From the Rabbi’s Study
The Narrow Bridge We’re On, and the Courage of Hanukkah
Rav Nachman of Bratzlav taught that, “The world is a very narrow bridge. What’s essential, however, is to fear not.” Artist Michael Morgenstern was inspired by Rav Nachman to create this work of art:
We are all afraid.
- We are afraid of COVID-19 and its variants.
- We are afraid of climate change wreaking havoc with our environment.
- We are afraid we may lose our democracy.
- We are afraid of living in pain or being over medicated so that we cannot function properly.
- We are afraid that our regrets may outweigh our life satisfactions.
- We are afraid of dying alone.
We live as if on a suspension bridge. The shaking that follows each footstep reminds us that getting to the other side is not a certainty.
Yes, life is a very narrow bridge. Rav Nachman knew that we cannot banish fear, at least not all fears all the time. Yet knowing this and acknowledging this is empowering awareness. It gives us the courage to confront the bridge, and then, with resoluteness, to cross the bridge, again and again, day after day. That is how we make our lives matter. That, for Rav Nachman, is the heart of spirituality, the core of being alive.
When the Psalmist tells us, “Even though I walk through a valley that is yet the shadow of death, lo ira ra, I will not fear,” the psalmist isn’t really telling us that it’s realistic to have no fears at all throughout the journey. Rather, the psalmist is asserting that “I won’t let any fear stop me from moving forward.”
The message of Rav Nachman and our Psalmist also lies at the core of Hanukkah. Mattathias and his small band–the Maccabees–had to confront the very narrow bridge every day to plot their rebellion against Syrian Greek tyranny. It was not easy to live between the mountains, without homes, steady food, or much else except their wits. But life mattered to them, because they made sure life mattered.
May our celebration of Hanukkah this year re-imbue us with courage.
May we, like the Maccabees, manage to conquer our fears and move forward.
May life matter greatly to us, because we, too, made life matter.
May we say, with the Psalmist, lo ira ra, I won’t let fear interfere.
May we, too, resolutely cross the very narrow bridges of our lives.
And may we find self-worth, hope, and love, not just on the other side, but in having taken the steps forward.
Chag Hanukkah samei-ach! A joyous, and meaningful, Hanukkah!
MORE: DISCUSSION of the ART PIECE
Share the art piece at your Shabbat or Hanukkah table and discuss any of the following:
- The world is represented as a giant void. What emotions do the color and space of this void evoke in you? How does this make you feel about the world as a place that you inhabit?
- What might be the significance of the cloud and the snake to the person on the bridge? What would you have placed at the bottom of the abyss?
- The meaning of the person walking on the narrow bridge connects easily to the quote, but what might the person’s stance suggest?
- What narrow bridges do you walk, and what is your key to navigating the world?
- How (and when) did Judaism help you when you felt that life was like a bridge that does not stop shaking? Can you share the situation, how you handled it, and how Judaism helped?
- How does Hanukkah empower you with confidence and courage?