“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Bechukosai
Pirkei Avos perek 5 –
Mevorchim Chodesh Sivan
26 Iyar 5776 (41st
day of Omer)/ June 3, 2016
As technology becomes increasingly
faster and more convenient, we expect to be able to do more and have more in
less space. But everything has its limits.
A few months ago, I opened my email only
to find that I had no more available space. They informed me that it was not a
problem and for a mere $1.99 a month I could purchase ample additional space.
My phone is also quite frustrating, as
it seems to never have any available space. These days when phones are used
more for pictures and videos, I have to constantly transfer data to my computer
before deleting it from my phone. Even my trusty laptop, from which all of
these brilliant articles emerge, constantly notifies me that it has no more
available space. From it too I have to transfer pictures and videos to our home
computer. I hope it will be some time before that computer too informs me that
it has no more available space.
As we only have a limited amount of
space, we have to decide what we want to fill our space with. This is not only
true about data and “stuff”, it’s true about our relationships as well. It’s up
to us to show those we care about that they have ‘space’ in our lives.
The Mishna (Avos 4:14) extols the
greatness of the Jewish People by stating: “Yisroel is beloved because they are
called sons to the “Makom – Omnipresent.” In Pirkei Avos, generally
Hashem is referred to as Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Why here is He referred to as ‘the
Place’?
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky notes that in the
post-Holocaust years there was an un-verbalized message conveyed to every child
that he/she was vital to the Jewish cause. As a nation we had lost so much and
had endured such utter devastation and destruction that every individual was
crucial for our efforts to rebuild. In the decades since then we have witnessed
incredible growth and unimagined success. The rebirth of Torah and Judaism is
nothing short of a miracle. But our success has presented us with a great
challenge. Often there is an underhanded message unwittingly conveyed which
says, “We don’t need you! If you are not exactly what we are looking for than
we could find five others who are better suited for us!” This is felt most
acutely when our young students look for High Schools and Seminaries, and even very
painfully when young women are ‘in shidduchim’.
When we go on Chol Hamoed trips and have
to wait some time before even getting in to the building because there are so
many Jews who had the same idea as we did, we start to think that there are so
many Jews out there. But the truth is that every Jew is vital and we have none
to spare. Every adolescent on the streets, every soldier hurt or worse, G-d
forbid, is an absolute tragedy.
This is perhaps why the Mishna says that
every Jew is precious to “Makom”, because every one of us has a place around
G-d’s table, as it were.
With our technological devices we can
purchase more space, or get a better device, but with people we have to make
sure that they know there is always space for them. We have to convey to
everyone how valuable and vital his/her contribution is to our nation.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’
Dani and Chani Staum