Ki Savo

"Wow !! Mr. Cohen is really great !!"
"You always thought that he was great. Why the sudden adulation?"
"I just found out more incredible things that he does every day."

"This day, G-d commanded... "(Divorim 26:16) Rashi comments that
everyday I should be as excited about doing G-d's mitzvos (commandments) as
the first day that He commanded us. How are we able to keep that excitement
going for ten, twenty, etc. years? If every day we grow in our appreciation
of all the kindness G-d shows us, that should give us a new relationship
with G-d and His commandments daily.

Do you think about G-d today, the same way you did twenty years ago?

Have a great Shabbos !!

Rabbi Chaim Flom

Dear Rabbi Flom,
Where did you get that idea (that if we realize all the things
Hashem does for us daily, that we have a new relationship with Hashem & His
mitzvos daily) from? What other applications are there to this?

Consider this. In our daily prayers we say that Hashem "continually renews every day His creation." In other words, at each given moment in time we are living in a world that has been recreated specially for us at that moment.

Dear Yisroel,
You are correct in your observation, and if this inspires you to feel a fresh relationship with Hashem, do it. I would say that in general, on a practical level, I should look at things in my personal life where Hashem helped me and this would creat that "Wow !!" feeling.
Thanks and have a shana tova.
Chaim Flom

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rabbi Mitterhoff,

Dear T Rogofsky,
Thanks for the question.
The Chofetz Chaim, who's yahrtzeit is today, asked the following question: Why do we say in Maariv right after Yom Kippur in the Shemona Esrai "silach lonu" i.e.ask for forgiveness? Didn't we get forgiveness on Yom Kippur? (The answer is better than the question, I think.) He said that the RIF (Rav Yitzchak Alfasi, who lived 800 years ago) once went to an inn. The innkeeper didn't recognize him, but treated well as he did all of his customers. In the morning hundreds of people came to see the RIF. The innkeeper apologized to the RIF. The RIF said that he was treated well, and there was no need for an apology. The innkeeper said, that had he known that he was the RIF, he would have treated him even better!! Similarly, had I appreciated Hashem earlier (on Yom Kippur)as much as I do now (after Yom Kippur), I would have done more.That was the inspiration for the dvar Torah.
An application of this is in improving my davening.If I would grow in my appreciation of Hashem every day, then when I daven today, it won't be like yesterday, because now I realize how much more Hashem did for me and can do for me.
Take care.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rabbi Mitterhoff,