Are You Frozen?

My seventeen-month-old child Zalman is terrified of stairs. He won’t go up or down .

This week, we were staying with my brother-in-law whose house comprises several stories. We were in the basement, ready to go upstairs, and I called out to my son to start going up. He made it up four stairs easily and happily, and his excitement was apparent. I urged him to keep climbing, but then he looked back, realized how high up he was, and refused to move any further. Not only wouldn’t he continue climbing, he wouldn’t even come back down! He was simply frozen with fear. 

We all watched the ball drop in Times square this week as we ushered in the new year—2013. Despite all the celebrations many people feel pensive and introspective at the prospect of another year passed. But we have a choice. We can look back at the past year and worry about the sluggish economy, the slow recovery rate, all the natural disasters and our own personal problems. We can look at all that and feel despondent about the new year, wondering how we can possibly “make it.” Or, we can look ahead and focus on the future. Looking back has its time and place, but sometimes it’s paralyzing and non-productive. Looking back and recalling all the challenges and difficulties may make us “freeze” like my son indeed. Instead, let’s make goals for 2013 and who knows what we can accomplish! 

In this week’s Torah portion—Shemot—G-d tells Moses that it’s time for the Jewish people to leave Egypt. They’ve been slaves for 210 years. They’ve suffered enough. Pharaoh has caused them unimaginable pain and anguish. He’s whipped them, slaughtered them, enslaved them, killed their sons and destroyed their spirit. But G-d instructs Moses to tell the Jewish people to look ahead. Look to the future. Look to Sinai where I will give you the Torah, its laws, and enable you to become truly free. 

Over 3300 years later this is still our goal: Don’t look back, look ahead. Bring spirituality and G-dliness into this mundane world. Find opportunities to help others. Do acts of goodness and kindness even when difficult. Every small deed helps dissipate the darkness we find ourselves in.