The rumbles of thunder started as we were in Memorial Forest in Sudbury last Shabbat. I turned to our guests from Israel and my little daughter and said I think we should start heading back to our home in Sudbury.
As we walked down the rail trail between Dutton Road and Peakham and started getting soaked by the heavy rain, the rolling thunder and lightning seemed to shake the forest around us.
Suddenly a crazy storm of wind began and the entire forest on either side of us was shaking and rumbling. We watched as just three hundred feet in front of us the entire forest was violently shaking, as branches fell, trees went flying, and the rain pounded down.
We looked upwards and watched the branches swinging violently on top of us, but thank G-d none were falling where we were, despite the branches that were raining down in front of us.
As I reassured my daughter, we also recited the blessings for Thunder and Lightning as I held on tightly to her soaking wet hand and I prayed silently to G-d to protect us.
Suddenly almost as soon as it started it was over....
We continued our way back, climbing over fallen trees, and the many branches that lay strewn on the path, and a few minutes later the sun was shining and we were back at Chabad.
We were soaked through to the skin, but so grateful it was over.
This week I read a beautiful teaching on Psalm 30, in which King David stated "אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ ה' כִּ֣י דִלִּיתָ֑נִי", "I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up", along with other verses which describe how G-d had lifted him up from his descent and even from the pit.
The word "Deleetani", "you have raised me up", also contains the word "Delee". "a bucket".
The teaching shared the idea, that King David (and in turn us when we recite this), thanked G-d, not only for lifting him up after he fell and being able to get back on his feet, but also for allowing him to full his bucket with something new to carry forward, each time he picked himself up from another fall.
It wasn't just recovering from the fall, but growing from the fall.
As I think about the branches and trees that we watched come crashing down last Shabbat, I am reminded of the many teachings in Judaism and the Ethics of our Fathers which describe lessons we can learn from trees, including one about which we will learn this Shabbat.
In Chapter 3, "Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya teaches, "One whose wisdom is greater than his deeds, what is he comparable to? To a tree with many branches and few roots; comes a storm and uproots it, and turns it on its face...... But one whose deeds are greater than his wisdom, to what is he compared? To a tree with many roots and few branches, whom all the storms in the world cannot budge from its place".
Of course as Jewish people, we know the importance of staying connected to our roots and values. But theory alone and identity alone won't provide us with the strength we need to withstand the winds and storms.
Study is super important and will help shape the values and ideas that we live by and through which, we connect with our roots. faith and values. Yet ultimately it is the actions of Judaism, the Mitzvot, the actual care and kindness to our fellow, and actual good deeds which we then implement, that are what this scholar, says provide the greatest roots and enduring strength to who we are and what we seek to pass on to our children.
The storm of last Shabbat, most certainly shook us up, yet as we study in depth the teachings of the Ethics of our Fathers this Shabbat and think about the messages of this Mishna, I will be grateful to G-d for not only helping us through that storm, but also for enabling us to be a part of a faith and tradition that encourages us to grow from every experience.
Oh, and I already checked the weather for tomorrow afternoon.
Good Shabbos & Shabbat Shalom
Yisroel
P.S We are looking forward to some great Lag Baomer events next Thursday evening and Friday afternoon, and look forward to seeing you all.