Keeping our Waters Clean
Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, Chabad @ Flamingo
Many months after the ominous poisoning of Walkerton’s water supply and its tragic aftermath, the true story is finally beginning to emerge. Under the scrutinizing lenses of the crown, the hazy details of nepotism and negligence are coming into sharp focus.
The stark picture of gross mismanagement however doesn’t mean that the guilty parties are premeditated cold-blooded killers. Their crime really boils down to a lack concern and sensitivity for the delicate nature of their responsibilities.
The Ba’al Shem Tov taught us to carefully take heed of our surroundings, always learning its valuable lessons.
The prophet Isaiah once said “Ho, all who are thirsty come to [drink] the water”. This advice hardly seems exceptionalor profound, much less prophetic. Our Sages clarify his enigmatic statement: “Ain mayim ella Torah” . The water referred to here is non other then the refreshing life elixir of G-d’s communication to humankind known as Yiddishkiet.
When the pure waters of our tradition become tainted they lose their remedial properties. In fact they may even place our very souls in mortal danger.
To be sure, if we are to go about cleansing our water supply – “The Holiday Season” might be the perfect place to begin: Chanukah represents the victory of spirit over matter. The glow of the flames we kindle each night represent the superlative power of spirituality vs. gross materialism.
The custom of distributing Gelt hails from the very same source: it is an appropriate time to give Tzadakah or support children who study our holy Torah without ulterior motives.
Chanukah is not the time to give gifts. Chanukah is not the time to decorate our homes. Chanukah is not the time to send greeting cards. Tragically, for so many Chanukah has lost it’s spiritual luster and become the “Jewish Xmas”.
Most parents I speak to feel that it would be unfair for the children to come home to a simple Menorah when their gentile friends come home to lavishly decorated trees. How ordinary and pale gelt seems in contrast to stuffed stockings and beautiful wrapped gifts.
The least we can do is brighten up the home and make it feel like the “HOLIDAYS”! After all, if the allure of the neighbor’s festivities outshines ours, in the end we might lose our children.
In last week’s Torah portion we read “Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest, and found jasmine flowers in the field”. Rashi expounds the emphasis on the time (the days of the wheat harvest): “Despite the abundance of grain, unlike the rest of the children he didn’t take that which belonged to others, instead he gathered ownerless flowers”.
In this small episode, says the Lubavicher Rebbe Of saintly memory, lies the secret of Jewish survival in exilic conditions. Our Father Jacob lived in an environment that was hostile to his ethical morality and values, yet he raised a slew of sons dedicated to his ideals. Children who knew they were different.
By benignly allowing the strange tastes, sounds and sights to penetrate and seep into the reservoirs of our heritage we become unwitting accomplices to the poisoning of the sweet waters of our faith. By not steadfastly safeguarding the sanctity and purity of our religion we become as guilty as the Public Utility Commissioners of Walkerton Ontario.
