THE TURNAROUND
In this week’s Parsha, Va’era, the Torah recounts the plagues that HaShem brought upon the Egyptians. These plagues were a response to Pharaoh’s refusal of HaShem’s command to release the Jewish people from slavery.
The question is, if HaShem wanted to release His people from the shackles of slavery why did He not do that Himself? Does HaShem need Pharoah’s permission?
To appreciate the answer we must understand that the function of the plagues was not to release His people from Egypt. The function was to educate the world in general and His people in specific to the ways of HaShem. Through the experience of those ten plagues we learnt four powerful lessons. The first lesson was that obedience to the Will of HaShem or otherwise has consequences. The second lesson we learnt was that HaShem heard our cries and came to our rescue. The third lesson we learnt was that there was no power greater than HaShem. If He wanted to accomplish something nothing could stand in His way. A fourth lesson they learnt was that if He promised something to Avrahum and to Yitzchak and to Yaakov, He would keep His Word. There was almost a year of plagues and each one came with it’s tremendous lessons.
In other words, before HaShem made us into His people He wanted to introduce Himself to us. When HaKadosh baruch Hu would begin the Ten Commandments telling us that He is the One Who took us out of Egypt, we would understand what that meant.
Is it not a wonder that after spending a year in the most fascinating seminar of the ten plagues and then receiving the Torah, the people of HaShem still had trouble trusting in Him. After 40 days after receiving the Ten Commandments we made and worshiped a golden calf!
How did that happen?
The answer is simple, you cannot turn around an ocean liner 180˚ on a dime. The human spirit runs deep and long. The experiences that we had for 100 years living under the Egyptian culture does not get changed in one year. Even if there are incredible miracles happening to us for our benefit avenging the injustice that was done to us, one does not give up their life’s experiences so quickly.
HaShem understood this challenge and He therefore tolerated and accepted our behavior throughout the 40 year trek in the desert. He knew that at the end, the Torah would triumph. All that was necessary was patience. Every person needs their time to make the change; some need no time, some need little time and some need a lifetime.
Since 1989, I have been reaching out to the members of the Russian speaking community. This community was robbed of their Judaism 80 years and they remained in the dark for two and three generations. There was Jewish infrastructure, no bris milah, no mikveh, no yeshiva, simply nothing Jewish. The Torah was a target of ridicule and religious practice was laughable.
I knew that change would require many many years of warmth, kindness and genuine friendship towards them before they would discover the true beauty of our Torah and our mitzvos.
I therefore hunkered down, learnt to speak Russian and became the friend of hundreds of families with whom I developed deep and meaningful friendships. I understood that I could not provide a full year of miracles followed by a spectacular Mount Sinai experience. Over the next 10 there were only a few families beginning to express interest learning Torah, in sending their children to Jewish Day Schools, in lighting Shabbos candles, in keeping kosher and so on.
As time went on, the snowball began growing and today ACHIM has played a significant role in the lives of 45 families becoming fully Torah observant. ACHIM has played a significant role in the lives of hundreds of families, moving their perspective of Torah from that of ridicule to that of respect.
I now turn to the larger Baltimore community with gratitude to thank you for your support and recognition of the importance and success of our work. This Monday afternoon ACHIM will turn to you and ask for your continued support so that together we may play a significant role in bringing our final redemption to complete fruition.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind