The Violin That Wouldn't Sing

[00:00:17] A few months back, I got this. [00:00:21] I was watching this teaching, and there was one little section of it that really resonated with me, and I was like, man, that's powerful. And I want to do something with it. So I started making some notes, and I hope it conveys. We'll see. [00:00:39] But this message is entitled the Violin that Wouldn't Sing. [00:00:48] Maybe thinking, what in the world does that have to do with anything? I want to hear about Jesus, but Torah, but you'll hear about both. So this is a message of encouragement, message of hope. [00:01:02] You know, for the most part during this season, we're all, you know, in, you know, holiday mode, right? We're happy, we're joyful. We got this, you know, spirit of the holidays going on. And just things are good. We watch these cozy movies and have family time, lighting candles, Hanukkah, eating really good foods that are really, probably not the best for us, you know, getting all of our dietary needs of all the sugar and oil that we need for the year in one week. [00:01:42] And so most of the time, that's what's going on. We have feelings of excitement, of joy, anticipation, this goodwill towards men. By the. Anyway, I was recommended a movie. I just happened to think about this, that Derek Limbaugh recommended this movie. It's called the man who Invented Christmas. And it's sort of the biography of Charles Dickens. And if you get a chance to see it, it's a really good movie. Whether you believe anything about Christmas or not, that's not the point. The point is how he got the inspiration to write his book and. And how it changed him and it changed the people around him. And so it's just a really good, really good story, and it's family friendly, and it's just really good. [00:02:29] So we all have these feelings and we're all just in this cozy mode, right? But for some people, there are memories associated with this season that bring sadness, resentment, even depression. [00:02:44] Maybe it was the loss of a loved one during this time or just a loss of a loved one in general that they're not around to be with us for these, you know, for this season. [00:02:56] And so with that, it can bring. When we go through these. These seasons, these holidays, it can bring a whole flood of emotions and a longing that things could be like they were before, right? [00:03:11] And we all have experienced the pain of losing someone we love. Unfortunately, some people have experienced more of that than others. And it can be a challenge to pull yourself out of a downward spiral when your heart is breaking and it's Even more difficult when you think, why me? Why do I deserve this? Why is this happening to me? [00:03:36] So this week's Parashar is a great sort of example. This week's Torah portion is a great sort of picture of someone who didn't deserve what he got. Who are we talking about? [00:03:53] Joseph? Okay. Did he deserve to be betrayed by his brothers? Did he deserve to be almost killed by his brothers? Did he deserve to be thrown into a pit, sold into slavery? Did he deserve to be a part. You know, I don't know how far it is probably hundreds, at least, if not thousands of miles away from his family in Egypt. Did he deserve to be falsely accused by his master's wife and be sent to prison? Did he deserve any of that? No. Okay. [00:04:33] And so he had a really bad attitude about this whole thing, right? [00:04:37] No. [00:04:39] And that's sort of the miracle in itself, right, that he kept his cool. He didn't develop a bad attitude of this. Joseph had to accept his suffering as part of God's hidden plan for his life. [00:04:58] We see little snippets in next week's portion. It says, he tells his brothers, he says, now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God. [00:05:10] That's a key phrase, for God sent me before you to preserve life. [00:05:18] For the famine has been in the land for these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on Earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. [00:05:37] So it was not you who sent me, but God. [00:05:43] How many of you ever had someone just really do you wrong? [00:05:50] Just really, really, really do you wrong? [00:05:53] What do you do with that? [00:05:55] A lot of times we harbor resentment, we harbor hate. We harbor bitter bitterness and bitter feelings. Okay? We have to recognize that every single situation in life that God is in control, not that other person, not man. God is the one in control. [00:06:19] And then Joseph even told his brothers, later on in the last portion of the book of Genesis, a couple weeks from now, he said, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. You meant for evil. It wasn't an accident. [00:06:42] You intended to do evil to me. But guess what? God intended for this situation to be for the good. [00:06:51] Have you had somebody hurt you that you said, well, that was on purpose. There are a lot of times where they may not necessarily mean it. And you're