Sometimes events are happening in the world around us faster that we can even keep up with. Our heads are left swirling as we try and keep up and make sense of it all, which so often doesn't add up or even ring true.
Alliances and values come and go with the wind, devices that were once the coolest thing are now relegated to the recycling bins, and the powers that be rise and fall like the weather around us.
Yet within it all, beneath the mist and the obscurity and the winds of change, are a bedrock of truths and principles that have had an enduring presence for thousands of years and which will continue to be true with the eternity of time.
When we say the blessing on the Torah, we speak of the Torah being a Torah of Truth / Emet.
The Talmud tells us that G-d's identifying mark, stamp, or signature upon the universe is Emet (אמת), the Hebrew word for truth.
Chassidic thought points out a fascinating dynamic which you can see in the juxtaposition of the letters that make up the word Truth and Lies in Hebrew, namely Emet & Sheker.
The Letters Alef, Mem & Taf, which make up the word Emet in Hebrew, meaning truth, are the first, middle and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the Holy Tongue.
The Letters, Shin, Kuf and Reish, which make up the word Sheker, meaning lies, are three letters right next to each other in their position in the Hebrew alphabet.
The difference is stark, the lesson is clear, lies, dishonesty, falsehoods and fake narratives, have a very limited impact, unlike truths, which ultimately will be true from the beginning through the end of time.
Another difference is that the word for Truth, has three letters which each stand on two legs, versus the word for Sheker, lies, which each stand on only one leg.
The implication is obvious, falsehoods barely have a leg to stand on and won't hold out over time, truths however, are stable ideas and principles that will continue to withstand the test of time and pressures of societies.
So yes, at times we look around the world and are daunted by the messages and challenges we hear and face. What on earth just happened, can this really be true, are we safe, do we have a future, who are our allies, how can we ever overcome these challenges, are we back to square one, and so many more questions froth around in our mind and heart, stirring up doubts of worry and concern.
Yet, we are reminded G-d's identifying signature upon the universe is Emet, Truth.
We have been blessed as a people with the Torah, and the guidance and faith that it gives us to live by an eternal truth which nothing will ever undermine.
So next time you are concerned or stressed out, take a moment to connect to the eternal truths of life, the Torah, our values and faith, which have withstood the challenge of times, persecution, changes, emperors, dictators and so much more, and take strength, inspiration and direction, so that each one of us in our own way, continue to be beacons of truth, light, kindness and the eternal truths that we have lived by for generations, and which no force in the world will ever be able to overcome!
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Yesterday marked 31st Hillula Yahrziet of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schnersohn.
The Rebbe was our spiritual mentor and the paths of our respective families were directly impacted by his leadership, teachings and inspiration.
His leadership was full of grit and determination to help heal a fractured world in the wake of the Holocaust.
When he took over the leadership of the Chabad movement, humanity was in recovery from a world which had turned upside down, where the most cultured people became butchers, where PHD's were used to create better murder systems, and where those who screamed for justice, fell silent as millions were butchered around them.
Despite all of this, the Rebbe deeply believed in the vision of Judaism to create a world which becomes a home for G-d in every way. It was an eternal truth which he lived by and lead by as he took that truth and used it to ignite a spark and then thousands of sparks and then millions of sparks, so that these eternal truths and messages would inspire a generation, heal the Jewish world, and touch humanity everywhere, so that the world would be so much closer to the vision of the prophets.
Indeed, time and time again, despite the naysayers and all the doubts and challenges which we have faced and continue to face, truths and light have continued to overcome the challenges, and create so much good in the ongoing process.
Join us this Shabbat as we celebrate the Rebbe's Legacy and Teachings at the Shabbat Kiddush & Luncheon following the Saturday morning services.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel