“A year in review” was the subject title of an email I recently received.
I was amazed at how much had transpired and how much I’d simply forgotten about. Was it water under the bridge?
When it comes to life and living — there’s no water under the bridge. Everything in life is a building block.
A few weeks ago someone from a community near Gaza shared the following with me. For context bear in mind, he lost many friends in the terrible October 7th massacre, he is displaced from his home, he’s dealing with children who have severe PTSD and the list goes on.
“You think about your house your family etc but then you think about what you’re living for and what you’re protecting … everyone is very motivated to get the job done”.
But then you think about what you’re living for what you’re protecting!
The power of this concept is what has preserved and sustained Judaism for millennia. It’s the secret to living a meaningful, rewarding and joyous life. It’s not easy at times and nor is it for most people the natural default. Yet it’s the Jewish way of life. It started with a promise to Abraham and Sarah and almost 5,000 years later it remains the same.
There is no water under the bridge. There are stepping stones. We build on the past to create the future.
2023 was a really tough year. We will grow from it. We will build upon it. As a united and Eternal Jewish nation we have our work cut out for us. The good news is, we have the strength, the inspiration, the wisdom, the Torah, the Almighty, the inner talents and convictions — we need only to remember what we’re living for and both physically and spiritually— AM YISRAEL CHAI!!
With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom & best wishes for a joyous and meaningful year ahead,