CHOOSE TO SHINE

Choose to Shine 

A recent story recounted a siren sounding at 4:00 a.m. in an Israeli city. People had to jump out of bed, get their kids up, and run to a shelter when most were sleeping. It turned out to be a false alarm. It was frustrating, yet something wonderful emerged. One of the families roused from their sleep discovered a fire that was just starting in their kitchen. Had they not been awakened by the siren, who knows what might have occurred? As the story made the rounds, people felt awed and thankful to Hashem that He saved this family.

Wait a moment. Hashem was also the one Who caused the fire to ignite. Yes, He saved that family by means of the siren, and it made for an inspiring tale. But let’s be honest about this and ask: Why cause potential peril and then miraculously come to the rescue? What can we learn here?

The Baal Shem Tov (the “BeShT”) posits that everything we see and hear is a message to us from Hashem. The fire was necessary to communicate something to that family, as well as to their neighbors, and to each of us as well. They were saved from destruction because that is also a message from above. It is our job to figure out how it applies to us, what we can learn from it, and what actions we must take to improve ourselves.

The wildfires raging in California, tropical cyclone Dikeledi in Madagascar, the Marburg Virus outbreak in Tanzania, the Cholera outbreak in Angola, the earthquakes in Ethiopia and Vanuatu, the eruption of Kanlaon in the Philippines, the floods in Libya, even drought in Mozambique are all messages to you personally. You do not live near any of those places, but the “BeShT” assures us that these are all notes from above to each of us. We must examine our lives, our behavior, even our daily routines to figure out how we can come closer to Hashem and improve our relationship with Him. If we are on the wrong path, then we are given reminders and hopefully time to correct any defects in our character, in our actions, and in our thoughts.

This message is crystallized in the story of Purim. In the fourth century BCE, the saga spanned the entire known world. All 127 provinces of the mighty Persian empire were sent messages directly from the palace of King Achashverosh and sealed with his official royal stamp. The edict stated that every Jewish person would be attacked and killed on the 13th day of Adar (the twelfth month). There was no place to run or hide. The Jewish nation had no hope beyond returning to Hashem in complete repentance.

It was only through hidden miracles that we were saved from annihilation. The way the story unfolded through the heroic efforts of Esther and Mordechai rivals anything Hollywood can concoct. So many things happened behind the scenes that it could only be due to Divine intervention. People who had chosen to ignore the warnings of the leader of the generation, Mordechai, were now at risk of losing everything, including their lives. Mordechai forbade joining the royal party. Unfortunately, his guidance was ignored. People decided that they knew better. The food and wine was all kosher. What’s the big deal? Why is the rabbi making such an issue out of it? We have to stay on good terms with the king, right? Ultimately, there is only One to Whom we can and should turn. We must heed the many indicators we are given to know we are heading in the right direction and on the right path.

We are so close now. Can you feel that the redemption is imminent? World events happen at light speed, as enemies topple, and the Jewish people reunite in a common purpose and love. The painful galus has splintered us into so many discrete fragments, yet we all recognize that we come from the same source and that we are heading toward the same destination. Let us unite in true brotherhood and peace as we prepare for the end of this final exile.