MARCH 3 • 2022 | 37 become the first member of the covenantal family to build a house, yet he does not call the place “house” (as in Bet- El or Bet-lechem). He calls it “cattle-sheds.” It is as if Jacob, consciously or unconsciously, already knew that to live the life of the covenant means to be ready to move on, to travel, to journey, to grow. One might have thought that all this applied only to the time before the Israelites crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land. Yet the Torah tells us other- wise: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity because the land is Mine: you are strang- ers and temporary residents as far as I am concerned” (Lev. 25:23). If we live as if the land is permanently ours, our stay there will be temporary. If we live as if it is only tempo- rarily so, we will live there permanently. In this world of time and change, growth and decay, only God and His word are permanent. One of the most poignant lines in the book of Psalms — a verse cherished by the French-Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas — says, “I am a stranger on earth. Do not hide your commands from me” (Ps. 119:19). To be a Jew is to stay light on your feet, ready to begin the next stage of the journey, literally or metaphorically. An Englishman’s home is his castle, they used to say. But a Jew’s home is a tent, a tab- ernacle, a sukkah. We know that life on Earth is a tempo- rary dwelling. That is why we value each moment and its newness. Recently, a distinguished British Jew, (Lord) George Weidenfeld, died at the age of 96. He was a successful publisher, a friend and confi- dant of European leaders, an inveterate fighter for peace and a passionate Zionist. In 1949-50, he was political adviser and Chief of Cabinet to Chaim Weizmann, first president of Israel. One of his last acts was to help rescue 20,000 Christian refugees fleeing from ISIS in Syria. He was alert and active, even hyperactive, to the very end of a long and distinguished life. In an interview with The Times on his 92nd birthday he was asked the following ques- tion: “Most people in their 90s slow down. You seem to be speeding up. Why is that?” He replied, “When you get to 92, you begin to see the door about to close. I have so much to do before the door closes that the older I get, the harder I have to work.” That is a good formula for staying young. Like our bodies, our souls were not made for sitting still. We were made for moving, walking, traveling, learning, searching, striving, growing, knowing that it is not for us to complete the work but neither may we stand aside from it. In Judaism, as the book of Exodus reminds us in its closing words, even an encampment is called a journey. In matters spiritual, not just physical, sitting is the new smoking. The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks served as the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, 1991-2013. His teachings have been made avail- able to all at rabbisacks.org. This essay was written in 2016. On Star’s beautiful already low-priced trays $5 OFF Expires 03/31/2022. One Per Order. Not Good Holidays. 10 Person Minimum. With this coupon. DELIVERY AVAILABLE “…one of America’s finest carryout-only delicatessens! Star’s reputation has never wavered!” — Danny Raskin STAR STAR DELI DELI COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES WITH ANY DELICATESSEN IN TOWN! SALAD TRAY $15.99 per person per person DAIRY TRAY $24.99 SALAD TRAY W/ LOX & CREAM CHEESE $19.99 per person MEAT TRAY $14.99 per person Best Deli Trays In Town! TEMPORARY HOURS: 8AM-7PM EVERYDAY Carry-Out, Delivery & Curb Side Available Prices subject to change 24555 W. 12 MILE ROAD Just west of Telegraph Road • Southfield 248-352-7377 www.stardeli.net Support Local Businesses PRE ORDER YOUR GEFILTE FISH & KP DESSERTS TODAY! Also Available: Chopped Liver, Veggie Chopped Liver & Matza Ball Soup 5829 Maple Rd. Ste. 129 West Bloomf eld, MI 48322 248.757.2503 www.maplepharmacyrx.com FREE DELIVERY MAKE MAPLE PHARMACY… YOUR PHARMACY! MAKE MAPLE PHARMACY… YOUR PHARMACY! OUR MISSION IS TO BRING SERVICE BACK TO PHARMACY FOR A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER YOU!! 10% SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT Not Valid on Prescriptions Maple Pharmacy offers: • Low Price Medications • 90 Day Supplies • Durable Medical Equipment • Diabetic Supplies • Natural Supplements, Vitamins and Nutraceuticals • Compounding bio-identical hormones, pain creams & other medications • Blister Packaging Available MAPLE MAPLE PHARMACY PHARMACY IMMUNIZATIONS AND SHINGLES SHOTS AVAILABLE www.maplepharmacyrx.com Now offering the COVID Vaccine!