SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION
A Dedicated Purpose in Life
W
hat is the essence of silence overcame the sanctuthe month of Elul, ary. The cantor stared at Velvel the 30-day period with disdain. The minute-long prior to the Days of Awe in staring match went on for what which, according to Chasidic seemed forever, with neither the philosophy, “The King is in the cantor (who it turns out was also Field,” when God is, as it a KGB agent) nor Velvel were, more accessible to giving an inch. Abruptly, us than throughout the Velvel screamed at the year? I believe that the cantor in Yiddish: “I am story of Velvel, a Soviet not afraid. You’ve already refusenik I met in Riga, taken everything that you Latvia, in the month of can take away from me! Rabbi Shlomo Elul 5730 (1970), offers When I began to come to Riskin an answer to this quesshul and I lost my job as a Parshat tion. result, my wife left me and Shoftim: Due to my involveshe took the children with Deuteronomy ment on behalf of Soviet her. I have no job; I have 16:18=21:9; Jewry in the 1960s, I was no family. The only thing I Isaiah summoned to a meeting 51:12-52;12. have is my Jewish tradition. with the Lubavitcher The only thing I have is Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem this tallit. I am not afraid.” Mendel Schneerson, of blessed The cantor resumed the memory. He asked me to be procession. Velvel had made a his shaliach (emissary) to estabprofound statement to everyone lish centers of Torah learning present: We have nothing in life in several cities in the Soviet except for God, His Torah and Union. His commandments. Nothing On a Friday night in Riga, I else truly matters. met a gentleman named Velvel In Elul, time comes to remind in the city’s main synagogue. us of our true purpose on this During a conversation after din- earth, to live a life dedicated ner, Velvel told me with sincerity to God. A true life of holiness that there was nothing in the involves interacting with and world he wanted more than a relating to others. To live a life new tallit, since the one that he dedicated to God is to acknowlhad received when he was a bar edge that, ultimately, all we have mitzvah was in tatters. I gave is God. Everything else is transione to him discreetly, which tory and illusory. It is no wonder brought an ear-to-ear smile to that it is precisely during this his forlorn face. season that people are more As the cantor led the Torah prepared than usual to internalprocessional through the mostly ize this message. Perhaps this is empty sanctuary the next day, because, indeed, “The King is in Velvel drew near and lifted the Field.” Let us go out to greet the tzitzit (ritual fringes) of the Him. obviously new tallit to touch Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is chancellor them to the Torah scroll. of Ohr Torah Stone and chief rabbi of The cantor dramatically Efrat, Israel. stopped the procession. A frosty
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