It’s difficult to write, even to think, as so many people are suffering and countless others are in harm’s way.
Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Earthquake in Mexico and Hurricane Jose are some of the devastating natural disasters that we are dealing with.
Our key focus is – and should be – to pray for, support and help those in need. I am humbled by the outpouring of support to so many that have been affected. In Houston, Chabad has been at the forefront. In St. Martin, my colleague, Rabbi Moshe Chanowitz, reports that his family barely survived by camping out in the unfinished mikvah. The island suffered almost complete destruction.
In Florida, the warnings of storm surge, life-threatening winds, tropical rains are very concerning. Power, water and shelter may all be very scarce.
So, what should our reaction be?
As I’ve mentioned before, during a crisis it’s not the time to philosophize. It’s time for action.
So, I will merely point to one message from this week’s parsha, Ki Tavo, which hopefully helps guide us in our efforts of assistance.
The first mitzvah we read about is bikurim, the gift of the first fruits.
One of the requirements of a person bringing bikurim was to recite the following passage at the Holy Temple in Jerusalem:
“An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people, and there he became a great, mighty and numerous nation. The Egyptians treated us cruelly and afflicted us, and they imposed hard labor upon us. So we cried out to the L‑rd, G‑d of our fathers, and the L‑rd heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression. The L‑rd brought us out from Egypt with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with great awe, and with signs and wonders. And He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which You, O L‑rd, have given to me.”
Why does G-d want us to remember the troubles of the past when we are generously sharing with others? When we suffered it was impossible for us to share with others. So why remind ourselves about that now? Shouldn’t we celebrate the moment instead of getting bogged down in past misery? Why mar the joy with kvetching?
When we dig beneath the surface, however, we can appreciate that these verses are actually telling us something powerful about joy itself. Joy is not the product of a good life. Genuine happiness is internal. When we are grateful for the opportunities that G-d has given us – and demonstrate that gratitude by sharing it with others – we have tapped into a reservoir of real joyfulness. If however, our good fortune allows us to forget those less fortunate – whether it’s another person or my previous self – we cannot truly celebrate. We might pretend to celebrate, but it’s a passing joy that will disappear when the good times end.
By remembering the tough times during the good times, it can give us the strength, fortitude and hope to see the meaning in challenges. Even if we can’t understand, we can persevere.
Irma is a monster that we cannot fathom. As the eye of the hurricane bears down upon us, let’s pray that we keep our eye on the calling to assist our fellows and always pray and hope for G-d’s protection.