Clouds

More than once…

A friend has lost a job,

Or been in a relationship they were happy in, end too soon.

And more than once…

I’ve told them about the clouds in the desert.

During our forty years of wandering we encamped in many places.

How did we know when to stay and when to move on?

We looked to the clouds.

When the Clouds of Glory stayed over the holy tabernacle, the mishkahn,

We stayed in our encampment.

When Gd lifted the clouds, we journeyed on.

The Torah is mysteriously repetitive when it discusses the clouds.

The Ohr HaChaim explains that this is to give praise to the Jewish people.

When we were in a place we didn’t like, we didn’t rebel.

We stayed until the clouds lifted.

When we were in a place that we did like,

Even though we wanted to stay,

When the clouds lifted, we journeyed on.

I tell my friends that we no longer have the clouds to guide us.

But even without them,

God still directs us.

When things end before we want them to, it might be painful…

But on a deeper level,

It’s a sign to us that the clouds have lifted.

It’s time to move on,

A new encampment awaits.