Back to Basics

A Foundation in Bitachon

In this week’s Parshat Yitro we receive the Ten Commandments; the canon that defines us as Jews. The first commandment is G-d stating His Existence and Oneness. This commandment is obviously pivotal, because without it, we would not have to heed the other nine. The first commandment is the Jew’s raison d’être; it points to the gravity of bitachon.

Bitachon, or trust in G-d, is THE ingress to fulfilling every other mitzvah in the Torah. With genuine belief in G-d’s existence, our lives are likely to be permeated with direction and meaning. Yet, stripped of bitachon, we flounder in this baffling universe, where suffering courses wildly through our veins, and where we meander through the banality of our everyday existence, devoid of the proverbial shoulder to lean on.

Trust me; no one comprehends the criticalness of bitachon better than the one who disregards it.  Bitachon was always a spiritual romp for me. It was a trial and my clichéd “Everest.” Perhaps this began when I was in kindergarten and my childish imagination spewed a bunch of theological theories; that G-d had other god buddies, or that G-d looked like King Triton from The Little Mermaid, or that (forgive my 4-year-old brazenness) there was no G-d at all.

 

Prelude to Post: I can’t seem to fight it. Late Parsha posts are my fatal flaw (well one of them…you’ll soon see that I have many others). Bear with me anyways?

Comparison is the Thief of Joy



        I’m convinced that I’m an old soul. In fact, I like to think of my soul or consciousness (or whatever you’d like to call it) as a stereotypically portrayed grandmother. There she is with her silvery hair coiled into an immaculate bun, quilt thrown over her legs, knitting a hat, murmuring to herself in Yiddish (which is kind of odd because I’m of Middle-Eastern descent and all…huh).

Parshat Toldot

“THE BENEFIT OF THE WAIT”

        The very beginning of Parshat Toldot is what I ruminated over this past week. In the first chapter of Parshat Toldot we discover that our matriarch Rivka is barren. In fact, she was barren for 20 years of her life. She and her husband Yitzchak were deeply distraught and consistently prayed to G-d for children.

         Since 1^st grade, my teachers have lectured that righteous individuals (such as Yitzchak and Rivka) do not receive their heart’s desires right away. Instead, they are inclined to pore over their prayer book with continued fervor and faith, beseeching G-d for what they need. When our innocent faces puckered with puzzlement over this, our teachers would enthusiastically state: G-d yearns for the prayers of righteous people. This is why He does not deliver what they ask for right away.

Parshat Chaya Sara

PARSHAT CHAYA SARA

        I apologize for the belated post on the weekly Parsha. I had a spontaneous weekend getaway—very spur of the moment. I was considering in forgoing writing about the Parsha (since Shabbat already passed), but then I realized that it’s Parshat Chaya Sara and the biblical character I am named after (Rivka/Rebecca) is introduced and wedded in this Torah portion. How can I possibly spring past this personally meaningful Parsha and meander into trivialities?

       Aside from that, this Parsha is especially relevant to singles because it deliberates upon the union of marriage. Commonly referred to as the “Shidduch Parsha,” Chaya Sara often draws lectures concerning dating and matrimony from Rabbis’ and teachers’ lips.

        Do I have any sermons about courtship and walking down the aisle? Hmm…let’s see…Well, I’ve seen the most genuinely kind and noble-hearted individuals (who are educated professionals and good-looking to boot!) being suctioned into a quicksand of loneliness and jaded dating experiences. I’ve also seen infantile and flighty individuals bask in the spell of fresh love and find their intended sooner than you can pop champagne and holler “Mazal Tov!” So, no, I clearly don’t have any sermons about this confounding labyrinth we like to call dating. I’m still as bewildered as the next single person. With very few exceptions, the whole notion of dating and marriage has left me scratching my head more than any other subject.

 

An End to This Horrific Week, Parshat Veyeira, and Children

 

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         The East Coast is still reeling from Hurricane Sandy. Areas in NY such as the Rockaways and Staten Island, as well as towns in New Jersey, are straining to salvage whatever they can from their flooded homes. Their power is still weakly wavering, they are waiting an hour for a pump of gas, and their grocery markets can’t even supply basic items such as milk or flashlights (being that they’re all sold out). As we’ve mentioned in a previous post, our hearts and thoughts are with those who have suffered terribly as a result of this natural disaster.

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         It seems as though the earth itself is sagging from the weight of her inhabitants’ financial, personal, and emotional turbulence and is reacting by “letting off steam”  or “blowing a fuse” (literally and metaphorically). Obviously, Hurricane Sandy’s devastation is what mainly occupies NY and its citizens. It occupies my mind as well. Yet, in midst of all this chaos and calamity, I can’t help but think about another NY tragedy that occurred merely a week ago. I’m referring to the unspeakable event that occurred in Manhattan involving a nanny, two young children, and an unsuspecting mother returning home from work. I don’t want to flicker a smile off your face and replace it with a grimace or a frown, but I don’t feel it’s respectful to proceed forth in my blog without giving mention to this horrific action either. Our hearts are still aching for the father and mother who have to endure this immeasurable pain.