Living Mussar Every Day:
Putting the Power of Mussar into Your Life
By Rabbi Zvi Miller

Around the Shabbos Table

Vayikra

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 1) tells us that Moshe had ten names, including Yered, Chaver, Yekutiel, Avigdor, Avi Socho, and Avi Zano’ach. Each of these names alluded to a special attribute of Moshe. For instance, the word yered means to bring down, hinting at the fact that Moshe brought the Torah down from Heaven to earth.

Yet of all these names, Hashem called him by the name Moshe: “And Hashem called to Moshe” (Vayikra 1:1). This is the name that Pharaoh’s daughter, Batya, called him when she rescued him from the Nile River. In the Egyptian language, Moshe means “drawn from the water.” Why did Hashem choose the name that the Egyptian princess had given to him? Why was this name more significant than the names that alluded to Sinai or the other miracles that Moshe had performed?

When Batya’s heart was filled with compassion for the Jewish baby, she rescued him at the risk of her own life. To save a Jewish baby defied Pharaoh’s decree to kill every Jewish male that was born. Despite the risk of the death penalty, she stretched forth her arm to draw Moshe out of the water. The feelings of love that a caregiver holds for the baby are transmitted to and absorbed by the baby. Batya’s intense love for Moshe was intensified by total devotion - her willingness to sacrifice her life on his behalf.

This dedication of Batya for the child had a profound impact on Moshe. It awakened within him powerful feelings of love and sensitivity for his people. Indeed, his total devotion to his people burned within his heart like a consuming fire. While Moshe was still yet a prince in Pharaoh’s palace, he felt deep empathy for his people: “And he went out to his people and saw their suffering” (Shemos 2:11). Our Sages explain: “He would see their suffering and cry, ‘I have such pity on them. I wish my death would somehow free them from their burdens. There is no labor more grueling than working with mud.’ And he would give his shoulder and help each one of them carry his load” (Shemos Rabbah 81:27).

The essential quality of a Jewish leader is passionate caring and unyielding dedication to help every Jew. In addition, he has the sensitivity to relate to each Jew according to his individual nature and needs. There is no attribute more precious to Hashem than to devote oneself to loving and helping Klal Yisrael - with all of one’s heart and soul.

May the example of Moshe Rabbeinu awaken within us the love of every Jew, and may we merit to serve each one faithfully and appropriately.

(Based on Sichos Mussar of Rav Chaim Shmulevitz)

Today: Empathize, and give of yourself, to help a fellow Jew.

The Week of Tzav

Sunday

Bitachon

If a person does not put his trust in Hashem, [perforce] he places his trust in something other than Hashem; and whoever trusts in something other than Hashem, Hashem removes His providence from him and leaves him in the hands of whatever he trusted in. He becomes like those of whom it is said, “…they have forsaken Me - a freshwater spring, to hew themselves cisterns, cracked cisterns” (Yirmeyahu 2:13) and “They exchanged their glory [i.e., Hashem] for the image of a bull [i.e., the golden calf] that eats grass” (Tehillim 106:20).

Conversely, if one places his trust in Hashem, then the kindness of Hashem surrounds him. The Torah expresses this concept: “Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem; then Hashem will be his security” (Yirmeyahu 17:7).

When the Jewish people sojourned in the desert after leaving Egypt, they displayed a lack of faith and experienced its bitter outcome. They also showed amazing trust - and experienced its wondrous result.

When they turned their hearts away from Hashem and placed their faith in the golden calf, they suffered great losses. On the other hand, when they trusted in Hashem and plunged into the Red Sea, they experienced magnificent miracles, protection, and redemption.

Placing our faith in Hashem is the fulfillment of the proper outlook that the Torah prescribes for us.Not only is trust in Hashem the primary injunction of the Torah, but when a person trusts in Hashem with a full heart, he opens himself to the blessing of Hashem.

Each challenge in life is another opportunity to trust Hashem and to draw ourselves closer to His kindness. No matter how bleak the situation seems to be, if we lengthen the “bridge of our trust,” Hashem will help us. By strengthening our faith in response to all the vicissitudes of life, we will see more and more new dimensions of Hashem’s mercy, wonders, and kindness. In turn, the knowledge that trust in Hashem is the portal to the boundless treasures of Hashem’s blessings inspires us to always renew our faith in Hashem.

(Based on Chovos HaLevavos, Duties of the Heart, Sha’ar HaBitachon)

Today: Repeat aloud the verse “Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem; then Hashem will be his security.”

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