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 n Sunday
night, the eve of the 22nd of Iyar, over a hundred
men and women gathered together in the Shapell's
Beit Midrash for a shiur given by Rabbi Shaya
Karlinsky to mark the first Yahrzeit of our dear
friend and student, Zelig Suntag, z"l. The following
is a summary of the shiur.
There
are a number of purposes in gathering together
for a "Yahrzeit shiur." Firstly, to bring together
many people to learn extra Torah dedicated to
the merit of the niftar (deceased). By gathering
as a community, the merit of that Torah study
purifies and elevates the niftar's soul. Secondly,
we want to discover new insights in Torah that
we can learn from the unique character of the
niftar and apply them in our lives. And finally,
we want to motivate ourselves to replace the missing
Torah and Mitzvoth that were lost now that the
niftar and his good deeds are no longer with us.
It is with these goals in mind that I would like
to share some ideas on the Mitzvah of the Omer.
The
Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 28:6) teaches us that the
Mitzvah of the Omer should not be taken lightly,
for Avraham Avinu inherited the Land of Israel
in the merit of the Omer. What is the connection
between the Omer and the Land of Israel?
We
are taught that the twelve thousand pairs of students
of Rabbi Akiva died between Pesach and Shavuoth,
during the time of the Omer "because they did
not behave with kavod, with respect, towards each
other."
How
is it possible that such great scholars, with
such a great teacher, could be guilty of such
a blatant transgression? What kind of behavior
did they exhibit towards each other? And what
is the connection between their punishment and
the Omer?
The
Maharal writes that the Omer period demonstrates
for us the kavod of the Torah. This is because
the Omer period is forty nine days, seven weeks
of seven days, moving us towards the actual giving
of the Torah which reaches to the fiftieth level.
These are his cryptic words, which beg for elaboration.
Kavod,
from the root of kaved, translated as weighty
and significant, means to attribute the appropriate
importance and weight to something. What is truly
significant and important? To what and to whom
do we accord kavod, significance? What is the
value of an individual? These are especially important
questions in our modern western culture.
The
true significance and importance of each Jew lies
in his or her potential to reveal a unique dimension
of G-d's presence into the world. But that potential
can only be unlocked and revealed in small steps.
Each step on its own may not appear to be very
significant, and the significance of what is being
revealed may not be apparent.
The
number seven represents a natural progression,
step by step developmental growth. Counting seven
weeks of seven days is man's preparation, one
step at a time, to reach the level where G-d can
give him the Torah and elevate him to a transcendent
level, enabling his Divine spark to shine. With
one small step at a time, man can go from the
lowest depths of the Egyptian exile to the heights
of Sinai. Each step unlocks a little more of that
potential. It isn't always noticeable. It isn't
always glamorous. And it isn't always appreciated.
Similarly,
a single individual rarely appreciated, for we
fail to see the true essence and potential of
the individual. This is one of the reasons for
dearth of respect for anyone or anything in our
society. It is a challenge to see potential, both
in ourselves as well as in others, and to appreciate
the uniqueness and importance of the contribution
made by each individual. In limiting their vision
to only what appeared on the surface, and by taking
each other for granted, the students of Rebbe
Akiva failed to fully appreciate the potential
for a unique contribution residing in each other.
The Omer sacrifice is brought from the least significant
grain. But its potential in the service of G-d
is as great as any other material brought as a
sacrifice. Additionally, any single day of the
Omer doesn't appear like it can affect significant
change. But each day can be another step closer
to the Torah and to actualizing his unique potential.
The special holiness of the Land of Israel also
lies in its hidden potential. Spiritual potential
hidden in its material dimension: the land, the
agriculture, the society, can all be elevated
and sanctified. One of the unique qualities of
Zelig, z"l, obvious to all who came in contact
with him, was his capacity to love every person,
and to see the unique qualities of every Jew,
to appreciate the hidden potential of all those
whom he touched. By having a clear vision of the
unique, but hidden, dimension of the individual,
he was able to truly give kavod, deep respect,
to each person. An equally striking quality, one
which we would all do well to emulate, was his
appreciation of his own uniqueness and potential.
He realized that growth is a slow process, one
small step at a time. But he had the patience,
both for himself and for others, because of his
recognition of the hidden potential. Realizing
his ability and responsibility to bring others
to increase their love of G-d, he exuded an aura
of warmth and caring whose source was obviously
rooted in the Divine. He appreciated himself,
and realized the gifts G-d had given him were
to be shared with others, to help others and to
inspire others. His special personality and sensitivity,
coupled with the unique education he received
at Darche Noam, which gave a Torah structure to
that personality, enabled him to reach levels
and accomplish things that even we, as his Rabbis,
couldn't do. It is a great challenge for us to
fill the gap he left behind. May our memories
of him inspire us to emulate his love and appreciation
of every individual.
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