More mountains to climb – Mass’ei
The end of a Biblical book is celebrated with the words chazak chazak v’nit’chazek, “be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen each other”. This Shabbat is an example. We conclude B’midbar, and for the final verse the congregation rise and these words are proclaimed.
Jews always rejoiced when they reached a milestone. But they never left it at that. There were always new milestones beckoning. When it came to reading the Torah, they finished a book on Shabbat morning and by afternoon they were already beginning the next one. On Simchat Torah D’varim was immediately followed by B’reshit.
An American educator was interviewed by the media on his 70th birthday. When asked what he would be doing from now on he replied, “Climbing mountains”.
In those days people were not as youthful at 70 as they are now, so the interviewer was surprised. “Climbing mountains, at your age?” he said.
The educator said, “You don’t understand. When I reach a mountain top in life I always look out and see another mountain in the distance. Life is a series of goals. One never calls it a day: there is always a new task awaiting my energies and attention.”
