Faith at Night

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Charles Dickens famously wrote these words as the opening to his book, A Tale of Two Cities. I relate to these words now, as we live in extraordinary times. On the one hand, the United States and Israel have dealt devastating blows to a regime that was not shy about its genocidal ambitions towards the Jewish State. On the other hand, our brothers and sisters are running in and out of bomb shelters, and that's the best scenario. There are less favorable and even tragic outcomes as Israel battles for its very survival with an enemy that wishes to wipe it off the earth. Diaspora Jewry is not immune to struggles related to its survival. This week alone, there were three prominent synagogues in North America that were the target of violent incidents, and it's a miracle that no one was hurt or killed. ​ With this heavy cloud in the backdrop, we are also preparing for the joyous holiday of Pesach. How can we maintain the proper mindset during our Pesach preparations in these challenging times? ​ I would like to share an insight into the Haggadah that offers us a compelling perspective on this issue. Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria is quoted as saying that he does not recall the source of retelling the story of the Exodus at night until he was enlightened by the teaching of Ben Zoma, who identifies the biblical source for this lesson. While on Pesach night, there is a special mitzvah to retell the story of the Exodus, why are we so concerned about all the nights of the year and Ben Zoma’s teachings right now? ​ Here too, there is an idea that the Night referred to by Rabbi Elazar and Ben Zoma is not “night” in the literal sense but rather night in the metaphorical sense. Night is often a time of fear and uncertainty, both literally and metaphorically. When Rabbi Elazar is referring to “night” in our haggadah story, he is trying to reconcile all the tragic and horrific events that were unfolding to the Jews, with a strengthening of his faith to overcome these struggles. He was addressing the question of how we can celebrate an ancient miracle of the Exodus with Jews living under severe distress. Rabbi Elazar was asking this question while the Land of Israel was under brutal Roman occupation, which intended to snuff out any vestiges of Judaism from our ancient homeland. The question, though, remains timeless. How can we celebrate our emancipation and freedom with all the stress and anguish in our lives? It was only until Ben Zoma came along and taught us to thank G-d and remember the Exodus ALL the days of our lives that the idea concretized for Rabbi Elazar. Faith is not an easy thing. Faith is not for fair-weather fans. Faith takes perseverance, dedication, and endurance. ​ Have a Peaceful Shabbos, ​ Rabbi Yaakov Fisch ​