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Friday

י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Friday
י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

295. Victory

The love of victory is the main thing which holds back the coming of Moshiach, and causes all of the quarrels, disputes, competitions, and conflicts in the world. All of this is caused by the love of victory. Surely you should see, that if a person will go to a wise man to ask the law in a case of forbidden and permitted matters (e.g. forbidden food), even if he will end up losing millions of golden coins, he will immediately accept the law with love and no one will complain. This shows how good ae Klal Yisrael. However, if there is a dispute between people, even if it is about a very minimal sum of money, and they go to a judge and he adjudicates, the one found guilty will cause dispute and incite hatred with the judge and his opponent. How much money and souls are invested in matters of dispute. They become separate sides and parties, until the flames of the fire of argument rise and cannot be extinguished, and each group says we are the victors and why should I lower myself to remain below my adversaries. If only they would be wise to understand that being victorious or defeated will not help at all. The truth will hold sway, and our teachers the holy Chazal were willing to say before the assembly of Klal Yisrael “The words that I said before you are erroneous!”.

Even if in his naïve eyes it appears that the truth is on his side, and that his friends have strayed from the sensible path, he may not fix himself with all of his strength to fulfil his opinion, and it is better if he lowers himself and be a defeated person, in order to seek peace and to increase peace. This person is called a true victor, who has earned victory over his evil inclination and has conquered his spirit. What is the pone of trying to defeat a person who is completely worthless? It is far more worthwhile to defeat the powerful king called the Satan, who is also the evil inclination, who with all of his tricks wages war with each person to make him fall into a desolate pit. If he defeats his inclination in these things, that will be his honor, and he will merit great respect.

“My brothers and my nation, take this sefer Torah, and with this, and like this learn well, so that you should have it good; listen and enliven your soul, and achieve gladness and joy in this world and the world to come” (From the author’s intro.)