WORDS OF INSPIRATION

Permit me to share with you a statement made by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, a great spiritual leader of the Jewish People and a profound Jewish Thinker.

 

"There is one who sings the songs of his own self and in himself finds everything. Then there is the one who sings the song of his people and cleaves with a tender love to Israel. And there is one whose spirit is in all worlds, and with all of them does he join in his song. The song of self, the song of One’s people, the song of man, the song of the world-they all merge within him continually. And this song, in its completeness and fullness, rises to become the song of Holiness."

 

These words of inspiration ring out to all humanity, with the simple question; “What song do we have in our lives that bespeaks the essence of our existence?”

 

More so, my quest is; “What song was in the hearts and minds of our patriarchs, especially in the heart and mind of our Father Avraham.”

 

I pose this question as we read in this week’s Parsha the story of the Akedah, when Avraham was asked by Hashem to bring his beloved son Yitzchak as an offering, attesting to his loyalty and unequivocal obedience to G-D'S behest.

 

I find the entire Akedah episode very difficult to comprehend because the Torah gives no description of Avraham’s state of mind or his feelings at this trying time. I do not see any conversation taking place, except when the Torah states "And Avraham rose early in the morning and went to the place of which G-D had told him".

 

One wonders ‘What were the inner thoughts, feelings and reactions of Avraham to such a severe Nisayon?’

 

A most enigmatic Medrash addresses Avraham’s dilemma as he walks with Yitzchak to fulfill the wishes of Hashem.

 

The Medrash relates; “The Satan appeared in different guises with the intention of dissuading Avraham from fulfilling his task. The Satan, in a very nefarious, way tries to show him the absurdity of such a venture.”

 

As I begin to think of the significance of this Medrash, I venture to say, that it may be a symbolic representation of an internal struggle that was taking place in the psychic of Avraham as he begins to realize more and more as he is rapidly approaches Mt. Moriah of the dire consequence of this mission.  However, his immense loyalty and dedication to Hashem energizes him to fend off all the efforts of the Satan and of his inner struggle and to forge ahead with his mission,  hoping, deep down in his heart and mind that the end result of such a Nisayon will be to his benefit.

 

Many of us face ‘Inner Struggle Forces’ which often deter us from our mission and our Tafkid in life.  We must, with all the energies we can muster, to fend off our ‘Inner Struggles’ that will take us off our path,  leading to success and to happiness.

 

Once again remembering the words of Rav Kook, “We all have a song of life that needs to be expressed and we must strive to sing that song that will continue to influence the way we live and to always be vigilant never to permit the Satans of negativity to block our road of achieving our spiritual goals for ourselves, for our families and for K'lal Yisrael.”