There was once a small shtetl that appointed a rabbi and made a contract with him, in which it specifies all the benefits the rabbi would get. That community, however, was so poor that all it could give the rabbi was a small amount of money not even enough to even die on; the right to the milk of one goat; the right to sell salt to the township and perhaps a little more. This was not because they were miserly, but because they simply could not afford more and even this, was stretching their limits.
The people, who knew the rabbi was a great man, felt embarrassed for being such an insignificant place that could offer so little. The rabbi, who also knew the community, wanted to comfort them, and said: there are maps of the world. In these maps, a small town is marked by a dot; a bigger town by a small circle around the dot; and very large cities with conspicuous circles. Very small places are not even marked. Paris, London, Moscow;, are all big circles on the map. These are the maps we see, but there is also a map in heaven. And in the heavenly map, the size of a place is decided according to the amount of torah learning and mitzvot done there. In the heavenly map, said the rabbi, some big cities may not appear at all, but our little town is marked by a very big circle. This then is the main thing that makes a Jewish community great.
The difference is made not by the number of community members, not their wealth, but by what they contribute to the community. Most of what is done in a community depends on the efforts of individuals. What you put into the community does not depend on the local rabbi; he can do a little coaxing, goading, persuading, yet the real work is done by each and every one of you, each and every community member. And ‘you’ means everybody- those who come to synagogue every day, those who come once a week, those who come three times a year, and those who do not come at all. All these are participants in the community, and the contributions of each one, all together, makes a difference.
I believe in the heavenly map, our community is huge. We would not be here if it wasn’t for the contribution and presence of each and everyone of you.
We are about to enter the busiest time of the year with the High-Holidays, Sukkot and the beginning of the academic year. The opportunities to make a difference are boundless and I would like to encourage everyone- if you have a thought or idea that can hep you personally, or something that can support the shul, the Buffalo Jewish community etc… grab the opportunity to take ownership of the idea, and do something about it. We achieve more by taking ownership and responsibility for our surroundings and the changes that we want to see. One idea and one step at a time! That’s all we can be expected to do.
Shabbat Shalom!