Shabbat Shuva

In His great love for us—Hashem shared with us what is going on in the heavens at this critical time of year so that we can succeed. The entire world was judged on Rosh Hashanah, but most of them didn't even know it. They went about their regular business, while we had the zechut to be in shul praying to Hashem. We were given the perfect words to say in the Amidah. We knew exactly what we needed to do: accept the kingship of Hashem upon us, internalize that there is purpose in life, that we are rewarded and punished for everything that we do, and blow the shofar. And now Hashem is prepared to remove our sins on the day that our judgment is finalized, and He told us what to do to make it happen. Yom Kippur is a day when we can become so close to Hashem. All we need to do is repent for the averot that we have done. On this final day of judgment, Hashem removes the satan so that nobody can prosecute us. He wants us to succeed. He wants to give us the best of everything. It is up to us to do our part. The plan of Hashem is for us to enjoy eternal bliss in the World to Come, but for that to happen we must do our jobs properly in this world. Yom Kippur is a time to focus on what's really important in life. All year long the yetzer hara tries to make us forget. He tricks us into sinning, but now, when we are the most focused, it's time to wake up. It's time to feel bad about what we have done and accept upon ourselves to leave those bad ways. Our souls yearn to be close to Hashem. That is the way we will be the happiest. A man told me that on a regular night there are an average of 10,000 Jews at the Kotel. Out of the 10,000, there are an average of 300 completely unaffiliated Jews, and out of those 300, at least 30 of them become ba'alei teshuvah just from the Selichot. From what? From putting their hands on the Kotel and saying out loud שמע ישראל ה׳ אלקינו ה׳ אחד . Their souls become aroused to become closer to Hashem. All of our happiness comes from being close to Hashem, but that requires us to overcome our evil inclination and do what Hashem wants. Everybody has things they know they can improve in. The yetzer hara tries to convince a person to push it off, saying eventually he'll change, just not yet. On Yom Kippur, when we are thinking clearly, we must accept upon ourselves to be the people we know we are capable of being. Sometimes it's extremely hard, but we have the ability to do it. Let us not let this opportunity go by without utilizing it properly. Somebody told me he has been in a bitter dispute with someone else. They both feel that they have been wronged, and neither of them would even consider apologizing to the other. Over the course of time, the hatred they had toward each other only grew worse. Many Yom Kippurs went by, and they continued carrying the weight of this machloket on their shoulders. Recently this man asked me for chizuk, words that would make him want to make peace. He reiterated that he didn't think it was possible to even talk to the other individual, let alone apologize. I told him there is something very important he must realize. He is viewing this as something between him and the other person, but he is forgetting the most important part of the picture: it is Hashem who commanded us not to hate. It is Hashem who commanded us not to have machloket. The same way we have a mitzvah to put on tefillin and sit in the sukkah, we have a mitzvah to have peaceful relationships with people. When a mitzvah is extremely hard to do, we dig deep down and we are moser nefesh to do what Hashem wants. I told this man to talk to Hashem and say: "Although it is extremely difficult to apologize to someone who I feel wronged me, I'm doing it for You, Hashem." With that act, he will bring so much kedushah into himself. He will connect to Hashem in amazing ways and rid himself of the terrible sin of hatred and machloket. When he does that, he will feel so much better. It will remove so much negative energy from his body and cause his soul to soar to the greatest heights. Now is the time to make teshuvah. Hashem wants to bless us in every way, and that is what He told us to do. It is up to us to push ourselves and accept to live up to our potential, and with Hashem's help, we should all have a gmar chatimah tovah.

