A few months ago, I engaged in a conversation with a retired member of our community. I was moving around the sanctuary, and it was clear to the member that I was running from one task to the next. He noticed the strain on my face as I paused in my tasks to speak for a few minutes. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to chat; I was just running against the clock, trying to get everything done before the day’s end. He looked at me in the eye and said, “Nicole, never stop being busy. Being busy is a wonderful thing.”I return to his words over and over again. “Being busy is a wonderful thing.” What he was trying to convey is that when you have a purpose, when you are gifted the blessing of bringing meaning into this world, don’t waste a minute. Appreciate the work that lies in your hands.Saturday night we will celebrate the receiving of Torah with the holiday of Shavuot. It is a reminder to glean purpose and meaning every single time we look at a verse of Torah. Torah doesn’t belong in the pages of a chumash. Torah should be woven through our hearts and hands.At age 90, the renowned cellist, Pablo Casals was asked: “Why do you still practice so many hours a day?” He replied, “Because I think I am improving.” In other words, he kept busy. He continued to improve.Hashivenu Adonai, Dear God, return us to your Torah time and time again. Keep us busy in determining the ways we can bring meaning and purpose to this senseless world. Let us improve in our deeds so that we may say, “I was busy helping God create a world of shalom, peace and unity.” Amen.
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