The Gemara in Sota lists seven types of people that are called “Perushim” (ascetics) for the wrong reason. The first on the list is a Perush Shechmi – a person that behaves like Shechem. In this week’s parsha, Shechem decides to perform the mitzvah of Bris Milah. It looks like a very beautiful event, but what he did was actually not the correct thing to do. The only reason he had the Bris was because he wanted to get married to Dina, the daughter of Yaakov. He was not acting for the sake of G-d, but for himself. We see from here that all of our actions need to be performed for the sake of G-d, or else they are being done for the wrong reason.

One snowy night, a great Rebbe was traveling in a wagon when the wagon broke in the middle of nowhere. The Rebbe saw there was a light in a house a short distance away and began walking to it. It turned out it was an inn owned by a Jewish man. The man greeted the Rebbe and then started telling his sad tale. Unfortunately, his inn was not getting much business and he barely had any money to support himself. This snow storm was destroying his business and he had not had any customers for a few weeks. As he was speaking, there was a knock at the door. The owner opened the door to find a poor man in tattered clothes and welcomed him inside. The poor man begged the owner for something to eat, but he would not be able to pay for it as he had no money. The owner got some hot soup for the beggar. The poor man gobbled up the soup and then asked for some vodka to help warm him up. The owner went downstairs into his basement and the Rebbe decided to follow him. In the basement, the owner poured a glass of vodka into a cup and then spilled it on the floor. He repeated this about four or five times until he finally said, “Now!” and brought the beggar his vodka. The Rebbe was astonished. Vodka was not cheap during this time and here, the poor owner, who complained he had no money himself, poured out numerous glasses of vodka on the floor.

Later that night, the Rebbe turned to the inkeeper and asked him why he behaved so strangely when he poured the vodka. The innkeeper explained that he had an opportunity to perform the great mitzvah of chesed, but he was extremely upset at his fortune. He decided if he was going to perform this great mitzvah, he needed to do it by serving G-d with joy. When he poured the first cup, he was angry, so he spilled it on the floor. The same with the second, third, fourth, and fifth cup. Only when he poured the cup of vodka with great joy over being able to perform a mitzvah did he then walk out to hand the cup to the poor man.

When we perform our mitzvos, let’s do them for the sake of G-d!

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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