People have an innate desire to do good. That is why when we hear about the devastation hurricanes cause, that is not enough for us just to satisfy our curiosity; what is more important to us is to learn how we can help. What can we do to alleviate the pain and suffering of those affected by the destruction?
Yet, even this innate desire of expression needs direction, not only in practical ways of applying our good will, but in a broader outlook in life.
This broader outlook in life can be gleaned from this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo. The Torah tells us that we should “walk in G-d’s ways.” But if G-d is infinite and we are finite, how can we “walk in His ways?”
Although we cannot be G-d, we can try to emulate G-d’s ways as best as we can. We must know in which direction we are going, even if we are not going to be perfect. Our goal should not be perfection; our mission should be to make every effort to be better than the day before. As we move toward being a better person—not the best person per se, just a better person—this is walking in G-d’s way.
We may not be able to do a G-dly act and reverse the course of a hurricane, but we can act G-dly in the way we express ourselves, and reach out to those who were affected in its aftermath.
This broad outlook in life can and should be applied in all matters in our lives, great and small. When we view all of our experiences through the lens of “how can I do more,” we are acting G-dly, even if it’s not to perfection.
Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova