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Though we just celebrated 62 years since the establishment of the sate of Israel which is definitely a momentous occasion to celebrate, we can’t forget that we are still in a time of mourning. Thousands of years later we are mourning the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva that died in a plague. It is customary during this time not to listen to music and have weddings as a symbol of our mourning. Through the ages during this time many other terrible decrees have been made against the Jewish people. It has always amazed me how in Judaism we are constantly trying to keep the balance between times of sadness and mourning and times of joy and celebration. As we see between the mourning of Rabbi Akiva’s students and celebrating the state of Israel. Though thousands of years separate these two events, I think that there is a strong connection between them.

Though Rabbi Akiva tragically lost many of his students, he was still able to rebuild his yeshiva from his five students that were left. His students were not just ordinary students but they were some of the greatest Torah scholars in Jewish history. They were Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Nechemia. It was to their credit that we have the Talmud today. How was Rabbi Akiva able to get over this great loss and rebuild his yeshiva and what can we learn from him? I read an interesting answer to this question. Rabbi Akiva got his strength to continue on teaching Torah to his five remaining students from the same thing that brought him to Torah observance, a single drop of water. The way Rabbi Akiva first began to embrace Torah was when he was 40 years old and one day while he was tending to his sheep, he saw a rock and he noticed a cavity in it. He wondered what was so powerful that could cause this cavity. Then he looked up and saw a drop of water falling from the mountain and he realized that overtime this drop of water had affected the rock. He then reasoned that if a drop of water could make an impression on a hard rock, then so to can Torah penetrate his mind. It was after that incident that Rabbi Akiva began his journey towards living a Torah lifestyle and he eventually became one of the Torah leaders of his generation.

So we can ask why did this incident cause Rabbi Akiva to change his whole life around ?
What was so special about that single drop of water and how did Rabbi Akiva identify with it? When Rabbi Akiva saw what a difference one drop of water made to the rock, he understood how much power and potential each individual has. He realized that what he did and how he reacted to life mattered and how his decisions could affect the world. So when his 24,000 students died he thought back to that day that first gave him strength to take something that before seemed unreachable and impossible and it strengthened him once again to move forward.

Now, fast forwarding thousands of years later lets try to find the connection between Rabbi Akiva and modern times. I believe that just like Hashem gave Rabbi Akiva with the strength to spread his Torah wisdom to his five remaining students, Hashem also provided the Holocaust survivors with the strength and will power to rise above the nightmares they experienced and helped them rebuild their lives in Israel. It was because of each one of the pioneer’s individual will power and perseverance, that we can now celebrate 62 years of the state of Israel. As we celebrate this milestone with joy we can’t forget how Hashem has always and will always help us rise above our persecution and will eventually fully redeem us with the coming of the redemption. May we see it speedily in our days. Amen!

Sometimes we may underestimate how much impact we as individuals can have on others and the world. We may think, who will listen to us or can we really make a difference. As we approach Purim I think this concept is very relevant. As we know, the miracle of Purim is that the Jews were saved from the evil decree of Haman who wished to destroy them. If we look at the main players in this story Esther and Mordechai, who were the Jewish leaders who helped annul the decree, we notice something interesting. When they learned about Haman’s evil decree they realized that they needed to quickly act before it was too late. It is then that we see Esther going through the same dilemma I initially mentioned. As we are told, she second guesses herself and if she will really be able to make a difference and help the jewish people. It is then that Mordechai explains to her that it was not just by coincidence that she became queen at this time, but it is so she can take action to help the jewish people. As we know Esther understands that this is not a time to second guess herself, but to step up and put in her effort. She then risks her life and with G-d’s help the Jewish people are saved.

Still some may say, ok so Esther was the queen and she was in a powerful position to impact events but how does that work in my own life? To answer this I want to tell you about Avi Schaefer zl’ who was 21 and was killed by a drunk driver. Though his life was cut short at an early age, I believe that he was able to impact the jewish nation and those around him. He made aliyah straight after high school and joined the army. After his army service he returned to the U.S. to get his degree. Though he was not in Israel, he was still concerned for the future of the jewish people and tried to come up with different ways to help out. I recently met him three weeks ago at an Israel conference and though I only knew him for a short while he made an impression on me. We both were at the conference because we were aliyah representatives on our college campuses. Our mission is to help those who love Israel and want to make aliyah fulfill their dreams. As I think back to the conference I remember how passionate and dedicated he was to the future of the Jewish people and how he believed that he could make a difference. I think that we can all be inspired by his belief that he could make a difference though he was just one individual. We should also realize that we also have that same power to stand up and make a difference and we are the ones that underestimate our own abilities. This Purim may we all realize our strengths that can be used to help the jewish people and be able to make Avi’s dream a reality.

