Reflect on Three Things to Avoid Sin: Learning Pirkei Avot on Five Levels
Akavia the son of Mahalalel would say: Reflect upon three things and you will not come to the hands of transgression. Know from where you came, where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting. From where you came--from a putrid drop; where you are going--to a place of dust, maggots and worms; and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting--before the supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. (Ethics of Our Fathers ch.3:1)
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Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin is the official Chabad emissary to downtown Brooklyn, rabbi of Congregation B’nai Avraham in Brooklyn Heights, New York and Dean of Brooklyn Heights Jewish Academy. He is the author of the books, “Thank You God for Making Me a Woman", "Letters of Light", "By Divine Design", and "Guardian of Israel", and the co-author of "The Rabbi & The CEO".
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Jorge
Qro. Mexico
May 26, 2016
B"H I feel better now.
As a Rasha, I've enjoyed your talk the most. So much that I cannot resist the temptation to put in writing what is the most relevant to me:
"Kiddush, Kiddush etc., etc... God relinquishes all of these angles and its fancy palaces and comes down to this finite, physical every day world and it talks to you face to face and He says:
-I need you, I need you to help me make this world my dwelling place; I need you to make this world into a garden; I need you to make this world into a holy spiritual reality and therefore do a Mitzvot"
To me this is a really practical advice to avoid sin.
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Jorge, i love what you have shared with us