I believe it has been 3 years since I've last posted, but so many of the feelings and emotions expressed in this blog are still very relative and very raw. As an update, I've gotten married and gotten my dream job working with public school teens through NCSY. I've moved to a house where we constantly have friends, family, and teens over for Shabbat and holiday meals and we are constantly entertaining for NCSY activities.
I used to write posts for this blog every time something inspired me (and I had time to record how it made me feel), and I hope to randomly continue to do so. The problem is that so many things inspire me today. My emotions have truly heightened ever since I've been married whether it be because of the intense love I feel for another human being, or the intense love I feel for God for giving me him as such an amazing gift. But, here is something I heard recently that reminded me of how I used to learn when I was in Israel.
"The Torah was not meant to separate us from the outside world, it was meant to keep us connected to our inside world"- Rav Doniel Katz, esteemed Neve Rabbi and leader of the Elevation Seminar. This hit home for me as point blank it just makes so much sense. Living a life of Torah that I strive to do every day was not meant to make me cast out and different. Yes, there are many customs that stand out and are quite odd at face value, but we don't just shake a lulav branch that has very specific plants for no reason. Each law was carefully crafted to help us maintain that inner connection. It was meant to help us be aware of how to maintain control of the balance between our inner and outer worlds. And that makes it wonderful. Despite the challenges, I love the tests, and I love my life.
