Thirsty? Drink Water
The prophet Isaiah declared “Ho! All who are thirsty, go to [drink from] the water”.
It seems obvious though, doesn’t it?
Water never needed a marketing campaign.
It has always been know that water is the ideal thirst quencher.
So why the declaration?
Because Isaiah was speaking of a more profound thirst.
The kind I feel in my soul when there is a void.
The kind I sense in my heart when there is a loss.
“Go drink from the water”, he encourages us, “And there is no water other than Torah.”
Usually when we are “thirsty”, we seek to quench it with more achievements, more goals reached, more validation or more appreciation. Often enough, we try to satiate with the even more transient fillers, like a new purchase, a new trip or a new relationship.
Indeed then, Isaiah has a very important declaration- “go to the water!”- The morals, lifestyle and values that G-d had gifted us with, are where you will quench your thirst and find meaning.
To thirst for something deeper, to yearn for more purpose and to seek meaning, is a sign of good health. It means you have a vibrant heart and soul that are eager for wholeness. (Perhaps the righteous arrived at a place of lasting pleasure and serenity because they are consistently in connection with truth…the rest of us, occasionally falling out of alignment, will continue to strive for it.)
When your battery is low, you feel an urgency to plug it in for a recharge.
The prophet Isaiah was telling us that there is only one outlet that works.
G-d provided us with the ultimate energy source and it is always available to us.
A new pair of shoes or a new award might satisfy the body or the ego.
But to nourish the soul, a connection to G-d’s truths is the only thing that will satisfy.
This certainty is on full disclosure on American college campuses.
One at a time, the elite schools are falling from grace because their pseudo-truths offer a great contrast to G-d’s eternal truths that have outlived and outlasted every culture and trend.
While the passion of the student activists is worrisome, it is also hopeful as we transition to a greater consciousness for humanity. There is no closing one’s eyes to the ruckus. Every student (and each of us watching) is feeling urged to seek and find a truth that will offer long-term satisfaction.
Better days are coming.
That is another truth that Judaism assures us of.
You and I can usher it in, by allowing ourselves to reach out, more consistently, for that which brings us wholeness.
The ripple effect is a real thing. Our entire world will be better for it.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom.
