BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

  Shevuos night was an exhilarating experience as I spent the entire night with hundreds of men and women of all ages as we raised our voices entering into the depths of Torah. Sitting there my mind began to travel, trying to unravel the mystery of such an exclaimed wonder of howYahadut has touched the hearts and minds of so many at a time when others are running away from identifying with the basic understanding ofJudaism.

   There are those who are critical of Judaismand look askance at those who profess to be religious and yet act contrary to what Judaismstands for.  My comment is, “If an individual acts in a way which contradicts the values thatJudaism represents then that individual is not an observant Jew and, more so, what he practices is not Judaism.” Judaism cannot and must notexist in a vacuum. A Judaic way of life rests in the hearts of the Jew and must shape the actions of those whose very lives reflect its goals.

Our aim is to form a symbiotic partnership with G-D, to become the vehicles divinely chosen to bring His presence into our world. Our lives must give meaning to our Torah and in doing soHashem will find a spiritual home for us to dwell together. 

   When we are absorbed in G-Ds thoughts and in His revealed word, we indeed become united with G-D, and a unique friendship is formed between man and The Almighty. 

The Tanya teaches us, ”When a man understands with his intellect and comprehends and digests the infinite and inscrutable will of the Almighty then there is a marvelous union between G-D and man.”

   With these words I realize an important idea that will accompany us on our life’s journey; 

“To love means to share an identity and a common destiny”. 

   The beauty of Judaism is our faith - faith in ourselves and faith in the tomorrow. Today is merely a bridge to tomorrow, and we must not be reluctant to travel on that bridge, for such a travel is a growth experience for everyone. As we grow in faith in ourselves, and build upon our faith in G-D, we will travel safely and securely across the bridge of tomorrow, successfully. 

   With these thoughts in mind, I turn to this week’s Parsha of Naso, where we are introduced to Bircas Kohanim. Here we are told how Hashem designates the Kohanim to bestow the three fold Blessings upon the Jewish People. At the conclusion of the Brachot it states, ישא ה׳ אליך וישם לך שלום, “May Hashem lift His continence to you and establish peace for you.” Realizing how important this concluding Blessing is, I understand, more clearly, that to make peace in the world, we must first make peace with ourselves.

“How, you may ask, can this be accomplished?” My answer, “We must know at all times that we are unconditionally valued. We must begin to realize that Hashem values each and every one of us and we are here because He wants us here and our very existence testifies to His unconditional love for us. When we realize this truism then life has more meaning for us and we begin to value our lives and the lives of others. We then begin to treat each other differently and we do so with greater understanding and appreciation. As Hashem rejects no one, we must equally never reject anyone, and as He lifts us up and showers His blessings upon us, we must act to each other in the same loving manner. The result will be a world of peace and harmony. No one is an anonymous face in the crowd.  We are to be valued, and then we will experience, the Bracha, וישם לך שלום.”

   Now, more than ever, is the right time to reach out and touch someone.

Why not begin, by sharing this Blog with someone and they in turn will do likewise, forming a chain of love, compassion, and understanding, bringing more value to our lives.