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Part I.Life of LaborLOTS OF GOOD THINGS FOR THE LABORERWe will begin with the well-known words of Rashi found in the beginning of ourparsha\u2013 but first thepossuk. It says \u05d0\u05b4\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05bb\u05e7\u05b9\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b5\u05db\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05de\u05b4\u05e6\u05b0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u2026 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d2\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b5\u05d9\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e2\u05b4\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u2013 \u201cIf you will walk in My statutes and observe My mitzvos\u2026 then I will provide for you your rains at their proper times\u201d (Bechukosai 26:3-4). And not only rain; thepesukimgive a long list of rewards that Hashem promises to those who \u201cwalk in My statutes and observe My mitzvos.\u201d \u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b6\u05d8\u05b7\u05d7 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d0\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e6\u05b0\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u2013 \u201cYou will dwell securely in your land, \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5, and I will provide peace in the land.\u201d Take a look inside thechumash; there are a lot of good things that come when you walk in the statutes of Hashem.Only that we have to know, what does it mean towalkin themitzvos, towalkin the decrees of Hashem? And that\u2019s the question that Rashi asks: What do these words, \u201cWalk in My statutes\u201d refer to?Yachol zeh kiyum hamitzvos, \u201cI might have thought that it\u2019s referring to fulfilling the commandments,k\u2019shehu oimer, but it explicitly says: \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05de\u05b4\u05e6\u05b0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u2013 \u201cAnd you should observe My commandments.\u201dThosewords are talking about doing themitzvos; so what do the words \u05d0\u05b4\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05bb\u05e7\u05b9\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b5\u05db\u05d5\u05bc \u2013 \u201cYou should walk in My statutes\u201d mean? And so Rashi tells us: It means \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b5\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u2013 \u201cThat you should belaboringin the Torah.\u201dTeileichu\u2013 \u201cYou should walk; that means you should be moving forward, making progress. You can\u2019t just be \u2018keeping\u2019 the Torah \u2013 you have to beameilin it. And that means we have our work cut out for us.EVEN AMERICANS MUST LABORIf you want to serve Hashem it takesameilus, labor. Now, I know that for our American ears, it\u2019s something difficult to accept. We don\u2019t want tolabor\u2013 maybe to work a little bit, OK, we\u2019ll consider it; but to labor, to beameil, that we\u2019ll leave for others. So the first thing we have to get into our heads is that we came to this world to labor.In Iyov (5:7) it states:Adam l\u2019amal yulad\u2013 \u201cMan was born into this world foramal, for toil.\u201d Now, the truth is that all of creation must work in this world \u2013 birds, plants, reptiles, mammals; they also have to make a certain effort. But that\u2019s not theirpurpose. They\u2019re notbornfor toil- they\u2019re born for utility. The world needs them; there\u2019s an ecosystem where they fit in and therefore even an ant must toil to maintain himself, to preserve his existence. Animals must labor to find food, to find shelter, to survive; nevertheless that\u2019s not their purpose. But Mankind is different:adam l\u2019amal yulad, his purpose is totoil. It\u2019s a very important principle you\u2019re hearing now. In fact it\u2019s the principle of principles.AMEILUS BATORAH!Now, to labor in Torah includes many subdivisions, but the first thing that comes to mind when we read the words of Rashi: \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b5\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 isameilusinlimud hatorah.Learning Torah is very important! If you have any chance to learn \u2013 not just to learn, but to beameilin Torah \u2013 there\u2019s nothing better than that. Because even when learning Torah, a person can choose the path of avoidingameilus; he could study easier things. He could bema\u2019aver sedrah, and then he could learnMishlei. And afterMishlei, he sits and saysTehillim. And it\u2019s all important, but if you were born to beameil, then you have to labor in learninggemaratoo.Gemarais never easy, you know; it\u2019s never easy. \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b7\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc \u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05dc \u05e4\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4 \u2013 Hashem made a covenant with our nation only because of theTorah sh\u2019bal peh(Gittin 60b). And thegemarasays \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05dd \u05d3\u05b0\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05e7\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e4\u05d5\u05bc \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05d2\u05b0\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u2013 because it\u2019s hard to learn theTorah sh\u2019bal peh.Especially before they had printedgemaras, everything was done by heart; it\u2019s very difficult to learnb\u2019al peh.CHAZARA IS AMEILUSOf course, to labor means that you have to sit by thegemaraand learn for many hours, no question about that. And it\u2019s not only what you learn but how you learn. To review what you\u2019re learning, that\u2019sameilusba\u2019Torah. You should say the words of thegemaraover and over again. If you learn aperek, and you review it again and again until you know theperek, that\u2019sameilus. And if you labor inTosfos,surely good. But even if you just labor in a plain piece ofgemara, and you can say it likeashrei, you\u2019re a success. And actually there\u2019s nothing sweeter than knowing a wholeperekinside \u2013 even thegemaraalone. If you can run through thepereklike you sayashrei, it\u2019s asimcha, a real happiness.We say it every morning: \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e8\u05b6\u05d1 \u05e0\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b5\u05bc\u05c1\u05dd \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05e7\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc, \u201cMake the words of Your Torah sweet in my mouth.\u201d How does it become sweet? You know when you keep a piece of bread in your mouth longer it becomes sweeter; every time you chomp down, it becomes sweeter and sweeter. Because the bread is starch and the starch turns into sugar through the action of the saliva on the starch. The enzymes mix with the starch and it turns to sugar. The longer the bread is in your mouth the more sweet it becomes. And the Torah is no different \u2013 the longer the Torah is in your mouth, the sweeter it becomes. So review and review and review; theameilusofchazarais wonderful.THE MORE DIFFICULT THE BETTERThere\u2019s a world of achievement for you. Every male should have a goal of learningkol hatorah kula.All of it!Talmud Bavli, Talmud Yerushalmi; there\u2019s no end to what you have to accomplish. And you\u2019ll only achieve it by means of hard work; it\u2019s not easy street in this world and therefore you won\u2019t succeed unless youlaborin Torah.And it\u2019s the labor, it\u2019s the hard work, that Hashem wants. That\u2019s the great principle ofl\u2019fum tzara agra,according to the difficulty is the reward. The more difficult it is, the more is the reward. Let\u2019s say it\u2019s a hardsugya;you don\u2019t understand it and you\u2019re discouraged \u2013 so you get more reward than when you do understand it. The morekashasyou have and the less you know about thegemara, so you\u2019re struggling more and you\u2019re working on it, so you get more reward.You know,Tosfoshad morekashasthan we have because he wasameilwhen he learned asugya.Tosfoswhen he finished thesugya, he would say, \u201cI don\u2019t understand thegemaraat all!\u201d But we learn for a few minutes and \u201cI got it; I understand everything!\u201d \u2013 because we\u2019re not working.Tosfoshas questions on thegemarabecause his mind was laboring, he was always thinking. SoTosfosgets more reward because he suffered more in his learning. Whatever it is, difficulty in doing good things certainly gives you a greater reward.WHAT\u2019S \u201cTO DO\u201d ALREADYIn the beginning of the creation of the world, it says that Hakodosh Boruch Hu blessed the seventh day, \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d1\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d1\u05b7\u05ea \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc \u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05db\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u2013 because on that day, He stopped all His workthat He created to do(Bereishis 2:3). Now, if you pay attention to thatpossukit seems likela\u2019asosis a superfluous word; He createdla\u2019asos, \u201cto do\u201d. That word \u201cto do\u201d is hanging on like a tail at the end of thepossuk. He created; that\u2019s all! What is \u201cto do\u201d?Now, inpashtusit means that He created the world to function continuously; that means that after Hakodosh Boruch Hu established the entirebriyah, it continues to function. All living things work in tandem and this very complicated world runs on its own,k\u2019viyachol, living, producing, functioning. A cow, for example. Cows are giving us milk and meat and leather, and other good things. There are baby cows, and they eat grass and become big cows and the process starts again. And Hashem made itla\u2019asos, that it should continue to function this way on its own.WE DO MORE THAN COWSNow this explanation is a true explanation, no question about it. However, ourchachomimtell us that there\u2019s something more important than that. Because man after all is the most important creation in the world and hisla\u2019asosis a different kind ofla\u2019asosthan that of the cow \u2013 he\u2019s created not just to function; to eat and reproduce. Man is created to do something more than just live.On this word,la\u2019asos, there\u2019s aMedrashthat states as follows. \u201cIt\u2019s amashalto a craftsman who is working in his shop and his little son is looking on. After the boy becomes older, so the father says, \u2018Now you take over.\u2019\u201d That\u2019s themashalin theMedrash.Now, what\u2019s thenimshal?As follows.Before the creation of the world, man did not exist yet and therefore Hakadosh Baruch Hu was the sole doer; Hashem was the Creator, the only doer. But when He finished and He created man, so He said, \u201cNowyoutake over; now it\u2019s you turnla\u2019asos; I wantyouto get busy doing.And therefore the words \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u2013 \u201cHe created \u2013to do,\u201dmeans that from now on, man must do.WELCOME TO THE WORKSHOPAnd so when you enter this world, you\u2019re coming into a workshop.You\u2019re not coming into a vacation place.It\u2019s not a place where you\u2019ll lull on the beach or sit in an easy chair. This is a place for work.That\u2019s the lesson that is being emphasized here, that you were born into a worldla\u2019asos, to do. \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05d6\u05b8\u05e8 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc \u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05dc \u05e0\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0 \u2013 Every person was created in order to labor (Sanhedrin 98b), and