“The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create It’
With this idea in mind, we need to always remember one of my favorite sayings, “We may not be able to control the wind, but we can always adjust the sails.” This is our mantra to forge ahead into the future with optimism and faith.
Louis Pasteur wrote, “When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments, ‘Tenderness for what he is, and Respect for what he may become’.
“Rabbi”, you may ask, “We are told we must always have confidence in the future.” My reply is, “Hope is finding meaning to our existence, and when we do so than glory is in our horoscope.”
These are my thoughts when I take hold of my Esrog and pronounce the blessing and wave it magnificently in all directions with the Lulav. At these times, I observe the two small appendages of the Esrog; the Pitum on top and the Ukutz on the bottom. The Pitum is like the flower of the fruit. It is the part from which the Esrog continues to grow. At the other end is the Ukutz the part of the fruit which is attached to the tree and receives its nourishment,
Now we have Judaism in all its glory. Judaic life needs both parts of the fruit to inspire all Jews in their climb to greatness. As the Chosen People we need to be attached to our Past, and to use our beautiful and in some ways problematic past; For it is our past that inspires us, instructs us, embellishes us and most of all gives us the direction and the proper path to follow, leading us down the primrose road of life. However, to truly accomplish all our successes, we need the Pitum of life. For just as the Pitum appears to be pointing to the future we must always possess a Pitum of Judaism in all of its ways. We must always be future oriented, leading us to a more productive and viable future, a future that will see greater observance in our Torah way of life, a future that will see us with open arms welcoming our Jewish brethren, no matter what their observances are. With our encouragement they will become more observant, reflective of the symbolism of the flowering of the Pitum, continuously growing in Yiddishkeit and basking under the Shade of G-Das they enter our Succah of Life.
To quote from the Song of Songs “His left hand is below my head,” Hashem cradles our head during the Yemay Noraim, and “His right hand hugs me.” G-d hugs us with his love as we enter the Succah, representing the Hug of G-D.
Just as Hashem hugs us with His love and warmth, so must we open our hearts to all, and use our Ukutz , our past to inspire others. We must, also, use our Pitum to create a future for others and to see for ourselves how bright our future can and will be if we use all of our Spiritual energies to produce that future with Love and Betachon.
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