like, well, I guess I can forgive that. But if you know the person has done it on purpose, it's harder. Especially in relationships. The closer you are to someone, the more you're betrayed by them, the more difficult it is to forgive. [00:07:14] But if we have the perspective that they are not the ones in control, God is in control. And I have something to gain from this difficult situation. It's a game changer. [00:07:27] The sages tell us that Joseph could have been released from prison shortly after the Cupbearer if he had not tried to take matters into his own hands. [00:07:37] Anybody ever been guilty of that? I know I haven't. [00:07:40] Not just once, anyway. [00:07:43] Okay, by telling this is how he tried to take matters into his own hands. He tried to tell the Cupbearer to mention him to Pharaoh so he could get out. He said, remember me when you go to before Pharaoh. [00:07:57] Name drop. Drop my name and get me out of here. Right? [00:08:03] Joseph had to accept his suffering as part of God's hidden plan for his life. [00:08:10] To some degree, we all must come to this realization. When we surrender to the fact that pain and suffering are simply a part of this life and it's our duty to bear it with a good attitude. Everybody say that together. With a good attitude. [00:08:34] Anybody remember that Hanna Barbera character? [00:08:38] Then it becomes a little easier to move forward and enjoy life. Who wants to have a miserable life? Who wants to live harboring resentment and just let the other person completely control you? [00:08:52] We're right in the middle of Hanukkah. [00:08:56] Hanukkah is about overcoming not just physical suffering, but overcoming the temptation to give up and give in. [00:09:08] You know, we all struggle with that. It's like, is it worth it? [00:09:12] It's better to just give up and give in. [00:09:14] But in Hanukkah, the Maccabees and the Jews of that era, the Israelites, they were struggling to give up. And give in to what? The world and its values. [00:09:29] When the rest of the Jewish nation was rolling over to the Syrian Greeks, Matthias and his sons pushed through their pain and their brokenness of seeing the brothers leaving the faith, seeing them tortured, seeing them slaughtered in mass. [00:09:47] They pushed through their pain and brokenness to lead a revolt that would change the destiny of the Jewish people. And not only the Jewish people, but of the world, truly. Because if the Jewish people had been eliminated or completely assimilated, we wouldn't be blessed with any of this. And guess what? We would have. Would not have recognized Yeshua when he came. [00:10:11] This happened before Yeshua came, and he would have lost his identity and his purpose in the end. Pain and suffering made them stronger. [00:10:24] There's purpose in pain and suffering. We may not know it. We may not necessarily appreciate it. [00:10:33] However, we have to hold on to the truth, this one single truth. And I want you to repeat this after me, too. God is good. Repeat it. God is good. And what's the response to that angel? [00:10:52] All the time. [00:10:54] All the time. God is good. There you go. There you go. That's right. [00:10:59] And Paul says, we know for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Now, this scripture can be overused, of course, and misused and abused and all that kind of stuff, especially when it's the person that has done something wrong to you and they're trying to excuse themselves or whatever this is. Romans 8:28. But it's the truth. [00:11:21] God wants to work his purposes in our lives, and some of that has to happen through pain and suffering. Here's a fact. God runs the universe. In Judaism, we recognize that God is in control of not just one aspect of our life, of what happens in the synagogue. Okay? Unfortunately, there are a lot of people that think that. A lot of people believe that subconsciously. [00:11:44] But in Judaism, we recognize that God is in control of every single aspect of our lives. That's why we have blessings for everything. Is there a blessing for a sewing machine? [00:11:56] Is there a blessing for the tsar? [00:11:59] Yes. May the Lord bless and keep the tsar far away from us. Right. [00:12:06] You've ever seen Fiddler on the Roof? [00:12:08] The Talmud answers the question of free will by saying, all is in the hands of heaven. Except for one thing. Anybody know what it is? [00:12:17] The fear of heaven. [00:12:22] Everything God controls, except for what's in here and how we respond. [00:12:29] He knows, but he doesn't put a stranglehold on it to control it. When things don't go like we may want, we have a phrase that we say. We say gamzu le tova. Anybody know what that means? [00:12:46] This, too, is for the good. This also is for the good. So. And by the way, my wife reminded me a few weeks back, you know, a lot of times we'll hear this phrase and hear people say this phrase and everything, but sometimes it's used inappropriately. You don't say gamzu la tava when somebody