Seeing the Grand Tapestry
Words of Wisdom with Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar
This Dvar Torah was written by Elise Scheck Bonwitt and Michal Fox Smart and was delivered at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Planning and Distribution Committee meeting this week.
Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com
Parshat Shemini presents a pivotal moment in the Torah, particularly in the context of community and leadership.
The portion details the inauguration of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the roles of Aaron and his sons as the first priests.
One significant event is the tragic death of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron's sons, who bring unauthorized fire before God. This alien fire consumed them, and they instantly died.
A day that began amidst celebration, and particular elevation for Aaron and Elisheva’s family of Kohanim (priests), turned into one of death and grief.
Aaron became silent. There are moments of loss and devastation, of intense pain, that defy speech.
Grief can be too big for words to contain or express.
In such moments, the attempts of others to rationalize or to soften, even to comfort, likewise fall flat…
Aaron's response to the tragedy reflects a deep sense of communal responsibility.
He is instructed to maintain his composure and continue with the rituals, emphasizing that even in moments of personal loss, the needs of the community must be prioritized.
This illustrates that effective leadership is not only about guiding others but also about being resilient and serving as a source of strength for the community, even during challenging times…
At Passover seders, just a little over a week ago, many of us spoke about our current situation and the hostages.
How do we continue to talk about freedom when some of our own people are still being held hostage in unimaginable and horrific ways?
This brought to mind a more recent hero of Am Yisrael (the Jewish people).
Speaking of her own faith journey, Rachel Goldberg-Polin (mother of murdered hostage Hersh) recently told an interviewer:
“This will probably sound strange… but I actually feel that the closest that I’ve ever come to feeling, really feeling, God, is when Hersh was killed. It felt so unbelievable that it could only be from God.”
She went on to recall her experience as a child, viewing the famous painting by Georges Seurat, A Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte:
“It’s the pointillist masterpiece that, if you look at it very closely, doesn’t make any sense; it’s just a bunch of dots and chaos and blurriness. And when you step back, then you see this glorious tapestry of gorgeousness. But when you’re very close and in it, you don’t see it.
And I really believe — and maybe this is a survival tactic, maybe it’s the lies we tell ourselves to keep ourselves okay — but I believe that there is a grand tapestry. And I don’t have the hubris to say that I understand the tapestry, but I’m faithful that it’s there, and that’s why I think that this indescribable blow that we’re learning how to digest is also, in some way, a kiss from God.”
Wow…
I pray for better times, for security and safety for Klal Yisrael (the entire people of Israel).
And when hard moments come, I am grateful for the wisdom of Torah, the resilience of the Jewish people, and the example of our leaders from the past and present.
Like Aaron in this week’s parsha, they teach us how to navigate moments of tragedy with dignity and grace, while continuing to guide and inspire others with insight, strength, values and compassion.