there\u2019s no way to skirt your obligation if you want to fulfill your purpose here.Hakadosh Boruch Hu created the system whereby men must labor. \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d6\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05d0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b6\u05bc\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05ea\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05db\u05b7\u05dc \u05dc\u05b6\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd \u2013 \u201cWith the sweat of your brow, you\u2019re going to eat bread\u201d (Bereishis 3:19); which means the Creator laid down a law that you mustworkfor your living.There\u2019s no such thing as loafing through life because the loafers are the ones who leave the world quickly. And even if they hang around, it\u2019s usually trouble \u2013 for everyone.Work is a fundamental part of our nature.When people don\u2019t work, then something happens to them.First of all, their minds begin to falter.Without being busy, it\u2019s almost impossible to maintain sanity.It\u2019s an interesting aspect of human nature that man cannot tolerate idleness.Even the wealthy who don\u2019t have to work, so they look for something to do as a substitute for work. They travel; some do more mischievous things.Whatever it is, they try to keep themselves busy in one way or the other.THE REAL WORKBut all this, you have to know, is really only a symbol of something that\u2019s much more profound. Because man was not made merely to stand behind a counter or to drive a truck or to be a dentist.All these things are only amashal.They\u2019re only a symbol of our true function. This instinct of the workdrive in human beings was given to men in order to let them know, in order to stimulate them, to labor forshleimus, perfection.Ha\u2019kol tzrichin asiyah; man was not created as a finished product, is what the Medrash says. The wordla\u2019asostells us that the work is not yet done; we\u2019re not perfected yet.Bara Elokim, Hashem created you,la\u2019asos, so that you should do something; you were created to make something out of yourself.That\u2019s your job in life and there\u2019s so muchla\u2019asos, so much to do, that it means we have a big job ahead of us.THE TRUCKER WHO MISSED THE BOATIt\u2019s not enough to refrain fromaveiros; it\u2019s a very good thing to refrain from doing sins, but it\u2019s not enough. You didn\u2019t come into this world to not do sins. You\u2019re here to do something positive, to labor inla\u2019asos.I always tell you this story: You sent your trucker with a truck full of goods to deliver in Los Angeles. So he made the trip and came back and he tells you, \u201cBoss, it was a successful trip. I didn\u2019t get a single traffic ticket, no accidents. It went very well.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s great,\u201d you say. \u201cAnd how did the drop off go? Did all the goods fit into the warehouse?\u201d \u201cOh,\u201d he tells you. \u201cI forgot to deliver the goods!\u201d So you\u2019ll come back to Hashem and you\u2019ll say, \u201cHakodosh Boruch Hu, I did no sins.\u201d \u201cFine, very good,\u201d says Hashem, \u201cWhat aboutla\u2019asos? What did you make out of yourself?\u201d \u201cOh, that I forgot.\u201dNow, I\u2019m going to emphasize this a little more because when people hear they have to do, immediately they think they understand what to do.You have to domitzvos.Andmitzvos, that\u2019s already a stereotype \u2013 nothing to talk about.Why waste any more time talking about it? Who doesn\u2019t know you have to domitzvos?And the answer is,mitzvosis not what you think it is.Because whatevermitzvosare, they\u2019re only the beginning, the bare bones of yourshleimus, of making yourself. They are only means that are given to help out.\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e0\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05d5\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e6\u05b8\u05e8\u05b5\u05e3 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05b6\u05df \u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea, the purpose ofmitzvosis to refine the person doing themitzvos(Bereishis Rabbah 44:1).Which means that people can domitzvos, but many times they lose sight of the purpose; and it\u2019s a pity, it\u2019s a frustration of the plan of Hashem.CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOULFor instance, themitzvahof Shabbos. If it\u2019s done properly, Shabbos can change a man.Week after week, the Shabbos comes and goes and it changes people.Only that you have to know how to utilize Shabbos. That\u2019s why there\u2019s no other work allowed on Shabbos, because you\u2019re expected to get yourmindworking, thinking. You can\u2019t just eat the chicken soup like agolem. Now, you can\u2019t expect to work the whole bowl of soup, but at least the first spoonful, you can beameilin! You think, \u201cThis spoonful is to celebratebriyas ha\u2019olam yeish mei\u2019ayin, the creation of the world from nothing.\u201d Ah! Now you accomplished! You changed yourself!Tefillinshould change you. If you put thetefillinon your head with the proper understanding, you become a different person. Of course, it takes effort. You\u2019d rather not have to think \u2013 on, off, on, off, every day, that\u2019s it. But if you\u2019ll beameil, if every morning you put some thought into whattefillinmean, so every day becomes a newla\u2019asos. Not only are you putting tefillinonyour head, but you\u2019re changing what\u2019sinyour head; and that\u2019s the realla\u2019asos, to transform your mind into a Torah mind.When you weartzitzisand you utilize them, that\u2019sla\u2019asos. Not to just let them hang there and never consider them. It\u2019s better than nothing but that\u2019s not it.Adam l\u2019amal yulad, you have to beameilin themitzvos! We have to utilize themitzvosforshleimus. You can\u2019t do it all at