The cold and travel and airports in particular just make for a recipe of anxiety, short nerves and lots of frustration.

 

Kudos to Kaila for her positive attitude and four hours on the Southwest line!

 

How do we unpack these challenging times, the cold and challenge?  How are we to learn from this to become closer to Hashem?

 

The month we entered into this very Sunday is known as Teves.  The good books teach that during this month, “the body derives pleasure from the body”.  On a literal level of course it means that we can physically warm ourselves up from being close with other people.  Back in the day this was a necessity as central heat just wasn’t a thing.

 

Like all teachings of Jewish mysticism there is much more than a physical bookmark in this teaching.  The body is a reference to the Divine body (antropomophically) and the human body.  

 

During times of coldness and darkness, Hashem derives pleasure from our journey navigating our physical body and its emotional and physical challenges.

 

That is because, when we are in touch with the presence of Hashem we are able to more successfully recognize that Hashem is at play in every blessing and challenge and Hashem loves that recognition more than anything else.

 

So when it is cold outside, when the planes are cancelled and its Teves, remember that your body can bring warmth to Almighty G-d just by staying grounded.

 

With blessings of warmth and light,

 

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

 

Ps. It always works out at the end. And if it didn’t work out, it’s not the end.