Two Pathways One Destination

One Thursday evening a few years ago a middle-aged couple walked into my hotel in Cyprus. The woman asked the reception to meet with me. Not sure what the issue was I made my way to the lobby of the hotel. The woman quickly introduced herself as Maria and this is her husband Marios. 

She asked me to please smile at her husband since he doesn't speak English and she doesn't want him to have any suspicious ideas of what she is about to tell me. 

I quickly nodded my head with a smile toward her husband as my curiosity rose quickly. She explained to me that she was born in Russia and has since moved to Cyprus. As a child l, her mother before her passing told her in private that she was Jewish and to never forget it. Her father however would take her to church every Sunday and tell her that she is Christian and forget what her mother had told her. She says that for months she has been walking by my Hebrew written sign outside our hotel. 

The memories of her childhood suddenly made her a bit emotional.

Trying to fight back tears and pretend a smile to Marios, she then said, deep down inside I never stopped wanting to believe my mother. Please tell me sir am I indeed Jewish or not? If I am Jewish what should I do that I am married to Marios who can never know! 

I was not expecting such a meeting and I tried my best to help this poor Jewish soul. I smiled together with Maria to Marios once again and said to her, Yes you were right all these years you are in fact Jewish. 

Tomorrow is Shabbos as the sun starts to set take these two candles and light them. You will see that your darkness will soon have light. A few hundred meters from my hotel is a synagogue there are people there available for you to learn more about your heritage. 

Marios saw how his wife was suddenly happy and smiling and quickly smiled and shook my hand for helping them even though he clearly didn't understand what was really transpiring. 

In this week’s Parsha Rivka goes for the council while she struggles with this same issue. When she walks by the Pagan place of worship she feels the baby's excitement and when she walks by the house of holiness she also feels his excitement. Is the child a saint or a terrorist?

She is then calmed by the news that there are twins inside a representation of two different nations. One child is drawn to righteousness and the other gravitates towards darkness.

The question is asked how can telling a mother that you have one good child and one terrorist console any mother especially a righteous woman such as Rivka? 

Chassidus explains what transpired on a slightly deeper level. There are two types of Jews that HaShem creates. One type only once to do the will of HaShem constantly and has no interest in this materialistic world. HaShem derives a sweet pleasure from these elevated souls. However, there is another type of soul as well. The soul that is constantly struggling with fighting off natural gravitation to negative tendencies. Overcoming these struggles generate a different type of pleasure for HaShem. In this child, the measure of success is the power to fight off the darkness and slowly conquer the animalistic tendencies.  This is what calmed Rivka knowing that both children have the potential to serve Hashem in his own unique way.

May we all have the strength and persistent nature to conquer our negativity and bring healing and light to our darkness. 

Have a wonderful Shabbos. 

Yitzchok Friedman