once, but little by little, you begin to beameilin themitzvos, and that\u2019s your success. You\u2019re moving, you\u2019re progressing every day.WALKING AMONG THE ANGELSThere was a certain Kohen Gadol, who had a vision once, a prophetic vision, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu showed him that there weremalachimwho were standing around.Angels were standing around.So Hashem said to the Kohen Gadol, \u201cIf you will go in My ways, then \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05de\u05b7\u05d4\u05b0\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05df \u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b9\u05de\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4, I\u2019m going to give you the opportunity to walk among those who are standing here\u201d (Zecharia 3:7).It\u2019s a remarkablepossuk.Hashem isdescribing the angels asstanding, and He says, \u201cYou are going towalkamong these standing angels.\u201d Not, \u201cYou\u2019ll stand among the angels\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019ll walk together with the angels.\u201dNo, the angels are standing and you\u2019ll be walking among them.So the commentaries explain as follows. Angels are calledomdimbecause they can only stand, they don\u2019t move. Now, we know that they move from one place to another, whatever it is; they carry out whatever Hashem sends them to do. But still they\u2019reomdimbecause they cannot change. An angel cannot become better; there\u2019s nola\u2019asosfor an angel.An angel will never improve himself.He\u2019s a robot.Whatever he is, that\u2019s what he\u2019s going to be forever.You, however, are amehalech.You are walking.You\u2019re not supposed to stand still!You\u2019re not supposed to be anoimed.You cannot stand still.That\u2019s the contrast,mihalchim bein ha\u2019omdim.A human being is not anoimed; he\u2019s amehalech.\u05d0\u05b4\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05bb\u05e7\u05b9\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b5\u05db\u05d5\u05bc \u2013 He has to be walking; he has to be toiling.STEP BY STEPNow, walking means he has to journey. And journey means step by step.You don\u2019t make a journey by one great leap. Even if you\u2019re taking a plane, you\u2019ll have to step up the stairs to the plane.You have to make steps and therefore, gradually a man is expected to change himself.And so we must understand that the system that is required of us is a system of gradual progress, gradual achievement. That\u2019s whatbichukosai teilechuis saying. It\u2019s a process, it\u2019s step by step; nobody accomplishes things immediately. But it means that you have to be moving, always laboring and walking forward. There are no two ways about it \u2013adam l\u2019amal yulad,that\u2019s why you were born.Part II.A Program for LifeDON\u2019T YES ME!I\u2019m not going to leave you with just this thought alone because it will have no effect. Because people say \u201cYes, yes,\u201d and then they go home and forget about it.It\u2019s easy to say, but it\u2019s difficult to do the work. Now, work means you have to have a program.And you have to look for advice on how to work on it. Did you ever ask anybody?Ah nechtige tug.He never even thought of getting busy on it! Why should he? He\u2019s sure he has it already.And that brings us now to a greateitzah, the great recommendation for how a person can change himself.So we\u2019ll talk for a few minutes about a system, a system we can follow forla\u2019asos. This system is exemplified by a certainsefercalled Cheshbon Hanefesh.Now, it\u2019s not the only system there is, but it\u2019s a system that works if you take it seriously. And peopleshouldtake it seriously because this is the most serious business of life \u2013 not to be anoimed, not to stand still. There\u2019s a man in this synagogue who\u2019s been here for forty years, almost fifty years already, and he is the same as he was when he walked in. Of course, that\u2019s also an achievement; he could have become much worse \u2013 there are people like that too. But not spoiling is not enough. Hakadosh Baruch Hu didn\u2019t create us to remain the same.Thegemaratells a case of tzaddikim who were taken out of this world, not because of anything wrong, but because they stopped improving. Life is only for improving, for changing.THE REMARKABLE SYSTEMSo let\u2019s study this system, and we\u2019ll take it seriously because that\u2019s our business here; we were born to beameil. The author of Cheshbon Hanefesh was Rav Mendel Satanover.He lived in the time of the Gra and he was a man who exercised quality of thought.It\u2019s remarkable what else he says in hisseferbesides what we\u2019re going to say now. You\u2019ll find there remarkable ideas about how to recognize thekochos hanefesh, the psychology of human nature, and how to harness a person\u2019s qualities to do good things.When I was in Slabodka, there was ahistadrus hamussar. It was a gathering of Slabodka talmidim \u2013 Roshei yeshiva,kollelpeople andtalmidimwho came together from time to time to work onmussar.And one of the projects they undertook was to reprint some oldsefer.And they were considering \u2013 I was present at the meeting \u2013 they were considering reprinting Rabbeinu Yonah on Mishlei. And yet, even though Rabeinu Yonah is aRishon, finally they decided in favor of the Cheshbon Hanefesh.Do you know what that means? These people were experts in the subject, old Roshei Yeshiva,talmidei chachomim,and of all themussar seforimto reprint they chose the Cheshbon Hanefesh. You know, that Rav Yisrael Salanter in theseferOhr Yisrael, he says, \u05e2\u05b7\u05d9\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05b6\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05d4\u05b7\u05e0\u05b6\u05bc\u05e4\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1\u201cSee Cheshbon Hanefesh.