Refreshing Daily Message #2 March 17th

March 17, 2020

Good Morning, Westwood Kehilla Family,

I hope you had a pleasant day yesterday. After davening Shacharis yesterday morning, Shaindy and I talked about what we need for the family and the home. As you know, the news reports tell us that there is no shortage of food and goods. Unfortunately, people are panic buying and the shelves at the stores are almost bare. We needed to go to Target for a grocery and supply shopping. But I was nervous about going. I envisioned long lines waiting to get into the parking lot, and I dreaded waiting in line at the cashier. And so, I went at 8:30am, trying to beat the rush. It was not nearly as bad as I feared. Although there was not much on the shelves; more or less, I managed to get what we needed. At the checkout counter, I waited on line for about 15 minutes. It wasn’t an apocalyptical moment. I drove home without incident, in fact, much less traffic than usual.  
 
Perhaps this is a metaphor for what is happening. Anxiety blows things out of proportion. I do not mean to minimize the hardships which we may, G-d forbid experience. But let’s transcend our inclination. Live one moment at a time. The way we think about the parts of our life will determine the way we feel about those very same aspects.  

The verse [Psalms 55:23] tells us “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will bear you.” The verse is telling us to “Send today’s burden, and he will carry you.”  

Rabbi Avi Stewart