It is difficult to make a wrong turn anymore. Protected by our mobile devices’ innate ability to have us reach our destination in the shortest time possible, even when we think we veer off course, a quick reminder tells us, “recalculating.”Our Torah permits us to recalculate our spiritual life this Shabbat. In the midst of our journey through the wilderness, the Torah tells us the appointed times to set in our calendar. In a world of autopilot, it is valuable to turn off our GPS and attempt to navigate our lives manually.
Chris Washburne, jazz professor at Columbia University, always ended his class this way, “Never take the same route home.” In essence, recalculating should be a blessing, not a curse.Be it a job, a move to a different city, or a new goal that you set for yourself this Shabbat, recalculate where you thought your life’s path would taking you. You may end up in the same place, but at least you took a different path to get there.
