On Sunday, we had the great privilege of celebrating our Hebrew School students and their achievements, together with their parents and grandparents. It was a true delight to witness the smiles and beaming faces filled with Jewish pride and joy (pictures below).
This Sunday, 5/26, we will celebrate Lag Baomer. One reason for the celebration is the cessation of a severe plague that befell Rabbi Akiva’s students, tragically claiming the lives of 24,000 of them.
Rabbi Akiva, the son of a convert, grew up illiterate and worked as a shepherd. At the age of 40, he married Rochel, who recognized great potential in him and encouraged him to begin learning Hebrew so he could start studying. One day, while drawing water, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Akiva was amazed at how water, dripping over a huge solid rock (drip..drop..), had eventually carved out a deep hole in the rock.
“What mighty power there is in a drop of water,” he thought. “Do you think there is hope for me? Suppose I began to study the Torah, little by little, drop by drop. Do you think Torah wisdom can penetrate my mind?”
Setting aside his age and ego, he made up his mind right there and then. This is how Akiva the shepherd became the great Rabbi Akiva, the greatest scholar and teacher of his day!
What impressed him was not the ability of water to dent a rock, but how it did. The drops of water were consistent, over and over again. Seeing this, he realized that a small change in behavior, done repeatedly, can lead to something transformative.
We all strive to become the best version of ourselves, endeavoring to improve our character traits, careers, or spiritual lives. Rabbi Akiva teaches us that significant change arises from small yet consistent positive actions performed repeatedly.