The longing counts

Recently I told a friend: “I wish I could move out of my home and give it to you!”

She needs a place. I want her to be comfortable. And I meant it from the bottom of my heart.

But I’m not actually going to move out and give her my home!

I learned from Rav Moshe Shapiro: V’ahavta l’rayacha kamocha isn’t meant literally in our actions.

If we loved our fellow Jews as ourselves in our actions, we’d end up dead. We’d neglect ourselves completely taking care of everyone else.

It’s about the mentality. The thought process. The longing and desire to be able to take care of them.

THAT’S what’s important.

So even when I can’t do a chesed because I realize it would bring me to pizur nefesh – to that scattered, overwhelmed place where I’m no longer functioning – I don’t have to squelch the desire.

The longing to give is part of the avodah too.

And…you can only really feel that desire to give when you’re regulated.

When you’re in menuchas hanefesh, the longing to contribute comes naturally.

When you’re in pizur hanefesh, you’re just trying to survive. There’s no space for genuine desire to give.

So menuchas hanefesh has to come first. Not so you can do less. So you can genuinely WANT to give.

What do you long to be able to give, even if you can’t right now?

Supporting your sensitivity,
Rena

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