SBH Chessed Mission:
November 2015
Speech
Raquel reached out to me & asked me to speak to you guys today. I immediately said yes, of course I would; it was an instant reflex; I didn't think twice. After I hung up, I thought to myself what did I just do? I cannot speak in public for the life of me. I can barely speak in front of my class of 15 students, let alone in front of a whole audience. But, here I am. I guess it's something I subconsciously always wanted to do. I apologize in advance if I don't speak so clearly; my nerves can get the best of me. Also, I've nominated my sister to tap me each time I begin to chew my words. She has no problem calling me out on my flaws. I also apologize if I never look up from my paper; just the thought of everyone's eyes on me makes me nervous. So, if you would like to get some shut eye or feel like checking your mail, now would be a great time. As you can see, this is the first time I am speaking in public. You can tell by my whole entourage that followed me here.
One of the reasons I decided to do this is because when people come up and speak about their life experiences, it's usually after they have overcome their obstacle, but it's very rare that someone speaks about their experience as they are going through it.
I have this theory about Hashem, but before I tell it to you we should address something first. We all know that Hashem has many characteristics, 13 to be exact. He is merciful and forgiving. He is compassionate and slow to anger. He is also a kind and gracious God. But, I think Hashem is also an envious God. You're all looking at me like I have two heads, but think about it. In what other religion do you know of that has specific laws to worship only Hashem? There are literally two commandments out of the Ten Commandments that emphasize on the laws of obeying Hashem and only Hashem. You can't help but think that Hashem wants you all to Himself. And sometimes when you forget about Him and get busy with mundane activities, He has no other option but to put you in a position where you have no other place to turn to but to Him. In just this weeks parasha we read about how Isaac and Rivka were having problems conceiving, to which they turned to Hashem for help. Isaac knew from Avraham that a great nation would emerge from him so why did Hashem give them a difficult time getting pregnant? Because Hashem desires the prayers of His people and looks forward to their conversations. He gives you the opportunity to turn to Him and develop a relationship with Him. He says, "if I give them children, I will never hear from them."
Hashem doesn't want you to call out to Him only when you're in trouble. He wants your attention all the time. He wants you to remember Him when you're getting married and even when you eat. If that doesn't sound like a jealous God to you, I don't know what does. Think about it. Anyone that experiences a traumatic event, like sudden death in the family or sickness in the family, are normal good people. This is the problem. They are good, but they are normal. Bad things always happen to good people.
Before I became in this position- I like to call this "the before", I was a normal good person. I was healthy, doing normal things. I kept Shabbat. I ate kosher. I prayed once a day. I was kind to others. I think I would qualify as a "good person", no? The problem is I just obeyed the laws; I didn't really have a relationship with Hashem.
I whole heartedly believe that Hashem put me in this position just because He wants my undivided attention. Well, He's got it. I've developed a great relationship with Hashem and literally to turn to Him at every moment I get. Ive learned to appreciate the little things, like breathing. After being a ventilator, I now appreciate every breath I take. I appreciate spending time with friends and family. I even appreciate being able to help those in need.
I've also learned that physicality isn't everything. I can do so much despite my physical problems, but it did take me a long time to realize this. I recently launched this new campaign on Instagram called #BecauseICan. I show people that yeah, I have some problems, but come on let's be real - who doesn't have problems? Mine just happens to be visible to the naked eye. So I use it to my advantage & show you what I can do. And yeah, it may seem more difficult to do mitzvot, but if anything it only enhanced my ability to want to do mitzvot & to appreciate every little thing I can do.
For one, I'm up here delivering this speech. That's something I thought I would never be capable of. I can back to school and am even graduating. I can join you guys on this Chessed mission- that's pretty big. I can still be kind and helpful to people. I can still make fun of my sisters. I can donate my hair. I can help those in need. And I can speak to Hashem.
