I got an incredible email this week. It came from my baby brother Shmaya, serving in the Israeli defense forces.
It was a special week for him and for all of us. This week he got his wings, the prestigious badge of the paratroopers to be secured on his uniform.
In his email, he describes what it's like to jump:
"We first get "strapped up" and wait for the plane to arrive. It comes, with a deafening noise.
We enter from the tail end, in 2 single file lines (1 for each door). We take our seats and buckle up. There's an incredible mix of emotions. After all, a large number of boys, had never been on a plane before. Let alone jump out of one.
We take off."
The boys begin to sing, which calms everybody's nerves.
"That is, until the doors open. A gush of wind enters the plane, and the singing stops. The order comes, "אפ על הרגלים" (up on your feet). We get up facing the door. First guy steps in the door. "קפוץ, קפוץ, קפוץ, קפוץ" (jump, jump, jump). Before I could figure out what was going on, we were all out the door.
The feeling, of going from the hectic aircraft, to floating peacefully in a beautiful blue sky, is indescribable."
That is, of course, because of his trusted parachute.
We have all had this experience. Perhaps we don't recall the details quite as clearly.
Before a soul comes into this world it is terribly nervous. It's happy and comfortable in the heavenly spheres where it is at home with all things G-dly and holy. It fears the unknown, a new territory dictated by things like money and outward appearances. It doesn't want to go. The angels must gently coax it into taking the plunge.
And so a soul is born.
It does indeed get comfortable with it's new setting and even begins to enjoy it.
That is of course, when the parachute is properly deployed.
G-d doesn't just send us out of the comfortable airplane near the heavenly throne out into the gusty winds of a chaotic and tumultuous world to fend on our own, without giving us the proper gear. He gives us a trusted parachute. He calls it the Torah.
When correctly deployed, the Torah steers us in the proper direction and keeps us on course enabling us to have a safe and happy landing. It's not a prop to light up the skies, although the parachute does look beautiful.
This week's Torah portion speaks of our freedom to choose. G-d says "“I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil: in that I command you this day to love G‑d, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments . . . Life and death I have set before you, blessing and curse. And you shall choose life.”
To choose life is to use the parachute. Make sure youre parachute is properly deployed.
Here is a picture of Shmaya with his new wings!
