My Non-Vacation

Parshas Pinchas

Pinchas the son of Elazar… the Kohein has turned my wrath away from the Children of Israel… Therefore say: Behold I give him my covenant of peace.” (Bamidbar 25:11-12)

The pasuk in Melachim I (19:4) says: “And he asked to die.” The Malbim explains that Eliyahu saw that he had already corrected whatever was necessary in this temporal life and it was fitting that his soul return to the eternal life. 

When a person has fulfilled his mission and executed all the duties that he must do in this world he no longer has what to live for and is ready to pass on to the life of the World to Come. 

However Hashem has pity on such a person and values his diligence and loyalty to avodas Hashem. Since he accomplished his tafkid l’shem Shamayim Hashem adds years to his life so that he’ll be able to realize and fulfill another duty and another task. Just as he fulfilled his first mission properly it’s assumed he’ll fulfill his new role properly as well. (Ohr Chadash al HaTorah Rav Zeichik) 

“So how’s your vacation going?” Shira asks me as I meet her in the dairy aisle. Is it my imagination or is there an emphasis on the word “your”? Shira works in an office and doesn’t have the extended vacation I get as a teacher.

I choose my words carefully. “In the morning I get up early as usual because I have to get my boys out to cheder and my girls to day camp. There’s the normal morning bedlam of cornflakes and missing swim suits. I have to put in a certain amount of hours in enrichment courses each summer so that takes a big chunk of time plus I try to get to all the projects I’ve pushed off all year. Yet somehow between the added laundry and cooking and cleaning I never do get to anything extra. And it’s not even bein hazmanim yet!”

Hashem said “Behold I give him my covenant of peace.” I am giving Pinchas another role the role of kehunah and peace. Therefore Hashem lengthened Pinchas’ life and turned him from a mortal man into a malach habris for according to Chazal Pinchas is Eliyahu Hanavi. (ibid.) 

The truth of the matter is I’m fine with my non-vacation. There’s nothing like summer! The kids are full of energy and have a lot of fun and I finally have more time to spend with them. I can cook them good nutritious meals teach them how to make paper airplanes go on day trips and stay up late laughing. I can bake cookies patiently deal with the multitude of fights that crop up in the heat and clean the house that seems to get messier with each passing day.

So what if I’m working harder during vacation than I do while I’m “working” I wouldn’t trade summer for anything!

It’s best for a person to always be laden with tasks and to use the strengths given to him by Heaven in order to honor Hashem and His Torah. In doing so he will merit long life so that he’ll be able to accomplish all that he had to fulfill. (ibid.) 

We too are blessed with Pinchas’ brachah — the brachah of being busy and moving from one role to the next. Every once in a while we need to come up for air. But that allows us to resume and attack the next challenge with renewed vigor.

Heaven notices me as I run from one task to the next busy with endless plans and grasping for extra days to manage getting everything done.

Mothers are never on vacation. Mothers never stop working — not when their kids are little nor when they’re big. One type of work will always replace another. Children are replaced by grandchildren and a night shift of rocking the baby becomes late nights in deep conversations with teenagers. And that in short is the blessing of our life.

May we merit being given added days to accomplish it all!

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 502)