Each day I will give you an excerpt from a Psalm followed by an inspiration

Today’s Verses:

Psalm 1, verses 1-3

Ashrei ha-ish:

Happy is the human who has not walked

In the counsel of the wicked and in the path of sinners has not stood, and in a chamber of cheats has not sat down,”

Finding delight instead In the Torah of Adonai, reflecting on that Torah in daytime and the dark.

Like such a human is a tree planted by a stream of water, offering its fruit when the time is ripe,

Leafy at all times, never withering.

Whatever it produces

Lasts.”

(Translation is from Rabbi Richard Levy’s book, Songs Ascending)

Inspiration

What does this mean for us? Perhaps it’s a reminder that we are always at choice. We have been given instructions on how to overcome, on how to get through, on how to survive. We can choose to be a part of the collective whose aim it is to protect the most vulnerable. Or we can choose to be rebellious, selfish, complacent. We can choose to allow our pain to bring us into the depth of darkness. Or we can choose to allow the pain to be our source of strength and of perseverance. We can choose to help our neighbor. We can choose to close our emotional doors (with our physical ones). We can choose to curse the power that IS for creating hardship. Or we can choose to have faith that something beautiful will blossom from it all. We are at choice. And our choices will determine what each of our journeys will be.

May we celebrate the choices that bring us fruit. May we forgive ourselves for the choices that brought us none. And May we have the wisdom to know that we can always pivot.

Rabbi Gabi