Sacred Schlepping
Numbers Rabbah 5:1
讗诇 转讻专讬转讜 讗转 砖讘讟 讜讙讜’ 讛讛”讚 (转讛诇讬诐 诇讙) 讛谞讛 注讬谉 讛’ 讗诇 讬专讗讬讜 讜讙讜’ 诇讛爪讬诇 诪诪讜转 谞驻砖诐 讜讙讜’ 讛谞讛 注讬谉 讛’ 讗诇 讬专讗讬讜 讜讙讜’ 讝讛 砖讘讟讜 砖诇 诇讜讬 砖讛诐 讬讜砖讘讬诐 讜诪拽讜讬诐 诇讞住讚讜 砖诇 讛拽讘”讛 讜讻讬 讻诇 讛讘专讬讜转 讗讬谞谉 诪讬讞诇讬诐 诇讞住讚讜 砖诇 讛拽讘”讛 讗诇讗 讘讬讜转专 砖讘讟讜 砖诇 诇讜讬 砖诇讗 谞讟诇讜 讞诇拽 讘讗专抓 讗诇讗 讬讜砖讘讬诐 讜诪转驻诇诇讬诐 砖转注砖讛 讗专抓 讬砖专讗诇 驻讬专讜转讬讛 讻讚讬 砖讬讟诇讜 诪注砖专讜转讬讛诐 砖讗讬谉 诇讛诐 讻诇讜诐 讘注讜诇诐 讗诇讗 讞住讚讜 砖诇 讛拽讘”讛 讛讜讬 诇诪讬讞诇讬诐 诇讞住讚讜
Do not let the group of Kohathite clans be cut off from the Levites. (Num. 4:18) Elsewhere it is written in Scripture: Truly, the eye of the Lord is on those who revere Him, [who wait for His faithful care] to save them from death…(Ps. 33:18-19) This applies to the tribe of Levi, who patiently wait for the loving-kindness of the Blessed Holy One. But do not all creatures look to the loving-kindness of the Blessed Holy One? Yes, but more especially the tribe of Levi, who did not receive a portion in the Promised Land and therefore diligently prayed that the Land of Israel might yield its fruit in order that they might receive their tithes [from the other tribes], for they had nothing in the world but the loving-kindness of the Blessed Holy One. Thus it says: …who wait for His faithful care…
I decided to become a rabbi largely due to a teaching like the midrash above, and its spiritual wisdom bolsters my work as a teacher and fund-raiser for 91快播. After my first year of college, I interned for a Jewish spiritual retreat center, working long summer days in exchange for the opportunity to take part in an intentional community and to learn from teachers of mysticism, meditation, music, and the arts. One of those teachers, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, spoke to my cohort of interns one evening about the sacred schlepping work we were doing there each day to enable others to renew their hearts, souls, bodies, and minds. He compared us to the Levites in our often thankless and behind-the-scenes roles, and commended our dedication as akin to that required of the different clans who made our people’s ancient worship possible.
Since making the transition from 91快播 student to 91快播 staff three years ago, I have regularly told my students and donors how a debt of gratitude to my alma mater fuels what I do now. Not only did 91快播 train me superbly as a rabbi and educator, but almost all of my tuition was covered through merit-based fellowships contingent upon communal service. I articulate that good fortune as God’s faithful care and loving-kindness, and encourage folks who learn with me to bless my junior classmates generously in the same way that I received support from others’ righteous giving.
As we commemorate the first-fruits offering on Shavu’ot, and as the end of this fiscal year approaches, I pray that my colleagues and I will again inspire 91快播’s supporters to share their bounty for training our next generation of Jewish leaders.
