“RABBI’S
MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Shoftim
6 Elul 5775/ August 22,
2015
Pirkei Avos Perek 6
Anyone who has ever attended summer camp knows how
emotionally-charged and special the Grand Sing is. At the conclusion of three
days of Color War activities, skits, plays, and songs, the entire camp gathers
together. They sing all of the Color War songs, especially the ‘alma mater’, a
song that nostalgically recounts the highlights of camp and emotionally depicts
the sadness of leaving the friends of camp behind as everyone heads home.
Before the Grand Sing all campers are requested to
change into white shirts out of respect for the climactic night. This week, prior
to this year’s Grand Sing, all of the campers arrived at supper already clad in
their white shirts – a meatball and spaghetti supper. It was a very beautiful
and memorable Grand Sing. The singing was passionate and the campers looked
perfect for the occasion with their special themed costumes atop their white,
meatball sauce stained white shirts.
It reminded me of my own experience at home. For a
number of years I had the zechus to deliver a shiur about tefillah to the women
of our shul on Wednesday evenings. Every Wednesday night we had a meat dish
with sauce for supper (spaghetti and meatballs, meatloaf, etc.), and every
Wednesday night I had to change my shirt after supper before heading out to
deliver the shiur. No matter how careful I was there was no escaping it. Even
if I managed to keep my shirt clean while I was eating, invariably one of my
children would use my shirt as a napkin.
The truth is that 99% of my shirt could have been
perfectly clean, but we all know that our eyes are immediately drawn to the
splotch or stain. That’s the way we are. We immediately notice the
imperfections.
Years ago in my office I had a black folding table
which I used when I met with students. On the table there was a small hole in
the fabric that was covered with a black piece of tape, it was almost
imperceptible unless you were sitting right in front of it. But virtually every
student – and adult – who sat at the table began to fiddle with the tape while
we were talking.
If that’s the way we are in regards to externalities,
we are all the more critical when it comes to people’s natures and behaviors.
We have a lot of opinions about other people and we are fairly confident we
understand why they are that way. We need to be aware of the fact that we are
always quicker to find the small stain and hole than we are to notice the
virtues.
The Navi states (Yeshayah 1:18) that if we even if our
souls are completely sullied like crimson – which is far worse than meatball
sauce – Hashem assures us that we can become pristine like snow and white wool.
Fortunately, Hashem doesn’t only see the stains, but views us wholesomely and
sees the virtue and greatness within us, that even we may not appreciate.
The Ba’al Shem Tov revealed to us that the more we seek
to see the good in others and to view them holistically, the more Hashem will
see us in that same light. The less we look at the meatball stains the more we
will notice the beautiful white shirt underneath.
Shabbat Shalom &
Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani
Staum