It was a jarring and sobering piece of news to end last Shabbat with.
I was in Brooklyn for the International Conference of Chabad Shluchim. Thousands of us from all corners of the globe.
Closer to home, I was spending Shabbos with my parents, my four brothers, in laws and many of my friends, all united with a common bond — the inspiration of Lubavitcher Rebbe— the energy was high.
Then I heard the news. My first cousin’s son — Zamir Burke obm, had fallen in Gaza.
“All the world’s a stage”.
Entrances and exits, we all have our part.
The Torah describes the journey more like a ladder however. Feet firmly attached to the ground stretching up, reaching the heavens.
It’s not about the entrance or exit, both of which we have no control of. It’s about the ladder. The direction we live our lives. Firmly planted on the ground, directionally striving for something higher.
This was the life of Zamir. He dedicated his life in its entirety. He loved life. He defended life with his very life. His feet firmly planted on earth with his soul soaring, plumbing the depth of the Heavens above.
May his memory be for a blessing. Yet better, may it serve as an inspiration for us all to climb one rung of the ladder of our personal lives by adding some Torah and Mitzvah to our lives, reaching just one bit higher in our journey.
A photo says a thousand words — this photo captures an eternity!!
With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom.