"Bring us back to You, HaShem, and we shall return; renew our days as of old." (Eichah 5:21) At the end of the story The Spider and the Fly, Rebbe Nachman tells that when the soul of the king was about to descend into the world, the Satan cried out: "If this soul comes down, I'll have no more power!" But they told him: "This soul must come down—go find yourself a strategy." As the soul descended into the world, there was a delay—until they eventually found the Satan dragging an old, bent-over man. He laughed and said, "I already have a solution." (It's highly recommended to read the full story in detail.) Human nature is always to look ahead. A baby wants to grow into a child, a child wants to become a teenager, then a young adult, then to marry, have children, and eventually grandchildren. The gaze is always forward—toward old age. The danger is that at a certain point everything stops, and a person begins to look back with envy at the younger generation. This is precisely the trap of the yetzer hara. But on the holy path, it's the complete opposite. The older one gets, the more one recalls the refinement and purity of earlier days. The word kedem (as in "renew our days as of old") refers to the beginning—conception, birth, and the gradual stages of growth. Yet kedem also hints at advancement and progress—what is yet to come. In holiness, a truly "elder" person is one who constantly renews himself with vitality and freshness. This is what Rebbe Nachman came to reveal in the world: Never grow old. Always renew yourself. What other nation in the world still weeps for a Temple destroyed nearly two thousand years ago? No other people can do that. Today, people forget tragedies that happened just a month ago. But ever since Rebbe Nachman's soul descended into this world, the war against spiritual decay and the force of inner "oldness" has grown ever more intense. We must remember: no matter what we've gone through in life, we have a sacred obligation to renew ourselves and strengthen ourselves. And by doing so, we will also merit to see the full comfort of Tzion and Yerushalayim, very soon—Amen. Shabbat Shalom |
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