David Zini was appointed as a General this week to the IDF top brass. He is a popular and well respected military leader from across the spectrum and many people were very happy that he was given this new leadership role.To appreciate the moment you really need to read what his sister Bracha Shirim wrote about this.
"My older brother was appointed General this week and many are excited. Some because they knew him or his wife or any of their eleven children, some because they served under him and respect him, some because he wears a Kippah, and some because they know what a good leader he will be for Israel and the Jewish people.
For me, all of these reasons are true, but as his sister and as a mother myself, I am emotional because when my brother was at the end of 8th grade, he could not get accepted by any high school, and he was lost and confused and no one could see the tremendous latent potential that he obviously had within him, at that time.
My parents begged school after school to accept him and he was finally accepted on a four week trial basis into a high school.
Throughout this ordeal, my brother was lucky as he had my incredible parents behind him who never stopped loving, respecting and believing in him, simply because they were his parents. Even when they received negative feedback from schools where David had attended, they still gave him unconditional love and never stopped believing in him even for a moment.
At the ceremony when my brother was appointed general and the Chief of Staff along with my father Rabbi Yosef Zini pinned the General Stripes onto him, my brother spoke and thanked his parents for never failing to believe in him, even during those moments, and for loving him no matter what, so that today he can be who he is.
For me this is a message for every parent, never stop for a moment believing in your child, even when everything may look bleak."
What she wrote was extremely powerful and something that I think every parent can read and appreciate.
In the the weekly portion we are reminded and instructed to remember that the Divine Presence will rest with the Jewish people at every stop of their journey in the desert. As a result even if the current trip was going to simply be a short stop for a day or two, they would still need to build the tabernacle at that place and serve and honor G-d.
Among the forty two stops of the Jewish people in the desert, some lasted for years, some for months, some for weeks and some for days. Some included huge and exciting moments, some included devastating and epic failures, and some marked simple and small steps forward or backwards. Yet in all of these the Jewish people were to build the tabernacle and remember that G-d's Divine Presence was there with them at that juncture and moment.
It was G-d's way of saying to them, you all matter and are dear to me, at every stop of the way, even the ones where epic mistakes and failures occurred.
Our job is to mirror G-d, and to find a way to be there for our children and loved ones, even when the going gets tough, and perhaps especially when the going gets tough. We have to perhaps draw from deep within ourselves, but keep focused on what is the overarching goal and perspective that we need to keep in mind, and in doing so, try our best to give our best.
Let us also remember that G-d is always with us in our challenges, the big ones and the small ones, the short ones and the drawn out ones, as they are all a part of our journey and shared destiny. Through knowing and remembering that we will have the ability to be the best that we need to be, to give our unconditional love and undivided belief to our children and loved ones.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel