DISAPPOINTMENT

The Philadelphia Phillies, the overwhelming favorite to win the World Series, have instead failed to advance past the Divisional Series.  Despite a franchise record 102 victories and a starting pitching rotation of aces, the Phillies are finished for the year.   Upon hearing the news I knew that disappointment would surely reign in the City of Brotherly Love.

What can we learn from such a disappointment?

I would like to suggest that there is an important lesson we can learn from the disappointing end to the baseball season, a lesson which on some level can help us meet the challenges of life.  Disappointments happen in life.  What makes us strong, though, is our ability to get over these disappointments and continue to work with all of our efforts to achieving our goals. 

This is not a new lesson.  Many of the great heroes of the Torah persevered despite disappointments.  Yitzchak Avinu and Rivkah Imenu were wonderful parents.  But in addition to Yaakov Avinu, they had Esav.  Yaakov dealt with the sadness of the presumed loss of his son, Yosef.  And then when he had the great joy of learning he was alive, was forced to leave the Beloved Eretz Yisrael to live out his days in Egypt.  And as we will be reminded when we finished the Torah on Simchat Torah, Moshe Rebbenu fell short of his ultimate goal- leading the Jewish People into the Land of Israel.  It is interesting to note that even though Moshe knew before the end of his life he would not achieve his goal, he continued his mission of teaching the Jewish People with every bit of strength he possessed.  The entire book of Devarim is his final lesson.  Our Sages (in Gemara Makkot) note that he even set up the Cities of Refuge across the Jordan River though they would not be active until his successor Yehoshua would establish the others in Eretz Yisrael.  Moshe did not want to miss the chance to participate in fulfilling even one commandment.  Though he was disappointed, he was surely neither deterred nor depressed.

The ability to overcome disappointments and persevere is an area of great importance for children, as well.  Many have noted the negative effects of "grade inflation" and the presumption that hard work from nice children should always result in an "A."  Sometimes, the greatest gift a teacher can give a child is a "C," or even a "D," or even a nice note saying, "This isn't the best you can do.  Please re-do it and I'll give you the grade."  And sometimes the greatest gift a parent can give a child is to support the teacher and help their child to overcome their disappointment and work even harder. 

It is OK to be disappointed.  You truly cannot win them all.  But the real test is in our ability to overcome our disappointments and redouble our efforts to achieve all that we can. This is a critical lesson that is necessary for success - spiritual as well as academic and professional- in life.

Hopefully the Phillies will pass this test as they prepare for next year.  But more importantly, hopefully we too will  pass the test of getting beyond our own disappointments in our new year of 5772.

Chag Sameach!  

And HaShem saw all that He made, and it was very good... (Breishis perek 1 posuk 31)".  Our sages are puzzled.  Of course whatever HaShem made was very good!  It had to be perfect!  So why does the Torah have to tell us that whatever HaShem made was very good!? 

The Medrash offers a number of answers to this question.  According to the Medrash Rabba (perek 9 section 7), "and behold it was very good," is referring to theYetzer Hora, the Evil Inclination.  The Torah is pointing out that absolutely everything which HaShem created is very good, even the Yetzer Hora.

The natural types of Yetzer Hora, such as a desire for money or honor, are important because they give people the necessary encouragement for the world to function.  There is also another form of Yetzer Hora; the Yetzer Hora which tempts people to sin.  This is the evil inclination which we must overcome, and by so doing we become great.

Parshas Breishis continues to educate us in the wiles of the Yetzer Hora through the tragic error of Odam and Chava, who were tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge by the nachash, the snake.  This snake was actually the embodiment of the Yetzer Hora.  The word "nachash" is related to the word "nechoshes" copper.  Copper, once it is tarnished, looks similar to the color of the earth.  HaShem made snakes masters of camouflage, and most snakes are similar to the color of the earth and their other surroundings.  This warns us that the Yetzer Hora is difficult to spot, since it hides behind various disguises and forms of camouflage.

When Odam and Chava sinned, the Yetzer Hora changed its form.  Before the sin the Yetzer Hora had to speak to people as an outsider, like the snake who spoke to Chava as an outsider.  However, after the sin the snake changed and became an inner "voice", speaking like an insider.  Instead of the snake tempting with the message, "Don't you want...," the evil inclination was empowered to speak from the inside and say, "Don't I want."  The Yetzer Hora fools people into thinking that they wish to pursue the path of wickedness and self-destruction.

In Parshas VaYishlach we gain further insights into the ways of the Yetzer Hora.  After Yaakov emerged victorious from his battle with the "malach" (angel) of Esav, he asked the "malach" for his name.  The "malach" replied, "Why do you ask my name?"  Some of the commentators say that this was actually the "malach's" name.  He was the Yetzer Hora, and he desired to move about incognito.  The Yetzer Hora knows that he can be much more effective if people are not aware of who he really is.

In Pirkei Avos it says, "Who is a strong person?  One who controls his evil inclination."  To succeed we must have the strength of character to maneuver carefully through life with both caution and determination.

Good Shabbos/Shabbat Shalom

Chag Sameach /Good Yom Tov

S'gan Menahel (Assistant Principal)
 

SCHOOL FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY

International Travel Exchange (Jay Press) will donate to the school $10/person for every ticketed reservation to Israel on US Airways, El Al Airlines, Continental Airlines, United Airlines or Delta Airlines. You must mention that you were referred to them by Torah Academy.  Valid for reservations made between September 15 2011 and June 15, 2012.

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