Chanukah 5770/2009 - Jewish Infertility

Chizuk
SHAAREI TIKVAH/ CHANUKAH 2009
Allow me to share another שהחינו story, another
incident of Jewish faith and endurance. It was an ordinary
day in the high summer season when she went out,
hoping to purchase a new fruit over which they could
recite ‏.שהחינו Plums, apricots, mangos, cherries and
lychees-they had already enjoyed these and many more
fruits this season. Rosh Hashana was not approaching
just yet, but she needed a new fruit and was determined
to find one. An onlooker may have found it absurd,
especially in Israel where it is difficult to find exotic fruits
out of season. She, however, did not give up until finally
after searching at a number of supermarkets and
greengrocers, she spotted a sabra-fruit. She took her
precious find home.
Only now with the fruit in hand were they ready to
go for their appointment. Medical forms, blood test
results, medications and all the relevant paperwork were
packed into the bag that they then
took to the hospital. Many long
hours later when they were
physically and emotionally aching
and exhausted, they looked through
their bag. The medical papers no
longer held any importance, the
syringes no longer had any use, and
the tiny vials of devastating words
had shattered their last remnants of
hope. There in the bag only one
thing still offered them reassurancethe
sabra-fruit that she had bought.
העץ brachos: They each recited two
והגיענו לזמן הזה and בורא פרי
It is Hashem who ‏.שהחינו וקימנו
creates fruits, both the fruits of the
tree and the fruits of the womb. If in
this instance He had decreed not to
create fruits, He would certainly
endow them with the strength and
the ability to accept His decree
faithfully and courageously. They
already imagined and envisioned promising news, news
that would warrant the bracha of ‏.שהחינו Now the
situation had changed, but the bracha was still as relevant.
It was acknowledgement of all Hashem's support in the
past, and a prayer of hope for his continued help, support
and assistance that they'd be able to endure in the
עד הנה עזרונו רחמיך ולא עזבונו חסדיך.‏future
(Nishmas). . ואל תטשנו ה'‏ אלקינו לנצח
How appropriate that of all fruits she had found a
sabra. Just as the sabra-fruit has a thick, thistly, thorny
exterior skin, but inside its flesh is sweet, luscious and
juicy, so too at times situations sting, look and feel
thorny. When we realize, though, that even the painful
situations are from our loving Father Above, then there
When we realize,
though, that even
the painful situations
are from our
loving Father
Above, then there
must be sweetness
within, for He
wants only our
good.
must be sweetness within, for He wants only our good.
While it is true that the hardships experienced today
don't come close in comparison to the tortures or
שהחינו persecution of the Holocaust, nevertheless, this
recited at that hour was no less of a victory and
declaration of Jewish faith. Hashem is always with us,
encouraging us to stand firm. He does not want us to
grope in the darkness. He Himself lights the way for us,
gives us the tools to face life with courage and fortitude,
and to accept our challenges with equanimity.
This is one of the lessons of Chanuka. Yidden are
compared to olives. Only when an olive is pressed,
crushed and beaten, it's superior oily liquid can be
extracted. So too, Yidden of faith can be hard-pressed,
crushed, beaten and challenged, but it will only bring out
and produce an even stronger faith and firmer belief in
Hashem, Just as oil doesn't blend with any other
liquidbut rises and floats to the top,
so too Hashem's chosen people, with
willpower and determination, can
always overcome formidable
obstacles and can rise to any
challenge. Both as a nation and as
individuals, we have proven time after
time, again and again, that we don't
give up-we rise up!
•••
A humorous story is told of two
small frogs that accidentally jumped
into a butter churn filled with milk.
They were convinced that there was
no way out of the churn, or out of
their predicament. They could not
scale the smooth, high walls of the
churn, there was far too much liquid
in it for them to drink, and for how
long could they "tread milk"? These
two frogs had very different personalities. One was a
pessimist, so after quickly surveying the situation and
finding no escape from the liquid that threatened to
drown them, he surrendered to his fate. He quickly sank
to the bottom of the churn and drowned. The second
was an optimist, always full of hope and vision. He was
determined not to give up the fight. No matter how bad
the situation appeared to be, he refused to surrender. He
would only go down fighting, and so he kicked and flailed
his limbs without respite, causing the milk to solidify and
turn into butter. The optimistic frog was thus saved!
This story reflects and describes the fighting spirit of
the Jewish nation. We don't quit when we reach an
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