If you’re anything like me, there are moments in life, whether in family, work, or community, when the role you find yourself in doesn’t feel like the one you would have chosen. Sometimes we wish for something easier, more glamorous, or more exciting.
Rabbi David Eliezrie, author of The Secret of Chabad, explains that one of the reasons Chabad thrives in small communities is because shluchim (emissaries) don’t have the option to pick up and move somewhere else. Where you are is where you stay. That commitment forces you to discover purpose right where you’ve been placed.
This idea connects to a law in this week’s Torah portion: the prohibition against charging interest on a loan. At first glance, it seems like an old financial rule. But on a deeper level, it teaches us that you can’t live today off of what you gave yesterday. Real growth comes from the effort you put in right now.
Your mission in life isn’t random. The assignment you’ve been given is precisely where your strengths and influence are needed most. Walking away from it is like trying to collect “interest” on past accomplishments, instead of investing yourself in the present.
You can’t trade in your calling.
When you accept your mission wholeheartedly, without excuses or substitutions, you find a sense of freedom. Just as the Exodus freed our ancestors from Egypt, embracing your own mission frees you from self-doubt and second-guessing.
Ask yourself: Am I trying to live off “interest” from what I’ve already done, or am I investing fully in the mission I’ve been given today?
Have a good Shabbos,
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman