Morning Blessings For the Nine Days & Tisha B’Av: Part Two

To Toil in Torah: “An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox (Lao-Tzu).” “When you’re at the end of your rope, all you have to do is make one foot move out in front of the other. Just take the next step. That’s all there is to it (Samuel Fuller).”

Kavanah:

Our toil in Torah allows us to constantly be “on the move,” never stagnating, always growing and responding the life’s challenges.

“Who selected us from all the peoples and gave us His Torah.”

Young Reuben Land, on the point of death after a shootout in his front yard, finds himself in a heavenly country where he has a surprising encounter:

“And now the orchard ended, and a plain reached far ahead to a range of blanched mountains. A stream coursed through this plain, of different personality and purpose then the earlier wide river. A narrow, raucous stream, it flowed upward against the gradient, and mighty fish arched and swam in it, flinging manes of spray. I meant to jump in, where ever this river went, I wanted to go, and would’ve done so had not another figure appeared, running beside the water.

A man in pants. Flapping colorless pants and a shirt, dismal things most strange in this place. He was running upslope by the boisterous stream. Despite the clothes his face was incandescent, and when he saw me he wheeled his arms and came on ever faster. Then history entered me; my own and all the rest of it, more than I could hold, history like a heavy rain, so I knew the man coming along was my father, Jeremiah Land; and all that had happened, came back like a mournful story told from ancient days.

He was beside me in moments, stretching out his hands. What cable strength! I remember wondering what those arms were made for, no mere reward, they had design in them. Dad was laughing meantime at my arms, which were similarly strong! We were like two friends, and I saw he was proud of me, that he knew me better than he ever thought to and was not dismayed by the knowledge; and even as I wondered at his ageless face, so clear and at home (Leif Enger; “Peace Like a River”).”

Kavanah:
Each time we study Torah, we have an opportunity to reconnect to our Father, run into His arms, and experience His joy over reconnecting with us, and Is probably over our strength manifested by our continued commitment to studying His Torah.