“Step into the light of who you are; Lech l’cha, embark on a journey of self-awareness and manifest your life’s purpose. You need only listen to discover your purpose, as within your spirit is great beauty.”
-Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar
This week, in parashat Lech L’cha, we read these powerful words that God said to Abram:
“Lech l’cha m’artzecha mimoladetcha u’mi-beit avicha el ha’aretz asher er-echa”.
“Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:1-2).
Abram was called upon to leave all that he knew, to discover a new way of being in the world; he embarked on a journey of self-discovery, spiritual growth and faith. Because of his belief in his partnership with the Holy One, he created a new life for himself, for his family and for the future nation of Israel.
While Abram’s experience is certainly extraordinary—worthy of retelling, analysis, and deep reflection—it seems to me that each of us is called to take our own leap of faith: to journey toward an unknown future and to leave behind the familiar comforts of home.
We each bear the profound responsibility of realizing our purpose in this world—to turn inward and explore every corner of our own being. This means spending time understanding every facet of ourselves, even the parts that unsettle or push us beyond our comfort zones. It is easy to remain in the safety of what we know, to avoid the challenge of stretching beyond our imagined limitations; Yet no one ever achieved self-actualization by playing it safe. Taking risks; trying, failing and trying again…This is the sacred work of our lives.
“The day you were born is the day God decided that the world could not exist without you.”
-Rav Nachman of Breslov,
Within each of us lies a kernel of wisdom, our inner compass – awakening us to our true calling; From this still, small voice, the “kol d’mama daka” we learn about our purpose in this world and why God felt the world “could not exist” without us.
Over the past few months, I’ve been on a journey of my own, preparing for this Sunday’s concert, Divine Inspiration. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the idea of inspiration itself; what is it? Where does it come from? And how can we regularly open ourselves to that mysterious, uplifting feeling of being inspired?
I believe that each of us is born with inspiration which reveals itself when we are deeply connected to the divine spark within, when we are aligned with our purpose and when we learn to trust our intuition.
On my own spiritual path, music has always served as a source of great inspiration. It is a vehicle I use to understand myself; it nourishes my soul and helps me fulfill my calling to serve this community. This Sunday, I am excited to share with you some of my favorite melodies that hold a special place in my heart and inspire me not only because of their beauty, but because of the raw emotion they convey.
My deepest hope in sharing this concert with you, my beloved congregation, is that it inspires you to pause and listen to your own inner voice—to reconnect with the sources of inspiration that speak to your soul. Just as God spoke to Abram, guiding him on his journey, I invite you to ask yourself: What might God be whispering to you as you walk your own path toward discovering your true purpose?
May we find strength as we travel the path of self-discovery, may we feel the love of the Holy One guiding us on our journey toward self-actualization, and may we feel inspired to share the beauty of our truest selves in a world that desperately needs the best from each of us.
Shabbat Shalom,