As we get closer to Yom Kippur, the feelings of awe and trembling intensify. We are trying harder and harder to be better, to make teshuvah , but the list of averot is long—many we don't even remember we did. Bittul Torah, Lashon Hara, Onat Devarim —and the list goes on. We are afraid to be judged for our actions, just as we say in Tehillim : אִם־עֲו‍ֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר־קהּ ה' מִי יַעֲמֹד "Hashem, if You will take all of our sins into account, who will be able to stand before You?" The pasuk in Mishlei (17:23) says: שֹׁחַד מֵחֵק רָשָׁע יִקָּח לְהַטּוֹת אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּט Rashi explains that this means Hashem, so to speak, accepts "bribery" from the rasha and changes his judgment from bad to good. Similarly, the Midrash Shocher Tov on Tehillim (17) says: Hashem tells us, "My children, while the gates of tefillah are open, do teshuvah , because in this world I will accept bribery. But once I sit in judgment in the future, I will no longer accept it." The Midrash concludes that the time Hashem accepts shochad is right now—during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. It sounds like from the Midrash that the bribery Hashem accepts is teshuvah, tefillah, and tzedakah. Whereas in an earthly court, if the person on trial says he's sorry, it doesn't change anything—if he's guilty, he's guilty. But in Hashem's court, if the person says, "I'm sorry," then Hashem lets him off. However, the Chafetz Chaim explains, based on Chazal, that it goes much further than this. The Tomer Devorah says similarly: when a person has mercy on others, even though he was wronged by them, that brings the mercy of Hashem upon him, even though he did wrong to Hashem. When we overcome our evil inclination to take revenge, to bear a grudge, or to hate an individual that harmed us—even though he may deserve it—but instead we forgive, that is the bribery Hashem accepts. He will then give us mercy and blessing, even though we don't deserve it. During the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah we say: המלך המשפט . The Mareh Yechezkel asks seemingly, it would be better for us to say the usual: מלך אוהב צדקה ומשפט . Why would we switch now and only speak about Hashem being the King of mishpat, which is strict justice? The rabbi answered: all year long, we say that Hashem loves both tzedakah and mishpat. He loves giving us tzedakah, but He also loves justice being carried out, and we don't know which one He loves more. Now, during these days, we declare המלך המשפט —Hashem is the King over mishpat. He is the only ruler and decider about how the rules of mishpat will be carried out, and we are hoping that He will override the regular rules and use His power as King to pardon us. But that will depend on whether we give Him, so to speak, the ability to do so. And He told us how: we must overlook and forgive those who wronged us. A couple of hundred years ago in Lithuania, there was a family blessed with four boys who all became outstanding talmidei chachamim, each one a gadol b'Yisrael. The most famous of them was Rabbi Yechiel Michal Heller z"l, author of the sefer Amudei Or. He was a tremendous gaon. Each one of his brothers also wrote sefarim and served as rabbis leading massive congregations. Rabbi Yechiel used to sign his name " העלוב יעקב מיכל בן ר' אהרן "—"the downtrodden or humiliated one, Yechiel the son of Aaron." One of the rabbi's grandchildren related why he signed his name that way. Rabbi Yechiel's grandfather was an extremely wealthy man who traveled from city to city doing business, leaving his daughter in charge of his store. Many unscrupulous people were jealous of his wealth and spread a false rumor that his daughter had committed a terrible sin. When the time came for shidduchim, nobody in the community would marry her. She grew older, and nothing changed. Her father was distraught. They knew the truth—that she had done nothing wrong—but nothing they said could change people's minds. The father couldn't bear to watch his daughter grow older with no hope of a shidduch. He decided to inquire about a young man named Aharon Shmeisser, the son of a wagon driver. Aharon would sit near his father, and when the man who whipped the horse grew tired, Aharon was the backup. He knew no Torah and worked the lowest of jobs. But the wealthy man could not allow his daughter to continue suffering. He told his daughter his plan, and with no better alternative, she agreed. The wealthy man asked the wagon driver if he would allow his son to marry his daughter. At first he hesitated, but after some thought, he agreed, and after just one meeting the wedding date was set. On the day of the wedding, the bride whispered a tefillah to Hashem: "You know the truth that I am completely innocent. I believe this was all orchestrated by You, that this man is my zivug, and that there was no other way my father would have ever agreed to let him marry me. Therefore, I don't hold anyone accountable for this. I will not hate anyone or hold a grudge against them. But please, Hashem, give me children who will be outstanding talmidei chachamim ." Her prayer was answered. She merited to have four sons who became among the greatest chachamim of their time. She overlooked the wrong done to her and believed it was all from Hashem, and that opened the heavens to shower blessing upon her. This is why her son signed his name העלוב —for his mother, the aluvah. It was in her merit that all of his Torah came to be. The power of overlooking and forgiving is wondrous.

