One of the sweetest memories of your Jewish life may have been when you were pelted with candies at your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or when being called to the Torah before your marriage. (Side note, this week we will be hosting three such candy throwing occasions at The Shul.)
What you may have not known is that the intersection of candies and Jewish milestones starts even earlier, according to an age old custom, introducing a child into formal Jewish education is done with honey and candy throwing as well.
What is actually up with all this candy enthusiasm?
Well, when entering into new terrain, whether education, adulthood or married life, we do so knowing that life isn’t always a bowl of cherries, challenges are inevitable. It’s not easy to finish school, it’s not always a breeze to live a committed Jewish life and certainly it takes a huge amount of effort to remain in a committed, loving marriage for a lifetime. But the sweetness that awaits us when we do put in the work is infinitely greater than the ‘pain’ we go through to get there.
Tonight we mark the 74th year since the Rebbe assumed leadership of the Chabad movement. In a private meeting, someone once bemoaned to the Rebbe about the fact that his child was not fully embracing a Jewish lifestyle. The Rebbe asked him about the attitude toward Judaism in his home. The man explained that he often expressed himself with "Es iz shver tsu zain a Yid - It’s tough to be a Jew". The Rebbe suggested that he change the atmosphere at home by replacing "It's tough to be a Jew" with "Es iz gut tsu zein a Yid - it's great to be a Jew. And that made all the difference.
Candy throwing at every step reminds us to focus on the blessing of being a Jew. Judaism gives us an anchor, a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and that is the ultimate sweetness.