What Can I Do After We Are Hit With Such Terrible Tragedy?
We’ve read a lot, watched a lot, and emoted a lot. We’re all shocked, angry and many are even depressed. There is a flood of information coming into our lives right now and we need to gain clarity and composure to deal with the situation as best as we can.
It is wonderful to share the positive news. It is amazing to see how a people that were so divided one week ago are suddenly so beautifully united. This is the Klal Yisrael that we speak about. Like one person with one heart. The outpouring of money, supplies, letters, food and everything else, is so heartwarming. The dancing chayalim, words of chizuk from them, and the rallies for Israel gives us great hope and courage. How great it is to be part of the nation of life and the land of life.
So once this first phase gets a little quieter, we are all going to wonder where we go from here. I would like to suggest a few areas that we can implement in our lives. They are the Spiritual, physical, and emotional. For today, I will share an aspect of Spiritual and Physical
Spiritual
You’ve heard the call for spiritual improvement, aka Shemiras HaMitzvos (keeping Mitzvos). We have fallen into a world of complacency. It’s a natural state of being when things are comfortable and quiet. We have become accepting of our religious mindset, especially when we have like-minded people around us that live the same lifestyle. But what if you decided not to follow your herd, and decided to advance to an area that is a little out of your comfort zone.
- Shabbos
- If you don’t keep it yet, start with a Friday night – for a month. Its a small step, but its a consistent step, one month. Cell phones off, set your lights ahead of time. No driving. Have a Shabbos meal together. Sing, appreciate your life and your peacefulness.
- If you can go up a level, keep the whole Shabbos. But plan for success, not boredom. Many people struggle with keeping Shabbos, because they have nothing to do. Plan your meals. Get some board games, read a book or two. share positive stories. Go around the table praising people. Visit the sick or elderly. Learn Torah in a language you understand, and make it meaningful. Don’t force it down people’s throats. If Torah is so sweet, why would people be so against it, when they aren’t against candy? Package it so it tastes sweet to them. You don’t give your kids broccoli and tell them it’s candy, because it doesn’t work.
- Already keeping Shabbos? Make it more meaningful, not a day to sleep and discuss politics or how you would handle the war better than anyone else. Plan a learning schedule so you can finish something. Maybe you want to finish reciting Tehillim, a tractate of mishnayos, a sefer in Tanach. Inspire yourself so you can inspire others. Practice better speech on Shabbos. Hold back your tongue and speak cleanly.
Physical
- Purify my Eyes
- First, the obvious – stop watching horrific pictures and videos. It degrades those that were murdered, and degrades the captives. It also desensitizes you to actually care less. Don’t look at the faces of wicked people. Their evil permeates through their faces, don’t allow that evil to permeate into you.
- Avoid looking at images/videos that are inappropriate (relating to sexuality) to watch. Do it for one week.
- If you pass by inappropriate billboards on your walks or drives, take a different route, even if it’s a little longer. If that’s not possible, then on your drives, lower your visor before you get to that block, and on your walks take off your glasses or look towards the ground. Your eyes are the windows to your soul. If you did see something inappropriate, don’t look at it a second time.
- When the Torah is out for Hagbah, look at the words as best as you can
We are in a world of goodness. Let’s make it better, not just for us, but for the entire world.
Rabbi Nachi Klein