* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
There are times in life when we just feel stuck. We live in a fast-paced and competitive world and we can’t always keep up. Sometimes we need to stop at the side of the road and step out of the race—this can occur both on the personal and national level. It seems as if the world is passing us by.
This week we will be reading Parashat Pekudei, the last parasha in the Book of Shemot. The final verse of the parasha, which summarizes the travels of the people in the desert, ends with these words: “before the eyes of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.”
Rashi comments on this verse, “A place where they encamped is also called a journey.” Rashi is teaching us a tremendous life lesson: It’s clear that when the Children of Israel were moving forward that they were on a journey, but even when God instructed them to stop moving and to stay put—even those waiting periods were considered part of the journey, because even when we are standing still, we are still developing and progressing. Our commentators further explain that each time the people stopped they gained more strength to continue to the next stage of their journey.
If we feel on a personal level that we are “standing still” and watching as others get married, advance in their careers, or achieve their goals, we should not view this period as a waste of time; we are still continuing to learn and to grow, albeit in a more hidden way. During these periods, it’s important to remind ourselves that “a place where they encamped is also called a journey.”
