What’s Your Story?

November 13, 2014 by
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You have a story. Whether it be how you came to Torah, Israel, or met your spouse, the bottom line is: you've got a story. In Parshas Chayei Sarah the story of Eliezer's finding a wife for Yitzchok is repeated twice. Rashi explains this is because "the conversation of the slaves of the Avos is more pleasing to G-d than the Torah of the latter generations. This is learned from Eliezer's story which is repeated twice, while many crucial laws in the Torah are only hinted at" (Rashi, 24;42). While many of us may enjoy hearing a good story over toiling through the nitty-gritty details of the law, would we ever imagine that the stories of the Torah are more important than keeping the laws?

Of course one must be very careful about doing the mitzvos, and it's the stories that guide us in how to do them. The stories about Avraham, Yitzchok, and Ya'akov reveal to us how Hashem is connected to this world and our lives. The mitvos are the laws, the stories put spirit in the law. The mitzvos are there only so we can connect to Hashem! But how do we know Hashem is there? How do we know He's running the world? That's the function of the stories. They show the miracles, the Divine Providence, and the love that Hashem has for us. I once heard that the Chafetz Chayim had a special learning session devoted only to Sefer Bereishis (Genesis). To him is was the Book of Emunah. Through the stories he would strengthened his belief in Hashem.

We all have our story, and even these stories - our personal stories - can be a source of tremendous inspiration for ourselves and others. They can put spirit into being Jewish! What were your inspiring moments? Draw inspiration from them today and remind yourself that Hashem is there and taking care of you.

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