Light has always been a metaphor for spirituality, truth, insight and Godly revelation. To “see the light” is a well-worn cliché, but one that only reaffirms how correct it is.
In this week’s Torah reading, Ki Tavo, we have the chilling rebuke where Moses warns the Israelites that if they do not heed the words of God and follow His way of life, they will bring upon themselves the most dreadful curses. This is always read shortly before Rosh Hashanah to sober us up and inspire us to reflect and introspect before the solemn Days of Judgment ahead.
One of the curious curses in the rebuke is this: “And you shall grope in broad daylight as the blind man gropes in the thick darkness” (Deuteronomy 28:29).
The Talmud (Megillah 24b) records a debate over whether a blind man may recite the blessings over light if he doesn’t really benefit from the light. In the discussion, Rabbi Yosei confessed that all his life he was puzzled by the above verse from Deuteronomy.
“What difference is there to the blind man between light and darkness?” he asked. Does he grope in the darkness more than during daylight hours?
Then Rabbi Yosei shared the moment when he himself “saw the light.”
“Until one time, it happened that I encountered a blind man walking at night, holding a torch in his hand. And I asked him, ‘My son, why do you need a torch?’ And he answered me, ‘When I have the torch in my hand people see me, and they help me avoid the ditches, thorns and prickly shrubs.’ ”
How well do these lines speak to our current situation? It is, indeed, a terrible curse when people grope in the darkness, unable to “see the light” of truth and justice, and when they cannot distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong.
Our world has been plunged into a very thick darkness. Daylight, too, has become darkness. Those who should be seers are blind and grope even in broad daylight. In fact, it is so dark that even the blind man needs to carry a torch!
We are living in such an unprecedented era of darkness when on the most intelligent and enlightened university campuses, mass murder is celebrated and pure evil masquerades as good. What terrible darkness are we experiencing when people cannot distinguish between heroes and hitmen, saints and sinners, defenders and destroyers.
What solution is there? Well, on the ground, there is no choice but to finish the job and restore security to our people, south, north and center. But on a spiritual level, we must carry the torch. We must insist on continuing to be an ohr l’goyim, a light unto the nations.
The analogy has been adapted from the Talmudic expression of “day workers.” Anan poalo dyemoma anan! We are day workers! Day is synonymous with light. We may be blind to the Divine light in the world, but if we hold the torch people will get the message. When we hold the flame of Torah, virtue and morality high, then the world will take notice. There is only one way to banish the darkness of our world, and that is by kindling more and more light. Only with light. We cannot sweep away the darkness; we can only light a candle, a flame, a torch, a generator, a tower of light!
On the positive side, we have always believed that there has got to be some deeper meaning to all our pain and suffering. Indeed, a new light is forming, a new era; finally, the final redemption must be very near.
That’s why I fully agree with singer Ishay Ribo, who said this week to a full crowd in New York’s Madison Square Garden, “I believe, and I think everyone else believes in their heart, that everything the Nation of Israel is experiencing now cannot be in vain. The pain and the tears that have fallen without end will cause redemption to grow and a new world to flourish. When this happens, soon, with God’s help, we cannot imagine how much good there will be.”
This week’s rebuke ends abruptly with the words, Eileh Divrei haBrit, these are the words of the covenant. God’s covenant with the Jewish people is eternal. Today, we may be groping through the darkness and feel confounded by the curses, but the infinite light of God will ultimately shine, and His covenant will be revealed for all to see.
Please God, may it be very soon indeed.
