“…for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations…” (Devarim 4:6)

Many people feel that once Tisha B’Av has passed, we have completed our avodah and are now free to use our time as we wish. Chazal, however, teach us that this is not so. In fact, the calendar moves through a deliberate progression.

The Levush (Mordecai ben Avraham Yoffe 1530 – 1612) explains that from Bereishis until the 17th of Tammuz, every haftara corresponds to its parsha. But from the Three Weeks until Simchas Torah, first we have the three haftaras of affliction, then seven of consolation, and finally two which focus on doing teshuva.

The first of the haftaras of consolation is this week, Parshas V’eschanan, and begins with the words “Nachamu nachamu ami.” Even after the destruction, Hashem comforts us, strengthening our relationship with Him and rebuilding it more deeply. And that relationship is primarily rooted in Torah. In this week’s parsha, the Torah tells us that through our commitment to Torah the nations of the world recognize our special status in the eyes of Hashem, as an exalted and wise nation. But why should it matter how the gentiles perceive us? Some explain that since we are Hashem’s people, our behavior can undermine the honor owed to Hashem. Therefore, in order not to desecrate Hashem’s name, we are obligated to grow in wisdom.

This means that our commitment to Hashem’s Torah shapes the world’s perception of Hashem Himself!

As vacation season arrives for many, it is appropriate to consider how G-d-fearing Jews spend their time of rest and relaxation. If someone were to walk into our own Beis Medrash on a summer morning, he would see people learning, using their R&R to advance in Torah. Others will use this time to visit those who need companionship or assistance, tending to the needs of Klal Yisroel. All this is part of our greater avodas Hashem.

But whatever we do, we must never lose our identity. Some people are nice in the office and a terror at home; others are the opposite. A true Jew is consistent – always thinking about what Hashem wants from him, no matter the situation in which he finds himself.

I once heard Rav Mordechai Gifter (Mordechai Gifter (1915 -2001) speak to his students about a “Shabbos off” in Yeshiva. He asked them , “What are you off of?” His answer: “You are off your regular schedule, but you are on a special schedule. Now you need to figure out what you will do with your extra time.”

Some use their vacation to learn subjects that they cannot learn during their regular yeshiva schedule. Others take on projects of chesed or mitzvos that their regular schedule does not allow. Even someone who goes hiking or travels to “recharge his batteries”, should conduct himself in a way that makes it clear he has not changed his essence at all. Klal Yisrael is the same klal Yisrael, whether in the Beis Hamikdash, the Beis Hamedrash, a hotel by the shore, or a cabin in the mountains.

I would like to share a fascinating piece of history. A close friend of mine from Tel Aviv told me that every Friday he would go to the beach and meet Rav Michel Feinstein (Yechiel Michel Feinstein 1906-2003) there. Reb Michel would sit with his feet in the water, learning the Vilna Gaon on Mishlei. Thirty years later, this same friend happened to meet Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (1910-2012), who was also learning the Vilna Gaon on Mishlei. I am not suggesting that learning the Vilna Gaon on Mishlei will make someone into a gadol, but I am suggesting that even in our downtime, we can find ways to grow with Hashem.

May we all return from our breaks invigorated, ready to meet the challenges that await us as we resume our regular routine.