Have you ever wondered how a giant Aircraft Carrier turns around? One inch at a time.

What is needed when you set off on any journey?  A commitment to the destination.

The first law in the code of Jewish law is that one should not be embarrassed of those that would mock.

This Shabbos we wrap up the fourth book of the Torah.  The journey of life continues in each of our personal, communal and global lives.  I’d like to learn a lesson from this Parsha and touch upon some earlier Parshiyot with some practical lessons for each of us and the times we live in.

The Torah tells us of the 42 journey’s the Jewish people journeyed from the Exodus, from Egypt, until their arrival to the border of Israel.  The Torah calls all of these journey’s “the journey’s of the Jewish people by which they went forth from the land of Egypt”.  

In each of our lives, each day we are one continuous journey from Egypt; from those things, experiences and circumstances that restrain and imprison us.  Even if we have left the big Egypt’s, we continue to journey from the smaller Egypt’s and limitations that hold us back from achieving true liberation and we will do so until we arrive to the broad land of Israel.  Israel represents redemption; both literal with Moshiach and figurative when we arrive at a complete state of internal liberation.

Along the way we need to remember three things:

1. The journey takes many days and perhaps years.  One does not accomplish their goals overnight, not worthwhile ones anyway.  At the beginning of the Book of Numbers when the Jewish people were counted, they were counted each and every head to make up the totality of the Jewish people. Similarly, each and every step we take towards our destination needs to be taken one step at a time.

2. Commitment to the goal and persistence are keys to success.  Moshe hits the rock instead of speaking to it. In this act he demonstrated his commitment to the Jewish people despite the personal costs.  The journey often becomes challenging.  When it does one needs to reconnect with the original purpose and goal, fortify oneself with that purpose and forge ahead.

3. Inner conviction allows us to achieve this.  Pinchas demonstrated that he wouldn’t be embarrassed by the naysayers.  He wouldn’t be hesitant because of what the mockers might say.  Oftentimes in our journey we have those voices around us who have negative and discouraging things to say.  We must have that inner conviction to move forward.

We live in a complex world, perhaps more complex than ever.  The ability to stay sane and maintain good values while also embracing the positive change around us is extremely challenging. It requires patience, commitment and inner conviction.  If we continue to take the little steps, making incremental change and staying the course, we will thrive.