\u201dIt\u2019s a remarkable thing.R\u2019 Yisrael didn\u2019t recommend anyseferand here you have a remark,agav orcha, he says, \u05e2\u05b7\u05d9\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05b6\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05d4\u05b7\u05e0\u05b6\u05bc\u05e4\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1.That\u2019s a tremendous recommendation.SLOWLY BUT SURELYSo here is the system that thisseferrecommends. There are easy stages; it\u2019s a week by week program, so pay attention to what we say here now. Let\u2019s say this week you decide you want to work on the quality of loving your fellow Jew.Now you can\u2019t suddenly say \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b8\u05df \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b0\u05d6\u05bb\u05de\u05b8\u05bc\u05df and I\u2019ll do it.No, you can\u2019t do it; it won\u2019t work. To succeed, you\u2019ll do it by gradual stages. You commit yourself toameilus, to labor in loving your fellow Jew and you get going.You\u2019ll pick just one Jew and you\u2019ll concentrate on him this week.This one Jew, for this week, you\u2019ll try to think as much as you can of his good qualities. Latch onto something! Even if it\u2019s just his appearance, how he dresses.Somethingyou can find! Try to love him. Think of him as if he were your brother, or your son. Better yet think of him as if he were yourself.Now how much time are you going to spend?Naturally, you\u2019re not going to spend much time.Spend two minutes a day thinking about that while you\u2019re walking.For two minutes think about that person.And bemekayeimon him \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u05dc\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05e2\u05b2\u05da\u05b8 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05da\u05b8 at least two minutes.Of course, you won\u2019t love him.At first it\u2019s just externalities.But by the end of the week \u2013 seven times two, that\u2019s fourteen minutes \u2013 it\u2019s a lot of time fourteen minutes.I know that the decent people here, they say, \u201cFourteen minutes a week? That\u2019s all?!\u201d They do more than that.A nechtige tahg!Did they ever spend even one second on the subject?! Now, let\u2019s say by the end of the week you did fourteen minutes on one person. You\u2019re going to getschar, you\u2019ll get a big reward for trying; just for the effort alone \u2013 besides for the perfection you achieved.NEW WEEK, NEW PROGRAMNow the next week.Next week, try something else.This week you\u2019ll try themiddahof keeping your mouth closed.Work on that quality for a whole week; it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll do itallweek, but at least during that week you\u2019ll choose one hour a day. \u201cThis one hour, I\u2019m going to shut my mouth and only open it for the necessity of saying a kind and helpful word to somebody, like good morning or thank you. Otherwise, I put a padlock on my lips for one hour a day.\u201d That\u2019s this week.Little by little, a person learns to control his tongue, to squelch the wisecrack, to repress some stupid remark.And when this week passes away, he\u2019s finished.He can\u2019t keep it up too long because the energy and ambition peter out. The Cheshbon Hanefesh says that; he says that thegevuras hanefeshpeters out and that\u2019s why you go on to a newmiddahthe following week.But the effect stays with you even after the week ends. With a little bit of work this beautiful quality of keeping your mouth closed will make you a new man. You get home and your wife says something silly to you, you get excited and open your big mouth and it blows up. Learn to practice keeping themiddahof staying quiet. So when you\u2019re taking hold of the doorknob, make up your mind, \u201cNo matter what she says I won\u2019t answer back.\u201d Make up your mind \u2013 the effect will last for the next five minutes at least. All right, five minutes is also a big achievement. And if you\u2019reameilin it, then after a while it will last for five hours. Or the wife; she knows her husband is coming home from work soon, so she makes up her mind that she\u2019s going to keep quiet today. So he\u2019s quiet and she\u2019s quiet, and it\u2019s a beautiful evening. And not only a beautiful evening but they\u2019re both transforming themselves into beautiful people.THE MEZUZAH PROJECTThe third week, another project. Project number three \u2013 as you pass a house where you see amezuzah, especially a bigmezuzah, bless those people.Now, they don\u2019t know that you\u2019re blessing them; even better.Bless the Jewish families who have bigmezuzoson their doors.The truth is you can bless any sizemezuzah.Isn\u2019t that a beautiful thing to beameilin?For one week, as you pass bymezuzosyou pour out thebrachos.That\u2019s living! That\u2019s making progress!You\u2019re traveling, not standing still.A man who does that for one week is fulfilling \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05bb\u05e7\u05b9\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b5\u05db\u05d5\u05bc He\u2019s actually walking through his neighborhood in themitzvosof Hashem.Now if you live in the frum neighborhood, there are so manymezusosyou can\u2019t do it. So choose one block ofmezuzos; one full block. As I pass by, I look at the house and I say, \u201cA blessing on them.\u201dAnd if you want to be better, be explicit.\u201cThey should live long.\u201d \u201cThey should be rich.\u201d \u201cThey should be healthy.\u201d \u201cThey should have happiness from their children.