Back in my yeshiva days studying Talmud, there were times that commentaries had better questions than answers. This might be the case with the bricks on the tables this Friday Night, hopefully my explanation might be as good as good as everyone’s question tonight: “What are these bricks doing on the tables!?”
Earlier today was the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet, known as “Asara b’Teves” which commemorates the start of the Siege around Jerusalem which ultimately led to its destruction. We remember Jerusalem’s Holy Temple, and pray for its rebuilding. The Third Temple will be built of the good deeds and Mitzvot of the Jewish people throughout the centuries of diaspora and exile. Obviously, the Jewish past is hugely important, but the Lubavitcher Rebbe was always forward looking, always current, always positive. He didn’t dwell in the past, the focus was on – what does this mean to us today? What could we do about this today?
When we were kids, we were often told that each good deed, each Mitzvah, is another “brick” to rebuild the Temple. Each brick may be small, but it is solid, it is strong, it is built to last the test of time.
One brick on its own doesn’t do much, but collectively and cumulatively, all these Mitzvah-bricks adds up. As Matt H. quoted to me from what Al Pacino said in his famous inspirational football speech: “Inch by inch..” Hence the bricks on the table for the Tenth of Tevet.
You may have noticed that these bricks are holy. There’s a series of hollow holes within each brick. The purpose of these holes is to allow the cement or mortar to seep in and get a better connecting hold for one brick to another.
Each Mitzvah is a brick. The mortar? That’s what we put into a Mitzvah. Our effort, investment, sweat equity; our feeling, emotional, passion. The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, R’ Yosef Yitzchak called that spiritual mortar “Lachluchis” which means warmth, atmosphere, vibe and experience, that’s the spiritual glue, it seeps in and fills the little spaces, the holes, in each Mitzvah, it cements the connection.
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One night of Chanukah I went downtown to a fraternity house. I brought them Latkes and we lit the Menorah together. One guy came over to me and pulled out a dollar from his wallet. He had been carrying this specific dollar around since May. Rabbi Shmuly Weiss of Chabad at the Kotel (who has a phenomenal memory of people and places) gave him this dollar as a “Shliach Mitzvah” (Mitzvah messenger) to bring back to Albany and give to Tzedakah at Shabbos House.
So he had been holding onto this dollar for quite some time, because first he was home for the summer, and the next few times he saw me was on Shabbos or on a Jewish holiday when I couldn’t handle money.
What’s the meaning behind this dollar messenger? What’s behind the custom?
We all come and go and travel for many reasons. We travel for fun, we travel for business, we go for personal reasons. Making someone a messenger for a Mitzvah, gives the whole trip a new layer of meaning. You are not merely traveling for your own purposes. You are also a messenger for a Mitzvah!
This is the last Shabbat together before Winter Break. I’d like to suggest and encourage all our friends, when you go home or on vacation this winter break, look out for one special Mitzvah opportunity, something unique, exotic, different, something you would not ordinarily do. The Mitzvah itself may not be exotic, but your experience with it might be. Invest of yourself in that Mitzvah, whether for five minutes or for five hours, put effort and love into it, and come back and tell us the story at the start of the Spring semester.
Each of us can be a messenger for this Mitzvah. To paraphrase Reb Forrest Gump (thanks to Avi S.): “Life is like a box of Mitzvos. You never know what you are going to get!” And like the holes in the brick, they’re there for the mortar to fill it. This special Mitzvah has spaces built in for your enthusiasm, warmth, love and passion. Your special intent, the effort and experiences that went into it.
Please be our “Shliach-Mitzvah” (Mitzvah Messenger) and come back with a memorable experience to share.
P.S. For another twist to the “Shliach Mitzvah” concept, see this post about Rebbe-Dollars.