written on stationery with a lovely Jerusalem skyline
backdrop
As a new reader of Yated, I want to tell you how much
I appreciated your article on suffering. We made aliya four
years ago and Boruch Hashem, have all the amenities including
cranberries with our canned pineapple. Those of us who grew
up in America have had it relatively easy and as you so aptly
pointed out, have low tolerance for discomfort.
I'm sure your readers will not misconstrue what you are
saying; you are not minimizing personal tragedies, especially
the ones we witness daily. I'm reminded of what I was told
when in labor, "Lean on it," and in essence, I think that's
what you meant. We need to go with the flow and be grateful
for the lessons learned from our physical and emotional
discomfort.
Looking forward to more of your articles,
Sincerely,
Susan Portman, Jerusalem
ED.: Thanks, Susan. I would like to retract my term
`suffering' and replace it with `hardship,' since I believe
in making the BEST of things, with good humor. If Hashem has
chosen you for a particular test, well, then, so be it!
Perhaps putting my philosophy in a positive nutshell, as you
also did, I would say that life is like going up a down
escalator. Treading is not enough; you must keep striving
forward, and happily make the best of every situation.
Before you know it, you'll have gotten past the hump and be
thankfully there.
TO THE EDITOR
It is inconceivable to have read your "Thoughtful
Response"... It sounded like from one who has no idea of our
holy beautiful heritage and all our Torah has taught us. The
little goodness we may find among some of the nations is
because they have acquired some of the Torah from the Jews in
their countries.
Hashem has commanded us to wipe out Amolek because of their
"jumping into the fire" to war with Israel. You say we should
learn from their determination. Amolek is destined for
annihilation and we should learn from them? Let us learn from
Nachshon who jumped into Yam Suf.
You want us to learn from the Germans? How much more
discipline can we learn by following the teachings of the
Torah... Do we have to admire the Greeks? Where is the
appreciation of our tashmishei kedusha... Any positive
thing you mentioned is first to be found by Yidden.
Rebbetzin Wachtfogel o.b.m, student of Sara Schenirer [she
was my teacher, too] told me that she would never again wear
her gold choker necklace because she saw goyim wearing
that style. That is how far she separated herself from the
goyim. How can we think of emulating anything of
theirs?
I think the article you wrote deserves an apology to Klall
Yisroel and a retraction.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sarah Yocheved Shain, Kiryat Sefer
DEAR MRS. SHAIN,
I apologize to Klal Yisroel. I am pained, and I apologize for
not having made myself clear and I hope that this will
straighten out the score somewhat. Thank you for the
opportunity.
There are times (I wish they were more often) when I say the
Shema and think of Rabbi Akiva waiting all his educated life
for the moment when he could give his very life to Hashem.
Bechol nafshecha. I pray that if that opportunity ever
confronts me, that I, too, will have the fortitude to bare my
throat or jump into the fire and declare my love for
Hashem.
If for a split moment I flinch, I am conditioning myself to
berate myself and say, "So you're no better than Amolek? They
jumped into the scalding bath out of pure SPITE and HATRED
for the Jews and what they represented. And you are not ready
to do so for your faith? For LOVE of Hashem?"
To be less drastic and do as the Mussar teachers say, to LIVE
al Kiddush Hashem, every day, we must sometimes use
the wiles of our yetzer hora and extract the good from
the bad. Bechol levovcha - bishnei yitzoreicha.
Yaakov Ovinu declared that he lived by Lovon for 22 years but
did not learn from his bad deeds. Commentators note
that he DID learn from Lovon -- how to be determined, single-
minded, even wily -- for the good.
A very personal example is the clothing gemach with
which I am involved. For sure, we could distribute the
clothing and not charge anything. But we do take 1 - 6 shekel
per item and then recycle the money for tzedoka after
expenses. I am sure that the exchange of money here, even if
it does not go into anyone's personal pocket, G-d forbid, is
a definite incentive in our providing high quality service
and goods! And this is because of a healthy attitude towards
money!
Then there is an old adage, "Az ess christelt zach,
Yiddelt zach." Jews do tend to absorb somewhat of their
surroundings, whether they like it or not, and if this is
crystallized [pun perhaps intended] and distilled, it can
certainly be for the good, as I mentioned. It is a process of
osmosis, and we must definitely be on our toes to absorb ONLY
the positive aspects. But to deny it is foolish.
Morrocan Jews are not Yemenite Jews are not American Jews are
not Swiss Jews. Take the best and discard the chaff and USE
EVERYTHING THAT COMES YOUR WAY for the ultimate service of
Hashem.
Savvy? I surely hope so, but will be willing to try again.
The ball, as we Americans aptly say, is in your court.
Also very sincerely,
Sheindel Weinbach
