Helping to realise dreams

Reverend Ilan Herrmann

Doornfontein Shul

Did Esther need support in presenting her case to Ahaseurus? Indeed she called on her people to fast and pray for her success. Did Netanyahu need support to advance his petition? He too prayed at the Kotel before his travel, but certainly without a strong coalition backing him he would not be able to have the opportunity, weight or confidence to do so.

Moses is on Mount Sinai in this week’s portion and is in the process of completing his 40-day sojourn to receive and deliver to Bnei Yisrael the Torah and the two Tablets carved out of stone with the Ten Commandments. But his trip is cut short because G-d says: “Leich reid” – “Go down (the mountain) for your people have become corrupted,” The incident of the golden calf refers.

Rashi citing Chazal explains that the deeper connotation of you must “go down” is that Moses cannot remain on the high level he was on, but had to descend to a lower spiritual level.

He was according to this commentary only on that elevated plateau because he was being anchored by the Jewish people’s strength of faith and devotion to G-d, to his leadership and to the mission. When they collapsed he could no longer sustain the level he was on and had to “go down”.

To a significant extent, hinged on achieving one’s potential is the unified and collective brace and underpin that affords a person his or her ability to strive towards reaching those heights.

The relevant message is not only true of Esther, Moses or a leader of community who certainly cannot realise a vision for a respective congregation or movement they may be mandated to lead without the strength of support afforded them, but extends as a very clear and personal directive to each one of us.

Take a look around. Leaders abound. Our spouses, children, students, friends, are the leaders of today and tomorrow – leaders in our homes, in community, in schools and varsities, in social, business and political circles.

Through words of encouragement, supportive gestures, helpful insights, constructive feedback, an open ear and conveying a sense of solidarity and support that we are behind them is of infinite value.

The story is told of a unique, precious bird, one of a kind that was aloft a tree so high it could not be reached. It was decided that the only way to net the bird would be to form a pyramid with the catcher on the top who would capture the rare specie.

The pyramid was formed and the catcher climbed on top of the layers of people, from rung to rung until he was perched very high.. Just as he was about to reach out his net to catch the elusive bird, a fellow on the lower rung of the pyramid got thirsty and went off to have a drink. You can guess what happened next. It all came a-tumbling down.

The moral is obvious. We are all a part of pyramids that enable dreams to be realised. Let us ensure our cog is secure as we help build the lives of and opportunities for the people around us.