S

urely you recall the classic story of the mother boasting about her new baby: “You think she’s gorgeous? You should see her picture!”

Sometimes we are like that. We admire and honor the artist who paints a rose so lifelike that we want to touch it and breathe it in. With a few deft brush strokes, a dash of well-chosen color, brilliant shading of light and shadow, he has created something so real, every petal so delicate and fragile, that one is even fearful of its thorns. The artist is a genius. No wonder he is acclaimed.

But what about the Artist Who created the living original rose of which this is just a replica? A rose that not only looks genuine but is genuine and transmits an intoxicating fragrance, a flower that continues to grow and blossom. We take that for granted; it is after all an everyday, common phenomenon.

But think about it: Should we not admire and honor the One Who has created a thing that lives and breathes, something that no living artist — even a genius — can duplicate? (Not to mention, the Artist Who created the genius who so perfectly replicates what the Artist originally created.)

Of course, the genuine rose requires care. And with time, it can wilt and wither and dry up and die, while the artificial rose maintains forever its look and its beauty, and requires no regular watering or pruning. But then again, the artificial rose does not offer us its nectar. No frantic bees hover around her, and it has no thorns. Still, the real rose will propagate itself, while the artificial rose will have no offspring.

The real and the imitation; it is important to differentiate them, to be able to tell one from the other.

Some sobering lessons to be derived:

1. Everything that has life requires attention and care. Only that which is lifeless can be put away and, even though neglected, remain unchanged.
2. Nectar comes with thorns, but thorns come with nectar. They come together in the same package; it only depends on how you grasp them.
3. Only that which has life will decay, but only that which has life will grow. What do you choose to emphasize?
4. Genuine beauty is transient; it fades with the passage of time. That which does not fade is not genuine beauty; only faux beauty does not fade.

The ultimate lesson: The need to look with fresh eyes at that which we see daily, to separate the real from the ersatz. Not only things and objects, but people as well — especially wives, husbands, parents, and children. Corollary religious lesson: the need to daven the identical words each day with fresh eyes and thoughts. The same holds true with the performance of mitzvos.

And along the way to freshness: It is good to hail to and appreciate all creative acts, for they are all manifestations of the Creator Who resides within us. But the Ultimate Author of all creation should not be overlooked.

 (Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 720)