7 Elul 5783/August 24, 2023
Rabbi Eric Linder
Let’s face it, change is hard.
This is true even when the change is clearly for the better!
As soon as the Israelites left the confines of slavery, what did they do? They begged Moses to bring them back into Egypt.
If this was true after more than 400 years of slavery, kal v’chomer, all the more so, it’s true for us in our lives.
Many of you likely know the famous quote from Rabbi Nachman of Bratzslov: The world is a narrow bridge. The important part is not to be afraid.
But as beautiful as this quote (and song) is, and please forgive my hubris in disagreeing with Reb. Nachman, I actually think that not being afraid is not the most important thing.
The most important thing is to walk across the bridge, whether fearful or not. Let’s acknowledge that change can be hard, fearful, and scary, and then do it anyway.
On Fridays, we post two Elul Thoughts, out of respect for those of us who choose not to look at technology on Shabbat. We wish you a blessed and restful Shabbat and hope you continue finding inspiration in our Elul Thoughts.
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