else is suffering. [00:13:07] You say it when you're suffering or when things go wrong for you. You don't say gamzulo tova for somebody else. That's their job. Because you're discounting their pain, discounting their disappointment, discounting their Suffering gamzula tova. This too is for the best. [00:13:25] Your acceptance that God is still in control in every situation, because in the grand scheme of things, it's ultimately for the good. We may not see how it weaves in and out and goes all the way around the mountain three or four times and comes back. Maybe not even see it in this lifetime. [00:13:45] And when we receive bad news, particularly upon hearing the news of someone's death, rather than cursing God, we say a blessing. We say baruch dayan ha emet means blessed are you the true judge. Blessed is the true judge. That's what it means. We frame everything in the context of God's absolute kingship over this world. But suffering is real, and we need to know how deal with it. Okay, so see me, it's going to seem like it's off topic, but I'm going to connect it back here. [00:14:23] Who enjoys music? [00:14:27] Probably everybody in this room. Okay. Music is universal, and a lot of people are passionate about music. Rabbi Damien, as you know, is passionate about music. I used to be more passionate than I am now. [00:14:43] You probably have a favorite song. If I ask you a favorite song, you could probably name it pretty quick. [00:14:49] You have certain songs, certain albums, certain artists that you'll play when you're in your whatever zone. Right. Whether that's happy zone, sad zone, somber zone, you know, Twilight. No, I was joking. Okay. [00:15:07] Speed. No. Okay. [00:15:11] But there's something that we probably all realize that if you've looked into the world of music at all, you realize that as a general rule, not. This isn't. Absolutely. But as a general rule, musicians and artists are weird. [00:15:33] Weird. Okay? They wear their feelings on their sleeves, and they a lot of times have a chip on their shoulder. Okay. [00:15:42] And usually the most popular and enduring songs of the artist have been forged by pain and. And their art, Whether that's music, painting, sculpting, drawing, writing, writing a book, whatever. A lot of times that pain is channeled into that art form so that they can process it, they can deal with it. [00:16:17] I was going to say something about your passion. I know your passion, Ms. Cheryl. Your passion says hunk, hunk a burning love. But, you know, I couldn't guess that what artist that would be. But, you know, these artists, especially songwriters, their work. A lot of times the songs that draw us in the most are dripping with emotion. And most of the time, it's heartache. [00:16:48] It's he left me, she left me. You know, he cheated on me, she cheated on me, whatever it is. They passed away, they died. You know, it's all this kind of stuff. So here are a few songs. I just chose a few we could go on for days and days and days. But here are a few popular songs and a couple that are not so popular because I wanted to add them that are songs that you'll probably recognize that are based on pain. [00:17:21] Tears in Heaven. Eric Clapton. Right. [00:17:25] That's a tough one. [00:17:28] He Stopped Loving Her Today. George Jones. I'd never. Honestly, I'd never heard that song. Somebody recommended it, and I looked up the lyrics, and I was just like, oh, that's awful. That's sad. You know? And I'd never known what it was about, and I just thought it was a breakup. But, no, he's dead. So Cats in the Cradle, the original is Harry. I guess it's Chapin. But the version I grew up on was the Ugly Kid Joe version. [00:17:58] Are you guys familiar with that song? Cats in the Cradle basically tells the story of a. [00:18:08] I'm trying to think how it starts off, but it's basically a kid growing up and his dad doesn't have time for him, and then he grows up and wants to spend time with his kids, and his kids are, like, doing the same thing. Something to that regard. I can't remember exactly how it goes. Okay. And if you were one of these headbangers like I was, you'll recognize this one. Jeremy by Pearl Jam. [00:18:34] The. The story of a man who takes his life. A young man who takes his life because he's being bullied and picked on. [00:18:45] Probably one of the saddest songs that I'm familiar with. That means, you know, resonates with me that I've. I don't know. Just like the most is a song by a group called the 77. Most people probably haven't heard of them, but it's called don't this Way, and it's about his wife dying. [00:19:05] And here's a song that my kids. They won't even let me play these songs in the house because they bring back such emotions from these movies. Okay? One of them is into the west by Annie Lennox, which is the end of the Lord of the Rings, when all the characters are separating and going their own ways. And they're like, we can't handle that, you know? And the other is the Call by Regina Spector, which is a