Today, Friday, April 12, 2024, is my mother's 38th Yahrtzeit. If you do the math, you'll see that I was still a baby and barely walking when Hashem decided to take her.
The names of the Torah portions following Passover, when written without punctuation, can be translated as: "born leper after death holy said" - (Tazria, Metzora, Acharei Mos, Kedoshim, Emor). One explanation for this is that people are called lepers (flawed) while they are alive, and holy (perfect) after death. another one can be found here
I only know about my mother from what others have told me. She accomplished many things during her short 36 years on earth. She was a good friend to many, a wife, a mother, a community member, a teacher, and her impact is still felt today. She was also normal, getting nervous, stressed, overwhelmed, and stressed, etc. She liked things a certain way and was meticulous about keeping her house clean and tidy. She didn't sleep enough and drank too much coffee.
I share this with you, my dear community, not just to share a part of me but to deepen our friendship. It is written in Ecclesiastics 7:2, "But the living shall take it to heart." We all know that "angel" who is known to be perfect after their passing. We all have a part of us that is perfect that "has passed on" as the years go on. We start to idolize that person or part of ourselves and create an unrealistic place where we "arrive" at their level of righteousness. In truth, each of us has a good, righteous, and perfect part of ourselves, as well as things we struggle with and wish we didn't have.
As I move forward in my life, I hope and pray that I am making my mother proud. I am aware that people may call me a leper and that I am flawed. The question I ask myself, and I encourage you to ask yourself, is do I live more from my place of light or, Gd forbid, the opposite? How can I increase my living from a place of light?
Have a good Shabbos,
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman P.S. Looking forward to a busy weekend at Chabad
Friday, 6:15 PM: Mincha Yartzeit Minyan at Chabad (followed by Kabbalat Shabbat and chicken soup)
Shabbos, 10:00 AM: Baby Naming for Baby Walker (granddaughter of Robyn and Michael Barnett)
Sunday, 8:00 AM: Tefillin Club for Men Kosher B.L.T. (Bagels, Lox, and Teffilin) - I got real NY bagels from NY
Sunday, 7:00 PM: JWC Mosaic Matzah Plate for Women and Girls.
