Examine, investigate and question. You must, because otherwise you will learn nothing.
But when it comes to getting the job done, do it with 100% confidence that it is the right thing to do.
To get something done, you need conviction and faith. A fruitful life will not sprout out of ever-shifting sands, and its home cannot be built upon a foundation of doubts.
Soulful Deeds
A deed performed with the wrong intention is like a body without a soul.
A spiritual deed is defined by it's intention.
Before every deed we need to ask the question:
"For whose benefit am I doing this deed?"
Instinctively we have a hidden agenda to benefit myself. The ego cunningly justifies the act as being for the benefit of the other.
It is doubtful if we can be soulful until our nature adopts a spiritual form.
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For Chana and Chana Elsewhere, et al You really need to read this article: Judaism Is Getting Burdensome Reply
Chana, I agree
There is so much further to go in observance...and my growth is so slow...I cannot hope to be doing everything in the time allotted me.
I thought I was almost shomer Shabbos. But a friend (my chevrusa) gave me a book that has hundreds of stringencies that I never heard of. I cannot even remember them all, much less do them. It's so discouraging.
How can I even think of trying to climb the endless ladder in this book:? And that's concerning only the one mitzvah of becoming shomer Shabbos. It turns out that despite all the things I've stopped doing, I'm nowhere near keeping Shabbos.
It was really really difficult to stop driving. I'm now a non-participant in the (always Saturday) birthday celebrations of my brother's grandchildren.
How can my friend have thought this book would help me???
At this point it's all I can do to maintain mitzvos I've gained so far. But it does not seem worthwhile to do ten more mitzvos when there are thousands more needing doing.
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This may be another reason why it is not good for man (or woman) to live alone - or to be alone in their Yiddishkeit. We need each other to help each other grow and be better, more observant Jews. I am positive that if I were married to a truly observant Jew, I would not be so lax in remembering all the blessings I am supposed to say each day, for instance. Why is it impossible to remember the blessing for when I sit up before I exit the bed? We could help each other and doesn't that make life sweeter? Besides children, there must be other reasons for Jews to marry and live together. Reply
'trying to stay positive' to Chana from Scranton - your comment made me feel so thankful that this daily dose is a wonderful reminder to take time to think an action through well, and only then, proceed to do it. to me personally, it has nothing to do with doing things perfectly! Reply
Trying to stay positive
To begin something with a positive view and keep going with faith.......its not an easy task, with so many tasks to do.
Being a Baal Teshuva, even though I am trying to do things everyday in the "right way" I am making mistakes all the time. The thing that worries me, is that no matter what I do , I may not achieve a 100% in all I am obligated to do, and In the end the Heavenly court will find many things I did wrong....and I will have to go through the purification process .......it feels impossible to stay positive sometimes when I know I will never get an A in everything I do. In fact , its scares me to know that no matter how much I grow, I may not have acheived my "expected" potential. Maybe this time around I did much worse than in my last life...I may have added more since. How can I know?
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Do you know how many times the world religion is written in the Torah?
zero!
Beware, do not became religious guilt driven mishugana, that's not Judaism, Hashem is not a book of law, he knows you and sees you are trying, in his eyes you are an A, maybe more than many people who are doing "every obligation", live happily and enjoy every little step.
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Thank you for posting this article Rabbi Tzi. Always trust in God and never doubt your faith. Reply
Simply Great! Simply great saying! Reply
Faithful Deeds
Dear Chabad,
Thank you for these words of wisdom. I hope to apply it in my life.
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This is so true... What a wonderful saying. Reply
This is excellent advice. Now where do I find advice on how to make myself assimilate excellent advice? Reply
Yeh... this is why I hate cleaning the kitchen... always needing to be cleaned! Never ever does it have more than an hour of clean. When things are always not able to have a finish, I'm less likely to enjoy them. Giving my 100% all, isn't in the clean kitchen because the kitchen cannot ever be 100% its all! So, what in my life can reach 100% that makes me want to give 100%? There is only one thing that completes me. Torah study. The examination, the findings, the questions, the layers of repeated ideals... that's when I'm 100% full engaged and getting 100% or more back from it to add to my life to use now and again in the future..