They say a picture is “worth a thousand words.” One of my children was recently looking at an old family photo album and stumbled upon a picture of an Israeli soldier holding a canteen. He asked me, “Who is this?” I proceeded to tell him a story, the details of which I remember with great clarity. It was the summer of 1984, and we were on our first trip to Israel as a family. While I was only 8 years old, being in Israel for the first time was very exciting. The picture was taken on the morning we visited Masada. There was a fairly large contingent of Israeli soldiers who we were told were preparing for their swearing-in ceremony that was to take place that evening on the historic mountain. My parents were so touched by the behavior of one particular soldier they observed that they took a picture of him in order to remember the lasting impression he had made upon us. The soldier was doing something relatively ordinary—washing his hands for netilat yadayim before he ate his lunch. What impressed my parents, however, was the fact that he was using his canteen water to do so. Combined with the fact that there was no running water on the top of the mountain, his ordinary action could have been deemed as extraordinary. This soldier used his scarce drinking water in order to fulfill a mitzvah and didn’t even think twice about doing so. They took a picture of the soldier because they wanted it to remain in our memories. It represented the fidelity of the soldier to Halacha at the expense of potentially limiting his water for the rest of the day. While I was only 8 years old at the time, looking at the picture today I remember the story very clearly and the message that was conveyed through it to me. When we stress the importance of an event or moment to our children and grandchildren, they are sure to remember the details for generations to come. Here, just a few weeks ago, I was teaching my children through a picture the lesson that my parents had taught me when I was only a young child. I am confident that this story will be passed down by my children to their children as well.
The ephod, worn by the kohen gadol on his chest, consisted of 12 stones that represented the 12 shevatim. The Torah refers to these “avnei ephod,” ephod stones, as “avnei zikaron,” stones of remembrance. What relevance does remembrance have to the ephod? The Meshech Chochma explains the connection by reminding us of the image that appeared to Yosef when he was about to sin in the house of Potiphar. Yosef saw his father, Yaakov, who asked him, “Do you want your name to be missing from those of your brothers on the ephod of the kohen gadol many years from now?” His words implied that Yosef’s actions at that moment would have an impact on his legacy for generations to come. For this reason, the stones of the ephod were called the avnei zikaron, because when a person would look at the ephod, they would be reminded of their own personal legacy and connection to the previous generations. This reflection would bring them closer to Hashem and further from sin. Although we no longer merit to see the stones of the ephod on the kohen gadol, we all have markers in our lives that remind us of the essence of our existence. We are all children of the original shevatim and carry the torch of tradition that they represented. On a more personal level, many of us have interacted with individuals in our families and beyond who have molded and inspired our spiritual lives. They have imbued us with “avnei zikaron” that continue to serve as inspiration in our lives. It is perhaps our greatest aspiration to create clear “avnei zikaron” ourselves for the next generation, passing the torch of our mesorah to those who follow us. Sometimes this can be accomplished as simply as snapping a picture that is cherished and valued far more than a thousand words.
By Rabbi
Eliezer Zwickler, LCSW
Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler is rabbi of Congregation AABJ&D in West Orange, New Jersey, and is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice. Rabbi Zwickler can be reached at [email protected].
