B”H
March 24, 2020
erev 12 Nissan 5781
“Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.”
– Proverbs 5:15, JPS 1917 Tanach
The fountains of my youth were not the same as my ancestors; nor, did I approach the sanctuary of prayer in the same manner of reverence. Rather, time spent chasing waterfalls, that had their origin in waters not of a source close to the land of my forefathers, were the pastimes that stood between me and my G-d, preventing the proper reverence towards Him, that I should have at least had every Sabbath, when dressed in my finery to pay homage to the G-d of Israel.
How assuredly tragic is the entirety of a life assimilated to the ways of olam hazeh (this world), caught up in gashmios (materialism), without any sense of ruchniyos (spirituality). I speak for myself, as well as for others, who have not yet been called to return to the L-RD. I recently discovered that I am a fifth generation descendant of a chassidic rabbi; yet, only after many years of searching, and eventually returning to my roots, am I beginning to appreciate my heritage.
There is no other place of refuge, except within the shadow of the Shechinah, G-d’s Immanent Presence on earth, where He may still dwell within us (see Exodus 25:8), despite the rampant secularism that pollutes the waters of olam hazeh (this world). A life previously unexamined, like my own when I was a youth, mostly amongst my secular peers, will inevitably lead to a crossroads. As a returnee to the faith of my ancestors, I have already reached that crossroads; and, determined to stay on the derech (path) that I chose to follow, the road towards freedom through responsibility, commitment, and a higher purpose, I still struggle, even to this day, against the lure of secular influences.
Permit me to be more specific, since my language, no doubt, may appear to cast too great a shadow on the secular world. Even moreso than whatever might be considered to be “secular” or mundane, as opposed to “sacred” or even holy, I would write with respect towards those pastimes of my own, as well as the various activities that are counterethical to a life lived well in respect to the guidelines given to us from Above. For to live according to one’s own ways, without giving thought towards the Designer’s purpose for mankind, would only bring me deeper into the abyss, that I originally climbed out of, when G-d sent a helping hand to lift me out of the darkness.