covering that will not allow our view
of the stars to be sullied, or limited.
The Jew's connection to our ideals
and our vision must be one that can
remain untainted by materialism,
convenience and practicality; our
role in the world as one of spiritual
and moral beacons can only be lived
century after century by understand-
ing that this is our protection and
covering. Our happiness, and con-
tentment lies in looking up and see-

Look up at the
stars, be lifted
by the beauty
of our destiny.

ing Mi She-beira ale, the One who
created these. The heavens can pro-
vide us with a sense of majesty and
grandeur that we can and must focus
on.
Joy in Jewish terms is as it says in
Pirkei Avot [Ethics of Our Fathers],
"Who is happy, he who is happy
with his portion." We cannot under-
stand this as being content and satis-
fied. As Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg, the
late rosh yeshiva (dean) from
Baltimore, said once, "We would
have to define a man who is satisfied
with his life 'as dead'." Rather, this
teaches us that joy is looking at life's
blessings, seeing the bounty of his or
her portion and wanting more, with-
out suffering for what they may be
lacking.
We should look up at the wonder
of our destiny individually and col-
lectively, taking pleasure in our
blessings and realizing that true joy
is not found in physical survival,
material possessions and professional
accomplishment.
At this window in time we are
offered the opportunity to become
the kind of people who celebrate
growth and meaning and take joy in
having an ideal and a purpose. For
three thousand years the Jews have
been teaching the world about
morality, family, social responsibility
and spirituality. So, take pause, look
up at the stars and be lifted by the
beauty of that destiny. Fl

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Detroit Jewish News

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