© 2002 United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula
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For three weeks, our neighbors to the north experienced a reign of terror inflicted by one or two human beings who were shooting individuals at random. Thoughts of ten dead people had two states filled with fear. Although by the time you receive this message, the story might be out of the news, there is an insight I took from the tragedies that I would like to share with you.
The insight I gained was that millions of otherwise predictable lives can be altered drastically through the unpredictable ideas of a statistically meaningless blip. Concern for political campaigns, including all the issues that will be up for our vote this November, were put on hold. People were afraid to have their children go to school. Shabbatons were cancelled and economies were altered all because of an idea that one man had. Observe how well-laid plans count for nothing when an individual decides to assert himself!
These thoughts bring to mind the dictum of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement (1698-1758) that every experience needs to be used as a lesson in how to serve G-d. The lesson to be learned requires us to recall the Talmud’s statement that “G-d’s apportioning of good to this world outweighs His apportioning of evil.” According to the famous Medieval sage, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, better known as Rashi (1040-1105), the ratio can actually be measured at 500:1!
The good to be taken is the appreciation of how powerful one individual’s determination to accomplish something positive can be, when s/he thinks outside of the box, and comes up with a single idea that no one else has thought of yet! Committees might work as tools for implementing ideas, but individuals are needed to think. Often, the world fears such individuals. Our own prophet Isaiah said it best:
“The continents saw and feared, the ends of the earth shuddered-” The world feared a ruthless individual like our forefather Abraham. But they came around. “-A man helped his fellow, and to his brother he said ‘Be strong!’” (Isaiah 41:5-6)
And again Isaiah says “Look to Abraham your forefather and to Sarah who bore you. Because he was one-Echad, I summoned him and blessed him and made him many.” (ibid. 51:2)
Adath Jeshurun is facing a momentous year ahead. Decisions about our future will be made. AJ’s role as the center of Jewish Education and growth on the Peninsula has been shown time and time again to be essential. It is thanks to individuals willing to be active that we have had any measure of success this past year. Membership has increased and we are once again at the forefront of Judaism’s resurgence in the larger community. We look forward to see more of you join the bandwagon of ideas and implementation that have made AJ survive and thrive for 110 years.
See you in shul,
Rabbi Raffy Davidovich