָּנִים מִכֶּם אִם־תָּשׁוּבוּ אֵלָיו
kee-cha·noon ve·ra·choom · Adonai · E·loh·hey·khem
ve·loh · yah·seer · pah·neem · mee·kem · eem-tah·shoo·voo · ei·lahv
"For the LORD your God is gracious (channun) and merciful (rachum)
and will not turn away his face from you, if you return (shuv) to him."
2 Chron. 30:9
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 24:6 Hebrew reading (click):
|
