I hear a lot of expressions of melancholy at our inability to go to shul and daven with a minyan. It is beautiful how much people care!! But some perspective...
The brothers Rebbe Zusha and Rebbe Elimelech [whose yahrtzeit was today!] were once arrested on false charges. They were thrown into a cramped cell already full of ruffians, murderers, lowlifes, degenerates, and basically bad people - even people who weren't makpid on pas yisroel [!!]. The guard, upon throwing them into the cell, laughed and pointed them to a pail in the corner, telling them that was their lavatory. [That is not funny...]
It was too much for Reb Zusha to bear. He flung himself on the floor and began to cry and bawl. Reb Meilech, his brother, was taken aback. This was not like Zusha, who always had faith that everything Hashem did was for the good. Reb Meilech turned to his brother and rebuked him. This was a chillul Hashem. Their cellmates would think that he had given up hope. Why was he crying like this?
Reb Zusha turned to his brother and told him tearfully, “How can you not cry? Don’t you understand? We are stuck here in the cell with this pail, and we cannot study or think about Torah, it is forbidden to daven. What will we do? How can we go on without any Torah, mitzvos, or prayer?”
Reb Meilech pondered his brother’s heartrending cry for a few minutes and then had an incredible epiphany [without being aware of the actual word "epiphany"]. He explained that by not learning or davening, they were upholding the halachah that prohibits them from doing so. So in fact all of their non-learning and non-davening was obedience to the ratzon haBorei.
“It’s incredible,” he said, “every second that we are here, we get a mitzvah by not studying Torah. When else will we ever have such a holy opportunity to serve Hashem by not serving Him?”
Reb Zusha’s face lit up. He started to smile. He started to dance. He got so excited he picked up the pail and waved it around as if it were a lulav and esrog. Ashreinu, mah tov chelkeinu! How fortunate are we that we get a mitzvah with this! How incredible is Hashem that He gave us such a commandment!
Now the cellmates, who had first thought this rabbi a little strange, at this point were pretty weirded [a word or not a word?] out, as is quite imaginable when you see someone dancing and singing to G-d with a soiled bucket in his hand. He told the others that this rabbi was probably praying for a miracle to set them free from prison. The others quickly decided that they didn’t want to be left out of this deal and they got up behind the rabbi and started dancing and chanting as well. It was a sight to behold.
At this point the guard heard this ruckus and came to the cell to check it out. When one of the prisoners told him what was going on, the guard grimaced. He would put a stop to this plan right away. He quickly ordered Reb Zusha to bring him the pail, then proceeded to wash it shiny clean. He flung it back into the cell and told them they were all prohibited from using it. Anyone needing to relieve himself should call the guard, and they would be directed to the nearest facility. That is that!
As he slammed the door closed, Reb Zusha turned to his brother and they both hugged the empty clean pail. They were now for the first time permitted to recite the words that were in their heart, that were in their dance, that embodied all that they stood for.
“Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad.”
Hashem is One when we can fulfill His commandments — and also when we cannot fulfill His commandments. He is the same. There is never a moment when we cannot be connected to Him. He is one and we are one with Him always.
We normally daven with a minyan because it is רצון השם. Now we DON'T daven with a minyan because it is רצון השם. ALWAYS and REGARDLESS of the circumstances with simcha gedola 😀😘.