It's normal to question why Hashem put me in this position, but sometimes you just can't question it and trust that He knows what He's doing. For all I know He put me in this position to be here right now. It's sad to say that only in the darkness do we appreciate the light. So appreciate the light. Don't give Hashem the only option but to put you in the dark. Don't be a normal good person. Be extraordinary. Do better. Think better. Be better. And every once in a while just talk to Him, even if it's something as small as finding a parking spot within two minutes, just say thanks. Give Him a shoutout, He really loves the attention.
One of the reasons I decided to do this is because when people come up and speak about their life experiences, it's usually after they have overcome their obstacle, but it's very rare that someone speaks about their experience as they are going through it.
I have this theory about Hashem, but before I tell it to you we should address something first. We all know that Hashem has many characteristics, 13 to be exact. He is merciful and forgiving. He is compassionate and slow to anger. He is also a kind and gracious God. But, I think Hashem is also an envious God. You're all looking at me like I have two heads, but think about it. In what other religion do you know of that has specific laws to worship only Hashem? There are literally two commandments out of the Ten Commandments that emphasize on the laws of obeying Hashem and only Hashem. You can't help but think that Hashem wants you all to Himself. And sometimes when you forget about Him and get busy with mundane activities, He has no other option but to put you in a position where you have no other place to turn to but to Him. In just this weeks parasha we read about how Isaac and Rivka were having problems conceiving, to which they turned to Hashem for help. Isaac knew from Avraham that a great nation would emerge from him so why did Hashem give them a difficult time getting pregnant? Because Hashem desires the prayers of His people and looks forward to their conversations. He gives you the opportunity to turn to Him and develop a relationship with Him. He says, "if I give them children, I will never hear from them."
Hashem doesn't want you to call out to Him only when you're in trouble. He wants your attention all the time. He wants you to remember Him when you're getting married and even when you eat. If that doesn't sound like a jealous God to you, I don't know what does. Think about it. Anyone that experiences a traumatic event, like sudden death in the family or sickness in the family, are normal good people. This is the problem. They are good, but they are normal. Bad things always happen to good people.
Before I became in this position- I like to call this "the before", I was a normal good person. I was healthy, doing normal things. I kept Shabbat. I ate kosher. I prayed once a day. I was kind to others. I think I would qualify as a "good person", no? The problem is I just obeyed the laws; I didn't really have a relationship with Hashem.
I whole heartedly believe that Hashem put me in this position just because He wants my undivided attention. Well, He's got it. I've developed a great relationship with Hashem and literally to turn to Him at every moment I get. Ive learned to appreciate the little things, like breathing. After being a ventilator, I now appreciate every breath I take. I appreciate spending time with friends and family. I even appreciate being able to help those in need.
I've also learned that physicality isn't everything. I can do so much despite my physical problems, but it did take me a long time to realize this. I recently launched this new campaign on Instagram called #BecauseICan. I show people that yeah, I have some problems, but come on let's be real - who doesn't have problems? Mine just happens to be visible to the naked eye. So I use it to my advantage & show you what I can do. And yeah, it may seem more difficult to do mitzvot, but if anything it only enhanced my ability to want to do mitzvot & to appreciate every little thing I can do.
For one, I'm up here delivering this speech. That's something I thought I would never be capable of. I can back to school and am even graduating. I can join you guys on this Chessed mission- that's pretty big. I can still be kind and helpful to people. I can still make fun of my sisters. I can donate my hair. I can help those in need. And I can speak to Hashem.
It's normal to question why Hashem put me in this position, but sometimes you just can't question it and trust that He knows what He's doing. For all I know He put me in this position to be here right now. It's sad to say that only in the darkness do we appreciate the light. So appreciate the light. Don't give Hashem the only option but to put you in the dark. Don't be a normal good person. Be extraordinary. Do better. Think better. Be better. And every once in a while just talk to Him, even if it's something as small as finding a parking spot within two minutes, just say thanks. Give Him a shoutout, He really loves the attention.
