What’s the pocket knife story?

Rebecca had the word “zakmes” (pocket knife) tattooed on her arm. The origin is from a letter from Asjer Waterman:

Dear Rebecca,

You’re probably somewhere in the desert or in a forest right now, shivering with your buddies from the mechina. Little food, lots of walking. Mentally and physically tough. Doing your business in nature. Camping on an Israel trip during Yam Le-Yam is nothing compared to this.

I tried to imagine what that situation must look like. What exactly are you supposed to do? What are you eating? (Although, it can’t be worse than what you normally get). What are you all thinking? And more importantly, what do you need to get through this?

What do you give someone to survive in the wilderness? The first thing that came to my mind was a Swiss army knife. Swiss army knives are super handy, you can do all sorts of things with them. There’s a knife in it, tweezers, a screwdriver, a can opener, you name it. Endless possibilities. Actually, you can’t go without one if you’re going to survive.

You probably didn’t get a pocketknife (damn counselors), and I can’t just come by and bring one. But as I write this, I realize that maybe a physical object like a pocketknife isn’t really the most important thing. The most important thing that can save you in difficult situations, the thing that can help you through tough times isn’t something physical that someone can give you, it’s something intangible. And luckily, I know you already have this “thing.” I’ll just call it your ‘mental Swiss army knife.’

You’re someone who sometimes seems to want to do things precisely because they seem difficult. The easy way is boring; you’re looking for a challenge. That’s not for everyone. Some, or maybe even many people try it because it seems exciting, but fail because they’re not mentally prepared for it. Not you, because your mental Swiss army knife has so many possibilities, so many applications, that you always manage to get through somehow.

It’s your mental Swiss army knife that tells you that you can do what you set your mind to. Your mental Swiss army knife that ensures that in your first year as a counselor you also become a Rosch Chinoch, and also nail your final exams. It’s your mental Swiss army knife that enables you to do a mechina program in a language you (still) weren’t fluent in. It’s your mental Swiss army knife that will help you get through this crap of survival. It’s your mental Swiss army knife that will ensure that you finish your mechina like a boss. And it’s your mental Swiss army knife that will help you get through the army once you’ve finished that mechina. You don’t need any physical tools for that.

The beauty of a mental Swiss army knife is that it doesn’t weigh anything. You can take it with you everywhere. It doesn’t just break, and you don’t just lose it. No one can take it away from you. If you remember that, I’m sure you can do anything you set your mind to.

I could close with something like: ‘Come on Rebecca, you can do it.’ But I think you already know that.

Keep going, you’re doing great,

Asjer