Recently I was asked to make a video for a group in Israel that consists of young people who are waiting to meet their “basherte,” the person whom they will marry.
The challenge is to make this period in their lives meaningful, not just as a stressful “waiting period,” but a time which should be filled with simcha and meaning in itself. After making the video, my wife suggested to me that the same message applies to all of us. We are all in a “waiting period.” We are all waiting to meet our basherte!
So I am sending this out as a message before Shavuos.
What are we waiting for? Who is our basherte?
Am Yisroel has been waiting for two thousand years for the end of Golus.
Who is our basherte?
We have been waiting for literally thousands of years to meet Moshiach ben Dovid, who will “reintroduce” us to Hashem, the King of the Universe, whom we as a nation met at Mount Sinai after He freed us from slavery in Egypt, as we say in our davening, “[Hashem] will let us hear, for a second time, in the presence of all the living ... [the words] ‘I am Hashem, your G-d.’” (Mussaf Kedusha, Shabbos and Yom Tov)
So I have decided to take these words and apply them to all of us now as we await the Yom Tov of Shavuosand our “reunion” with Hashem as He gives us once again the Torah at Har Sinai! Here is what I wrote:
The Jewish People have been waiting to meet our basherte for two thousand years!
Moshiach ben Dovid is the shadchun – the matchmaker – and he is going to introduce us to our basherte, Hashem, under the chuppah at Har Sinai.
But this wait is extremely challenging! How do we make use of this seemingly endless time --- which is now almost two thousand years! – without becoming depressed and hopeless?
We are extremely challenged to make use of this time without feeling trapped.
We are supposed to anticipate the advent of Moshiach at every moment. As the Rambam says, “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of Moshiach, and, even though he may delay, nevertheless I anticipate every day that he will come.” (Thirteen Principles of Faith)
We also say in davening, in the bracha for Moshiach, “we hope for Your salvation all day long.” It is absolutely correct to be focused on waiting for these incredibly significant goals.
But in the meantime, we have to fight to keep ourselves upbeat and to know that everything which happens in life is l’tova, for the good. Everything!
I have had many experiences which seemed impossible, totally bad … and then they turned out to be the gateway to great things. If you look in our new book, From Sinai to Yerushalayim, you will see the story of the great rabbi who got a plateful of salad spilled on him in our house on Shabbos! Believe it or not, this seemingly-horrendous situation turned into huge blessings for us and was the catalyst for an important friendship.
Yissurim – suffering -- is something we are supposed to value very highly. We are not supposed to seek suffering. Definitely not! But when we go through difficult experiences or periods in life, they can be understood as a tremendous gift from Hashem. Our gadolim tell us that, after one hundred and twenty years, when we arrive at Yom ha Din, it can be very frightening. Our mitzvos are unrolled. Wow! So many mitzvos! But then our sins are revealed! OY! There are so many more sins than mitzvos!
“I am finished! What am I going to do?”
But then, just when all seems lost, here come our yissurim, the sufferings that we endured in this world, and they weigh in on the side of our mitzvos! Wow! Saved by our sufferings! Gadolim have said that, at that time, our neshomas are going to say, “I wish I had had more suffering! They are what saved my life in the World to Come!”
We cannot wish for suffering, but if it comes, we have to know how to value it.
That being said, I want give us all a bracha that we should find our basherte very soon. Hashem is coming to rescue us! We should make ourselves smile and look the way we want to look so that our basherte will be happy with us! Rabbi Meshulam ha Levi Jungreis zt”l used to say, “If you smile, Hashem will give you every reason to smile.”
May we soon greet Hashem and build the beautiful Jewish life about which we all dream! As the Novi says, “They will sit, each man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none will make them afraid ….” (Micah 4:4)
May we have Shalom Bayis and nachas and simcha and live to see the world of Moshiach and the Bais Hamikdosh. Do you think you won’t see Gan Eden? Why do you think so? Dream about a perfect world and ask Hashem for it.
Zman Torasainu! The Torah is perfect and those who desire it will see the perfect world.
Good Yom Tov!
GLOSSARY
Am Yisroel: the Jewish People
Basherte: the mate who is intended for us
Bracha: Blessing
Davening: Prayers
Gadolim: Great rabbis
Gan Eden: The Garden of Eden
Golus: Our exile since the destruction of our Holy Temple
Har Sinai: Mount Sinai, where we received the Torah
Novi: Prophet
Shalom Bayis: Peace in the home
Yissurim: suffering
Yom ha Din: Day of Judgement