\u201dDon\u2019t be lazy; keep on alternating thebrachos.Get accustomed to blessing people who havemezuzoson their doorposts and do it all week. That\u2019s this week; the third week.CHAZERINGFOUR TIMES A YEARNow, you\u2019ll chose thirteen different programs for thirteen weeks because the year has about fifty two weeks. So four times thirteen weeks is fifty-two, so that means four times a year you\u2019ll review these projects.Now, not everybody should work on the same thing.It depends on what you need, more or less.Some people have to refrain from spending too much time at the supper table or too much time on the couch. Here\u2019s a man who sits down with a newspaper and a half hour goes by. Thirty minutes you need?! You have to read everything?! So for this week work on shaving off fifteen minutes. Shave fifteen minutes off that half hour every day \u2013 that\u2019s already progress. And those fifteen minutes you can pick up agemaraand learn three lines every day. Three lines a day! You can go and make something out of yourself during those fifteen minutes. That\u2019s alreadyameilus ba\u2019torah. Don\u2019t disdain fifteen minutes ofameilus; three lines every day and you\u2019re already amehalech.This system that was outlined just now is a precious counsel that thisseferhas bequeathed to us; to work gradually on ourselves step-by-step and to be amehalech, to move all our lives, steadily ahead, even though it\u2019s only one step at a time.However, despite everything I\u2019m saying, most people will never do it. Most people will just ignore what we\u2019re saying here. It\u2019s a tragedy, but that\u2019s how people are; they won\u2019t do it.Theywon\u2019tgo home tonight and take a notebook and divide it into thirteen pages and write a heading on each page \u2013 \u201cThis week I\u2019m working on this, next week on that.\u201d That\u2019s what they ought to do, by the way.If that\u2019s what you\u2019ll do, so tonight was a very valuable night for you.And you keep that notebook with you. Even if you try it for one year or a half a year or a quarter of a year, it\u2019s gold and diamonds.It\u2019s already a life of accomplishment.And when people make a program in life, a program of making progress, of not standing still, that\u2019s the greatness of succeeding in this world. That\u2019s what you came here for! That\u2019s your life!And therefore, do anything to start moving in the right direction!And even though you\u2019re moving slowly, as long as you continue to move, to grow, that\u2019s the fulfillment of the purpose of life and that\u2019s the purpose of the world.The world was createdla\u2019asos\u2013for a man to make something out of himself.RABBI MILLER DISLIKES THE STYLENow, if you\u2019ll put your mind to it, you\u2019ll see that the opportunities forla\u2019asos, forameilusin growth, are available all the time. Nothing is easy, and that\u2019s the joy of life, that\u2019s the success of this world. Let\u2019s say, for example, theameilusof fighting against the modes of the day, the styles of the day. Now, I don\u2019t want to go into details; I don\u2019t want to make some people here feel slighted, but there are certain things that people do today that are a result of styles, of being in style. And I don\u2019t approve of it. There are certain things that are only the product of theyetzer harahand for women especially \u2013 men too, but women especially, even frum women \u2013 indulge in them to make themselves look prettier. I don\u2019t approve of thatat all.\u201cIt\u2019s not easy,\u201d you say. So what?! That\u2019s what you\u2019re here for; to beameil, to labor in the service of Hashem. You must fight back against the fashions of the day. It doesn\u2019t mean you have to be old-fashioned, but the things that are done today in order to attract the eyes of other people, that I don\u2019t like. A woman should never make herself too attractive in public. It\u2019s very important, and that means that every woman, every girl, has to beameilbecause it\u2019s not easy to fight the environment. It\u2019s atza\u2019ar, it\u2019s anamal, but that\u2019s what you came to this world for.THE EREV SHABBOS AMEILUS PROGRAMAnd the truth is that you don\u2019t have to search forameilus\u2013 it\u2019s always there. Here\u2019s a woman in her house and Shabbos is coming. Shabbos is coming and she\u2019s going crazy; she has a house full of children and she has to cook and bake and clean. But once she understands what we\u2019re saying here tonight, so she\u2019s not going crazy; it\u2019s hard work, it\u2019sameilusin Torah, absolutely, but she\u2019s not going crazy. She\u2019s full of joy because she knows that she\u2019s accomplishing her purpose in this world.So she\u2019s busy mixing the ingredients and the children are pulling at her dress. Some of them are fighting, and she\u2019s telling them, \u201cDon\u2019t fight; keep quiet. Shabbos is coming,\u201d as she puts the food in the oven. She\u2019s building the Shabbos; it\u2019s not easy to build but she\u2019s doing it! That\u2019s the meaning oflaasos, to accomplish, to live in this world for a purpose.Now here\u2019s ayeshiva bochur; he\u2019s not baking and cooking for Shabbos. His mother lets him stay in thebeis medrashon erev Shabbos to learn. But no matter, he can\u2019t excuse himself from the function ofla\u2019asos, ofamal. So he\u2019s learning a piece ofgemara, and he labors to remember it. He goes over it again and again and again; that\u2019slaasos, that\u2019sameil, he\u2019s accomplishing something. Maybe he\u2019s tired; he\u2019d rather lay on the couch with a magazine or a newspaper, a kosher newspaper. But he says, \u201cNo, that\u2019s notameilus; I\u2019m here in this world to labor in accomplishment.