Glory and Splendor-It's YOU
She sits on the edge of her son’s bed. He’s so wild and he doesn’t stop moving or talking. All she wants is for him to go to sleep and he’s still awake. She breaths deeply and wants to cry. She’s so tired and this is so much harder than she ever imagined. She wants to scream. She wants to escape. She wants to be doing something else, anything else that would enable her to check off her long list of “things I need to do.”
Again a deep breath or is it a sigh. Suddenly, a gift. It’s a thought.
“You’re doing exactly what you should be doing and yes, it’s hard work. But it’s holy work.”
Holy work. Holy to Hashem.
She laughs at the child’s boundless energy and she laughs at herself. The entire atmosphere changes. Not because he changed, but she changed. She forces a soft voice and words said with a million dollar smile. Such hard work and so holy! But she knows that the way a person approaches a task influences how one performs it and so she lets her shoulders down and convinces her body to let go and relax.
The getting the child to sleep is graced with splendor and glory.
And you shall make a showplate of pure gold, and you shall engrave upon it like the engraving of a seal: Holy to the Lord." And you shall place it upon a cord of blue wool and it shall go over the cap, and it shall be opposite the front side of the cap…It shall be upon his forehead constantly…(Shemot 28:36-38).
You shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for honor and glory (glory and splendor) Shemot 28:2.
***
I know a woman who works as a nurse in the early morning and she doesn’t really like her job. She finds it unsatisfying.
I tell her, “You do such holy work!”
“Not really, I just swipe the patient’s insurance card and take their blood.”
I’m surprised. I tell her, “Do you realize the acts of kindness that you can do with a smile to a patient at 7:30 in the morning? You can ease their worry or their fears.”
She never saw it that way before and she stops complaining about her work because she suddenly understands that yes, it might be monotonous or feel dull and boring, but it’s such holy work. The next morning she goes to work with a warm, empathetic smile.
The entire atmosphere changes in the lab. Not because things suddenly got more exciting, but she changed. Her work day flies by when it used to pass so slowly.
***
The woman works at the supermarket earning minimum wage. As she gives me my change I thank her for being part of the process that enables me to give food to my family.
“You do such holy work.” I tell her with total sincerity. She sits up taller in her seat and flashes me a grateful smile.
She’s surrounded by glory and splendor.
***
The woman on bedrest who feels anxious and antsy, rightfully so.
I tell her and anyone for that matter, “Even if you don’t go anywhere, dress nicely, look and therefore make yourself feel beautiful. You’re doing holy work! Dress the part. How you approach this holy act will influence how you do it!”
Yes, she’s doing holy work and she needs to surround herself with glory and splendor.
Do you need more examples? I could give you hundreds.
You see it’s not just the Rabbi or the doctor or the one who founds the organization for helping…that does holy work. It’s you and it’s me and it’s when no one sees or no one knows even what in the world you are doing.
It’s the one who cleans or cooks. The one who sweeps or bakes. The one who works at a desk putting data into a computer and the one who decorates a house. It’s all about tapping into what ever I do, I have the power to make it “Holy to Hashem”. The way I approach it will make all the difference in the world as to how it gets done.
That’s right, do it with glory and splendor.
Let me dress the part even if I don’t feel it. Look respectful, honor myself and beautiful myself, both inside and just as importantly, out.
May we be blessed to tap into the holiness of what we do and (yes, it takes hard work and effort) may we do it with glory and splendor.
Shabbat Shalom,
Elana