What should a person do who is trying to become closer to Hashem and feels they are not succeeding?

IPG learned this past year a beautiful explanation. Hashem is like the sun and we, people, are like the rays of the sun, since we each have a part of the sun in us so to speak, chelch eloka mima'al. If you want to measure how close you are to the sun, Hashem, there’s something else you have to look at. Draw a picture of the sun with rays coming out. As you move from the ends of the ray down, you get closer to the sun. As you get closer to the sun, what is the “relationship” between this ray and the rays next to it? The closer the ray is to its source, the sun, the closer the rays are to each other. Meaning, as you grow closer to Hashem, you become closer with your fellow Jew.

Now flip that. If you feel you’re having a hard time getting close with Hashem, why not try having ahava for your fellow Jew? Whe you love what God created, you love Hashem. When you feel close to what Hashem created you will feel closer to Hashem.

It’s easy to say, be selfless and giving and caring to all Jews, not just my group, not just a specific type, not only if she dresses like so and so or hangs out with so and so, but ALL Jews. But, hey, I’m no Gadol, how can I be like that? What makes a Gadol a Gadol? Yes, he’s very learned, and knows Torah inside and out, but there are many such people. What makes these few specific people stand out?

It’s their selflessness, the way they give and want to give to others, the way they feel that other Jews are a part of them and therefore care for others with their whole heart. Their spirit and their heart, it’s their actions and their kindness that makes them gedolim.

How do we know when we’ve grown up? When we change from being selfish babies, asking for everything, not careing about anyone but me me me? How do we know we’ve grown out of that?

The Torah tells us, “Vayigdal Moshe”- Moshe grew up. And the pasuk continues, “Vayetze el echav”. Moshe went out to his brothers. Now Moshe had a wonderful life, a luxurious peaceful and happy life, and what does he do? He leaves it all behind to go out to the world of suffering, to go out of himself to see his brothers, his fellow Jews. The pasuk continues and says, “Vayar B’sivlosaum” and he saw in their suffering. What does it mean, he saw IN their suffering? He saw them suffering! It should have said, “Vayar sivlotam”, he saw how much they suffered, how much their hearts were breaking. He saw the pain, the torture and their anguish, but no- Rashi says, he saw “IN” their suffering. Moshe didn’t only see them suffering, he FELT their suffering! He felt their suffering as if he was in it. He felt it in his heart as if he was the one suffering!

That is what we need. We need to feel for each other with our hearts. We need to care for one another as we wished to be cared for and as we care for ourselves. Because we are all one. We all come from the same source- Hashem- and have the same essence. We are the same! We must try, try to love helping others, we have to be a nation of ohavei chesed, lovers of kindness. Then we will merit the geula.

(THis is an adaptation of this dvar Torah, which I enjoyed very much, especially in light of the Merkaz HaRav attacks. Thank you to the one who brought it to my attention.)

What does that mean?

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Ma hu af atah, it seems.

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My guess would have been qualifying for living on the Int'l Space Station...

Or perhaps living near the kotel...

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We should build a highrise next to the kosel (make it higher than Taipei 101) and market it as "as close to God as you'll ever get".

After the creation of the Bais hamikdash, you think g-d lives in the heavens more then in the kodesh hakadashim?

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G-d doesn't live there, only Russians....

Not me, the rich guys who are going to dish out good cash to live there.

לעולם ה' דברך נצב בשמים