\u201dPart III.Laboring in HappinessIS IT SO HARD TO BE HAPPY?And now we come to the one subject with which I want to conclude. I have so much to say to you aboutameilusstill, but I must conclude with this one subject. Because there\u2019s another very important form of labor that is included in \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b5\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 that many people don\u2019t know about \u2013 and actually they\u2019re surprised to hear that it requires any work at all. And that is the labor of learning how to enjoy this world.There\u2019s no question about it that this world is full of happiness. But it\u2019s not just something that happens; to some people more, and some less. No, it\u2019s a part of the Torah; the Torah of happiness is a very bigcheilekof the Torah, and like all the subdivisions of Torah it requiresameilusto achieve. LikeRashiexplained, Hashem tells us that we have to beameilin Torah to acquire it. And what that means is that you have to study happiness; you have to labor in thesugyaof happiness if you want to appreciate this world. You hear thatchiddush? You can not become asamei\u2019achb\u2019chelko, you can not enjoy this world, unless you put in work.LAZY PEOPLE GO TO AMUSEMENT PARKSNow, the lazy people who never studied how to enjoy this world, they never labored in it, so they keeptryingto enjoy this world, but they find that this world is a place of disappointments. Even when they set out to go someplace for a good time, when they come back home they see it was a disappointment. You go to the movies, and the lights come back on again and you see it\u2019s nothing but a fake; the story never happened. It\u2019s only a film; there\u2019s nothing to it. Others think that maybe that they\u2019ll find happiness on roller coasters. And if you\u2019re a high roller, you\u2019ll have biggerhasagos, bigger dreams, so you\u2019ll fly to the Bahamas to search for happiness. And trust me, you won\u2019t find it; you won\u2019t find happiness in the Bahamas. Bigger mosquitoes than here in Brooklyn, that you\u2019ll definitely find. Maybe some new disease from the islands you\u2019ll bring back; but happiness, no. Because for happiness you have to labor. And when you try to find happiness the easy way, by going to ball games and amusement parks, so it may be that you can find a thrill, some fun, yes. But happiness, no. Life becomes one big disappointment.Hashem says, \u201cI gave you this world to enjoy itbut like all good things you have to labor for it.\u201d\u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e0\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05e0\u05b5\u05bc\u05d2 \u2013 the world was only made for happiness (Mesillas Yesharim,Hakdamah). Of course the last word there is important \u2013 it says there \u05dc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05e0\u05b5\u05bc\u05d2 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b5\u05bc\u05c1\u05dd \u2013 to be grateful to Him, to think about Him, to appreciate what He\u2019s giving you. We\u2019re here to understand the gifts of Hashem and to enjoy them. And when you enjoy life by means of labor, by means of studying the gifts of Hashem, thinking about them, then Hakodosh Boruch Hu says, \u201cYou\u2019re fulfilling your purpose.\u201d And therefore you have no option; you have to put in effort. It\u2019s only when people toil, when they labor to see the happiness of life, that\u2019s how they become happy people. By means ofameilusyou can become a person who is actually overflowing withsimcha, with real joy.ENJOYING THIS WORLD WITHOUT A WRISTWATCHOnce a man ran over to me and he said, \u201cWhy are you always talking aboutOlam Hazeh?!\u201d It was a kollel man \u2013 \u201cYou\u2019re talking to them aboutta\u2019anugei Olam Hazeh,\u201d he said. I looked at him. He\u2019s wearing a wristwatch \u2013 I don\u2019t wear a wristwatch. He smokes \u2013 I don\u2019t smoke. He drives a car \u2013 I don\u2019t have a car. But I\u2019m the guilty one who\u2019s enjoyingOlam Hazeh!He doesn\u2019t care forOlam Hazeh!The answer is that \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b9\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b5\u05da\u05b0, the fools walk in darkness (Koheles 2:14). He doesn\u2019t know what happiness is. You don\u2019t need wristwatches and cars to be happy; you don\u2019t need anything to be happy exceptseichelandameilus.You must learn to appreciate the fact that you are able to breathe. Did you ever toil inlearninghow to enjoy how to breathe fresh air? Walk out of here tonight on the street and fill your lungs, those two balloons, with air. Breathe deeply; it\u2019s a delight. The air oxygenates your blood and makes it red. The iron in the blood unites with the oxygen; the hemoglobin takes the oxygen in and it begins flowing in a form that\u2019s easily assimilated by the body. Your whole body is delighting in that oxygen. There\u2019s a happiness in breathing! You never thought about that? Practice it! Here\u2019s a person who learned how to breathe deeply, and he enjoys life because of it. But it didn\u2019t just happen that way; he labored in it. You\u2019ll never be happy with breathing unless you work on it.SEEING HAPPINESSLearn how to enjoy the happiness of being able to see. You have two good cameras, camcorders, and as you turn your neck you can see everything around you. Isn\u2019t that a pleasure? Isn\u2019t it beautiful? You see everything; colors and movement and faces. Isn\u2019t that a happiness? Of course it\u2019s not, because you never labored in it. There\u2019s nothing in the world as beautiful as seeing. If you think about that person you saw tapping his way in the street with a stick; he was robbed of this great happiness, and you have it!Boruch Atah Hashem, po\u2019keiach ivrim; Ah! The happiness of seeing. If you labor in the Torah of how to be happy with your eyes so you\u2019ll never be able to be unhappy all your life.Eizehu ashir,who is rich in this world?Hasameiach b\u2019chelko, the one who learns to enjoy his eyes, and his lungs.Learn to enjoy the fact that you could walk.Boruch atah Hashem ha\u2019meichin mitzadei gaver \u2013He establishes my footsteps. What a pleasure it is to get around on my feet. Look at the man sitting in the wheelchair; he can\u2019t walknebach. It\u2019s a pity on him. He lost that great fun of locomotion; walking back and forth using those two Rolls Royces underneath your body! Ah, ah, ah, what a happiness! The simcha of walking, it\u2019s a joy! The person who learns how to enjoy walking will always be full of happiness.THE HAPPINESS OF BREAD AND WATERLearn how good it is to eat a piece of bread. Eating a slice of bread is a very bigsimcha, it\u2019s very great fun. And don\u2019t think that it\u2019s not a mitzvah.Boruch Atah Hashem, hamotzee lechem min ha\u2019aretz.It\u2019s a great fun to eat a piece of bread and to thank Hashem from the bottom of your heart. And you say that the purpose of the bread is \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d2\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc, for the sake of His great name. \u201cI\u2019ll enjoy the bread and think of His great name.