Newspapers and web sites the world over are abuzz at the miraculous rescue of 33 miners in Chile. The miners, trapped for nearly seventy days, were all brought to the surface successfully and reunited with their families this week. It’s a remarkable story of human perseverance, hope, faith, optimism and hard work.
And it’s also a lesson for all of us.
This week the Torah tells in Parshas Lech Lecha of G-d’s instruction to Avraham to “go to a place I will show you.” Avraham and Sarah went with faith that G-d was leading them to the proper destination. But more importantly, Avraham and Sarah recognized that they were embarking on a mission. They were going for a specific purpose.
And they imparted that sense of purpose to their descendants. The Jews went down to Egypt as slaves, but emerged to receive the Torah and begin a long, meaningful journey, bolstered with the purpose of the Torah.
The Chassidic Masters refer often to the descent of the soul into this world and into a body. It is a deep, painful plunge into a spiritually hazardous and dark place. But the soul knows it has a mission. Its purpose is to refine the body and return the sparks of holiness to their Source in Heaven.
Souls are like miners, sent on a mission.
And these miners from Chile inspire us to always remember from where we come and our yearning to reconnect to our Father in Heaven.
Indeed, we are all miners.