A Message from Rabbi Wexler
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner tells of the time he brought a preschool school class into the synagogue sanctuary for a tour. He showed them the bimah, the ner tamid, and then finally, the aron kodesh, the holy ark.
“What do you suppose is in there?” he asked them.
“Nothing!” one child answered, “It’s empty.”
“A new car!” another shouted.
“A Torah!” responded another.
“I know! I know” one child insisted, “It’s a mirror!”
While the correct answer was obviously the third response, Rabbi Kushner was most impressed by the fourth. He would later teach: for those who are prepared to look deeply and imaginatively, the ark contains a mirror, reflecting the truth about ourselves, our values, our accomplishments and our limitations.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the Kotzker Rebbe (19th century, Poland), said that all Jews are taught not to lie, but an important second step is to teach: “you should not lie to yourself.” It is this reflexive turn, the turn inward, that characterizes most of what the Kotzker Rebbe taught during his lifetime.
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