Community Magazine March 2016

Torah Talk Watching a male duck swimming in the lake, with its bright and colorful feathers and its graceful demeanor in the water, is truly a beautiful sight to behold. But the duck’s talents are not relegated to its looks – the duck has many more attributes to offer. In the air, it is an agile flier; and in the water, it is an elegant swimmer. It is also blessed with amazingly waterproof feathers. Yes, the duck certainly has a lot to quack about – but that is exactly the one thing that it does not do! The male duck does not quack; only the female duck does. What an important lesson for us to learn. So often, when a person is blessed with exceptional wisdom, strength, beauty, or other Heavenly-bestowed gifts, he instinctively feels the need to boast about it and let others know how great he is for having such talents and abilities. However, we must realize that we have nothing to do with the gifts that Hashem has bestowed upon us; we did nothing to acquire them, and as such, how can we brag about them? Boasting about our talents is really no different from gloating over our ability to breathe or to eat or walk, as these are all blessings from Hashem that don’t have anything to do with our own personal achievements. Instead of bragging about our talents, we should be silent as the beautiful male duck that does not quack, and instead focus on thanking Hashem for the gifts He gave us. Additionally, we should realize that the more Heavenly gifts we have been blessed with, the more responsibility we have to utilize those gifts in ways that bring glory to our Creator, the One from Whom we receive all life and blessing. If we do this, we will have achieved the sterling quality that the Torah holds in such high regard – true humility. The hooded merganser is a small duck that has a collapsible crest made of feathers. When the feathers lie flat, they look like hair. But when the feathers are raised, they look like a hood, making the duck’s head look oversized and oblong. The hooded merganser is an excellent diver. It is able to see clearly underwater and search for its prey. Amazingly, it has the ability to change the refractive properties of its eyes in order to enhance its underwater vision. It also has an extra eyelid, called a “nictitating membrane,” which acts as a pair of transparent goggles, as it provides added protection to the eye. THE HOODED MERGANSER Did You Know? Ducks can swim right away, but it takes about two months before they can fly. Excerpts from Exploring the Wild World of Animals, by Efraim Harari, published by Israel Bookshop Publications. Be sure to check out the newest book in this animals series, Exploring the Wild World of Animals & BIRDS. Now available at all Judaica stores and on Amazon. MarvelsofCreation from aTorahPerspective HARARI NEW ADAR I - ADAR II 5776 MARCH 2016 91