Who does the laundry in your house? When you go away on a trip, who makes sure that all your laundry is clean? It seems like a trivial detail, but have you ever wondered how the Jewish people kept their clothes clean while they traveled through the desert?
In Parshat Eikev, the Torah tells us that the Jewish people were surrounded by clouds of glory on all four sides while they traveled. These clouds protected them from the difficult weather conditions and dangers of the desert. The clouds also served as a laundry service; they cleaned and pressed the Jews’ clothing. Not only that, when a child grew and changed sizes, the clouds made the clothes grow with the person!
In our own lives, as we travel from place to place, and as we grow from level to level, we often encounter hardships, and we’re not sure how will we manage. Then we remind ourselves that G‑d is travelling along with us. He can help us and guide us to make the right decisions and overcome the hardships.
- G‑d is always with us, wherever we are. He knows our strengths and our struggles, and helps us through difficult situations.
- As a bar/bat mitzvah, you’ll be taking on new responsibilities, but be confident that you can manage them, because you receive extra strength from G‑d.
- Have you ever encountered a situation that seemed unmanageable? How did you react? Did you despair, or did you persevere? Does the knowledge that G‑d is at your side give you the confidence to go on?
