B"H
THOUGHTS FOR SHAVUOS
Dear Friends:
Why is an egg an integral part of the Pesach Seder?
I heard a beautiful answer from the beloved Rosh Yeshiva of Sh'or Yoshuv, Rabbi Naftali Jaeger, Shlita"h.
An egg is unique. Other births are one step: the baby is born. But an egg is a two-step process: the egg is laid and then the baby must work hard, pecking its way out from within.
This symbolizes what happens between Passover and Shavuos. On Passover, the Nation of Israel was released, like the egg. We appeared as a new entity. But we were not yet born! Only then did we begin the process of emerging from within the egg, from darkness to light, preparing ourselves to assume our true role as the servants of the Al-Mighty G-d.
And we had to work! Forty-nine days of exertion.
It is dark inside that egg. Sometimes it seems we are surrounded by darkness!
During Sefira, we adopt an attitude of semi-mourning. It is not unusual to see an otherwise very neat Jewish man going around with a three-week growth of beard.
What do others think? Perhaps they say, "Why do these Jews look so messy? Don't they care about their appearance?"
In fact, I would suggest this is an integral part of our preparation for accepting the Torah. We are the Nation who clings with total devotion to G-d, despite the taunts and jeers of the entire world! They go their way and we go our way!
The first blessing of Shemone Esrei ends with the words, "Magen Avraham." Why only Avraham? Isn't G-d also the Shield of Isaac and Jacob? Perhaps our rabbis are reminding us how our nation began. Our Father Avraham was entirely ALONE in the world! ALONE! There was no Jewish community, no Gadolim to guide him, no roshei yeshiva, no Vaad, no Jewish structure at all, in fact no Jews!
Our Father Avraham was alone with his G-d, alone in a hostile and predatory world, and G-d protected him; G-d was his shield!
And so it is with us, my friends.
We should know that we are also alone in the world. We have basically no friends, despite what they may say. Our only friend is G-d. For two thousand years we have been execrated and mocked, shoved from one alien culture to another. And yet, G-d has saved us every moment! G-d, the Shield of Avraham, is also our Shield, the Shield of Avraham's Children!
Now, in the days when the nations of the world surround us with their pretensions of power, we must remember that our Father in Heaven is the Ruler of the world. The Pope comes to our Holy Land and declares that he is in favor of a state for our enemies. The President of the United States attempts to coerce the Children of Israel to give away that Holy Land to our enemies.
Children of Esau, the Torah warns you: the Creator of the Universe bequeathed that Land to the Children of Israel and not to anyone else. "If the nations of the world will say to Israel, ‘You are thieves, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations [who inhabited the Land of Canaan,' then Israel] will say to them, ‘The whole earth belongs to the Holy One, Blessed is He. He created it and He gave it to the one found proper in His eyes. By His wish He gave it to them, and by His wish He took it from them and gave it to us."' [1]
Numerous times, the Torah describes in exact detail the boundaries of the Land which G-d gave eternally to His children, and we are His Children!
My wife and I were recently in the Pacific Northwest, where we saw Mount St. Helens, which erupted in a volcanic cataclysm at 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980. The insides of that mountain blew 80,000 feet in the air and four states became dark as night.
That is but an infinitesimal example of the power of the One Who created the universe.
Do you, alleged rulers of nations, believe that you can interfere with the will of the Ruler of the Universe? Do you think that you can prevent G-d from bringing His precious children back to their Land to live there eternally in peace and sanctity?
Your time is growing short, arrogant ones. Your mountain is about to explode. If you dare to stand in the way of the Eternal One, your world will be pulverized, just as G-d pulverized the Generation of the Flood, the Generation of Babel, Pharaoh, Haman, and all His enemies through the ages. One minute you strut before the world; the next minute you are dust and worms! "Many designs are in a man's heart, but the counsel of G-d ... only it will prevail." [2]
As we approach Zman Torasainu and the Nations march against us, I would like to share with you my favorite Shavuos Torah, which I heard in the name of the Ben Ish Chai.
In the Third Chapter of Megilas Rus, [3] Boaz awakens on the threshing floor to find a woman lying at his feet. In the darkness, Rus explains her mission. Boaz replies, "There is a closer redeemer than I. Stay the night. In the morning, I will go to the city gate. If the closer redeemer will redeem you, well and good. But if not - Chai Hashem - I will redeem you!"
The Ben Ish Chai explains that the voice of Boaz is also the voice of G-d speaking to His precious children.
"Stay with me through the darkness of Exile! Don't be afraid! In the morning, I will search for your redeemer, your own merits and good deeds. If they are sufficient to redeem you, well and good! But if not, do not fear! I will redeem you!"
My dear friends, the Holy Day of Shavuos approaches! We must not be afraid. The Shield of Avraham protects us. Soon the darkness will end and the son of King David will arise to lead us in honor and dignity, triumph and glory to the Holy Land, to an eternal era of peace and tranquility in a world filled with the Light of Torah.
Roy S. Neuberger
© Copyright 2009 by Roy S. Neuberger
[1] Rashi on Genesis 1:1
[2] Proverbs 19:21
[3] Which we read on Shavuos
