A Vessel of Blessings

The loftiest level of spirituality that a person can attain in this world is the level where he does no harm to any other human being. But, beware of the cunning evil inclination, which incites a person to be exacting in fulfilling the mitzvot between man and Hashem at the expense of the mitzvot between man and fellow man. This is the opposite of the truth, since our main job is to refine our character flaws. That’s why we commit to loving our fellow man before we pray, showing that the mitzvot between man and fellow man come before the mitzvot between man and Hashem.

Think about how you feel when people snub you, fail to answer your greeting or frown at you instead of smiling. That should be a sufficient incentive for each of us to act warmly and friendly to every human being in an effort to let the other person feel good. Try to be polite. Remember that it’s nice to be nice. Encourage the other person and let him feel that he’s a person of value. For all you know, you could be saving his life. This is the heart of Torah. A person who fails to understand this and places emphasis only on the mitzvot between man and Hashem is making a grievous mistake that is oftentimes very difficult to rectify.

We must all be aware of an additional vital fact: lengthy tribulations that linger and just seem endless with no hope in sight are frequently the result of transgressions between man and fellow man. People who take the initiative and begin to assess themselves as to any harm they might have caused others begin to see salvations. Don’t forget that we are all sparks of the same prodigious soul! Knowing that every person is a part of me, I must treat everyone as I treat myself.

I must never forget that harming another human is like playing with fire. Did you ever stick your hand in a fire? You got burned! If you harm anyone, you ultimately suffer too. When a person harms, insults, mocks or ridicules another person – he is writing himself a writ of liability that he will have to pay off for as long as there are people in the world walking around in pain because of him and who haven’t forgiven him. Meanwhile, a sword of stern judgment hovers over his head and that is the reason for his suffering. Please – be wise and be a person who pursues peace.

The general rule is that a person of emuna lives in peace with others, even with those who oppose him in any way, for peace connects between two opposites. The more a person has spiritual awareness, the more he strives for peace and the more he avoids strife and contention. When there is peace in the physical world, there is peace in the spiritual world. Therefore, a person should pursue peace. He should begin with being at peace with himself, then strive for peace with his fellow humans and ultimately be at peace with Hashem.

A person of truth is a person of peace. “Truth and peace love each other,” (Zachariah 8:19). Through peace, we can bring the whole world back to Hashem because peace is the ideal vessel for blessings. Only peace can invoke Divine abundance. The Geula – the full redemption of our people – depends on peace. Where there is peace, people listen to one another and exchange ideas. In this way, they can teach each other the beauty of emuna, speedily in our days, amen!