Parshat Matos-Masei
A prediction succeeds when it comes true.
A prophecy succeeds when it doesn’t.
During these Three Weeks, we read the words of the prophet Jeremiah, who warned that if the Jewish people continued down their current path, Jerusalem would be destroyed.
The goal was never to predict the future.
It was to change it.
A prophet doesn’t tell us what must happen.
A prophet shows us what will happen if nothing changes.
That is what makes prophecy an act of hope.
A prediction succeeds when it comes true.
A prophecy succeeds when it doesn’t.
It reminds us that tomorrow is shaped by the choices we make today.
Perhaps the same is true in our own lives.
We often think of the future as something that simply happens to us.
The Torah invites us to see it differently.
The wisest people aren’t those who can predict what lies ahead.
They’re the ones who can recognize where today’s choices are leading, and have the courage to change course while there is still time.
As Shabbat approaches, may we be blessed with the wisdom to recognize where today’s choices are leading, the courage to change course when needed, and the hope to believe that a different tomorrow is always possible.
Shabbat Shalom!
