They say reality is more bizarre than fiction, but this week I was genuinely surprised to see the insanity the world can offer. Israel was persuaded to engage in cease-fire negotiations, even though Hamas refused to participate, and the media reports progress was made. Surely this episode will feed comedic skits and parodies for generations, and I would laugh at it too if it did not impact the security of millions of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land.
Without commenting on the substance of these negotiations, or whether Israel should negotiate with murderous terrorists in the first place, the fact that one side of a conflict could be dragged to the negotiating table and “negotiate” with the other side in absentia makes me wonder what the world has come to. When cynicism becomes the norm and reality no longer matters, one can wonder how it is possible to navigate such a world, let alone make it a better place for all.
But the teachings of this week’s parsha allayed my fears. We learn how Moshe reviewed the story of the “Giving of the Torah” at Mt. Sinai when G-d communicated the Ten Commandments. That pivotal event marked the beginning of the process of revealing the inherent divinity and goodness embedded in every detail of the universe. It was a once-in-history moment when everything was aligned with its creator and purpose, to show how with hard work and following the script it can become the revealed truth. Several days ago I read a letter the Rebbe addressed to a Chabad activist in Israel from 1952 where the Rebbe invoked the difference between an Artesian Well and a regular well. A regular well is a hole in the ground deep enough to reach water, which can be found everywhere. To access the water one needs to either send down a bucket or install a pump to bring the water to the surface. An Artesian Well is a hole drilled in an area of rock and soil that stores water under pressure. Once the water is reached, it flows to the surface automatically. As long as you remove the rock and soil holding it down, the water bursts forth with tremendous strength. This helped me appreciate that at Sinai we learned our world is like an Artesian Well. We don’t need to change anything or introduce anything new. All the moral ugliness and cynicism are just rock and soil covering up the life-giving waters of divine goodness contained beneath the surface. By removing the “rock and soil” by living up to the Torah’s morals, ideals, and instructions the purpose of creation can be realized and the beautiful era of redemption can begin. But you never know which rock or clump of soil removed will reach the water. We must therefore be vigilant to utilize every opportunity to do Mitzvot and encourage others to do the same. The much anticipated and needed global changes will flow on their own.