Over the last few years, the faucets in my house seem to have developed a syndrome that results in leaking and dripping taps. Sometimes the syndrome starts out as a drop here and there, but you can be sure that over time that turns into a small and steady trickle. Needless to say, our water bill has been steadily creeping up over time and in fact I am starting to think that I am one of the heaviest water users in Sudbury. We have tried different methods and tricks but alas, nothing really seems to be fixing our plague of leaky faucets.
My wife had been reminding me for a while that it is time to get a plumber, but I was still hesitant and hoping to achieve a quick fix or a miracle plug. But that all changed several weeks ago, when I was taking a walk around my house and discovered a new leak and puddle in the basement from a pipe that I couldn’t even find. To top it off we then we discovered another small wall that was damaged by a different leak. The latest leaks made me realize that I would have to cave and find someone who could actually fix the leaks.
Luckily, several weeks ago I met a great person who has made it his goal to plug those leaks. The big leaks are now all but gone and the constant noise of dripping water is slowly becoming a distant memory. In the meantime, besides for the knowledge that we have saved some water for the town of Sudbury, I am also looking forward to seeing what our next Water Bill looks like.
Unfortunately, one wall did not survive the leaky situation and part of it is in the process of being rehabilitated. When investigating the cause of the leak we realized that the wall didn’t corrode in one day and was damaged over the course of several months. I was assuming that a wall of water or some other form of a major leak had been responsible for the damage, but instead we discovered a miniscule tiny leak that had slowly but surely eaten away and damaged the wall.
I could end the story here, but the leaky situation and the constant dripping reminded me of another famous story, the story of the great and famous Jewish leader of 1900 years ago, Rabbi Akiva.
I have always found the legendary Rabbi Akiva and his positive approach to life to be very moving and uplifting. Yet one of the most powerful stories about Rabbi Akiva occurred when he was still an unknown poor shepherd tending to his employer's sheep.
Once, when he was already a middle-aged illiterate man, Akiva took the flock of sheep to a small stream near the grazing area. As the sheep took their drinks, Akiva saw a sight that would change his life, he saw a leak!
Rabbi Akiva noticed a hard large rock that had a small hole that appeared to have been drilled through it. Yet as he inspected the hole, he quickly realized that it was actually the tiny leak and its many drops of water that were actually to blame for the hole.
Akiva took a step back and began contemplating the meaning of the hole in the rock and realized that although the rock was made of such hard material, nevertheless, the little tiny drops of water that had been steadily dripping, had succeeded in boring a hole through the rock.
Akiva, who had been contemplating his own life and lack of knowledge, had often thought of himself as an ignorant person who had no hope of ever succeeding in learning or in any kind of spiritual pursuits. Yet when he saw this occurrence his attitude completely changed. Rabbi Akiva told himself that although his head and heart may appear like a hard and impenetrable rock, nevertheless if he is able to learn Torah (which is often compared to water) and apply it to his life in small and consistent amounts, then ultimately he will succeed in making that knowledge and spiritual message part of who he was.
Akiva set off and began studying little by little, and after many years eventually became one of the greatest Jewish leaders who ever lived. His teachings are studied to this day and his positive and powerful outlook on life have become a central element of Jewish teachings that have been passed down through the ages.
This Sunday we celebrate Lag Baomer, a day that in many ways is associated with the story of Rabbi Akiva and his success as a teacher, educator and leader of the Jewish people. Almost two millenniums later, the power of those little drops that changed the course of history, are still creating ripples in the hearts and minds of Jews around the world.
Lag Baomer reminds us, that we too can live by this message that inspired Rabbi Akiva, through making sure that those droplets are continuing to land on us and impact us. Each time we are able to study some of our Judaism and heritage or have an opportunity to live a Jewish moment, represent another droplet that is falling on our lives and impacting who we are. As we celebrate Lag Baomer, let’s think of ways to allow those droplets to fall a little more frequently, so that we too can be part of the story of Rabbi Akiva and the life changing drops.
The leaks in my house are gone, and in the process, I learned a lot about leaks, faucets and more. However, at Chabad of Sudbury, our faucet is still leaking with lots of leaky meaningful and enriching droplets. Whether it is through the weekly classes for children and adults or the Shabbat and Holiday services and programs, the wellsprings of Jewish knowledge and empowerment are fully available at Chabad of Sudbury.
Please check out our leaky faucet and we look forward to seeing you there.
Shabbat Shalom
Yisroel