Connected

I blogged about Gimmel Tammuz on Chuf Zayin Adar, which means that I can't just recycle the same material again. Oh well. In other news, Mazel Tov to my sister and brother in law on the birth of a baby girl. This puts me in mind of a favorite story of Rabbi Moshe Feller.

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky was once invited to a non-Lubavitch Bar Mitzva, and he was invited to read the Rebbe's letter, which gives the wish that the boy should grow to be a Chassid, Yirah Shamayim, and a Lamdan. One of the people there wasn't such a big fan of Chabad, and he came up to Rabbi Krinsky and asked him about the order, "Why does the Rebbe say that the boy should be a Chossid first? Sure, it's great and all, but is it more important than being a fearer of heaven and a scholar?" Rabbi Krinsky answered:
Korach was a great scholar, and as is explained in the commentaries, a great fearer of G-d. What was his problem? He wasn't a Chassid; he didn't believe in Moshe Rabbeinu. We can personally excel, but if we don't have a leader, then what are we worth? Who's to say we'll stick on the true path?

Gimmel Tammuz is an important day. It's a day to do a little introspection to think about where we're coming from (a cliche-filled American past) and where we're going (more of the same). But seriously folks, though it's difficult not to parrot all the other billion or so articles regarding Gimmel Tammuz, it's still important. The Jewish people have been reading the same Torah, and celebrating the same holidays, for thousands of years. Just because something has been said before doesn't mean that it shouldn't be said again. Gimmel Tammuz is a big day, and it's important to treat it as such. Once again, I feel like I'm preaching, which I hate, because who am I to preach?
All right, this post is getting needlessly introspective. Everyone should just do what they got to do, and then everything will be all right.
If only it would be that easy.