Dear Members and Friends,

By the time you read this a new Jewish year will be upon us. The year has passed has been no less significant or tumultuous than any other - and I say that in the SMALLEST sense possible.  Usually, when any of us look back at a year as a new year is approaching, we tend to focus on the “world stage” and on large disasters or highly public tragedies or trials or celebrities who rise and fall. Instead, says our tradition, this is the time of year to have an honest “sit-down” with each of our smaller, more limited worlds.

A story is told about Rabbi Zusya when he was on his deathbed that illustrates this. Rabbi Zusya of Hanipol lay dying. His students surrounded him and they noticee that as he lies on his death bed, he is weeping uncontrollably.  “Rabbi, Rabbi,” they say, “Why do you weep?”  He said

“I weep because I will soon need to answer before my Creator.”

“But,” said the students, “surely YOU have nothing to fear!?”  And Zusya replied, “If God asks me, ‘Why were you not as wise as Moses?’ I would be able to say, ‘Because I was not Moses.’ And if God says, “Why were you not as brave as Joshua?” I could say, ‘Because I was not Joshua.’

But what if God says to me, ‘Zusya – why were you not simply Zusya?’

I am afraid I won’t have an answer.”

Very directly and honestly, we must ask ourselves, how did we use the gift of our life in the year that is now ending? Did we fall short of our own potential? Did we steal opportunities for growth and positive interaction from ourselves? Did we use our talents to encourage and enable others to be their very best selves? 

Each of us has a purpose and we never know exactly what that purpose is. Another Chasidic tale tells of a student who was carrying on long distance learning with a rabbi. They had never seen one another. The student hoped to meet his rabbi but he dared not be so forward as to suggest this on his own. Finally, the rabbi invites the student to his home, not merely for a visit, but for Shabbos! What a gift! The student knows it will take him the better part of the day to reach the rabbi so he rises early on that Friday morning to reach his rabbi before sundown. Along the way a series of trials and tribulations slowed the student down until, as the sun was setting, he was in sight of the rabbi’s home. He started racing for the rabbi’s house when he was stunned to see two other Jews racing at him from the side of the road. They said, “Please, we are about to welcome Shabbat and we need one more Jew for a minyan (the traditional quorum of ten for public worship). Please come and spend Shabbat with us!” The student looked at the men and then at the rabbi’s house in the distance and said, “I would under any other circumstances, but I’ve been invited to spend Shabbat with my rabbi.” So he refused the two men and went to the rabbi’s home, where, to the student’s chagrin, the rabbi did not even so much as make eye contact with him or acknowledge the student’s presence during the entire Shabbat. As the sun was setting the next evening and the disappointed student was about to leave when he decided to confront the rabbi as to why, after he had traveled all that way and had been through such difficulties to get there, the rabbi never interacted with him. The rabbi asked, “Do you remember those two men who came to you asking you fulfill their minyan? Each of us has one, unique task to accomplish in our lives and that was yours.”

Since we never know our particular mission, we must accomplish every one that comes our way (like the rabbi wanted for his student) and to the best of our ability (like Zusya wanted for himself).

May you have a year of great accomplishment and contribution.

© Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels
September 2010