Emor - Keep Going Forward

EMOR - 

Keep Going Forward

All beginnings are difficult. In starting any new venture, we have to be prepared for the inevitable setbacks. Almost always, new methods always seem to be not as efficient as the old, tried and true ones we are used to, until the kinks are worked out! It is NOT easy, nor does it come with ease! We must try and make an honest attempt!

Like the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”, or “try, try again!”  Or the famous quote from Gene Kranz, of Apollo 13 fame, “Failure is not an option.”

I agree 118%! Religion,beliefs,value systems are no different, as we have our ups and our downs, and our starts and our re-starts.

A prime example is our Passover Sedar. It should be fairly fresh in our minds. The Sedar has many beginnings as well as many endings!  It is made up of eating special foods, telling the story of the mass exodus.... Each section has many starts. We wash our hands, but we do not fully do so because we recite no blessing.  We partake of the karpas, and it can be seen as kind of an hors d’oeuvre, and do not continue our meal as of yet.  We break the matzah, but we do not eat, as of yet.  We hear the 4 questions, but do not answer them immediately.  We begin by sharing how we were slaves, and then interrupt it with another 4 inquiries of the four brother/children; the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the son that does not even know how to ask.  We then begin to tell the story again, only this time around, we say, “In the beginning, we were Idol worshipers”.    Begin, interrupt, and begin again. The Passover readings of The Hagaddah/Prayer Book and meal has many starts and stops; Stop, Start, Stop, pause, pause!!!

We can see there are many beginnings, as the Sedar shows us.  It is parallel to our relationship to our belief set, be it be Judaism, or any belief.  There are many facets and strands: Our need for meaning, purpose, partnership, feeling of oneness, and much more.  However, there are many people that don’t realize that they can start over again and again. I am not advocating, you turn a shoulder away, but we as humans tend to deviate at times…..We always have and need to reassess, recommit, & relearn.

That’s what the Sedar is teaching us. As free people, living in a free society, we have the ability to reevaluate,reconnect,replenish.  There are low points  and obviously some very high points.  It always grows stronger and stronger as time goes on, or at least it should!  

As the story goes, it was struggle receiving the Torah, as we see the deviations and behaviors, and the people received another opportunity to make it right, just like the story of Noah.

Michael Jordan,one of, if not the greatest  basketball players that has played the game: “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. “

There is always a new beginning awaiting and possibilities.  There is always a solution to a problem, we just need to search and resolve and then re-start and re-devote ourselves. Reconnect and Focus!

We are mostly all home, and minimal face to face live in person action and behaviors. It is a great time to delve into to you, yourself,and even if so slowly, reconnect,reflect,replenish, reevaluate, refocus, and restart...it's your own opportunity; it's your time! It's Growth!

I sincerely hope and pray for all of us, that when we fall and scrape our knees individually or in a group, we get back up, dust ourselves off, and re-evaluate, re-assess, re-condition, re-learn, and start up again, as a new beginning, coupled with kindness, love,and respect !