Nitzavim-Vayelech
Is Everything Okay?
Dear Friend,
They tell of a Jew who once met the rabbi on the street. In response to the rabbi’s query about his wellbeing, the man replied, “Oh, everything’s all right.”
The rabbi gave him a serious look. “All right? Everything is all right? Everything is all right?” he said again and again. The man understood what the rabbi meant, and burst into tears.
All of us—or at least most of us—are busy all day, working hard to juggle work, family, finances, and everything else that vies for our attention. When asked how things are, we reply “all right” and move on to our next task.
But are things really all right in the true sense of the word?
Once in a while, we must take a good look at our relationships—with G‑d, our families, our friends—and examine them. Are those relationships getting closer, more fulfilling, or are we so busy living life that we forget to nurture them?
This month—Elul—is known as the “month of reckoning.” It is a time to take stock of our souls, taking a good long glance at the rearview mirror of life. Then, after we have determined what is all right and what needs to be improved, we’ll be ready to embrace the new year with good resolutions, full of energy to continue forward in the journey of our life.
Wishing you a good and sweet year!
Mendy Kaminker,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
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