To live, means to be fully present and invested in the current moment.

For example, when we are celebrating a joyous occasion, we can’t fully experience it, if our mind is somewhere else.

One must clear all distractions and fully put themselves into the task at hand and feel a permanence in that moment.

The same applies to moments of sorrow and grief. If we want to give comfort and support to our friends and family as they go through a challenging time, we must be fully present.

The Parsha this week describes the different journeys and stops in the desert throughout the 40 years.

Sometimes they would stop for just a short period of time, sometimes it would be longer. They would stop and go based on a divine command.

When stopping they wouldn’t always know if this would be for just a day, a month or a year. Each time they would stop, they would build, construct, and set up the entire “Mishkan” (Tabernacle). It was quite a lot of work and effort.

All the effort would make sense when the builders knew they were staying in a specific spot for an extended period of time.

But even when their plan was to stay for one day, they still built the entire structure for that one day.

They knew that if G-d wanted them to be in a certain place and at a certain time, then that is exactly where they were meant to be.

It wasn’t just a pathway leading to the next step, rather it had its own purpose and importance.

Our life is also guided by G-d.
We can learn from the Jewish people’s journey through the desert, to fully invest ourselves into every step along the way, in our journey of life.

Life isn’t just full of moments that are only temporary phases where we just wait around with “one foot out the door.” Rather each moment has its own deep sense of “permanence”. The moment implores us to be there fully and completely.

Life if full of opportunities to fully invest ourselves into. Let’s appreciate each day of life and fully exploit its full potential!

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Zalman and Esty