Where am I heading in life is a fair question to ask — or is it?
Self reflection aside, looking at life as if there’s a destination is inherently flawed.
To begin with, whatever destination we covet is a mirage with the greatest loss coming from the expense of living in the here and now.
In this week’s Parsha the Torah relates of the Jewish nation’s travel through the desert. Forty Two encampments. Chassidic insight shares that this parallels each of our lives that contain 42 junctures. We aren’t told where and what those milestone stops are and many of them only become apparent in hindsight. Yet each encampment is a moment that is self contained and represents an entire destination in its own right.
No. There really isn’t anything more special about tomorrow’s destination over today’s for after all today’s destination is where it’s at.
Earlier this week, at the blood drive for Israel that we hosted at Chabad I was intrigued to learn that basic shelf life for blood is 42 days. It really piqued my interest because I knew that this week’s parsha enumerated the 42 encampments of our ancestors with a message to each of us regarding our forty two pivotal encampments in life.
Coincidence?
Hardly. The message is clear — forty two encampments of full blooded living. Each encampment requiring full investment of our selves, with a focus on achieving our personal missions in this world with a focus on assisting others too.
As I write these words, I hear the joy and singing of the camper’s at Gan Izzy. Today is the last day for this season. It’s sort of bittersweet. So much effort and so much satisfaction drawing to a close. Yet the truth is, it’s incredible to think of the encampments yet ahead for each of these precious souls and families as they forge their way forward with full gusto and life — the future is indeed so bright!!