This feeling isn’t new. In fact, the ancient rabbis grappled with it, too, and found profound meaning in it.
Rav Ḥanan of Tzippori offers a beautiful interpretation of doing acts of kindness based on this very feeling. He paints a picture: Imagine ten people entering the house of someone in mourning. A somber moment. But not a single one of them can bring themselves to recite the brachah, the blessing, for the mourners. It's a heavy weight, a silence that hangs thick in the air. But then, one person steps forward. They open their mouth and offer comfort through the traditional words. Rav Ḥanan says this person is like "a lily among the thorns." A single, beautiful, fragrant bloom standing out against a backdrop of prickliness and pain.
He uses the same image for another situation. Picture ten men in a synagogue, but none of them know how to lead the prayers before the Shema (the central Jewish prayer declaring God's oneness) or to lead the Amidah (the standing prayer), by going before the ark. When one of them does know, that person, too, is like a lily among the thorns.
Now, here's a story about Rabbi Elazar. He was a respected scholar, but he found himself in a rather embarrassing situation. He went to a certain place, and the community asked him to lead the prayers before the Shema. He demurred, saying he wasn't well-versed. Then they asked him to lead the Amidah, to "pass before the ark," as they called it. Again, he claimed he wasn't skilled enough.
Can you imagine the whispers? The disappointed looks? "Is this Rabbi Elazar?" they said. "The one we’re so proud of? It seems his reputation is for naught. All that calling him ‘Rabbi’…" Ouch.
Rabbi Elazar, understandably, was mortified. He turned pale and went straight to his teacher, the great Rabbi Akiva. "Why do you look so ill?" Rabbi Akiva asked. Rabbi Elazar told him everything. And Rabbi Akiva, ever the mentor, responded with compassion: "Would my master like to learn?" And so, Rabbi Akiva taught him.
Some time later, Rabbi Elazar returned to that same place. This time, when they asked him to lead the prayers, he did. He recited the blessings before the Shema flawlessly. And when they asked him to lead the Amidah, he stepped forward and led the congregation with confidence.
The community was astounded. "Rabbi Elazar has been fortified!" they exclaimed. "He's become strong!" And from then on, they called him Rabbi Elazar the Strong. What a testament to perseverance and the power of learning!
This story isn't just about Rabbi Elazar's personal journey. It also shows the importance of being prepared to step up when needed. That’s why Rabbi Yona would teach his students the blessing for mourners, emphasizing that they should be ready to recite it in any circumstance.
These stories remind us that we all have the potential to be that "lily among the thorns." It might mean overcoming our fears and insecurities, seeking out knowledge, and being ready to act when others can't. Are you ready to be that lily? What "thorns" are holding you back from stepping up and offering your unique gifts to the world?