Friends - A quick story I heard told by R. Mordecai Twersky about the Alter Rebbe of Gur who one day overheard a simple yid davenning with all his might but in an unusual way. After completing each verse of his prayers, the yid would exclaim G-d's name fervently, and then proceed to read the next verse. The Rebbe approached him and said, "My friend - why do you exclaim the Holy Name between each verse?" The yid replied, "Well, I learned that every time you see two yuds together, it spells G-d's name." As we know from any prayer book, the two dots (:) at the end of each verse, which can surely be mistaken for two yuds, are used to separate the verses, and two yuds next to one another come to abbreviate G-d's name. A yud is like a yid - a tiny speck in the universe that can either create separation by trying put himself above his fellow yid, or who can create G-d's name by sitting alongside his fellow in brotherhood and equality. Hashem should bless us to all sit alongside one another and create His name together. Good Shabbes
Jerry Silverman
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Jerry Silverman is a former student of Yeshivat Bat Ayin. He is working in new media, designing and managing media projects. He lives in Riverdale, NY with his wife Sarah and their two children. |