During the weekend, Hurricane Harvey ravaged through Southeast Texas leaving in its wake destruction and crisis. With so many people displaced, homes damaged and a total disruption of normal life, there is an outpouring of support from around the world. Channeling this overwhelming support effectively is crucial.
By Sunday morning, the amazing team of over a dozen Chabad emissary couples serving the Houston kicked into high gear, coordinating search and rescue efforts, kosher food supplies and volunteer groups to help the thousands desperately in need of help. Throughout the week, many of their colleagues in Texas and beyond assisted in arranging shipments of kosher food, other supplies and many teams of volunteers are converging on Houston from around Texas.
The key to their success is the fascinating teamwork on display. Everyone has a role that he or she is executing phenomenally.
In this week’s parsha, Ki Teitzei we learn of the mitzvah of paying workers on time. If the job is complete before evening, payment must be rendered before the next morning, unless both parties have agreed upon other terms and conditions.
The Talmud teaches that G-d follows His own rules. The Torah instructs us to observe mitzvoth today and we will receive the ultimate reward of our labor in the era of redemption. This seems to contradict the law against delaying payment. Is it acceptable for the millions of Jews who lived throughout the generations to wait so long for their payment?
G-d created a world devoid of divine revelation and empowered us to perfect it and reveal the divinity within. This mission is vast and complex spanning the globe and generations. Like a mammoth assembly line, every Jew fills a crucial role in bringing our world to the perfection of redemption. Until then, the job is not complete.
We are all a team and every team member is important. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, reflect on how well you are fulfilling your role in our collective mission. Perhaps you know some “team members” that need help in understanding their role in our mission.
Learn more Torah daily and share the knowledge with others. Commit yourself to greater mitzvah observance and encourage your friends to follow your lead. Invite them to a Torah class, to services or to Shabbat Dinner. The mission can be accomplished only once we are all on board.