Twice a month, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa shares a Shabbat greeting from a member of our Board of Directors. This Friday, we are pleased to share this personal message from Board member and Vice- Chair Karen Palayew.
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Dear friends,
"Gam zeh ya’avor - this too shall pass”
During my years of involvement with the March of the Living program, one of the educators shared a story that was particularly meaningful to me. Benaiah was King Solomon’s most trusted advisor, but the King thought he needed a lesson in humility. So, he challenged him with what he believed to be an impossible task. King Solomon gave Benaiah six months to find him a ring with special powers, a ring that would make a happy man sad, and a sad man happy.
Benaiah searched throughout the kingdom to no avail. On the eve of Sukkot, he was wandering through the streets of Jerusalem. A shopkeeper approached him asking why he looked so sad and distraught. Benaiah explained King Solomon’s request. The elderly man disappeared into the back of the store and returned with a simple ring, which he gave to Benaiah. Benaiah looked at the ring, read the inscription, and smiled.
That night, the entire city joyfully gathered to celebrate Sukkot. Benaiah presented the ring to his King, and as soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile left his face. Inscribed on the ring were the words gam zeh ya’avor - this too shall pass. Instead of humbling his advisor, it was King Solomon who was taught a lesson in humility, realizing that his tremendous wealth, wisdom, and power were fleeting, and that one day he would be nothing but dust.
Gam zeh ya’avor - this too shall pass. This phrase reminds us that whatever we are experiencing in life, whether it be joy or sorrow, or something in between, life is fleeting. When our lives are in balance and we are experiencing joy, it is important to remember that “this too shall pass” and that we must embrace and truly appreciate and value our blessings. Similarly, when we are experiencing pain and sorrow, it is important to find our inner strength and courage, and try to have faith that with time, “this too shall pass.”
Nearly eight years ago, I received the devastating news that my father had metastatic pancreatic cancer, and three and a half months later he died. My father’s immediate response to his diagnosis was “this is not a tragedy; I have lived 84 wonderful years.” As a family, we spent those final months embracing one other, devoting every opportunity to share time and space together. The ultimate loss made it feel impossible to breathe normally. In the depths of my sorrow, I had to find the strength to say the words, “gam zeh ya’avor.” I learned to move forward, carrying his love, wisdom and kindness with me each and every day.
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Last month, our family celebrated my mom’s 90th birthday. A definite high! For decades, my parents went to Ogunquit, Maine, every year to celebrate my mom’s birthday. It was their special place by the ocean. After my father died, my mother said she didn’t think she could ever go back without him. Yet over the course of this past year, she mentioned several times that she thought she was ready to go back. So, to celebrate her 90th, we organized a trip back to the sea. |
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We drove to Ogunquit through torrential rain and arrived early afternoon. As the storm was settling, we decided to bundle up and walk the beach. Within minutes, the sun broke through the dark clouds, and a full end-to-end rainbow appeared and spread across the horizon. I have always experienced my most profound spiritual connections through nature, and for me, the beauty of standing by the sea with this magnificent rainbow gave me the comfort that my dad was right there with us. I embraced that moment, as I did the entire three days being there together, appreciating that even in my joy, this experience could not be taken for granted, because “gam zeh ya’avor.”
As a community, we share stressors related to the lingering pandemic, the effects of climate change, countries at war, human rights issues, antisemitism, politics, homelessness, food and job insecurity, mental health issues, and a strained health care system. Much of this contributes to our angst, layered on by each of our more personal struggles.
At the same time, we have so much to be thankful for. We can be grateful for the strength of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa team, for our various Jewish organizations and agencies, for the inspiration and guidance from our spiritual leaders, and for the generosity of spirit from so many caring, compassionate individuals.
Together, we navigate through both the good and the more challenging times in life. Each of these experiences can be seen as an opportunity for growth, in both wisdom and compassion, recognizing that gam zeh ya’avor…
Wishing you and your loved ones a Shabbat Shalom,
Karen
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