Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi. Costa Concordia. Nelson Mandela. Fort Hood. Kobane.
These are all news stories. But they are not one today’s headlines. They are yesterday’s headlines. And yesterday’s headlines are often the forgotten headlines. We tend to think about the current issues, not the past issues.
The Torah tells us in this week’s double-parsha of Vayakhel-Pekudei that the Jews built the Mishkan, the mobile Sanctuary for G-d. Rashi explains that Moshe gathered the Jewish people to begin this noble task on the day after Yom Kippur.
The meaning of this occurring immediately after the holiest day of the year – and right after G-d forgave the Jewish people and had Moshe deliver the Second Tablets – is powerful. It’s natural for us to be holy on Yom Kippur. After all, it’s Yom Kippur. It’s a big deal. Just like we are focused on the headlines of today, we get excited about our Jewishness when exciting things are happening.
But the day after – now that’s a different story altogether. We tend to forget about the frenzy that we just experienced. Just like the news – we are on to the next hot item.
But what defines true commitment? Real dedication is when we are still involved and enthused the day after.
This is why the date of this event is so important. Moshe gathered the Jews on the day after, so they may learn never to let go. Always keep building on the past, living the present and creating the future.