Vayechi: Living through exile
Dear friends,
Every relationship can use a good snowstorm. If the pile of snow behind your car and the ice on the streets force you to stay home and enjoy the company of those closest to you, then not only school children and their teachers should be thankful that “it’s sticking.” Curling up under a blanket on the couch, cups of hot chocolate, and four-hour-long games of Monopoly put you face to face with the beauty you have back at home.
This week we mark the 10th of Tevet, the day when the Babylonian army laid siege to Jerusalem in 425 BCE. The walls were breached and the city destroyed two and a half years later. This fast day is particularly sad because we had two and a half years to find our way out, and we didn’t. Even sadder is that the solution may have been the siege itself. Being stuck with just each other, the inhabitants of Jerusalem had the opportunity to recognize and appreciate the unique qualities they each brought to the table, and maybe as a unified while diversified force they could have averted the looming calamities.
I’d say it’s no coincidence that this is January, when snow in much of the northern hemisphere is inevitable. Maybe soon enough, when Moshiach arrives, we’ll commemorate 10 Tevet and its meaning with a cup of hot chocolate.
Baruch S. Davidson,
Responder for Ask the Rabbi @ Chabad.org
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The master is dependent on his slaves—he has leisure only because they do the work, and he is the master only because he is recognized as such by them.
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The supernal prototype that all male-female relationships mirror is the bond between G‑d and Israel.
Rather than appearing to be “monsters,” perpetrators usually try to be very charming and friendly.
I know that I have been given a great treasure—a large family of wonderful souls . . .
Blind spots keep us from achieving happiness and fulfillment in ourselves and in relationships.
With their modesty and integrity, they transmitted a firm sense of commitment to their children.
"The hassids are the ones with the black coats..." "No, no. All the Orthodox have long black coats and beards."
Our souls are in exile within our bodies. Our people is in exile within a foreign world.
And so there are two things we must know:
That this is not our place.
And that hidden treasure lies buried here; for G‑d dwells in darkness.
If we remember only that this is not our place, we may remain strong, we may even sh...
