According to the Baal Shem Tov, every physical desire in this world really contains an aspect of love of Hashem. When we experience a physical pleasure, it makes it easier to come to love the source of that pleasure. Since Hashem is the Ultimate Source of Good, connection to Him is the ultimate pleasure we can experience. (M’or Einayim, Parshas VaEschanan)
In reality, the person who is caught up in the pursuit of physical pleasure really is seeking the pleasure of a connection to Hashem. But in this world, that desire has gotten misdirected and disconnected from the Source.
The emptiness, sadness, and unhappiness that people feel after experiencing a physical pleasure they thought would make them happy is really Hashem’s call to them, telling them to return, that they are straying from the true path they are meant to follow.
Those who can at least recognize that their desires are misdirected and yearn for the real pleasure of spiritual growth and connection to Hashem, have already taken a big first step to healing and being who they truly are.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov famously said: Ein yeush ba’olam, there is no need for sadness in the world: Everyone has value, we are all connected, the suffering and difficulty is Hashem trying to get our attention, because He wants to help us understand and see something that, right now, we can’t see because we think we aren’t good enough. We can have energy because energy doesn’t come from us; it comes from Hashem. And Hashem will give it to us because His essence is to bestow good. Not hidden good but revealed good.
But we have to recognize, accept, and yearn. We have to recognize that Hashem is speaking to us through situations, and we have to be willing to listen to what is being said, including the lies that our thoughts are telling us, and yearn for that change by pleading with the Source of change.
As Chazal tell us: “If you change your place, you change your mazal” (Rosh HaShanah 16b). It also means: If you change [yourself], then HaMakom [another Name for Hashem] changes your mazal.
In this way, we begin to have a real, two-way conversation with Hashem. We can not only train ourselves to “hear” Hashem’s Voice calling to us throughout the day, but we can respond, as well, and lay the foundation for our personal kabbalas HaTorah.
(Material was previously published on www.ShiratMiriam.com.)
List of People Who Need a r’fuah sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
David ben Liza Leah
Shmaryahu ben Raizel Shoshanah Miriam
Yisrael ben Raizel Shoshanah Miriam
Zhenya ben Zoya
Arvin Nesanel ben Sonia
Yotam ben Efrat Michal
Michael ben Naomi Sarah
Moshe Meir ben Chanah Etel
Shlomo Zalman ben Golda
Zoya bas Rachel Raya
Zhanna bas Zoya
Chayah Adelya Hagilo bas Rachel
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Mitali Naomi bas Gilah Farcha
Eden Libi bas Chanah
Orli Danielle bas Chanah
Nancy Elisheva Sarah bas Roza
Heleni Ornah bas Chen Chanah
Eliana Liel bas Yocheved Leah
Israeli Soldiers (Please recite Psalms 25, 26, 46, 83, 142.)
Yehoshua ben Aliza Esther
Menachem ben Aliza Esther
Gavriel Efraim ben Chanah Yafah
Netantel Akiva ben Chanah Yafah
Yonasan Ezra ben Chanah Yafah
Chaim Aba Menachem ben Naomi Baila
Daniel Moshe ben Devorah
Gavriel Yehudah ben Yaakov
Shmuel ben Aharon
Moshe ben Shoshanah Esther
Yehoshua ben Tzvi
Dvir Moshe ben Dinah
Oriel ben Dinah
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
