RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot
Chapter 2:4, 15, 17
By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr
“He (Rav Gamliel) would also say: Make that
His will should be your will, so that He should make your will to be as His
will. Nullify your will before His will, so that He should nullify the will of
others before your will.”
“Rabbi Eliezer
would say: The honor of your fellow should be as precious to you as your own...”
“Rabbi Yossei
would say: The property of your fellow should be as precious to you as your
own. Perfect yourself for the study of Torah, for it is not an inheritance to
you. And all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven.”
This reminds me of
Yeshua when we told us to deny ourselves take up our mode execution (cross) of self and
follow Him (Matt. 16:24 ),
meaning His Halacha (way of living) of the Torah.
Rav Sha’ul, Rav
Gamliel’s star pupil had this to say:
1Cor. 10:31 -33 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to
the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to
the Gentiles, nor to the church
of God : Even
as I please all [men] in all [things], not seeking mine own profit, but the
[profit] of many, that they may be saved.”
The Rabbi’s say of
2:4 “Devote as much time and money to mitzvot as to your own loves. In return,
God will you beyond all expectations.”
We all have
dreams, righteous dreams and when we sacrifice them for the universal, overall
will of God he will raise our dreams like a phoenix from the ashes of our
sacrificed dreams. When they resurrect we will find our righteous dream has
been intensified and blessed by God. When we make Torah Study, Prayers, and
Selfless Chesed (Loving-kindness) to others, when we make God’s will our own,
He will make our will His own, such as a dream of doing something great for
God. We have plans for God, imperfect plans for God and when we give them up
for God HE will give them back to us perfected and ready to be fulfilled in His
time.
Shalom,
- Yehudah ben
Shomeyr