Fwd: Parshas Metzora

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, Zev Yehuda ben R' Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben R' Shmuel,

In perek tes vav posuk beis the posuk says, "Dabru el Bnei Yisroel v'amartem aleihem ish ish ki yihiye zav mi'bsaro zovo tamei huh" "Speak to Bnei Yisroel and say to them, any man who will have a discharge from his flesh, his discharge is tamei"

The Medrash Raba brings down a posuk from Koheles "U'zchor es borecha bi'ymei b'churosecha" "Remember your creator in the days of your youth". Akiva ben Mhalleil says there are three things to keep in mind that will keep people from doing aveiros, "Da mei'ayin ba'asa u'lian ata holeich, v'lifnei mi at asid litein din v'cheshbon" "Know where you came from , you started out as a little drop, Know where you are going, to the dirt, and know who you will have to give a din v'chesbon in front of, the king of all kings, Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

Rabeinu Yonah explains that when one thinks about where they come from and how they were created from a tiny drop, the thought will save them from gaiva. When they think about where they are headed, they won't desire all the fancy luxuries of this world because they will understand that it's fleeting. When they think about who they will have to answer to, they will remember they were created to fear and serve Hashem. How could one sin when they keep in mind who they will answer to? The embarrassment would be so great, even greater pain than actual punishment.

It sees from Akiva that doing these three things, and only these three things and no less will help people refrain from doing aveiros. The Rosh Yeshiva Ztl asks, why isn't keeping in mind who you will have to answer to enough of a deterrent? Rabeinu Yonah said that keeping in mind who we will have to answer to leads to such a high madreiga of Yiras Shamayim and yiras chet, that the embarrassment is greater than the pain from actual punishments. Shouldn't that be enough?

The Rosh Yeshiva explained, that we see from here, that even if someone has tremendous yiras shamayim, he still will end up doing aveiros if he does not work on his middos, because it is impossible to stay away without working on ones middos.

This is why there are three things that Akiva says to keep in mind, and not just who we will have to give a din v'cheshbon to. It is vital for our ruchniyus to work on our middos as well. To work on our anava and histapkus (contentment), and only then will we truly be able to refrain from doing aveiros....
 Good Shabbos