“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Ki Setzei
8 Elul 5783/August 25, 2023
RUN FOR IT
One morning recently, when I walked out of our bungalow in Camp Dora
Golding, I noticed that the garbage can that was always there was gone. I called
the maintenance director, Effy Lew, to ask if he had perhaps moved it to
another location, but he said he knew nothing about it. It was strange for a
garbage can to just disappear. Later that day Effy brought us a new garbage
can.
A couple of days
later, when my wife went to the back of our bungalow near the woods, she
noticed our long-lost garbage can. She was about to move it back to its place,
when she noticed that there were a few frogs jumping around inside. The mystery
was solved. Our almost seven-year-old twins had been searching for a new home
in which to sequester the frogs they had pulled out of the camp lake. The
garbage can was a perfect place.
When Michoel realized that we knew about his frogs and were letting them
go at night, he and his friends found a container where they would hide in
different places near the woods.
Before we left camp to return home last week, my wife gave me the noble
task of setting the frogs free from their container. In the bustle of packing
and loading the cars however, I forgot. I called Effy Lew and asked him if he
could do the honors.
He agreed and sent me a video of the touching ceremony. When he opened
the cover of the container, most of the frogs (yes, there were a bunch) jumped
away immediately. But there was one frog that lingered and just sat at the edge
of the container.
It reminded me of the parable from the Medrash (Koheles Rabbah 7), quoted
by Rabbeinu Yonah at the beginning of Shaarei Teshuva:
A group of prisoners in jail dug a hole and escaped. When the jail warden
came in the morning, he saw one prisoner standing next to the hole and
immediately realized that everyone else had escaped. He smacked the lone
prisoner with a stick and said to him, “You foolish person. The hole was dug before
you. Why didn’t you hurry to save yourself along with everyone else.”
The commentaries wonder why the lone prisoner is depicted as being
foolish. Isn’t it possible that he doesn’t want to escape and get himself into
bigger trouble? After all, didn’t he originally end up in jail for committing a
crime?
Rav Kook (Igros Harayah 135) explains that if the hole in the cell was
not immediately filled and there were no consequences imposed on the diggers,
that demonstrated that the jail guards were aware of the hole and were
instructed not to stop them. It was clear that the king had purposely left them
a means to escape, and they would not be penalized for doing so.
Yosef Ometz suggests that it was the king himself who commissioned that
the hole be dug. When the one prisoner remained in jail, he brazenly rejected
the overture of the king to allow him to escape and reintegrate into society.
The “hole” and escape route of teshuva is provided for by Hashem, as it
were. If we do not avail ourselves of the incredible opportunity, we have to do
teshuva, it is a more egregious affront to Hashem than the original sin
committed.
Sometimes we think that teshuva is b’dieved. We need to do teshuva
because we are pathetic, uncontrollable beings. But Chazal (Medrash, Tehillim
90) teach that teshuva preceded creation. Teshuva isn’t plan B, but part of the
original plan for creation. The world was created with a built-in system of
rectification called teshuva.
Some of the greatest and most inspiring personalities in Jewish history
have been ba’alei teshuva of note. Yechoniah, the second to last king of Yehuda
before the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash, was a notoriously wicked
king. While imprisoned by Nevuchadnezzar, in a moment of potential despair,
Yechoniah decided to do teshuva. He outlived Nevuchadnezzar and was eventually
freed from prison where he became a leader of the Jewish community in Bavel.
Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 7:6) lists Yechoniah haMelech as one of the symbols of
the extent of the poignancy of teshuva.
Similarly, Reish Lakish, the great Amora, is legendary for his many
intense disputes with his brother-in-law, the great Rav Yochanan. Reish Lakish
began his career as the notorious leader of a group of bandits who molested
people. When Rav Yochanan first encountered Reish Lakish and suggested that
Reish Lakish use his strength for Torah, Reish Lakish responded that Rav
Yochanan should use his good looks to court women (Bava Metzia 84a). Yet, Reish
Lakish is one of the greatest personalities mentioned in the Gemara. In fact,
Reish Lakish himself is the one who teaches us about the transformative power
of teshuva (see Yoma 86b).
I’m happy to report that after a few prompts, that last frog did indeed
take advantage of his newfound freedom and made a clean getaway. I am also
happy to report that none of the escaped frogs have allowed themselves to be
re-caught by prowling seven-year-olds since they have been freed. It seems
their teshuva is complete, and they have learned from their captivity to be
more careful.
That’s at least until those prowling children return, G-d willing, next
summer.
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani
and Chani Staum
