We’ve just entered a period of time known as the “Three Weeks,” when we mourn the destruction of our Holy Temples, our nation’s dispersion, and the suffering that has been our lot for much of the past 2,000 years.
In Hebrew this time is called Bein Hametzarim, which means “Between the Straits.” Visualize yourself squeezed between two cliffs, and you understand the name. As a nation, more often than not, we’ve been between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
But there is a positive message here as well. Sure, it takes effort to extract yourself from a pinch, but when you do, you’re likely to catapult forward, going farther and faster than if you’d not been pinched in the first place.
Yes, we are squeezed, and it sure isn’t comfortable, but we’re looking forward to the final push, when all our suffering and wandering will propel us to the greatest spiritual heights. May it happen soon.
The Chabad.org Editorial Team
P.S.: Have you ever felt squeezed by life circumstances, only to to transform the negative into a positive and come out stronger, healthier and happier than before? Please share your experience in the comments section. We’d love to be inspired by you.
You never know who you are until a crisis The world in its natural order is stocked with worker Bees that work when they are told to work . Most people will never find their innate talent unless their forcibly cast out of their role as servants . This is evident when you witness the Disenfranchised create a clever underworld enterprise and demand their piece of the pie without anyone's permission . The next generation is afforded a great education and become upstanding citizens . Of coarse this is not always the case however it's a good example of how brains and survival instincts kick in when put between a rock and a hard place . Complacency is the Opium of the people . ( that's my spin from the original quote) .