“When one door closes another one opens”. This expression is attributed to Alexander Graham Bell. However, there is more to the story. In 1935, after his passing, he was quoted in The Winona Times as saying: When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. It seems that this quote is more about missed opportunities. Most people do not like and, therefore, resist change. Yet, not all change is bad. Sometimes, the ambiguity of the change makes it difficult to see beyond. What if, instead, we see that closed door as an opportunity for development and growth?
This week at Sha’arei Bina we celebrated our 4th annual siyum of Sefer Tehillim. Each day at the conclusion of tefilat Shacharit, whether we were in school or learning remotely, we studied a perek in Tehilim (Psalms) and recited the Yehi Ratson for Cholim. Our list of names kept growing but our determination to invoke Divine intervention never wavered. We recited the last chapter, #150, on Thursday but we did not close the book. Instead, we celebrated the opportunity to begin again, to renew our determination, to demonstrate our desire to develop and grow through a deeper connection to Hakadish Baruch Hu.
This week’s Parsha, Miketz, is also about endings and beginnings. וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֑ים. It is the end of Yosef’s languishing in prison and the beginning of his ascendency to his powerful position in government. It marks the end of Yosef’s personal struggles and the beginning of the fulfillment of Hashem’s promise to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. Although it would take another 210 years for the Jewish nation to emerge, this ending was the beginning of the ultimate destiny of Am Yisrael.
My father, of blessed memory, used to say “G-d put eyes in front of your face so that you can see what is in front of you.” Rather than dwell on the past with regrets we look ahead with hope.
This solar year 2020 is coming to an end as well. As we look ahead to the Gregorian year 2021, with the news of the Covid 19 vaccine beginning to be distributed, we have hope that just as Hashem performed miracles בימים ההם - in those days, so too will we see miracles בזמן הזה. If we focus on our personal and collective growth, as we close the door to the year, we open the door to our future. Our year began Rosh Hashana, with this being 5781 תשפ’’א. For those that enjoy gematria, numerology, the year is the numerical equivalent to תשועה - salvation! Certainly if we focus on what we have gained (besides weight) this year, we can anticipate the future with hope and with personal resolve to do better and to be better. The door is open, it is up to you to come through!
Have a Shabbat Shalom.
Rochelle Brand, Ed.D
Head of School
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