The Rambam writes in Hilchot Teshuvah that every person should consider himself a benoni — a person exactly in the middle. This means that if he does even one more mitzvah, that single deed can tilt his own scales of judgment in his favor. But not only that — it can tilt the scale of the entire world and bring merit to all of humanity. One good deed has the power to bring salvation to the entire world at large. Therefore, especially during these days when the judgments are pending, it is incumbent upon us to increase our acts of tzedakah, to do more good deeds, to pray with greater concentration, and of course, to make teshuvah. אַשְׁרֵיכֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל — how fortunate are the Jewish people! Our people are so good; they can't wait to do acts of kindness, of chesed, of helping others at every opportunity. Michael Cohen from the Mitzvah Man organization told me that before the summer, he put out a request on behalf of a woman who had a special-needs child. She couldn't afford to send him to camp, but she hoped perhaps a volunteer might come and learn with him during an afternoon. Michael sent out the message, and right away, one person responded and pledged to go every Monday afternoon. When he told the woman, she was overjoyed. Then someone else called and said he would go every Tuesday. Then a third person offered Thursday afternoons — even though he would need to drive more than twenty minutes each way. The woman was deeply touched. And then, a fourth person called and asked: "How much is the camp tuition?" When he was told the amount, he immediately said he would cover the entire cost. Just like that, this woman's burden was lifted beyond anything she could have imagined. Hashem treasures every act of chesed and tzedakah that we do. And sometimes He shows us that appreciation very clearly. A man told me that one morning in shul, a collector — we'll call him Yehudah — came asking for help. This man not only gave him some money, but he felt bad for Yehudah, who was new in town and had nowhere to eat. He invited him for Shabbat. When Yehudah came, the host noticed his sweater had a very large rip in it. After a beautiful Shabbat meal, just before Yehudah was going to leave, the host remembered a brand-new sweater he had recently bought for three hundred dollars. Wanting to help, he told Yehudah: "Wait a moment." He went upstairs, brought it down, and asked Yehudah to try it on. It fit perfectly. The host said, "Since it's Shabbat, I can't give you a gift today — but you can wear it now, and after Shabbat it will be yours." Yehudah left so happy with his new sweater. And the host was even happier — not only for helping, but because his children had witnessed this act of generosity and learned through his example. That very afternoon, the host's wife went to visit her sister-in-law nearby. Normally, she would return home before Shabbat ended, but that day she stayed much longer. After Shabbat, just as she was leaving, her brother walked in from shul and said, "Perfect timing! I just bought a sweater that turned out a bit too big for me. I think it would be great for your husband. Please take it for him." When she came home minutes later, again in front of their entire family, she handed her husband a brand-new sweater. She told him: "Hashem was so impressed with what you did today, giving away your sweater, that He wanted you to see His appreciation right away. He arranged to send you another brand new sweater the very same day." Our deeds are so precious. Every act counts, especially during these days. Let us utilize them to their fullest. With Hashem's help, may we all be sealed in the Book of Life with a חתימה טובה .

