Thursday, April 5, 2018

The March

Posted by Guest Contributor IshbitzForever


Every Holiday shines a different light on our relationship with G-d. We are in middle of Passover, the holiday of “Ahavas Klula’soich”, a time when we compare the relationship of G-d and his people to lovers, bride and groom. It’s the Holiday in which Shir Hashirim, “Song of Songs” is read both after the Seder in our homes and in the synagogue by the community. We all know Rabbi Akiva’s quote “All books are holy, but the book of Shir Hashirim  is holy of holy (holiest of all).

After the six million, we surrendered and accepted to live with questions - we accepted that there is a unknown plan, that the rules of reward and punishment are for another world. Why do the righteous suffer? Moses himself was plagued by this question, and he was our greatest prophet. So it’s understandable that even the best of answers leave us unsatisfied and unsettled on some level. So we accept and wait and hope and pray, but we don't look for answers anymore. 

As much as we, the Jewish people love to argue, those silly arguments always fade to nothingness when challenged by our absolute acceptance of our oneness. We don’t have to know the man at the door to reach into our pockets, he’s our brother, but when he puts out his hand and says “Hachnasas Kallah” – we instinctively dig a little deeper into our pockets and our hearts  – because we know every Jewish cause is holy – but Shir Hashirim is holiest of all. To lend a hand for love, for family – to help create a Jewish home what can be holier.

So although most of us did not know the young couple that was taken from us this week, what they represented to us,  runs deep within us. 

To imagine the pain of the parents and loved ones is beyond anything I dare.

I can only say that we are a stubborn people, with a bag of questions on our back we march on, not because we are insensitive but because we must, "bal karchah ata chai" -  "Lachtaich Achari Bamidbar" its thru these challenging times, that we don't look for answers and just march that we endear ourselves to G-d once again - just keep marching.