Posted on 08/17/23
In 1897, William Morrison together with confectioner John C. Wharton, created a machine that spun heated sugar through a screen, thus creating a floss-like texture that we all know and love. The candy debut was at the St. Louis World Fair, and people loved the new candy invention so much, that they sold over 68,000 boxes of cotton candy – then called, “fairy floss.” Each box was sold for a quarter. By the end of the fair, they made $17,000, which, in today’s economy, would equal around half a million dollars. Cotton candy took off, and today, it is one of the most popular sweet treats at carnivals, sporting events, and fairs all around the world!
There is one historical fact that makes the cotton candy invention so incredibly confusing and ironic. You see, William Morrison was really Dr. William Morrison. He was a practicing dentist, and even served as the President of the Tennessee Dental Association!
How can it be that a dentist was the one responsible for the invention of a candy, which according to the USDA Food Database, is 100 percent sugar, and contains on average 110 calories and 28 grams of sugar in every one ounce serving?! It is simply mind-boggling and perplexing.
The Torah (Parshas Shoftim, 16:20) tells us צדק צדק תרדף – Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue. If you read the last sentence and thought there was a typo, there was not. The Torah is not being redundant here; it is teaching us a lesson for life.
The first step in living a successful life of meaning and value, is to have one’s priorities straight and set. The first step to achieving greatness is to aspire to be in the realm of צדק – to be a righteous person. But guess what? That dream, aspiration, and vision, although important, is just the beginning. Now, to get there, it must be walked with righteousness as well, hence, צדק תרדף. The way in which we achieve a life of righteousness is by pursuing our goals with steps of righteousness along the way.
Practically, that means we are taught to live each moment with honesty and conduct our daily activities without shortcuts and inconsistencies that so often contradict our life’s mission statement of being righteous people.
A dentist is a great, well-paying, and admirable job. I know many dentists. In fact, I have a brother who practices as a dentist whom I highly recommend! But if you are a dentist, do not be the one to invent cotton candy. It is a contradiction. It is inconsistent. Let someone else come up with that invention.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” Our future goal and aspiration of צדק must be created with צדקות. Our vision of holiness and greatness must be צדק תרדף, pursued with holiness and greatness.
Let’s make it happen! Have a holy Shabbos!