 JANUARY 28 • 2021 | 27

SPIRIT

Happiness Is … 
T

he Jews leave Egypt and 
cross the sea. After the 
crossing, Moshe and 
Miriam led the Jewish people 
in a song of praise known as 
the Song by the Sea. It 
is written that one who 
joyfully recites the song 
daily is granted spiritual 
and physical health, 
intellectual clarity, for-
giveness of wrongdoing 
and a general well-being. 
It is understood that 
the Jews achieved a clar-
ity of mind while cross-
ing the sea; they were 
able to point to Hashem 
and say, “This is my 
God and I will glorify Him.
” We 
recite the song and achieve the 
same clarity. Having achieved 
it, we now enter a spiritual state 

in which sins are forgiven. The 
Baal Shem Tov emphasizes 
that the singing must be with 
joy, which breaks through all 
boundaries. 
Once our minds are in 
harmony with Hashem’s 
reality and we achieve this 
state of mindfulness, then 
all our foreign thoughts are 
blocked. We can experi-
ence the world as it will be 
in the time of Moshiach. 
To illustrate the point, 
let me recount the follow-
ing story, which I heard 
from Reb Zalman Posner, 
the late shaliach from 
Nashville, Tenn.
“I was 14 when the yeshivah 
started accepting young boys. 
We were about a dozen in two 
groups, my brother’s and mine. 

We were the only ones from 
‘out-of-town’ (Chicago). Before 
going home for Pesach, Laibl 
and I had a private audience 
with the previous Lubavitcher 
Rebbe. When the he asked us 
how long it took to get home, I 
told him 24 hours. ‘Where will 
you daven?’ ‘On the bus.
’ ‘
And 
tefillin?’ he asked, with a bit of 
surprise, I think. He also asked 
if it would be warm on the bus.
“The following Passover, 
when we went in again for 
an audience, he asked, ‘With 
what are you going home?’ 
Remembering last year’s ques-
tion very well, I confidently 
answered, ‘With the bus.
’ ‘I’m 
not asking that. I’m asking with 
what are you going home? What 
are you taking with you? What 
did you add in Torah during the 
past six months since I saw you 
last?’ I just stood there for sev-
eral eternities while the Rebbe 
stared down at his desk, waiting 

for me to answer. Finally, merci-
fully, the Rebbe spoke. ‘I am not 
asking for you to answer; but 
you must ask yourself from time 
to time, ‘What have I added 
in making the world a better 
place?’” 

Rabbi Herschel Finman is co-di-
rector (with his wife, Chana) of 
Jewish Ferndale and host of “The 
Jewish Hour” radio son WLQV 1500 
AM - Sundays 11-noon; contact 
rabbifinman.com.

TORAH PORTION

Rabbi 
Herschel 
Finman

Parshat 

Bshallach: 

Exodus 13:17-

17:16; Judges 

4:4-5:31..

CONVERSATIONS
In light of the current health 
situation, what makes you 
happy? How have you recently 
made the world a better place? 
The Jews experienced a rev-
elation at the crossing of sea 
greater than the prophecies 
of Ezekiel; where do we see 
God’s presence in our lives? 
The two young students in the 
story were happy to express 
their Judaism in a public forum 
(on a bus). Would you? Why or 
why not?

DETROIT’S PREMIER BOUTIQUE
AUCTION HOUSE

JOIN US FEBRUARY 7 th
 FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE ONLINE AUCTION

FEATURING ICONIC 20th CENTURY FINE ART, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS,

GLASS AND FURNITURE WWW.LESHOPPEAUCTIONHOUSE.COM

3325 Orchard Lake Rd, Keego Harbor, MI | 248-481-8884

FREE
Iconic Design and
Fine Art Auction

Registration and bidding
open now until Sunday,
February 7th, 2021.

Check out the auction
catalog on our website!

MON Closed, TUES-SAT Noon-5pm

SUN & Evenings by appointment only

FREE

FREE
Preliminary
ART APPRAISALS
accepted by appointment
Tues. or Wed. Noon–4pm
Appraisals provided
by Detroit Fine Art
Appraisals

