7 Elul,
Tuesday, September 2
Have you ever run a stop sign? I did. Once. Nine years ago, after returning from sabbatical, I was in a rush to get back into my routine and hurriedly prepare for the impending Jewish holidays. Less than a mile from home, I ran a stop sign. As I approached the intersection of my narrow, lightly-traveled lane and a major two-way thoroughfare, I mistakenly thought I was traveling on a different street. Lost in my crowded thoughts, I didn’t expect the sign, didn’t see it and was hit by another car.
It was the only time in my life that I was rushed by
ambulance from the scene of a traffic accident. Fortunately, my body fared much
better than the car. I went home and recovered. The car went to the body shop
for a week.
One of the fundamental middot (soul traits) that I
have been cultivating for the past several years is zehirut, watchfulness. Before I enter an intersection, I check all
lanes of traffic for cars and pedestrians. As I enter a room, I check my
surroundings before barreling forward toward my destination. Sitting in a
meeting, I look to see who is speaking and how others are reacting.
At least, those are my goals. I can’t say I succeed all
the time. The message is, Stop. Pay attention. Stop the chatter in my own
brain. Stop my feet before stepping on others. Stop my hands before they hit
something (seen or unseen). Stop the words before I speak them.
It was not lost on me that I ran the stop sign after returning from sabbatical. We
often think that our lives are lived in two modes: busy and relaxed. Work and vacation. Everyday
life and Shabbat. The lesson here is that we can always stop. We don’t have to wait for sabbatical or vacation or Yom
Kippur or even Shabbat. The great blessing of all these events occurs when we
can take the lesson of stopping into our every day lives.
Look at you! You even stopped to read this entire column!
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