Growing Jewishly

The sage Hillel, a great rabbi and teacher of the Mishnaic period, taught us "Do not say 'when I have leisure, I will study,' for you may never have leisure." Pirke Avot 2:4

Over the past summer in Jerusalem, I had the leisure time and the opportunity to indulge in one of my great loves, the study of Jewish text. In addition to floating in the Dead Sea with my kids, I went swimming in the sea of Talmud and drank in the ancient wisdom of our tradition with the warm, dry air in the hills of Jerusalem. While I have always made time to study in one form or another, all too often, it felt squeezed into small chunks of time. This summer I had time to luxuriate in long periods of uninterrupted studywith colleagues and friends, old and new.

Since returning home, I have continued my regular practice of studying Talmud weekly with my chevruta partner via Skype. It is one of the gifts I give to myself each week, and by extension, to our community, because I am continually learning and growing as a Jew.

 How many of you have said to yourself that when you have leisure, you will grow in your Judaism? How often have you put off something that is actually quite valuable and important to you, anticipating that at some point in the future, you will have the leisure time that you deprive yourself of today? Rather than postponing Jewish learning, greater participation in our synagogue or growing in your Judaism, the time to act is now.

We may lament that if we had started sooner we’d know more now, or could have made a greater contribution. However, now is as good a time as any to begin. As the saying goes, “The past is history. The future is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why they call it the present.” We cannot change the past and the future is yet to come.

Let’s embrace our journey in the present. Take some time today to make a renewed commitment to your Jewish journey. Join our "Jewish Literacy" study group, sign up for the URJ “Ten Minutes of Torah” digest, join a Temple Israel activity, volunteer to help with a program or committee, make Shabbat at home, or come to services. Show your children, your peers, or your parents that growing Jewishly is valuable enough to you to make the time for it and invite and inspire others to join you.

Our ancestors provided a path for us to walk on today. As we go on our Jewish journey in the present, we have the opportunity to give a gift for the future by leaving our loved ones, our faith and our world a little stronger, a little better, through our own commitment to grow Jewishly today.