This Shabbat is called Shabbat Shuva – the Shabbat of teshuva. We know we don’t repent for our sins on Shabbat, so why is it called the Shabbat of Repentance? The Yesod v’Shoresh HaAvodah brings the Chazal which says, whoever keeps Shabbat according to halacha will be forgiven for all his sins. At this time, we all need forgiveness. Our avonot have been piling up over the course of the year. If we will keep this Shabbat with all of its details, abstaining from melacha and business talk, sanctify the day with Torah study and enjoy the Shabbat the way it is meant to be enjoyed - that will be our zechut and that will give us mechila. During these days, teshuva is the mitzvah at hand. We need to think about what we did wrong and sincerely repent. As we know, in Hashem’s infinite mercy, He cleanses us from our sins through different forms of yissurin. Every little inconvenience we experience in this world helps us remove the blemishes from our souls. It's called kapara. The best way to remove those blemishes without yissurin is by doing teshuva. But there are certain averot that require more than teshuva for the sins to get erased. Yissurin come and finish off the job. We know yissurin help us immensely, we would much rather experience the temporary hardships in this world, rather than the eternal ones in the Next World. But we would also prefer to be cleansed without having to experience any pain at all. Rabbenu Yonah, in the fourth chapter of Sha’areh Teshuva gives us wondrous advice on how to avoid yissurin in this world and still get full atonement. Everyone wishes they could just end all the hardships they are experiencing, and this advice will help. First, he writes, giving tzedaka saves from yissurin and if a person can’t afford tzedaka, getting others to give will accomplish even more. Acts of kindness also take away yissurin. If someone invests his own time and energy into helping other people, that will take away from the suffering he was supposed to have. Whether he spends his time visiting a sick patient or helping someone organize an event for charity, or helping others with shidduchim and the like, every moment invested in chesed wards off yissurin. Torah study also takes the place of yissurin. Look at how kind Hashem is! Not only is learning Torah enjoyable, not only do we get rewarded for it, it even takes the place of suffering a person was supposed to get. Then Rabbenu Yonah writes further, if a person is already experiencing different types of hardship, but instead of complaining about it, he says, “Hashem I know this is best for me, I accept what you are doing to me with love.” That is a segula to prevent, in his words, “היסורין הרבים הראויים לבוא עליו - the abundant of afflictions that should have befallen him.” And he quotes a pasuk in Tehilim to prove it. This is an amazing segula. If someone, let’s say, has been out of a job and suffering tremendously from it, it might very well be possible for his own good that he needs to be out of a job for a few more months, but if he’ll say, “Hashem, thank You for putting me through this. It must be I needed this to cleanse myself. And in Your infinite kindness, You’re allowing me to purify myself in this world.” Those words, with sincerity, can remove the necessity for the additional months of being jobless. Those words are so powerful, they take the place of the potential suffering that should have come. Then Hashem will open his eyes to find a job to work at. The same is true for all yissurin. Accepting them with happiness stops the remainders from coming. The main thing is, we want to be the pure children of Hashem we are supposed to be. If we could make teshuva, keep Shabbat properly, do additional good deeds and be satisfied with the way Hashem deals with us, we’ll become purified and we will be able to enjoy this world and the Next. Shabbat Shalom.

The Rambam writes that although teshuvah and tefillah are powerful all year long, during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah they are even more potent and accepted immediately. As the pasuk says: דִּרְשׁוּ ה׳ בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ, קְרָאֻהוּ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ קָרוֹב — seek out Hashem when He is closest, which is right now, in these days leading up to Yom Kippur. The mitzvah of this time is repentance: feeling regret for the sins we have done and sincerely accepting upon ourselves to improve going forward. Hashem desires our teshuvah even more than we do. He is called haRotzeh b'teshuvah — the One Who longs for repentance. There are many people we know whom we wish would be more observant. We try to encourage them, but they aren't interested. Yet tefillah can help bring them back to Torah and mitzvot. When we pray for others to make teshuvah , they receive more heavenly assistance to return. And if at this time of year our prayers are more readily accepted than any other time, we must seize the chance not only to pray for ourselves but also to pray for others to come closer to Hashem. Hashem has countless ways to awaken someone. In one simple act of hashgachah peratit , a person's life can change forever. A man named Reuven related the following story. Every summer, he and his family go up to the mountains for two months. They rent a truck to bring up their belongings, then drop it off at a return location and take a taxi back to their bungalow. One year, the return point was in a far-off place, completely devoid of Jews. Reuven arranged with a friend who was also returning his truck that day to share the same taxi. He returned his truck and waited. But his friend called to say he was delayed. As Reuven stood there waiting, a car pulled up. The driver asked if he knew of any shuls nearby. Reuven answered, "There are no Jews in this area. What brings you here?" The man explained that he had driven over four hours from his hometown to see the house his grandmother had lived in 85 years ago. Recently, he had been introduced to Torah and mitzvot and had begun putting on tefillin every day. But he hadn't yet put them on that day and was hoping to find a shul. Reuven immediately realized: This is hashgachah peratit. He told the man, "I should have been gone twenty minutes ago, but due to an unexpected delay I'm still here. Hashem wanted us to meet." He directed the man toward his bungalow colony, where thousands of Jews lived. Just then, Reuven's friend arrived in the taxi. Reuven excitedly told him what had happened. The friend replied, "I was so annoyed by the delay — but now I understand why it happened." He explained that when he went to return his truck, the clerk overcharged him. He argued for a long time until the clerk admitted it was a mistake. That delay was exactly what allowed Reuven to meet the searching Jew. Even a clerk's mistake is from Hashem. When they returned to the bungalow, they saw the man again and brought him to their rabbi. A relationship was formed, and over time this man became fully observant, now living a life of Torah and mitzvot. Hashem can give people extra help to return to Him. Especially now, we must pray for it. The Arizal said that one who has a child or relative off the derech should add at the end of the berachah Hashivenu Avinu l'Toratecha , before concluding, the following yehi ratzon : יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ וֵאלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁתַּחְתֹּר חֲתִירָה מִתַּחַת כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ לְהַחֲזִיר בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶיךָ כָּל פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבִכְלָלָם תַּחֲזִיר אֶת בְּנִי ______ בֶּן ______ בִּתְשׁוּבָה לְפָנֶיךָ, כִּי יְמִינְךָ פְּשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים . Then conclude: " בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ הָרוֹצֶה בִּתְשׁוּבָה ." May Hashem help us return to Him fully, and may He help all those who are distant to come back as well.

