Monday, December 06, 2004

In Search of Chizuk

Here is a story that I can totally relate to today:

A chassid once came to one of the Gerer Rebbe with a complaint. "Rebbe, I have no parnossa, my wife is sick, and I'm constantly tired. How is one supposed to serve Hashem with peace-of-mind in this kind of life?!"

"Who says Hashem wants you to serve Him with peace-of-mind," was the Rebbe's characteristically terse reply.

Lately I have been feeling exhausted, both mentally and physically. While it appears that I have finally gotten rid of my cold, both my kids and my wife do not feel well. Juggling work, a sick family, and a yard full of leaves makes it difficult to concentrate on ruchnius.

Given the story above, I have one question:

How can one serve Hashem with fatigue?


11 Comments:

At December 6, 2004 at 11:21:00 AM EST, Blogger Alice said...

Walk with the kids and while you're walking tell God you need some help because you are pooped. He'll help. Not profound but it works for me. May you feel much better soon.

 
At December 6, 2004 at 11:41:00 AM EST, Blogger Anshel's Wife said...

Looks like we can start our own little support group!

You know I empathize. One thing that works for me is to just be grateful for all the good things. You seem like a very positive person, so I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. Sometimes it's hard to feel grateful when you are so tired and cranky.

Sometimes, I just say, "G-d, I'm so tired. Just give me the strength to do what I need to do." And that's about all I have in me to give.

I hear you, ASJ

 
At December 6, 2004 at 12:20:00 PM EST, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Thanks Alice and Yetta!

 
At December 6, 2004 at 5:11:00 PM EST, Blogger Alice said...

Oh, and pie works too. Eat pie. : )

 
At December 7, 2004 at 1:04:00 AM EST, Blogger Keren Perles said...

I think I've joined the club.

Have extra kavanah during HaNosen La'Yaef Koach. It helps.

Try to take everything you're doing to a new level. That's the focus of Chanukah, to see the beauty within the external things, to realize how even the most mundane objects and actions can encapsulate the most profound sense of kedusha--holiness.

Go to sleep, even when you still have work to do. As long as it doesn't directly affect anyone else, your hishtadlus is to get a decent amount of sleep at night.

Oh, and listen to your own advice ;)

--Stx

Btw, yes, apple pie helps as well ;)

 
At December 7, 2004 at 1:04:00 AM EST, Blogger Keren Perles said...

I think I've joined the club.

Have extra kavanah during HaNosen La'Yaef Koach. It helps.

Try to take everything you're doing to a new level. That's the focus of Chanukah, to see the beauty within the external things, to realize how even the most mundane objects and actions can encapsulate the most profound sense of kedusha--holiness.

Go to sleep, even when you still have work to do. As long as it doesn't directly affect anyone else, your hishtadlus is to get a decent amount of sleep at night.

Oh, and listen to your own advice ;)

--Stx

Btw, yes, apple pie helps as well ;)

 
At September 17, 2006 at 5:08:00 AM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"How can one serve Hashem with fatigue?"

Or sickness. Those who have cancer, are born with congenital diseases, or have been in accidents... I don't want to get morbid, but I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. All I want is to get to normal so I can serve Hashem.

But then I think... How did our people serve Hashem durng the Holocaust or Inquisition? How did they survive in Europe during those horrid two thousand years AND remain faithful to G-d?

A Rav told me the following: The point of life is not to try and make it over the bumps. Life IS the bumps.



You can only do what you can do.

 
At September 17, 2006 at 7:52:00 AM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on that.

 
At August 17, 2011 at 5:49:00 AM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

check out www.divreichizuk.com and share it with Klal Yisrael

 
At December 26, 2014 at 3:19:00 AM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

BS”D
Discussion with Moishela (with his family)
A Handicapped child 5775 #3
20 Kislev 5775 (Dec 11, ‘14)

(from: http://ladaat.info/showgil.aspx?par=20141227&gil=1713)

“Why Are We Living”

Time is moving on and we are definitely getting very close to the Geula Shelaima. I think every true Jew, whether he is close to Hashem or a bit farther away, feels now is the time that the world is going to change completely. The Frum, the believing Jew will feel a kind of closeness to Hashem that he never felt before, even though every morning when he gets up he can feel a strange and frightening foreboding of what’s going to be in the future.

The Jew that is not so close to Hashem will also feel the fear and he will start thinking what this life is about. What do I have? What are my goals? What does it matter if I go to a football game or not? What does it matter if I get the job exactly that I want or get into the right university just right for me? What does it matter? What really matters in this life? All the entertainment? All the social life? What is life all about? Why are we living? Is it just one big accident, ...

 
At January 8, 2015 at 8:12:00 AM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You might want to Watch this Chizuk Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euVpNZ8qFyY

 

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