From the Rabbi

This past week, five of my children and I hiked up the Thunderhead Trailhead at Steamboat. We decided that we wanted to try to make it to the top of the mountain by sunset, enjoy the view with a cold soft drink, and ride the gondola down. As we reached the top, having ascended over 2200 feet over the course of 2.5 difficult, sweaty hours, we each felt a feeling of euphoria. As we walked into the lodge, people looked at us like we were crazy and asked us incredulously, “You guys hiked up here to the top?” Apparently, it is very popular at Steamboat for people to ride the gondola up for a sunset happy hour concert from atop the mountain– very few people hike up– and even fewer people hike up with five children ages 7-16. 

As we were hiking up, as difficult as it was, there was a consistent thought that remained in my head: “I would not be experiencing any of this, nor seeing any of these views, if I rode the gondola up.” I realized that the harder I worked, the more deeply meaningful the experience was. As we reached the top, I was surprised because the beauty at the top seemed to me a more profound beauty than I had ever seen before. Despite having been in this very location dozens of times previously after having taken the gondola up, it never, ever looked this breathtaking before. And I realized that it was specifically because of the effort that we exerted that helped shape the majesty of the views from the top. When we really work for things, and we don’t take shortcuts, and we literally shvitz– we experience the most gratifying payoff of all.  

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos tells us, l’fum tzaara agra– according to the pain is the reward. We all want an easy life. But our rabbis teach us that this world that we live in– this physical world– is a world of work. Olam HaBa, the World to Come– is the place where we reap the fruit of our labor. But right now is the time to toil. If I were to go to the gym and lift 5-pound weights, I would not grow very much. The way that we grow in the gym is to maximize the resistance we feel. The harder we work, the more we grow. This world -Olam HaZeh, is like a gym. Olam HaBa– the eternal next world– is a world of basking in the fruits of our labor.

Right now it is Friday afternoon. I hope to bask in the delight of Shabbos, and have food to eat on Shabbos itself. But our rabbis teach us, in order for me to do that, I have to work hard right now, while it is still a weekday. Then, on Shabbos, I bask in the bliss that comes after a hard, fulfilling week of work.

We should all be blessed with a beautiful Shabbos in which the tremendous effort we exerted during the week can help us appreciate Shabbos on an even deeper level.