Chazal tell us that on Rosh Hashanah, Sarah, Rachel, and Chana were remembered and decreed to have children. Rashi explains that on Rosh Hashanah, Hashem decreed for them that in the upcoming year they would each give birth. The Gemara also teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, Yosef was decreed to be released from the Egyptian prison where he had been locked away for twelve years. We already know that every person is judged on Rosh Hashanah, and whatever will happen in the coming year is decided on that day. So what is unique about these great tzaddikim being judged favorably on Rosh Hashanah? Some explain that the Gemara is teaching us the extent of what can happen on Rosh Hashanah. It was physically impossible for Sarah, Rachel, and Chana to conceive — and yet that changed on Rosh Hashanah. It was a foregone conclusion that Yosef would never leave prison. No one close to him even knew where he was. Tehillim describes his soul as bound in chains. And yet, on Rosh Hashanah, everything changed. The world itself undergoes a rebirth on Rosh Hashanah. Everything starts fresh. What was impossible before can suddenly become possible. This should fill us with chizuk . Rosh Hashanah brings with it so much opportunity in every area of life. What was true last year has no bearing on this year. No matter how long a person has been waiting for a yeshuah , no matter how stuck his situation seems, he should feel that on Rosh Hashanah everything can change in an instant. This past year, I heard of a woman in her upper 60s who got married for the very first time. After so many years, it would seem unthinkable. She could have said, "If I didn't find anyone in the last fifty years, why should I find someone now?" But last Rosh Hashanah, Hashem decreed that the time had come, and she celebrated the most joyous wedding with her friends and family. A man told me about his own miracle. He and his wife had struggled for years to conceive. Eventually, all the doctors told them the same heartbreaking verdict: It is impossible. They recommended a surrogate, which would cost $130,000 — money the couple simply did not have, after already draining their savings on unsuccessful treatments. They tried in every possible way to raise the funds, but every attempt was blocked. And then, suddenly, the woman discovered she was expecting. The doctors were shocked. The couple went from despair to the greatest joy. They told me: We never lost our faith in Hashem, no matter what the doctors said. This is the power of Rosh Hashanah. People who are sick can be decreed for refuah. People searching for their zivug can be decreed to find them. The Melech Malchei HaMelachim , the King of Kings, comes to be with us during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, beginning on Rosh Hashanah night. We must seize this glorious opportunity. Let us accept upon ourselves to strengthen in Torah and mitzvot, to refine our ways, and to pray with all our hearts. And in that merit, may we be blessed with a year of berachah and hatzlachah in every area of our lives.

