שבת Date: 23 Teves, 5777 (1/21/17) – Bava Metzia Daf 117 ~ Eliezer Guterman

DEPRECIATING DIVIDERS

[117b middle] R’ Yehudah: When someone lives in a home it causes a ‘blackening of the walls.’ There is some wear and tear which occurs that creates depreciation.

D-E-ep Thoughts: We are meant to live inside our cars and homes and understand that this usage creates a lesser value. We do not wish to simply visit our ‘museums’ with bedazzling diamond chandeliers and Van Gogh paintings. In a similar respect, our bodies are not meant to be sculpted, inked, or stared at. All things that we have are vehicles that (which although must be kept in good shape) are only given to us for one purpose. We must recognize that deterioration is normal (as almost every physical thing has a ‘life expectancy’) and we must use our tools to their fullest to serve Hashem.

Today’s P.I.P. (Put Into Practice) TIP: Instead of focussing on physical values, we should try to shift our focuses to invest in spiritual pursuits [ie: using our dining rooms for hosting Shabbos guests instead of sealing them off as ‘looking rooms’].