Parshas Mattos - Masei 5780
QUESTION:
What thoughts should a woman have while working in the kitchen?
ANSWER:
Imagine a mother, she's in the kitchen, she doesn't go to shiurim. In her kitchen however, let's say she's making a meal to feed her husband and her children. She is doing what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants her to do. פותח את ידך, Hashem feeds the whole world, ומשביע לכל חי רצון. And He said, והלכת בדרכיו, you should imitate Me, emulate Me. So when she puts the bread on the table, she is נותן לחם לכל בשר, she's feeding the world, like Hashem wants her to do. When she is doing that, and if she thinks these thoughts, she can make her kitchen a Bais Hamikdash. It's kodosh anyhow, but she can make it much more kodosh.
As she puts the food on the gas range to cook, she should think it's a korban, you're makriv a korban on the mizbeiach, you're burning on the mizbeiach a korban to Hashem. It's a reiach nechoach, a pleasant odor of the cooking food fills the whole kitchen, then it's a reiach nechoach L'Hashem, Hashem wants the Jewish people to eat kosher food, and enjoy it. And especially when you sit down at the table and you say Baruch Ata Hashem hamotze lechem min ha'aretz, you thank Hashem, so you are using the food for the purpose of life, which is to recognize the Borei more and more.
So all things in life are made for that purpose, and if we live for that purpose, then Hakadosh Baruch Hu loves us more, He sees we're fulfilling the tachlis for which He made the whole briah.
Therefore anything in this world, even if you're sitting at your office and you are earning a livelihood, you think "I'm doing it l'shem shomayim because Hakadosh Baruch Hu told me to keep that Bais Hamikdash of mine going. I have to pay for the food, I have to pay the rent or the mortgage, I have to pay tuition for the children, it's all a great institution of kedusha, and right now I'm preserving that kedusha by earning money to keep it going". So in his office it's kodesh kodoshim, if he thinks about it. He should think about that.
That's what the Rambam says, kvod Hashem is thinking about it, that's the most important element in all these subjects, it should become part of your mindset. And when you do that, then you know you are living for a purpose.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
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