By Elana Mizrahi I have to admit, I'm easily brought to tears. I don't know whether it's because I'm overly emotional, overly sensitive, or both, but these eyes of mine, they fill like wells in a heartbeat.
I sat before one of my students. A woman who four months ago was living, or I should say dying, on sixty calories a day. Now, with a lot of help, I repeat, a lot of help, she's at her minimum weight, looks stunningly healthy, and has eyes that amongst their sadness also shine forth with life. At times it is one step forward and two steps backA guitar lay next to her. "Play me something," I requested. Transformation. I saw metamorphosis, thinking back to the girl who came to us four months ago and to the woman who picked up the guitar now.
"The entire world is a very narrow bridge. A very narrow bridge. And the principle is not to ever be afraid." She sang these beautiful verses of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and I cried. I couldn't help myself. My eyes became wells of tears as I joined in with her, "The principle is not to ever be afraid."
A year ago I started working with young women who have eating disorders. It is not an easy job. I have moments where I want to quit. I tell myself, "I'm not qualified for this. I'm not strong enough for this. I just can't do it." My boss tells me, "If you don't, who will?"
At times it is one step forward and two steps back. What do I do with them? I teach them exercise, I do reflexology on them. In between I always share with them a bit of Torah—it's not the body alone that is starving, but also the soul. I relate to them the words of our Holy Sages. I take them to the graves of righteous individuals (tzaddikim) and share with them stories: stories of hardships and stories of survival. Everyone has their story; I have mine.
I explain, "The Sages tell us that the righteous fall seven times and get up." I relate in the words of my teacher, "It's not that the righteous are righteous because they are the ones who can pick themselves up, but the fact that they fall enables them to become righteous." The only way to ascend at times is by means of descent.
I tell myself, "The statistics are not good. The chances of full recovery are slim. G‑d I can't do this, but You can. With You there are no statistics, no numbers. Let me be Your messenger and heal these precious women." Suddenly I feel less afraid. Whatever I do, I am not a failure.
"The entire world is a very narrow bridge. A very narrow bridge. And the principle is not to ever be afraid."
Imagine our forefather Abraham with his wife Sarah. G‑d came to him and told him, "Go. Leave everything that you know and go." "To where?" "To the place that I will show you."
They went and what did they do? They revolutionized the world. Two people. Rashi explains that Abraham did acts of kindness and converted the men while Sarah did acts of kindness and converted the women. What if Abraham had said, "I can't do it. I'm not qualified for the job"?
They revolutionized the world. Two peopleI remember when I was eighteen years old traveling alone in Europe. I arrived in Venice. I saw by the historic synagogues a sign that read, "Chabad. Kosher Pizza." I hesitantly walked in, "Shalom Aleichem! Welcome!" boomed a loud voice. It was not the first time, nor will it probably be the last time, that a friendly voice called out to me in some far-off place. His smile said it all. "What can I do to help you, my fellow Jew?"
Yes, what can I do to help you? I wish I had all the answers. I wish I had a magic wand that would make all the suffering and pain of my students go away. Unfortunately I don't.
I'm not a prophet, I'm not a magician, I'm just a simple Jew with a heart and two hands to extend to another. I'm probably not qualified, but then again, maybe it doesn't really matter. After all, the principle is "not to be afraid, at all…"
from chabad.org
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