Rabbi Binyamin Yuhanan - Parashat Behar - Bechukotai

this week the Torah teaches us about accepting criticism constructive criticism with love in Parsha berhukotai we we have a list of very harsh curses for anyone who doesn't fulfill God's full expectation and people are worried who is going to get this Aliyah who is going to be called up to the Torah who is going to read all the curses and potentially it might be a singular for him to receive them God forbid and traditionally the one who receives this Aliyah is the rabbi why is the rabbi getting all the curses and the answer is because the rabbi doesn't look at it as curses the rabbi is looking at it as constructive criticism he is looking at it as a warning for him directly from Hashem be careful my dear child don't do this and don't do that because if you do the result will be tragic and the rabbi is excited to receive this Aliyah as anyone should because it's for his benefit listening to criticism improves me lit is listening to a warning gives me valuable information what to avoid in life and so this Shabbat we should actually be the one to be called to the Torah so that I can listen to this message from Hashem just like we listen to the Ten Commandments do not kill and we say to ourselves God is speaking to me do not steal God is speaking to me so too in this week's Parsha God is warning us you can be a better person I have high hopes for you make sure that you will fulfill your potential and I'm listening to all the potential curses and I'm saying to myself I will be more careful I will study I will put more effort to connect to Hashem to follow his Commandments and because of that message in the Aliyah that I take personally I will be more successful in life and this applies to all our interactions especially with our spouses when we hear criticism from our spouse the one that we loved the one that we got married to the one that is committed to us we can be sure that he or she are giving us this criticism for our own benefit if we take it to heart we will be more successful our family will experience more meaning peace and serenity and we will bring more happiness into our life into lives of our families because we will take seriously any criticism addressed to us we will view the one criticizing us as our friend as the one that loves us as the one that wants us to become better to improve to succeed and be happy may we View all messages as personal tailor-made messages for us may we work on our midot character and our mind to purified and with the help of those people in our lives that love us so much that they are willing to take the risk and speak up and offer us words of criticism may we become greater people greater individuals may we spread happiness and serve as a good example for everyone around us thank you shabbat shalom