Even When It's Dark
I have, on occasion, shared with you thoughts written by a friend and colleague of mine, Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, who founded Chabad in Temecula , CA .
About 6 years ago he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and has been unable to move or speak for the past 4 years.
Thank G‑d, we live in an age of technological wonders and he is able to use his eyes to type heartfelt Jewish thoughts on his blog: yitzihurwitz.blogspot.com
Here’s an adaptation of his thoughts related to this week’s Torah portion that he dedicated to his wife Dini. In his words: “Her strength, kindness and love has been the glue that holds our family together. She is a true woman of valor”.
Every day, in the Temple , two yearling lambs were brought as “constant burnt offerings”. The first in the morning and the second in the afternoon.”
What is the significance of this? What lessons can we take from this constant burnt offering for our relationship with G‑d and personal relationships?
The Hebrew word for sacrifice is ‘korban’, which comes from the word ‘karov’, meaning “close”. The idea here is that we are called upon to bring ourselves closer and to strengthen our connection with G‑d. This closeness must be “constant.”
G‑d wants us to work on developing our relationship with Him each and every day.
How do we this? By being a “burnt offering”; by allowing ourselves to become completely consumed in holiness; to devote the totality of our lives to our G‑dly mission; to be open and vulnerable with G‑d; to allow our entire being to become one with Him.
And we do this in the “morning” and the “afternoon”:
Morning is symbolic of the good times, when the light of G‑d shines bright. At these times, things are easy; there are no obstacles to overcome.
But afternoon represents the hard times, when the sun is going down, and obstacles make G‑d seem distant. Even in these dark times, we need to come closer. The darker it is, the greater the effort we need to make to connect. The bond we forge in these dark times is beyond anything we could have created in times of light.
Struggling with ALS has been a tremendous strain on my family, especially on my wife. Nevertheless, it has brought us closer to G‑d, closer as a family, and closer as a couple.
And for that, I am thankful.
If Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz can forge a union with G‑d and even offer thanks in his current condition (may he be healed speedily), we have no excuse J
Fruma and our children – Malka, Yankele, Shimi, Mendel, Mushka, Riva & Rachmiel –join me in wishing you a Shabbat Shalom!
