Being in Israel this week has reawakened the essence of my Jewish soul.
Today, we took a long Shabbat walk–winding through the beautiful and ancient streets to reach the beach of Tel Aviv.
It was awesome seeing and hearing Hebrew everywhere–just like in the Bible/Torah.
The street names of famous people and things like Menachem Begin, Shaul HaMelech, Weizman, Ben Yehuda, Shalom Aleichem, Bar Kokhva, Ha-Nevi’im, Yona HaNavi–it all had so much historical and identifying meaning as a proud Jew and Levite servant of the L-rd.
Already, when I awoke this morning–my brain was reciting and my voice signing from Ecclesiastes 3: “There is a time for everything.”
And I don’t know why, but I was humming it and mouthing over an over again:
“A time to love.
A time to hate.
A time for war (shuttering).
A time for peace (extended and deep longing).”
I pray to you my G-d to protect, guide, and show us–your faithful servants–the way ahead.
In my head, I understand that we do not choose the situations and challenges we face, but that they, in a very strong sense, choose us.
And we must rise to each and every occasion, even as our soul longs for a true and lasting peace.
May G-d grant us to utterly confuse, scatter, torment, and defeat our enemies.
And may we merit a time when we will fully achieve and forever experience and dwell in love and peace, Amen. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
andyblumenthal 