Rabbi's Blog

Rare is the person who does not have an opinion about a fellow human being. Those opinions are often shaped and formulated by presumptions having little or nothing to do with the person being evaluated. Truth be told before I begin, we all know that no person has the right to pass judgment on another, and no one has the right to sum up or to assess another person’s life. Chazal, the Rabbis, were emphatic that we have neither the full picture nor the facts to really know or judge another individual; that must be left up to Hashem, not man.

Nevertheless, we all find ourselves performing such evaluations and calculations. In Talmudic discourse the Rabbis often set up analysis of situations through a process of arguing about different choices. In our case, which is addressing the personalities or traits of individuals,  I would like to share four scenarios of human dispositions. There are people who have nothing going well for them in life and are clearly downtrodden. There are also those who seem to have what we would imagine to be everything yet are unhappy and disappointed.  The third category includes those who have everything and are very happy and content. But the person who has had to struggle, who has very little materially yet radiates an inner happiness and appreciation for being among the most blessed of all in the world is the essence of one who has attained the highest level of all. The feeling each person conveys to others through outward appearances and actions creates a direct effect regarding the way others view that individual. As important as it is for everyone to formulate a positive opinion of someone else, it is equally important for each and every one of us to portray ourselves in a manner which demonstrates that life is good  - and precious - no matter what kind of burden,  pekalah (load), we each may be schlepping. We can change the way people view us if we maintain an upbeat, positive outlook towards life. We see these scenarios around us day in and day out. We marvel at someone who is struggling with health or livelihood or who has suffered the loss of a loved one yet despite all of that makes the effort to give comfort to others. Displaying  inner strength and belief in Hashem, demonstrating that it is all for the best and they shall overcome and survive, gives strength and renewed hope to all privileged to be around such a person.

The personalities throughout Tanach show and teach us how to accept the hand Hashem has dealt us and how to make the best of it. I believe each person in Tanach represents certain dimensions and personalities that we all share. Even the prophets who foretold doom and gloom were only doing the job that Hashem had given them, fulfilling the mission they were sent out to accomplish. For the past ten weeks we have heard from only two prophets: Yirmiyahu and Yishayahu. In the weeks between Shiva Asar B’Tammuz and Tish’a B’Av, known as the Gimmel D’Puranasa -  the three weeks of tragedy - we hear from Yirmiyahu twice and Yishayahu once. Between Tish’a B’Av and Rosh Hashana, a period of seven weeks, we hear exclusively from Yishayahu in the Shiva D’Nechemta - the seven weeks of consolation. 

This week, Parshas Nitzavim, we read the last of the Haftorahs of consolation that Yishayahu HaNavi prophesied. The Yalkut HaMakiri contrasts the words of Yirmiyahu to Yishayahu, one reflecting upon the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and the exile of the Jews from their land and the other predicting the hope and the future of Klal Yisroel and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash and reclaiming of our land. In Yishayahu 61:10 the Navi states: “Sos Asis BaHashem Tagel Nafshi B’Elokai Ki Hilbishani Bigdei Yesha M’il Tzedakah Y’Atani, K’Chassan Y’Chahein P’er V’ChaKallsh Tadeh Keileha”. “I will rejoice with the Lord; my soul shall exult with my God, for He has attired me with garments of salvation, with a robe of righteousness He has enwrapped me; like a bridegroom, who, priest-like, dons garments of glory, and like a bride who adorns herself with her jewelry”.   The Midrash says there was no curse that Yirmiyahu predicted that Yishayahu did not come to heal! Here is a list of Yishayahu’s replies to Yirmiyhu:

Yirmiyahu says, ‘Woe to this nation that sins’ and Yishayahu answers ‘Here comes the righteous nation’.

Yirmiyahu says, ’Seeds that produce bad things’ and Yishayahu answers, ’Sons that do not lie’.

Yirmiyahu says, ’They were like widows’ and Yishayahu answers, ’We will rejoice with the bride and groom’.

Yirmiyahu says, ’She has become a tributary’, Yishayahu answers, ’A nation that will not know of renting’.

Yirmiyahu says, ’They cried greatly at night’, Yishayahu answers, ‘Hashem will wipe away tears from faces’.

Yirmiyahu says, ’The way of Zion is mourning’, Yishayahu answers, ’Pass through the gates and turn to the ways of Hashem’.

Yirmiyahu says, ‘I will turn them away from the sound of joy’, Yishayahu says, ‘I will rejoice with Hashem in this world and my soul shall exalt Hashem in the world to come’.

It was Yirmiyahu's lot in life to be known throughout the ages as "the prophet of doom," for he was G-d's main spokesman in the generation of the destruction of Jerusalem's first Temple. While the role of Yishayahu was to transmit the warnings from God to His nation...to be the conscience of the Jewish people, his message was also one of comfort - there's the joy and the hope of a look ahead to the perfect world of the Messianic Era.

Nothing and no one in life is perfect, but we have a choice: to pick the gloom and doom or to choose the joy of hope. How do we want people to view us, with hope and happiness or with sadness and desperation? Every year we look forward to making changes, pledging commitments to changing  our behavior. The key to change is not the actual mitzvos and service to Hashem; the key is to focus on the source of where things stem from, and that is attitude.  

For better or for worse, we do characterize and encapsulate people. There isn’t any person in the world who doesn’t possess something good within them. Our challenge is to focus on the good, redeeming quality we find in every person and not harbor on the negative side of a person. When we look at our fellow Jews we must view each of them literally as brothers and sisters whom we love and accept despite their shortcomings. Whether it is the lack of observance of mitzvos or the lack of commitment to Torah Judaism, we should not marginalize anyone. Rather than viewing them with doom and gloom, let’s use the loftiness of Yishayahu to see the hope and aspirations we hold for the less observant.  This year’s ‘resolution’ should be to reach out and recognize the purity and inner beauty of every Jew.

God treats us measure for measure….we are all far from perfect and ask Hashem to look away from our shortcomings, focusing instead on our good qualities. So, too, we need to focus in on the good qualities of our fellow Jews. May we all merit a Kesiva VaChasima Tova!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky