12/17 to 12/18 | Reflection

Gam zeh ya'avor.  This, too, shall pass.

It's a pretty remarkable statement.  Those four words (three in Hebrew) encapsulate a basic truth in life.  Whatever life throws your way, this, too, shall pass.

My time here in Israel is winding down.  Without a doubt, I can say I have taken advantage of everything this country has offered me.  Now, things start to slow down a bit.  In my last three weeks, I have five examinations and two papers.  I still have plenty of sites to see and people to meet.  Yet I know if I don't take advantage of every minute given to me, this, too, shall pass.  And what will I have to show for it?

I am fortunate.  I am studying in one of the world's finest institutions of higher learning.  I have met some of the greatest people from all over the globe.  I have had some of the deepest discussions on every subject imaginable.  I have experienced some of the most inspiring moments that I won't ever forget.  And I have had an unbelievable time in the process.

This is a place of miracles.  This is a place of kings and prophets.  This is a place of dreams.  This is a place of redemption and restoration.  This is a place where people give thanks because the sun comes up in the morning.  This is a place where people mourn the destruction of a Holy Temple destroyed 2,000 years ago.  This is a place where people sit down every Friday together--b'yachad--to celebrate our very creation!  This is the place dreamt of by Theodore Herzl, Rabbi Akiva, and my own ancestors.  This is the place loathed by... too many to name.  This is a place where a Jew can feel at home even if they don't know a soul.  And this is the place where I have chosen to spend the past four months.

Every time I return to Israel, I get the same feeling.  It's not only a feeling of pride, but a feeling of joy.  Look where I am!  This is the culmination of 2,000 years of waiting and hoping and praying and feeling and loving and crying and laughing and singing and dancing and mourning and eating and celebrating.

This is Israel.  This is the place that God always watches.

Celebrate the moment.  Choose the right path.  The moment won't stick around; this, too, shall pass.