Dear Friend,
I never knew that such a little insignificant piece of plastic could be so pivotal.
That little plastic ‘sleeve’ that holds the sim card, broke and got stuck in the phone.
It was quite a big deal to get it unstuck and then to replace it.
Ironically, the sim card, which is the brains of the phone is fairly easy to replace.
I am talking about this little ‘ pichifke ’ that is a sliver of a plastic and retails for $6.98 plus shipping.
Till now, I had looked at the piece of plastic that holds the sim card as a little insignificant thingamajig. A plastic ‘shmontzeh’. Turns out, it’s a pretty important accouterment.
Till I could get the matter sorter out, I was left phoneless….
( Click here for some meditations about being phoneless it may actually be a good thing. Thank G-d we have Shabbat which is a Divine ‘technology detox’).
The Baal Shem Tov taught that we are to learn a life lesson from every thing one sees or hears. Here is what I learned from my preoccupation with this simple piece of plastic?
Our Sages tell us in the Ethics of Our Fathers
Do not scorn any man, and do not belittle any ‘thing’. For there is no man who has not his hour, and no ‘thing’ that has not its place.
The story is told of King David who was wondering what possible usefulness a spider could have. Spiders seem to provide only irritation and have no productive use. King David found his answer as he was escaping from King Saul who was pursuing him. King David entered a cave with his pursuers not far behind. A spider promptly spun an intricate web at the entrance to the cave. His pursuers saw the unbroken spider web and assumed that there was no reason to search the cave. It was obvious that no one had entered. King David now gave praise to G-d for all His creations. Even those creatures that seem redundant.
This, say the commentaries, is what the Sages mean by their teaching ‘do not belittle any thing’.
The Mishna is telling us that everything in this world has its time and place when it is irreplaceable. Nothing is insignificant.
When one needs that little piece of insignificant plastic, nothing can take its place. During certain circumstances, what is usually petty, becomes the most important thing in your universe.
There is a double lesson to be learned here.
If you are suffering from low self-esteem, remember your contribution to G-d’s world is unique. To say that you are redundant is to deny G-d. Hashem does not create extra people. You, yes you, with all your doubts, fallacies and idiosyncrasies.
Hashem created YOU to be YOU. G-d’s world is not complete without YOU.
You are here because G-d has a plan for you.
In the words of this weeks Parsha:
‘See, I place before you blessing and its unwelcome counterpart’.
It is your choice whether you choose the path of blessing or the other path. It is your choice whether you grin or grimace.
However, regardless of what choices you have made, you are irreplaceable.
On the other hand, if you are feeling haughty and stepping on other people as if they are redundant just remember that even the ‘smallest’ plastic item may be the most important to you at some stage.
Human beings – each and every one of them - are existentially important.
You must treat every fellow human as the valuable part of G-d’s world that they are.
The greatest of our leaders taught us by their example. They treated the lowliest people they encountered with the highest level of respect.
True greatness is to appreciate the worthwhileness in every fellow human.
In every living creature.
In every being of vegetable life.
Even in every inanimate object.
Our G-dly mission is to utilize all of creation for its intended purpose.
The roadmap is the Torah.
The techniques used to elevate creation to its Divine goal are the Mitzvahs.
This basic awareness of the importance and significance of every detail of creation becomes even more highlighted at this time of the year.
On Thursday and Friday of this week we mark the beginning of the month of Elul.
Rosh Hashana (this year on Friday eve September 15th see details below about High Holiday services) reminds us that Hashem created the world and every single detail therein.
A capable housewife does not keep useless things in her home. If something has no purpose, it doesn’t stay around in her domain.
Hashem doesn’t make mistakes. Hashem doesn’t keep non-necessary and redundant things in His world.
Rosh Hashana as the birthday of man, reminds us that we each have a purpose and each and every one of us is indispensable to G-d.
Shabbat Shalom
And an early SHANA TOVA
Rabbi Yosef C. Kantor