This week in Parshat B’har we are reminded to allow time for rest, not just for ourselves, but also for our workers and the land. We are told that the land is to rest every seven years. As our ancestors were farmers this also meant that they would be able to have time to pause and reflect. This was a chance to catch their breath and to consider how to best move forward in their work and lives. It gave them time to marvel at the miracle of how we can be nurtured by our surroundings and by G-d, if only we are willing to risk pausing long enough to notice.
It takes courage, and a true leap of faith to risk pausing. In our 24/7 global community the phrase “you snooze; you lose” takes on new meaning. FOMO (fear of missing out) if we are not connected to or participating in everything that is happening is alive and well. We now not only hear about the fun someone had after the fact, we can read about all we are missing in real time tweets and Facebook posts.
People who actually take time for vacations often pack so much into their brief time away that they are exhausted upon return. Combine that with the ever-more typical hassles of travel and vacations no longer seem like rest. If perchance one returns home with a vacation “after-glow,” the overflowing email box that greets a return to the office can make any lingering sense of post-vacation calm disappear.
Then there are life stressors. Having just stopped to count; I realized that have faced over a dozen major life changes in the past ten years. I am so grateful that I have an abundance of wonderful blessings, yet research tells us that both positive and negative significant changes are stressors all the same. From my conversations with friends and colleagues I know I am not alone.
Each week we are gifted anew with the wisdom of Torah. We are wisely reminded that we must rest, reflect, and renew; these are much needed 3 Rs. We must take time during Shabbat and periodically for longer periods. Our challenge is to see this wisdom for the gift that it is and to take it to heart, instead of stuffing it into the back of our mental closets.
The clear vision needed to see the best options in the path ahead requires a rested mind, heart and soul. It requires time to look at where we have been, what we left behind, and what we hope to change as we take steps forward. Just imagine what the world would be like if it slowed just a bit. When that image makes your heart smile, as hard as it is, try to give up the FOMO. Accept the gift of 3R time and use it wisely. You, and all those you touch in your life, will be enriched by your choice.
Prior to her position with the Grinspoon Foundation, Iris served as a synagogue educator in Syracuse NY, the Central New York PJ Library Program Coordinator and as a national consultant for PJ Library.
Iris holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, a master’s degree in Special Education and Reading, and Advanced Certification in School Leadership and Administration. Her experience as a secular educator and educational leader in congregational and community settings spans over 20 years. She is also a lay leader in Jewish organizations on the local and national levels. Iris served as the President of CAJE – the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, which was the largest member organization for Jewish educators in the country.
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