Shuvu Banim International - Rabbi Eliezer Berland

THE DAILY CHIZZUK FROM OUR REBBE RAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A -- "THERE'S NO [WOMAN] FROM AMONG THE DAUGHTERS OF YOUR BROTHERS?" “From the eater came forth food, and from the strong came forth sweetness.” (Shoftim 14:14) “His father and mother said to him, ‘Is there no woman among the daughters of your brothers and in all my people that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Shimshon said to his father, ‘Take her for me, for she is fitting in my eyes.’” (Shoftim 14:3) WEDNESDAY, 17 SHEVAT 5783 – “THEY TOOK OUT HIS EYES, BECAUSE HE SAID, ‘SHE IS FITTING IN MY EYES!’” These are his holy words: “From the eater came forth food, and from the strong came forth sweetness,” like in a wedding. Shimshon’s parents said to him, “Tell us, there’s no [woman] among the daughters of your brothers?” “We don’t understand. Take a wife from Belz, take from Karlin. Why is he taking a Philistine woman?” Why didn’t Shimshon learn from you? [The Rav is speaking to one of the listeners at the shiur.] His father and mother ask him, “Tell us, there’s no [woman] among the daughters of your brothers?” They go; they say to him, “Maybe regret? Maybe get a grip on yourself? You’re marrying a Philistine woman? Where have we come to?” SHIMSHON NEEDED TO SAY, “I DON’T KNOW.” A PERSON WHO DOES SOMETHING THAT’S HARD TO UNDERSTAND NEEDS TO SAY, “I DON’T KNOW.” Why take such a woman from there? I don’t know! Don’t know! [INSTEAD,] SHIMSHON SAID, “FOR SHE IS FITTING IN MY EYES” – THEY TOOK OUT HIS EYES. WHY DID THEY TAKE OUT HIS EYES? BECAUSE HE SAID, “SHE IS FITTING IN MY EYES.” It’s forbidden to say, “She is fitting in my eyes.” The moment that you did something not good, say, “I don’t know how this happened. I don’t know how this transpired.” But if one says, “I didn’t feel like it. I wanted it. I’m the one who decides. I’m the one who makes the rules” – You don’t make the rules! You don’t decide! From Heaven everything is decided for you. That you did something not good is also from Heaven. Even the things that are not good are from Heaven – but admit that this is from Heaven. Regret immediately, because if you decide, “I decide. I acted, I decided” -- [If] you decided, then oy vavoy! You’ll be sick with all the illnesses in the world. All the time that you say, “I don’t know anything. Everything is from Hashem. I didn’t create the world. I didn’t create the evil inclination. I created Torah as a seasoning for it.” A person, even if he stumbles in something, he needs to stay – “I don’t know! I don’t know what, don’t know why, don’t know…” Shimshon’s parents ask him, “Tell us, there’s no [woman] among the daughters of your brothers? There’s no Jewish woman? There’s no girls in Belz? No girls in Karlin? There’s no girls, none in Ponovitz? None in Slobodka? Then why does he need to take a Philistine woman from Gaza, from Timnah? Because she is beautiful -- no mother would agree to bringing home an Arab woman… David conquered Moab. David brought women from Moab. He brought from Geshur, and no mother would agree to bringing an Arab woman home.