At the end of Parashat Nitzavim, the Torah tells us: " הַחַיִּים וְהַטּוֹב נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ… וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים " — Hashem places life and goodness before us, and it is our job to choose life. Choosing life means choosing to follow Hashem's will, which always leads to blessing and good. At times, it may feel very difficult to do what's right. Sometimes it even seems as if we are losing by following the Torah. But that is only the way the test looks on the surface. In truth, when a person does Hashem's will, he never loses. Rabbi Yaakov Galinsky z"l gave a beautiful insight regarding a famous episode in the Torah. Chazal teach us that our Imahot were prophetesses. When Leah became pregnant with her seventh child, she saw through Ruach HaKodesh that it would be a boy. That meant that Rachel would end up with fewer shevatim than even Bilhah and Zilpah. After Leah already had four sons, Rashi tells us she had cried out to Hashem for another because she yearned to have more shevatim — but now she realized what this meant for her sister. If she were to have seven sons, it would have been a tremendous zechut. But Leah thought: How can I take so much for myself while my sister has so little? So she prayed that the child within her be changed from a boy to a girl. She gave up the neshama of Yosef HaTzaddik — one of the greatest figures in our history, considered on the level of the Avot HaKedoshim themselves — so that Rachel could merit having him instead. And Hashem answered her prayer. Leah gave birth to Dinah, and Rachel merited to bear Yosef. Think about what Leah gave up. She saw in her Ruach HaKodesh the greatness of Yosef, and she longed for the zechut of bringing him into the world. Yet she willingly sacrificed that privilege so her sister would not suffer. Nobody else knew of her prayer — it was a private act between her and Hashem. But Leah knew that if she acted for the Ratzon Hashem, she would never lose. And indeed, what happened? Dinah later gave birth to Asenat, who became Yosef's wife. Together they had Menasheh and Ephraim. In the end, Leah and Rachel became mechutanim — Rachel as the mother of the chatan, Yosef, and Leah as the grandmother of the kallah, Asenat. From both of them came two additional shevatim, as the pasuk says: " אפרים ומנשה כראובן ושמעון יהיו לי " (Bereishit 48:5). Leah had wanted another shevet, and in the end she received two of them — along with the merit of her selflessness toward her sister. Who could have imagined that Dinah's daughter would marry Yosef? Yosef was in Egypt, Yaakov's family was in Eretz Kena'an, hundreds of miles away. How would Dinah's child ever arrive there? The only answer is the miracles of Hashem. The lesson is clear: no one ever loses from following Hashem's will. The Torah promises that obeying Hashem leads only to life and goodness. As we stand just days before Rosh Hashanah, we must commit ourselves to becoming better in our observance of the mitzvot, and to do them with excitement — knowing that by doing so, we are choosing life, and choosing Hashem's path for us.

The Sefer She'erit Menachem quotes the Gemara in Bava Metzia which teaches an illuminating halachah. If a man borrows a thousand dollars and leaves a collateral with the lender worth far more than the loan, saying that if he does not pay back on time the lender may keep the collateral — the halachah is that the lender may not keep it. Why? Because it is obvious the borrower never really intended to give up an item worth so much more than what he owed. However, the Gemara qualifies: if a few days before the loan was due, the borrower was knocking on doors, desperately trying to come up with the money, then clearly he still wanted to redeem his collateral. The lender cannot keep it. But if a few days before the due date he was out drinking with his friends, showing no concern for repayment, then we assume he didn't really care, and the lender may indeed keep the collateral. The She'erit Menachem uses this halachah as a mashal for us during these days leading up to Rosh Hashanah. All year long, Hashem has been lending us life, children, sustenance, and countless blessings — all on condition that we use them to become the people we are meant to be. Now, as Rosh Hashanah approaches, the loan is coming due. Who can honestly say that he has "paid back in full," that he has fully utilized every gift Hashem has given him for avodat Hashem? But if, in these final days, we are sincerely trying — striving to improve, to recognize the gifts Hashem gives, and to use them properly — then Hashem grants us an extension. What we must not do is "drink beer with our friends," wasting these precious days in spiritual carelessness. Now is the time to reflect, to notice where we are lacking, to take concrete steps to grow, and if it feels overwhelming — to beg Hashem for His help. A man shared his personal story. He has been struggling in business for a year and a disaster struck: his pipes burst, and the entire sidewalk and driveway had to be dug up and replaced. The bill was thirty thousand dollars — money he simply did not have. Yet somehow he managed to come up with the full amount and pay it. It was then that thoughts of teshuvah entered his mind. He realized that since his business troubles began, he had stopped paying his tzedakah pledges. By now, he owed close to thirty thousand dollars. He thought to himself: If I could find a way to pay thirty thousand for pipes, shouldn't I treat my pledges to Hashem's causes with the same urgency? He resolved to try. With great effort, he managed to pay fifteen thousand, but after that he was stuck. He simply could not come up with more. So he did what a Jew does when he reaches his limit: he poured out