Goodbyes Are Not Easy

Every step forward leaves one behind. That is the nature of things.  

Rosh Hashanah is upon us and as I look towards a New Year I am filled with hope and anticipation of good things to come and good things to make happen.  I am also reflecting on the past year and I see things that need correcting, adjustment and change in my life. 

In fact, the two are connected, to move things forward requires that I let go of behaviors that have become comfort blankets of sorts.  This is tough to do, precisely because they’ve created a sense of security.  But as it is, these behaviors are a crutch, they hold back on my ability to really move forward.

So I may shed a tear or two as I say goodbye to an old friend but in doing so I open myself up to enormous possibilities.

Oh, and while they aren’t working for me now, there was purpose in them, and for that I am thankful.

The Pretty Woman Captive discussed in this week’s Parsha at the beginning according to the teachings of Chasidus is this journey.

We go out to war, we descend into this world to make it a more goodly and G-dly place.  While engaged in this battle we may encounter pretty things that we are attracted to.  

There is a Divine energy in those things and that is why we are attracted to them.  So that in engaging with them we elevate and transform.  This is the attraction to the captive woman;

Sometimes in the journey of influencing we become influenced.  Instead of elevating the world, we become part of it.  In order to be victorious at battle, to be successful in our journey we need to recalibrate.  

The Torah tells us to let the captive woman sit for one month and cry for her loved ones.  Metaphorically, this is the journey of the one month of Elul.  During this month we are sit and reflect and allow the tears of letting go bubble up inside of us.

And then we let go, move on.  Mission accomplished. Next step forward.

Not easy at all, but the reality of our daily journey.

Good Shabbos and safe journeys and easy goodbyes, as we embrace a New Year.

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