IN SEARCH OF BLESSINGS

        There are times, as I reflect upon our  society, I come to realize we are living in an "Age of Anxiety.” 

   Man is, forever, in search of Blessings. Even, within these periods of anxiety, we are constantly in want of enjoying whatever Blessings are doled out to us, realizing that even with these Blessings comes some anxiety. This is evident when someone asks, “How are you?” We respond, “Well, thank you, בלי עין הרע.” We are always in fear that these Blessings will be taken away from us.

   Why, I wonder that in the hidden corner of our heart, we harbor a gnawing concern, wondering will our Blessings continue and last?

   Let us think of our immediate Blessings - our children. They are indeed the most precious gifts bestowed upon us by Hashem. No one can deny, with this precious gift from Hashem, comes anxiety from one stage of growth to the next.  However, even greater thought comes with the realization of the parental responsibility of cultivating and preserving the Blessings that parenthood conveys upon us.

   This may be the reason why the Torah speaks which such fright about the בן סורר ומורה in this week's Sedrah - a realization that with children comes anxiety. We pray for them to be our Bracha and the trust that Hashem places in us will be one of Serenity and Nachas. 

   There is one word of caution when it comes to raising children. Using the word YES for all their requests may be fine for their needs, but does not guarantee their love and, especially, their positive behavioral patterns.   A  NO, once in a while, may show a child, that true love and parental guidance will be a molding force in their achieving magnificent Midos, and leading them on the Derech of Menschlikeit. 

   Good habits do not develop over night. The pattern begins much earlier, and it revolves around the learning of self discipline, at an early age. 

   A positive act of tradition and Torah service brings to the person performing that act of goodness and kindness, unforeseen opportunities to perform other acts of goodness and kindness. 

   With these thoughts in mind, I am reminded of another Mitzvah in this week's Torah reading - the Mitzvah of 

השבת אבדה, the Mitzvah of returning a lost article to its rightful owner. 

   We, of course, are referring to any lost object, even someone's animal. 

In my mind I wish to extend this Mitzvah even beyond the physical, and suggest that we are also responsible for our brethren's spiritual property. We are obligated to return all of our fellow Jew's 'Torah Share'. 

   The Or Hachaim, says that our Torah was given to each individual and to the Jewish People, in particular. 

   Moreover, every Jew has a unique share of the Torah which belongs only to him. When a Jew goes off the Derech, and is seemingly lost to K’lall Yisrael, then every Jew has an Acrayut, to return that lost soul back to his rightful position in his Torah Share and reconnect to the true Torah Derech. In doing so, we are fulfilling the mitzvah of השבת אבדה, fulfilling our responsibility, both in our relationship to our children and in our relationship to our lost brethren. The Torah is reminding us that we are, truly, partners with every Jew, sharing the great goal of illuminating Hashem's “Light in the World.” 

    Let me conclude these thoughts with the words of 

Robert F. Kennedy "Some see things as they are and ask why? I dream things that never were and ask why not". 

   כי תעשה הישר בעיני ה׳ "And you shall do that which is right in the eyes of G-D". 

    What a dream, what  a reach for the sublime.