“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Behar
Pirkei Avos perek 4
19 Iyar 5776 (34th
day of Omer)/ May 27, 2016
Living in the vicinity of New York City affords us the opportunity to frequently
travel across bridges traversing the Hudson and East Rivers Tappan Zee , and then the Whitestone, Throgs Neck, or
Triboro. Going into Brooklyn entails using the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge Verrazano Narrows
Bridge , or the (very narrow) Goethals
and Bayonne Bridges Bear Mountain
Bridge , further up the Hudson River .
As a young child I had a deep fear of
bridges. Whenever I would be in the car and we would drive across a bridge I
would bury my head in my lap until we were off the bridge (and it was not
because of my father’s driving). I always feared that the bridge would collapse,
and the vast water below looked very frightening. [The truth is that if you’re
ever stuck in traffic on a bridge, a slight unnerving sway is somewhat palpable
as cars and trucks breeze by from the opposite traffic.]
As I grew older, I became excited by
bridges. I enjoy their majestic presence and the stunning views as well. As the
construction of the lengthy Tappan
Zee Bridge
The truth is, as expensive and
challenging as it is to construct a bridge across water, it is far more arduous
and challenging to build bridges between people and nations. What makes people
so fascinating and life so interesting is the fact that we are all unique and
different. But we seem to have a very hard time respecting those differences.
Bridges do not remove the massive abyss
that separates two bodies of land, but rather create specific points of
connection. In a similar vein, sometimes our disagreements with other people or
groups are valid, and we may not have the authority to overlook or forgive those
differences. But we can always focus more on our commonalities than those
differences.
This week we celebrate Lag Baomer. Before
we resume listening to music, shaving, and taking haircuts, it behooves us to
remember why we have been mourning. This period was originally dedicated as one
of joy in anticipation of Kabbolas HaTorah. It was transformed into a time of
mourning and introspection because of the tragic deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s
twenty-four thousand students. The gemara relates that the root cause of their
death was because they did not adequately respect each other. In a sense, they
were unable to construct strong enough bridges between each other.
Think about what life around here would
be like without our bridges. When we are too focused on our points of
contention we cannot focus on our points of connection. The result is isolation
and animosity – the source of our continuing exile.
When a fire is raging it warms and
serves as a source of illumination for everyone who draws near it, no matter
the person’s external appearance and even his internal views. The fires of Lag
Baomer, which contain the flames of spiritual connection, embrace and warm the
souls of every Jew. Lag Baomer is a day when bridges are constructed. It is
therefore a day of tremendous joy, joy which serves as the key to our final
preparation for reaccepting the Torah on Shavuos.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’
Dani and Chani Staum