I’ve been following - somewhat anxiously - the weather reports about the impending storm. Will I hear the sirens? What damage could occur? Will the power go out over Shabbat? It always seems like the worst kinds of storms happen at night, when it’s already dark, when my guard is already down. It feels extra scary. To add to that, this Shabbat is the darkest Shabbat of the year. We trust that next week it will be just a bit brighter, with more sunlight, but we’re not there yet.
A beautiful midrash depicts the emotional state of Adam haRishon, the first human being, when they first encountered darkness increasing. Their first winter, they had no experience with the ratio of light and darkness shifting. It was the first time they experienced diminishing daylight; they didn’t know this is how the world worked! As they approached the winter solstice, they became anxious and sad, worried they had done something to cause more darkness. Further, they believed that darkness would continue to encroach on daylight and soon the whole world would be enveloped by night, the scariest time. He worried that the world would revert to its pre-Creation state.
But then, they learned what of course we know, that the balance shifts, and that more light comes. They declared, “ah, this is the way of the world!” Yes, the darkness, the storms, the rain - it can all be scary. And also, the light comes. The way of the world is such that there will be more light, that next Shabbat always presents the possibility of being brighter.
So here’s to working our way through winter, one dark Shabbat at a time. Here’s to weathering a storm. And here’s to knowing that the storm passes, the darkness passes, and light will always increase.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Sarit
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