By the Grace of G-d
Dear Friend,
Parts of the world are back to some semblance of ‘old normal’.
Other parts of the world, like Thailand and Australia for example, are locked down.
It has become quite clear. At least it seems that way for now.
The countries that got their vaccination programs on target, developing, procuring and being blessed to ‘bet’ on the ‘more successful’ vaccines early on in the game, are now faring way better than those who didn’t manage to successfully navigate the vaccination field.
For mitigating the effects of a pandemic there are immediate steps that need to be taken. Limiting the spreading of the virus via various measures. Distancing, masking etc.
But there are all reactive measures. One of the stated goals is to ensure that the healthcare infrastructure is not overwhelmed. But these restrictions don’t actually shoo the plague away. They just slow down the rate of transmission through the populace.
For stamping out a pandemic, one needs to fight it at the source.
Vaccines are the weapon of choice.
Through G-d’s gift of wisdom to the medical researchers, medicine has been able to eradicate illnesses that used to terrify humanity. Polo, smallpox and many other scourges have, thank G-d, been relegated to history for the most part. Vaccines have been a great gift sent by G-d as we inch closer to the Messianic times when illness will be but a memory.
This is a very powerful lesson.
If you want to deal with a problem, try and solve it at its source.
Say for example you have a headache. Tylenol works to push away the pain. For the time being. But if you get recurring headaches you may want to check if you need glasses. Or whether you need to drink more water. Or maybe a vitamin deficiency. Or eating too much sodium. What you ought to do is try and get to the source and solve it from there.
We are now during the ‘nine-day’ period where we mourn the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash and the subsequent exiling of our people to all four corners of the earth.
Its been too long… almost two thousand years that we wait and yearn for Mashiach. It’s high time for the exile to be ended and the redemption to begin.
In trying to remove ourselves from this reprehensible state, wouldn’t it make sense to look at what caused the destruction and exile in the first place and try to reverse it?
That is exactly why our Sages told us the reason for having gone into exile in the first place. The Talmud teaches that the reason for our long exile is ‘sinat chinam’ which translates literally to ‘hatred for no reason’. The Jewish people at the time of the destruction were divided and acrimonious beyond rhyme and reason.
When two people fight because of a valid reason it too is not pretty. But at least there is a clearly defined item that led them to their quarrel. Let’s say two people are quarrelling over ownership of an object. You find a good mediator and figure out a compromise. Maybe you even split the value of the object. When there is no apparent reason for the divisiveness, when it is ‘hatred for no reason’ that is more difficult.
A parent can’t stand seeing their kids not getting along with each other.
Hatred between Jews is intolerable to G-d.
So intolerable that He allowed the Romans to vanquish the Jewish kingdom, destroy the Temple and exile the Jews.
How to fix it?
Equally straightforward.
LOVE for no reason.
For no other reason than we are both fellow Jews. Just to be friendly and nice. With no angles and hidden intentions.
When we get the right dosage of love, the reason for the destruction will have been uprooted, thus immediately bringing the cancellation of the exile. Presto. Mashiach comes.
When we enter these days of mourning, we try everything possible to stamp the exile out. By focusing on the cause of our exile and trying to rectify it.
The most effective thing we can do to cancel the mourning for ever is LOVE each other. For no reason. Just because we are all brothers and sisters.
The Rebbe proclaimed that the world is at the threshold of the Redemption.
This means that in the context of the nearly two thousand years of exile, we have already moved quite successfully through the process of fixing the problem of hatred.
Sure, we have our disagreements, and as stated above, during these days of mourning the destruction we have to get to work to totally eradicate hatred and acrimony between us. However, if you step back and look at the last two thousand years from a ‘helicopter view’, our time period is quite a peaceful one.
In the context of ‘epochs’ and era’s, if you read through our long history which included civil war and other fierce infighting, you will see that generally speaking the Jewish people of our generation are peacefully engaged with each other.
The Rebbe taught that besides for eradicating the ‘sickness’ at its source, there is also another very compelling reason to act with more love and unity during this mourning period.
To project into the future redemptive state.
Have you ever seen people travel from a wintry locale to a sundrenched holiday location. They are usually still wearing their scarves and coats as they board the plane. Once they are enroute to the warm destination their mind focuses on the sunny weather they are headed to. The winter clothes start to come off. The mindset starts to change. The summer mode sets in.
As we prepare to usher in the wondrous era of Mashiach, we already envision the Oneness of the Almighty being revealed and perceived by all.
When the unity of G-d is evident, our oneness is also palpable.
Harmonious coexistence is natural.
Good will be prevalent. No jealousy.
Unity will be the norm.
Isn’t it tempting to start living that way already now?
We are ‘on the plane’ to Mashiach’s coming
This is the time for unity.
To rid ourselves of the last vestiges of the old-world gripes and disharmonious arguments.
Time to divest ourselves of the ‘winter garments’. To change our mind sets form ‘old normal’. To prepare for a ‘new normal’.
And to prepare ourselves for the ultimate unity that will become the ‘eternal normal’ when Mashiach comes.
Actually, part of what hastens Mashiach’s coming is becoming more aware of the nature of Redemption and preparing for it.
What does that mean on a practical level?
Doing simple acts of love and kindness to others.
For one, say Hi to someone you haven’t been civil with for a while. Or just reach out to be nice to someone who is not in your usual radar. It could be family as well.
Someone shared with me, that after an email like this, they reached out to a brother with whom they had not spoken for years. The ‘broigez’ spat had started over something trivial that mushroomed out of control. Thank G-d they are now in constant contact and one brother helps out the other in a loving way.
So yes, besides being more tolerant to strangers and estranged friends, be more loving to your family members as well.
When in doubt? Act loving.
As our Sages taught:
Be of the students of Aharon. Love peace. Pursue peace. Love G-d’s created beings. Bring them close to the Torah.
With blessing,
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
PS the Almighty gave me a great gift of seeing ‘fruits’ of our efforts, here in the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ initiative.
Sitting in the Phuket Chabad House kosher restaurant which is very quiet (the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ program is not so simple and there has been only a modest influx of tourists. The island is still very empty and relatively quiet) I got to speaking to a youthful fellow Jew from the USA. R.M. was asking me about how we are surviving and how different it must be for the Chabad Houses in Thailand without the flow of tourism.
I shared my vision and mission statement of hosting Jews for Shabbat as an act of love without requiring payment. Just reserve so we know to expect you and join in the loving Jewish family experience. This experience I posited to him is sufficient to melt the walls of separation between our people and allow for greater unity and Jewish awareness and observance.
R.M. said yes you are right. And I know about it firsthand. R.M. then shared how he had been a backpacker nearly two decades ago near Kaosarn Rd in Bangkok with barely a few dollars to his name. He had attended the Shabbat dinner at Chabad House and that had sparked his interest in connecting more deeply to his Judaism. He went on to study with the Chabad in North America and become a more educated and committed Jew.
Small acts of love melt away separateness. They then grow and mature and blossom.
Let’s keep them acts of love rolling.
YK