A Word From The Rabbi
Dear Friend,
A courageous woman, Lori Kaye, obm, lost her life for another Jew.
A courageous Rabbi survived a shooting, as a result of Lori's courage, and went on to save the lives of many other Jews.
Beyond shock. Beyond imagination.
It’s now been close to a week since the tragic event in Poway, California, and I know many of you have been waiting to hear from me, looking for guidance and inspiration.
To be honest, I’m not sure if it was "writer's block," "soul block," or simply my inability to grasp and connect to what was really going on, that held me back from writing something to you. I wouldn’t just write a letter because “you have to say something," or do something because that’s what you "have to do." My feelings just weren't flowing from my heart.
I was numb.
This bothered me very much. Why is this happening to me?
Then I realized why. Because, what I was connecting to, was still going on, and continues to go on. For me, "the event" didn't happen. It was still happening. So, as you are absorbing shock and pain, nothing can flow out ...
However, I still could not identify what was it that was "still happening"?
Until yesterday. As I watched Rabbi Goldstein speak at the National Prayer Service in Washington, DC, I realized that this week I was identifying and experiencing this with Rabbi Goldstein, for whom this tragic event was still going on. I know Rabbi Goldstein. I was at his Chabad Center. In a sense, He is me. I am him. I was identifying with what was unfolding right in front of my eyes. I was witnessing and absorbing, in real life, the courage of an individual to transform the darkest of darkness with the purest of light.
Many people quote and inspire with the Rebbe's message, "using light to fight darkness." But, how many people actually do it to this extent? How many make it happen under these extreme circumstances, or even lesser ones?
I heard so many stories of chassidim and Jews throughout our history staring down darkness to bring light. I heard stories of my own Zadie, in the former Soviet Union, who courageously stared down the evil of Stalin. These were stories I heard. They were stories that inspired me. This week, however, I witnessed it firsthand. In "real-life." Or, as close as possible to real life than I would ever want to. My friend. My country. My back yard.
It’s very scary to understand that the darkness we live in, here in the USA, is REAL. It is a huge blessing to have a visible example of how to transform the dark and bring light into that space. It is so powerful watching Rabbi Goldstein break through very obvious and visible pain - look at his face and eyes when he speaks - to seize the moment and bring light into absolute darkness, is other-worldy. Where else did he get that strength?
And this is the thing:
It may be other-worldy but the deepest and most important message of our Jewish faith is that "other-worldiness" is a very real part of our world. To paraphrase the famous quote: In Israel, if you don't believe in miracles you're not a realist.
Chassidsim teaches us that the "other-worldliness" we witness in others or experience ourselves, comes from the soul, the neshama, embedded within each of us, that serves as our interface and personal connection to the infinite power of our infinite creator. We each have a spark of that. It may not be easy to relate to or understand, but that is what Rabbi Goldstein demonstrated for us to know. And hopefully to explore deeper.
I can’t share this message any better than the living example of Lori Kaye & Rabbi Goldstein himself. I am therefore sharing (below) the links to what has inspired me over the last week, and I encourage you to listen to these over and over to see not just a man of courage, of strength, and determination, but a personification of the Rebbe's message of "light transforms darkness."
I hope you are able to make this personal, and draw inspiration on how you can be positive and do something in your own life, or introduce something of light into your own family and your own community. We need to stand strong and we need to have faith. We need to continue moving forward, vigilant of the true dangers that exist, but never allowing that truth to overshadow the truth of our mission, the truth of who we are, and most importantly, the truth of what we need to do.
We each have the same spark that Rabbi Goldstein has - a soul we can all access to do incredible things.
The question is: Do we use it?
So it boils down to this:
- This week we witnessed the ultimate evil.
- This week we witnessed the ultimate courage.
This shabbos, I ask that you to reflect on the following question: Which are you going to grab on to?
It's not a question of one or the other, because we must always be aware of the darkness and take precautions to be safe. But which will you choose to define your reaction and frame your resolve coming out of this?
I hope it is point #2. If it is point 1, then keep watching Rabbi Goldstein... (after shabbat ;-))
If there is anything I can assist you with accessing your spark so that you bring more light, a lot of light, transformative light, into the world, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
LINKS to remarks from Rabbi Goldstein:
Rabbi Yudy Shemtov
Senior Rabbi/Executive Director