יד יוסף: The Big War by Michael Yitzchak Shmaryahu Harel

בס"ד

When I was recently visiting my good friend and former roommate Zeev Breier for Shabbos, his step son, Michael gave me a copy of a book he had written. The title of the book was, “The Great War” (המלחמה הגדולה) with captions, the war of light and darkness, the sword of light of the messiah, and the true commando warriors. The cover has a picture of soldiers in combat and a drawing, probably by the author, of a man calling out in prayer.

I’ve just started reading the book and am finding it pleasing. Early in the book is an essay on the prayer, Modeh Ani (מוֹדֶה אֲנִי - I give thanks), which is said immediately upon awakening. It is only two lines, “I give thanks before You, living and established king, that you have returned my soul in me with compassion. Great is your faith”, (מוֹדֶה (מוֹדָה) אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּים. שֶׁהֶֽחֱזַֽרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְחֶמְלָה. רַבָּה אֱמֽוּנָתֶֽךָ). Jewish religious thought considers sleep as an aspect of death and when someone wakes up it is like they came back to life. At times I find this thank you excessive because it is as if waking up is an act of divine mercy, which seems excessive. Nevertheless there are times when we really are thankful for simply making it through the night. Judaism does force a person to regularly pay attention to death, as unpleasant as it may be.

The author explains that when he was in a place that was like the depths of hell, he heard an insight from Rabbi Ya’akov. This hidden saint noted that the words of Modeh Ani formed an acronym, מא"ל מחוש"ב נבר"א. This more or less translates to, from the Almighty are the thoughts of the created.

After that the author draws heavily on an essay by Rabbi Nachman of Breslav from his magnum opus Likutei Moharan (ליקוטי מוהר"ן - Lessons from Our Teacher Rabbi Nachman). Much of it deals with the idea of thinking (מחושב). The idea is that the first thing a person should consider as soon as the eyes open in the morning is what does God have planned for him today? More specifically what is God’s will and how can he fulfill it.

Therefore it is appropriate to observe and ponder the things that the Creator sends him. The Creator thinks out and supervises everything, nothing is insignificant. Also everything that happens to me has been thought out by the Creator. We and everything else are part of His plan. He brings the gematria that “thought out”, מחושב is the same numerical value of 'רצון י, “will of Hashem”. It is necessary to consider the steps and be prepared for the hints that God gives the individual to bring him close to His service. Therefore one should deeply ponder in order to understand the specific hints. This is a person’s work under heaven.

Yoseph sounds the shofar:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Yb2XgBrpins?feature=share

Wishing that all my readers in the coming days will be written and sealed in the Book of Good Life!