The Trap of Feeling Unworthy
A lesson from the Tiferes Shlomo Parshas Shemini
וישא אהרן את ידיו אל העם ויברכם וירד מעשת החטאת
And Aharon raised his hands to the people and he blessed them. And he descended from performing the sin-offering
And Aharon raised his hands to the people and he blessed them. And he descended from performing the sin-offering
One of the ways in which the Yetzer Hara tries to prevent us from serving Hashem, is by making us feel unworthy of doing so. The Yetzer Hara does this by reminding us of our sins and wrongdoings.
But this is not so. Hashem always desires our prayers and our Avodah, and will answer us with compassion, even if we have previously sinned. The wrongs that we have done, do not take away from the infinite value of our Mitzvos and Tefillos and ability to come closer to Hashem.
Chaza”l teach אין מעבירין על המצות. Literally this means that we should not “pass over” Mitzvos that come to our hand. However, playing on the words מעבירין which is related to the word עבירות (sins), the Tiferes Shlomo explains that this is a directive that when we come to fulfill Mitzvos, we should not recall or think about our sins.
This is also alluded to in the verse in Tehillim סור מרע ועשה טוב, “turn away from bad and do good”. When we come to do positive acts and good deeds in the service of Hashem, we have to turn away from the bad that we may have done and remove it from our hearts.
This is also the inner meaning of the Posuk in this week’s Parsha.
Aharon was blessing the people on the day of the inauguration of the Mishkan, which was an atonement for the Golden Calf. Yet, when Aharon came to bless them, he first “descended” from “the sin offering”, meaning that he turned away from seeing and mentioning their sin. He saw them as good and deserving of Hashem’s favour.
But this is not so. Hashem always desires our prayers and our Avodah, and will answer us with compassion, even if we have previously sinned. The wrongs that we have done, do not take away from the infinite value of our Mitzvos and Tefillos and ability to come closer to Hashem.
Chaza”l teach אין מעבירין על המצות. Literally this means that we should not “pass over” Mitzvos that come to our hand. However, playing on the words מעבירין which is related to the word עבירות (sins), the Tiferes Shlomo explains that this is a directive that when we come to fulfill Mitzvos, we should not recall or think about our sins.
This is also alluded to in the verse in Tehillim סור מרע ועשה טוב, “turn away from bad and do good”. When we come to do positive acts and good deeds in the service of Hashem, we have to turn away from the bad that we may have done and remove it from our hearts.
This is also the inner meaning of the Posuk in this week’s Parsha.
Aharon was blessing the people on the day of the inauguration of the Mishkan, which was an atonement for the Golden Calf. Yet, when Aharon came to bless them, he first “descended” from “the sin offering”, meaning that he turned away from seeing and mentioning their sin. He saw them as good and deserving of Hashem’s favour.