While camping this week in the Sawtooth wilderness, I woke up and davened. It was surreal to put on tallis and tefillin surrounded by the jagged, majestic Sawtooth Mountains and Ponderosa pines. Reciting the words from the siddur about G-d recreating the world every moment means a lot more when we are so intimately in touch with His imprint. No wonder they call it G-d’s Country.
I was, however, interrupted during my prayers. A lady wanted to know exactly what I was up to. And why, she inquired, was I wearing those antennae on my head? Did it give me a better connection to G-d? After explaining to her the meaning of tefillin, she exclaimed in wonderment, “My sister is very religious, but when she comes out to the woods, I’ve never seen her bring any religious articles with her! This is remarkable!”
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In this week’s parsha, Eikev, Moshe talks about the Second Tablets. He recalls that G-d instructed him to make an Ark to house the Tablets. Interestingly, this Ark was not the Ark that stored the Tablets in the Sanctuary – that was built later. So what was the purpose of this Ark (aside from housing the Tablets until the Mishkan was built)?
The Talmud teaches that this Ark’s function was to go with the Jewish people at times of war. The Torah, symbolized by the Tablets and the Ark, traveled with the soldiers in their battles.
Apparently, this is not only an ancient tradition, but – as the pictures below demonstrate – continues today.
What is the purpose of bringing the Torah to the battlefield? Is it not sufficient to study the Torah and cherish it in its holy abode? Does the Torah belong in such hazardous environments?
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The lesson is clear. Yes! The Torah is not only our guiding light. It is part and parcel of who we are – whenever and wherever we may be. It is not reserved for the synagogue or holidays.
Just the opposite! It is the Torah that gives us strength in battle. It is the Torah that illuminates the darkness; that brings holiness to a world otherwise bereft of it.
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This Shabbat marks the 70th yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson זצ"ל, the father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He passed away in Kazakhstan, after being exiled by the Soviet authorities due to his activities on behalf of Yiddishkeit. Though he lived in an era and locale where practicing Yiddishkeit carried tremendous risk, he never flinched. Though he lived his final years in the wastelands, he imbued it with Torah and holiness. In fact, it was in exile that he wrote much of his famous kabbalistic commentaries on the Torah. He brought the Torah with him wherever he was – and it, in turn, was his beacon of light.
We sometimes find ourselves in situations that seem distant from G-d, or at least from His Torah and its mitzvot. But there really is no such thing.
At times of war, we are assured of our success due to our spiritual commitment. When we battle the forces of adversity in the world around us and in our own lives – a spiritual war that is magnified in the long exile of the Jewish people – it is the Torah that serves as a source of light and guidance.
The next time you are on a trip – away from the spiritual reservoir of the synagogue and your holy home – be sure to bring some Torah and Yiddishkeit along. That’s exactly where it belongs – and perhaps where you’ll need it most.