Speech
Raquel reached out to me & asked me to speak to you guys today. I immediately said yes, of course I would; it was an instant reflex; I didn't think twice. After I hung up, I thought to myself what did I just do? I cannot speak in public for the life of me. I can barely speak in front of my class of 15 students, let alone in front of a whole audience. But, here I am. I guess it's something I subconsciously always wanted to do. I apologize in advance if I don't speak so clearly; my nerves can get the best of me. Also, I've nominated my sister to tap me each time I begin to chew my words. She has no problem calling me out on my flaws. I also apologize if I never look up from my paper; just the thought of everyone's eyes on me makes me nervous. So, if you would like to get some shut eye or feel like checking your mail, now would be a great time. As you can see, this is the first time I am speaking in public. You can tell by my whole entourage that followed me here.
One of the reasons I decided to do this is because when people come up and speak about their life experiences, it's usually after they have overcome their obstacle, but it's very rare that someone speaks about their experience as they are going through it.
I have this theory about Hashem, but before I tell it to you we should address something first. We all know that Hashem has many characteristics, 13 to be exact. He is merciful and forgiving. He is compassionate and slow to anger. He is also a kind and gracious God. But, I think Hashem is also an envious God. You're all looking at me like I have two heads, but think about it. In what other religion do you know of that has specific laws to worship only Hashem? There are literally two commandments out of the Ten Commandments that emphasize on the laws of obeying Hashem and only Hashem. You can't help but think that Hashem wants you all to Himself. And sometimes when you forget about Him and get busy with mundane activities, He has no other option but to put you in a position where you have no other place to turn to but to Him. In just this weeks parasha we read about how Isaac and Rivka were having problems conceiving, to which they turned to Hashem for help. Isaac knew from Avraham that a great nation would emerge from him so why did Hashem give them a difficult time getting pregnant? Because Hashem desires the prayers of His people and looks forward to their conversations. He gives you the opportunity to turn to Him and develop a relationship with Him. He says, "if I give them children, I will never hear from them."
Hashem doesn't want you to call out to Him only when you're in trouble. He wants your attention all the time. He wants you to remember Him when you're getting married and even when you eat. If that doesn't sound like a jealous God to you, I don't know what does. Think about it. Anyone that experiences a traumatic event, like sudden death in the family or sickness in the family, are normal good people. This is the problem. They are good, but they are normal. Bad things always happen to good people.
Before I became in this position- I like to call this "the before", I was a normal good person. I was healthy, doing normal things. I kept Shabbat. I ate kosher. I prayed once a day. I was kind to others. I think I would qualify as a "good person", no? The problem is I just obeyed the laws; I didn't really have a relationship with Hashem.
I whole heartedly believe that Hashem put me in this position just because He wants my undivided attention. Well, He's got it. I've developed a great relationship with Hashem and literally to turn to Him at every moment I get. Ive learned to appreciate the little things, like breathing. After being a ventilator, I now appreciate every breath I take. I appreciate spending time with friends and family. I even appreciate being able to help those in need.
I've also learned that physicality isn't everything. I can do so much despite my physical problems, but it did take me a long time to realize this. I recently launched this new campaign on Instagram called #BecauseICan. I show people that yeah, I have some problems, but come on let's be real - who doesn't have problems? Mine just happens to be visible to the naked eye. So I use it to my advantage & show you what I can do. And yeah, it may seem more difficult to do mitzvot, but if anything it only enhanced my ability to want to do mitzvot & to appreciate every little thing I can do.
For one, I'm up here delivering this speech. That's something I thought I would never be capable of. I can back to school and am even graduating. I can join you guys on this Chessed mission- that's pretty big. I can still be kind and helpful to people. I can still make fun of my sisters. I can donate my hair. I can help those in need. And I can speak to Hashem.
