It was a poignant moment between father and son, between leader and leader-to-be.
It was a summer day in 1895, and [Rabbi] Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, who would eventually be the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, was commemorating his fifteenth birthday.
His father, the Rebbe, took him to visit the gravesites of his [grand] father and [great]grandfather.
Stepping into the site’s small synagogue, the Rebbe approached the Holy Ark, opened its doors, and spoke (borrowing imagery of the famous Biblical episode (Genesis ch. 22) which depicts Abraham’s binding of Isaac):"I am bringing my son [Yosef Yitzchak] today for his 'Binding'……Abraham bound Isaac tightly so that there might be no imperfection [in the process]; I, too, want this (my son's) Binding to be appropriate and effective."
[Author’s explanation: Abraham secured Isaac in his Monotheistic tradition and in a relationship with the Divine. The Rebbe was securing his teenage son in a relationship with his family heritage and Divine destiny]
The Rebbe then went on to speak about commitment to doing the right thing, irrespective of how one feels at a given moment.
The Rebbe pointed to Scripture’s expression of “girding [one’s] hips with strength”.
Our bodies have some higher-functioning organs, like the brain and the heart, and then some organs with a less complex character, like the hips/legs. Reasoning and feeling (brain and heart) are higher-order functions, while getting from place to place is more pedestrian.
Yet the legs are the body’s foundation. The brain and heart are fundamental to our function, but they stand on the firm support of legs.
The legs symbolize our concrete behavior. Understanding and appreciating the beauty of our actions is a critical spice to life; but life’s foundation is our actions.
Commitment to principled behavior is the foundation of a meaningful life.
Naturally, we prefer to fully appreciate the reason for an action before we undertake it; we want to feel inspired and emotionally connected.
But we can’t postpone positive behavior while we wait for our higher faculties to kick in. We need to act.
How can we persevere with proper conduct, if we haven't yet found the inspiration?
By "girding our hips with strength," i.e. by finding the internal strength for total commitment to the heritage of our ancestors.
The commitment/action itself will serve as the trigger that activates our ability to appreciate.
That’s how a Rebbe framed his covenant with his son: Faith and unwavering devotion to values are the base, the legs, of the healthy human being.
It’s a covenant the Torah forges with us all.
[This episode took place on Thursday, the 12th day of Tammuz, in 1895. Today is Thursday, the 12th of Tammuz, exactly 105 years later.
Even timeless words can find special resonance through the lens of time. Today is a day with a special gift of commitment; the energy is there, the rest is up to us]
ב"ה