ENCHANTED POSSIBILITIES

   As I pen this blog, I began to think of the extraordinary amount of times that I spoke in so many different venues, on so many different topics, but my mind and heart were enthused when I was asked to join a symposium in Boynton Beach, on an intriguing topic, “The role of grandparents in modern times”. The topic was very interesting to me because it gave me an opportunity to reflect how times have changed, and in a dialectic sense I realize that in reality that things really have stayed the same, but are just clothed in a modern version.

Turn with me to a dialogue between Moshe and Pharaoh in this week’s Sedrah.

Moshe insists that Pharaoh release the Jewish People from bondage. Pharaoh replies,”לכו עבדו את הי , go worship the Lord your G-D.” To which Moshe replied, “בנערינו ובזקנינו נלך, I am sorry Pharoah, our youth and our elder statesman, will go together.”

Moshe knew, well, that the future of the Jewish World depends on its’ youth, and, more so, that our youth and our elders must walk together, in harmony.

We realize, more and more, that with all the assimilation taking place, if we don’t have our youth with us, then there is no tomorrow. But they must become בנערינו , our youth, yes they must always remain, “Our”, not hostel, or in opposition to our Judaic way of life, and our Torah oriented lifestyle. We must continue to strive and work with our youth to be Part of us and not Apart from us.

We, the adults, must be able to open our eyes to the issues that our youth present to us and to act accordingly, in a way that they will feel welcome and encourage more curiosity on their part and never to be threatened by their questions. 

  We may then come to understand, in a more intellectual and emotional way, the plague of darkness. As the Torah describes this, “ויהי חושך אפלה בכל ארץ מצרים , it was total darkness.”Those Jews living among the Egyptians were not affected by the darkness. One wonders how this was possible?

The Torah Temima comments on this dilemma. He states, “There was plenty of light and the sun did not cease to pour forth it’s rays, rather

“דינים החושך היה לא באויר רק בעיני האנשים.” He suggests that, “Hashem caused some kind of membrane to cover their eyes, possibly cataracts, so that the light could not penetrate to the retina.

  The darkness that they experienced was not merely the darkness of the night, it was absolute darkness of the blind.” In other words, the darkness was a barrier within them that shut out the light and precluded any meaningful social contact.This was a crucial part of this plague.

I find this P’shat fascinating and I would take it a step further.

So many of us are blind to our fellowman’s plight and needs, as if “suffering from a plague of darkness

We may be on the upswing in our Halachic observances, בן אדם למקום, but I question how we are seeing and viewing the needs of others, and fulfilling the great mitzvah, בן אדם לחברו. .

In lieu of these comments we need to address my earlier remarks regarding, “How are we dealing with our youth of today, especially as we see so many are falling by the ‘Judaic Wayside.’

Our task is to uncover the darkness of indifference and non observance, by turning to their needs and doubts and bring the light of fellowship and patience into their midst. 

“Fortunately for our children, the uncertainties of the present always give way to the enchanted possibilities of the future “