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THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND

Mrs. Shira Smiles

Sleepy Sermon

nce, when Rabbi Akiva was students needed to be roused from bolstered his own faith and spurred
teaching his students, they their lethargy. his disciples to action.
Oappeared to be lethargic,
almost dozing. Rabbi Akiva aroused Rabbi Yehuda told his students that While Queen Esther ruled over 127
his students by referring to Parshat in Egypt, one woman gave birth to lands, Rabbi Alpert maintains that the
Chayei Sarah, which begins by relat- 600,000 children at once. Who was connection between Esther and Sarah
ing that Sarah lived “100 years and 20 this woman? Yocheved, who gave is stronger than external sovereignty,
years and 7 years.” He then said that birth to Moshe Rabbeinu. Because of for Sarah, as her name suggests, also
Queen Esther merited ruling over 127 his role in saving the Jewish nation, ruled. (ה ָ ר ָ ׂש means a female officer or
minister.) Both maintained mastery
lands of the Persian Empire because of Moshe is equivalent to the 600,000 over themselves and over their faith,
her ancestress Sarah. Aside from the people who left Egypt under his in whatever circumstances they found
leadership.
bloodline, what other connection can themselves. They always believed they
we establish that would explain why Both Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yehuda were where G-d wanted them to be
Esther merited such greatness? were dealing with the sense of despon- at the moment and that G-d was with
dency and hopelessness of their gener- them.
First, we must understand that these ation after the destruction of the Beit
students were not ordinary students HaMikdash. By citing these models The righteous ones are temimim,
prone to boredom. Among them were – Sarah, Moshe and Esther, they were whole, complete, with integrity to their
the great Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, trying to inspire hope in their dis- entire being. G-d knows this integrity
Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda – giants ciples and rally them to rebuild, to as it is intertwined with time. Time is
whose work enabled Judaism to con- fire up their brothers and bring the itself a product of G-d’s creation, and
tinue after the destruction of the assimilated Jews back to Torah. That just as each of us is recreated each day,
Beit HaMikdash, says Rabbi Druck was their mission, and that is what so is time. Therefore, each moment is
in Dorash Mordechai. However, that they accomplished, as did our great unique and must be used appropri-
was exactly the point. Rabbi Akiva post-Holocaust Rabbis of the previous ately. Each moment needs to be inte-
lived during a period of destruction generation. grated into one’s life toward fulfilling
and devastation for the Jewish people. one’s spiritual potential. Otherwise,
There was work to do. Rashi says the Torah adds “these were one is killing time rather than letting
the years of Sarah” to tell us that all her it live on to eternity. Both Sarah and
Both Sarah and Esther were founders years were equally good. Why were Queen Esther used their time fully,
of a new nation, Sarah at the point they all equal and good? Rabbi Sacks whether “creating souls” in Charan or
of our inception, and Esther at our explains that in spite of her very dif- maintaining Jewish identity during a
rebirth from imminent annihilation. ficult challenges, (even being impris- time when G-d hid His face from us.
Despite these challenges and respon- oned in a foreign king’s palace), Sarah
sibilities, each maintained their temi- never lost hope to do good. Similarly, This was Rabbi Akiva’s message to his
mut, their wholeness and purity, at Esther also went through challenges disciples. Just as Sarah Imeinu affected
every stage of their lives. and trials, even being in a foreign so many lives in her generation, so
king’s palace (albeit as queen), but can you affect lives in this generation.
Rabbi Menachem Zion Sacks, a Holo- she always remained as steadfast in Wake up from your lethargic despon-
caust survivor, adds another dimen- her faith as she had been as a ward in dency and make your time count.
sion to our discussion by citing a com- Mordechai’s home. Rabbi Akiva could Mrs. Shira Smiles is a sought-after interna-
plementary source from Shir Hashirim easily have given up, but by citing tional lecturer, a popular seminary teacher,
Rabbah. Here too, a great Rabbi’s the examples of Esther and Sarah, he and an experienced curriculum developer.

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