R'eih: The Israelites and Hong Kong

There are certain themes that I like to write about, and to which I return on a regular basis. I have quite a few of them, as evidenced by the list of "Labels" included over on the right side of this blog post. One of the themes that I feel has fallen by the wayside of late is the notion of being on a journey. Perhaps it's because the Israelites at this point in the Torah are near the end of their Exodus, or because I myself have been somewhat stationary, but for whatever reason, I haven't written about journeys in a while.

Yet it is true that even though the Israelites are at the border of the Promised Land, the

toughest part of their trip is really just beginning. In the Torah portion this week, we read about many of the laws they are expected to observe when they enter the land. Moses tells the people that when they settle the land, "You shall not act at all as we now act here, every man as he pleases" (Deuteronomy, 12:8). He gives them a list of Holy-Land-specific mitzvot, like destroying idolatrous altars and images, establishing a place of worship, celebrating feasts, bringing sacrifices, offering tithes, taking care of the Levite-priests, and following certain laws of keeping Kosher. The Israelites have a lot of expectations hanging over their heads as they enter this new place!

Now if I'm going to be totally honest with you, the reason why journeys are on my mind right now is probably because I am about to embark on one of my own. I'll be leaving for the Philippines and Hong Kong on Sunday, to reunite with my wife who has been working in the Philippines all summer. And indeed, the biggest part of the journey was the 9+ weeks we spent apart, much like the Israelites' trek through the desert. The hard part should be over, but some of us have territory to conquer and Temples to erect (the Israelites, not me), while others have 16-hour flights to Hong Kong to endure (that one's me). Even after odysseys have been completed, there are often challenges remaining and tests to complete. We all go through this in our lives, whether metaphorically or quite physically, on Continental Airlines.

I imagine, though, that despite all their fears and concerns, the

Israelites were also quite exhilarated. New experiences come with both ups and downs, advantages and disadvantages, and the only real mistake is not taking the plunge and trying out something different and exciting. So now it's my turn to put this into practice, as I fly off to South East Asia. Next week I'll report back on where my journey has taken me, and we'll see if the Israelites can keep up!