My friends, there was once a time when we were all kings – when we were a nation of holy princes and priests. Yes; we have all tasted the sweetness of royalty and redemption, of purity and prosperity, but… we have fallen. We have been exiled. All the wealth that we once had has since been replaced by cheap substitutes and temporary pleasures… Today we ask ourselves, what can we do to restore what we’ve lost?
As we take out the Torah and prepare to read it, we are reminded of what could have and should have been. We remind ourselves that the only way back to that ideal is through a focus on Hashem and His Torah. In the desert, we failed to appreciate the gift that Hashem had bestowed upon us. We must always remember that the journey to Eretz Yisroel is so that Torah may flow from Yerushalayim – the road we intend to travel is spiritual, not physical. We praise Hashem for giving us the Torah, reinforcing our commitment to living by its holy words, lest we again forget to appreciate His gift.
When we look back to see that mountain that we just climbed or that chasm we just leaped across, we see that they were not as large and imposing as we had thought. Our challenges are put there not to get in the way, but so that we can use them to grow – as long as we take that leap.
These words resonate in all of us, not just in me I’m sure, but has expressed the feeling that has accompanied me all week and will accompany me yet, as I continue on this magnificent musical journey.