Parshat Re’eh: Creating a Legacy of Blessing

Devarim 11:26 “See that I give before you, today, the blessing and the curse.” We are given choices in our lives and it is our actions that will create our future, not just our futures but also the future of our families and ultimately the world as well. Yes, some choices we make are just for ourselves, “What should I eat for dinner, where should I vacation this year?” But as we think a little bit deeper we see that based on our choice, the grocer will be making an extra dollar here and the tourism data will reflect differently because of my choice in bed late one winter night. Our decisions ratify factual results and how much more so when they affect the people around us.

When the Torah states in the Ten Commandments, Shemot 20:4 “I will remember the sins of the father on their sons for three and four generations,” we can understand that the choices the father made still have an effect on the children’s lives even long after he’s gone. Was he involved in some shady business dealings that have enriched his family for a few generations? If so it is understood why they would be punished for their father’s deeds. It was his choices that have contaminated their futures and hence it is his fault to bear. We see how our choices leave an impact on the next generations and how my simple calculation needs to be expanded upon so that we can see all the inevitabilities that may arise because of it.

But it is tough to live with the proper view at all times. We may be pulled into situations that require us to act upon instinct and the future is not something that comes to mind. So too, there are situations where we feel lost, sad and abandoned that lead us to do unthinkable things which we know will require us to come clean with a reasonable explanation, but still we go about doing them without clarity. What we are taught here is to learn how to choose properly in situations like these. There is no way for us to see into the future, and there is no person that can accurately predict what the future holds. There are so many causes and effects that bring about the next minute and even with the best decisions we may many times end up in a loss.

The only way we can live is by living in the current moment and choosing the blessing, which of course is the effect of living with true belief with an unshakeable faith. Surrendering to the current moment in life is the key to the future. If one decides to start hustling in his business today they will see the fruits of their labor tomorrow. The success we look forward to and the actual success we see may in many cases be completely opposites, but as long as we live with complete faith in Hashem and choose to do the right thing today, whatever the future brings will be accepted and appreciated.

I don’t have to convince believers that this way of life is the most rewarding one there is. It is for those who have yet to relinquish their control to Hashem that are stuck in the illusion that their choices will bring about their success. I have yet to meet a person who has chosen the path of disbelief and has a moral stature that can be equated to those with belief. They may be upstanding citizens of impeccable integrity but what keeps them from choosing good over bad? And let’s say they choose good, what is their motivation to act in this manner, and if that motivation subsides will they resort to other means to reach their goal? We see how, ultimately, in order to choose right from wrong, blessing from curse, we must be rooted in virtue and grounded in belief.

Our choices in life are all about the current minute, we cannot make the choices of tomorrow much like we can’t feel the happiness of tomorrow. What we can do is live with Hashem, Who “Was, Is and will Be.” We can live in a zone where our yesterdays and tomorrows don’t matter at all. The past has brought and the future will bring their challenges but all we got is right now. We should learn how to be the best version of ourselves at all times, and before you know it, the past you will be looking back at will be of yourself smiling contently with the blessing at your side. Living presently isn’t just a good idea for a struggling friend or client, it is the God intended way for humans to be living with.

We were given Choice for us to be able to prove our trust and belief in Him. One who is stuck in the past only sees darkness and gloom in the distance, but once we open ourselves up to Him and accept the past exactly how it was, we are capable of seeing a bright future. We look back at the choices we made and tell ourselves with a mature mind, “That was me when I was young and dumb, I see how those wrong choices slowly crept in and became the curse I never wished to have. But now that I am older I can choose wisely, regardless of what happened earlier, because the future of blessings starts today.”

We have become entrenched in our habits and addictions, we have gotten lost in the void of depression and heartbreak, and we can see clearly that as long as we continue down the path of destructive choices we will never see ourselves out of it. There is nobody who can make the choices for you and it is up to each individual to take charge in their life. You make an awareness of your weaknesses, you then make an awareness of the things that trigger those moments of no return, and most of all, you implement a schedule throughout your day to make choices of blessings subconsciously. Much like when we spiral downward into the abyss of the curse, we must learn its system and reverse it for our ultimate benefit.

It’s the purpose of humans to see their lives as important. No more are we shackled to the insults of the past and no longer are we worried about the stupidity of our youth. We take charge of our lives and give over our burdens to the One above. We learn to see Him as the Greatest force and find Him in every aspect of our lives, we ponder His majesty and recognize Him through the wonders of the world. We find ourselves in awe of His ever reaching presence and out of love we repent for our misdeeds and misguided foolishness. The choices we make from now on will not just benefit us, they will be there for two thousand generations and our kids will live in the light we created for them.

Our choices allow us to portray the image of God on our faces. We become like our grandfather Avraham who became “A blessing,” in Bereishit 12:2. Much like him, we must follow his example and lead our future and the future of our nation in the light of Hashem, so that His light may continue to shine in the lives of our children forever. Through the choices we make we become resolute in our beliefs and build the stage for our next choices that follow. Start with the right choice right now, and watch how the blessing of Hashem’s peace enters your heart.

David Lemmer is an Orthodox Jewish Author and Hypnotherpist. Watch his videos on YouTube @LemmerNetwork and find his books on Amazon.com. He can be reached at LemmerHypno@gmail.com