The very word L"IF"e, contains the word "IF"in the middle. This suggests that life itself has many "IF"s, which we live by and often contend with. There are many times in life that we say, 'IF'; 'IF' I would of have done this and that, how our lives would have been different; 'IF' I would have married that person; 'IF' I would have chosen that profession, and thinking all along 'IF', 'IF', and then thinking how different life would have been. Truth be told , the life we chose is the life that is ours to cherish and to enjoy and to live with. The 'IF's of life can only cause a psychological upheaval in our existence and it does not serve us any benefit whatsoever.
Our second Torah reading this Shabbat begins:
אם בחוקותי תלכו ואת מצוותי תשמרו ועשיתם אותם
"'IF' you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them", and the פסוק goes on to tell us that the result will be 'a life of serenity and fulfillment'.
Here we are introduced to the word "IF" in the context of obeying G-D's commandments. However, here the word 'IF' is not an afterthought, but rather a direct result of an initial action, causing a specific result to occur. For example, "'IF' you service your car properly than you will drive in a much safer fashion, and thereby avoid any unforeseen breakdowns."
Life has its inevitable results, but the Torah is giving us a blueprint for a life of peace and tranquility and it requires a certain religious and ethical program to achieve the ultimate positive results.
Robert Frost in the poem "The Road Not Taken", makes this point when he describes walking through the forest and coming upon a fork in the road where two paths branched out. He stood gazing at these two paths and knows he can only take one of them. He wonders all the time what would have been 'IF' he took the other one. He concludes that the path he had taken made all the difference.
As one scholar said, "Judaism is neither pessimistic or optimistic, it is 'IF'istic, and we can make a better life for ourselves 'IF' we fulfill the dictates of our Torah."
It may be true that in certain aspects of life we may not be in control, however, there are many crucial areas of life where we and we alone must take control to avoid some of the "IF"s afterthoughts.
This week we will be celebrating the glorious and magnificent holiday of יום ירושלים, the reunification of our Holy City in Yerushalayim, with our brothers and sisters in Israel and with Jews from all over the world.
Can we even imagine 'IF' we would have been defeated by our enemy at that time? Can we imagine 'IF' we did not have Hashem as our partner?
It is worth noting that the Hebrew word for L'if'e is also a four letter word. It is 'חיים'. But unlike its English counterpart, which has 'IF' as the middle letters, the Hebrew word for L'if'e, חיים׳' has 'Two Yuds' as the middle letters. The 'Two Yuds', as we know, spell the name of Hashem...
'IF' we put Hashem in the vital center of our lives, we can meet any contingency that life brings us.
Thank G-D we did not have to worry about 'IF's.
Our faith in הקדוש ברוך הוא and our בטחון in Hashem and especially our faith and trust in our IDF's bravery, brought us through to victory - no 'IF's involved when it comes to our Holy City.
Who can never forget the jubilation that took place when we heard the cry
ירושלים בידינו
and today we can add לעולם ועד.
The future of Judaism is in our hands and we must not live a life of 'IF'isms, of waisting our time and energies and wondering what 'IF'? Now is the time in our personal as well as in our nationalistic affairs, to grab on to all the possibilities in life and to see them through to fruition.
Life has meaning, purpose, and unlimited possibilities for fulfillment 'IF' we put Hashem in the middle of our lives, לחיים .
No comments:
Post a Comment