MAKING EVERY MOMENT MOMENTOUS #Parsha
Moses never makes it to the Promised Land. Does his life end unfilled? Is he a tragic figure? No. Moses knew the secret of life. He understood that the goal of life is not in the promised future but in every moment.
There is an Eastern teaching that proclaims, “Be here and now.” Torah however would say, “Serve G-d here and now.” This is the fullest experience of life and indeed this is how Moses lived his life; as a devoted servant of G-d.
Jewish Mysticism teaches that G-d wants to be present in the here and now, and our job is to serve G-d in that desire. We serve G-d when we imbue each moment with the presence of G-d. In other words, we should always ask ourselves, “How can we serve G-d right now?” If right now I am with my son, I should see this moment as an opportunity to show him love and thus serve G-d, who is the source of all love. It’s not my love. I didn’t invent love. I didn’t create love and I didn’t give it its’ power and meaning. Love did not start with me and love will not end with me. I am not the master of love but I am the servant of love and when I love my son I serve to make G-d’s love present in the here and now.
My service to the One Who wants to be present in this world in the here and the now is to make G-d’s love—and compassion and justice, if that is what the moment calls for—present in this moment. That is fully living. We should not be living for the future or in the past. The goal of life is to serve G-d here and now, to be present in this moment. Torah teaches there is no greater joy in life than to serve G-d. G-d wants to be present in this world through you and me. To live is to serve. This is our ultimate accomplishment and ecstasy.
People live their life on fast forward, when they should really be living their life on deep inward, in this moment, serving G-d to reveal G-d and all of His qualities of wisdom, understanding, compassion, love, justice, truth, mastery, magnificence, life and peace in the world. If we serve G-d here and now, we can make these qualities present in every moment. That’s what we came to this world to do and that’s the only reason we are here. Moses knew this and lived this. His life was not about getting to the Promised Land but serving G-d. And if G-d did not want him to reach the Promised Land then so be it.