Jewish Center for Wellbeing
Successful Living Through a Discovery
​ of ​One's Own Wisdom & Wellbeing
​
  • Home
    • About >
      • Testimonials about Innate Health
  • Offerings
    • Weekly TeleForum >
      • Stream TeleForum
      • Download MP3 Teleforum
    • The Heart of Parenting >
      • Parenting Blog
    • Podcast: Partners In Creation
    • Podcast: Spiritual Foundations of Mental Health
    • Speaking & Counseling
  • Videos/Testimonials
    • Prior IH Conferences
    • Spark
  • Donate
  • Blog
  • Kinyan Mesechta/Archive
    • Chagiga Ch. 1
    • Chagiga Ch. 2
    • Chagiga Ch. 3

Can't We Get There Already?

6/6/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
My three-year-old enjoys his weekly trips grocery shopping.  He doesn’t have much patience, though, for traffic and red lights.

“Can’t we go?” he asks with exasperation as I wait for a light to turn or for the right of way.  We have a destination.   Why aren’t we getting there?

His frustration came to mind as I reviewed the rules of the Jewish people’s travel through the desert in this week’s portion.  A divine cloud accompanied them throughout their journeys.  The basic idea was: when the Divine cloud rested, they set up camp.  When it moved, they moved.  There was no indication of how long it would rest or how long it would move.   Adding to the challenge was that they knew there was a destination (Israel), and that the desert wasn’t it.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch describes this as spiritual grooming.  The people were being introduced to something called trust.  They could think and evaluate, but they could also set that aside and acknowledge the possibility of an understanding beyond their own.    The journey wouldn’t be on their terms.   They might need to interrupt a great journey; they might need to interrupt a great encampment.  And it would be fine.  It would be better – whether they would merit to see it or not.

As I was writing these words late Thursday night, my wife called my cell to ask me to prepare a bottle for the baby.

“She should have it when she wakes up.”

“Right now?” I asked, a trace of annoyance in my voice as I labored to finish my essay.

“Yes,” she said, aware that I’ve forgotten deferred favors in the past.

Then it dawned on me.  It was time to interrupt my encampment.

Shabbat Shalom,

Henry Harris


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    August 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    March 2016
    October 2015
    August 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2022, Jewish Center for Wellbeing.  All rights reserved.
Mailing Address: 136 Kingsland Road, #1044, Clifton, NJ 07014
About
Blog
Contact
Phone: 
(845) 393-1529