Whispering Again

Cheshvan is an empty month so to speak. coming on the heels of Tishrei which is chock full of "spiritual activity" Cheshvan seems bare.

וירא אליו ה' there is no record of any dialogue, just a revalation. What is spoke here between Hashem and Avraham?

Everyone has 2 levels that they serve Hashem on. Public Service and Secret Service. Public service is what other people are able to see about your life, your relationship with hashem. Some people walk around with their eyes rolled to the back of their heads and want you to SEE how "spiritual" they are. People who are only public service people often need to tell someone their secrets. But how much do we really know about another person.

Secret Service is the level of looking clearly into someones life and realizing that there are so many hidden things that only they know.

Who can tell you what you share with Hashem?

Avraham Avinu's tent was open on all sides for people to see inside. But could anyone really know the depth of the love that Avraham and Sarah shared, the entirety of Avraham;s relationship with Hashem?

We often look into the open tent of others whether via facebook, twitter and think that the more "outside" stuff we know, the closer we become.

In truth these are only things that distract us from who the peson in front of us is.

יThis is why there is no dialogue in the beggining of the parsha. Hashem becomes revealed form within Avraham, from the place of the secrets that they share that no one else can understand. This is the meaning of looking for tzaddikim in Sdom. It means being convinced that there are people with secrets there and you just have to look harder.

to believe in Hashem means to have secrets with him that no one knows, and to be able to see that other people have secrets as well. -

סוד ה ליראיו

Mar Cheshvan is derived from the term מרחשת (Marcheshes) which means to whisper. What are we whispering?

Chassidus teaches that we are whispering all of the things that we were yelling on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Then, we were davening and doing public tshuva, at the top of our lungs. During Mar Chashvan, we still are expressing all of those things, but only loud enough so Hashem is the only one who can hear it.

no matter where you find yourself right now, where you were last night, this shabbos, try to hear yourself whispering to Hashem. Remember your secrets. Remember that you are still telling Hashem " I love you." but now it's just for you and him.