When will it be ok?

 


When will it be ok?  That is the question that I keep asking myself.  I'm sure that just like I have things in my life that need to be worked out, you do too.  I found the answer in this weeks Torah portion, which finishes off the fourth book of Bamidbar (Numbers).  I hope you can make it for this special service (and the class in the morning where we'll talk more about it.)

This week's Torah portion lists all 42 "journeys" of the Jews leaving Egypt.  The famous question is asked, that it only took one journey to get out of Egypt.  Why are all 42 camps listed as the journeys of the Jews leaving Egypt?  The answer is given that we have to understand what Egypt means.  The Hebrew word for Egypt (Mitzrayim-מצרים) is the same word as boundaries, or limitations.  We all have our boundaries that hold us back from being the people we really want to be, and we are all trying to leave our personal Egypt.  While the breakthrough of leaving the country of Egypt is a big deal, right after that breakthrough, there will be another Egypt waiting to trap you again and hold you hostage. 

It's kind of like money.  You'll always be struggling.  Some people struggle to beg for enough change to buy a sandwich for dinner, some people struggle to pay rent at the end of the month, and some people struggle to get financed for a $20 billion business acquisition.  Even though I'll still be struggling, it's worth breaking free from that first bondage.

But once I've left 15 Egypts, I'm not struggling with low level stuff anymore!  Look around and 90% of the people in this world are way worse off than me.  Why should I pour so much of my time and energy into breaking through from level 41!?  The Chabad custom is that we read all 42 journeys in one reading, unlike other communities that have a break in the middle for another aliyah.  The reason is, because until you reach Israel, you're not there.  Don't stop in the middle!  Go all the way, in one shot.   And that is my plan. 



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