\u201d\u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05e7\u05b5\u05dc \u05d6\u05b8\u05df \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b0\u05e4\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05e1 \u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05dc, You give food to the world. What a pleasure it is to chew on the bread. The pleasure of eating a piece of bread! How great is the daily experiences of a man who understands what it means to be able to chew a piece of bread and swallow it. What a benefit it is for the body to eat a piece of bread. It\u2019s a blessing.Now, when you learn to enjoy the piece of bread and with it, a glass of water, that\u2019s theameilusof a happy man. Water is a miracle; water is a combination of two gases. Can you imagine that? it\u2019s two gases. It\u2019s oxygen and hydrogen and neither of them on its own could quench his thirst. And then it comes together by an electric spark and it becomes water. That\u2019s a miracle! Aneis! And thatneisgoes into your body and it lubricates all your joints; it makes your eyes sparkle; it causes your blood to flow so that it shouldn\u2019t congeal. Water is life!Boruch Atah Hashem sh\u2019hakol n\u2019ihiyeh b\u2019dvaro.Practice that; practice enjoying a glass of water. When the children are sitting at the table on Shabbos the first thing they stretch out their hands for is for the soda, for the juice, the colored water, the dirty water they want to drink. Teach them that the plain water is happiness.EVEN TZADIKIM DRINK WATER AND SLEEPEventzadikimeat bread and drink water; and Hakodosh Boruch Hu says, \u201cI\u2019m not going to reward you for not being happy. I don\u2019t like grumpytzadikim. If you\u2019re not happy, it\u2019s your own fault.\u201d Hashem doesn\u2019t want him to be unhappy with the bread or unhappy with the water. They\u2019re supposed to sayBoruch Atah Hashem.I could go on all night \u2013 if you don\u2019t work on appreciating sleeping well so you\u2019ll never know what happiness is. You young fellows, you put your head on the pillow and right away you waft off into slumberland.Ah geshmakehsweet sleep. But you\u2019ll never appreciate it if you don\u2019t labor in it. Ah, the pleasure of sleeping well; you wake up and you\u2019re a refreshed, you\u2019re a new person.And so little by little, when a man works to gain the insights that cause happiness, so the world becomes a happy place. So not only can a person succeed by beingameilin the words of the Torah itself, but he can succeed by beingameilin living a Torah life. And don\u2019t think it\u2019ll be deducted from your reward inOlam Hababecause you enjoyed Hashem in this world. Thescharof happiness in Hashem\u2019s gifts cause you to sing to Hashemin this world and you\u2019ll continue singing in happiness to Him in the world to come.THE END OFAMEILUSROADSo if we learned anything tonight, it\u2019s how important this element ofameilusis for succeeding in our function ofla\u2019asos. We\u2019re here in this world \u201cto do,\u201d and doing is not meant to be easy. But once you begin to understand this vital Torah attitude, life becomes the place of the greatest pleasure because it becomes the place of achievement and accomplishments through small but steady steps.And that\u2019s why the Torah says thatim bechukosai teleichu,if you labor in Mymitzvos, you will be rewarded with all good things: rains and produce and peace and long life. What does that mean that Hashem will give us plenty to eat? Does it mean that you\u2019ll have the opportunity to eat more breakfasts and more suppers? Is that what it\u2019s all about? No, it doesn\u2019t mean that. The Rambam explains that all these rewards mean that you\u2019ll have more opportunities to achieve something more while you\u2019re in this world. Because the longer you live, the more produce and peace that you have, the more you can accomplish. Your station inOlam Habahdepends on what you do inOlam Hazeh.And therefore the greatest reward is \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5, peace in the land, because you\u2019ll have more years to beameilinla\u2019asos, and to make yourself into a new person. And once you begin walking down this path ofim bechukosai teileichu, of laboring in this world and achieving, so \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d3\u05b6\u05bc\u05e8\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd \u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b6\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05db\u05b6\u05ea \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05df \u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9 \u2013 Hakodosh Boruch Hu will help you succeed at walking even more. And not only will you be fulfilling what Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants you to do \u2013 but you\u2019re transforming yourself into something much more noble than when you were born \u2013 you\u2019re remaking yourself! And so, on that final day, when you have to return yourneshamato Hakodosh Boruch You, you\u2019ll be able to say, \u201cHashem, I spent my days beingameilinbechukosai teileichu \u2013I fulfilledla\u2019asos, and now I come back to You prepared to receive my eternal reward.\u201d See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.