The Secret of Silence in the Storm: The Obligation to Feel the Pain of the Community
Lesson No. 59 | Monday, Parashas Behar - Bechukosai, 18 Iyar, Lag BaOmer 5756
When the ship of Rebbe Nachman zt"l was caught in a terrible storm, he taught the passengers the power of silence and self-nullification. From this story, Rabbi Berland shlit"a explains the obligation placed upon us to feel the pain of the community, not to close our eyes to the dangers, and to cry out for the sweetening of judgments over the Jewish people.
On the 18th of Iyar, the day of Lag BaOmer, Rebbe Nachman zt"l traveled from his home to the city of Nikolaev, and from there he boarded a ship carrying wheat through Odessa to Istanbul. Although many were afraid to travel through Odessa because of the dangers of the sea, the Rebbe, in his great wisdom, understood that for several reasons it was better to travel on this route, which shortened the journey. He was not afraid of any danger, paid no attention at all to the words of the world, and boarded the ship.
After a day or two at sea, the ship was left without water and found itself in very great danger. "They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths" (Tehillim 107:26). No hope remained in the heart of any of the passengers to be saved from death. That night truly looked like the night of Yom Kippur—everyone cried out to Hashem, wept, recited Vidui (confession prayer), begged for atonement for their souls, and said Selichos (penitential prayers) and supplications.
The Secret of Silence
Amidst all the commotion and anxiety, Rebbe Nachman zt"l sat silently. The people of the Chotin community, who were on the ship weeping and crying out all night, turned to him and asked: "Why are you silent in a time of such distress?" The Rebbe answered them: "If only you would be silent as well, it would be good for you. And by this you shall be tested—if you will be silent, the sea will be silent over you as well." The passengers listened to his voice, stopped crying out, and fell silent. Immediately as the day dawned, Hashem calmed the storm into a whisper and stilled its waves.
The Danger of Apathy in the Face of Reality
Today, too, we are in very great danger, in a situation that is truly like Yom Kippur. Unfortunately, there are people who say, "Nothing will happen," exactly as they said before the Holocaust. Even then, when the deportations from Germany and Poland began, and when Jews were abused and murdered for seven years, there were those who said: "It is nothing, everything is from Heaven." We must not repeat this mistake and ignore reality.
We see the terrible murders and the terror attacks taking place. The enemies receive massive budgets and acquire modern weapons to harm us, even from afar. They invent disguised explosives and dangerous gases, and we must wake up. Regarding such situations, Rebbe Nachman zt"l says that we must tear open the heavens, and the obligation is placed upon us "day and night to feel the pain of the community."
Crying Out to Hashem and Judging Favorably
A person who does not feel the pain of the community shows that something is lacking in his Jewish root. How is it possible not to feel the terrible troubles that the Jewish people are going through? Whoever does not see what is happening at every moment and what is liable to happen is steeped in blindness. When harsh decrees are issued against the Jewish people, there are those who say that nothing will happen, but Rebbe Nachman zt"l teaches us otherwise: Instead of sitting quietly and saying that nothing will happen, we must cry out. We have the power to act and to topple the malicious governments and wicked decrees.
At the same time, we must remember the great rule: it is forbidden to judge Jews unfavorably. We must know that "Your people are all tzaddikim (righteous)," every Jew is a tzaddik, and we are not even worth the dust on the sole of any Jew's shoe. Yet despite this, we must not let the mistakes of others rule over us. We must do everything in our power, cry out to Hashem, and know that at least we have done what is required of us for the sake of the collective.
Part 1 of 4 — Lesson No. 59