Parshas Tetzaveh  – Taking Out the Trash

By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin

It was summertime. My parents were upstate lecturing in the Pine View Hotel. I was taking courses in Brooklyn College, and being that my siblings were in sleep-away camp, I had the house to myself. On Fridays, I would head upstate with my grandparents, for a family Shabbos.

It was during this time that my Zeide, HaRav Avraham Jungreis zt”l, set me up. My date and I agreed upon a time to meet, and my beloved grandmother, Mama, volunteered to be there when he arrived.

Knock knock… It must be him. Mama opened the door, graciously invited him in, and offered a drink. I quickly emerged from my room. After exchanging hellos, we were on our way. Or so I thought.

As we were about to leave, Mama called out, “Young man, don’t forget to take out the garbage. There is always garbage that needs to go”.

At the time, I was too young and naïve to comprehend Mama’s ways. But with her sage wisdom, she understood that there are times in everyone’s life when they have to “take out the garbage”. Some tasks are less pleasant than others, but they are our tasks, nonetheless.

My date proceeded to carry out the trash bag with a smile. He passed the test.

That night, Mama called me. “I liked him. He was tall, friendly, and took out the garbage.” The “young man” who took out the garbage became my husband, Rabbi Shlomo Gertzulin.

This week’s parsha, Tetzaveh, continues where last week’s left off. Parshas Terumah informed us about the Mishkan, and all of its vessels. This week, the parsha describes the magnificent bigdei kehunah, royal priestly garments which the Kohanim wore as they did their holy work. The Ramban explains that when Bnei Yisroel saw the splendor of the Kohanim’s clothing, it filled their souls with awe and reverence. The Kohanim themselves were reminded that every part of their job was infused with kedusha, holiness. Just think of how different we feel when we dress for Shabbos, a wedding, or special occasion.

Even when they removed ashes from the altar – a seemingly menial task – the Kohanim donned special clothes, albeit a different set. Nothing was beneath them. No part of their work was too trivial. They wore their priestly garments, no matter what the task was. A life lesson for us. Not every part of the job is glamorous. At times, we have to get our hands dirty, and then come to realize even mundane tasks have their purpose too.

Pirkei Avos, Ethics of our Fathers teaches: “Shemayah says, ohev es ha’melacha, love work”. (Avos 1:10) Love is a strong and powerful emotion. We are told to love HaShem, to love our fellow. But to love work? Herein lies an important message about the power of one’s attitude.

To view work not merely as a means to earn a livelihood, but as an opportunity to make a difference in the world. To see it as part of our life mission. To look at the entire job, and everything that we can accomplish through it.

Shemayah uses the word melacha for work, rather than the more common term avoda, labor. The word melacha is also used to describe HaShem’s work in creating the world. “And HaShem concluded on the seventh day His ‘melacha’ that He performed, and He abstained on the seventh day from all His ‘melacha’ which He had done.” (Bereishis 2:2)

If we view our melacha, our work, no matter what it is, as partnering with HaShem, it takes on a whole new meaning. To see in our work the opportunity to add positivity to the world. To show kindness to others and do chesed.

My husband wasn’t the only one who took out the garbage. I heard a story about a rabbi who transitioned from a large congregation of about 1000 families to a much smaller shul.  The new shul had one custodian who didn’t work on weekends.  The shul had a full attendance on Shabbos, followed by a kiddush. The accumulated garbage had to be taken out, rather than letting it sit in the inside trash cans until Monday.

Being the only available shul employee, the rabbi would take out the trash to the dumpster.  While he never took out the trash even once in 21 years at his previous shul, he didn’t react badly to this garbage duty, or considered it beneath his dignity. But he also didn’t find it rewarding.  Slowly, he began to see kedusha in the duty.  As with the Kohanim in the Mishkan, he viewed the trash as sacred.  It was the refuse of the Shabbos activities in his beis haknesses, his shul.

The Rabbi commented that a “janitor” is sometimes referred to as a “custodian”.  He noted that a custodian is one who has custody, who maintains a responsibility. While being a custodian wasn’t what he expected when he became a rabbi, he was grateful to have found purpose even in taking out the garbage.

There is a well-known story about the great Torah scholar and Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Mordechai Gifter, zt”l. A newlywed student and his wife couldn’t agree on who should take out the trash. Each one felt it was the other’s job, and the daily disagreement was escalating from bad to worse.

The husband decided to ask his rebbi, Rav Gifter, for advice. Rav Gifter listened in silence and didn’t offer any comment.

The following Friday afternoon, while the couple was preparing for Shabbos, they had a surprise visitor… Rav Gifter. He told them that he came to take out the trash.

Ouch!

The Rosh Yeshiva made his point. It is all part of our work. Helping one another is never beneath anyone. View it as a mitzva, an opportunity to be helpful.

And how beautiful is that.

Shabbat Shalom!

Chaya Sora

Chaya Sora can be reached at [email protected]

This article was written L’zecher Nishmas/In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l