Regardless of what you may think, we are
living in difficult times. Preparing for the
worse to come however does not mean
surrendering to fear or negativity. On the
other hand, the best way to face a negative
future is with a positive attitude. No
matter how bad things may appear or actually
become, just remember this, G-d is in control
of it all. G-d is in control of us too. All
we have to do is to keep focused on this.
Here is where our preparations need to be.
No one knows what tomorrow may bring. Will
there be military conflict? Will there be
political, social and economic upheavals? Are
there other factors, natural or otherwise
that can pop up in a moment and cause for us
great changes? No one but Heaven has the
answers to these questions. We must always
remember that we are never in control of what
happens to us. We are however in complete
control of how we choose to respond to
whatever happens to us.
A positive attitude is vitally important.
Yet, attitude alone is not enough. Our
personal outlooks and hope for salvation and
a promising future are sometimes our greatest
strengths. Without inner strength, all forms
of outer strength become nothing more than
hollow shells. The difference between
survival and disaster often depends most on
one's personal point of view. With a proper
positive attitude, rooted in realism and not
in idealistic denials, one can face any
uncertain future and knowing that G-d is by
one's side, march forward into the unknown
without any fear.
Changing one's attitude is not an easy thing,
especially when the worries and problems
facing us seem insurmountable. Yet, it is at
just these times of challenge that we can
unleash the best that is inside us. We
cannot always have what we want all the times
that we want it. We cannot always hold onto
a past that is fading away. We cannot always
demand that things stay the same when life
and the natural order dictate that they
always be in a constant state of flux and
change. Life is about movement. Death is
about stagnancy.
It is always hard letting go of a past that
is so comfortable, safe and secure. Going
forth from Egypt is today a psychological
condition in which we must learn to face
detachment from a comfortable past that still
holds us in slavery to many things, never
allowing us to find true inner emancipation
and freedom. Being attached to so many
things, be they wealth, comfort, or the
attitudes that cultivate them, these are the
modern day temptations that keep our eyes
focused on our modern day Egypt and prevents
us from realizing the exodus and path to
inner Sinai and the spiritual promised land.
In times of great change, much of the old
will have to be left behind, in order to
embrace the new. Many will have great
choices ahead of them; to embrace the new and
live or to hold on to the old and go down
with the sinking ship. Choices are hard, but
we as individuals are defined by the choices
we make. Our character is shown by what we
do and how we do it. Talk is cheap. Even
the right words if spoken at the wrong time
will lead to the right people making the
wrong decisions. Be careful of comforting
words. Never allow them to be used to lull
one into a sense of security, when no such
security exists. Never dismiss words of
alarm when there is smoke, for as we all
know, where there is smoke, there is fire.
In times of fire, those who fight the flames
with wisdom and planning usually live to talk
about it. Those who panic and flee usually
lose everything, even that which did not have
to burn. People of faith whose security is
in G-d will know when it is time to fight the
fire and when it's time to let the fire take
its course. Never confuse the two. When
dealing with fire, every moment counts.
Cultivate peace of mind. Explore inner
space. Learn to meditate, to contemplate
Torah day and night. Learn the techniques of
controlling your mind and your emotions.
Learn to recognize what is intuitively true
and how your mind can play tricks on you to
lull you into a state of complacency. Learn
to detach; learn to change; learn to move on;
learn to let go, and most of all; learn how
to recognize when all these things need to be
done.
Learn these things without panic, without
fear; with total peace of mind and comfort of
heart. Know that G-d is with you and that if
you are truly with Heaven, then you will be
like a dancer in a ballet, sensitive to the
choreographed flow of moves that direct you
through your dance of life.
Sometimes it is time to close the books and
to open your eyes. Sometimes it is wise to
see change before it happens. Sometimes it
is best to not have one's proverbial eggs all
in one basket. Sometimes diversifying before
a crisis is the best way to weather it.
It is not for me to tell anyone what to do or
how to do it. My only message is that one
must reinforce their efforts to cultivate a
living awareness of G-d and His Presence.
One must strengthen one's faith and be ready
to act upon that faith however is necessary.
Talk is cheap and complacency is death.
Torah is life and its ways are action.
Let us keep our eyes upon the rising sun and
remember that the land underneath it is our
home. Where the Earth and sky meet, there is
where we must reside. Faith is our ticket
home. Trust in Heaven and live by Torah.
Silence your tongue and cry out with your
heart. Let go of your burdens that weigh you
down and soar on eagle's wings back home. Go
on high, for this is the way to the place
where the sun rises from the Earth. There is
no place like home and if not now, then when?