The sun is rising, the birds are chirping; it’s a brand new day! A day filled with opportunity and excitement! Sure, it’s warmer under the covers… and I could always catch a later minyan… and I could always use a little more sleep….yaaawn…… Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! SNOOZE…
Some of you may have noticed the reduced frequency of these posts over the last couple of weeks. Posting relevant song choices is not an issue – in our parshios, there are songs everywhere you look. Thinking of appropriate commentary that will enhance the potential song choice is also not the problem. Wherever there is life, there is music. The only thing keeping me from writing my thoughts on every song that crosses my mind (and trust me, there are many), is the lack of time.
Baruch Hashem, I am married and have three beautiful children, bli ayin hara. I am learning more than I have ever learned before, among other learning programs, I am a proud participant in one of the most dynamic Daf Yomi chaburahs in the world (walk-ins welcome, inquire within). I also have a full-time, all-day/every day job, working a long American workday albeit from the comfort of my humble Yerushalayim abode. Therefore, between the early mornings and the very late nights, the short allotment of time I put aside for sleep has never held more significance in my life! But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a good night’s sleep as much as the next guy…..
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! SNOOZE…
As if the 4-hour “power nap” weren’t enough reason to stay in bed for a bit longer, mornings become especially tough when I am met by the cold air of the Judaean winter – it will be a few hours yet before the sun has had a chance to take away the chill. ‘Just five more minutes’ I tell myself, ‘that is all I need to feel refreshed and ready to take on the day!’ I’ve fallen for that one more than once, I’m ashamed to admit. So how does one overcome thoughts like these and successfully begin the day on the right note?
As always, the Torah provides the definitive answer. In fact, our first line of defense can be found in the very first line of the Shulchan Aruch: “Yisgaber k’ari la’amod baboker la’avodas Bor’o – One should get up mightily like a lion in the morning to do the service of his Creator.”
Now, I think it’s safe to assume that all of us have visited a zoo at some point in our lives. We can all attest to the fact that while there is much excitement leading up to the lion exhibit, the end result, once you find the ferocious feline, is usually just a large ball of fur, sleeping soundly over in the corner. You MAY get lucky and see the great beast move a muscle….IF you stand there long enough without blinking. Unfortunately, this comatose cat has always been the image that I associate with R’ Yosef Karo’s initial instruction, Yisgaber k’ari. If anything, mimicking a lion first thing in the morning seems counterproductive at best!
The Sfas Emes (Vayechi 5651), understanding the apparent paradox, comments on the words attributed to Yehudah (Bereishis 49:9), “kara ravatz k’aryeh u’kelavi mi yikimenu – he crouches, lies down like a lion, and like a great lion, who would dare to rouse him?” When a lion crouches down and falls, it doesn’t lose its strength; it maintains the ability to jump up with full fierceness and power when needed. The strength of a lion in regards to Yehudah is in his capacity to overcome tremendous obstacles even when he is down.
Adds the Alshich HaKadosh, that the same is true of Klal Yisroel and is actually one of the reasons that we are referred to as “Yehudim.” The obvious takeaway here is that it means that we are inherently as strong as the mighty lion and can overcome ANYTHING – even the natural pull to stay in bed, no matter how tempting that may be.
Beep! Beep! Bee- Ok, ok, I’m up!!
In 1967, Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Goldstein, zt’l founded the Diaspora Yeshiva on Har Tzion. Probably the most well-known product of the Diaspora Yeshiva is Avraham Rosenblum’s Diaspora Yeshiva Band – the group was considered revolutionary for its time for combining Jewish-oriented lyrics and themes with modern compositions and instruments. The band was originally comprised of six founding members and a cast of rotating musicians, several of whom went on to have successful solo careers.
Yisgaber K’ari, was composed by one of those original rotating musicians, Chaim David Saracik, and is off one of my favorite records: their 1981 release called Land of Our Fathers. This upbeat ditty has always been my go-to song to help me start my day on the right note – and I ain’t lion!
Enjoy!
0 Comments