The Secret of Sweetening Your Life \ Parashat Ki Tisa
D'var Torah: A few days after leaving Egypt, Klal Yisrael arrived at Mara, a place of bitter, undrinkable water. Moshe wondered why HaShem created such useless water. HaShem said to Moshe, "Everything that I created has a purpose. Let me teach you what to pray for in such a situation. You should pray, 'HaShem, please make the bitter waters sweet.'" HaShem told Moshe to throw a particular tree into the water, and the waters turned sweet. Several weeks later Klal Yisrael fell to the sin of the golden calf, and the Divine wrath was awakened against them. Moshe prayed, "HaShem, didn't you teach me at Mara, to pray for the bitter to turn sweet? So too, at the time of this bitter sin, rectify the bitterness and heal Klal Yisrael." HaShem accepted Moshe's prayer and showed compassion to Klal Yisrael, "HaShem relented on the harsh judgement that He thought to do to His people" (Shemot 32:14)
Moral: Every difficult situation and sin, no matter how bitter, can always be reversed to sweetness through prayer and faith.
Application: Envision Moshe Rabenu at Mara, wondering what was the purpose of these bitter waters. Reflect on HaShem teaching him to pray for the bitter waters to be sweetened. See Moshe save Klal Yisrael by praying for the bitter sin of the golden calf to be sweetened and rectified. Strengthen your faith that HaShem can transform every bitter situation and sin into sweetness. Pray to HaShem to reverse all the bitterness of your life into sweetness. Thank HaShem for teaching you the secret of how to heal yourself through prayer. Receive HaShem's forgiveness and reverse all darkness into light.
(Based on Midrash Raba, and Da'as Chochmah and Mussar)
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