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Eyes of Honor

“And Yisrael’s eyes were heavy from age.” (Bereishis 48:10)

I want you to know, it says about Ya’akov Avinu, “v’einei Yisroel kavdu mizoken” (Bereishis 48:10), that his eyes became old from age. But if you translate it properly it says, “The eyes of Ya’akov have reached the level of honor.” And here I want you to know something awesome. Honor is not given with your hands or with your head; it's given with your eyes. It's all about the way you look at something. When someone walks into a room, I can get up for him and show him honor by going through all the motions, but my eyes say it all. You see, when you kiss someone you love very much, you close your eyes. What happens when you kiss someone? You don't say anything, but you are really uttering all the blessings which have ever been said in the universe - from the first day until the last day.

Why is it that when we see little children we just can't stop kissing them? When we see old people we sometimes think, “Maybe they will never see the Messiah.” But when we see a little baby, we think that just for this one baby the Mashiach has to come and the world has to be fixed. So we can't stop kissing, can’t stop blessing a little child. We can’t stop looking at a baby with these holy eyes, crown eyes.
So this is the end of the Book of Genesis, the Book of Creation, God created man, then there was Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov. And the world was created with blessings. In this last portion, Ya’akov blesses his children. And then we begin reading the story about the exodus from Egypt and about how his children made it in the world, turning on the world to Mount Sinai, to freedom.

The way from slavery to freedom is such a long road. And we are still working on it. The world hasn't made it yet, and the Messiah has yet to come. But when we look at each other with eyes of honor, we will make it - we have to make it!

Days are Coming