A SMALL GIFT OF LIGHT

Harav Y. Reuven Rubin Shlita

“When you go out’, with these startling words our Parsha shakes us out of our doldrums. ‘When you go out,’ is something we haven’t been doing of late and sort of sounds like an interesting prospect. Most of us have been staying in as much as possible, and even those who have ventured out, have done so with wariness and a tinge of fear.

Of course the first sentence doesn’t end there, in it’s entirety it reads, “When you will go out to war against your enemies, And Hashem will deliver them into your hand…” This seems to be speaking of something extremely far from our current predicament, yet it actually is speaking to the heart of our times.

The Rebbe, Rav Bunim of Pshischa Ztl (whose Yahrzeit is this week on the  12th of Elul) explains that when one is challenged by the Yetzer Horah, he must realise that what is being asked of him is just to ‘Go out’, step up and face the difficulty head on. The Eibishter knows that overcoming ones Yetzer Horah is near to impossible to do on ones own, He just asks of us to step beyond our self-imposed limitations, and face life’s spiritual hurricanes. It is then that kaviyuchal the Eibishter will help us in vanquishing our own unique spiritual enemies and ‘deliver them into your hand…’

As I write these lines, the numbers of new Corona Virus victims seem to be Boruch Hashem falling in Britain, whilst in Eretz Yisroel things aren’t so positive. This enemy fights on many fronts, and a study published today shows that the numbers suffering from depression are soaring. Beyond the physical dangers of Covid19 there lurks enormous emotional traps just waiting to be sprung.

So, how to we ‘go out’ to war against this invisible yet lethal foe?

I personally believe that each and every one of us must reach out to others, bringing comfort and friendship, and show that no one is alone. We may as yet not have medicines to hand, but we all have the ability to give chizuk to one another. Besides wearing masks, we can do so much to stave off the anxiousness and sense of being lost and alone.

When the Rebbetzin Chaiky A’H was tragically taken from us it was just mere weeks before Corona became known for something far from bottled beer. At that time we sought to create a program that would keep up the nucleus of the Rebbetzin’s giving nature. The family created a volunteer program called ‘Chaiky’s Network’ that sought to create opportunities for ladies of the community to reach out to others who are in need of a friendly word, and helping hand. When the shutters came down, and the world was locked up behind doors often made fragile by challenges heretofore never experienced. Chaiky’s Network turned its attention to working on a platform for sharing Shiurim, activities for the young, and home projects that harried ladies could grasp onto for some restful diversion. In truth, the greatest unsung hero’s of these past months have been our mothers, wives, daughters, grandmothers and devoted volunteers.  The network has now devised a gesture of thanks that is coupled with a positive lesson for others. As Yom Tov approaches, we have initiated the ‘ Lift up to Uplift’ project. With the generous support of friends and supporters, we will be giving out gifts to ladies who have been selfless during this recent difficult time. Each of the Chaiky’s Network volunteers will receive two gifts, one for themselves and one that they will be asked to pass on to any deserving woman who they know. It may be a small gesture, but it will hopefully serve as further bond to one another.

Hashem has sent us challenges that no one would have guessed possible just a year ago. We are not finished yet, Hashem has a plan that must be played out according to His Will. The strands of this challenge will be woven by our giving of chizuk to each other. Yes, we must ‘go out’ into the fray and do battle with the Yetzer Horah and his wily ways. We will be victorious because whilst showing our betochen, we create the pathway for when Hashem ‘will deliver them into your hand.’

Allow me to share just one more thought from the Rebbe Rav Bunim Ztl. In his younger days he was a timber agent and traveled often to Danzig on business. He quipped, ‘the businessmen of Danzig used to say, ‘If one losses money, it is nothing, but if one losses his courage, then everything is lost!’

Yiedelech, let us not lose our courage, not now, not ever. We at Chaiky’s Network hope the gesture of thoughtfulness that will be shared and given further will bring strength to those who have been working so hard. We invite anyone interested in helping us in furthering our work to contact us. With all our shared chizuk, may we all be blessed with a kesivah ve’chasima tova, and a future free of any further darkness.