Wednesday nights - Rav Benzion's Tanya shiur..........Please continue to daven for the good health of the Rebbe (Yechiel Michel ben Devorah Leah) and Rebbetzin (Feiga bas Sarah).

Friday, April 27, 2012

Tazria/Metzora: Hidden Treasure


When Klal Yisroel came into Eretz Yisroel, they were surprised by the appearance of tzaraas on the walls of their new homes. "How could this happen?" they wondered. "There wasn't any reason why this should be happening."

But, faithful to Torah and it's ideals, they proceeded to remove all their belongings from the houses and began chiseling away at the walls, unsure of where they might sleep that night.

Lo and behold, they each discovered treasures and riches hidden in the walls by the Canaanim. If not for the tzaraas - and their subsequent abidance of the halacha - they would never have known what lay in their own homes.

It's a Midrash well-known, but it is also a fantastic mashal for us. When something painful and difficult occurs in our lives, something that to us seems out-of-place and undeserved, we can assume that it is bad, but then it's unlikely that we will deal with it in an appropriate way. If we retain our convictions and ideals, and deal with the circumstances with faith, humility and simcha (see last year's post as well), then those events will surely be transformed into vast riches.

The growth of spirit and character that comes from handling adversity and challenges properly and maintaining one's integrity throughout a painful and confusing ordeal, opens up all sorts of barriers and walls that previously had been covering up one's own greatness and potential.

When you are faced with tzaraas in your life, don't become discouraged. Remember who you are and what you have to do during that time. Recommit to staying the course and recall your faith in Hashem's goodness. You will discover the greatest treasure: a new and stronger, better you.

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