“I’m just a hack. I’m just a schlepper. I just do what I can do.” – Bette Midler
Immediately following Matan Torah, Am Yisrael committed the greatest sin of all time. How could we have possibly gone from such spiritual heights to such a tragic low in such a short time? Rav Chaim Shmulevitz explains: We had grown accustomed to having a leader. We didn’t rely on our own relationships with Hashem; but we expected our intermediary to “make sure things were ok.” Plagues, miracles, the manna was on time every day and there was water to drink: all of these were seemingly arranged by Moshe Rabbeinu. When we felt bereft of a leader, we effectively lost our minds. And if the result of losing your mind is considered a grave sin, there has to be a way to prepare to stay calm, sane, and present.
We have a tendency to relate to our ups and downs in terms of closeness and distance: an “up” brings us closer to our goals and to G-d, and a “down” does the opposite. A schlepper knows that it’s all part of the journey. When people lined up at the Beis HaMikdash every morning with their karbanos, there weren’t separate lines for those bringing a Chatas and those bringing a Todah. Some of these were to atone for wrongdoing and others were to say thanks for a special occasion. And everyone stood together, greeted by a kohen whose job it was to facilitate korban. Something that brings one closer to G-d. Ups and downs both result in closeness. As schleppers, we just do what we can do – that’s all that is expected of us.
