Beloved Friends,
We approach this Shabbat with so many mixed emotions and a sense of uncertainty in the wake of the election on Tuesday. Some of us are elated, some of us are scared, some of us are angry, and most of us are emotionally exhausted. We are on a journey as a country and as a community. As with all journeys, we must prepare. As with all journeys, we can be excited and overwhelmed. This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Lech L’cha, calls us to reflect on the journey of Avram, called to leave his homeland and embark on a journey of faith and transformation. I imagine that Abraham and Sarah’s emotions ran the gamut. They were sad to leave the familiar. They were excited about this new opportunity. They were scared venturing into the unknown. As the earliest practitioners of Mussar, I am certain that they heightened their attention to the middot, the spiritual attributes of Bitachon, trust, Zehirut, mindfulness, and Gevurah, resilience. The call to “go forth” is not only a physical journey but also an internal one, challenging us to examine what we carry with us and what we leave behind in order to move forward with intention.
In times of uncertainty, like the one we face now, the Mussar tradition offers practices that can ground us and help us navigate our inner worlds. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, in Mesilat Yesharim (The Path of the Just), speaks about zehirut, or mindfulness, as a way of developing awareness and clarity. He teaches that through cultivating zehirut, we can become more aware of our thoughts, words, and actions, noticing how they ripple outward to affect others. Practicing mindfulness can help us choose our responses carefully, especially when we feel anxious or reactive. In times of uncertainty, zehirut can anchor us, helping us bring calm presence and clarity into our interactions.
Similarly, in Orchot Tzaddikim (The Ways of the Righteous), we learn about gevurah, or inner strength. Gevurah is not about physical strength but about the ability to respond with resilience, patience, and courage in challenging moments. As we experience the tensions and unknowns of this time, we can practice gevurah by breathing deeply, stepping back before reacting, and allowing space for emotions without being overtaken by them. With this practice, we find the strength to respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively, using the moment of pause to bring our values into alignment with our actions.
Another Mussar value, bitachon—trust or faith—reminds us to cultivate a sense of openness and acceptance even when the future is unclear. Bitachon invites us to trust that while we do not know the path ahead, we can navigate it with integrity and purpose. By grounding ourselves in trust, we strengthen our resilience, knowing that we can weather uncertainty and that, as a community, we can hold each other up.
This Shabbat, as we each embark on our own lech l’cha, may these practices help us meet the uncertainty of this moment with a sense of peace, courage, and hope. Let us carry forward a commitment to kindness, justice, and unity, allowing these values to guide us as we move together through this time of change. Shabbat Shalom.