בסייעתא דשמיא
When we open the Holy Torah, we see two distinct paths: the commandments—the clear “do’s and don’ts” that guide our external actions—and the stories of our ancestors. Many people ask: “Why do we need the stories? Human nature has changed, the world has changed; what can we learn from the desert generation?”
In the latest episode of the Shuva Israel Podcast, Rabbi Moshe Yoel Pinto, Shlita, explains that human nature hasn’t changed at all. The same soul-structure that was created in Adam HaRishon exists in us today. The stories of the Torah are not history; they are the Operating Instructions of the Soul.
The Easiest Deception
Rabbi Moshe Yoel quotes a staggering insight from Rabbi Yonatan Eibershotz: It is nearly impossible to deceive someone else, but it is the easiest thing in the world to deceive yourself. We tell ourselves we will “start tomorrow,” or that a certain impulsive decision was actually “rational.”
The Rabbi explains that all the commandments in the world cannot be fulfilled properly if a person doesn’t know themselves. You can learn the laws of theft, but if you don’t understand your own subconscious drives, you will find a way to rationalize your failures.
The Quality of a Day
A powerful lesson is drawn from the founder of Daf Yomi, Rabbi Meir Shapiro. He tells of the time his mother wept because his teacher missed a train. She wasn’t crying because he would be behind in his studies; she was crying for the lost day.
Each day builds the next. If you do not invest in your soul today, the quality of your work tomorrow will inevitably decrease. There is no such thing as a “canceled day” in the eyes of the L-rd.
Individual Responsibility: The Yosef Principle
Why is Yosef HaTzaddik given such a high title? Rabbi Pinto explains that Yosef stood firm in Egypt when he was alone. Unlike the Patriarchs, who were the only Jews, Yosef had eleven brothers. He could have easily said, “If I fail, my brothers will carry the torch. The nation will survive without my perfection.”
But Yosef took 100% responsibility for his own soul. He didn’t shift the burden to the collective. This is the ultimate test for us today: Can we be holy even when the society around us is not?
The Secret of the Book of Ruth
As we reflect on the holiday of Shavuot, the Rabbi addresses a fascinating question: Why do we read the Scroll of Ruth instead of the Book of Psalms? After all, King David wrote the Psalms!
The answer lies in the source. The laws of Ruth were given to Moshe at Sinai. They teach us that even our desire to pray—our “willpower”—is a gift from the Almighty. G-d sometimes withholds abundance not to punish us, but to awaken our hearts to cry out to Him.
This week, let us stop measuring our spiritual potential and start living with radical honesty. Every day is a new beginning. Every hour is an opportunity to rewrite your soul.
🎧 Listen to the full masterclass on the Shuva Israel Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qEeKodywrMEXaOKsFTcMW?si=ec61b9c0ea8a4dd6
Stay connected. Stay holy. Shuva Israel.
