Go Forth

The Shabbat is nearing.  The idea of rest is tantalizing but also out of reach when a journey is waiting on the side of it.  I have been working around the clock to leave everything in order at the synagogue and to prepare for my leadership responsibilities on the pilgrimage. Rest. Breathe. Reflect. Meditate. They are also important parts of the preparation.

Jews read from the part of Torah this week called Lech Lecha, where Abraham is urged to Go Forth and leave his homeland.  Not only is this appropriate wisdom for preparing for a pilgrimage but it is my Torah portion.  This is what I chanted at my Bar Mitzvah.  I have discovered that one can read this portion as directed to the seeker.  It is perhaps what transformed me into a seeker at 13.

As a seeker, I am warmed by fellow travelers.  Not because they have answers, though at times they do, but because they understand the sacred nature of the journey. Pursuing wisdom is its own reward and sharing the endeavor with others can be rewarding. It is one of the intentions I set for this journey.

As I prepare to leave, I pack stories.  Here is a Chasidic Tale inspired by Lech Lecha and journeying forth and perhaps a metaphor for what happens on a Pilgrimage. 

A man was on a journey that took him through a forest. There he lost his way. After several days of wandering, he encountered another person. To this one he appealed: Can you show me the way out of this forest? The other replied: I too have lost my way. Each path I have taken has been wrong. But at least I know what paths not to take. Let us search for the way out together.

Yes, let's.