How Many NON-JEWS Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?

By Rabbi Nissim Lagziel

A Joke to begin with…

How many engineers do you need to change a lightbulb? — Five, one to hold the lightbulb and another four to turn the ladder…

How many Russians do you need to change a lightbulb? — It really doesn’t matter, since they’re too drunk to do anything anyway…

How many Americans do you need to change a lightbulb? — Why change it? Just move into a new apartment…

***

This week’s Torah portion, Parshas Shlach, deals primarily with the subject of the meraglim, the spies Moshe sent to Eretz Yisrael – their mission, their mistake, and the resulting consequences. However, let’s put the affair of the meraglim aside for the moment, and focus on a subject that seems slightly marginal in this parsha – the mitzvah of tzitzis.  

While the section on tzitzis is at the end of Parshas Shlach – for us, it constitutes the beginning of our daily routine. Each day, we wrap ourselves in the tallis, put on tzitzis, and even read (at least twice) the Torah section on the mitzvah of tzitzis as part of the Krias Sh’ma.

In the present-day world, nothing (except misfortune…) comes for free. Everything has its price.

What do we get for doing the mitzvah of tzitzis?

Well, even though it is quite easy to fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzis, the reward we will receive in the Future to Come is tremendous in comparison to the effort invested. The Gemara states (Shabbos 32b):  “Reish Lakish said: Anyone who is vigilant in performing the mitzvah of tzitzis merits that two thousand eight hundred [servants] will serve him in the World to Come. As it is stated (Zecharia 8:23): “So said the G-d of Hosts: In those days, when ten men of all the languages of the nations shall take hold of the corner of a garment of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you.’”

Let’s calculate how Reish Lakish arrived at so large a number:

“Ten men of all the languages of the nations.” As we know, there are seventy nations in the world. Thus, a simple accounting (70x10) brings us to the conclusion that in the World to Come, seven hundred servants will take hold of our tzitzis.

However, this is only at one “corner of a garment of a Jewish man,” and since tzitzis have four corners and seven hundred men will hold one corner…in the Future to Come, we will have (at least…) 2,800 servants of all types from all the nations of the world. We’ll never have to change our lightbulbs by ourselves again!

What will we do with so many workers?

Every ballabuste would surely appreciate three or four housekeepers coming in a few times a week. But what will we do with 2,800 workers?

The Rebbe, when discussing this question, answered that apparently, this is one of the issues that Melech HaMoshiach will himself resolve once he comes. Let’s wait and see.

But to the more pressing question: the Jewish idea of the Olam Habah and the days of Moshiach is not about having abundant food, riding fancy horses and running plantations with thousands of workers. Why are the prophets and the sages making such a big deal out of this? Is this indeed the reward for a mitzvah that reminds us of all other mitzvos?

Let’s further examine the words of the prophet himself.

“Ten men … shall take hold of the corner of a garment of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you.”

It doesn’t say that we will run to hire them; it says that they will run to us and beg us to hire them.

Why will these 2,800 workers actually be begging for the opportunity to hold the corner of a Jew’s garment?

The Nimukei Yosef, Rabbi Yosef ibn Chaviva, among the last of the Rishonim and one of greatest Torah scholars of Spain, explains that the nations of the world will recognize the great quality of the mitzvah of tzitzis, and how it will bring the Jewish People to the life of the World to Come. As a result, the Gentiles will long to take part in this mitzvah. However, after they learn that they are unable to reach the level of the Jewish People in fulfilling this mitzvah, they will “settle” for holding on to the corners of our tzitzis.

Other prophecies of this nature, the massive change in the way Gentiles relate to Jews, their desire to cleave to our holy nation, have already been mentioned in the words of the Prophets (Yeshayahu 61:5):

“And strangers shall stand and pasture your sheep, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.” The fact is that in the Future of Come, the Jewish People will not have to work for their sustenance, as all their needs will be provided in great abundance by a large number of foreign workers pleading to work (for free!) for every Jew. The Gemara has already alluded to this phenomenon (Berachos 35b): “When Israel performs G-d’s Will, their work is performed by others.”

In Sha’arei Teshuva (66a), the Mitteler Rebbe explains that at the time of the Redemption, the unique quality of the Jewish People over all other nations in the world will be revealed. This is what Moshe Rabbeinu requested: “And may we, myself and Your people, be uniquely distinguished from all other nations that are on the face of the earth” – the nations of the world will recognize this on their own. Thus, they will naturally be drawn to offer their assistance, work, and do everything in their ability to get closer to the Jewish nation.

Just imagine: What wouldn’t an obsessed fan of a sports star do in order to have the “privilege” of personally meeting this famous personality? He would do anything! Similarly, the Gentile nations will do anything – plowing in the field, work on the computer, change lightbulbs, and even diapers!

Interestingly, the Gemara hints that they will even prepare Shabbos food for us!

The Gemara (Eruvin 43b) states that the coming of Moshiach can take place on Erev Shabbos, and it would not cause any inconvenience to the Jewish People because they would have more than enough servants to deal with Shabbos preparations in their place!

Who knows what Brazilian cholent, Japanese gefilte fish, or Scandinavian kugel will taste like?

***

The lesson to us now, in these final moments of the galus, from how the Geulah will change the nature of our relationship with the Gentiles, is that it’s high time for us to improve our relationship with…ourselves!

The time has come to relate to ourselves more seriously. We need to know that every action, every thought, every utterance of ours, is essential and significant. Each one of us is a pearl, a diamond in the royal crown of Hashem. Who has time to get involved with trivialities and matters of little importance? We have a far more urgent and vital mission, one that (according to the Rebbe’s sicha of 28 Nissan 5751) only we can fulfill – bringing the True and Complete Redemption by increasing in all matters of Torah and holiness!

To conclude with a story:

This is a story told by the Rebbe at the farbrengen of Chof Av 5716, a tale emphasizing the Gentiles’ recognition of the unique quality of every Jew, and particularly of the Nasi Hador…

The Rebbe Maharash once had to make a journey outside of Russia, and he traveled from Lubavitch to a nearby town with a train station. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Rebbe Maharash was slightly delayed, and when he did not arrive at the station on time, the train left without him — the clerk in charge decided not to wait for the Rebbe Maharash, and gave orders for the train to depart. When the Rebbe Maharash learned of this, he lodged a formal complaint. Not long afterward, orders came from the capital city of S. Petersburg to fire the clerk in charge!

When the Rebbe Maharash journeyed back to Lubavitch, he passed through a neighboring village, and all the local Gentiles came out together with the leading elders of the city to greet him with great honor. They came out to greet him, as customary, with bread and salt and fell on their knees before him. During this journey, the Rebbe Maharash was accompanied by his nephew, R’ Yeshayahu Berlin, who told his uncle with much excitement: “Fetter! Did you see what great honor they gave you?” The Rebbe Maharash replied: “Petach (fool)! About whom was it written, ‘You shall be blessed above all peoples’?”

Good Shabbos!

Based on a sicha of Parshas Shlach 5742.