I Used to Have

This is in honor of  the Refuah Shlaima of Yitchak Simcha Aharon Ben Basya Blima

I reflected this morning on all the things that I perceived as being “taken away from me”.

I then thought about what happens to people that have had illness and things they have had to go through and lose and fight to get back

I   contemplated the  Covid situation and the different losses, sense of place, Parnassa , sense of security, health issues, the weddings, the dining, the socialization of the past, the Shuls. and much more.

And of course The Bais Hamikdosh..

I  then remembered the Halacha requiring us to restore a person to his lifestyle as part of Tzedakah. In fact one has to even purchase horses for a person who was wealthy and lost his wealth.

Therefore does not G-d have to follow this Halacha?

Is Hashem not called “Tzedek” and don”t we say that He loves Tzedaka? “מֶלֶךְ אוֹהֵב צְדָקָה וּמִשְפָט” (Hashem loves Tzedaka and Justice)

I have seen an overwhelming expression of Chesed that has moved me so with my family and people I did not know who helped in the most beautiful of ways.

I saw how Klal Yisroel get together and  infused us with Chesed to help all of the world during Covid and still continues ..  How Beautiful are Klal Yisroel!

I saw Klal Yisroel gather together and do awesome acts of Chesed to help someone in need of Refuah.

Rabeinu Bachya pointed out in last weeks Parshah that the first Middah (attribute )is Chesed.

It became clear to me that Hashem is giving all of us the most beautiful Chesed and Chen (no longer defined by the past)   filled opportunity to allow “Us” to rebuild our homes and restore “ourselves” to an even greater position than before..

I think I/we now have an opportunity to go back in time and redo it, but do it much better!

With such Sweetness…

To restore us to our true Royalty ( by being G-d like as  Rav Noach Weinberg, Zatzal  48 Ways)

To His original Machshava- (Thought)

To His Ratzon (Will)-

To be able to say I  did not take even one parcel from what did not belong to me, instead each brick built by attaching to the Ribono Shel Olam biezras Hashem.

To do it with the awareness  and love of Hashem that I did not have previously

“Rebuild “Our Home” as Miyachaleem L’chasdo..”  (As people who Hope in His Chesed ) inviting Hashem in our home as the constant, aka Partner in Prayer.

As people who ask “What does Hashem want?”

” Olam Chesed Yibaneh.”

וְעָרְבָה לַה׳ מִנְחַת יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָ‍ִם כִּימֵי עוֹלָם וּכְשָׁנִים קַדְמֹנִיּוֹת

(Then the offerings of Yehudah and Jerusalem shall be sweet to Hashem as in the days of everlasting  and in the years aforetime)

 By: Michal Leah