Friday, April 20, 2012

Are We Our Successes Or Our Failures ?


בס"ד
The beginning of Parshas Metzora teaches us an important lesson in teshuva.

After the first two pesukim that refer to the formerly afflicted person as a metzora, he is never again called by this appellation. He is given a new title, האיש המיטהר – the man who is becoming pure.
Now, if he is only becoming pure – that means that he is not yet pure. Without being overly technical, if he is not yet pure – then he must still be impure! Why don't we simply refer to him as the tameh, or better yet, the metzorah, until such time as his purification is complete?
Because that would be inaccurate.
While there are still steps a former metzora must take to achieve divine forgiveness and prevent backsliding, these are all technicalities. Ultimately, he has turned a corner and is now on the mend, spiritually.
This is, in essence, true for any one of us who is struggling with any part of our avodas Hashem. Once we are free and clear of the core blemish, the initial misjudgment that caused us to stray – we can take the vaunted title of "ba'al teshuva". We may still struggle, we may even still fall, but never again should we refer to ourselves as a sinner. We are a "מיטהר"-one who is becoming pure, not there yet – but commited to staying the path.
And with this new, positive self image we are deserving of much siyaata dishmaaya. Even the kohein, who spends all of his days in the innermost camp, communing with the shechina, must go out to the מיטהר to see that he is indeed free of blemish.
May we all be zocheh to recognize our shortcomings and commit to a path to overcome them, thusly earning the polished crown of a מיטהר. And marching with these crowns, may we greet mashiach tzidkeynu, bimheyra beyameinu, amen
Hatzlacha !.

No comments: