As we ricochet between the pain of destruction and the power of our People - rising, retaliating and rebuilding - we can’t help feeling, ‘flooded’.
From the barrages of images to the barrages of rockets. From the terrifying videos of loss to the tremendous testimonies of heroism. From the bold voices of support to the brazen distortions of fact.
From the challah-baking to the hot-food making, house maintaining, soldier supporting with some family counselling in between. Volunteering, comandeering, guarding, planning, calling, answering, helping, reading, worrying, watching, breathing. It’s a lot - it feels like we’re being swept away in a flood.
A flood of emotions and demands - with no imminent cease-fire between the heart, the soul, the brain and the body. The flood is real.
Not so long ago, as we neared the end of the Torah cycle, Moshe’s stirring song of Haazinu inspired two visions of education from the Heavens.
"יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י…" (דברים כב:ב)
“My doctrine will come down as the rain, My speech shall distill as the dew…”
Hashem’s laws of morality and righteousness can either come down forcefully as rain, or fall gently like dew. The Midrash contrasts the forceful downpour of rain - good for some but destructive for others - with the subtle nourishment of dew - humbly bringing blessing and joy to all.
The world is created to give man the ground upon which to develop, advance and grow. Nature, in all its beauty, beckons to man, to partner with it and bring Heaven down to earth.
But we get it wrong, we stray and even the ground loses its way.
וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃ (בראשית ו':י"א)
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
Our hope for the world and all its inhabitants is that Hashem’s words and values should be infused subtly like dew. But when the dew is spurned, the Heavens open up and pour forth with a desperate plea to cleanse, renew and redeem.
May we merit to step outside soon into the light of the day, with a clear view of the Heavens, uplifted by that very uniquely invigorating smell of the fresh air that follows the rain.
Breathe.
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