Parshas Tzav – A Role, A Uniform, and your Tools { J&E’s DTs }

A Role, A Uniform, and your Tools

by Jay (w/ E’s insights below)

We all have uniforms, we all wear uniforms – they send a message to others, they also allow us to rise up and achieve – given the sometimes sense of pride we feel.

In this weeks Parasha, Aaron and his sons are inaugurated in a 7 day ceremony – full of Sight, Sound and Symbolism – including all types of Sacrificial Services, and while I am not being inaugurated, nor am I performing any Sacrificial Services – I have, in my own way, experienced a truly remarkable week.

As you know, I am currently traveling too and from Syracuse in New York – currently every other week. I travel in my Travel Clothes and I pack my Work Clothes – My Uniforms.

What I take with me on the flight is different from what I require for work – in order to do my job – My Tools.

What happens when these get mixed up? – as what happened to me this trip:

Having Lost, or as Air Canada said, Left my luggage in London, I was Tested – without My Uniform, My Tools, could I still perform My Role?

Well, I might not be the right person to be asking – maybe I should be asking the people I had meetings with – did they feel they were getting the same Jay or something different. Thinking back, there was one person who said – “so nice to see you in less formal attire – you are always so smartly dressed when we meet – can’t tell if this is a compliment or not!

Now to My Tools – I was severely lacking in this department – but, while writing this Devar, it occurred to me that it did force me to think a lot more, I had to take written notes on everything. Then come back to structure and reorganise my initial thoughts into something I could discuss with colleagues, but it also enabled me to be a lot more present in my meetings – focused on the topic at hand and not on other things.

While my ordeal is still not over – I am assured that my bag will be delivered to my home – very shortly (within another 5 days) – what have I learnt from my experience:

 I have learnt not to pack a computer in my luggage

I have learn not to pack essential toiletries in my luggage

I have learnt a lot about people & society by shopping at Walmart at midnight

I am more than My Uniform and My Tools

Just as Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt wrote in his weekly Devah this week – see attached link, cut and paste into your browser:

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=526c26b2030f14ca6f97b3e9b&id=459d312ef0&e=76ed9226cd

While people are required to bring their “chatas” inadvertent transgression to the Temple to be burnt – its meat was forbidden to be removed from the Temple, whereas when a High Priest brought his own, it was taken outside the Temple. His explanation of why this is, is beautiful and worth a read.

While I am no leader, nor a high priest, nor am I currently performing sacrificial services – I have learnt how, a Role, A Uniform and ones Tools help shape you as much as peoples perception of you.

If this incident in some small way increases my understanding of the role that I play within work, family & life and serves as a lesson that I am also subject to making “school-boy” errors, showing my weaknesses and how fallible I can be – and maybe enables others to see me in a different light then I can feel at least there was meaning to this crazy messed up week – more than just a statistical fact – the more you travel the higher the chance that you will experience “lost luggage.”

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom, J 

E’s insights: The Lessons are great, but I do not want to get lost in the discussion of “CHANCE.” Jay and I specifically learn at length that there is no such thing as chance and statistics. Even “laws” of gravity are no more than statistical probabilities documented over a length of time used to try and predict an undetermined outcome. G-d is always in control and creating, so yes, clearly Jay, Learns things (as we all should) from his lessons that Hashem is trying to teach him. We should all gain insight and wisdom from these words specifically. If we listen to G-d when He sends us the small, ‘incidental’ messages, He may not need/want to bring about harsher more dramatic blows. This is the best way to summarize all our points about Adap and more specifically Purim, this weekend. Recognize the messages, G-d is always everywhere, and His love for our benefit is infinate. Thanks again, Shabbat Shalom, and a Freilichin’ Purim!