Page 10 - HaMizrachi Australia Sukkot 5781

Sukkot in the Covid Era

Rabbi Reuven Taragin

t was early morning when the given you is keeping Him from giving Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
Baal Shem Tov (the “Besht”) met you more.” 2 And it’s not true that
the town’s water carrier and
Iasked how he was doing. The How many of us are guilty of the same It’s all in the mind and heart
lack of appreciation? We take our
water carrier sighed and began com-
plaining about all of his troubles. He blessings for granted and are instead 3 Because
frustrated by the things that we lack.
still needed to work despite his old age True happiness can be attained
and lack of strength, his wife had been
sick for years, and he was unable to Only if one’s surroundings are good
find suitors for his older daughters. It’s not true that good exists
The Besht tried to cheer him up, but
was unsuccessful. Our ancestors spent forty years in I’m sure that you can agree that
The two met again the next day and the hot and dangerous desert, far The reality
the Besht again asked the water car- from civilization. But instead of Creates
rier how he was doing. This time he bemoaning the difficult lot of our
received a different answer. “Despite forefathers, we thank Hashem and My attitude
my advanced age, I am, thank G-d, still celebrate the sukkot he gave us. It’s all beyond my control
breathing, davening, laying tefillin, and
learning each day while most of my Sukkot is an ideal time to reflect on And you’ll never in a million years hear
peers have already passed away. Not this idea. Our ancestors spent forty me say
only that, but I am still able to work years in the hot and dangerous desert, Today was a very good day
for a living and am not dependent on far from civilization. But instead of
others. Though my wife has been sick, bemoaning the difficult lot of our But when read again from the bottom
Baruch Hashem she is still alive and forefathers, we thank Hashem and up, the same poem expresses appreci-
doing a bit better and, thankfully, G-d celebrate the sukkot he gave us. ation of the good in each day.
has blessed me with daughters who “Who desires life, loving each day to
are so gifted and special that it is hard When we awake each morning, we see good?” (Tehillim 34:13).
to find suitors worthy of them.” 1 recite a series of berachot that thank
Hashem for the basics of human life. If we desire a life worth living, we must
Sukkot is Z’man Simchateinu, when we We bless Hashem: she’asa li kol tzorki, learn to love each day by focusing on
celebrate and thank Hashem for our “who made all I need for me.” We are the good in our lives. Let’s take the
harvest and our successes. For many, meant to appreciate that Hashem has opportunity of Sukkot in Covid times
after a difficult year of Covid, this already created all that we truly need. to appreciate the good in our life that
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Sukkot may be harder to celebrate
Scan here to join we often take for granted.
Rabbi Taragin’s than usual. Our ability to celebrate In the end, happiness is a matter of
daily Divrei Torah hinges on our perspective. There are perspective. When we read the fol-
WhatsApp group people who have many blessings, but lowing poem, entitled Worst Day Ever?, 1 See Motzi Asirim (Rabbi Yechezkel Weinfeld),
focus on what they lack, while others written by Chanie Gorkin – a student p. 8.
who have very little feel blessed. at Chabad’s Beth Rivkah High School 2
in Brooklyn – line by line from top to Karov Eilecha, Pesach 5774.
A chassid of the Lubavitcher Rebbe sent bottom, it expresses deep disappoint- 3 See Iyov 1.
him a letter in which he bemoaned his
In contrast to the other birkot hashachar, this
difficult situation. Living in Yerusha- ment and frustration with life: 4 bracha is formulated in the past tense.
layim, he was struggling to support Today was the absolute worst day ever
his wife and 10 children. The Rebbe And don’t try to convince me that
penned a short response expressing
how happy he was to hear about the There’s something good in every day
chassid’s marriage, the birth of his 10
children, and the great zechut the chas- Because, when you take a closer look,
A member of sid had to live in Yerushalayim. After The world is a pretty evil place.
the Mizrachi signing his name, the Rebbe added an Even if
Speakers Bureau addendum note to the chassid. “The Rabbi Reuven Taragin is Educational Director
mizrachi.org/ fact that you do not appreciate and Some goodness does shine through once of Mizrachi and Dean of the Yeshivat HaKotel
speakers thank Hashem for what He has already in a while Overseas Program.

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