Parashah Lech Lecha starts out with the instruction: "Go!" But go where? "Go to yourself." Huh? How do I do that? First step is trusting. Actually it's not only the first step. It's every step of the way along the narrow bridge of life. You are going to leave your comfort zone. You are going somewhere new and unfamiliar. The journey will take you through some territory that won't always be fun. You will face challenges every step of the way.
Go to yourself, to the land I will show you. One aspect of this "land" requires the children of Avraham Avinu commit to being a nation of priests. That means leading by example.
The quality of Avram in us is the more we stay in mediocrity, the more compelled we feel to go, to leave that comfort zone. Perhaps a leap of faith is required -- Is something better out there? The quality of Avram in us is seeking a better life, a better way of life, for ourselves, for our children, for our children's children. This is the story of the immigrant.
"But what if I don't want to? I mean, I know that things are far from perfect in my current situation, but I'm somewhat comfortable." -Hypothetical Avram
"No sorry, that won't do it. You, Avram, you are too capable to remain incapacitated in the world. You are too capable to sit idly by ("idle worship") and watch what the world could become, come to naught. I, the Soul of the World, won't allow it, now get a'goin'. Oh yeah, and this goes from your progeny as well" -the G!D (not a direct quote)
Now, we, as the descendants of our father Avraham (High Father-lit. trans.) have a charge. "I sometimes wonder how so many 'observant people' can be so unobservant," a friend said yesterday in the Beit Midrash. The friend noticed people filling a trash can without putting in a new liner. Familiar problem: desire to do good but insufficient "klie" vessel. We all do things imperfectly: that's called "being human."
Each of us notices and is bothered by different things to different degrees. For me, I get upset when I see people smoking cigarettes with tzitzith hanging out.
Last week, we learned Halachot of tzitzit: that is, we learned the way to walk, Jewish style, with tasseled garments. "You shall see them [the tzitzit] and remember all My mitzvot" (Bamidbar 15:39). We studied and were tested on how to make them and when and how to wear them, what to make them from and what to not make them from, how to maintain them and when to retire them, what to do with them once they are retired, how to bless the Source of Life when wearing them. We learned tens of details for this sacred four-cornered, tasseled garment. That's all good and fine. Now that we know how to wear and make tzitzit, what do we do with them? I want to learn how to behave in a manner of integrity while wearing them. Wearing them, that's the easy part. In fact, wearing tzitzit is so easy that this act's importance can seem negligible; to me it seems, it is a negligible act if we don't act with integrity, especially in public, while wearing the garment.
Please permit my telling the truth: wearing the garment exposed while behaving poorly is not only negligible, it's outright destructive on several accounts.
Smoking tobacco is destructive of HaShem's creation: our bodies and those around breathing the second hand smoke are poisoned. The environment is harmed: air is polluted with a foul toxic stench, and cigarette filter litter needlessly pollutes the streets and fills this good land with junk. We are told not to place stumbling blocks before one another: smoking in public reinforces a value structure that places self-indulgence over health, respect, caring, and self-control. Smoking in public, wearing tzitzith or a kippah, damages the reputation of the Children of Israel. We, as a nation of priests, should present ourselves to the world as people who are attempting to fulfill the mission of our father Avraham: show kindness, teach awe, inspire reverence of The Holy Blessed One and a respect for His creation.
I don't come to shame anyone. Not one of us is immune to the desires in this world. Also, not one of us is exempt from the injunction to go from our comfort place to the land that HaShem will show us. That land is Eretz Yisra-El, the place of "integrity with the Holy Blessed One". Of course the getting there is a struggle at times for all of us in all of our different ways. That's why Yisrael also means "wrestles with the Holy Blessed One".
Nafka Mina: I implore you, if you do give in to your urges to smoke, has ve'shalom, take into account the effects your actions have on others. Take into account the effects your actions have for the public image of shomer-mitzvoth yidden when you do this in public with your tzitzit hanging out. I urge you to consider moving your self indulgent behavior into a private space. Consider nicotine gum or patches. Better yet, don't' engage in "idle worship". Don't resist positive change. Lech-lechah. Go to your best selves. Consider quitting. I know from personal experience it can be done. There are programs, resources, support groups, books, self-hypnosis tapes, … . I want to support your efforts in whatever way I can. Yasher Koach on every cigarette you look in the face, grind into the floor unlit, saying, "I'm going to go to my best self and leave you behind-I trust HaShem will help me!" May the Force be with you. Shabbat Shalom!
Eliyahu Dror
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Eliyahu Dror is a former student of Yeshivat Bat Ayin. He is currently working for the Yeshiva as Administrative Director. |