A STILL SMALL VOICE

  The recent hurricanes came in a most destructive fashion and have exited leaving so many homeless and emotionally distraught. 

  Reflecting on this situation, permit me to share with you a disturbing and very probing telephone call from an acquaintance of mine. He asked me how I was doing and then came the question, "With all this devastation should we say that this was an exhibition of  הסתר פנים, when Hashem, hid himself from our world.  Is this what our Torah meant, G-D hiding his face from mankind?"

  The question had greater meaning, for in this weeks Torah reading נצבים-וילך we will hear the frightening words,

         ועזבתים  והסתרתי פני מהם. ואנכי הסתר אסתיר פני...   

"I will forsake them and I will conceal my face from them" 

   This statement, as we know, refers to the time when the people of Israel will go against Hashem, by living a life of sin, causing Hashem to conceal Himself from man. 

  Don't think, for a moment, that I am here to reason why such a climate condition can wreak havoc on our states. What I am observing is that we are living in a world of hatred and vengeance and I can, readily, understand that such negation of Humanity can and will cause G-D to conceal Himself from us and when doing so. The world suffers greatly in the absence of G-D. 

  With this in mind, I am  reminded of a very interesting story as recorded in the Navi of Kings. Wherein, the Navi speaks of the Prophet Eliyahu, who, after being pursued by King Ahav, escaped to a mountain. While there he prayed to G-D, for help and Hashem appeared to Elijah in that mountain. The Navi, when describing G-D's appearance says,"There was a great and mighty wind, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then, there was a huge fire but the Lord was not in the fire. Finally, there was a  קול דממה דקה  "A still small voice, and the Lord was in that still small voice." 

   Yes, my inquisitive friend, G-D is not in the Hurricanes of life. He can be found in each one of us and we are to find our answers to life deep within each of us-  by acting in a G-Dly fashion to each other, not only in times of trouble and disaster, but to glean from these hurricanes, that G-D may be hidden, but he is hidden in each of us, and these are times when we are to open our hearts to all and bring them under the canopy of G-Dliness assuring our true  תקון העולם. 

   Rosh Hashana is a day of "Hitgalut Hashem"-  a time when every creature of the world becomes aware of 

G-D's presence.  This  Hitgalut is revealed through two media. Through the physical universe which He created and through which G-D's decrees declare His presence as the מלך העולם. His glory is also revealed through His  people, עם ישראל. 

   The Jew must resolve on Rosh Hashana that he will conduct himself in such a way that everyone will be able to see G-Dliness reflected in his being. By doing so he can change the precursor of destruction to a symbol of friendship. From the Midas Hadin to the Midas Harachamim. The Rav said that on Rosh Hashana we bind the "Teruah" representing Yitzchak and his Akedah, which is symbolic of Din with a Tekiah in front and behind. For the Tekiot are symbols of "Rachamim" and represent the Chesed of Avraham, and the Tiferes of Yaakov.  

  Let us take this idea to heart as we prepare for the Yemai Noraim, when we will gather together in  Tephillah, and will hear the shofar blowing and beseech the Almighty to change our venue in life from the Teruah of Judgement into the Tekiah of Mercy. 

  Wishing you and yours a כתיבה וחתימה טובה and may we be Zoche to see the ביאת גואל צדק במהרה בימינו. 

                   שבת שלום ומבורך.