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

