Jewish Inspiration Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH in Houston, Texas. This is the Jewish Inspiration Podcast.

Welcome back, my dear friends, to day number 162 in the Yor HaSedikim, Ways of the Righteous, in the Treasure for Life of... Treasure for Life Edition. Page 870. Am I correct here? The Gate of Repentance. Yes. Okay, there we go. Thank you. The third inspiration for teshuvah, repentance, when a person listens to the advisement of the wise, the righteous, and those who give, reprimand, or reprove him.
And this awakens him to do teshuvah. And he accepts whatever you tell me. Just tell me. I'll do it. Risho katano yotzeh me'afey le'or goto. Someone who's inspired. I'll tell you, I once went to a lecture of a great rabbi in Israel. It changed my life completely. Changed my life completely. I couldn't sleep that night. I was like, I can't believe I've wasted... I think I was about 15 or 16 years old. I can't believe I wasted 15, 16 years of my life. I didn't know, I didn't understand
the relationship that is required of every person. And that we can be on the count of... I remember it was like in total shock, right? I felt like I was in darkness coming into light. Suddenly, I'm aware. I feel that I have a sense of renewed responsibility and accountability for my life. V'yesh lo sochor uz'chus al kol ha-mitzvot ha-musorem. The person who accepts, the person who's willing to say, you know what, I was wrong, has unbelievable merit.
Kei von sheh gomar b'machshav to le'kabol l'olav. Because he is willing to humble himself and change. Ve'ah sheh lo zeh ha-mekabel sheh zoha b'shah ha-kala. And a person who quickly is awakened and makes those changes is tremendously praised in heaven. I wish I get to that point one day in my life to really be in real teshuvah, to get to a point like that. But v'chein amru ha-chameinu zohar l'vohar, our sages of blessed memory said, Ve'yei elchu ve'yaasu b'nei Yisroel. And the children of Israel went and did.
They didn't wait. What did we say when God said, do you want to receive the Torah? Na'aseh. First, na'aseh. Then later we'll hear it. You hear it, I don't know, it doesn't work with my schedule. No, no, no, I'm in. Tell me what needs to be done. I'm doing it. That's the attitude we need to have. Make the change right away. You're inspired to do something. Don't say, I'll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow I'm gonna start. You're inspired. Mark, you hear this? You're inspired to take a new direction in life.
Don't say, you know what, one day I'll get there. Do it today. You're inspired. You're inspired right now. That inspiration will not last. You got to grab it while it's hot. It's like sometimes you hear this inspirational quote that says about losing weight and being healthy, and you're like, okay, at some point I'll go to the gym. I'll sign up. No, no, no, right now. Drop everything and do it. Kei von shegah mar b'machshavto lekablo aloh. As soon as you
determine in your mind to make that change, do it. Ha'ashreil hazeh ha'mekabach shezachol v'shahakalo. V'chein omrochah hachomeinu zachoron la'vrochah. V'yircho v'yasu b'nei Yisro. Okay. V'chi miyad asu. Did they do it right away? Ve'alolah asu ad ha'arba asah ha'chodesh. They waited till the 14th day of the month. Elekei von shekib lo'aleim la'asos ma'ale aleim ha'kasuv ki ilo asu. Since they declared upon themselves that they want to do it right away, said we're doing it, we're accepting it,
even though they didn't actually put it into action until 14 days later, they accepted it as if it was. Ki ilo aso. V'chein omrochah hachomeinu zachoron la'vrochah. Kol she'ma se'vurum ha'chmoso ha'chmoso meskayemos. Whoever's actions, whoever's deeds exceeds his wisdom, his wisdom endures. As it is written, she'nemar na'aseh v'nishma. As the verse states, we will do and then only later we will hear. Perish einyon ki odam shekibal al nafsho b'leiv ne'emon. A person who accepted upon himself with a faithful heart.
Lishmor v'la'asos kol divrei ha'tor v'la'asos, ka she'yom m'loach ha'chomeinu. To perform, to protect, to watch over the words of the Torah as our sages teach us. V'achorei ha'sher kibol olov le'kayem ha'kol, toresh v'chokeh v'shol ha'chachom ma'al asos. And now he needs to learn what to do. See, he's not there yet. He just doesn't know what to do. I had two magnificent women. The entire Everyday Judaism podcast that we have is attributed. It's really these two women who came over to me and said, you know, Rabbi,
we've learned a lot over the years at your classes. We know what to do, but we have no idea how to do. Can you teach us how to do? How do I pray? How do I wake up in the morning like a Jew? How do I pray? How do I eat? How do I sleep? How do I shower like a Jew? The Torah tells us exactly how these things are done. So the person says I'm committed, but I just don't know how to do it.
And that's why the Jewish people waited 14 days. They waited because they needed to learn. They were committed. He just didn't know how to do it. V'kivunch kibol olov ha'gomer b'libola ha'shoson k'mo she'omru. Yisrol al-harsinai kashmor she'omru. Yisrol al-harsinai na'aseh v'nishma she'igdim ha'siya l'shmiya. They said we'll do it, but they listened only later. They listened to what needs to be done. They were committed to the doing without knowing what needs to be done. U'be'in yon'acher lo yitochen she'yu ma'asot m'rubim u'chokh mo'so. And in other areas,
it's not conceivable that one's deeds could exceed his wisdom. And likewise, it is written of the beloved Daniel, ki l'chisiv altiro Daniel ki min ha'yom ha'rishon ha'shon ha'sato es libchol ha'havin, do not fear Daniel, for from the first day that you took upon yourself to reflect and afflict yourself before Hashem, your words have been accepted. He didn't do it yet, but he accepted upon himself to do it. That already brought him about great blessing. Alma, we see from here, ki she'odam nosayn
elibol ha'sos tov, when a person resolves to do good, miyad misgabal le'rotzon lefnei Hashem baruchu. Immediately, Hashem says, you know what, I already accept it. Imagine if you're sitting here in the class now and you say, you know what, you know what, I'm going to do it. I'm going to put on tefillin every day. I'm going to keep kosher. I just don't know how to do it, but I'm committed to it. I'm going to keep Shabbos.
I don't know how to do it yet, but I'm committed to it. That's my goal. And I take the step, whatever small step I can take. That is the blessing. Hashem says, I already accept it as if you did it. I already accept it as if you did it. Miyad misgabal le'rotzon. It is immediately accepted with great delight before Hashem. And the opposite is true as well. If a person is just numb, not accepting of any reprimand, not accepting of any change, not accepting of any
calculation of adjustment in their way, their punishment is great. Okay, so this, my dear friends, concludes day number 162.

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