大象传媒

Good morning.聽 I recently began working out with a personal trainer - and realised just how out of shape I was!聽 As he put me through my paces I discovered aches in muscles that I didn鈥檛 even know existed. For the first few weeks I was sore - but I also felt good. In addition to the immediate endorphin rush one gets after working out, I also benefited from an overall sense of physical wellbeing - and I felt on top of the world. That is, until one week my trainer decided to 鈥渕ix things up鈥� as he put it and took me through an entirely different set of exercises than I was becoming used to.聽 By the end of the session I was practically begging to stop. More than the physical pain what really hurt was my ego. I thought I had achieved a level of fitness only to discover that I hadn鈥檛.

What my trainer explained to me, was that the body learns to adapt very quickly and so unless I consciously pushed my body to new limits it would just stagnate.
The idea that unless you are constantly moving forward, you are in essence moving backwards has strong resonance in Jewish thought and ritual. Particularly during our current festival of Hanukah when we kindle Hanukah lights in the evenings. Each night we add one additional candle. Starting with one and ending with eight at the end of the festival. The idea embedded in this practice is that when it comes to spiritual growth and development, yesterday鈥檚 level is never sufficient. Each new day brings with it the challenge and opportunity for new growth.

Let us pray for the inspiration and courage to keep reaching for new heights.
听听