וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּה’ אֱלֹקיכֶ֑ם חַיִּ֥ים כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃
While you, who hold fast to Hashem your God, are all alive today (Deuteronomy 4:4).
In this meditation, we explore this phrase in depth. We look at what it means to be davek, steadfastly attached to God, through the metaphor of tzitizit, of strings that tie us to God, and through the midrashic parable of a captain who throws a lifeline out to a person drowning in the sea. We consider how this connection is the source of our chayim, becoming aware of our breath as one of these cords to our life source, and how holding fast to this lifeline in times of trouble helps us stay afloat and not drown. A Hasidic story of the holocaust is included as part of the commemoration of Tisha B’Av, a story that touches on precisely these themes.
Sources:
Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 17:6
Adon Olam
Deuteronomy 4:3
Proverbs 3:16
Deuteronomy 4:31
“Hovering Above the Pit,” Yaffa Eliach, Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust
Photo by Leigh Patrick at Pexels
