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Daily Chizuk #1507
Weekly Parasha
Auspicious Geula: Anticipating Redemption in Nissan
The Greatest Honor
Honoring talmideh chachamim is a great mitzva, and in certain aspects, it is considered as if one is honoring Hashem Himself. However, there is a way for a person to honor Hashem directly. The Kedushat Levi writes in Parashat Shemot that every time a person chooses to follow the will of Hashem, they are honoring Him. If a person were forced or programmed to follow the will of another, it would not bring that person any sense of honor, because their will was not freely chosen. True honor comes only when a person willingly chooses to follow the will of another.
Therefore, one of the primary functions of the Yetzer Hara is to provide us with the opportunity to honor Hashem. Every time we face resistance and overcome it to do what Hashem wants, we bring Him honor.
Sometimes, a person may feel distanced from Hashem due to strong inclinations to do the wrong thing. Others may feel distanced because of negative middot like jealousy, anger, or a desire for honor. These individuals may feel as though they are second-class in terms of their closeness to Hashem. However, the opposite is true. If a person has a strong Yetzer Hara in any area, it is Hashem's way of giving him the opportunity to bring Him even more honor and glory. If they are able to overcome their inclinations, they will bring about the greatest honor to Hashem.
A person has many opportunities in life to bring honor to the King. When these moments come, they should pause and recognize the greatness of the moment, and then, with full kavana, do the task at hand.
Honoring talmideh chachamim is a great mitzva, and in certain aspects, it is considered as if one is honoring Hashem Himself. However, there is a way for a person to honor Hashem directly. The Kedushat Levi writes in Parashat Shemot that every time a person chooses to follow the will of Hashem, they are honoring Him. If a person were forced or programmed to follow the will of another, it would not bring that person any sense of honor, because their will was not freely chosen. True honor comes only when a person willingly chooses to follow the will of another.
Therefore, one of the primary functions of the Yetzer Hara is to provide us with the opportunity to honor Hashem. Every time we face resistance and overcome it to do what Hashem wants, we bring Him honor.
Sometimes, a person may feel distanced from Hashem due to strong inclinations to do the wrong thing. Others may feel distanced because of negative middot like jealousy, anger, or a desire for honor. These individuals may feel as though they are second-class in terms of their closeness to Hashem. However, the opposite is true. If a person has a strong Yetzer Hara in any area, it is Hashem's way of giving him the opportunity to bring Him even more honor and glory. If they are able to overcome their inclinations, they will bring about the greatest honor to Hashem.
A person has many opportunities in life to bring honor to the King. When these moments come, they should pause and recognize the greatness of the moment, and then, with full kavana, do the task at hand.
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