Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg

Shalom peace. What does it mean to you? There's a Midrash that sheds [music] light on the true meaning of peace. And the Midrash says that there are three things that are the metaphor for peace: >> [music] >> a river, a kettle, and a bird. And I saw a beautiful explanation that explains three different levels of peace connected to these three things. [music] The river is obviously naturally peaceful. People like to be near a [music] river cuz it flows together. But if I take you to a home, you're a little fly on the wall, and you see everyone getting along inside this home. Is that necessarily a peaceful home? And the answer is we don't [music] really know. Because it might be peaceful because no one's allowed to have their own opinion. [music] So, the bird symbolizes a higher level of peace. Each bird has its own wings, and yet they fly together as a flock. [music] So, there's a sense of individuality and still a sense of unity. And then there's the kettle. How is the kettle [music] a metaphor for peace? And if you think about it, what does a kettle do? A kettle sits [music] on the fire and allows the fire to boil the water without the water [music] putting out the fire. And in essence, this is the highest level of peace. Because not only do we have a sense [music] of unity, and not only do we have a sense of individuality, but we we're not just coexisting [music] with each other, we're actually allowing the other person to grow in our presence and to become the best version [music] of themself. My blessing to all of us is that we'll all have peace in our homes and in our self that not only allow ourselves to be individuals, but allow [music] the other person to grow at the same time.