his heart in tefillah. Three times a day he asked Hashem for help to pay off his full tzedakah obligations before Rosh Hashanah. Now, there was one man who owed him a large sum of money from a business deal. For months he had asked this man daily for repayment, until finally, six months earlier, they had come to an agreement: the man guaranteed that he would pay in full, but only when he was comfortable, and on condition that he would not be pressured again. He had not asked since. As Rosh Hashanah was draing near, he debated with himself: perhaps he should ask the man for fifteen thousand, just enough to cover the rest of his pledge? But then he told himself, an agreement is an agreement. He even thought, maybe this man has funds in his JCF account he could use to pay tzedakah on my behalf, but still he held back. He kept praying. Then, one day, he went to shul for Minchah, and there, unexpectedly, was that man. After tefillah, the man approached him and said: "Someone who owes me money asked if I had any unpaid tzedakah pledges that he could pay on my behalf. I thought of you — I'd like to let him pay fifteen thousand dollars toward your pledges through his JCF fund." The man could not believe his ears. That was exactly what he had been asking Hashem for. Exactly the amount he needed. Exactly the salvation he had been praying for. At that moment he felt how close Hashem was to him, how lovingly Hashem answered him. The message was clear: Hashem wants to help us. But first, we must show that we want to improve, that we sincerely want to pay back our "loan." When we do, and we turn to Hashem for help, He opens doors we never dreamed of.

Chazal teach that on Rosh Hashanah, Hashem judges every individual based on what he did every second of every day over the past year. With this knowledge, we should be doing everything in our power to make teshuvah and improve our ways. Especially now, in the month of Elul, when Hashem reveals an outpouring of mercy towards us, we must take advantage of this opportunity. But is there something we can do, in addition, that will make the judgment easier? The Ba'al HaTurim, commenting on the pasuk " תמים תהיה עם ה' אלקיך " , writes that whoever fulfills this mitzvah is considered as if he fulfilled the entire Torah, from aleph to tav. What does this mean? It means that one who does not worry about the future, but trusts that Hashem is leading him on the perfect path, and accepts wholeheartedly the way Hashem deals with him—without questions or complaints—is credited as if he has kept the entire Torah. Rabbi Menashe Reizman asked: Doesn't the Gemara say that it is forbidden to think that Hashem is a vatran —that He simply overlooks our wrongdoings? One of the fundamentals of emunah is that Hashem rewards mitzvot and punishes averot. If so, how can it be that someone who trusts Hashem's dealings with him, but still has sins, should be considered as if he fulfilled the entire Torah? Rabbi Reizman explained: It's not only the Ba'al HaTurim who says this. It is explicit in the pesukim themselves. In Parashat Balak, it says, " לֹא הִבִּיט אָוֶן בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא רָאָה עָמָל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, ה' אֱלֹקָיו עִמּוֹ וּתְרוּעַת מֶלֶךְ בּוֹ ". These words are read in the Malchuyot section of the Musaf Amidah of Rosh Hashanah. Rashi explains this pasuk to mean that Hashem is not exacting with a person for his sins—even when he angers Him. Why? Because such people do not preoccupy themselves with trying to figure out the future. Instead, they place their full trust in Hashem. And because of this, Rashi says, they become worthy of blessing. What is the explanation? There are two ways a person can go through life. One way is with constant questioning: Why is my life the way it is? Why does he have so much blessing while I don't? Why does he have such good children and I struggle? Why does everyone else seem to get the good positions and I don't? Why are his daughters married off so easily, while mine are waiting so long? This is the natural human way—always comparing, always doubting, always feeling that life is unfair. If someone chooses this path, then Hashem treats him with the same precision. Hashem will look into his deeds with equal scrutiny: Why don't you concentrate on the words of tefillah? Why don't you have proper kavanah when you say berachot? But if a person does not question Hashem, if he refuses to ask "why" or "is this fair," and instead accepts that everything Hashem does is absolutely fair, upright, and the very best possible outcome—even when, from our limited perspective, it looks as if Hashem is doing "wrong" with us—then Hashem responds measure for measure: You don't question My actions, I won't question yours. This is not considered Hashem overlooking our sins. It is not a case of Hashem being a vatran . On the contrary—it is deserved. We have earned this special relationship. If we are tamim im Hashem Elokecha , then Hashem is tamim with us. This is a wondrous principle. But it is far easier said than done. The nature of man is to compare himself to others, to feel lacking, to complain—especially when things seem unfair. People try to improve, but the salvation they hope for does not always come. People pray with all their hearts, but do not always see their prayers answered. People think they have so much bitachon, but then they feel let down. Everyone has reasons they would naturally want to question. But if we can rise above that nature, if we can truly trust Hashem's will for us and believe with all our hearts that whatever is happening is absolutely the best thing for us, then we will enter a new category of human being: one who is tamim im Hashem Elokecha . And that comes with the most amazing benefits.

