Inspiration from Simchat Torah a Century Ago
Do you ever wonder about
the bizarre twists and turns of your life’s journey? Why you had to endure
various challenges, some of them seemingly quite unfair and overwhelming?
Why do some of us have to suffer through impossible odds?
Simchat Torah in Russia
100 years ago (corresponding to October 12, 1906) the Rebbe Sholom Dovber,
known as the Rebbe Rashab, delivered a historic talk about the mysterious
passages of life.
The Rebbe was addressing
those Jews who were then being called up to the “priziv” – the compulsory
draft into long term military service in the Russian Tsar’s army. This conscription
was a dreaded prospect for Russian Jews who could anticipate particularly
cruel treatment and not know whether they would ever return home.
The draft would begin in the winter. Those due to be called
up came to the Rebbe Rashab on Simchat Torah that year (1906)
to receive his blessing.
One of the draftees that
year was Reb Shilem Kuratin (who was then a student in the Yeshiva, and would
later become one of the head mashpiim, spiritual mentors). The Rebbe
Rashab told him (translated from Yiddish): “Regardless, you will be released
[from the draft]. But the “spark” of Tohu that needs to be refined
by you has to travel through the district [of the government office where
you are being drafted], in order that these “sparks” should also “agree” [to
be refined].”
A brief explanation of
these terms: Tohu in Kabbalistic thought explains a fundamental cosmic
dilemma: The root of all dissonance.
Since Divine energy is
the essence of all matter, how do we explain the fact that our material existence
can be so detached, so far removed from its source? What process allowed for
such a radical leap – from unity to fragmentation, from an integral seamlessness
to a disjointed existence? Tohu – which means chaos – is a state of
being in which the energy is too powerful for its containers, resulting in
what is called the “breakage of the containers” (shevirat ha’keilim),
giving birth to every form of dissonance.
The purpose of this “explosion”
however is not to create chaos, but to allow for an existence such as ours,
in which we initially don’t feel our connection to our source and to our higher
purpose, with the objective of brining the Divine even into the darkest crevices,
that deny the very existence of the Divine or even worse: replace it with
a false god, so that they too should acknowledge the true nature of the Divine
unity within all of existence.
Translated into practical
terms this means: We live in a world of contradictions. Every one of us experiences
dissonance in our lives. This may manifest in the form alienation, confusion
or anxiety. It may be rooted in your childhood experiences – growing up in
a home full with contradictions: One moment you were loved, the other you
were abandoned. Abuse of various sorts help feed the confusion. Or it may
be rooted in the nature of existence, regardless of the people around us.
One moment you may feel inspired, powerful; the next moment you feel weak,
resigned.
You may sometimes feel
that you don’t belong. Not comfortable in your own skin. You want to be someone
else. You may sense dichotomy in your life – a schism between your personal
life at home and your professional life at work, a battle between your material
need to survive and your spiritual need to transcend; between your higher
ideals and the sad compromise of your standards.
Who of us has no struggle?
No inconsistencies?
All this can either depress
you, or… if you listen closely to the powerful words of the Rebbe Rashab stated
a century ago, come to realize that all our schisms were meant to be: In order
to allow the inner light to enter our fragmented existence, so that every
aspect of our lives – even the disjointed and the chaotic – should also “agree”
and accept the higher truth and purpose of our destinies.
And this is what the Rebbe
Rashab told his students 100 years ago: Don’t be afraid of the draft. Remember
that its entire purpose is to bring you to a place where there are “sparks”
for you to elevate that can be found only in that particular location.
-- I recall an interesting
episode that took place back in 1990. My father was hospitalized for the High
Holidays. On Erev Yom Kippur I went to see the Rebbe to receive a piece of
“lekach” (sweet honey cake) and a blessing for my father. The Rebbe gave me
a piece of cake, and said, smiling: “Gib dos dem taten un zog im, az er zol
shoin farendiken zein shlichus in shpitol, vet men em fun dort ba’frayen [or:
aroislozen?].” “Give this to your father and tell him that he should finish
fulfilling his mission in the hospital, so he will be released from there…”
G-d leads the footsteps
of man. Wherever we travel, every journey we take, every experience we have
– whether planned or not, whether pleasant or not – happens because we were
led there by a higher force. You may think that you arrived somewhere due
to your plans (business, vacation, personal), or by accident, or even against
your will. In truth, you were led there to redeem “sparks” that are uniquely
yours. Every place (physical or psychological) you have been too in your life
offers you spiritual opportunities, that can help you grow and allow you to
help others grow. Look for these opportunities, be open to the unexpected
– and you’ll discover unimaginable results.
A Rebbe’s words, especially
on the momentous eventful night of Simchat Torah, carry layers of meanings,
eternal messages that often can be appreciated many years later.
The Rebbe Rashab’s words
at the turn of last century were indeed prophetic. As difficult as the “priziv”
may have been, the horrible places we would be forced to visit would only
get worse as the 20th century wore on. No one could ever have imagined
what hellish abysses we would be thrown into first by Stalin and then by Hitler.
Today, we are blessed
to have survived the destruction. Indeed, we live in unprecedented freedom.
But we have our own new set of bizarre journeys. Many of us have grown up
in homes that were far from healthy. The dichotomies of our lives have hardly
subsided. Some may even argue that material prosperity has brought upon us
more inner misery. We have fancier houses but broken homes. We have amazing
communication tools, but less intimate communication. More network connections,
but weaker inner connections.
Tells us the Rebbe Rashab
– one hundred years ago today – that wherever you go, as difficult as the
journey may be, as strange your place may be, it is all for a higher purpose,
for a deeper reason: For you to redeem the Divine sparks that can only be
found in that dark place.
Indeed, we now are ready
to finish elevating the final “sparks” in existence, as the Rebbe Rashab continues
in his Simchat Torah talk.
Almost nothing is similar
to life one hundred years ago. Yet, in some important ways not much has changed.
The greatest peace of
all is knowing that where you are at this precise
moment and place is exactly where you belong.
Let go of all and dance with that thought on Simchat Torah… and carry
into the entire year.
* * *
Question for the week: How can one
achieve joy even when things are difficult? Please share
your ideas or personal experiences.
Submit
your response.
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a question for future weeks.
