All of the discussions, all of the hype, all of the FB postings, all of the t-shirts, all of the blogs, and even the movie about the end of time…they’re all passé. (BTW, my all-time favorite is FB post from this past Friday: “People are posting about the end of times like there is no tomorrow!”) 12/21/12 has come and gone, and nothing has changed. Life goes on, and while much “Inca[K1] ” has been spilled on this topic, it is barely a memory.
Interestingly enough, this week’s Torah portion does mention “the end of time” in connection with a fascinating incident involving the patriarch Yaakov (Jacob).
Yaakov realized that his time on earth was quickly running out, so he assembled all of his children around his death bed to share with them his last will and testament. The Torah describes: “Yaakov called all his sons and said “gather yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the end of days.” Yet, surprisingly and abruptly, Yaakov changed the topic, and began to instruct and bless each of his children. The Talmud in Pesachim (56b) explains that Yaakov wanted to reveal to his children when the Messiah would come, but suddenly the Divine presence deserted him, and he realized that the Almighty did not want the end of time to be known, so he changed the topic.
This episode is quite perplexing. If Yaakov knew the secrets of the end of time, what was wrong with sharing them with future generations? And if this was “classified information,” what was the purpose of revealing it to Yaakov? Lastly, how logical is it to segue from being unable to divulge the end of time to instructing and blessing each child?
Perhaps we can suggest the following. Yaakov’s initial thought process was to talk to his children about the “destination.” Yaakov wanted to describe the utopian Messianic existence as the goal and purpose of existence[K2] , implying that their priority should be to focus constantly on this objective. Yet, as he was about to impart this concept to his sons, the Almighty’s divine presence departed, and Yaakov realized that his intended message was not the right one. The Almighty was teaching Yaakov that while one can never forget the destination, the essence is the journey. Similar to a trek up a mountain path with the summit as the destination, it is foolish to focus solely on the summit but ignore the beauty and thrill of the mountain climb itself.
This realization spurred Yaakov to shine a spotlight on the travelers, the twelve tribes, and leave them with instructions to maximize their journey. Yaakov highlighted their strengths and weaknesses, which were the tools they would need to use properly for an optimal journey.
So, despite the hoopla over the last twelve months on about the end of time, and the future (or the lack of one), perhaps it’s high time to refocus on the present and realize that life’s a journey not a destination, and I just can’t tell just what tomorrow brings.
[K1]Ma inyan "Inca" etzel "Mayans"?
[K2]ply