8^th of Tishrei, October 7, 2008

Psalm 73 communicates an important message for all of us: "A Psalm of Assaf: Yet G-D [Elokim] is nothing but good to Israel, to such as are cleansed in heart (Psalm 73:1)."  Hashem is always good, even when circumstances would suggest otherwise.   Even when Hashem interacts with us as Elokim, in His stern and judging role, He is good.   As the children of Israel, we have a responsibility to conduct our lives as good and moral individuals.   In our capacity as ambassadors of Hashem to the world, we are always the recipients of G-D's goodness.  Hashem rewards those who are "cleansed in heart", not the pure of heart.  Rav Hirsch explains that the "cleansed of heart" refers to those individuals who work at self-improvement, whose purity of heart is the result of their own efforts.  Those individuals whose focus is self-development see all of Hashem's actions as in their own best interest, and therefore good.

Copyright, 2008 Rachel Lerner