Life sometimes hits hard, plans fall apart, things go wrong, and it feels like everything is breaking. And yet, those very moments often create the space for unexpected blessings and growth we weren’t ready for before.
One such dramatic moment occurs when Moshe descends from Mount Sinai and sees the Jewish people worshipping the Golden Calf. In response, he shatters the tablets that contained the commandments given by G-d.
At first glance, this seems like a tragic act. Yet our sages tell us something surprising. Not only did G-d not rebuke Moshe for breaking the tablets, He affirmed his action and even gave him a “Yasher Koach.” G-d then reassured him: Do not worry about what was shattered, the second tablets will contain even more Torah than the first.
Why was it necessary for the first tablets to be broken in order for the second to be given? Could they not simply have been set aside?
The deeper message is that sometimes a greater light can only enter after a breaking point. When something shatters, space is created. Old assumptions fall away. Ego softens. In that openness, something deeper and more enduring can take root.
This is true in our own lives as well. The broken pieces of our experiences can become the vessels that hold our greatest blessings, making room for growth, clarity, and purpose we were not yet ready to receive before.
In recent days the internet has once again filled with hateful and absurd accusations against Jews, this time claiming that Chabad are somehow behind the war with Iran. Being the target of such baseless hostility never feels good.
But perhaps we can transform this darkness into a catalyst for greater light. Let it push us to deepen our pride, strengthen our Jewish life, and bring even more Torah and Mitzvot into the world.
For the record, Jewish tradition teaches that the Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt only in the era of Moshiach, at the time that G-d determines. We can hasten that day through acts of goodness and kindness.
The only “temple project” we can begin today is much closer to home: building a vibrant Chabad center for The Shul in our community.
If you would like to be part of that, I would be honored to speak with you.