At the end of Jacob’s life, he calls his family together and says, “I will tell you what will happen at the End of Days.” Yet, the Midrash tells us the time of redemption was in fact hidden from Jacob. God goes to Jacob and asks, “You gathered your sons and not Me?”
God continues with the words from Proverbs, “It honors God to conceal the matter.” In other words, this matter does not belong to you.
Rav Kook asks, “Why was Jacob prevented from telling his children when the final exile will end?” He explains that if we were to know the spiritual level needed to attain ultimate redemption, we could simply calculate what needs to be done. Yet, God does not work in this manner. We each must work on our own spiritual selves along this journey. Jacob was trying to impart to his children that they must not simply rely on God’s timing, but their own actions.
This weekend, the clocks change once again, and 2024 will arrive. Another year that we could never have imagined. Another year where we must not rely on miracles. Another year that within sacred community, we can transform our spiritual selves to create the world that we wish to live in.
May it be a meaningful 2024 for you and your loved ones.
