“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Ki Savo
17 Elul 5774/September 12, 2014
Pirkei Avos – Perek 3-4
One Shabbos afternoon
during the summer of 2010, in the Staum bungalow at Camp Dora Golding, a four-year-old
boy (whose last name happens to be Staum) decided to jump off the top bunk bed.
I would imagine he thought he would land comfortably on the floor. Well, land
he did, but he was no Clark Kent, and did not very comfortably.
Despite his shrieks of
pain, at first it didn’t seem like it was anything more than a bad bruise. But
when he still wasn’t moving his hand properly after three days his parents
brought him to the local Emergency Room for x-rays. The prognosis confirmed
that he could not fly, and his hand was fractured and needed a cast. When the
nurse asked him what color cast he wanted, he answered immediately that he
wanted a red cast because (he decided) he was on the red team for color war.
This same child however,
is not too shabby when it comes to the pool. He has no problem jumping into the
water, coming out, and jumping in again. Why are the results so vastly
different when he jumps in the pool from when he jumped off his bed? Because
when he jumps in the pool his landing has been wisely and safely planned.
On February 3, 1999,
Mario A. Zacchini, the last surviving member of the original generation of
human cannonballs died. Zacchini was routinely explosively launched at a speed
of 90 m.p.h. from a cannon across a circus tent into a net, usually three times
a day.
He often said that
''flying isn't the hard part; landing in the net is.''
Every year as Rosh
Hashana approaches, we accept upon ourselves kabbalos – resolutions for the new
year. We have all experienced the frustration of not following through on our
goals, and feeling we are right back where we started. But hopefully we have
also experienced some modicum of success and self improvement. Wherein lies the
difference?
Often it’s dependent on
whether we think through our ‘landing’. The Yetzer Hara is a master of making
us feel like our resolutions are inadequate and inefficient. He convinces us to
take on too much, and to accept upon ourselves to completely rectify all of our
character defects in one year, or even in one week! So we take the plunge from
our high horse and end up crashing into the pavement, bruising our self esteem
and further convincing ourselves that we can never change.
The Ba’alei Mussar urge
us that our kabbalos must be accepted be in moderation. Small steps of self
improvement are tremendous personal victories and should be valued as such.
They infuse us with confidence and encourage us to proceed further.
When we jump in to
comfortable waters, then as soon as we acclimate ourselves we are free to swim
out yonder, as far as we can swim and the tide will carry us.
Shabbat Shalom & Good
Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani
Staum