On the Shabbat before Elul... there was a change in the air; one smelled already the Elul-scent, a teshuvah-wind was blowing - Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn
Rabbi Hanoch Teller shares a memorable experience that took place in his Jerusalem neighborhood one Yom Kippur Eve, the night before the Day of Atonement. On this special day many men and boys go to the mikvah, a ritual bath, to prepare themselves spiritually.
Rabbi Teller describes a young man named Jamie who was new to this mikvah. Jamie was a student at the nearby Ohr Somayach yeshivah, a school for newly observant Jews. He had a ponytail and an earring, hinting that he was relatively new to following Jewish traditions. But what made Jamie particularly self-conscious were his tattoos, which he tried to hide by keeping his arms folded. Unfortunately, this only made his attempts to conceal his tattoos more obvious.
As Jamie walked through the crowded mikvah he slipped on the wet floor, arms flailing, exposing his tattoos. The room fell silent as everyone noticed his immodest tattoos, which symbolized his past life and toughness. Now, they seemed to highlight his embarrassment.
In the middle of this tense silence an elderly man approached Jamie. He had his own set of tattoos. Numbers from a concentration camp, marking the suffering he had endured during the Holocaust. This older man’s tattoos were a painful reminder of a dark past. He tenderly told Jamie, “I too have a tattoo. It looks like you and I have both come a long way.”
The Torah teaches when it talks about not mutilating the body; “For you are a holy people to the Lord, your G-d, and the Lord has chosen you to be a treasured people for Him, out of all the nations that are upon the earth."
Just as a treasure may have been buried for years, accumulating dust and dirt, so too our past experiences and struggles have left their mark on us. But just as a treasure can be cleaned, polished, and restored to its former glory, so too can we, as individuals, learn to overcome our past and shine in the present.
Tattoos tell a story as do our experiences and struggles. However, it is not the past that defines us! It's the present and future that we create. Each one of us is on a journey of growth and change, and with each step, we become a brighter, more radiant treasure.
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Ksiva v’Chasima Tova
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman