Reposting this beautiful post from @stop_judging_forever. Nine generations ago, the Baal Shem Tov had a practice of going to a special place on Rosh Hashana, and he would light a fire in a special way, say a special prayer, and as a result the entire world would be blessed. In the next generation, his successors knew the location of the special place and they knew how to light the fire but they forgot the special prayers. So instead they would pray, ” whatever The Baal Shem Tov achieved here with the fire, we. Should achieve.”
The next generation knew the location but they forgot the rest. So they just stood in the location and said, “whatever the Baal Shem Tov achieved here we should achieve.”
Today we have forgotten even the location. So what do we do? We tell the story…
We are asked to do what we are capable of. We don’t have to be like the Giants of the past. We just have to do what is in our power and stand on their shoulders. Standing on the shoulders of our parents, grandparents, great grandparents and beyond allow us a broader view, we can see much farther. It allows us to continue in their footsteps protecting our traditions and also it allows us to add more to what they were able to give us.
Let’s us not throw away everything they fought for and let’s add more strength to their fire.
Experts taken from 60 Days from Rabbi Simon Jacobson
