Final Tip of the Season - Go Outside

Shalom and welcome to the final Tikkun Tip of the season!! A weekly nugget of eco-Jewish thought from your friends at the Teva Learning Center...

In the Torah portion of Lech L'cha, God tells Abraham to go, to leave the country that he was born and raised in, in search of a better life. In the exodus story, God has Moses lead the nation out of the slavery and the security of Egypt to wander in the dessert for forty years. The book of Prophets is laden with mystics heading off into the wilderness in search of spiritual sanctuary. The three main holidays are pilgrimages to the holy city of Jerusalem. Just imagine what that must have been like for the hundreds of thousands of people scattered throughout the land of Israel in ancient times. Three times a year they would set off on a journey, and as they got closer to the destination, the more crowded and festive the roadways would become. In those days such a journey must have taken weeks. In other words, it was an essential component of the lifestyle of the entire nation. Our people is a nomadic tribe; there is no escape from that reality.

Yet now many of us are fortunate enough to live in both security and freedom, and the need to wander has somewhat ceased. Some people relive pilgrimages by traveling to Israel for the holidays. But others are left to their own devices. In fact, many young Jews are raised without ever really understanding the role wandering and exploring have played in shaping our people.

As spring has now fully arrived, take the opportunity to reconnect to the nomadic lifestyle. Go outside, explore, pack a bag with the bare essentials and just go!!! You never know what kind of experiences lie ahead of you, and what profound life lessons you may learn. Be open to the people you meet on your journey, see your experiences as a form of schooling and be eager to learn, reconnect with the natural world. Rip the security blanket right off of the bed!!

If you look at the language of the Travelers Prayer, Tefilat Haderech, you will find that while it prays for protection, it also requests that the journey be one of peace. A few years back a woman walked across the country to spread her message of peace. She was in her 80s and touched countless individuals. Do not underestimate the power you have within yourself. Now go explore!

In our continued effort to practice what we preach, the Teva staff writers will be out exploring, learning and journeying all summer. The weekly Tikkun Tip emails will be put on pause until the fall, when they will return in an exciting new format. We hope that all of you take advantage of the wonderful weather and see how diverse and beautiful the world can be. We'll see you on the other side...

Nesiya Tovah!

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