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Just as water wears away stone, the process of self-transformation takes
time and patience
On August 17th and 18th, we will usher in the Hebrew month of Elul. This
month, which falls immediately before Rosh Hashanah, is traditionally a time of
reflection. We examine our past deeds, seek forgiveness, make amends, and
resolve to better ourselves in the coming year. Our hope is that if we have
begun the process of teshuvah in earnest, God will forgive us on Yom Kippur and
allow us to begin the New Year with a clean slate. Sometimes that task of
self-change can seem a little overwhelming.
It is for that reason that, as we approach the month of Elul, I am reminded of
one of my favorite places in Israel: Rosh Hanikra. These magnificent grottos, on
the northernmost coast of Israel, were carved out of limestone by the pounding
of the waves over tens of thousands of years. The intricate lace of caves and
tunnels goes deep into the rock, and is graced on the outside by dramatic cliffs
and unusual rock formations shaped by the water. Michelangelo used to say that
he did not create his sculptures - they were hidden within his stone. He simply
revealed them.
In the same way, it always seemed to me that the beauty of Rosh Hanikra's
grottos must have been hidden within the rock by God, and were waiting to be
revealed by the water.
It is hard to imagine how something as soft as water can have such a
transforming effect on something as hard as stone. When I think of Rosh Hanikra,
I am reminded of that famous story about Rabbi Akiva, who at the age of 40 had
not studied a word of Torah. A shepherd by trade, no doubt he was intimidated by
the sages of the academy. How could he, a simple country boy, ever master sacred
text? Then one day, standing at the mouth of a well, Akiva noticed that the
water dripped out; and his gaze followed the drip to a bowl shaped stone. He
wondered aloud, "Who hollowed out this stone?" "Akiva," he was told, "haven't
you read in the book of Job that 'water wears away stone?' It is the constant
drip of water, day after day, which created the hollow in the rock."
At that moment, Akiva came to a realization. "Is my mind harder than stone?" he
asked himself. "I will go and study at least one section of Torah!" He went
directly to the schoolhouse where he began to read with his son. First, the
teacher wrote an aleph and a bet, and he learned to read them. Like the dripping
water, he worked his way through the entire Hebrew alphabet, letter by letter.
Then he learned the book of Leviticus, and finally the entire Torah and the Oral
Law. In the end, Akiva became one of the greatest sages there has even been.
The story of Rabbi Akiva's beginning contains a great truth about life.
Our most significant accomplishments do not come about in one grand moment. They
are earned gradually, over time, little by little. If we were to try to
accomplish our goals in one fell swoop; we would give up, thinking the task
impossible.
Transformation requires patient determination. What we need most is to be like
Rabbi Akiva -- to look at the well of Torah and ask ourselves, "Am I harder than
stone?" Drip by drip, day by day, challenge by challenge, we can make ourselves
over again if we try. As we change, like the grottos of Rosh Hanikra, the beauty
that lies within is revealed.
Rabbi Stephen Weiss
B'nai Jeshurun Congregation, Cleveland, Ohio
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