similar situation, which is from Narnia in the movie Prince Caspian. At the end, when they're going their separate ways, and it's just like, ugh, you know, it's just too emotional to deal with. But these songs are created in an attempt to express and even release those deep, dark feelings and in the process, possibly bring hope to others. And as I said earlier, this is a message of encouragement. It's not about discounting your suffering because your suffering is legitimate, but it's encouragement that even through pain, you have a song to sing. And it's called the song of your life. [00:20:15] And I, along with the rest of the world, want to hear your song, that beautiful song that you were created to sing. You can't let your pain hold you back from your purpose. You have to sing your song. [00:20:30] And if that song is birthed from pain and suffering in all reality, it will probably resonate with more, resonate more with those people who hear it. [00:20:41] They will attach to it. They will grasp it. They will hold on to it, because it will be meaningful. [00:20:49] Anybody in here love the sound of a violin? I'm circling back to, finally, the connection here. [00:20:56] Love the sound of a violin. I've always loved the sound of a violin and a cello and different things, but especially the violin. If you've ever seen the Fiddler on the roof, there's a phrase that's in there that's attached to the title. It's called Fiddler on the roof. Does anybody remember why? [00:21:19] Because there's a fiddler and he's on the roof. No, because Tevye, the main character, is saying that life, especially for the Jews, without tradition, is very difficult and precarious. And if they didn't have tradition, it would be as shaky as a fiddler on a roof. When you think about this guy on the roof and he's trying to hold his balance and do all this kind of stuff. Okay, so that's the connection there. [00:21:47] And so a few months ago, I heard this quote that I mentioned at the beginning here. I'll share it with you after this. But it really made me another think of another perspective of using music as an example particularly particular as it relates to violin. Okay, so here's a little story to represent this concept, and it's called, you guessed it, the violin that Wouldn't sing. [00:22:17] In a small workshop nestled at the edge of a sleeping village, there lived, guess what? A violin. [00:22:26] Its polished wood gleamed warmly in the sunlight that streamed through the workshop window, and its strings lay loose and slack, draping over its bridge like lazy tendrils. The violin was a magnificent work of art. The most skilled. [00:22:47] It was crafted by the skilled hands of Master Lorenzo, the most respected luthier in the entire kingdom. It was his most Beautiful. His most delicate creation. Every day, Lorenzo would stop to hold his masterpiece, caress its arched face and whisper to it. One day you'll make the world sing with your hidden voice. [00:23:12] But the violin didn't want to sing. [00:23:15] Every time Lorenzo approached it to attach the tuning pegs, the violin trembled. Inwardly, it remembered the sharp pains of the strings being attached and stretched taut across its frame. During its first assembly, the pressure had felt unbearable, as though it might snap in two. [00:23:39] Though Lorenzo's touch was gentle and his intention kind, the violin wanted nothing to do with such agony again. [00:23:47] So the violin remained silent. [00:23:52] Each day, Lorenzo would tighten the strings of the other violins and test their voices, filling the workshop with a medley of sweet, vibrant melodies. Visitors would come to admire his work, often saying, what a beautiful instrument. This one will surely be extraordinary when it plays. [00:24:12] The violin felt both pride and. And dread at those remarks. It longed to be extraordinary, but it feared the pain that would come with it. [00:24:24] I'm fine as I am, it told itself. Beauty doesn't need sound. I'm beautiful on the outside. Let others do all that singing. Months passed, and the violin grew lonely. It watched as its siblings were sold, carried away to new homes where they would fill concert halls with their songs. The timid violin remained on the workbench, polished but unplayed, admired but never chosen. Slowly, it began to realize that something was missing. A purpose it couldn't yet name. [00:25:01] One quiet evening, Lorenzo sat beside the violin. His skilled hands didn't reach for the pegs. Instead, he. He simply held the instrument, running his fingers gently along the curves. [00:25:14] Why won't you let yourself sing? He murmured. Yes, it's uncomfortable at first, but without the tension, there is no music. [00:25:24] Without the struggle, there's no joy to give. [00:25:29] The violin didn't answer, but Lorenzo's words stayed with it throughout the night. [00:25:35] By morning, the violin made its decision. When Lorenzo reached for it, the violin didn't resist. [00:25:44] He attached the pegs and gently tightened its