The Leaves of Life

by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

In less than twenty four hours the holy day of Rosh Hashana will begin. Rosh Hashana is known by its many facets. As the start of the new year, it is known as a day of judgment and reassessment. It is also the day that first man was created. On this day G-d recreates the world each year. Most importantly, perhaps, Rosh Hashana is a day of prayer.

Too often we think that there are trends and vicissitudes in life and that there is nothing that we can do about them. We think of ourselves as pawns in the clutches of world events and stock market gyrations. “Even prayer,” we think, “can’t do much.” But the way G-d looks at it is that people come first. The trends are simply the result of what G-d wants to happen to people.

Take for example the story of Yosef and his brothers. If the modern media was reporting the story they would surely miss the human component. They would talk of a famine that swept the region, and a world power that was able to store enough grain so that it became even more powerful. But the Torah’s account of the story is very different. The Torah speaks of the destiny of the children of Israel to go into exile, and the fulfillment of the prophecy that they will eventually leave the exile with great wealth. The world famine was merely a means for people to be affected in a way that was Divinely ordained.

In G-d’s world, trends don’t decide people’s fate. People are judged. Trends are a means to bring about that judgment.

Prayer can make all the difference.

The story is told of a man who was walking down the street and saw a leaf fall the ground before him. As the story goes, he asked the leaf, “Why did you fall just now?” The leaf responded, “I do not know. The tree left go of me, and I fell.”

So the man went to the tree and asked, “Why did you leave go of the leaf just then?” The tree answered, “I do not know. The wind blew so hard that I could not hold on to the leaf any longer, so I left go of it and it fell.”

So the man went to the wind and asked, “Why did you blow so strong just now, causing the tree to leave go of the leaf and fall to the ground?” The wind answered, “I do not know. An angel came and directed me to blow; so I blew.”

So the man went to the angel and asked, “Why did you direct the wind to blow so strongly, causing the tree to leave go of the leaf and fall to the floor?”

The angel answered, “I do not know. G-d ordered me to give the directive that the wind should blow.”

So the man went to G-d and asked, “Why did You give the order for the angel to direct the wind to blow so strongly, that the tree left go of the leaf and caused it to fall to the ground?”

And G-d answered, “It has nothing to do with the tree and the leaf. Look over there and you will see a poor, righteous man lying in bed, ill. He was in such enormous pain from his illness and his fever, and his pitiful apartment was cramped and stuffy. He cried out to me and said, ‘Oh, G-d, please can I have a little breeze?’So I told the angel to go quickly and tell the wind to blow. What happened to the tree and the leaf is merely a byproduct of My Intention.”

Too often we think that the leaves are all that count, and that our lives are merely pawns in their hands. But in reality it is the other way around. Our lives are governed by G-d, and the leaves of our lives will fall where they may. G-d puts people first.

So as Rosh Hashana- the day of judgment and rejuvenation- begins, don’t forget to express your heartfelt prayers. Pray for serenity, for prosperity, for peace, for Torah growth and the discovery of mission. Pray for those who are destitute, for those who go hungry, and for those who remain vulnerable in harm’s way. Your prayers count. Please do your best.

With best wishes for a good Shabbos and a wonderful new year.

© 2014 by TEACH613™