Rav Yisroel Belsky, z”l, rosh yeshiva of Torah Vodaath, was a leading halachic authority and hands-on posek, a talented musician, well versed in “secular” knowledge, and saw Hashem’s wisdom expressed in all areas of human inquiry and creativity. He interpreted everything through the prism of Torah, and vibrant Yiddishkeit.
Once, Rav Belsky was on a tiyul with a group of students to Niagara Falls, and they were standing on the deck at the Cave of the Winds, gazing at the unbelievably massive torrents of water and the pools below. A talmid turned to the Rav and asked for a Torahdik interpretation of what they were beholding: “Rebbi, what should a ben Torah be thinking right now?” The other talmidim gathered around to hear the Rav over the roaring falls, and he began to speak with great earnestness: “Well, that depends! If you’re a Litvishe bachur, you might look at the pools below and ask yourself if these waters are kosher l’tevilah, halachically fit for ritual immersion.
“If you’re a Chassidishe bachur, and are more mystically inclined, you might hear the waters singing shira to Hashem — “Mikolos mayim rabim…” Or perhaps you’d imagine the mayim rabim, the ‘many waters’ described in Shir HaShirim that can never extinguish the love between the Ribbono Shel Olam and Klal Yisrael.
“If you’re a talmid who is inclined toward the study of Mussar, you might be focusing on the fact that on the surface, the waters attract a lot of attention as they are moving wildly and making a lot of noise, but below the surface, where the water is very deep, it is silent and still.” With a big smile, Rav Belsky concluded, “That’s what a ben Torah should be thinking about!”
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In the dramatic, final moments of Yaakov Avinu’s life, our forefather gathers his children and delivers a timeless, parting message that remains relevant today. Instead of having a few quiet, private moments with each of his children, Yaakov makes the point of blessing, rebuking and addressing all of the shevatim publicly, in front of each other. Each one of the shevatim not only heard an assessment of their own strengths and weaknesses, but also became aware of their siblings’ specific tafkid, their personal role in Klal Yisrael.
וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל־בָּנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָא אֶתְכֶם בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים׃
הִקָּבְצוּ וְשִׁמְעוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב וְשִׁמְעוּ אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲבִיכֶם׃
“Yaakov called for his sons and said, ‘Gather together and I will tell you what will happen to you at the End of Days… Sons of Yaakov, gather round and listen; listen to Yisrael your father.’” (49:1-2)
According the the students of the Holy Ba’al Shem Tov, the double language used by Yaakov Avinu in our Parsha to instruct the shevatim to האספו הקבצו, “gather together,” stresses the fact that Yaakov Avinu wanted to use this powerful moment to instill in his children, and in all of us, a critical message: the individual contribution of every member of Klal Yisrael is significant, and no one shevet, person or group, is more important than another.
Reb Nosson of Breslov in Likutei Halachos (Shomer Sachar, 2) taught:
וּמִיּוֹם בְּרִיאַת הָעוֹלָם לֹא הָיוּ עֲדַיִן שְׁנֵי צַדִּיקִים וּכְשֵׁרִים אֲמִתִּיִּים שָׁוִים לְגַמְרֵי בְּכָל תְּנוּעוֹתֵיהֶם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם הוֹלְכִים בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד וְיוֹנְקִים מֵרַב אֶחָד, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן יֵשׁ חִלּוּקִים רַבִּים בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם וְהַנְהָגוֹתֵיהֶם.
“Since the Creation of the World, there were no two tzadikim, or true, upright Jews, who were completely identical in all their actions, even when the two walked on the same path and derived nurture from one rav. There are nonetheless many differences in their paths and customs.
Reb Nosson then describes great tzadikim, students of the same Rebbe (the Baal Shem Tov)… who argued much about their paths. One would travel to the city and preach to the public and another would sit in his home. One would greatly extend his davening and cry out with fiery excitement. The other would daven quietly with the congregation as most people do. One would study Torah abundantly, while the other would be involved in abundant acts of tzedakah and freeing captives. Each served Hashem according to his own spiritual characteristics and the root of his soul.
…וְזֶה עִקַּר שַׁעֲשׁוּעָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ צַדִּיקִים וּכְשֵׁרִים הַרְבֵּה בָּעוֹלָם שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד עוֹשֶֹה לוֹ נַחַת רוּחַ וְתַעֲנוּג וְשַׁעֲשׁוּעַ מְיֻחָד מַה שֶּׁאֵין בַּחֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת יִשְֹרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר שֶׁהֵם כְּלוּלִים מִגְּוָנִין סַגִּיאִין. כִּי אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶֹה שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים שָׁוִין רַק כָּל אֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ וְנָתִיב כְּפִי שָׁרְשׁוֹ בָּרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן
“…God’s greatest delight is that He has so many tzadikim and good Jews in the world, each one giving Him special pleasure not found in the next. This is the meaning of the pasuk: “Israel, in whom I am adorned” (Yeshayah, 49:3). Jews are composed of such a spectrum of colors. God does not make the same thing or person twice. Every individual has his own path according to the root of his soul in the Supernal Will.”
May we recognize the uniquely delightful Godliness of every Jew — including ourselves — and may we always have the blessing of unity within our diversity, as children gathered around our one Father. Od Avinu chai; Am Yisrael chai!
Rav Judah Mischel is executive director of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. He is the mashpiah of OU-NCSY, founder of Tzama Nafshi and the author of “Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva.” Rav Judah lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife Ora and their family.