One of the Torah readings on Rosh Hashanah is the story of the Akedat Yitzchak. To this day, we continue to benefit from the eternal merits Avraham Avinu gained by his willingness to sacrifice his son at Hashem's command. But there was another profound accomplishment that day. The Torah commands, " תמים תהיה עם ה' אלקיך " — Tamim Tehiyeh Im Hashem Elokecha (Devarim 18:13). Rashi explains that this means: do not concern yourself with what the future holds. Rather, accept that Hashem is leading you exactly to the places and circumstances you are meant to be. Trust that whatever will happen will be for the best, and therefore there is no need to worry. The Passuk says in Tehillim, " ואני בתמי אלך " . Chazal teach that this pasuk was said regarding Avraham going to the Akedah. He walked with wholehearted trust in Hashem. The B'nei Yissaschar explains the depth of this trust: Avraham already had a prophecy from Hashem that his future offspring would come through Yitzchak. And yet, now he was being commanded to bring him as a korban ola — a direct contradiction to the earlier prophecy! It is forbidden to disbelieve a prophecy. That meant Avraham was required, all the way to Har HaMoriah, to continue believing both truths at once — that he must sacrifice Yitzchak, and yet that his children would still come through him. To human logic, it was an impossibility. But Avraham went betumo — with complete Emunah. He did not wrestle with the contradiction. He did not calculate or analyze. He placed everything in Hashem's hands and told himself: It's not my job to figure out how the future will work out. It's my job to trust that Hashem is in charge of the future. In the end, we see the perfection of Hashem's plan. Precisely because Yitzchak was placed on the Mizbeach, he became able to father children. The Or HaChayim HaKadosh explains: Yitzchak was born with the neshama of a female, and for the first 37 years of his life he had no zivug — because every couple is one neshama, half male and half female. Yitzchak's neshama had come down alone. At the moment of the Akedah, as his soul left him, Hashem gave him a new neshama — a complete male neshama. And at that very moment, Rivka, the other half of his soul, was born. What seemed the greatest contradiction turned out to be the greatest answer. This is the lesson for us. In our lives we also face contradictions, situations that make no sense, questions that seem unanswerable. Our avodah is to walk with Hashem with complete emunah, to trust that He will reveal the answers in the perfect time. A man shared his story: At eighteen, he began working in his father's retail stores. By the time he was twenty-eight, married with children, those stores collapsed. From a comfortable lifestyle, he suddenly could not pay even for basic expenses. With no business skills beyond retail, he felt lost. He clung to his learning, spending hours each day in Torah, though even concentrating became difficult. Then, one day, his father asked a real estate friend to involve him in handling their empty stores. The young man took on the project and showed surprising ability. Eventually, that friend called and invited him to partner with his son-in-law in a new real estate company. The business flourished, and the man today enjoys both a solid livelihood and more time for Torah and mitzvot. At first, he had asked: Why did Hashem take away the only work I knew? But in truth, the "problem" was the answer. Losing his old job was the key to discovering his true path in life — one far better than he ever imagined. So it is with all of us. The answers may not be immediate, but they are always the greatest possible answers. Those who walk with Hashem in trust will see blessing — in this world and the next.