Lately I've been hearing an interesting quote by author Michael Hopf. “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” I appreciate the quote's appeal, but I'd like to present a rebuttal to this doomsday prediction of hard times to come.
Earlier this week we celebrated the holiday of Shavuot, commemorating the moment we became a nation at Mt. Sinai 3,334 years ago. The newly freed Israelites stood in a barren desert, at the foot of an unremarkable mountain and experienced the most exhilarating, unnatural experience: direct, divine communication. The first commandment they heard was “I am the L-rd your G-d who took you out of Egypt.” It seems odd for this to be the description of choice for the creator of the world. Is not creation more awesome than extracting a few million people from the shackles of Egyptian slavery? Granted, splitting the sea is an amazing feat, but in comparison to engineering that huge body of water it’s just a temporary anomaly. Here’s the deal. One of the wonders of creation is that it’s programmed with what we call “nature.” The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west and every period of 365 days has four seasons. The world is set in a predictable cycle that we can never control and the same could be said about human nature; after all, hard times have always created strong men and good times have created weak ones. That’s why the liberation from Egypt plays such a central role in the Sinaitic revelation. The Hebrew name for Egypt is “Mitzrayim” which means boundaries, borders or limitations. G-d did not just release us from the geographical location called Mitzrayim. He released us from all limitations possible; even from the natural, societal cycles of observable history. We have the ability to chart a different destiny, one that consistently leads to stronger and better times. But how can the surreal and unnatural experience of Sinai be applied in real life? On the Shabbat following Shavuot we read parshat Naso in the Torah which describes the inauguration of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Less than a year after the exodus, following the revelation at Sinai, G-d commissioned the construction of a divine sanctuary from the finest materials they possessed, illustrating that a relationship with G-d, and creating the best possible future, is not limited to the wilderness. Specifically quality and beautiful material can become elevated, pure and holy when used the right way. Thus good times can create even better times. The Hebrew word Naso has the double meaning of “counting” and “elevating.” The best way to ensure that good times create strong people who create even better times is by challenging ourselves to view every person and thing as a divine agent for goodness. Every encounter and action counts when we are focused on living up to the liberty G-d granted us so many years ago, to break out of the vicious cycle of life and confidently prepare our world for an era of true peace and tranquility.