How Do I Know It's Time To Do Teshuva? (6 minutes)

0:28...that it takes time and effort to reach that full potential. If, let's say, you're going to be an investment banker or an architect or an artist or something else, over time you're going to get better at what you do. So, if you start today, let's say, as an architect, you're a level one. After 20 years, you're a level 10. You're really good. So, to get to your full potential took you 20 years. Hashem wants every Jew to get to his full potential. But Hashem also knows that each person's journey is unique and requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. Already decided, before you came to this world, it has nothing to do with your sins. You have 50 years in this world. I give you 50 years to reach your goal. But you're now 35 years old, and you have 10 years to reach your full potential. Now, I didn't bring you into this world to play video games. I didn't bring you into this world to make money. I didn't bring you into this world to have a new girlfriend every day. I didn't bring you into this world to do nothing. I brought you into this world to reach your full potential.

1:52So now, when I know that you need 10 years to get to your full potential, I need to make sure that you have 10 years. So when it gets closer and closer to age 40, because he only has 50 years, Hashem is giving you a wake-up call. He says, "Excuse me, you're running out of time. You need 10 years. You need 10 years." If you start wasting time—one year, two years, three years—you get to the point where you're 40 years old. Now you can't reach your full potential anymore. Why would He give you 10 more years? You're not doing what He says. We have to give Him a reason. Right, but that's the thing. We have to give Hashem a reason. So yes, He can change, but it's based on our actions. Now, if we continue violating, this is one thing that we need to know. It's also important to know. It's a little hard to hear, but it's the truth. Sometimes Hashem sees that someone whom He gave 50 years is going in a direction that it's impossible for him to do teshuva. He's doing so many bad things that by the time he even gets to recognize that there is a God, he's run out of time already, because Hashem only gave him 50 years. That person He could take out of the world early. Even though He gave him 50 years, He could take him early. Why? Because He wants to bring him back, so he starts all over again. where it's impossible for him to do teshuva. He's doing so many bad things that by the time he gets to return, he gets to the point of maybe even recognizing that there is a Ribbono Shel Olam, he's gonna run out of time already, because Hakadosh Baruch Hu only gave him 50 years. That person, Hakadosh Baruch Hu could take out of the world early. Even though Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave him 50 years, Hakadosh Baruch Hu could take him early. Why? Because Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants to bring him back, so he starts all over again.

3:20The problem with that is that... Yeah. But the problem with that is that we shouldn't rely on that. It's a form of punishment. It's like saying, you know, okay, so I'm not going to do what I want to do. Instead of going to work every day, I'm going to go to a concentration camp for a few months and then I'm going to come back. No, it's not a good idea. Plus, also, we're not exactly... We don't have an abundance of time left for the world. But... As for the person who has lived for 50 years, what happens to him? How does Hashem give him wake-up calls? Hashem communicates with you at your level. We are not Moshe Rabbeinu. If you thought you were Moshe Rabbeinu before this shiur, let me remind you, you're not Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe Rabbeinu was the only one who spoke to Hashem face to face. Even though he didn't see anything directly, he communicated with Him as you and I are speaking right now. He spoke, you spoke back, and so on. Everyone else, every other prophet that we had, had to be in some type of sleep or some type of meditation. They weren't awake. Moshe Rabbeinu was the only one who was awake when he spoke to Hashem. So we are not Moshe Rabbeinu. So, how does Hashem speak to us? Difficulties. Difficulties. Anytime we have a difficulty, that's Hashem talking to us.

4:44Someone loses money, Hashem is talking to you. Someone has a problem at home, shalom bayit, Hashem is talking to you. Someone has any problem, someone even goes into their pocket and instead of picking up 25 cents, they find 10 cents; Hashem is talking to you. Every form of difficulty is Hashem telling you that you're doing something wrong. You have to fix yourself. He's not punishing you for no reason. Even though people like to say, you know, a kaparah for my sins. It's not that Hashem didn't bring you into this world as a kaparah for your sins. The kaparah for your sins is in a different place, much, much worse than this place. Here, you came here to fix everything, to do good. You didn't come here to commit sins. It's not something that most people understand, exactly. They think, "Oh yeah, so I'm suffering in this world, so I'll have Gan Eden." It's not like that, exactly. You have to do mitzvot to achieve Gan Eden. So, when Hashem is telling you, "Listen, I took some money from you. It's really My money. But you feel like it's your money; that's why I took it from you. You feel it's your money. It's really My money." So, I took it from you.

5:55When you realize that it's my money, maybe I'll give it back. I took some money from you because you think that you're the one who controls the income. So you work on Shabbat. Shabbat is my Shabbat. The money is my money also. You are mine also. So I'm going to take some things to remind you that you belong to Me. If someone falls ill, it's to remind you.