Upon the retirement of Warren Buffett, his greatness was widely exalted. Many explained that while it is certainly true that he was exceptionally skilled at picking the right investments, there are other investors who are experts at this as well. His greatest strength was that he remained steadfast in his principles.
I do not know what methods Buffett used to stay so committed to those principles, but the fact that this is what he is most lauded for is reason to believe that he had proper support in place so that he would not waver.
In truth, this is how we build a home. We begin with the foundation, because without a strong foundation the structure above will collapse. However, to hold the house together, we also need strong beams, strategically placed, so that the foundation can do its job.
Our principles are our foundation, and the support system that helps us remain true to those principles is our beams.
This idea is found in this week’s Torah portion, Bo, where the Exodus from Egypt is experienced and, as a result, the Jews become a free people. To this day, we celebrate the holiday of freedom with the Seder. We eat matzah and drink wine (or grape juice), and we recline as a sign of freedom, luxury, and expansiveness.
The act of leaning and relaxing during the Seder is an expression of our freedom and our current state of being. It means that, in principle, we are free in every aspect of our lives. We were slaves, now we are free, and we will always remain free. However, to anchor this idea in our minds and hearts, until it is seared into our souls, it is vital that we express this feeling at very specific times: when we eat matzah and when we drink the four cups of wine.
If we have principles without any way of expressing them, we can easily be swayed to abandon them, even if only for a moment. And then it can happen again and again. If, however, we have a plan in place to live by our principles, with clearly defined practices that we follow, then no temptation will pull us away from them.
At the Seder, we express the principle of freedom through eating matzah and drinking the four cups of wine.
As Jews, our principles are the Torah, and the support system that helps us remain true to those principles is the mitzvot.
Have a happy Mitzvah Day and an experiential Shabbat.