Sheryl Sandberg & Jewish Unity Day

I am sure many of you read (or read about) Sheryl Sandberg’s extraordinarily meaningful and moving shloshim post for her late husband, Dave Goldberg.  It captured many of the traditional Jewish responses to tragedy, pain, and suffering.  There are no answers, but there is the need to “lean in” and move forward.  This can be captured by the approach of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveichik, in which the question in response to tzores (troubles) is not “Why?”  It is “What now? What can be done to move forward?”

I find it very powerful that such meaningful and potentially uplifting messages can emerge from such sad moments in people’s lives.  I only saw the sadness in Dave Goldberg’s untimely passing.  Sheryl Sandberg found – and shared – the strength.

This idea resonated while reading the coverage of “Jewish Unity Day 2015,” marking the one-year anniversary of the day when Eyal Ifrach, Gilad Shaer, and Naftali Fraenkel were kidnapped (and likely murdered that day as well).  The idea is to recapture the incredible Jewish unity that emerged to support the families and, at the time, demand the teens’ release.  I don’t know if you heard about the initiative, but it certainly did not capture anywhere near as much attention or unity as was focused on the teens and their families last summer.

Why is it that the sad, tragic, unfortunate, and painful events seem to be far more effective than the joyous or everyday happenings to elicit messages of strength, meaning, and unity? 

I am sure there is some sort of psychological, emotional, and even spiritual explanation.  It’s like Jews flock to shul for Yom Kippur but not for the chance to enjoy a beautiful Seudah Shlishit.  I get it, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept it.

How can we create and sustain more positive and lasting feelings of meaning for ourselves, our families, and those around us?

Not a bad topic to think about on a long Shabbat.