FOR PEKUDEI
THE BUCKET LIST: IT’S TIME TO DANCE!
Two of the great Chassidic masters during the movement’s infancy were the brothers Rabbi Elimelech and Rabbi Zushe. Before they became popular masters, they decided to be “wanderers” – living incognito as beggars on the road, stripping themselves of material pursuits, while completely focusing on perfecting their spiritual state. This was a common practice of the greats of yesteryear.
In one of their stops, disguised as beggars, they were wrongly accused of a crime and thrown into a local jail. When the time arrived for prayers, the older brother, Rabbi Elimelech, stood to pray until his eye caught the pot in the corner used by the inmates for discharging bodily waste. The room was unfit for prayer, and the Rabbi was quite distressed to forego his prayer.
Rabbi Zushe turned to his brother, and said: The same G-d Who has instructed us to pray, instructs us not to pray under these circumstances. We currently have the rare ability to fulfill G-d’s instruction not to pray!
Serving the Almighty with joy was Reb Zushe’s motto. He had never been in a situation where the absence of prayer was grounds to serve the Almighty and now he wanted to do so with joy. He grabbed his saintly brother, and they began to dance. The inmates in their cell did not have much to do. They were also inspired by the joy of the dancing, so they all got up to join the Rabbis. Soon the inmates of the entire cell were joyfully dancing around the room.
It did not take long for the prison guards to hear the commotion. This was the last thing they needed. They entered the cell, demanding to learn the cause of this disturbance. The inmates pointed to the two Rabbis and the bucket, indicating that it was the bucket. In the attempt to stop what seemed to them as risky insanity, they dutifully emptied the bucket of its offensive contents. The room suddenly became acceptable for prayer…
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The perspectives provided by this story are many. It sheds light on how one can make the best of any situation. It teaches that despair amounts to nothing, while joy can transform. It helps realize that even the lowest aspects of this world can sometimes be the very impetus for elevation.
There is another element to this as well. Every situation, no matter what, is placed before people as an opportunity. One can choose how to react, what do, and how to do it. The choice is in the hands of the people. The question is, though, which path will one choose?
Nothing happens by itself: the best and the worst, the top and the bottom, the highest and lowest, are all scenarios that everyone faces because this is Divinely desired, as taught by a the laws governing the garments of the High Priest in this week’s portion, “Pekudei.”
The garments of the High Priest were not merely elaborate and beautiful. As expected from the one who represents the entire people, the High priest’s garments, mandated by the Almighty, possessed meaning and timeless messages for all those who saw them and for all those who continue to study them, even today.
Two of the garments worn by the High Priest were the breast-plate and the apron. The breast plate was worn on the High Priest’s chest, near his heart. The apron, on the other hand, was tied by its attached strings behind the High Priest, and it reached down to his ankles. The cloth of the apron surrounded the entire rear of the High Priest.
At the same time, these two garments were intrinsically connected through a series of strings that kept them tied together. Their connection is so important that the Torah records how the Jewish people fulfilled the Divine mandate: “They bound the breast-plate rings to the ring of the apron with a turquoise string… and the breast-plate will not be detached from (being) upon the apron.” (Sh’mos (Exodus) 39:21.)
These two garments represent two extremes of any person: the highest elements and the lowest. A person may generally believe that, due to the natural differences between the two elements, they should be kept separate. What connection could there be between the holy and the profane?
The Divine design of these garments, however, communicates a different message. The two extremes are connected, and are, in fact, dependent upon each other.
One must realize that all experiences and all events in life – whether “up” events, which bring happiness and joy, or “down” events, which do not seem conducive to happiness and joy – are all interrelated and compatible. It is up the individual to choose how to regard these events.
And it is the same with people. Some people seem always to be in the forefront, while others seem to be more hanging in the shadows types. While externally this may be the case, both types, all types, intrinsically are related and connected to each other. Each person must, therefore, recognize the inherent value of every other person.
A friend called me earlier this week. He said he was having a down moment and needed to unload on someone. After sharing his deep frustration over a recurring, annoying matter, I shared that I had gone through that very issue some time ago. So, he was not the only one getting “picked on.” I also shared that, while it is almost impossible to see it now, the day will come when not only will the issue be gone, but the outcome will make him stronger and better than before.
And this is because now, during the “down” time, the perspective has to be that it is this down event, this “bucket,” which will, in due course, bring him to a true high. So, it’s time to dance…
SUMMARY: Ups and downs of life keep people on their toes. The proper perspective is how the downs can lead to the greatest ups, for everything is connected.