What To Do When Spring Hasn’t Sprung

בס''ד

Parshat Tazria

22 Adar II, 5774

March 24^th, 2014

They call spring a song:  “For now the winter is past, the rains are over and gone, the blossoms have appeared in the land, the time of pruning has come; the song of the dove is heard in our land.” (Song of Songs 2:11-12)

Here is a partial list of the songs I have heard instead of the song of spring:

·         The song of my space heater, wheezing mightily;

·         Synchronized groaning as another snow day is announced;

·         Quick clacking of heels on pavement as their owner hurries to get out  of the cold;

·         Repeated muttering, “why did leave [insert warm location here]?
(To be fair, most of that last one was my solo performance.)

The Talmud teaches that when God created the world, God did not let the seeds of all the plants sprout until Adam and Eve prayed for rain. God desires the prayers of the tzadikim – the righteous; Adam and Eve’s prayers added spiritual quality to the new world. (Talmud Chullin 60b)

We could add a little righteousness of our own. The question on many of our minds is whether we have anything to do with this brutal cold: whether it is just a tough winter or the continuing depredations of climate change.

So as we steel ourselves and wait just a little longer until the blossoms come, perhaps we could plan for a righteous spring: set up the compost bin we’ve been meaning to get to; plan our window herb gardens and vegetables; get our bikes tuned up to green our commutes; figure out where we’re going to get local produce when the season comes. 

How do you plan on preparing for a spiritual spring? Comment below.