People were thrilled this week on Monday and Tuesday. It did not snow. May 1st today, Wednesday, it is snowing. Imagine the trees questioning, “Are we there yet?”
Whether it is a long car ride, or awaiting spring, “Are we there yet?” implies that we were ready to “be there” a long time ago. This week of the Omer count—the week of Yesod (foundation) is “not quite there yet” implying—not yet ready to be there. As the Jews were heading to Sinai I can imagine many a child echoing the same chorus—are we there yet? and some parents wondering the same. The week of Yesod is the week of truth—are we there yet transforms into are we ready to be there, yet?
Our ability to change (in relation to procrastinating or any other characteristic of our behavior) is predicated on facing the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Yesod has an inner meaning—the Hebrew word is Emet (Alef-Mem-Tav) and we are taught that the three letters that comprise Emet come from the beginning (Alef) of the Hebrew alphabet, the middle of the alphabet (Mem) and the end of the alphabet (Tav). The truth has to Online Pokies be the truth from the beginning, to the middle, to the end; through and through. That is what we can call nothing but the truth.
We can raise many questions about this statement. What is truth to begin with? What is it in the end? What does it serve as a middle(man)?
This topic is at the center of an Israeli documentary entitled The Flat. In clearing out his grandmother’s apartment in Tel Aviv he comes across a series of photos that when enlarged reveal a startling story of the relationship between his parents and one of the architects of the Holocaust.
While the filmmaker, Arnon Goldfinger, is tenacious in discovering and revealing “the truth”—there is a truth revealed that is nothing—but the truth. I leave it up to you who see the film to comment on the layered meanings of revealing to self and others, “the truth” and what can be understood from a spiritual point of view about the truth that is nothing.
Meanwhile it is snowing. It is May. One week to confront our ability to face the truth. Next week it is time to get there—whatever truth it is we seek.