Three hundred years ago, a simple, common Jew named Israel traveled through the towns and villages of Europe. The man named Israel was engaged in encouraging the spirits of the poor, worn-out Jews who lived in those places.
He reminded them to thank God, the Blessed One, and to "speak" to Him. To say twice every day, "Hear Israel," and to remember the rock of their quarry and their burning faith. This was many years after the terrible Holocaust of 1918-1919. The same decrees under which hundreds of thousands of Jews were murdered.
Most Jews at that time were in a spiritual "fainting." The disciples of the sages separated themselves from them. The owners of the houses looked down on them. The Gentiles humiliated them and the woman begged them to bring more money to feed the children. That Jew who wandered among them chose to wake them up the way one would wake someone who had fainted or who was deeply in a deep sleep. He called them by name: "Israel! Israel trusts in the Lord.".
To awaken faith
Last week, on the occasion of the 1st of Elul, the birthday of the two lights: the Light of the Seven Days, our teacher the holy Baal Shem Tov, and his disciple, the 20th Rebbe the Elder, author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch, I was invited to lecture to various women in various places across the country and I was reminded of the same story, the story of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem, the founder of general Hasidic teachings.
I have heard and told this story hundreds of times. The action of our teacher, the Baal Shem Tov, was to awaken the people and awaken the simple Jewish faith inherent in them. The dozens of women, over a hundred and twenty, whom I met last week, seem, at least outwardly, far from a life of Torah and mitzvot. But they are only fainting. Their souls must be awakened.
That's what I tried to do. To follow in the path of the holy Baal Shem Tov.
From the earth to the temple
The parshas Ki Tivo is always read towards the end of the year. The parsha begins with the commandments of the firstfruits. The commandment that begins the chain of commandments that follow the ripening of fruits. It is followed by the commandments of giving and tithing in their various forms.
All of these commandments require a reckoning, and this is what is required of us at the end of a year. To make a reckoning. A reckoning of the previous year and a blessing and thanksgiving for the year that is coming upon us for good. The firstfruits were brought to Jerusalem with much singing and dancing, and so we should act in preparation for the holidays that are coming upon us for peace.
The joy that reaches its peak at the end of the holidays, on Simchat Torah, is what gives us the strength to face the tasks that lie ahead of us throughout the year. Thus begins the parasha: "When you come into the land," when you inherit it and settle in it, then take the "firstfruits of the earth," the lowest part of creation, and ascend them to the highest place – the Temple.
Saying thank you to a woman
When you bring firstfruits, confess and say thank you. Two actions that are especially appropriate for the month of mercy and the month of holidays. When I came to the conclusion that no one owes me anything, and everything I have in the world is a gift, I was able to reach a place of gratitude.
I received a somewhat strange phone call from a Jew with an old, hoarse voice who talked about the Gratitude Project.
I must admit that I have never heard of such a project in our community at all. I have not seen any posters plastered on the bulletin boards regarding this matter. I was surprised when that Jew spoke about the "Knowing Goodness" campaign.
"Acknowledge gratitude and appreciate your wives for the great effort they put into maintaining the home," the man urges the public.
I am in favor.
It's really not obvious.
And finally. Here's a story I heard just today. A friend of mine who returned from a visit to the Zion of the Baal Shem Tov and the Baal Tanya in Russia and Ukraine, also visited Berdichev.
There she met the local Chabad emissary, Rebbetzin Teller. In the morning she noticed that the emissary was setting a table for ten Jews with a rich breakfast buffet. When asked, the hostess replied that she did this every morning so that her husband would have "a ready minyan" for the morning prayer...
For us, it's a given. We don't even think about being grateful that our husband can come to the synagogue at any time and find a minyan. We don't even think about being grateful for all the abundance we have at the supermarket, when that girl in Berdichev has to go to the trouble of getting Pat Yisrael, Chalav Yisrael, and so on, all in order to make sure her husband has a minyan.
So maybe it's time for us to take stock and remember that we should thank God for everything He has given us so far and what He will still give us next year for our good?
• Part of the column is based on the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The author is the owner of "My Choice", an event host, lecturer and broadcaster on Kol-Hai Radio: [email protected]
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