Several months ago, I received an email from a Navy Officer asking me not to sell his Chometz. He could have sold it to me, but he felt like the buyer would have no access. The Chametz was in an undisclosed and secure location in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, or perhaps the Pacific, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, or the gulf. He didn’t want to burn his Chametz because there was no Walmart at sea. So he took the time to learn how to sell the Chametz himself. He explained the procedure to somebody on the boat and went into Pesach feeling confident.
That is Yiras Shamayim – Fear of heaven. It is doing Mitzvos because we believe in them and because it is the will of Hashem. Nobody in the entire world cared what that sailor did with his chametz, but he wanted to do what was right by Hashem.
The Gemara in Shabbos tells us that the sages considered leaving the book of Koheles out of the Tanach. They left it in because of the final verse.
“Sof Davar”, King Solomon writes, “At the end of the day, after everything has been said and done: Fear Hashem and do His mitzvos – for that is the entire person”.
We live in a world where people struggle with labels and expectations and very difficult stories in the news. The truth is very simple. It’s not about how we dress or what we call ourselves or where we live. We need to fear Hashem and do –or at least try to do – His mitzvos.
If a group of bums beats someone up because the way that he or she is dressed – they are not fearing Hashem and doing His mitzvos; if hundreds of people sit by the Kosel all night on Tisha B’av and cry – those people are fearing Hashem and doing His mitzvos.
The Talmud tells us that when we come to Heaven we will be asked six questions: Were we honest? Did we set aside times to study Torah? Did we do our best to raise children? Did we await Mashiach? Did we engage in wisdom? Did we seek to understand things deeply?
Even if we answer ‘yes’ to every one of those questions, we will be asked if we feared Heaven. If the answer is no, then everyone of t the answer is no, then every one of the previous yes’s is almost meaningless.
This is what will matter at the end of days: Did we fear Hashem? Did we do His mitzvos?
Several months back, a friend of mine had made Aliyah and informed me that anything that I do here in America was futile. I’m just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I shared this sentiment with the congregation. Eeryone gave a little chuckle and a sigh but one naval chaplain was furious.
Embracing the nautical metaphor, the chaplain asked what he would do if he was on the Titanic and saw people drowning. Would he leave as quickly as possible? Or would he stay behinds and try to help? How is a rescue mission futile?
The Lelover Rebbe notes that after Moshiach comes and we all gather in the Land of Israel, we bring a gift to Moshiach. What kind of gift could Moshiach possibly want?
The Lelover explains that at the end of days all Jews will come running to the Land of Israel. Some will take longer than others but eventually even the most assimilated and uninspired Jews will come. We will search and search until we find the one Jew who refuses to come. He won’t be able to avoid the miracles and the celebration, but he will stay in Wichita, Kansas eating potato chips and watching reruns.
We will go down to Kansas, pick that Jew up, put him onto an airplane and bring him to the land of Israel. We will make make sure that he too takes part in the unfolding of history. That cold, unspiritual, and uninvolved Jew is the greatest gift that we can bring with us when Moshiach comes.
Fear G-d and do Mitzvos, but remember that Hashem treasures every single Jew.
I loved the article- except for the words “cold, unspiritual” regarding the Kansas Jew. S/he may be warm or spiritual but have some other obstacles preventing them for joining the klal. I think it would be a better point without that characterization, personally.
Thanks for considering my feedback (I wanted to send it privately but didn’t know how)! Great, inspiring article! Shabbat Shalom.