Learning From the Trees

Ever feel like you’ve just hit a dead end? That you could be so successful, if just for that one thing standing in your way? What can you do to move past, to succeed?

From the Forest Itself…

I recently heard a fantastical Medrish: When Hashem created the trees, they began stretching higher and higher. So high, in fact, that they became proud. “Look at us,” they said. “We’re the tallest things around! What could possibly knock us down?” Then Hashem created iron, and they became nervous. The iron, formed into an ax, could cut them down! Noticing their anxiety, the iron pointed out to the trees: “Why should we make you nervous? As long as you don’t allow yourself to be used as a handle, we can’t hurt you!” (Bereishis Rabba 5:10).

Understanding the Lesson

What’s the meaning of this Medrish? Are we supposed to understand that this ‘conversation’ happened and make a note in the history books that trees used to talk to iron? This Medrish teaches us an important lesson. Problems often seem to come from outside ourselves and stop us in our tracks. In reality, though, we are the ones who will decide whether something grows and flourishes, or whether it is toppled prematurely. If we decide to focus on solutions rather than problems, we’ll find ourselves growing higher and higher, despite whatever difficulties present themselves to us!

Can’t Stop Me!

This idea shows up in camp all the time. Here’s one example: What happens when it starts raining and you’re outside? Most of the time, you run for cover, dodging raindrops and praying that you don’t get soaked. Once you’re inside, you wait around for the rain to stop. You’re trapped by the rain! But ask a Yagilu camper what do we do when it rains, and you’ll get a different response. You’ll hear an enthusiastic, “We get wet!” We decide not to let the rain hold us back from working, accomplishing, and enjoying. And that’s it.

The message doesn’t deny that situations are difficult. Of course problems come up and we need to deal with them. In the Medrish, iron formed into an axe head is objectively sharp. The point is that it only has the power to chop down a tree when the tree provides a handle. Think of a tough situation you’re in right now: carpools for the upcoming school year aren’t coming together, kids never seem to be able to get along without fighting, or you never get a chance to take some time for yourself to recharge.

Just One Thing

What’s one thing you can do right now that can take the bite out of the issue? One text message, a positive comment to the kids, or a super-quick, 5-minute break from the daily routine? As long as you’re still working towards a solution, you can be happy. You’re not letting the problem stop you. You won’t give the iron a handle that would make it an axe.

Change the Frame

Even something as basic as reframing an issue can itself be the solution! Reframing means taking something that you see in one way and try to put it “in a different frame,” or look at it in a different, more positive way. For us in Yagilu, reframing transforms a rainstorm from something to flee from, to something to ignore or even enjoy. It’s not a disaster, it’s a refreshing cooldown while we continue with our activities.

Whatever it takes, learn from the trees. Don’t give the ‘iron’ in your life the handle it needs to bring you down!