strings, carefully winding each peg until the tension stretched across its frame. With precision, the pain flared sharp, almost unbearable. But Lorenzo's steady hands and gentle voice reassured the violin. You can do this, he said. You were created for this. [00:26:09] When the last string was in its place, Lorenzo picked up his bow. He drew it gently across the violin strings, and for the first time, the violin sang. Its voice was warm and vibrant and trembling with emotion. [00:26:27] As soon as the violin heard its own voice, it knew deep down inside that this was its purpose, its destiny. [00:26:38] It had been created to sing. And sing it did. The music poured forth, filling the workshop, spilling out into the village streets. People paused in their daily routines, enchanted by the sound. The violin sang of joy and sorrow, of struggle and triumph, and of life itself. Its song reached deep into the hearts of all who heard it. When Lorenzo finally set it down, the violin felt something new, something it had never felt before. [00:27:14] The pain had been real, but it was fleeting. [00:27:17] The joy it brought, however, was boundless and enduring. This new feeling was what it had been seeking all its life. Fulfillment. [00:27:30] Why? Why would it ever have let a moment of distress hold it back from a lifetime of living out this purpose? [00:27:41] From that day on, the violin never feared the tension of strings. It understood that beauty wasn't found in avoiding pain, but in embracing it, transforming it into something greater. It became a violin that sang, and the world was richer for its song. [00:28:03] I heard the following quote from Rabbi Yitzchak Bredewitz, and it made an impression on me that kept gnawing on me and inspired this teaching. It was from a philosopher. The name of Tagore, which. He was a Bengali. I don't know much about him. He was a polymath, which means he basically dabbled in everything. He was a philosopher and a musician and a poet and a bunch of other stuff. And he had this quote. It says when the string of the violin is being tuned, it felt the pain of being stretched. But once it was tuned, then it knew why it was stretched. So it is with the human soul. While the soul goes through pain, torture and trouble, it thinks that it would have been much better if it had gone through life without it. But once it reaches the culmination of it, then when it looks back, it begins to realize why all this was meant. It was only meant to tune the soul to a certain pitch. [00:29:13] Yeshua suffered greatly. [00:29:17] He could have given up, sang that song. He was despised, rejected of men, A man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. [00:29:28] He could have given up, but he didn't. He embraced the pain on our behalf, knowing that something greater was to become of it, something better, something that the pain, if he avoided the pain, wouldn't be accomplished. [00:29:45] Paul says that his very own life was poured out as a drink offering. Right, James? [00:29:53] Very familiar passage says, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. [00:30:10] Again, I'm going to try to do this without crying every time I look at you. Angel, I'm blessed because you are a lady that has reason to have bitterness, to have depression. I mean, there's others, but you in particular, because when I see you, every time I see you, you're smiling. [00:30:33] You have the biggest, most beautiful smile. And it's inspiration to all of us. [00:30:40] And this is the way we need to be. [00:30:44] Suffer with joy knowing that our faith is being refined, is being honed, being shaped, being perfected, being made into the strong pillar that we need. [00:31:02] Don't give up. When life is too difficult, too painful, don't give up. You Everybody say, I have a song to sing. [00:31:15] That's right. Every single one of you have a song to sing, and the world needs to hear it. This is why the Lord has painstakingly crafted your unique soul and placed it into this world. [00:31:28] Many of you may remember the old Coca Cola song around the holidays, right? I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. I'd like to buy the world of Coke I don't like Coke, by the way and keep it company. [00:31:42] That's the real thing. What the world wants today is the real thing. That's the lyrics to that. Oddly enough, that is what the world wants today, right? That's the truth. It's desperately seeking something real. [00:32:01] And when we can sing through our pain and bring honor to our Creator, that's real. [00:32:09] What if everyone were singing instead of complaining? [00:32:14] It starts with you and me. What song do you need to sing? [00:32:19] Because if you start singing, the world may just sing with you. [00:32:25] Shabbat Shalom. Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year. If you enjoyed this teaching, I want to ask you to take the next step. Start by making sure you subscribe to our channel. 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