As we know the two reasons we celebrate Chanukah are to commemorate how the Jews won the war against the Greeks and how the oil that was found in the Beit Hamikdash lasted for 8 days. I was always wondering if there was a deeper connection between these two events and I heard an interesting explanation of how they are connected. If we look deeper into what the cause of war between the Greeks and the Jews was about, we can understand that the war was not just to eradicate the Jews physically, but to extinguish the jewish soul. They wanted Judaism to just be cultural and not spiritual which is why they banned the jewish people from keeping Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Brit Mila. These three mitzvot symbolize our connection with Hashem and show that Judaism is not just another culture that is void of spirituality. In addition, the Greeks didn’t believe that Hashem is always involved in the world and controls nature. The connection between these two seemingly separate events is that when Hashem performed the miracle that the Jews were able to win over the Greeks who greatly outnumbered them, it showed that Hashem is involved in our everyday activities and is in charge of nature even though it seemed like a natural occurrence. The open miracle with the oil lasting for 8 days also clearly showed how Hashem is openly involved in our lives and how against all odds they were able to find oil that was not defiled and could be used to light the menorah. These two miracles showed the Greeks that contrary to their belief, Hashem is constantly involved in world events and in our own personal lives.

Another question that comes up is, when do we commemorate the victory over the Greeks? It seems that we are only commemorating the miracle of the oil when we light the menorah. I heard an interesting answer, that explains that in the Beit Hamikdash the menorah only had seven branches and on our menorah we have eight. Why is there this difference? Also if there was enough oil for the first night of Chanukah then why was that such a miracle? The reason for the difference is that we have the extra branch/candle to symbolize the victory over the Greeks. On the first night we light the menorah to commemorate the victory and the other seven nights we are commemorating the miracle of how the oil lasted for all the rest of the days. The lesson we can take from Chanukah is that Hashem is constantly watching over us and helping us even at times when it seems as if events are progressing naturally. May we all have a bright and uplifting Chanukah!

In this week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha we read about how Avraham was commanded by Hashem to leave his birthplace and to go where Hashem commanded him. As we know where Avraham would be going was not revealed to him at first which made this commandment even more difficult. As always I like to connect events in the Torah to our lives, because I think in this way we can continue to bring the Torah back to life and it becomes more meaningful to us. So how does Avraham’s commandment have relevance for us today and what can we learn from his experience?

Hashem’s commandment to Avraham was, Lech Lecha which means go for yourself. I think that by following Hashem’s commandment Avraham was fulfilling his personal destiny that only he could accomplish. He understood Hashem’s message to him and he didn’t delay and push it aside. Instead he not only went himself but he brought many other people with him. Also in addition to this test that Hashem tested Avraham we are told that in total he was tested 10 times. Though he passed all the tests, we can imagine that despite his perseverance and success he still felt some fear.

I think that like Avraham, we each have our own personal missions in life that we need to accomplish. We are also given our share of challenges that are uniquely designed for us to help us become stronger and be able to carry out our life’s mission properly and effectively. Though at times it is unclear what we need to accomplish and what is expected from us, we like Avraham need to hear Hashem’s calling to us and take the strength from Avraham to approach life’s challenges and opportunities in a whole new way.

Living in our fast paced world, it is very difficult for us to think of anything that has remained the same. Before we can enjoy what we have, we are bombarded by a new car model or an updated cell phone that has become the new trend. Even many beliefs and ideas that were accepted for many years and given credence to are also changing before our eyes.

As I was reading through Parshat Nitzavim and Vayelech I came to a great realization about the greatness of our holy Torah. As we know these last few parshiot are part of Moshe’s last words to the Jewish people before he passes away. In addition to reviewing many of the torah concepts that he taught them, Moshe also uses this opportunity to strengthen them before they go in Eretz Yisrael. Moshe as Hashem’s messenger tells the Jewish people that all the mitzvot that Hashem has commanded them to do “is not in the heaven”, meaning that it is within their reach. In addition, we are told that the Torah is timeless and no matter where we Jews live and what time period we are living in, the Torah will still remain the same. In addition, as we were told in previous parshiot how we can not add or subtract from the Torah, because Hashem has given it to us. I think that not only was this applicable to strengthen the Jews then but it can also be a source of strength for us in our times. The same struggle that the Jews went through in their times is still a struggle for us today. As I read this I felt a great sense of happiness that we were given such an important gift from Hashem that helps us navigate our way is such a rapidly changing world where nothing remains the same. It is amazing to me how our Torah that was written down thousands of years ago is still applicable and relevant as it was when the Jewish people were given the Torah. Though at times the Torah may be viewed by some to be restrictive, outdated and unattainable in our times, we must remember that unlike many other things in life where one needs certain prerequisites and certain privileges to get a job of be part of a certain group in Judaism it is very different. As we have seen Torah is not unattainable but is accessible to all of us no matter what our life situation is and Hashem has given us the perfect guide to help us succeed in this world of confusion.

As we approach Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we need to realize that instead of fearfully approaching them, we can be comforted by the words from this week’s parshiot and realize that even if we have lowered ourselves spiritually throughout the year, we are still given another chance to improve and change our ways for the better. May we all be inscribed in the book of life and for great year!
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