What Hashem Wants from Us: The Sanzer Rebbe’s Unique Answer

This evening the Sanzer Rebbe of Erertz Yisroel addressed in Yiddish, via telephone conference, his kehilla of several thousand families. The Rebbe’s refreshing remarks can help us refocus our view and remind us what is important to emphasise amid the panic and worry brought about by Covid-19. The key takeaway is this: Hashem wants us to rise above the anxiety and double down on showering our families with love and attention; not allowing the preparation for Pesach to diminish the calmness of our homes.

Key Points from the Rebbe’s Address:

* Corona teaches us אמונה. You have to believe even in what you can’t see.
* We need to improve, but not by focusing on what others need do better! Not by fixing other’s חילול שבת, for example, but by looking inwards to our own shortcomings.
* Everyone is nervous and worried. Pre-Pesach is always a nervous times; now so much more so.
* Let us work on being בשמחה. Be calm, don’t be nervous with your spouse and your children.
* Take the time to learn with your boys calmly and patiently.
* Spend quality time with your daughters.
* Ladies – this is not a time to do spring cleaning.
* One minute of כעס is worse than חמץ.
* Pesach will be kosher regardless; your children will only be ok if you focus on them.
* The family of the בני יששכר used to sweep the house before בדיקת חמץ and that was it!
* It is much more important to focus on the happiness and calmness in the home. Especially this year.
* We live in very sensitive times. Children can be scarred for life.
* Fights and arguments are worse than anything else.
* Don’t add חומרות to Pesach on the חשבון of your children.
* Brothers should learn together. Everything should be done with a smile and calmly.
* Add chesed. If your big girls can, let them help families who don’t manage on their own. Find other ways to help other people. (Note: This is in Israel where the rules may be different at the time of the message)
* If we do chesed, Hashem will do chesed with us.
* Children – being together with your parents a whole day can lead to misunderstandings. Remember כיבוד אב is mitzvah that will grant you a long life.
* Al pi Torah, we must listen to all governmental and medical rules. By being careful we can save many lives in particular of the elderly and sickly. We are מחלל שבת ויו״כ even for something which can lead to a ספק פיקוח נפש. How much more so important is to keep strictly to the recommend guidelines.
* A person must be more careful not to harm others then to harm himself.
* There can be a chain event where a careless person can lead to harm down the chain. Be careful!
* Everyone should a few קאפיטלך tehilim everyday.
* Being good to others means doing so both ברוחניות ובגשמיות.
* In this zechus we will be זוכה to ישועות ה׳ with the coming of משיח.