“My dear parents, if you were to name the most memorable moment of my youth, what would it be?”
“The moment you said, ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’ was the beginning of your transformation into a mentsh. We would listen to you saying ‘Dad – Mom’ over and over, and it was music to our ears. It was both humorous and touching. Watching a baby enter the real world and start using words to communicate was a moment to relish!
Sometimes it’s not a specific word that makes us laugh or feel joy, it’s the paradoxical context in which it is used.
It is always at the moment of change that the paradox exists; the moment when a person is a baby and a mentsh at the same time.
The paradox exists on all levels. Whether a baby talking, a college student giving a commencement speech, or a student becoming a teacher.
Each paradox has its own unique reaction.
The same applies to humans doing a Mitzvah. It is the paradox of humans behaving like angels! If you think about it, it’s pretty funny!
So next time you wonder who really cares if you do a Mitzvah, think of the time you were laughing uncontrollably when your little one started talking! It was a breath of fresh air!
I’m sure G-d is doing the same when we play “Angel” – when we do a Mitzvah! He loves it! It gets boring watching angels doing the right thing! Humans doing the right thing – that’s a reason to celebrate!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mendy
