Someone phones after Shabbos.

“I don’t get it” she says “I said the whole book of Tehillim and before Shabbos went out I accidentally turned on the light.”

She waits for some response.

“How could this happen to me? I thought it’s supposed to work that mitzvah goreres mitzvah? One mitzvah leads to another?”

I don’t want to answer because I don’t want to sound preachy or give the wrong advice. It’s the question I think we all ask every so often when we think we’ve done our most but we don’t see the results we want.

So I decide to take a poll.

First call: Yocheved.

I present the dilemma. “What do you think?” I ask.

“Boy I’m not good at this one” was her opening statement. Then she says “One has nothing to do with the other. The answer to the why may not be able to be answered but that person may have to look inside themselves about their Shabbos observance. It seems the message isn’t about being a tzadeikes and saying Tehillim it might have to do with her level of keeping Shabbos. Or …” — she drags out the word — “or she could be saying Tehillim just to show she’s righteous but not necessarily for the sake of Heaven. Look what could happen to the Kohein Gadol when he went into the Kodesh HaKadoshim on Yom Kippur if his thoughts weren’t aligned.”

Thank-you Yocheved.

Second call: Sarah

I present the dilemma. “What do you think about this?” I ask.

She says “Forty days at the Kosel doesn’t mean the sky opens up. Mitzvos aren’t magic.

We do them because we’re supposed to do them. If someone thinks something’s supposed to happen because we did a good deed they’re barking up the wrong tree. What I want is to wish everyone a good year and give a blessing that we see and appreciate what a beautiful life we have.”

Third call: Devorah

“Hashem didn’t make her do it; Hashem allowed it to happen” she answers. “Maybe the whole way she says Tehillim isn’t with humility. Hashem wants to remind us.

Right before we say Shema we reach the highest point and that’s where the yetzer hara gets us. Exactly at this point. A Jew is always in a constant battle. Just because you said the whole book of Tehillim doesn’t mean your work is done. It doesn’t mean you’re the perfect tzaddik just because you said the whole book.” She laughs. “We have to come to Hashem small. When we come like ‘Hey look at me! I said the whole book!’ then the Tehillim possibly doesn’t have the proper proportions.”

She gives an example. “I was davening yesterday outside and I said Shema facing the hills of Meron. Wow I thought to myself I feel so amazing. I feel so close to Hashem. Well once you start thinking about “I” when you’re approaching Hashem there’s no Hashem there’s only “I.” How do I feel and look what I did. Once the ego gets in there you miss the point. Like ‘Wow I’ m a real shuckler ’ and then you’re off.

One person the Kohein Gadol once a year went into the Kodesh HaKadoshim. If he went in and he was filled with anything but G-d he died. Once you start thinking about how holy you are Hashem starts to show you you’re not.”

Thank-you Devorah.

My husband hears me making these calls. He hears the dilemma so I ask “What do you think?”

“When a person does such an unbelievable thing he places himself on a higher level” he says. “When he climbs up he has to be aware that he’s climbed up. The mitzvah goreres mitzvah here is that Hashem sees you’re ready for the next step. To be more focused more committed. Hashem now wants to teach you to be more aware to be more focused. He’s giving you a higher-level opportunity by pointing out where you need to strengthen yourself to go a little higher.

Thank-you. That’s the consensus.