Welcome to the Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma. It has been quite a whirlwind since we moved in last week. Traveling, unpacking, furnishing, getting our kids (they can't wait to meet everyone!) settled into their new Northern California routine, etc.
My wife Devorah and I couldn't be happier. Not only is the weather better than on the East Coast, but we've received such a warm reception, and everyone is so kind and welcoming. We are looking forward to grow together into a warm and vibrant community.
Coming off of the High Holidays, and being thrown into grocery shopping, setting up an account with the city garbage disposal, etc. - it leaves you wondering. After such a spiritual high, the culmination of a month of introspection, prayer and celebration, how do we go from that energy, to the mundane reality that is everyday life.
The answer comes from this week's Torah Portion. G-d tells Abraham to go forth "to the land that I will show you". Abraham was already very accomplished in his spiritual journey, having discovered G-d at an early age, playing lead role in the famous story of smashing the idols, and gaining a following of thousands in his birthplace of Charan. Why is he told to pick up and leave, and more importantly, what is the message to us in reading this episode some 3,000 years later?
Hashem's instruction to Abraham is less about the destination (Israel is not even mentioned), and more about not getting stuck in his spiritual pursuit. Not to limit himself to his human understanding of where and how G-d can be accessed. Wherever he ends up, that is where he is meant to be, and in that situation, he should find meaning and infuse G-dliness into the world around him.
Let us take this lesson, and channel the energy of the High Holidays into the rest of the year. Find the opportunity to do a Mitzvah, to tap into the spiritual within the confines of Life.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Dovid Bush