We got back late last night from a quick trip to Montreal. Thank G-d it was for good things, the wedding of our niece. Going away was great, but it was so nice to be back in my own home.
The summer season is upon us and with its arrival, for many, travel is on the agenda for these months. If you are going to the beach or the lake, or traveling across the sea, you are probably looking forward to a change of scenery and an opportunity to recharge.
It’s interesting to note an interesting paradox. We travel to recharge ourselves, and to get away from the normal flow of life. And yet, in order to do that we leave the material comfort of home and our familiar surroundings.
Of course, there are times when our travels bring us to very luxurious places, even possibly more luxurious than home. However, we always enjoy coming back home to our own home, to our comfortable and familiar surroundings.
The Rebbe teaches a lesson from this; to really connect with ourselves we have to let go of the familiar and materialism that defines our lives. When we do that we are able to dig deeper inside of ourselves and connect on a much deeper level. When we come back to the familiar, it is the same - but charged with a stronger energy!
To empower us to do this there is a tradition to study “Pirkei Avot '' a tractate of Mishnah with ethical instruction through the summer months until Rosh Hashanah.
If you are interested in a 6 week Pirkei Avot 30 minute video series, reply and we will see if make it happen.
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman