Because you obeyed my voice" Asher shma'ata be'koli!'

B'H

Another very inspiring lecture by Rabbi Shishler this morning. Actually two, but who's counting? He said something in the second main lecture which send me on a train of reflection and connection. Hashem promised Avraham after the Akaidat Yitzhak that his children would be as the stars in the sky.
He said this after Avraham was told, 'I have sworn by my own self, because you have done this thing and not withheld your son, your only son, I will bless you greatly".He goes on to recount the blessings.  Rabbi Shishler talked about the sun being the only the only star that is visible during the day. I was thinking along different lines of the stars in the night sky. How do the stars stand out in the darkness? The darkness equalling galus. The stars twinkle and light the dark night sky because they do reflect the light of the sun a greater power source.We, the Jewish people, contain and reflect the light of Holiness of Hashem. The Jewish nation will stand out in the darkest of the night because they will reflect the light of Hashem and Hashem's greatness in the world through the mitzvos and also through the way they conduct themselves in holiness. The light of ethics, goodness and justice will shine through the darkness and not just greed and self interest which binds the world on increasing levels of tumay in the present and plunges it into concealment and covering up.
Rabbi Shishler's lectures are always very anecdotal and easy to listen to. He has quite a nice down to earth style but I sometimes want a little more technical stuff interspersed and they end too quickly. The morning lectures are of more interest and meatier than the 12  noon lectures. We get a few notes and it is interactive. I have the feeling like I did when he was talking about the morning star that my hand wanted to shoot up and join in with a comment or two and I look around at people and think, 'Well, nu, what do you think of this?'  It is hard to be interactive in the Werdigger with a larger group. In fact, the argument for smaller classes in schools is a serious one. You need smaller groups for more intense learning.

Here is a night sky full of stars. As you can see, some are brighter than others. The Gaonim or Ilui. Some Tzadikim are so imbued with the light of Hashem that they generate their own light. It is as if a piece of their neshama is so connected to Hashem as to be almost indistinguishable from the source of all light.
Let us all work towards the ultimate light of Moishiach's coming and beautify this world as a fitting sanctury of peace and light for all time through Mitvos.