When Life Doesn't Go According to Plan

Recalculating Route For Life

Technology can be our ally or our adversary. This column was originally planned to address an entirely different topic. It was written, polished, and ready for publication. But just before the final save, the computer executed an unexpected maneuver, exiting the document without saving it. The entire piece vanished into the digital void.

There are many ways to respond to such a moment: smashing the computer, screaming like a siren, cursing technology and everyone involved in creating it, or simply feeling like a complete failure because nothing seems to work.

None of those were the preferred response.

Instead, a new document was opened, this time saved immediately, and something completely different from the original plan began to take shape. Sometimes there's no choice but to recalculate the route and select an entirely different path from what was initially intended. Those who can do this without losing their composure embody the teaching from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers): "Who is mighty? One who conquers their impulse, and rules over their spirit more than one who conquers a city".

It requires tremendous inner strength and almost superhuman composure to respond calmly when a completed written work is accidentally thrown into the technological trash bin, and to start something entirely new from nothing. And if this is possible with a computer, it's certainly possible in life itself.

The Month to Choose

Elul is the unique month in the Jewish calendar that allows believers to pause the frantic race of daily life, examine the year that has passed, and make decisions in various areas that will pave the way for a new year, hopefully one even better than its predecessor.

This doesn't necessarily mean all these resolutions will be executed, because as anyone who has read this article until this point understands, sometimes there's a plan, but reality unfolds completely differently from the original intention. And if it turns out for the best, then humans can also laugh on it.

In shopping networks, restaurants, storefronts, and online retail sites selling consumer products we don't need but buy anyway, everyone is preparing for the High holidays and offering customers "the freedom to choose".

In spiritual life, unlike the endless pursuit of material things that won't accompany us beyond our 120 years, it's advisable to approach Elul as "the month to choose", and decide to try to improve in all areas next year, and hopefully it will bring us many surprises far better than our original plans.

Ending With Something Good

Until Rosh Hashanah eve, let's highlight people who performed a good deed.

My "man of the week" is chssidic singer Moti Steinmetz. He was invited to perform at the Israeli singer Omer Adam's wedding in Italy and requested that the wedding ceremony be conducted with gender separation according to Jewish law.

Many media channels reported that "because of him, the chupa ceremony had separation". In my opinion, the correction should read: "Thanks to him, the chupa ceremony had separation", and he is praiseworthy for not compromising his jewish principles in the name of art.

May we all merit to increase good deeds that spread joy to all humanity until Rosh Hashana.