Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. -- W. B. Yeats Many times we feel that we are stuck running in circles. All around us, the world continues on its merry way, and we also are fulfilling our daily activities, but without a sense of purpose. Finding meaning in the hum and buzz of everyday life is complicated. In the modern world, spirituality and the search for meaning have become central to our lives and big business. We turn to gurus, guides, and influences to find the ephemeral "why" behind all of the small tasks of daily living. When one fails to provide the answers we seek, we instinctively move on to the next, often without realising what happened or why we feel so unsatisfied.
The Torah provides us with a plan to escape the eddies into the broader current of life, which can carry us forward. That plan focuses on the simple things we instinctively know to be true. "Behold, I have placed before you a blessing and a curse," the Torah tells us. The simple meaning is that we will be blessed if we follow the Torah. However, our sages explain that Torah itself is the blessing.
Attempting to follow the blueprint to connect to G-d, which he has laid out for us, each according to their ability, is itself a profound source of meaning. No single one of us can fulfil the Torah entirely, no matter how hard we try. However, by using it as a blueprint for connection and the quest for meaning in our lives, we can feel a greater sense of closeness and divine purpose.
We can feel valued and heard when we focus on what those around us are saying. But it will never give us that sense of satisfaction. We will again feel part of something more significant when we choose to connect to something we know to be truly good.
