JULY 8 • 2021 | 27

Schwarcz-Hamill
K

enneth and Mildred
Schwarcz of Lake
Orion announce the
marriage of their daughter
Alyssa Schwarcz to Andrew
Hamill, the son of Robb and
Sandra Hamill of Wixom.
Alyssa earned a bachelor’s
degree from the University
of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Andrew has his master’s
degree from the University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The two were married in a beautiful, small ceremony
in the garden of The Whitney in Detroit. Alyssa’s
sister, Brianna Schwarcz, was the maid of honor. Other
participants in the ceremony included their daughter,
Emerson, and Andrew’s brothers, Timothy and Patrick
Hamill.

Schwarcz-Stetser
K

enneth and Mildred
Schwarcz of Lake
Orion announce the
engagement of their daughter
Dr. Brianna Schwarcz to
Thomas Stetser of Royal Oak.
Brianna earned her
bachelor’s degree at the
University of Michigan, and
her medical degree at Marian
University.
Thomas earned his degree
in finance and economics at
Michigan State University. He works as an investment
analyst at Merrill Lynch.

Spark of Goodness
R

ecently, the world experi-
enced the COVID crisis.
It will never be the same.
I have seen the deep toll —
no one came away unaffected.
Looking back at this deeply
scarring year, we may ask our-
selves a simple question:
Do we, as human beings,
have what it takes to con-
front this kind of adver-
sity? Or for that matter
any kind of difficulty that
challenges us to our core?
The answer, I believe,
is yes. There is some-
thing embedded in the
human psyche that, if
tapped into properly, can
serve as an anchor for
every human being to
overcome adversity and
confront the unexpected
changes we experience.
The late Yehuda Avner served
on the personal staff of five
Israeli prime ministers. In 1977,
he had a private meeting with
the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi
Menachem M. Schneerson, the
leader of the global Chabad-
Lubavitch movement. During
the conversation, Avner asked
the Rebbe what exactly the role
of a rebbe is.
“I will tell you what I’m try-
ing to do,
” the Rebbe replied.
“Imagine you are looking at a
cupboard, and you see a candle
there; but I tell you that it is not
a candle — it is a lump of wax
with a piece of string inside.
When do the wax and the wick
become a candle? When one
brings a flame to the wick. That
is when the wax and the wick
fulfill the purpose for which
they were created.
“
And that is what I try to do
— to help everyone fulfill the
purpose for which they were
created.
”

Mr. Avner asked, “Has the
Rebbe lit my candle?” He
answered, “No. I have given you
the match. Only you can light
your own candle.
”
There is a fundamental prem-
ise in Judaism that everyone
has a spark of goodness
and justice within them,
a unique energy that
empowers them to impact
the world for the good.
Unfortunately, this spirit
of goodness can some-
times be dimmed and
difficult to reach or even
recognize, but the poten-
tial remains.
It was this spark of
goodness that the Rebbe
sought to empower every
individual to reveal. The
Rebbe believed and taught
that the essence of good-
ness and morality within every
person can survive under all
circumstances and only needs to
be revealed.
We are now in the three
weeks of mourning for the
destruction of the Holy Temples.
This is a time to reflect upon
the root cause of the destruc-
tion, namely, the baseless hatred
that was prevalent at that time.
The way to rectify this is with
“baseless love” by focusing on
the holy spark embedded within
each of us, thereby ensuring that
our own candle shines brightly
and helps others light their
own. This will prepare our little
corner of the world for an era of
true world peace and tranquility
with the coming of Moshiach
and the rebuilding of the third
Holy Temple; may it be speedily
in our days.

Rabbi Yishai Eliefja is the youth director

at The Shul–Chabad Lubavitch in West

Bloomfield.

Rabbi Yeshai
Eliefja

Parshat

Mattot/

Massei:

Numbers

30:2-36:13;

Isaiah 66:1-

24. (Shabbat

Rosh Hodesh)

SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION