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It never occurred to me until recently to wonder why Rachel Imeinu was crying so bitterly for her children. She refuses to be comforted. After all, they have lost their way. They are OTD (Off The Derech). Here, Rachel Imeinu is buried over 3,000 years ago refusing to give up on them. They stopped keeping Torah and Mitzvoth, they have assimilated to the point where noone even knows where they are. Are they texting her up in Shamayim? Night after night, tears drench her heavenly bed waiting for them to return.
She cries out to G-d, please don't abandon them. Don't reject them. They are only humans as you created them. Who can live up to your expectations and your standards? Who can withstand the temptations that is in front of them. And once they distance themselves and gone their own way, they don't even realize what they have lost. They lost their map and their navigator. They have lost their sensitivity. They lost their wifi connection to you. They are sinking slowly unto the abyss.
How will they suddenly get back on line with You, Almighty G-d?
So the Mother prays and prays, cries and cries knowing that she too is helpless in getting her children back on track, back on the proper Derech, the proper path, her path.
It seems hopeless. They seem hopelessly lost.
But G-d replies and comforts her. "Refrain from Crying and from shedding tears. There is reward for your efforts and they will return from the Land of the enemy."
"But G-d" she must cry out, "How can this be? After so, so many years?"
But we know G-d keeps His prophesies.
Dear Friends,
How is our generation different than previous generations to merit this propheshy to actualize?
Our generation is witnessing an exodus en masse away from our Tradition and our Heritage. Kids from all walks of life, from all kinds of families are losing their way. We can't just blame ourselves, and we can't just blame our schools and we can't just blame the internet. Maybe collectively we are all to blame.
I ask myself, how will our generation merit the return of those Off the Derech (OTD). Maybe then I will have a clue how salvation will come to Rachel's Children.
Just go to one MASK meeting and see the tears of the mothers.
And I look at these precious children, the ones whom we nurtured and loved and send to Yeshivoth who were brought up learning about loving your fellow Jew and loving the Torah and I watch these precious children in action. I begin to slowly see a glimmer of hope and a light of understanding.
This glimmer came to me when I recited the Al Chaits this Yom Kippur.
When I recited the Al Chaits repeatedly on Yom Kippur I knew that these children transgressed practically every one of these sins.
But there is one Al Chait that stands out.
"Al Chait SheChatanu LeFanecha BeSinat Chinam." On the sin that we sinned before you for baseless hatred.
For that particular case, I see that these children excel far better than their teachers and their parents.
Let me explain.
These "OTD" kids call each other Bro's. They are all brothers. They know that collectively they have been rebellious and have transgressed all the rules and crossed every line, every border. One's a smoker and another's a drinker and anothers a curser etc Need I elaborate?.
But the one thing they absolutely never will do is abandon their abandoned bro. So if their friend is rejected, thrown out of school, thrown out of camp, ostracized by family and friends (for good reason perhaps), these kids refuse to allow their brother to face rejection and abandonment alone. They'd rather risk their own world to come, share in their own Olam Habba and go out into the streets and into the mud, pecking at crumbs and act like a chicken with his friend who is acting like a chicken even though they are really princes, sons of Kings. This is going way beyond the commandment of loving a fellow Jew.
And G-d looks upon them with anger for acting like chickens when they are really Princes.... but also with Love, Midda Keneged Midda according to the depths of Love they exhibit towards one another. And one brother holds on tight to his brother who was caught in quicksand. And then another brother comes along and takes the hand of the 2nd brother's hand. And then another and another comes and they all are hanging in there, keeping their head above drowning, pulling each other out of the quicksand. and G-d says " The Third Temple will be built from Baseless Love" and He comforts Ima Rachel and says, "Refrain from crying, Yesh Schar Lifulotech" There is reward for your efforts!
May our Generation merit to see the coming of the Moshiach as it says "Veheishiv Lev Avos, Lev Avos Al Banim. VeLev Banim al Avosum". And G-d will return the heart of the Fathers to their children and then the hearts of the children back to their Fathers.
Veshavu Banim Ligvulum and the Children will return to their borders.
Written in honor of 11 Cheshvan 5774. RCRF Dinner
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Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.
Most of these emails are posted on
Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog.
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Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.
Most of these emails are posted on
Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog.
