בס''ד
*Miller’s Musings וַיֵּלֶך & נִצָּבִים
פרשת*
*A Better
Perspective*
Birthdays
are generally considered happy occasions and in some cases important milestones
in our lives. Nevertheless it seems
rather intriguing that we are told by Rashi that when Moshe announced that he
was “one hundred and twenty years old today” he was actually conveying the
message that this day, of his death, was actually also the date of his
birth. An interesting fact no doubt, but
why did Moshe think it was necessary to pass on this particular piece of
information to the Jewish people at this time?
Many
centuries later, during the time of the story of Megillas Esther, Chazal tell
us that Homon had to decide which date to choose for the destruction of the
Jewish people. After considering the
matter he fell upon the idea to make it occur during the month of Adar, as this
was the month in which Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, seemingly a sign that this
month was one in which bad things could happen to the Jews. What he failed to realise, however, was that
this was also the month of Moshe’s birth and therefore had potential for
tremendous good, as was eventually the case with the redemption that came
about. If we now rewind to the moment
before Moshe’s demise, we can understand that the Jewish people would have also
seen this as a sign of it being a time of negativity and it may have filled them
with some trepidation before the impending wars in Canaan. Therefore, so as to
revive their spirits, Moshe pointed out that there was no need for fear, as his
birthday also fell within this time, nullifying the cause of their dread.
Life events are by
their very nature open to interpretation.
How we choose to view them is entirely up to us. Whilst one may perceive them as entirely
negative another may choose to see the positives within them, however
challenging that may sometimes be. If we
consider the case above, the fact of Moshe dying was something that was a
foregone conclusion, so if it were to take place in any month then occurring on
the day of his birth would be the best possible option, perhaps hinting at a
life that has been lived with absolute perfection, coming full circle to its
conclusion. It may be that the very
thing we see as bad is in fact quite the opposite or that hidden within are
positive points that we could focus on if we make the choice to do so. What happens to us is often beyond our
control, but the impact it has is often within our own hands.
*May Shabbos reflect
light on all that we see*
לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם
לרפואה
שלימה:
שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר
