Spreading our Wings

Am I really that important?  How is it possible that my actions affect the highest Heavens?  I mean . . . I’m just little old me.  What am I in comparison to the great galaxies, mountains and seas?  We do not give ourselves enough credit.  Our Sages, of blessed memory, teach that we are not physical beings.  In reality, our bodies are the garment to a G-dly soul.  Our soul is greater, holier and more powerful than the sun and the angels.  We were created in the image of G-d and actually have a part of Him in us.

The gaon and tzaddik Rabbi Nissim Yagen zt”l, who passed away many years ago, explained the above in a beautiful parable:  A hunter once went on a hunting trip and, while involved in his sport, came across a farm.  The curious hunter surveyed the farm grounds.  As he passed the chicken coup and looked inside, he discovered a very peculiar sight.  He noticed a brood of chickens walking around, clucking and pecking at seeds.  Among the chickens was a large beautiful bird who was acting just like the chickens, clucking and eating along with them.  Puzzled, the hunter found the proprietor of the farm and asked “What is this bird doing among the chickens?” 

The farmer innocently explained, “Many years ago I found a broken egg with a small funny looking chick. When I didn’t see its mother in sight, I took the bird and raised it among my chickens.” 

“Can I purchase this bird from you?”  Asked the hunter. 

“Sure,” said the farmer.  “I will charge you for her according to the price of a hen by weight.”  The farmer weighed the large handsome bird and the hunter happily paid and walked away with his new find.

The hunter took the bird, which was actually a stunning young eagle, to the top of a large mountain and whispered in her ear: “You are not a chicken but an eagle, spread out your wings and fly away!”  Then, with one gentle but firm push, the hunter thrust the eagle off of the cliff and she instinctively spread out her large beautiful wings and soared higher and higher…

Dearest friend, do you know who you are?  Do you look at yourself as just a physical body or a G-dly spiritual soul?  We are the children of Hashem, Creator of the Universe, and the King of the King of Kings.   We are created in His image.  We are all regal.  We come from a very illustrious line of ancestors and there is incredible spiritual potential within each and every one of us.   The very first fundamental and Principle of Faith of Judaism is the belief in G-d, Hashem, the Creator of the Universe.  And while the first of the Principles of Faith is the belief in the One G-d, many do not realize that another equally important fundamental is to believe in ourselves and the boundless spiritual potential latent within each of us. 

The Jewish people are called the Children of Hashem (G-d) because we accepted the Torah.  Hashem, our G-d, loves us more than we can possibly imagine.  He wants a close relationship with each and every one of us just as any parent longs for a meaningful relationship with his or her child.  When Hashem offered the Jewish people the Torah at Mount Sinai we declared as one “We will do and we will listen”.  At that very moment, we established an eternal deep covenant with our Creator and became one with Him and each other.  Every time that we learn Torah we are connecting to our Creator.  Each mitzvah (Torah commandment) we keep is another link directly connecting us to our Father in Heaven.

If we do not understand our self-worth, the greatness of every Jew, who has a holy and great Neshama (soul), we will never understand the importance and incredible impact of each and every little action that we do.  We will not understand why our Father in Heaven cares about us and our actions or why every word we say and every action we do influences the Heavens.  Even the way we put on our shoes (yes, there is a very special way to put on our shoes: first the right, then the left; then we tie the left shoe first and right shoe second) influences the highest Heavens and brings down blessings to the entire world.  Our actions are dearer to Hashem than the actions of angles.  That is why Hashem created us and gave us, and not the angles, the Torah as a way of connecting to Him.

The Torah and its commandments help us fully realize our incredible potential.  But, we must first realize how truly special and spiritually great we really are.  We must trust the kind hunters, our holy Rabbis and spiritual guides, who encourage us and guide us toward spiritual growth, self-refinement and a connection to Hashem.  Only once we understand and internalize these fundamental principles can we reach the greatest heights.  So what are you waiting for? Spread out your wings and fly ever higher.  You have it in you!