Sh’lach Lecha: Wrapped Tightly in Tzit Tzit

Sh'lach Lecha: Wrapped Tightly in Tzit Tzit

May 31, 2013 ~ 23 Sivan 5773

Rabbi Jen Gubitz, Temple Shir Tikva

The fringes

dangled between their fingers

as they grasped on tightly

to their newest baby.  

Over their shoulders

a tallit

worn with memory

swaddled

their now family of four.

But their young son,

unenthused with this ritual

of welcome to his new sister

squeezed away into another room.

“Caleb! Come back!”

His dad called.

“I don’t want to,” he replied.

“But don’t you want to play a game

and hide under this fringy blanket?!”

Enticed quite quickly

back into the four corners

of his family’s tradition,

the rabbi chanted the priestly benediction,

and a new baby girl

entered the covenant of the Jewish people.

Baruch Atah Adonai,

Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam,

Asher Kid’shanu

B’mitz’votav Vitzivanu

L’hit’a’tef Ba’Tzit Tzit.

Blessed are You,

Ruling Spirit of the Universe,

Who has Sanctified Us With your Mitzvot,

and Commanded us

to Swaddle Ourselves in Tzit Tzit.

*

The fringes

dangled between her fingers

as she grasped softly

her grandson’s hand.

He had grown at least a head

since she saw him last

which was only a few weeks ago.

And he was really starting to resemble

his father

and his father’s father...

And it was

his tallit

that she gently draped

over his ever broadening shoulders.

Every time she turned around -

it was as if he was taller,

more mature,

and of course,

more handsome.  

But for one second,

he looked like the little boy

who once sat next to his grandfather in shul,

fingering the fringes of his tallit...

that now belonged to him.

And now on his day

of becoming Bar Mitzvah,

she stood proudly, as he recited:

Baruch Atah Adonai,

Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam,

Asher Kid’shanu

B’mitz’votav Vitzivanu

L’hit’a’tef Ba’Tzit Tzit.

Blessed are You,

Ruling Spirit of the Universe,

Who has Sanctified Us With your Mitzvot,

and Commanded us

to Drape Ourselves in Memories of Tzit Tzit.

*

The fringes

dangled above their heads,

as they grasped hands,

warmly

beloved to beloved.

The chuppah,

a symbol of the Jewish home,

swayed...

it was a tapestry of tallitot -

open on all four sides

to generations

of family and friends

past, present, and future -

who would always support them

and who would always envelop them

It was a tapestry of tallitot -

with which they might one day

bless their own children.

And in this potential of

two families merging

to create anew -

their mothers

placed a fraying tallit

around their shoulders,

and they were consecrated

according to the laws of Moses and Israel.

Baruch Atah Adonai,

Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam,

Asher Kid’shanu

B’mitz’votav Vitzivanu

L’hit’a’tef Ba’Tzit Tzit.

Blessed are You,

Ruling Spirit of the Universe,

Who has Sanctified Us With your Mitzvot,

and Commanded us

to build loving homes amid Tzit Tzit.

*           

The fringes

dangled between fingers

as they

ritually

lovingly

carefully

and respectfully

prepared him for burial.

His long

full

and rich life

would continue on

in joyful memories.

For his long

full and rich life

children would be named,

For his life,

regardless of length,

he would be missed.

For his long

full and rich life,

that he might

lie wrapped in his beloved tallit,

his family was comforted,

Baruch Atah Adonai,

Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam,

Asher Kid’shanu

B’mitz’votav Vitzivanu

L’hit’a’tef Ba’Tzit Tzit.

Blessed are You,

Ruling Spirit of the Universe,

Who has Sanctified Us With your Mitzvot,

and Commanded us

to rest eternally shrouded in Tzit Tzit.

*

Blessed are You,

Ruling Spirit of the Universe

who commanded us

in this week’s Torah portion

that we should make for ourselves

fringes

on the corners of our garments

throughout the ages,

as a reminder of your commandments,

and all that you have done for us.

Midrash Rabbah offers that:

The strings of the tzitzit

are like a rope

a captain stretches out

to the one struggling in the sea.

"Take hold of this rope with your hand,”

he shouts,

“and do not let go;

for if you let go,

you have not life!"

For all the moments

in the arc of our Jewish living

where the fringes of tallitot

dangle,

entice,

swaddle,

drape,

sway,

fray,

envelop,

shroud,

and comfort -

we prayerfully weave

the threads though our fingers,

and while delicate,

we find strength

in these knotted fringes

affixed to our prayer shawl. 

Like the knotted rope

thrown to us at sea,

our tallit

becomes

our holy life preserver.

The Midrash calls out to us:

“Keep it, let it not go,”

Keep the wisdom,

hang on tightly to traditions,

to instructions,

to understanding,

as the proverb invokes,

“for it, the richness of Torah, is your life.”

Blessed are You,

Ruling Spirit of the Universe,

who gives us the enlivening opportunity

to reach so many precious moments

wrapped

tightly

in tzit tzit.

Amen.