The Jewish calendar directs our trip through Torah. Every week we roll the scroll to the prescribed chapters and then read/chant/study them, from Genesis through to Deuteronomy. It’s exciting to follow the bouncing parasha ball – sometimes. Sure, Leviticus is pretty tough to warm up to, what with all the animal sacrifices and blood splashing. And Numbers has more than its share of legalize. But we are now in Book Two of the Torah – Exodus. And it’s a great ride.
As I’ve often taught over lo these past forty years, the Torah never changes. But we do. The story of Jacob wrestling in the night feels so intimately connected to our souls when we’re younger. Then we read the Akedah, the binding of Isaac, as young parents, and suddenly that story resonates with enormous gravitas. Later still when we read of Moses looking out over his people and wondering how we got so far – and how much further we need to go – we recognize the wisdom in aging and the perspective we gain with time and experience.
Even though we still have a couple of weeks before we arrive at the Exodus exit, I found myself mulling over the fate of the Jewish people as told in this particular tale. What I arrived at is a central truth for us: life can be a slog. For all the spiritual majesty of the Torah, there’s also an inordinate amount of text that describes all the schlepping and dealing with the reality of being in process. Because that’s all we’ve really got.
When kids ask from the back seat, “Are we there yet?’” it’s not to be funny or obnoxious. They haven’t yet metabolized the truth that enlightened philosophers have shared, that it’s the journey and not the destination that counts.
Each and every one of us has a final destination. Of this we are 100% completely sure. There’s no shortcut around it. I know: some scientists and researchers are eager to make a detour. There’s a company under the Alphabet tent called Calico, whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase an understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives.
This desire to augment the human experience with rejuvenation biotechnology is not surprising. To live longer, healthier lives is the prime directive of modern medicine and big pharma. To cheat the angel of death is a fantasy that dates back millennia. But, can the angel of death can be cheated? Well, it ain’t necessarily so. We are all on the same road. So why not make the journey one of joy and connection? Why not reach out with open hearts and empathy?
Or as James Taylor once sang,
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
Any fool can do it
There ain’t nothing to it
Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill
But since we’re on our way down
We might as well enjoy the ride
The secret of love is in opening up your heart
It’s okay to feel afraid
But don’t let that stand in your way
‘Cause anyone knows that love is the only road
And since we’re only here for a while
Might as well show some style
Moses doesn’t need to get to the Promised Land. He looks across the Jordan River and he sees the path of his progeny. Good for them, he thinks, his aged body creaking, his eyes clouded, his posture less than perfect. Let my people go and learn about all the goodness planted in each of their souls. I have arrived. And they will, too.
Before Shabbat 