Personality Development

There is no question that the most prevalent and constant feeling during our lifetime is that of frustration. However, there is also a very bright silver lining that is to be found within this dark cloud of frustration.

Most people would like to be wealthy, and even pray that God should grant it to them. Obviously wealth enables giving more tzedaka, but on the other hand, all of life is challenges, and money is a difficult one (although everyone wants it!). Judaism says that it's best to be middle-class, not too rich and not too poor, yet Torah is found mostly among the poor! The class deals with the importance in finding scholarships davka for those who need them will probably be the best students. There are many logical reasons for this, yet most ignore them. Aside from the problems of spoiling one's children, wealth often leads to arrogance and exaggerated self-worth, inflating one's ego and losing touch with reality, humility and more.

Rav Kook explains that there is no way to pretend and hide one's shortcomings and be an "imposter", for they eventually will be exposed and revealed, at least through Freudian slips. The solution is to focus, not on the façade, and not on the hidden self, but rather on improving my real inner self. This approach to truth explains how real tshuva actually turns even one's purposeful sins into benefits.

A teacher who wrote a letter to his student out of anger. The letter got sent accidentally...

They all enhanced his life and deserved his affection.

God said to Israel: I treasure you, for even as I bestow greatness upon you, you humble yourselves before me

for most of us, life and its petty annoyances, problems large and small and constant stress tests.

Someone who is meticulously honest and truthful will merit receiving the Presence of the Shechinah.

The circumstances that surrounded the sin needed to be recorded as part of the effort to receive full atonement.