What kind of a name is Stones Uncut…?

 

I am sure that you are wondering what kind of a name this is for a website in general let alone for a Torah website…

Allow me to explain.

For a long time I wanted to put my divrei Torah down on paper and share them in a public forum, but I always stopped myself since they weren’t perfect. I am not 100% sure that all of my ideas are right, my grammar isn’t always on point, and I don’t necessarily have the background that would grant me the right to publish my Torah thoughts.

But I always had a deep-seated feeling that they were true and that I should put them out there. Then I came across ‘פסוק ו in פרק כז of דברים.

אבנים שלמות תבנה את מזבח יהוה אלהיך והעלית עליו עולות ליהוה אלהיך: Use whole stones to build the Altar for Hashem you God and then you can bring up sacrifices to Hashem your God.

This is related to the פסוק in פרשת משפטים that says that we should not use iron tools to chisel the stones of the מזבח, we are only to use natural stones. But there is a problem. If you have ever seen a stone building, raw stones look much more crude and unsightly, there are rounded parts and points that jut out, and the stones don’t necessarily fit together so nicely. I could easily think that it would be more suitable for Hashem if we used perfectly chiseled and evened out stones to make a beautiful uniform structure. Why should we use raw and awkward looking stones?

The answer is the reason I started sending out my thoughts even though they aren’t perfect. Hashem doesn’t want or need us to be prefect. He is perfect enough Himself. What He wants is for us to try. Period. He wants us in our raw and natural state, without any cover ups or processing. Perfection is not what He is looking for.

And if there is one thing I would like for you to know, it is this: Each one of us is unique and has something amazing to share with the rest of our beautiful nation. You have had at least one amazing idea that you were convinced could change the world and help our nation, whether it  was a הכנסת אורחים program, a thought on the פרשה, a way to make someone else feel good or happy, or any of the other billions of ways there are to help the Jew next to you and to connect to Hashem. But it likely fell to the dust since it wasn’t perfect, and what if other people don’t like it. Don’t get bogged down by perfection. We are connected to the Infinite Source of reality, and He is perfect, that’s all the perfection we need.

Embrace your individuality and put yourself out there. Run with whatever dream you once had and share your brilliantness with the world.

Live your life with whole stones not with perfect stones.