Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein zt”l once told a real eye-opening story. Chana was born blind and wondered how she would ever get married. When she was ready to start going out, she got a call from a shadchan. “I have a wonderful person for you, a young man named Chaim. He’s sweet, caring and sensitive. He knows your situation and he’s fine to go out.” Chana was so excited. Could it be?
She looked into Chaimand everyone confirmed that he was an incredible young man. They went on a date and sure enough he was a sweet, caring and sensitive person. She couldn’t believe it when the shadchan called and said Chaim had a great time and wanted to go out again. After multiple dates, they got engaged, then married—life was amazing!
One day, Chaim read an article that said they just discovered a new eye transplant surgery to give sight to those who were born blind. Chana got so excited. Maybe … she would be able to see and experience an enhanced life together with her husband. It was an extremely costly surgery, but that didn’t deter Chaim. However, there were very few donors, and a 20-year wait list.
Three months later, Chaim came home very excited. He said that there was a direct eye donation and that they could put her in for a slot to have the surgery next week! Could it be true? They scheduled the surgery. In the waiting room, minutes before surgery, Chaim told Chana he had a secret to share. “I too am blind. I’m telling you now, so when you wake up from the surgery and are able to see, you won’t be surprised. Don’t worry, I’m sure they will give me the opportunity one day to also have an eye transplant like yours.”
Chana was overwhelmed by her amazing husband. The doctor was pleased with the surgery, and a few days later they removed some of the bandages. Chana could see just a blur, but slowly, day by day, she was able to see more and more. Finally, she was able to look at her husband and see that he was even more handsome and charming than she had envisioned. Life was incredible. They experienced so much together.
However, reality set in. Being the sighted one, Chana was now tasked with assisting Chaim. She had hoped to tour the world, but instead she had to help her husband get from place to place. One day Chana told her husband, “You’re such a special guy, but my hopes and dreams were to see and experience the world together. I just don’t see that happening. Maybe we should separate and go on our own paths.”
Chaim responded, “I love you immensely, and if that’s what you want…” The next day Chana came home to find that her husband had left. His jacket was not on the hook, his tallis bag was not on the shelf, and his clothes were gone from the closet. She saw a note on the table that said, “Chana, I love you and will always cherish you. I wish you much success. One favor I ask of you … to please take good care of your eyes, because until recently, they were mine. Love, Chaim.”
In a flash, Chana realized that Chaim was not blind when they got married. She miraculously got the surgery a few months after registering because her husband had donated his own eyes for her to be able to see.
Rabbi Wallerstein explains that this fictitious story is an analogy to our lives. Hashem created each and every one of us with a neshama, a soul. The Gemara says that the soul is a piece of Hashem. One of the Birchos HaShachar (Morning Blessings) is “Elokai, neshamah shenasata bi…—Hashem, the soul that You gave me…” Sometimes, we forget that our neshama is a gift from Hashem. We think our life is ours to do with as we wish, and forget about living our lives together with the donor of our neshama.
Starting with the month of Elul, we add “L’Dovid, Hashem Ori” (Tehillim 27) at the end of davening. In this chapter, Dovid HaMelech says, “Hashem, I seek your Face.” During this month of preparation for Rosh Hashanah, we use our eyes to seek Hashem’s face, i.e., we work on our relationship with Hashem, the Donor of our souls.
Reb Yisroel Salanter stresses that a person needs to recognize that whatever he has, be it his possessions, his family, or his very neshama, the contract expires at the end of the year. It is necessary to request these gifts anew.
Each morning, when we thank Hashem for the soul that he placed inside of us, let us remember that we are the recipients of a “soul transplant” from a wonderful donor. We should view it as such and use it appropriately. In this way, when we begin Rosh Hashanah and ask Hashem for a new year of life, Hashem will see that we value and appreciate the neshama which He imbued in us. Then He, accordingly, will want to grant us another year of life to use that neshama to develop an even closer relationship with Him.
Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim is the associate rosh yeshiva of Passaic Torah Institute (PTI)/Yeshiva Ner Boruch. Rabbi Bodenheim can be reached at [email protected]. For more info about PTI and its Torah classes, visit www.pti.shulcloud.com
