This week, I had the special privilege to meet a special Jew. His name is Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz, and he
is the Chabad Emissary (Shliach) to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rabbi Alperowitz is one of only two rabbis in
all of South Dakota, and he has a connection with 95% of the approximately 500
Jews in the state.
Our community had an opportunity to listen to him describe the holy work that
he does each and every day, connecting Jews with their heritage, no matter
their background, no matter their life experience. And as I was listening to Rabbi
Alperowitz tell stories about driving 4 hours to deliver matza to families
before Pesach or ensure a woman had a proper Jewish burial, I couldn’t help but
ask myself, “where does he find the inspiration, the drive, to do this work?”
Lucky for me, he told us: It
comes from the very first message the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel
Schneerson, delivered to his chassidim. On the 10th day of Teves,
the day he ascended to become the Rebbe, he taught his chassidim that as Jews
we have a sacred responsibility: To uncover the unique spirituality found in every
single Jew.
Moshe Rabbeinu’s first meeting with Hashem goes about how we would
have thought. The individual who will be the Av HaNeviim, the greatest Navi in
the history of the Jewish People, has his first conversation with God introduced
by an extraordinary miracle: The burning
bush.
Let’s go through the steps of the initial encounter:
(ב)
וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ יְקֹוָק אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה וַיַּרְא
וְהִנֵּה הַסְּנֶה בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ וְהַסְּנֶה אֵינֶנּוּ אֻכָּל:
An angel of Hashem presented himself to Moshe in a flame housed
within a bush, and MOSHE SAW, and behold! The bush was one fire, but it was not being consumed!
(ג)
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אָסֻרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת הַמַּרְאֶה הַגָּדֹל הַזֶּה מַדּוּעַ
לֹא יִבְעַר הַסְּנֶה:
And Moshe says: Let me go take a look and see this amazing
sight! Why is the bush not being consumed!?
(ד)
וַיַּרְא יְקֹוָק כִּי סָר לִרְאוֹת וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו אֱלֹהִים מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי:
And Hashem saw that Moshe turned to see, and He called out to Moshe
from within the bush, and He said, “Moshe, Moshe!” And Moshe said, “Here I am!”
And it’s fascinating to take a look at the back and forth
regarding Moshe’s response:
Moshe says, “wow, what a phenomenon! I gotta check this out!” And says the
Torah: ONCE HASHEM SAW that Moshe came
over to look, ONLY THEN Hashem calls out “Moshe Moshe!” The implication is that
if for some reason Moshe would have walked by and not noticed this phenomenon, that
Hashem would have let him go. He would
never have chosen Moshe.
And it seems strange. Because…Was
it really so difficult to assume someone would want to stop and look at this
burning bush!? There are far
simpler phenomenon that draw our attention. Presumably, anyone or at least most people walking by this bush would
have stopped to take a look! What was so special about Moshe’s willingness
to turn and look, to be Sar Liros?
The Seforno explains that when the Torah says Hashem saw “KI SAR
LIROS” that Moshe turned to notice it means להתבונן בדבר,
Hashem saw that Moshe didn’t only see the bush, but he began considering what
it meant: Why is this here? He saw there
was something special, something unique and spiritual, so he decided to grab the
opportunity and come close.
And continues the Seforno: ויקרא אליו
אלקים. להודיעו, כאמרם ז”ל בא לטהר מסייעין אותו. It was only once Moshe showed that
interest that Hashem then called back to him. As chazal tell us: When a person wants to become tahor, when a person
has a desire to come close to Hashem, He provides him or her with assistance. Once we show Hashem that we’re interested in
growth, He gives us a boost.
So, says the Seforno, once Hashem saw, “Ki Sar Liros”, that Moshe
was interested in “coming close” not only physically but also spiritually, “VAYIKRA
ELAV ELOKIM”, then Hashem called him over. MOSHE! MOSHE! According to Seforno,
it wasn’t just that Moshe stopped to SEE what was happening with the bush. It was that he took the time to consider what
it really meant. If this is here, there
must be more in this place. This place must
be special. And it was only then that
HKBH said, “THIS is the person who will lead My People”
But there is a second approach I want share with you as well. And this comes from the Medrash Rabba: “Rebbi
Yitzchak said: ‘What does it mean that Moshe ‘turned to see?’ God said, “he is one who turns to notice the
pain of the Jewish People in Egypt”.
What does it mean that Hashem saw that Moshe was a SAR LIROS, that
He was turning to see? Not that he turned to see the burning bush! That he took the time to see and feel the
pain of Am Yisrael. This, says Hashem, is
what makes him the person who will be their shepherd. According to the Midrash,
Hashem is not referring to Moshe’s response to the bush at all! In fact, if Moshe hadn’t stopped to take
notice, maybe Hashem would have chosen him anyway. What was it that Hashem saw about Moshe? That he was, at his core, a SAR LIROS, he was
someone who stopped to SEE OTHERS. To see
their pain and to reach out help.
And where did Hashem see this? In the stories that immediately precede the episode with the burning
bush. Because if there is one word that would epitomize the character of Moshe
Rabbeinu throughout those initial stories, the word is Vayar. He saw.
Vayigdal Moshe, Vayetzei El Echav, VAYAR bisivlosam! When Moshe grows up, he goes out to his
brothers. Why? To see their suffering. Rashi
there says: “Nasan Einav V’libo lihiyos meitzar aleihem”. Moshe didn’t just look. But he really saw them with his heart, to feel
their pain. He sees an Egyptian beating
a Jew, and says the Torah, “Vayifen ko vacho, vayar Ki ein ish” – He looks
around and sees there is no one else to help. So, he steps up! So says the medrash: Why did Hashem choose Moshe? Because he decided to take a look at the burning
bush? No, because it was his nature to
be a SAR LIROS, he was a person who knew how to truly see others.
And as I was thinking about this idea, I couldn’t help but think
that the message of this first story about Moshe Rabbeinu and the first message
of the Lubavitcher Rebbe are really one in the same: Be a person who stops to notice other people. Be a person who stops to notice spirituality
in others and in the world around you. Be someone who is SAR LIROS, who takes the time to notice.
And while, of course, this is a mida that is necessary to be a
successful shliach in a far-flung Jewish community, being sar liros is an equally important mida for
all of us. The best parents, the best spouses, the best friends are those who
take the time to notice, to truly see the other person. To take the time to listen, to just be there
for the most important people in our lives.
As I listened to Rabbi Alperowitz tell his incredible story about
his family’s dedication to the Jews of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it dawned on
me: We don’t all have the ability to give physical gifts to others, but we can
all give the most valuable gift of all: to be able to see and appreciate the
special, unique spark in every single person.
To learn more about Rabbi Alperowitz and his work, visit: https://www.jewishsd.org/