Rosh Hashana 5770/2009 - Jewish Infertility

After acknowledging that our lives are filled to the brim
with blessings; we automatically are moved to thank Him
for this constant show of benevolence.
SHAAREI TIKVAH/ FALL 2009
5
sonal locomotives, causing us to veer off course for a while.
Just as an insignificant piece of Styrofoam caused the tragic
demolition of the Challenger and its occupants, small slipups
can often have glaring repercussions. An attitude that’s
off kilter may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can
actually spell the difference between living and surviving.
Focusing on the positive aspects of our lives grants us
the ability to live every moment to the fullest. The proverbial
glass of water is half-full, but seeing it as such is a conscious
decision. At times one may be certain that his glass
is decidedly less than half-full, but this just indicates that
he’s using the wrong glass. Unrealistic expectations are not
the proper container to hold life’s blessings. By transferring
one’s experiences to smaller receptacles, one will be forced
to admit that his life is overflowing with an abundance of
blessing.
As Yehudim, we are endowed with a unique task. The
word Yehudim can be traced back to two root words – hodaah
– acknowledging and thanking. After acknowledging
that our lives are filled to the brim with blessings; with the
sparkling water of Hashem’s goodness; we automatically are
moved to thank Him for this constant show of benevolence.
As I was pulling together my thoughts for this month’s
edition, I received a moving letter from Yentele Roitenberg.
The strength of her wondrous attitude and positive focus
was so clearly discernible, that I couldn’t resist including an
excerpt of her memo.
Upon visiting her sister in Ramot Gan, Yentele was surprised
at the appearance of a nesting bird which never
showed up so late in the summer season. Delighted with
the rare opportunity, her husband fulfilled the mitzvah of
Shiloach Hakan on the Motzei Shabbos of Parshas
“Sholeiach Teshalach es Ha’Eim”.
Yentele writes:
“…The hardest part of all was when mother bird came
back squawking, crying and flapping angrily. I felt so sorry for
her. How does she deal with her pain and what does she tell
her mate, the father bird, and how does he comfort her when
he has his own pain to deal with How do they console each
other and does he blame her that she allowed us to fulfill a
mitzvah in the Torah
“Forgive us mother bird for the tears and pain we caused.
Know you fulfill an even greater task than having little fledgling
babies. I am not just preaching dear bird, I can empathize
and I am speaking not only to you but also to myself. You
fulfill an extra special task. Most birds have eggs which hatch
into young, but you were selected to have tears and prayers
that go right to the Kissei Hakovod on your little flapping
wings. You carry not the heavy weight of losing your offspring
and dreams but the heavy weight of all our Tefillos on
your wings! Thank You, mother bird! As you rise despite your
pain, you take along all of our prayers and tears too and teach
us how to cope as we grope, and to always rise and soar.”
“…We of course brought our souvenir, our eggs, home
and as I gently placed them in the glass dish alongside the
other eggs I thanked Hashem for giving us another reminder
that yes, like a bird, we can soar and we can rise and we can
pierce the heavens with our heartfelt cries. This morning, as
I look through the glass doors into the little glass box and
see the two extra eggs (much tinier this time!), I imagine
Hashem looking, peering, gazing in Elul at all the precious
tears, mitzvos and tefillos that He has stored behind His glass
doors in His own beautiful dish and the souvenirs He has.
Like the mother bird He can put aside His own tears and fears
in this extended Golus and protect us, His children, who are
waiting for Him “to hatch” golus into Geulah. He has so much
reward in store for all of us iy”h very soon, may we all be zoche
to a Kesivah Vechasimoh Tovah and may all of our tefillos for
all of Klal Yisroel be answered Letovah.”
As the days of the Yomim Noraim sweep over us, let us
grasp the stirrings of our rejuvenated attitudes with grace.
After all, our focus is the sole deciding factor in shaping the
way we view our lives. Kesivah V’Chasimah Tovah – may we
merit the blessings of a sweet, happy and healthy year in
which all our requests are fulfilled l’tovah!
Malkie Klaristenfeld
Editor-In-Chief