Page 3 - The Jewish Voice - August '24

The Jewish Voice, Page 3
No Matter Where Life Takes
You, Don’t Forget Where
You Came From
By Rabbi Dovid Vigler
On our recent visit to
beautiful Juneau, Alaska,
we e n c o u n t e r e d t h e
extraordinary phenomenon
of thousands of fully grown
salmon swimming upstream
to reach the very same spot
where they were hatched.
Each summer, salmon
from around the Pacific
Ocean swim thousands of
of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County
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From the rabbi
We came across a salmon hatchery, where baby salmon
miles in order to return home to the precise location of were being raised and released to the wild. It was from this
their birth. The salmon swim upstream against powerful
currents, mustering unusual strength to jump out of the exact same spot that the returning salmon were released
to the ocean several years ago. The hatchery tracks their
water to climb waterfalls and over rocks — anything that
blocks their determined path to their destination. fish throughout their lives. A staggering 99 percent of the
It’s a bittersweet experience to observe. Once they fish released have returned back home.
reach the location of their own birth, they spawn their eggs, I was mesmerized.
giving rise to the next generation. But the freshwater of We watched them swim up a “fish ladder,” a miniature
the rivers slowly kills these seawater fish — you can see “Panama Canal” where the fish swim through locks of
their scales falling off as they prepare to die after three to water, each one higher than the previous one. The only way
five years of life. up the ladder is by swimming through a tiny hole against
The number of salmon that participate in this annual ritual the current, or by jumping a foot out of the water and over
is staggering. Countless millions flood the streams, rivers, the wall. It was stunning to see how the fish fought with
inlets, and canals of Alaska in this solemn march to the next everything they could muster to reach their target.
generation. The bears of the area love it. Life couldn’t be Scientists posit that when they are born, the fish have
easier for them as they wade knee deep in the water to reach a magnetic imprint in their brain that marks the location
in and grab their takeaway dinners. Bald eagles and killer of their birth. When they come close to their birthplace,
whales also feast on this fantastic phenomenon. the fresh water of the streams triggers an impulse that
makes them fight for their lives to reach their birthplace,
overcoming all obstacles in their path.
I found it providential that we encountered this jaw-
dropping phenomenon, when the Torah focuses on the
Feel good about giving miraculous water supply of the Jewish people during their
forty years of wandering through the desert. This water
back to your community. was known as the well of Miriam, because it was only in
the merit of Miriam, Moses’ older sister, that the nation’s
Connect with caring, thirst was quenched.
As I was meditating over these aquatic antics, I
kind people. Improve realized the depth of an ancient blessing bestowed upon
all future generations of Jews 3,500 years ago. It’s a
the quality of life for prayer with which we bless our children each Friday night,
directly quoting the blessing that our Patriarch Jacob
people in need. blessed his grandchildren Efraim and Menashe (Genesis
48:16):
May the Almighty make you like Efraim and Menashe;
May the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless
The Dorothy & Sidney Kohl Jewish the youths;
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Efraim and Menashe were the sons of Joseph, the
lend a helping hand to those who Egyptian prime minister. Whereas all the patriarchs were
need it most, while at the same time born and bred in the Holy Land, these two boys were the
fulfilling the Jewish values of tikkun olam first Jews born and raised in the diaspora. Jacob’s blessing
(repair the world) and chesed (kindness). was that they should be like fish, because fish have the
uncanny and extraordinary ability to not only know where
they come from, but they will stop at nothing to actually
Monday, September 30, 2024 return there.
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Monday, January 20, 2025 that we are Jews, preferring to identify with our most
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