Dvar Torah by Rabbi Michael Altonaga

Does it feel impossible to live life right now?

Nothing is the way it used to be.  The way you work, go to school, and even how you go shopping is a more difficult experience now.  By simply going out in public, you may be risking your life or the lives of others.  With so much weighing on you, how can you keep moving forward?

The story in this week’s Torah portion begins with Jacob fleeing.  He leaves behind everything he has ever known and travels to a foreign land.  And why is he fleeing?  Because someone wants to kill him.  Someone who knows him very well.  Because that someone… is his own brother.

In this far away land, he works for the swindler Lavan, who constantly changes the terms of their arrangement as he sees fit.  For over 14 years, Jacob works in difficult conditions, knowing that if he so much as visits home to see his aging parents, his life could be at stake.

In such a situation, could we blame Jacob if he just gave up?

But what does he do instead?  He gets married.  He has children.  He makes a living with the cards he is dealt.  He raises his family in his exile. 

The 12 tribes of the Jewish people were formed because Jacob made lemonade with the lemons he was handed.  He refused to give up in the face of adversity. 

Sometimes, life doesn’t go how we imagine.  As the old Yiddish saying goes “man plans and God laughs.” 

Our job is to find the good in the situation we are given. Even in the hardest times, we must remember that God loves us, and look for the good we can do.

When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself “what is the next right thing that I need to do?” Take it one moment at a time.

Keep moving forward. Keep looking for the good.

Shabbat Shalom

JET Ottawa