IWO THE JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 11, 1992
A Toast
To Jewish Living
- - Rabbi Jose said: "I was long perplexed by this verse: 'And you
shall grope at noonday as the blind gropes in darkness (Deut.
28:29).' Now what difference does it make to a blind man whether it
is dark or light? Once I was walking on a pitch black night when I
saw a blind man walking with a torch in his hands. I asked him'
`Why do you carry the torch?' He replied: 'As long as the torch is in
my hand, people can see me and aid me' " (Megillah 24b)
-
1 1 2W U WI IAVIAp it il ig31111 ,11"21401 ::dii;n A014101 2W W4 ili ti , *
Passing The Flame Of Jewish Responsibility
By RABBI ROBERT DOBRUSIN
During his inaugural address,
President John Kennedy said: "The
torch has been passed to a new
generation of Americans." The late
President Kennedy was the first
president born in the 20th century
and, in that one statement, he
announced to Americans of his age
that their time had come.
Later he said his most famous
words: "Ask not what your country
can do for you, ask what you can
do for your country." He reminded
the new generation that with the
passing of the torch comes
responsibility.
One of the most beautiful
traditions of Chanukah is the
lighting of the Chanukah menorah
using a shammash candle. The use
of the "helper" to light each night's
candles developed because of the
principle that the light from the
candles themselve can be used
only to glorify the miracle of
Chanukah.
By lighting the shammash
candle, we know there will always
be another light in the room to read
by or to use in any other way so
that the Chanukah candles remain
only for the holy purpose.
The lighting of the menorah
with the shammash seems to say
much more. The simple act of using
one candle to light others reminds
us of the power that a flame has: to
start other flames burning while still
remaining bright.
Think for a moment about the
image of the passing of the torch.
Each generation has the
responsibility to pass along the
flame of Jewish tradition to the next.
Every Jew, whether a professional
educator or not, has that same
responsibility to teach the next
generation and to help prepare
them for leadership.
From the day a child is born,
Jewish parents must start preparing
their children for being Jewish
leaders. From the moment a young
Jewish person enters into Hebrew
schools, day schools, Jewish camps
or youth groups, teachers begin the
process of passing leadership with
its benefits and responsibilities on.
So, your chance is coming. We
need teachers and rabbis, cantors
and synagogue presidents,
federation directors and Jewish
social service workers to lead our
community in the future. But, in
addition to Jewish professionals, we
need a community of educated and
concerned Jewish adults to pass on
Jewish tradition to their children and
students. This will be your role.
Each generation will have the
opportunity and the responsibility of
leadership. This year, when you light
the Chanukah menorah, stand for a
moment and watch the shammash
give of its light to the candles. As
the days of Chanukah continue,
notice how the light from the other
candles gradually grows more
numerous and how they outshine
the shammash.
No matter how brightly the
candles themselves shine, they can
never become the shammash. But,
that is what happens to every
generation of Jews: those who
receive the light become the ones
who pass it on to others.
This has been the fact which
has kept our people alive for so
many generations. Each generation
has been willing to see the
members of the next generation
grow stronger and has hellped them
prepare themselves for leadership.
This is our role as leaders. This is
your opportunity and responsibility
as futue leaders.
Rabbi Dobrusin is spiritual leader of
Beth Israel Congregation in Ann
Arbor.