There’s nothing like a fresh start. Pristine, untainted and blissfully ignorant.
Except —there’s also nothing like the wisdom gained from experience. Tried and true, nuanced and focused.
Walking through Gan Izzy, one gets to see the “fresh start”, all over the place. Many firsts, many new experiences — in a warm and all-embracing setting. The potential and the future of Am Yisrael on full display!
Yet for there to be a future — there needs to have been a past. A past that endured, that built, that preserved and in turn shared it with the next generation.
We are consistently part of the past and a bridge to the future. As long as we preserve what has so painstakingly been preserved for millennia, the future is bright.
The greatest stumbling block of course is ego and Moses in this week’s Parsha warns his nation not to slip into the seemingly natural disposition of, “look at what I did; see how accomplished I am; it’s all because of me”. He speaks from experience and his nuanced and focused message is the result of decades of leading the Jewish nation.
Yet the Parsha doesn’t stop there and the key to maintaining healthy humility is also shared.
Thankfulness. Gratitude. Specifically as it manifests itself in “Grace After Meals” also known as Birchat Hamazon or Bentching.
A simple paragraph composed by Moses himself recited after a meal, to thank the true source of the food, Gd, for his bountiful blessings.
Fast forward a few thousand years. The freshness of Judaism remains. The foundation of Judaism is stronger than ever. Ego may still be an issue — gratitude and thankfulness still the tonic.
Is it cliche to say “Am Yisrael Chai?
Hardly! A quick stroll around Gan Izzy will resoundingly reinforce it and for that I’m profoundly thankful.
Am Yisrael Chai!!!
With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yehuda & Dina Kantor