“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayakhel
21 Adar 5774/February 21, 2014
I’m not really sure if
it’s grandparental-amnesia or revenge. Did my mother forget what’s it like to
have five young children, or is she now insidiously exacting revenge against
me?
Last week, my parents
were gracious enough to watch three of our children over night so we could
attend a wedding in Lakewood
Our children delighted
in blowing their whistles endlessly... until their parents became exasperated,
and started bellowing warnings. As if there isn’t enough noise when they don’t
have whistles!
The Torah relates that
one of the special vestments of the Kohain Gadol was the Me’il. One of the
unique features of the Me’il was that it had little golden bells and
pomegranates affixed to its hem. As the Kohain Gadol walked the bells would
ring, alerting everyone that the eminent Kohain Gadol was approaching.
I was recently thinking
that there is an important message symbolized by those bells. When I have the
opportunity, I enjoy watching Chassidic rebbes (e.g. Skver, Nikolsburg)
surrounded by their throngs of Chassidim at a ‘tish’, or lighting menorah on
Chanukah, or reciting hoshanos on Chol Hamo’ed Succos. I always come home
inspired by the great level of concentration and fervor that the Rebbe has, whilst
his Chassidim watch his every move in reverent silence.
I then return home,
with illusions (or rather delusions) of my own children watching me like the
Chassidim, while I perform the mitzvah like the Kohain Gadol in the Sanctuary.
For example, I prepare
to light the Menorah, anticipating that my children will see my shining
countenance and holiness exuding from my face. As I begin to recite the
blessings I can virtually hear the angels singing from behind me… “Stop pushing
me!” “Mommmmmmmy! I had it first!” The angels have indeed quickly returned me to
reality.
Any Jewish mother has
had a similar experience. She has just heard a moving lecture about the power
of tefillah, especially at the propitious moment when she lights the Shabbos
candles on Friday eve. On this particular Friday, she is inspired and emotional
as she lights the candles and begins to pray. In her mind, all of her ancestors
are swaying with her and she hears Baruch Levine singing harmony as she recites
the timeless prayer for her children to be scholars and illuminators of the
world. And in the middle of the spiritual euphoria (if she is lucky enough to
get so far) she feels a tug on her leg. “Mommy, can I have apple juice?”
“Mommy, it’s not fair…”
The Kohain Gadol had to
perform the avodah with bells ringing every time he so much as moved. Every individual
is the Kohain Gadol (or female counterpart) in his home. He/she is responsible
to initiate and direct the Avodas Hashem in their family. But they should not
be deluded into thinking that their children will be perfect angels, standing
like soldiers at attention, with smiles on their shining faces, as their father
recites Kiddush on Friday night or mother scrambles to say a few words of
davening in the morning.
This doesn’t mean that
we should not train our children to be respectful and responsible in performing
mitzvos, but we need to be realistic as well. We have to learn to perform our
Service, despite the bells ringing all around us. It also helps to remember
that those ‘bells’ are made of solid gold, representing our future and our greatest
hopes.
Still-in-all,
grandparents don’t need to add to the noise of the bells. There’s plenty of
noise already.
Shabbat Shalom &
Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum
720 Union Road • New Hempstead, NY 10977 • (845)
362-2425