Winter is here.
And so far, not too bad.
| But if it starts getting colder? The weather presents a major challenge to aviation. “Ice on the wings”. It can prevent an airplane from flying well. And it has even caused crashes. So these days there’s a whole process. It’s called “deicing” the wings. … Someone I know did what Jews have always done. He tried to learn lessons from life experiences. Here’s what he said. Mitzvahs are our wings. Fulfilling G-d’s commandments give us the ability to “fly”. To elevate ourselves. And transcend the physical world. But Mitzvahs should be done with warmth. With feeling. And sometimes we do them by habit. Without passion. There’s ice on our wings. And we can’t “fly”. … It’s true about both kinds of Mitzvahs. Take the commandments between us and G-d. We can “do Shabbat” but allow it to become routine. Not the special day it should be. A day that can elevate us. And help us “fly”. … And it’s true in our dealings with people as well. We can do it to our smile. And to our “good morning”. To our “how are you feeling?” We can do it automatically. Without the warmth. And then? It’s not quite as G-dly as it could be. And there’s something else. A good smile can give the recipient a lift. Can give them “wings”. But not if we have ice on our own wings! So let’s stay “warm”! In more ways than one! |
