Hayom Yom 24 Iyar - 1) G‑d pleads with the Jews 2) The value of simplicity

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

Day 39 of the Omer

מְבָרְכִים רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ סִיוָן

[On] Shabbos Mevarchim, Sivan [it is our custom]

אֲמִירַת כָּל הַתְּהִלִּים בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה

to recite the entire Book of Tehillim early in the morning

יוֹם הִתְוַעֲדוּת

and to hold a farbrengen on that day.

לִשְׁלִישִׁי עוֹלֶה הַבַּעַל קוֹרֵא, וּמֵעַצְמוֹ

[In years in which Parshas Bechukosai is read alone,] the third aliyah is customarily taken by the baal koreh, on his own initiative.

אוֹמְרִים אָב הָרַחֲמִים

[After the Torah Reading,] the passage beginning Av HaRachamim is recited.

אִם בְּחוּקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ

[It is written:] “If you will follow My statutes.”

אִם זֶה הוּא לְשׁוֹן תַּחֲנוּנִים

G‑d is pleading here with the Jewish people:

כְּמַאֲמַר רַזַ"ל, שֶׁכַּוָּנָתוֹ הַלְוַאי בְּחוּקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ

Our Sages say that the intention [of the plea] is “If only you would follow My statutes!”

וְזֶה שהקב"ה כִּבְיָכוֹל, מִתְחַנֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם שֶׁיִּשְׁמְרוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה

The fact that G‑d entreats the Jews, as it were, to observe the Torah,

זֶה עַצְמוֹ מְסַיֵּעַ וְנוֹתֵן כֹּחַ לָאָדָם שֶׁיַּעֲמוֹד בִּבְחִירָתוֹ הַטּוֹבָה

in itself helps and empowers a person to stand firm in his positive choices.

וְעוֹד זֹאת אֲשֶׁר בְּחוּקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ דְּנַעֲשֵׂית הַנְּשָׁמָה מְהַלֵּךְ

Moreover, [the phrase Im bechukosai teileichu, here translated as “If you will follow My statutes,” literally means, “If you will walk in My statutes”]. [This implies that] by walking along the path of the Torah, the soul becomes a mehalech (lit., “one who walks”).

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בְּבִיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ תִּתְגַּלֶּה מַעֲלַת הַפְּשִׁיטוּת וְהַתְּמִימוּת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם שֶׁל אֲנָשִׁים פְּשׁוּטִים

When Mashiach comes, the value of the simplicity and artless devotion of the common folk,

שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְלִים וְאוֹמְרִים תְּהִלִּים בִּתְמִימוּת.

who pray and recite Tehillim with heartfelt sincerity, will be manifest.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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