EMUNAH

 At the conclusion of one of my classes this past week, a young man approached me with a truly profound question. “The word Faith seems to elude me, and I am not sure what this word really means, in a more experiential way?”  I then, began to ask myself, “How many people really understand all the nuances to the word Faith?” 

Permit me to share some ideas of Faith;

Faith - straight ahead, highway of life clear. 

Faith - road closed, travel at your own risk with success 

Faith - surrounds you with a scenic route and beautiful views. 

Faith - always keep your chin up. 

Faith - be patient in life, with yourself and with others. 

 Very often it is easier said than done. 

 

   Permit me to invite you on a road down the primrose path of Faith - Emunah, an ingredient in life that will always sustain us. 

  As we approach the solemn day of Tisha B’av, let us remember a word that, when punctuated differently, has two very meaningful connotations for life. 

  The word in Hebrew is איכה. This word is found in this week's Parsha of Devarim, uttered by Moshe, and was also said by Yirmiyahu in Lamentations. 

 

   In these two places, the word איכה bewails the situation and the circumstances in a very dire manner.  In a sense, crying out, “Why is this happening?” 

  This self same word is used in a different context, in Sefer Breishis, when, after Adam sins in the Garden of Eden Hashem calls out to him, “Ayecha?” Spelled the same way, but pronounced differently and means "Where are you?"

 

  With this idea in mind, I have come to a fascinating conclusion;

  When we answer the question of Ayecha, in a positive way, knowing well that we are living life to the fullest, inspiring our families and our friends to choose the true Derech  Hachaim we will no longer need to use the term Aycha in a bewailing way.

 

  These are times that we need to be more introspective and not fear to search for greater meaning to our lives.  In doing so, we can and will enhance our lives with greater Blessings and greater feelings to reach our true Tafkid - the projected expectation that Hashem has for us. 

  This is the goal of how we can counteract the frightening prognosticating idea of B'Chiyah L'Doros.For this is a propitious time to assess our personal state, realizing that with a life of Kedusha, the road to our ultimate  Geula is open to us. With this awareness, the knowledge of who we truly are will become known to us and with, our strong Emunah,our journey in life will be more dynamic and beautiful. 

   This reminds me of the famous story recorded inGemorah Makos.  

It happened that Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Akiva went up to Jerusalem. When they reached Mt. Scopus, they tore their garments. When they reached the Temple Mount, they saw a fox emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies and they started weeping.  Rabbi Akiva laughed.

They said to him: "Why are you laughing?"

He said to them: "Why are you weeping?"

They said to him: "A place, so holy, that it is said of it, the stranger that approaches it shall die and now foxes traverse it, and we shouldn't weep?"

He said to them: "That is why I laugh. For it is written, “I shall have bear witness for Me faithful witnesses”—Uriah the Priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.' 

Now, what is the connection between Uriah and Zechariah? Uriah was in the time of the First Temple, and Zechariah was in the time of the Second Temple! But the Torah makes Zachariah'sprophecy dependent upon Uriah's prophecy. With Uriah, it is written: “Therefore, because of you, Zionshall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the Temple Mount like the high places of a forest” With Zachariah it is written, “Old men and women shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem.”

"As long as Uriah's prophecy had not been fulfilled, I feared that Zechariah's prophecy may not be fulfilled. But now that Uriah's prophecy has been fulfilled, it is certain that Zechariah's prophecy will be fulfilled."

With these words they replied to him: "Akiva, you have consoled us! Akiva, you have consoled us!"

 Let us approach life in the same optimistic way that Rebbe Akiva saw the future of Jerusalem and when doing so we will continue to bask in the sunlight of our redemption.

   May we have the Z’chut to see the coming of the Mashiach in our time.