It's normal to question why Hashem put me in this position, but sometimes you just can't question it and trust that He knows what He's doing. For all I know He put me in this position to be here right now. It's sad to say that only in the darkness do we appreciate the light. So appreciate the light. Don't give Hashem the only option but to put you in the dark. Don't be a normal good person. Be extraordinary. Do better. Think better. Be better. And every once in a while just talk to Him, even if it's something as small as finding a parking spot within two minutes, just say thanks. Give Him a shoutout, He really loves the attention.
One of the reasons I decided to do this is because when people come up and speak about their life experiences, it's usually after they have overcome their obstacle, but it's very rare that someone speaks about their experience as they are going through it.
I have this theory about Hashem, but before I tell it to you we should address something first. We all know that Hashem has many characteristics, 13 to be exact. He is merciful and forgiving. He is compassionate and slow to anger. He is also a kind and gracious God. But, I think Hashem is also an envious God. You're all looking at me like I have two heads, but think about it. In what other religion do you know of that has specific laws to worship only Hashem? There are literally two commandments out of the Ten Commandments that emphasize on the laws of obeying Hashem and only Hashem. You can't help but think that Hashem wants you all to Himself. And sometimes when you forget about Him and get busy with mundane activities, He has no other option but to put you in a position where you have no other place to turn to but to Him. In just this weeks parasha we read about how Isaac and Rivka were having problems conceiving, to which they turned to Hashem for help. Isaac knew from Avraham that a great nation would emerge from him so why did Hashem give them a difficult time getting pregnant? Because Hashem desires the prayers of His people and looks forward to their conversations. He gives you the opportunity to turn to Him and develop a relationship with Him. He says, "if I give them children, I will never hear from them."
Hashem doesn't want you to call out to Him only when you're in trouble. He wants your attention all the time. He wants you to remember Him when you're getting married and even when you eat. If that doesn't sound like a jealous God to you, I don't know what does. Think about it. Anyone that experiences a traumatic event, like sudden death in the family or sickness in the family, are normal good people. This is the problem. They are good, but they are normal. Bad things always happen to good people.
Before I became in this position- I like to call this "the before", I was a normal good person. I was healthy, doing normal things. I kept Shabbat. I ate kosher. I prayed once a day. I was kind to others. I think I would qualify as a "good person", no? The problem is I just obeyed the laws; I didn't really have a relationship with Hashem.
I whole heartedly believe that Hashem put me in this position just because He wants my undivided attention. Well, He's got it. I've developed a great relationship with Hashem and literally to turn to Him at every moment I get. Ive learned to appreciate the little things, like breathing. After being a ventilator, I now appreciate every breath I take. I appreciate spending time with friends and family. I even appreciate being able to help those in need.
I've also learned that physicality isn't everything. I can do so much despite my physical problems, but it did take me a long time to realize this. I recently launched this new campaign on Instagram called #BecauseICan. I show people that yeah, I have some problems, but come on let's be real - who doesn't have problems? Mine just happens to be visible to the naked eye. So I use it to my advantage & show you what I can do. And yeah, it may seem more difficult to do mitzvot, but if anything it only enhanced my ability to want to do mitzvot & to appreciate every little thing I can do.
For one, I'm up here delivering this speech. That's something I thought I would never be capable of. I can back to school and am even graduating. I can join you guys on this Chessed mission- that's pretty big. I can still be kind and helpful to people. I can still make fun of my sisters. I can donate my hair. I can help those in need. And I can speak to Hashem.
It's normal to question why Hashem put me in this position, but sometimes you just can't question it and trust that He knows what He's doing. For all I know He put me in this position to be here right now. It's sad to say that only in the darkness do we appreciate the light. So appreciate the light. Don't give Hashem the only option but to put you in the dark. Don't be a normal good person. Be extraordinary. Do better. Think better. Be better. And every once in a while just talk to Him, even if it's something as small as finding a parking spot within two minutes, just say thanks. Give Him a shoutout, He really loves the attention.