Short Vort:
The Art of True Living
There is a fundamental difference between being and existing. The Torah relates that Jacob, in his final years - “lived” (Vayechi). The timing is strange. Precisely at the moment when he begins to see the impending doom of the Egyptian exile he is described as being fully alive. What exactly inspired Yaakov in the face of this impending darkness?
In a world that defines success is so many ways, the Torah is teaching us a simple but profound lesson: living is that which lives on. Success is about continuity of values. In his twilight years, Jacob found himself in a foreign land that was about to turn against him. But, he also saw his family - a unified family - perpetuating the faith of his ancestors. As we allocate our precious resources (of which time is the most valuable commodity) may we invest in family and our true timeless future.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel Green
