April 2001 Spring Is Here At Last! By Rabbi Alvin Kass Spring is definitely here. This is evident, not only from looking at the calendar and observing Passover this month, but also from each dayÕs gradually rising temperatures. Like King Solomon we are moved to sing: ÒLo, the winter is past the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear in the earth; the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land (Song of Songs, I:1 f.). Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described the advent of spring as Òthe great annual miracle of the blossoming of AaronÕs rod, repeated on myriads and myriads of branches.Ó It makes no difference that you may have seen fifty or sixty springs. Each one is as new, every process as fresh, and the charm as fascinating as if this were the first spring you had ever witnessed. To be sure, the first day of spring is not necessarily synonymous with the first spring day. Spring is often more a hope than any visible reality, more an expectation than an appearance. Still, the sweet singing of birds, the lengthening of the days, and the fragrance of the fresh blossoms caress us and console us after the rigorous months of winter. This yearÕs particularly frigid, stormy, and snowy winter makes the arrival of spring especially gladsome. We can rejoice that GodÕs promise to Noah after the Flood that the rhythms of nature would never end, remains intact: ÒWhile the Earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not ceaseÓ (Genesis XII:22). Despite the discomforts and difficulties engendered by winter, we ought to give thanks for the eternal cycle of the seasons, for nature in all her manifestations is wondrous to behold. The seasons do not always cater to our needs and comforts. Indeed, they often exact great costs and take their toll in life, limb, and property. Soil erosion and floods are part of the legacy of excessive winter rains in the West. Stranded cars, lost work days, astronomic heating bills, and millions of potholes are not the least reminders of the winter of 2000-2001 as we experienced it in New York. But, all of the problems notwithstanding, nature never fails to inspire awe and to impress upon us the grandeur and glory of this universe which God created. The seasons also provide a marvelous metaphor for the nature of life which is so often cyclical in its operations. Sometimes in life, everything appears to go wrong. The world seems as cold, intractable, and inhospitable to our needs as the gusty storms of winter. Business is bad, family differences create tensions, friends disappoint us, and our health suffers reverses. Lest we despair at such times about this sad state of affairs, we ought to remind ourselves that nothing remains static. Just as winter never fails to be followed by spring, so too, our problems will get resolved and we can look forward to a better day. On the other hand, occasionally we think that we have life in the palm of our hands. Everything is going our way; all we touch turns to gold. Lest we think that the good fortune, health and success that we enjoy in the spring and summer of our life will and must be our unceasing and eternal lot, we should be mindful that fall and winter are inevitable and inescapable parts of human existence. I. L. Peretz in one of his famous stories describes the world as a galgal chozer, a wheel that turns round and round. When one rejoices that he is on top, he should be mindful that the wheel keeps turning and he canÕt stay on top permanently. Yet, when he finds himself on the bottom, he can likewise console himself that he wonÕt remain there forever either, because the wheel will ultimately raise him to a higher status as well. Thank God for all the seasons! For not only are they beautiful and magnificent in their infinite variety; but they serve to encourage us in moments of sadness and to humble us in moments of joy. Miryom, Sarah, Lewis, Danny and Debby join me in the prayer that the arrival of Passover and spring will be the harbinger of many blessings to come. Chag sameach vÕkasher, a happy and kosher Passover to you and yours.