Word Prompt - FLICKER - Rabbi Shlomo Litvin

When people think of a light that flickers, they often see it as a sign of weakness.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

When the wind blows, weak flames die out, but strong flames flicker, and endure.

The story of Judaism is that of a flickering flame.

When the Yivonim conquered Eretz Yisrael and outlawed Yiddishkeit, our flame flickered, but survived.

When we were expelled from our land, through the trials and tribulations of galus, Judaism flickered, yet it was never vanquished.

The true power of a flickering flame is its ability to burst into an inferno. Because while wind is a risk to a fire, it also helps increase it.

When Stalin sought to extinguish Judaism in the USSR, the previous two Rebbes built an underground network intent on keeping the flame flickering. When communism fell, that flickering flame overtook the country, leading to a massive revival of Yiddishkeit.

Throughout our history, from Chanukah to the modern day, to Mordechai Ben David's “Someday,” the flame of Torah has flickered.

But the flame has remained alive, burning passionately, waiting for the day it will engulf the entire world with Mashiach.